The Best Games of 2021

2. Psychonauts 2

There’s a certain physicality to the idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes that undersells the power of that concept. After all, the best way to get to know someone is not to walk a mile in their shoes but to inhabit their mind in that brief moment when the world slows down long enough for them to reflect on the entirety of their being. 

There is a degree to which the brilliance of Psychonauts 2 can be attributed to the ways it allows you to experience that seemingly impossible moment of comprehension and awe time and time again. While it’s true that the original Psychonauts laid the foundation for that basic concept, even that undeniable classic now feels like a test run for this psychedelic adventure that was once the game that felt too good to ever be true and still feels like that game even after you’ve played it. 

I’m tempted to say that Psychonauts 2 is a testament to the old-school concepts of memorable level design and narrative-based adventures, but the fact of the matter is that few creators have ever been capable enough to use those concepts to deliver anything close to this. 

1. Returnal

As I was trying to find the words that would justify calling Returnal the best game of an impressive year, I realized that many of the things this game does so well can be found in other titles. There’s a time loop similar to the one in Deathloop, the basic roguelike concepts so brilliantly utilized in Loop Hero, and the kind of unpredictable horror-driven narrative that makes Inscryption so incredible. Is Returnal just the complete package that perfectly represents the things that make the year’s best games so special?

Perhaps, but the key to Returnal’s brilliance may be developer Housemarquee’s roots. Not long ago, Housemarque published a letter in which the studio questioned if there was even a home for the kind of arcade-like, reflex-driven gaming experiences that they loved so much. At the time, it felt like a tragic reminder that there are times when artists are no longer allowed to practice their craft not because they aren’t the absolute best at it but because the world has gone in a different direction. 

After Returnal, though, that letter feels like a declaration of intent. Returnal is somehow both an amazing arcade-like shooter experience, a shockingly brilliant Metroidvania roguelike title, a mind-bending example of timeloop storytelling, and a horror game that is as emotionally and intellectually challenging as it is genuinely terrifying.