Game Awards 2021 | All GOTY candidates under scrutiny

The month of December is approaching and, with it, the long-awaited 2021 Game Awards. The "night of the Oscars" of the videogame will award a whole series of prizes to the most acclaimed titles of this first year of next gen and, obviously, decreeing the Game of the Year (GOTY, for friends), that is the videogame that, most everyone the others, has marked the past 12 months, raising the quality standards of its category and making public and critics agree.

As you have surely seen on social media, the list of six candidates for the highly coveted honor has been released and, as it was reasonable to assume, the most disparate discussions have been unleashed. Many have questioned the presence of certain titles, just as many have highlighted the weight of some "great absentees”Of this list (and a dedicated article is being worked on on this point), but everyone is asking the same question: what will be the Game of the Year 2021?

It goes without saying that we do not have the answer to the aforementioned question, but we wanted to review all the videogames vying for the Palm of the Year, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, and listing a reason why each of them should win the prize, and at least one other for which, however, they would not be entitled.

Before proceeding further, it is good to remember that, beyond personal preferences, each of the games present is a "must play", something that, tastes aside, deserves to be played; based on what has now been written, we will attach our reviews to each of them, so as to guarantee a broader and more in-depth opinion to anyone who so desires.

GOTY #1 Death Loop

Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 8.9 (read the review by clicking here)

The last effort of Arkane Studios before "marrying" in the big family of Xbox Game Studios it was, needless to do it on purpose, an exclusive Playstation 5 (at least on a temporary basis). Since its announcement, Deathloop has been able to awaken the hype of many players, also fascinated by the previous works of the development studio (Dishonored and Prey above all). In short, your name is Colt and, following a series of events to be discovered, you find yourself on an island trapped in its own right. time loop, in which everything is destined to repeat itself forever. The only way to change this immutable law seems to be to put an end to the lives of seven people (renamed themselves as "Visionaries") within just 24 hours. How to succeed in the enterprise? This, my lords, is your job!

Why does Deathloop deserve GOTY 2021?

Do we all agree that objectivity does not exist? Especially in journalism? Well, because the opinions that follow will all be strictly subjective and, of course, he also writes to you has his own preference as to which of the videogames in the running deserves the title of GOTY. But stop the chatter and answer the question in question!

Deathloop deserves to be elected Game of the Year because, basically, it is the riot of the concept of game design, as well as the demonstration that a lot can be done with "little". The possibilities of approaching the mission are many and all functional to your way of playing, both stealth and "shooter". Plus, Arkane's latest creature has a sublime aesthetic, instantly recognizable and instantly loved.

If you've already consumed Prey and Dishonored, you'll love Deathloop too, and you can't help but think it deserves the most coveted award of 2021.

Furthermore, assigning the GOTY to Deathloop would certainly be the most "Christian Democrat" choice possible, as they would premiere both Sony and Microsoft in one fell swoop; but, fortunately, we are at the Game Awards and not at “Porta a Porta”.

Why doesn't Deathloop deserve GOTY 2021?

Unfortunately, the game in question carries with it some of the gaps already present in other Arkane works, one above all: theartificial intelligence. Despite the fact that our Colt can and must always move with caution (death, like the omnipresent Julianna, is always lurking), the actions performed by enemy NPCs will almost always be little weighted, making, in some respects, predictable their movements and, therefore, facilitating our countermeasures. By obtaining certain powers, moreover, we will become real war machines, also managing to escape entire crowds of armed guards on alert, penalizing not a little anyone who favors a more cautious and reasoned approach.

Add to what has just been said one close definitely not up to par with the narrative climax that the developer had managed to set up and you will have obtained at least two points against this candidate that, perhaps, will compromise his "election campaign".

GOTY #2 It Takes Two

Developer: Hazelight Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 10 (to read the review click qui)

Those of you who have lived through the golden age of local co-op games cannot fail to have heard of Hazelight Studios and its volcanic founder Josef fares. Well, It Takes Two is the latest effort from his development studio, as well as one of the most interesting titles produced by Electronic Arts in recent years.

