See what PS4 and PS5 games picked up the most hours

The popular year-in-review data tool f?or sharing your 2021 PlayStation play habits has arrived. Sony has launched its PlayStation 2021 Wrap-Up, showing?? your hour counts and more for the last year in PlayStation 4 and 5.

Similar to Nintendo's Switch Year in Review site, the PlayStation 2021 Wrap-Up pulls in data from your playtime on both PS4 and PS5 to see what dominated your console playtime in the year 2021. You can find it on the PlayStation site here.

//twitter.com/PlayStation/status/14?84179054936813577

As you can see from the tweet above, the site shows what games led your hour counts. There are also trackers for how many trophies players have accrued, how rare they are, and more. There are also some global stats for games like Death Stranding: Director's Cut and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. It even tracks how ??many hours you spent in PlayStation VR!

That said, your mileage may vary on whether the site can pull down your data. I've personally not been able to see my stats as of this writing, despite definitely dumping countless hours into games like Tales of Arise, Deathloop, and older games like Final Fantasy X.

If you've got some stats to share, however, feel free to drop them below in the comments. There were a good few PlayStation games to dive deep into this last year, like Death Stranding: Director's Cut and Returnal. I've no doubt that? my 2019 stats would've been overwhelmed by my hours of trekking across Kojima Productions' version of America.

Looking ahead to 2022, there are some big PlayStation games on the horizon. God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, and Gran Turismo 7 are all part of t?he PlayStation-exclusive lineup. It'll be interesting to see what those stats look like at the end of next year?.

Find your PlayStation 2021 Wrap-Up on the site here.

The post PlayStation 2021 Wrap-Up shows what games rul?ed your console last ??year appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Auto Pets was robbed

Another trip around the sun has been completed and so we conclude our year-end look at the best video games that came out in 2021. While the staff has had their say, we here at Dest?ructoid love to give the community a chance to voice its game of the year opinion as well.

As always, I reached out to various community members and moderators for insight as to how the selected games affected them. It als?o helps since I apparently was vastly out of touch with the community at large and didn't touch a single of the games in the top five. So without anymore brouhaha, let's get into the top five games of 2021 as selected by you, our community!

5th place - Shin Megami Tensei V

JRPGs have always had a good home on Nintendo’s systems, all the way back to the golden days of Final Fantasy on NES and SNES. For proof that the Switch is living up to that proud tradition, look no further than Shin Megami Tensei V.

Shin Megami Tensei V quite noticeably decided to put gameplay first, but nevertheless managed ?to exp??ertly set the post-apocalyptic scene. From the opening cutscene detailing how the Christian God took divinity from all other deities and reduced them to mere demons, all the way to the very end, it’s easy to get sucked into the dark setting filled to the brim with religious commentary.

That said, the real draw of SMT V is the combat system, as well as optimizing your team of increasingly stronger demons. SMT after all, is not unlike Pokémon, if Pokémon had you fighting alongside Loki, Quetzalcoatl, Shiva, and some ridiculously obscure monster from any culture’s folklore you care to name. Also unlike Pokémon, Shin Megami Tensei V forces you to constantly change up and improve your tea??m. Every level-up comes with new opportunities to recruit something stronger, and you’ll constantly be making new decisions about how to spec for upcoming bosses.

Pair all of this with the series staple “Press Turn�system, which mass??ively rewards exploiting enemy weakness, and you’ve got a JRPG that is endlessly addicting?. Every time I wanted to put the game down, I realized that just one more level would let me finally get that demon I’ve been eyeing for hours. Every time you turn a corner, there is some distant landmark calling your name. And every time you start wondering when the story is going to progress again, some impressive scene of gods, angels, and demons is there to greet you.

Long story short: if you’re a fan of JRPGs, if you’re looking for some of the best combat of the genre, and if you like your ‘mons to be a little more dark and serious, look no further than Shin Megami Tensei V.

-ShadeOfLight, Moderator

4th place - Resident Evil Village

The Resident Evil series reminds me a lot of Lady Gaga. Reinvention is a word that comes to mind. Also, meat dress. The success of Village comes from the RE team’s ability to balance the sensibilities of the franchise while moving it forward into the future. This was evident in how Village felt like a greatest hits collection of the franchise. The four lords domains each took cues from prior games, a gamble that paid off. Taking t?he pl?ayer back to the halcyon days of wandering a baroque mansion solving puzzles had me grinning like a kid again. Then I went to the doll’s house.

