Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers to share their own personal PS5 and PS4 picks for 2021. Today, it's the turn of retro specialist Jamie O'Neill.
5. Turrican Flashback
Like in the Weezer lyrics, whenever I replay the first two Euro-style 2D run-and-gun Turrican games the memories make me want to go back there, because recalling the younger me playing Amiga games with friends and family was a retro experience that filled me with delight. Chris Huelsbeck's tunes were obviously a big part of this joy, but it was also the fond memories of Super Turrican from its re-release on Wii Virtual Console, as well as feeling elation when I beat Mega Turrican without using continues to discover the Mega Drive game is the true highlight of the series. Turrican Flashback also bolstered my excitement for the release of the A500 Mini in 2022.
4. Capcom Arcade Stadium
Nostalgia is the main fuel for my retro gaming appreciation engine, and I found playing the 32 games specifically included in the Capcom Arcade Stadium Packs 1, 2, and 3 to be deeply nostalgic. It felt like a historical journey through CP System arcade technology, with previously unconverted games like 19XX: The War Against Destiny, and Progear being a high point for finally coming to console. 1989 was the year when I went from being a fan of video games to becoming somewhat obsessive about gaming, and Capcom's releases embody this with titles like Final Fight, plus one of my personal favourite games of all time, Strider.
3. Returnal
In 2021 I've become fascinated with Ratalaika releasing Mega Drive shoot-'em-ups like Gynoug and Gleylancer that offer a rewind function to achieve easy Platinums to entice gamers into experiencing retro games. I came to the conclusion that bringing new players to old games is a good thing, but I also hope those people stick around to see how far they can progress based upon skill alone. I believe you can love a game without even beating it, and Returnal epitomises skill based progression. Considering Housemarque's Bloodhouse roots in shmups like Amiga Stardust from 1993, I find advancing just a smidge further by dodging neon bullets in Returnal's technically wonderful PS5 light show genuinely satisfying.
2. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Initially, I found the 11 minute gameplay first look of Guardians of the Galaxy to be a highlight of E3 2021, but I allowed myself to follow the flock of internet doubters, and I subsequently started to bleat that it may end up being disappointing like Marvel's Avengers. I was happy for Eidos Montreal to prove me wrong, as Gardeners of the Galaxy turned out to be the most pleasant superhero gaming surprise since Batman: Arkham Asylum. It also fits nicely with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales being one of my favourite games of last year, which conveniently links to my number one pick of 2021.
1. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
2016 was a great year for Ratchet & Clank, with an animated film I enjoyed more than expected, and the remake being one of my favourite games of the eighth console generation. Insomniac Games expanded upon the remake's triumphs in 2021, and I'll remember Rift Apart as a showpiece title for PS5's first year. While the impressive technology is showy rather than gameplay defining, I nonetheless loved the visual gimmick of SSD diving between varied environments. I find a lot of comfort from Rift Apart bursting in colour and fun to top this list, and it's not a coincidence that run-and-gun gameplay in a sci-fi setting is a running theme throughout my Game of the Year picks.
What do you think of Jamie's personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree or berate in the comments section below.
Comments 38
Below are a few extra thoughts about my GOTY picks:
All the best, everyone!
Some great comments about Gardeners of the Galaxy (I get that reference) in particular, such a pleasant surprise this year and for anyone who played it not to put it on their top five… well I’d be baffled!
An excellent list.
@PenguinL Same here too. I am a bit concerned that after finishing the game, I will not be interested in completing it any more, and that it is a total unmemorable experience. This was at least my experience with the predecessor.
@PenguinL Get the game for £28 from the Turkish store sale. Guardians of the Galaxy available from there for £20!
A list that generally mirrors my preferences 👍
Here is a selection of Retro Modern and Retro Remake 2021 releases I enjoyed this year:
Fantastic top three there, though I haven’t played enough of Capcom Arcade Stadium to make any assumptions regarding its quality. Turrican Flashback looks pretty cool, too.
@lolwhatno Thank you very kindly, you've just made my day with this comment! Big cheers to you!
Ratchet and clank Rift Apart was pretty good but my problem with these games is they are always too short, also Ratchet and Clank won Digital Foundry's Best graphics of the year award
@lolwhatno which economy mate? I guess Sony UK would lose some revenue buying it from Turkey but if for example you weren't going to buy Ratchet from the UK store because it is £50 still then that's money Sony was never going to get. At least if you buy R&C from a different store for £28 Sony is getting some money they otherwise weren't going to receive.
I don't see it any differently from importing games which I used to do all the time. Games are region-free difference is now I'm not paying through the nose for them. I remember paying £120 for Tekken 2 from Japan years ago!
People use these loopholes all the time. I'm willing to bet there's a sizeable amount of Game Pass members who have 3 years of Ultimate by buying Turkish Xbox Live for a fraction of the UK price.