The game will put you in the shoes of Cody e May, a young couple in the middle of a marriage crisis. In the midst of the umpteenth of their quarrels, their little daughter Rose expresses an innocent wish: she wants her parents to make peace and return together as and more than before. The little girl still doesn't know it, but her desperate cry has been heard: Cody and May wake up in the guise of two little woolen dolls and, under the wise guidance of Doctor Hakim (a love manual as weird as it is chatty) , will live an adventure that will lead them to rediscover themselves and to overcome a series of tests, to be tackled strictly as a couple.

Why does It Takes Two deserve GOTY 2021?

Do you remember when I first told you about the objectivity that doesn't exist? Well, it was to prepare you for what is now following. For the writer, It Takes Two is the videogame that, more than all the others, deserves to receive the most coveted award in the industry.

I reasons there are many: a sweet story that cannot be sweeter; internships that are all different and never banal, conceived in a big way and realized as best they could; the need for cooperation between the two players who will experience the adventure and, finally, a whole series of minigames that, alone, would make the fortune of any video game and which here, instead, are present in the guise of very nice side activities .

It Takes Two deserves the palm of the year because it is the culmination of the path of a development studio that, with the title in question, reaches its Artistic maturity and it succeeds where many triple A's fail: to amuse and amaze the player.

If you have a "special" person for you, ask her to accompany you on this adventure, if only to rediscover the pleasure of playing together on the sofa at home.

Why doesn't It Takes Two deserve GOTY 2021?

Perfection, as many know, is not of this world and, therefore, even a work like It Takes Two presents points that are less smooth and refined than others. What has just been said, for example, translates into some levels that are less inspired and "original" than others, in one close perhaps not satisfactory compared to what was seen (and experienced) up to the final ride and, above all, in a definition of the "human" polygonal models not comparable to those of the many "fantastic" NPCs.

What has just been said can be seen, in some respects, as the logical consequence of a not unlimited budget and which, perhaps, prevented a more ambitious realization. That said, none of the above is a "mortal sin", but it could be an obstacle to the top step of the podium, especially compared to other larger, more noble and, it goes without saying, richer productions.

GOTY #3 Metroid Dread

Developer: MercurySteam
Publisher: Nintendo
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 9.5 (to read the review click here)

There is one thing that all Metroid fans have in common: waiting. Anyone who can be defined as passionate about the saga of Samus Aran he has learned that no one, absolutely no one, can accurately predict when he will be able to get his hands on his next adventure. In some respects, even Nintendo seems not to know it, especially after having found itself forced to reset all the work carried out so far on Metroid Prime 4, whose release is still shrouded in the thickest fogs. However, if one video game entered the fog, another came out: Metroid Dread.

Nobody expected such an announcement, with a release that would come in a few months and, above all, nobody expected a 2D adventure in which our heroine would be prey and not hunter. This time, we will have to go and explore the planet ZDR and deal with the EMMI, sentient robots as lethal as they are indestructible and, it goes without saying, with fearsome and challenging bosses.

As always, the life of the intergalactic bounty hunter is full of pitfalls.

Why does Metroid Dread deserve GOTY 2021?

Let's face it in no uncertain terms: the title in question is one of the most unexpected and most successful Nintendo exclusives of this year. If all the fans of the Metroid saga, after an exhausting wait that lasted more than 19 years, had resigned themselves to having to wait a long time to be able to even dream of Metroid Prime 4, the big N surprised them with an adventure as unusual as perfectly realized.

But let's get down to business.

At present, Dread is one of the best-made chapters in the entire franchise, managing to make the perfect one combination of the "old" and the "new". If fans find all the features they were fond of, even those recently added will be able to integrate perfectly.

Furthermore, Metroid Dread presents a challenging but never really difficult level of challenge, allowing practically anyone to master the many fights that we will be called to face. Add to what has just been said a fluid and complete gameplay like never before, an inspired level design and you will understand how much the title in question has what it takes to get on the top step of the podium.