We don’t talk about the doll’s house.

The RE team has shown that they know what makes Resident Evil work. They get the atmosphere, the horror, and the camp. You’re playing your favorite straight-to-video horror movie that somehow got a summer blockbuster bud?get.

Village played to its strengths. It had so much of what we’ve grown to love and celebrate in the RE series but it still felt fresh and new. That’s all I’ve ever wanted from my beloved Resident Evil games.

Meat dress. Doll’s house. This game was awesome.

-Occams Electric Toothbrush, Lead Moderator

3rd place - Psychonauts 2

Was the original Psychonauts 16 years ago, or three days? The answer depends on whether you ask us gamers or the characters in Psychonauts 2. The newly released sequel continues the story from Psychonauts without a single hitch.

Be that as it may, video games have moved forward quite a lot since 2005, and it goes without saying that Psychonauts 2 incorporates many improvements to the formula. Platforming feels a lot smoother, combat is a lot more involved than it ever was, and the mental worlds you visit look better tha??n ever.

However, Psychonauts 2’s greatest achievement is in its characters, level design, and how incredibly well the t?wo align with each other. Many characters whose minds you enter suffer from some kind of menta??l illness. This ranges from addiction to overstimulation, and from anxiety to losing a sense of identity. Each of these is reflected directly in its respective level as well as in its enemies.

For example, jumping into the mind of the character who gets overstimulated leads you to a psychedelic landscape of oversaturated colors where lots of objects just move too fast. While there, you encounter Panic Attacks. That is to say, enemies representing panic attacks. They are fast, scary, they hit you when you’re not looking, and just seeing t??hem pop up fills you with dread. In short, they’re an apt representation of real panic attacks.

Psychonauts 2 thus deals with mental health in a very respectful and recognizable way. Every character is handled with a gentle touch, and each is integral to solving their own issues, albeit wit?h a lot of outside help on the part of the player.

Of course, Psychonauts 2 never sacrifices tight level design, fun, and wonder to make its points. If anything, its mental worlds go far beyond what the original managed to pull off. Great set-pieces, beautifully themed worlds, and new surprises around every corner make Psychonauts 2 one of the most heartfelt and imagina??tive games of 2??021.

-ShadeOfLight, Moderator

Runner-Up - Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread had a lot to live up to, being the first entirely new 2D side-scrolling Metroid game in about 20 years since Metroid Fusion and its direct sequel as well. Fusion also happens to be the game that got me into Metroid as a franchise, being my first experience with it so I was nervously excited for this game. MercurySteam’s previous effort remaking Samus Returns was a good game, and I figured Dread would be good at worst, but also ?accepted it p?robably wouldn’t live up to its predecessors.

I'm glad to report that I was wrong. This game is great and in my opinion, deserves to stand amongst the other 2D Metroids. Additionally, Dread fixes many of the criticisms I had with Samus Returns. Map design is good and it generally keeps nudging you in the right direction, with teleporters cutting down on transit time as the map gets larger. Areas look really good with a solid variety of biomes, lots of nice a?ttention to detail and the EMMI chases can be really tense and exciting, even if a little more variety or personality would have helped them stay fresh. The new monster designs are pretty appealing and/or downright repulsive, and I think this might be one of? my favorite suits of power armor that Samus has worn.

One of the best elements of the game is the gameplay. It feels so good to play and it has been refined very well. It's fun just to move, and it's obvious lessons have been learned from other Metroidvanias that have come about in the intervening years since Fusion. I think generally the combat flow is good, especially as you begin to click with it (an option to rebind controls wouldn’t go amiss though). The aiming feature and being able to stand in place while firing is a welcome continuation from the Samus Returns remake and the slide among oth?er combat abilities allow combat to get more complex, with some pretty enjoyable and?? challenging boss fights.

The story is also surprisingly enjoyable despite a few quibbles, building on the previous lore and the universe proper in some positive and interesting ways. Samus shows her personality in cutscenes and in gameplay without needing to say a word in a way that greatly reminds me of Doom 2016 and there's a lot of good attention to detail in the animation?s generally.