I'm good with this list as it's finally a list that named my current Game of the Year #1 as well. While I'm going to wait until I play a couple more games before I make it "official", Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is my current Game of the Year. It was a lot of fun, and it brought me back to the days when I first bought my Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle. That completely changed gaming for me, as I went from an Xbox gamer to a PlayStation guy after experiencing some of the amazing exclusives, obviously whichever Ratchet & Clank game at the time being one.
I fully expect Guardians of the Galaxy to give it a run for it's money when I finally get to play it, so it was nice to see it at #2.
@lolwhatno I'm not sure I understand what you are worried about. ( and I know you're not having a go at me 😁😉) If 10 million PS5 owners from outside Turkey bought R&C from the Turkish store it could have a detrimental affect on the Turkish economy? I don't see how that would be possible.
To the people saying that they are worried about buying a Ratchet & Clank game because it's only 20 hours or whatever..... I had no problem paying $50 for it. Because for me, it's quality over quantity. Same with Metroid Dread. I'll happily pay for a shorter game if the quality of the hours spent in it are so high. But if you'd rather play something that's longer but a little watered down, then I understand.
@lolwhatno 😁👍 and I you.
@PenguinL Give me a fantastic 15 hours for my £50 than a never ending copy paster. Besides, you can stick it on ebay and get most of that back.
Like some above said I'm waiting for Rift Apart to come down more in price as I'm not willing to spend $50 (let alone 70!) for a short experience, I do admit I'm a cheap ass regardless so I'm probably just making easy excuses 🙃
@GalacticBreakdown @PenguinL Although I’m always up for paying as little as possible, I have to admit that I wasn’t bothered by paying full price for Rift Apart, despite its shorter run time. Honestly, as I was playing it I was thinking to myself that there was plenty of meat on the bone, lots of cool environments, a ton of weapons and upgrades, and many hidden collectibles to waste time exploring for if you wanted. I actually think the lightning quick SSD load times make the game seem shorter than it actually is. If you die you’re back in the action in a flash. And even a cold boot start up just takes a second. 20 hour run time is actually 20 hours of playing the game, rather than with other games sometimes it’s 30 hours total but 5 of them is waiting for loading screens or working your way back to where you were when you died or trudging through the level rather than an instantaneous fast travel system.
I just want to give a quick honourable mention to Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PS5, even though it released in 2020, because it was actually my most played PS5 game of 2021 with almost 100 hours invested in it this year.
I found it relaxing exploring the lush countryside environments, and I played it in tandem with my stepdad, so we bonded over discussing the Wrath of the Druids, The Siege of Paris, and the A Fated Encounter 2021 expansions, as well as embarking on River Raids.
My stepdad loves games with a historical context, and we're both fans of the Vikings TV series, so Assassin's Creed Valhalla inspired me to buy him PS5 Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut for Christmas.
Ratchet and clank is my number one favorite games of 2021 also followed by returnal.2 amazing ps5 exclusives.word up son
@JamieO Fantastic idea for gifting GoT for your step-dad if he like historically based games. As a fan of the genre also, I would also recommend A Plague Tale (although it’s not the most historically accurate game on the world, there are a shortage of games in The Hundred Years War and Black Plague setting), Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and of course Red Dead Redemption II.
@Th3solution Thanks for the recommendations! He's already completed Red Dead Redemption 2, but I'll pass on the other games you've mentioned, because he'll appreciate it.
Just completed R&C Rift Apart and it was great.
There are a few areas where it could have been improved (more planets, Arena being much longer, bringing back skill points, making challenge mode compulsory for the platinum). But otherwise it’s a solid entry. The rail grinding sections were something else. And the RYNO 8 dropping in other videogame characters was pretty cool.
I really liked the new characters too but I did feel like Ratchet and Clank took more of a backseat role, which was a shame. They were quite clever with how the did the pairing-up but it would have been better if there were more levels with the main duo together. Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for the next one.
@JamieO Great to see the Capcom Arcade Collection on a year-end list. It really felt like a lot of care went into it - the selectable cabinets are amazing! Also happy to see that you enjoyed Turrican Flashback since I just picked it up in the year end sale but haven’t started it yet. I have vague memories of getting my teenage butt handed to me by Super Turrican, so we’ll see how I manage now that I’m old and slow. Have a good New Year’s - looking forward to reading your takes on the overlooked gems of 2022!
@Amnesiac I thought the presentation of the candy cabinets, all sat in chronological order, and zooming into the screen to play each arcade game was excellent menu design in Capcom Arcade Stadium, too. I also found earning CASPO strangely addictive, especially when it was from the specific parameters set by the Special Challenge that changes between each game.