Why doesn't Metroid Dread deserve GOTY 2021?

Anyone who knows me knows how much the undersigned is decidedly refractory to talk about mere graphics, and how much he considers this parameter as the least influential to judge the quality of a video game. However, among the various candidates in the running, Metroid Dread is probably the least "flashy" from a technical point of view. Let's explain: the frame rate is a block of granite, and we have already said enthusiastic words on level design; what leaves something to be desired is there screen resolution (especially in docked mode), which shows all the limitations of a not exactly next gen console.

That said, another element that could hold back the rise of the Nintendo exclusive is his own challenge level: not impossible, as already said, but not as accommodating as that of practically all the other challengers.

Add also a duration as "right" as it is narrow (certainly the shortest game among those present here) and you will have obtained all the penalties of a work that is essential for any person who is in possession of a Nintendo Switch.

GOTY #4 Psychonauts 2

Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 9 (if you want to read the review click here)

Among all the "long-time" game designers, Tim Schafer occupies a place of particular importance. The American creative, in the span of his more than thirty years career, has put his signature on many milestones of the medium, including The Secret of Monkey Island. Among the many works created, Psychonauts is always remembered as a unique platform of its kind and perfectly recognizable for its aesthetics and themes.

Well, about 16 years after the first chapter, Psychonauts 2 had the not simple task of resuming the discussion where it left off, re-proposing and updating the formula that made its predecessor famous. The result? One of the best platformers of 2021, probably the best if, in the same year, that masterpiece of It Takes Two had not also been released.

But let's go into more detail.

Why does Psychonauts 2 deserve GOTY 2021?

Psychonauts 2 takes everything good that was done in the previous chapter, fills in the gaps and, of course, expands the formula. What we found in our hands was a platformer in which the level design it touches absolute creative peaks, thanks to stages that are all different and perfectly characterized, full of collectibles and in which you can interact with almost any element.

The title boasts an excellent one plot, which fits perfectly with what was revealed in the first Psychonauts, and manages to deal with anything but simple issues, such as mental disorders, with great delicacy.

Furthermore, unlike its "big brother", in this sequel it is possible to explore the stages far and wide, in search of the most disparate collectibles, or even just to be able to explore every nook and cranny of one of the best game worlds ever made.

I challenge you: try to enter the stage of the "Festival of the Senses", play it to the end and ask yourself if you have ever seen something more inspired and "hallucinated" in a video game.

Why doesn't Psychonauts 2 deserve the GOTY?

Again, it's really hard to find fault with Psychonauts 2. However, as mentioned earlier, perfection doesn't exist, or at least not in human-made works.

Psychonauts 2 pays a few too many technical imperfections, such as commands that are not always on the shields and a camera that is not very precise; these features, of course, do not affect the gaming experience at all, which is at very high levels.

The other obstacles that could stand between Schafer's latest effort and GOTY have two very specific names: It Takes Two and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The three titles in question represent three different ways of understanding the genre, with the Hazelight game focused on cooperation and the exclusive PS5 which, instead, has focused a lot on the spectacularity of the technical sector and fun.

In the opinion of the writer, the duel will be all between It Takes Two and Psychonauts 2, but the presence of these two "bulky rivals" may not be easy to overcome.

GOTY #5 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 9 (if you want to read the review click here)

Be honest: during the presentation of PS5, what was the title that, more than all the others, caught your attention? Some hipsters (including myself) might answer Returnal, but we can't fool ourselves: the greatest actor on the scene was branded Insomniac Games, and responded to the name of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The videogame in question, more than all the others, showed some of the potential of the new Sony console and, of course, focused on the features that made the franchise famous.

It is almost superfluous to point out, therefore, that the game in question was the most anticipated exclusive Playstation of 2021.

Upon its official landing, the new adventure of this strange videogame couple respected everything that was expected of it, representing the first, true "taste" of what this next gen will be able to do.

Why does Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart deserve GOTY 2021?