I adore Dread if my gushing hasn’t made it obvious, and I think one of the highest compliments I can pay it is that immediately after I beat i??t at 100%, I started a new save. I know not everyone gels with it, but speaking purely for myself I love it, and I still almost can’t believe that it even exists. And I’m hungry for MORE.

-Gamemaniac3434, Community member

2021 Community Game of the Year Winner - Deathloop

Time loops constituted one of the biggest trends in video game storytelling in 2021. Whether you were exploring a roguelike planet in Returnal, trying to find your way out of a doomed city of antiquity in The Forgotten City, or spending six hours committing some very questionable acts in 12 Minutes, it seemed many games writers wanted players to get the most out of a short period of time last year. Each of those titles handled the concept in their own unique way, but I don’t think any game in 2021 was as effective in utilizing this storytelling technique as Deathloop.

Expectations were high for Arkane Studio’s oft-delayed follow-up to its past hit titles like Prey and Dishonored. Thankfully, outside of one horribly misguided plot twist at the end, Deathloop delivered. Not only did it feature outstanding stealth gameplay, a s??atisfying feel to all of its weapons, and some creative ways to kill your enemies thanks to the slabs, but it also approached the concept of a time loop in an extremely though?tful way.

Each run of the day, each failure on the part of the player, only made Cole more efficient, more capable, and more deadly. With the most stylishly designed world of 2021 just chock full of little areas of interest, Deathloop slowly transitioned from a game I thought I could kil??l a few hours with into on??e I never wanted to end until I was sure I had seen it all.

Sure, other players hopping into my game as Julianna to kill me right before I made my escape was a real kick to the shins, but it was all part of the fun. I’ll admit, it took me a while to really get into Deathloop. For whatever reason, it just didn't click right away. Probably all those damn tutorials. But once I got into the flow of things, once I started knocking off those Visionaries and stealing their powers, I didn’t want to put the controller down. Undoubtedly well worth the wait, it’s easy to see why so many votes were stuffed into ballots this year to name Deathloop as the jbsgame.community Pick of 2021.

-CJ Andriessen, Staff Editor

And there you have it, congrats to Arkane for putting out such a loved and cherished game that it received 70 community votes for top game of the year within the span of an hour! The final results of the vote, as well as the top 25 games chosen and a full rundown of the points amassed, can be viewed here.

As a reminder, a game that got voted in the top spot received three points, wh??ile a game receiving a runner-up vote received two points, then the third-place vot?e got one point.

Don't you worry Hell Let Loose, you're still number one in my heart.

Thanks as always to all the readers and c??ommunity members for continuing to be a part of this little slice of the internet.

The post The 2021 jbsgame.community Game of the Year winners are… appeared first on Destructoid.

Pandemic: Year 2 Edition

It has been a long and strenuous year, but hopefully, you and your loved ones have made it through as best as you could. It's not easy living during a global pandemic, in fact, sometimes it's downright terrifying. Thankfully though we have games and people to play with to get us through. You've already heard from ?the staff here at Destructoid about what we thought were the greatest games of the year, now it's time for ???you the community to voice your opinion for the 2021 game of the year.

Similar to last year we're going to be utilizing a preferential voting system so you can have three choices for game of the year! The way it will work is this: you'll select your choice for game ??of the year, as well as a second and third choice. Each choice will then be given a point value based on their ranking: first place will get three points, second place two, and third place one. Finally, the votes will be tallied and a final standing will be selected.

Because it is a preferential voting system and that system can be gamed by a single game being picked multiple times on the same ballot, any ballot that has a single game picked on it multiple times will be thrown out. Also, a gentle reminder that the eligibility period runs from December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021. Halo: Infinite, you have been saved...

There are 174 games to choose from for the 2021 Community Game of the Year award, which is a lot for a dropd??own menu. To make things easier, you can peruse this list to?? make sure there aren't any games that you ??forgot.

Voting will remain open until Noon CST, January 11, 2022, so make sure to get in there and make your voice heard!

The post Vote for the Destructoid 2021 Community Game o?f ??the Year appeared first on Destructoid.

