A Year in Review - 2021

[hatkid]

I'm not really sure I should bother replying considering I have played exactly three games that released this year, and I've only finished one of them but whatever

Favorite 2021 Release: Maybe Shin Megami Tensei V? I do also really like Ys IX.

Least Favorite 2021 Release:  Not enough played to make a fair judgement

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Now this is hard, since I've done a lot of game playing this year. Maybe, hmm, oh, duh, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd. Or maybe Trails to Azure.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Sleeper Hit of 2021: Idk

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: When my brother and I were playing Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion in Star Wars: The Old Republic and one boss fight ended up perfectly recreating the Darth Maul fight in Episode 1 due to silly things we probably weren't supposed to be doing.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021: I don't collect, but getting a PS4 was pretty exciting.

[NickAwesome]

Favorite 2021 Release: Returnal- An absolute masterpiece. I've already seen the true ending, and yet I still want to keep playing. This is the first game I've played that truly feels next generation. Visuals- stunning   sound design- mindblowing- the first time your alt fire recharges- holy shit    controls- like a dream   difficulty- tough but fair-  I guess I like rogues? Hades was my favorite game last year.

Least Favorite 2021 Release: I don't know if I really have a least favorite. Anything I try that sucks I just move on and play something else. But uh... have you played Taxi Chaos? It's like someone took Crazy Taxi and removed everything fun and interesting about it and then released it. After about 10 minutes I was so uncomfortable I had to turn it off.

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Returnal- for the reasons above.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: No Escape on Genesis- what an absolute disaster of a game. It sounds like a cool premise and then 5 seconds in you get mobbed to death with some of the worst controls ever. And barely anyway to attack. What a dumpsterfire.

Sleeper Hit of 2021: Ys IX- released in February- this game was absolutely amazing and yet it feels like it came out years ago. Doesn't hit the same way Ys VIII did in some ways but it's really a marvelous game and deserves so much more praise.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: Playing It Takes Two with my best friend. Originally we played it while he was living on the east coast and would try to play an hour or two online when our schedules aligned. Then he told me he was moving to Portland (where I live) and we finished the game in person together. Just a phenomenal game and glad he's on this side of the country now.  These last few years have been terribly isolating so it's nice to have some friends around every once in a while.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021: I reorganized and alphabetized my gaming room! It looks really great now and I feel very proud. Took me like 6 hours just to do the PS2- absolutely brutal. But so worth it.

And I'm 1 game away from a NA retail Saturn set- so if I get a copy of Contra by the end of the year that will be my top collection moment- otherwise it will be my top 2022 moment!

[bunnybear]

Favorite 2021 Release: Rolling Gunner + Overpower. It’s not even close. Bullet heaven.

Least Favorite 2021 Release: Cris Tales. This came out of the oven and the dough hadn’t even finished rising. An exemplary example of how NOT to make a physical release.

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Breath of the Wild, bay bay. I hadn’t even started it until December 2020, so 2021 was all BOTW goodness.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: Mummy Demastered. What an overrated piece of shit. It’s an average game *at best*, and it’s not even good enough for average. See my review in our reviews thread for expanded thoughts on why I hate it.

Sleeper Hit of 2021: Dusk Diver. Given all its technical and creative foibles, this game has no right being as much fun as it is.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: I could name fifty, and they’re all to do with BOTW, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021:Nothing really exciting here.... not paying the outrageous second hand prices for Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen on PS4 and getting it earlier this month when NISA reprinted it, I guess?

[kazumn]

Favorite 2021 Release: If i had played it this year it will be mostlikely forza horzion 5 but i haven't. Probably Lost judgment then, had a lot of fun with that one.

Least Favorite 2021 Release: Story of seasons pioneers of olive town, it's not bad just dissapointing especially when you compare it to stardew valley.

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Witcher 3 wild hunt, never played the dlc got a goty edition on the cheap so it's nice to get all the achievements for a second time.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: I try to avoid wasting my time on crap so can't really think off much maybe biomutant

Sleeper Hit of 2021: can't really think off much other then the olympic game sega put out this year very fun over the top arcade sport mini games.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: Starting the witcher 3 again, after i completed the witcher 2 and importing my choices from the second game, being addicted again to the witcher 3.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021: Kind off went hard on the japanese og xbox and xbox 360 sets, getting many cheap deals in the process on yahoo japan. Best deal i can remember winning an auction for 80, 360 games for about 65 euros.
Also completing my jpn neo geo pocket collection 100% ( all systems variants, games variants etc)

[kashell]

As always, I'm enjoying reading all the responses!

[telly]

Added a few of my own!

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Silent Hill 2 is my favorite game of all time and I played through again for I think the 7th (?) time this year. But that feels like kind of a copout to me. My favorite game that I played for the first time in 2021 has got to be Return of the Obra Dinn. Such an interesting, beautiful, unique, expressive, interesting, and engrossing puzzle game. It might be my favorite puzzle game of all time.

Favorite Co-op Game Played in 2021 I had the most fun with Stardew Valley, and have played about 80 hours between Steam and the Switch. I also really enjoyed Zelda Four Swords Adventures if you want something that's more story-focused.

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: Last Blade 2. I just don't like 2D fighting games that much. More of a taste thing than anything, but I still had a really bad time playing.

Sleeper Hit of 2021: I would give this to Valkyria Chronicles even though I played it last year a lot as well. I'm surprised this series doesn't get more love. It was a TON of fun.

Favorite Pickup of 2021 For me, it's Mother 3. It was a birthday gift, it's one of my favorite games of all time and after emulating it years ago it's great to have the actual cartridge of the Japanese version. I'm considering diving into the game with a translation in hand which would be a bitch but that's how much I love this game, haha.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: Finishing every single Kingdom Hearts Game outside of Melody of Memory. It took me about 240 hours over 8 months but it was a great accomplishment finishing the Xenahort Saga.

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021: I recently moved in with my girlfriend and was finally able to display everything in my collection on a shelf for the first time since I started really getting into video games about 10 years ago. I owe it to her for being so supportive of something that I'm really passionate about. 

[bizzgeburt]

Favorite 2021 Release: None - this year I ran retro completely.

Least Favorite 2021 Release: Every FIFA- and AC-Game ;-)

Favorite Game Played in 2021: Fav game I started (re-)playing in 2021 was Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals. I'm still on it ...

Least Favorite Game Played in 2021: Cyberia for PS1 ... total crap.

Sleeper Hit of 2021: None - this year I ran retro completely.

Favorite Gaming Moment in 2021: My favourite moment was when I beat Idura in Lufia II with just to actions (Maxim boosting Guy's attack, then Guy erasing him off the screen with one octo-strike of Gades' blade ... love it)

Proudest Collection Accomplishment of 2021: I finally got my hand on a copy of "Story of Thor 2" for european SEGA Saturn. I once found that one in a store, not having enough money to buy it, and when I came back to purchase it, it was already bought away by someone else. Months later I found another one, even a little bit lower on price, and I grabbed it. I wanted to own this game for years since I really enjoyed it's prequel on Megadrive.

Guess that's it from me

[kazumn]

probably worth noting the "hidden gem" of the year i've played was xuan yuan sword 7, try it out if you like ancient chinese history and action rpg's. I had not expectation going into the game and it pleasantly suprised me in a good way well worth sinking 25-30 hours into.