The new Ratchet & Clank represents the quintessence of the concept of game design advocated by Insomniac Games, which goes well with the "new course" of Sony exclusives, which push more and more in the direction of a gameplay as immersive as it is spectacular.

The new Sony exclusive succeeds in all its aims: it has a lot of fun, it can be replayed without delay and, above all, it is the first "technological leap" that the new generation of consoles has actually offered. The loading times are practically non-existent, as well as the movements from one dimension to another are almost instantaneous. Finally, the implementation of the features guaranteed by the Dualense manages to make the gaming experience even more unmissable.

The various stages are well characterized and with a right amount of collectibles appropriately hidden.

Put simply, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is, at present, one of the reasons par excellence that can push you to purchase a Playstation 5.

Why doesn't Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart deserve GOTY 2021?

You know that famous penny that is missing to make the euro? Well, because that's what we're about to tell you about. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is everything we described in the previous paragraph but, despite what has been seen in its amazing trailers, does not dare beyond a certain limit.

Let's explain: the much acclaimed "dimensional leaps" are a successful experiment, but applied only in a small number of occasions, as well as the same dimensional pockets, although well made, they are a means to collect some collectibles and little else.

What has left a bad taste in the mouth, at least in this writer, is precisely the fact that the Insomniac title has not taken that extra step that would have unquestionably consecrated it as Game of the Year, or GOTY. Add one too difficulties very permissive and ruthless competition (which responds to the name of It Takes Two and Psychonauts 2) and here are the obstacles that separate Ratchet & Clank from the most coveted title in the industry.

GOTY #6 Resident Evil Village

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
WelcomeGaming.com Vote: 8.7 (if you want to read the review click here)

After relaunching its franchise with a great seventh chapter (in the true sense of the term), Capcom concludes the epic of Ethan Winters, with Resident Evil Village. In this new chapter, our unlikely hero will find himself catapulted into a remote village in Romania; two things will be clear immediately: the dangers are not over yet, and the nightmare monsters narrated by his wife do not exist only in his imagination.

The eighth incarnation of one of the sagas survival horror par excellence he manages to put a respectable setting on the screen, even filling the (few) gaps of his predecessor. Will all this be enough to get him awarded the GOTY 2021?

Let's find out!

Why does Resident Evil Village deserve GOTY 2021?

Resident Evil: Village, as we explained in a couple of articles on the subject (available here e here), has its roots in multiple horror stories, bending them to the need to develop a convincing lore within the saga, and it fully succeeds. Village, in fact, is able to persuade the player that werewolves, vampires, undead turned into armored soldiers and old witches of the dark arts are part of the same universe, thanks to the pseudo-scientific device of virus / parasite infection. (the Cadou, in this case).

From an exquisitely horrific point of view, Village appears inferior to its predecessor, that Resident Evil 7 that brought the series back on track after several slips; nevertheless, as for a playful proposal, Village proves to be more complete, less anchored to a single idea of ​​horror and, overall, more funny to play, which is what matters in the end.

The eighth chapter of the Capcom series, therefore, can be deserving of GOTY because it improves its status as a video game, as an entertainment tool, without forgetting that it is Resident Evil, thus creating a rich and satisfying chapter pad in hand.

Why doesn't Resident Evil Village deserve GOTY 2021?

Resident Evil: Village is a fully focused title, it knows what it wants to be and also succeeds very well, but to be declared the best video game of the year it would have had to abandon the patina, which has covered it for years, of moody, almost schizophrenic work. Village, in fact, is a great horror, but it is also a great action, a situation that does not allow him to be excellent in at least one of his incarnations.

Village wants to stay in the middle, does not take a real position, it is enough for him to do well on several fronts, but perhaps it would have helped him to take a unique path (preferably the one that leads to the horror genre, considering the saga to which he belongs). The fluctuating rhythms, the evident forcing and the omnipresent sequences that are too over the top, which at times make him lose credibility, do not allow Village to be considered, in the opinion of the writer, the best title of the year.