Please, no objections

We??ll, then. 2021 is over. A series of 365 days that decided, "what if we did 2020, again?" It was the remaster we did not need. But all that said, in spite of the continued effects of the pandemic and other nonsense, it was a good year too—one with good times, fun stories, and a smattering of new games to call my favorites of the year.

When I ran down the list of what I've played last year, I realized how all over the place it's been. There weren't a ton of tentpole games like there have been in recent years. Maybe Halo Infinite, but Xbox's heavy hitter launched a little late in the year for me to feel like I know where I'm at with it. I got to dive back into the Mass Effect series with the Legendary Edition, an honorable mention for this list; I didn't include it because it was my umpteenth time pl??ayin??g through the whole thing, but I'm glad those games have a unified home now.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8i53TtQ6IQ

2021 was another year of stellar indies. 2021 was a year of surprises, even in the AAA space. 2021 was the year of revivals, group plays, and long, late-night visual novel reading binges. Heck, by the end of it, I was even into Final Fantasy XIV. Never say never.

It was also the first year of my words finding a home here at Destructoid, and I just want to take a brief moment to thank all of y'all. If you've been hanging around in the comments, reading our work, and supporting the cool stories, interviews, reviews, and silly blogs we did here in 2021, thanks a ton!

Well, let's get this going? Here are some of my favori?te games from the year 2021, in no particular order except the final one.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Holy flark, I did not see this one coming. I had admittedly written off Guardians of the Galaxy after the launch of Marvel's Avengers, and the Guardians aren't exactly my usual cup of tea when it comes to Marvel content anyways. Something about its Mass Effect Andromeda-ness appealed? to me though, and after hearin??g enough people shower surprised praise on it, I gave it a shot.

What a pleasant, surprisingly heartfelt, and genuinely funny game. Honestly, Guardians of the Galaxy could still use a tune-up on the combat side. But the massive appeal of Eidos Montreal's Marvel journey is its writing and its characters. They got me to genuinely care about Drax, Gamora, and Rocket, with some genuinely fantastic writing at times. And all the barks! It was a good year for combat barks. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was the surprise I did not expect this year.

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

After Nier Automata put the Nier series on my radar, I was very, very eager to see what its predecessor was like. And Nier Replicant did not disappoint. Though maybe a little bit more tedious than Automata, the modernizations of this year's Replicant remaster we?nt a long way toward making an old game very fun to play through again and aga??in.

It was also great to see additional ties made to Automata with some added content. Both games serve as halves of a whole, to me; Replicant can gut-punch you about something, then hit you again in Automata, or vice versa. I'm curious to see what's next for Yoko Taro and the crew behind these games, and especially eager to see how the heck Nier plays out inside a critically acclaimed MMORPG. But Replicant felt like I was tying ?off a loose end ??of gaming, mining the depths of sadness and despair as I went.

The Forgotten City / Inscryption

This one's a two-parter, and I'll explain why: earlier this year, I wrote about my new?fou??nd joy in playing games with a group over Discord. Since I was young, I've always enj??oyed the many-people, one-controller way of play?ing certain games. It doesn't work for everything, but it can make some experiences really click.

In the driver's seat portion of this entry, The Forgotten City was a wonder to pick apart. In a year of time loop games offering all kinds of approaches to mystery and narrative, The Forgotten City stands above the pack. It's such a concise, contained loop that still finds so much space to work in. It waxes on and on about philosophy and his??tory, with so much detail and care put into framing the story at hand within the world at large. And the reveals are still just incredible.

On the flip-side, Inscryption is the game I still haven't played myself, but have back-seated through multiple friends. It's a refreshing take on the deck-building genre popularized by games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train. But it's also not just a good deck-builder; it's a good mystery, a good adventure, a good puzzle game, and oh so much more. I've been a fan of developer Daniel Mullins for a few years now, and it's been great to see him get so much recognition for the kinds of games he does?? oh-so-well.

Before Your Eyes

Honestly, I feel like I got this take out best a little while ago. Before Your Eyes is simply the one game from this year that I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should play.

In the time it takes to watch a modern movie, Before Your Eyes takes you through a life, one blink at a time. The way that developer GoodbyeWorld Games uses t?he blinking mechanic is so simple at first and becomes so clever as the story goes on. It's really an experience that I think anyone and everyone should try at least once. Get a webcam, hook it up, and experience one of the most genuinely moving games of the year.

