To wrap up our annual award period, which recognizes the year’s best games across many different categories, we now arrive at the best of the best. Voted on by Twinfinite’s editorial staff, these were our top six favorite games of 2021. Starting with a couple of honorable mentions and runner-ups, we are now ready to reveal our overall Game of the Year for 2021.
Note: This article does not contain any explicit spoilers, but in some entries, it does mention elements of the plot when relevant that someone that wanted a completely blind experience may want to avoid. We suggest skipping over any section you want to remain totally blind on.
Game of the Year 2021
Honorable Mention: Life is Strange: True Colors
Guides Editor Chris Jecks: I’ve always appreciated what Deck Nine and DONTNOD Studios have achieved with the Life Is Strange series. An unapologetically, hella cool indie title that’s all about the ‘larger-than-life’ problems of being a teenager, with a supernatural twist. It started with Max Caulfield and the ability to control time, then we helped Daniel grapple with his telekinesis powers and follow as he and his brother make their way to the Mexican border, and finally, in True Colors, we get Alex Chen and her empath superpowers.
Each of these superpowers brought its own gameplay gimmicks to the table, but it’s the empathy-based superpowers of Alex that really felt at home within the world of Life Is Strange and what it’s all about. It opened up new opportunities to interact with characters, learn more about them, and generally immerse yourself within the world far more than the superficial effects of their predecessors. Alex, while she hides how she’s able to see the emotions of those she’s close to, doesn’t shy away from using them to help people, and it results in some truly fantastic moments.
An epic, town-wide game of LARPing, helping unjumble the thoughts of an old woman struggling with dementia, or just learning what the story is behind that hole in the wall. These are all various examples where Alex can use her power to reach out to and improve the lives of those she’s around.
True Colors features all of the typical Life Is Strange accouterments, too. A fantastic soundtrack that nails the indie vibe, plenty of twists and turns in its typically over-the-top story, and plenty of likable and complex characters that help move the story along at a brisk pace. Oh, and don’t forget the absolute killer decision-making. That’s definitely in there, too.
With a fresh lick of paint in improved visuals and character animations, this is the most immersive Life Is Strange game I’ve played to date. It doesn’t quite capture the same magic as the original did over five years ago now, but it’s still a fantastic entry in a stellar series.
