Best Fighting Game of 2021
Winner: Guilty Gear Strive
Deputy Guides Editor Ethan Anderson: Guilty Gear is also somewhat of a niche franchise for someone first stepping into the fighting game community, but Dragon Ball FighterZ has rocketed ArcSys’ popularity to new heights. If you love that game and are looking for another one in that style, but with 1v1 fights instead of 3v3, this is easily your best option.
It can’t be understated how good Guilty Gear Strive looks, sounds, and feels. The signature Arc System Works art direction coupled with a killer soundtrack that you’ll be looking up on streaming platforms, and easy to pick up but tough to master gameplay mechanics make this the very best fighting game of 2021, hands down.
It’s true that terminology like Dust, Burst, and Roman Cancel can feel a bit overwhelming at first. ArcSys anticipated this. There’s an extremely helpful tutorial mode with helpful walkthroughs for the basics all the way up to tactics like baiting out your opponent’s moves.
Mastering Guilty Gear’s more complicated techniques through practice is one of the most rewarding feelings in fighting games, especially when facing off against players online with the solid net code while climbing the ranked tower.
Win or lose, Strive is a guaranteed good time that actively guides and encourages players to develop their skills, and somehow look amazing while doing it. For all of the reasons mentioned, and many more, this is the best fighting game experience to come out of 2021.