Dungeon Encounters

Sometimes a game shows up and it is exactly what you needed, despite being something you'd never think to ask for in the first place. Dungeon Encounters feels experimental. It feels fresh and new. It's like getting to see the results of an internal game jam, only it's coming from the minds behind some of Final Fantasy's best.

The minimalist approach can seem sparse at first, but it really lets you fill in the spaces as you go. The deeper into the dungeon you go, the less it feels like a barren, unfinished game world, and the more it feels like a dive into a virtual tabletop. Its battle system is so brilliant and twists on itself in interesting ways. And the way systems and menus intertwine creates suc??h a compelling experience of building and managing not just a party, but a whole company of adventurers. Everyone remembers their first Petrified journeyer, or? when they discovered how to recruit more members.

I truly hope Dungeon Encounters is a sign of more to come from? Square Enix. More offbeat, interesting games like this from big publishers, please!

Life is Strange: True Colors

I've fallen a bit behind on Life is Strange. I loved the first season but never got around to the others. I think by the time Life is Strange 2 was releasing, I was burned out on the episodic model. One of the smartest things Life is Strange: True Colors does is keep the episodic structure, but deliver them all at once. You know, like what streaming services used to ??do.

The other smartest thing it does is introduce Alex Chen, the heart and soul of True Colors. Between the incredible voice acting and really spot-on motion capture, Alex just feels like a relatable, endearing protagonist that carries the weight of the small-town mystery so well. Deck Nine really found a winner in the small-town story of True Colors, and it's giving me hope that more adventure games from the episod??ic era can keep it going into the future.

Gnosia

Going into 2021, Gnosia was already on my radar. Its announcement at a winter Nintendo Indie World showcase was so exciting because I'd heard whispers about this game from a small studio in Japan that was making the rounds, one of the last Vita exclusives making its mark and now finally coming to Switch. And to me, Gnosia did not disappoint.

Gnosia is what I loved about old Flash dating sims, mixed with modern rogue-lite narrative ideas. It's another looping game, only this one has you getting stronger run over run, able to sway debates, and discern impostors at a glance. And all the while, you get smarter too, learning more about these characters. Who t?hey are, their preferred method of verbal warfare, and what they're hiding about the predicament you're all in.

If I had to pick the most overlooked game of the year, it's Gnosia. It's also decidedly not going to be everyone's cup of tea; I have a feeling this is one from 2021 that will have video essays made about it years from now. It's as much a game to analyze and dive deep into as it is to play in the moment. But it really did so many things that took me absolutely by surprise. And what a true ending, too. Gnosia is the little indie you shouldn't overlook.

Wildermyth

Speaking of small indie projects that up-ended my world, Wildermyth is both a game I can't yell about enough and a game I'm excited to see keep growing. Its melding of XCOM-like tactics and D&D narrative, with a hint of overworld management, might seem a bit dense. But it all works in conjunction to make a tabletop campaign come to life before your eyes, with procedurally generated engin??es driving the story behind it.

Wildermyth is, to put it bluntly, an engine for building myths and legends. Every campaign is a new story, and a new opportunity to see a humble farmer called to greatness. And then turned into a part-crow wizard with a penchant for archery. Or a stealthy huntress able to set enemies ablaze with her hands. Or a warrior, warm and cheerful among friends, slowly fading away thanks to the stone that pierced her heart. These are all stories that Wildermyth served to me on a silver platter.

The team at Worldwalker Games LLC has been doing a good job at updating Wildermyth too, adding new events and options. And it has Steam Workshop support, where the modding scene is only growing. This game has a lot o??f potential to become?? even more in the years to come, and I can't wait to see it happen.

Tales of Arise

This was the revival the Tales series needed. Tales of Arise isn't just a show of force for Bandai Namco, putting in a significant budget and graphical upgrade compared to previous entries. But it scales up? without losing its soul i?n the process.

Characters still loudly declare DEMON FANG and call out long incantations in the heat of battle, a symphony of special moves and responses. The story is grand and moving, yet there are still so many wonderful skits to uncover. Cooking is still here! And the cast is a genuine all-timer lineup of Tales party members.