I should get the 'Play for at least 100 hours' and 'Play any of the games a total of 1000 times' Bronze Trophies in Capcom Arcade Stadium soon enough, but Capcom need to be less stingy with the Trophies they offer in the next collection!
I hope you enjoy Turrican Flashback, as well. If you've got strong memories of playing Super Turrican, then I think you're going to love Mega Turrican – especially if you haven't played it before. Mega Turrican is like a cross between the Euro-style of home computer Turrican games, but with the console amped up set-pieces of a 16-bit Contra game. It's a really fantastic Mega Drive run-and-gun title.
Wishing a "Happy New Year" to you, too!
I love Rift Apart. Ratchet and Clank will always hold a special place in my heart so I may be a little biased lol.
@JamieO Great list, I too have fond Amiga memories and Turrican certainly rekindled that interest although I played it on Switch. I recently got the pocket Neo-Geo collection which also a great collection if you liked Metal Slug.
@JamieO wow, those are real trophies?! Kudos to you for getting them but those are really, really overboard especially for bronze. I can't imagine how ridiculous the silver & gold trophies are.... or what percentage of players that get them & the platinum are.
@JamieO
Because you seem to like run and gun so much how do you feel about fast paced fps games like Doom, Quake, Ion Fury etc. Because if you haven't tried those that would be an untapped goldmine for you. Also if you haven't already play Nex Machina if you liked Returnal, because that game is a criminally under discussed gem.
@Mostik Nice shout-out for the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol.1, I bought a physical version of it on Switch from Limited Run Games.
Talking of memories, I got the Neo Geo Pocket Color during its UK launch, so I took it with me backpacking around Australia — I even used it as an alarm clock. I had games like Metal Slug 1st Mission, and Neo Turf Masters already, plus my girlfriend brought me SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium as a gift when she visited me in Oz for a few months.
I'd happily buy that collection again if it released on PS4 or PS5.
@GalacticBreakdown Yep, Capcom Arcade Stadium only has Bronze Trophies, and many of them are such a grind, I wouldn't recommend to anyone to play this collection to target Trophies.
I've unlocked 80% progress so far, but by naturally just repeatedly playing the 32 retro arcade games available. Both the 'Play for at least 100 hours', and the 'Play any of the games a total of 1000 times' Bronze Trophies are currently Ultra Rare (0.1% of players earned).
Capcom Arcade Stadium's miserly approach is the opposite of 2021 retro releases like Gleylancer, Gynoug, or even Panorama Cotton, which all hand out a Platinum Trophy for less than one hour of play.
@PegasusActual93 I remember my cousin showing me DOOM on his PC when it was first released as shareware. I was well into console gaming during the height of the SNES' heyday at the time, but DOOM blew my socks off with its 3D graphics on a home desktop system.
I'll have a read of Graham Banas' Push Square Ion Fury review now, and I'll make a note to check it out in the future.
I've enjoyed many Housemarque games, from Super Stardust HD on PS3 — which my friend once showed to me in cool looking stereoscopic 3D — through to Resogun as an impressive launch PS4 game. I even played Resogun on PS Vita.
For some reason I had it in my head that Nex Machina was a multiplayer focussed game, but I've just had a quick read of Sammy Barker's 9/10 scoring review, and it sounds like a gem, just like you described. Cheers, mate!
@JamieO
The Ion Fury review subtracts from the score due to issues that no longer exist in the game like performance issues and crashes. It's never crashed on me once and the frame rate was seamless even on a regular ps4
@PegasusActual93 It's good to hear Ion Fury didn't crash and held a smooth frame-rate for you, perhaps it received a patch after the Push Square review was published, so it could be beneficial for me to check out an updated version of the game.
You've certainly piqued my interest, I've just checked into it, and there's a physical PS4 version of Ion Fury too, which is only £14.99.
@JamieO Awesome memories, I love how each console takes us back to a different time. I wasn't lucky enough to get a NeoGeo or pocket as a child due to price and availability but the arcade machines in Blackpool probably took enough 10 & 20 pence pieces to buy 2 or 3 🤣
Definitely hope for more collections (one with Robo Army), I really enjoy Blazing Star on the mini.
@Integrity Wait, you need a Turkish credit card to make any purchase on the Turkish PS Store. Sony doesn't sell Turkish store credit cards.
At one point, people were using third party banking apps (I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole but I'm a chicken when it comes to handling my money!) like Revolut, but this last one at least doesn't work anymore.
Do you have another way to make it work?
@Olmaz you need a virtual Visa from an app like crypto.com or cryptopay but if you don't like Revolut you won't want to do this either.
@Integrity Thx, I'll look it up, who knows, maybe I'll be convinced.
@Olmaz the HUKD site often had deals for Turkish games. Look at one of them to get instructions on how to do it.
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