Though definitely a weak year for gaming compared to the last 5 years or so (I blame this on Covid-19 more than anything else), I thought there were still some pretty unique and interesting games that came out in 2021. This was especially a really great year for DLC I thought, with some amazing updates and expansions from Ghost of Tsushima, Mario 3D World (Bowser's Fury), Baba is You, Deltarune Chapter 2 and of course Happy Home Paradise. Outer Wild's DLC, Echoes of the Eye, easily takes home my favourite "game" this year, though coming off the back of one of the best games ever made does make that an easy steal. Disregarding expansions, these were my favourite games of the year (kinda ranked):

1. The Great Ace Attourney Chronicles - I'm hard pressed to say whether this really counts since its a port of a 3DS game, but since we never got an official english translation I think it's fair game. Anyway, this is very much my favourite VN title and the best of the Phoenix Wright franchise. The final chapter of GAA2 is so hype.

2. Resident Evil VIII - Dat Basement section tho

3. Metroid Dread - Just glad to have a decent Metroid title in 15 years.

4. Halo Infinite - Story is a nonsensical mess told mainly through optional audio logs, but man shooting aliens has never felt this good.

5. Inscryption - A unique indie card deck-building game with some very unusual story twists. In what felt like a very disappointing year for indie games, this and Cruelty Squad have been the only two games that really captured my attention.

Interested to hear anyone else's favourite games that came out this year, especially since my GOTY is a port of a 2017 3DS game, I'm hungry to find an interesting title from this year that can take that mantle.

Well, for me, one would be Skyward Sword HD. I just really like the idea of carrying console games on the road.

Tbh I think the only one I played was the new WarioWare, which was pretty decent.

Oh and Game Builder Garage. It was okay.

Don't mind me, just flagging this to get ideas!

Debating if I should get The Great Ace Attourney Chronicles on Switch. I've watched LPs of most Ace Attorney games and have been wanting to play one myself since trying out this mini chapter I played in an arcade of sorts.

I can recommend GAA 100%. The two games are a prequel/reboot of the main titles so you don't need to have any knowledge of the Phoenix Wright games to understand the story, it only gives some small winks/references to the older games. They also give a lot of bang for your buck; I clocked in at about 50 hours, and I didn't bother with the bonus material which adds on another 2-3 hours.

Aside from that, I thought the game was just much better structured than the originals. GAA cut out a lot of the gimmicky things from the later titles like Psyche locks and the 'tell' system from Apollo Justice, which ultimately just hurt their pacing more than anything else, and focuses on pressing statements and presenting evidence. GAA1 was written with a sequel in mind, so it all comes together as one cohesive story rather than a bunch of individual arcs that didn't mesh very well, which is how I felt playing the original AA trilogy.

Wow, you did a great job selling it! I think once I finish the current Switch game I'm playing I'll go check it out. Thanks!

1. Bowsers Fury (This mode specifically since 3D world didn't hit like it did the first time) - Probably one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.   This game is Nintendo's effort, quality and magic condensed into a physical form.

2. It Takes Two - cute game for couples.  Was blown away by the graphics since I normally just play on Switch and didn't realize my laptop could handle that realism lol

3. Metroid Dread - It's a slow start but the good outweighs the bad.  I wish they gave you the morph ball from the start.

Best original game: Bowser's Fury
Best remake: Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond
Best mobile game: World Flipper