Tales of Arise ultimately falls prey to some of the series' known shortcomings too. Its last act sags a good deal, and there are still odd spikes in levels and one very annoying recurring villain. But despite the falters, some of my favorite moments this year were seeing the animations for Boost Strikes over and over. The Boost moves felt like the glue for Tales of Arise, bringing the party together and really making fights feel like an all-out brawl. The horizon is very, very bright for the Tales series, and that's a good feeling.

The Backlog of Shame, 2021 Edition: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Lost Judgement, Unsighted, Shin Megami Tensei V, Death's Door

The Honorable Mentions, 2021 Edition: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Dyson Sphere Program, Scarlet Nexus, Loop Hero, New Pokémon Snap, Operation: Tango

And my favorite game of the year goes to...

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

When I finished the final case in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, I knew two things. On??e, I needed a moment to just breathe and take it all in. And two, there was no way this game wouldn't be on my end-of-the-year list.

I've been a fan of Phoenix Wright for a while, from the original trilogy up through the newer games. And as much as I love Phoenix, Apollo, Athena, and the crew, Great Ace Attorney is a breath of fresh air. No high-tec??h mechanisms or spirit channeling—the focus is solely on some basic forensics and deductions. And oh, the deductions. Herlock Sholmes and Ryunosuke Naruhodo doing the dance of de??duction is such a treat.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles benefits greatly from being two games packed into one. And where I can see how fans wouldn't like the cliffhanger and obviously unanswered threads of the first game leading into the second, as a duo they are nigh-unstoppable. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a ten-case powerhouse that weaves threads and stories throughout its entire run, building up to huge showdowns in court wi?th honor, reputation, legacy, and ??even lives on the line.

This is the game I'd hand to anyone looking to get into the Ace Attorney series. It's a lengthy one, but so, so worth your time. And?? there's n??o doubt it's my favorite game I've played this year.

The post Eric’s favorite games of 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

This is what you can order off the secret menu

It’s sort of my role here at Destructoid to look at more obscure titles. That’s not because it’s my assignment, it’s legitimately what I enjoy doing. I’ve seen some complain that this year has not been a very excitin?g one in the industry, but I beg to differ. There was a lot to fall in love with if you looked under the r?ight rocks.

Here’s a list of some of my favorites of 202?1 gems that you may have missed. Each of them left a lasting impact on me, regardless of how short the experience may have been. If you think the year has been something of a disappointment, maybe check out these gems.

Bloodwash

If I’m remembering correctly, it was this year that I finally started exploring the lo-fi horror underground of the indie market. The sub-genre hooked me quickly because it represents horror like it’s never been done before. Short, ugly, and impactful. The games absolutely embody the slasher VHS flicks found at the back of video stores. I assume. This ??may surprise you, but I’m not actually old enough to have experienced that.

What grabbed me about Bloodwash is that you’re given a lot of agency on what actions you take while you wait for your laundry. You can go around the gloomy shopping plaza and dig into the mystery of the womb-ripper, or you c?an play somewh??at tacky video games until the clock winds down. It gives the horror an organic feel, even if you’re generally going to land in the same place anyway.

In typical lo-fi horror fashion, this 2021 gem is over in less than 2 hours, but it’s one that has kept me thinking about it since I played it. There are lots of places to explore in this fledgling sub-genre, but from where I’m standing, Bloodwash is top shelf. That’s where they keep the re???al hardcore horror. Right? I’m honestly not sure. That’s probably just where they keep titles A-F.

Happy’s Humble Burger Farm

You might have missed this 2021 gem simply because it was released in early December, a time of the year when we all catch up on our backlogs and new releases might as well not even exist. Made by Scythe Dev Team, one of the underground groups creating lo-fi horror, Happy’s Humble Burger Farm is what happens when you g??ive one of those ??creators a budget.

What captivated me most about Happy’s Humble Burger Farm was its central s??andwich-making gameplay. The fact that a horror game has been based around the terrors of the service industry is pretty clever to begin with, but then you add in sandwich-centric boss battles and you have me drooling. Then you further tie in Scythe Dev Team’s surreal, dream-like storytelling and you don’t want to miss this. Even if the gameplay isn’t perfect, you probably haven’t played anything like it.

Perfect Gold

Romantic narratives can be extremely hit and miss because it’s deeply subjective. Some of the finest love stories I’ve encountered recently have been in ecchi visual novels that Destructoid doesn’t let me review. However, Perfect Gold isn’t ecchi, so I can freely talk about it.

Damn, Perfect Gold is one cute story about a pair of young almost-lovers. They hook up in the prologue, and the next thing you know, it’s jumped ahead to the next year and they absolutely resent each other. Throughout the story, it’s revealed what happened in the intervening time, and you get to follo?w the characters as they attempt to reconcile.

Perfect Gold is straight-up a visual novel with neither bells nor whistles. You make some pretty shallow dial??ogue choices throughout, but unless you’re trying to intentionally spoke-jam the relationship, you’re not at risk of running into a bad ending. With that said, it was the most fulfilling narrative I encountered all year.

Cruelty Squad

Cruelty Squad is art, but it’s the sort of art that makes you uncomfortable. This 2021 gem is like a Rennaisance painting of the devil jamming a hot poker into some guy’s butthole. You get the gist of what it’s trying to say, but you’re like, “Why did the artist take this approach? Are they terrified or aroused by the prospect of a crispy butthole?�/p>

From its garish and ugly aesthetic to some intentionally (?) bad game design, Cruelty Squad might be a tough sell. I’m not going to say that it’s saved by the gameplay, because it’s not. No, it just somehow claws its way into your skull and starts whispering directly into the wrinkles in your brain. I haven’t ??seen anything like it. Ever. And it makes me want more.

Technically Cruelty Squad is a meatpunk immersive sim. You’re dropped into ??the level to assassi??nate someone, and it’s on you to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Then as it proceeds, you descend further and further into corporate hell. And maybe if you search that fiery butthole closely enough, you might find some hidden subtext, but your family might start questioning your fascination with buttholes.

Actraiser Rennaisance

This one came and went quickly. It was the most exciting thing I saw during the Nintendo Direct in which it was announced. I promptly challenged Chris Carter to an arm wrestle over who got to review it, but fortunately, I won by default because he wound up ??not having the time. So, officially, I beat Chris Carter in an arm wrestle. I will now retire undefeated.

Anyhow, Actraiser Rennaisance is a remake of the Super Nintendo classic, Actraiser. However, the developers went back and layered on some new gameplay elements to elevate the gameplay. What made Actraiser special is still unchanged, but now there’s a deeper story a?nd some tower defense elements. It’s all placed on top of the existing sidescrolling and city-building elements like some delicious sandwich.

It was the most comfortable experience I think I had writing a review this year, even though I tore through it in the span of a weekend. Actraiser was always sort of a?? calming game, a?nd that’s not lost with the remake. It has a nice mix of action and contemplative downtime that is absolutely infectious.

Unfortunately, there’s a stuttering issue on the side-s?crolling sections, reportedly on all versions. We’re months out, and it still hasn’t been patched. It didn’t impact the gameplay hugely for me, but I know some will find it distracting.

Buck Up and Drive

Buck Up and Drive is a bit of a small, experimental 2021 gem in its own right. However, instead of testing new ways to convey narrative, it tries to push just how over-the-top a driving game can get. It’s like if you crossed OutRun with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. It’s like if raster graphic racing games hadn’t been superseded by 3D polygons and a game needed a dash of insanity to stand out from the crowd.

Drifting, boosting, hitting jumps, and flipping out like you just clipped the level geometry and the physics don’t know how to cope with the math explosion; Buck Up and Drive is about as far removed as you can be from reality a??nd still involve cars. You battle police with sick drifts, grind on guardrails, and duel against other cars.

It doesn’t take long to see pretty much all Buck Up and Drive has to offer, but it takes time to learn all the ins and outs and it’s fun while it lasts. It’s currently only available on Itch.io, but it’s coming to Steam on January 6th.

The post Six awesome games you might have missed in 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

'Tis the season for adding to the Steam backlog

The 2021 Steam Winter Sale starts today, with the usual bout of deals and side activities. There are Steam Awards to vote on??, stickers t??o gather, and of course, many discounts to be had. The sale will run from now through Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. PT.

As part of this year's Winter Sale, a free mystery sticker can be redeemed in the Points Shop. A few extra winter items have been added too, so if you wa??nt an animated abominable snowman for your Steam profile?, you can pick one up.

The Steam Awards for 2021 have also opened up for voting. Categories range from Game of the Ye??ar and Most Innovative Gameplay to more out-there subjects, like Best Game You Suck At. For?? every vote you cast, you can earn a random card form this year's Winter Sale Trading Card set.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLIgM8XX1X0

And of course, the sales. So, so many sales. New games like Deathloop and Jurassic World Evolution 2 are spotlight discounts. But there are also deals on pretty popular games, like Hades and the Early Access for Satisfactory. Plus, entire franchises like Dark Souls and Final Fantasy are discounting their catalogs, offering low prices on games both new and old. Or hey, you can just build a zoo in Let's Build a Zoo.

It would take up way too many words to list them all out here, but h??ere's a small selection of deals that popped out at me while I browsed through the front page offerings.

• Hades ($16.24)
• Satisfactory Early Access ($20.99)
• Undertale ($2.99)
• Deathloop ($29.99)
• Days Gone ($29.99)
• Frostpunk ($8.99)
• Let's Build a Zoo ($15.99)
• The Witcher 3: Wild ??Hunt - Game of ??the Year Edition ($9.99)
• Horizon Zero Dawn ($24.99)
• Loop Hero ($8.99)
• Hollow Knight ($7.49)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 ($29.99)

Check out the full Steam Winter Sale 2021 on the Steam Store here. Ho??pe your holidays are full of finding great deals and filling up that library, and backlog, even further.

The post ??T?he Steam Winter Sale 2021 is live with awards, goodies, and deals appeared first on Destructoid.

See just how many hours you spent designing homes, training Pokemon, or defending your clients

Nintendo has launched its Year in Review app for Switch owners. And similar to other year-in-review apps like Spot??ify's, this one will pul?l no punches in telling you just how much time you dumped into everything Switch this year.

You can check it out by heading ?over to the Nintendo Switch Year in Review page and logging in through your account. From there, it?? will notify you of the last time it updated your info, and spin up the stats on everything you've played in the year 2021.

What does that look like? Well, it's a little different for everyone. Results will show how many hours you spent playing your Nintendo Switch, both handheld and docked??. You can also see a month-by-month breakdown, as well as which ga?mes earned most of your hours.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHq6Y7JSmg

For me? I put a pretty surprising number of hours into the Switch this year, which shouldn't be a surprise, I guess. From Gnosia to Dungeon Encounters, I had a lot of games I kept going back to on Nintendo's handheld. And honestly, I should probably say hybrid handheld, because?? I managed to alm?ost evenly split my time between docked and handheld play.

The leader in my playtime wasn't Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Pokemon Unite, though. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles stole away with my most hours. And honestly, that does make sense. It was two fairly lengthy Ace Attorney games in one, and was also one of the better games I played this year.

Head on over to the Nintendo Switch Year in Review page and feel free to share your results down below!

The post The 2021 Nintendo Switch ??Year in Review is now available appeared first on Destructoid.

Give 'em the old Razzle dazzle

There might be some delays already this year, but Double Fine has reassured it's still aiming for 2021. The studio tweeted today that yes, Psychonauts 2 is still slated for this year.

The statement reaffirms what the company's Twitter account has said a few times before: that Psychonauts 2 is "this year." No specific date has been set ye??t, "but it is real. It is playable. It is comin??g."

And yes, Psychonauts 2 is this year and yes I've been mentioning that here and elsewhere for a while but no I can't tell you when because someone from THE COMPANY wou??ld arrange for a mysterious "cactus accident" to happen to me...

But it is real. It is playable. It is coming.

— Double Fine (@DoubleFine) April 19, 2021

Even if it's been said before, some confirmation is nice to have. Games like Deathloop and Guilty Gear Strive have already had their release date pushed back, and the effects?? of the pandemic have?? resulted in a number of game delays over the last year or so.

Psychonauts 2 hasn't been immune to delays either. Some confirmation that work's progressing is reaffirming at the least. The company also recently put ou?t a trailer for its next Amnesia Fortnig?ht game jam documentary, which ?will premiere later th?is month on April 29.

The post Double Fine reaffirms Psychonauts 2? is coming this year appeared first on Destructoid.