Our top games of the year: The Effect

After you have already betrayed us, which games you have very enthusiastically, we are in the row. In doing so, we present our personal top 3 more precisely, but also reveal what titles we had a lot of fun in the past twelve months.

Dennis had the biggest co-op fun of his life

IT TAKES Two

You will be bored at no second. With this daring promise of Creative Director Josef Far's, I put the pad in my hands and was 99% sure that someone's complete nonsense is told here. What did I deceive? The three evenings with colleague Toby were the fun of what I experienced 2021.

It Takes Two fires a creative idea after the other, and constantly we asked ourselves what is coming now. It always came the next surprise. What Haze light is purely delivered by the gameplay in IT Takes Two is one of the best, which coop games have ever produced.

Resident Evil Village

How could a new REST did not appear under my top 3. Only right when it picks me so much like Village. Ethan's second appearance is not perfect, especially the action-packed end has not given me a little. But what did I have with the rest of the hours my bright pleasure.

Rest 8 is a Best of of the entire series for me. From eerie cerebrospinal passages — I only say Dollhouse — about gripping pursuer sections with Lady Dimitrescu to such satisfying areas that we reveal step by step, puzzle. In addition, the game looks fantastic and sounds so scary thanks to 3D audio as a second horror game. Even the fresh wind, not always to shoot only on zombies, has hit myself fully with me.

Death's door

The ACTION adventure from the bird's eye view would have landed almost in the ranking. But if only the last two hours had gone to me with their annoying boss fights pulled in length as so on the biscuit. Until then, Death's Door is a beautiful, incredibly fun indie dream that is an absolute isometric for fans of isometric and quite demanding games.

But not only the great gameplay mix of Zelda and Soulslike remains in memory. In addition to the studio Ghibli-like look, some of the characters that are best counted, which has produced the game year 2021: Greetings go out of Track... um,... the human man Jefferson, the pot poses Pothead and the invulnerable Tug stead stead hone.

Other gaming highlights from Dennis:

Metro id Dread Return End lilies Halo Infinite (campaign) Near replica Curse of the Dead Gods Hitman 3

Hannes celebrated the most important breakthrough 2021

Return

I have given the release of Return since the announcement with extreme tension. The titles of the Finnish developers of House marque I have been reading for years — instead of Arcade Allows is now a graphically impressive AAA project, which also wants to tell an emotional history?

Hectic anticipation and evil parliaments changed again and again, until finally clear: Return has become great. It has here and there little beauty defects, but no other game has packed me in 2021 so much and put me in a true noise. Return is the overdue breakthrough for House marque and the best game of the year for me.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

How exciting can be a game that has beaten his (slightly adapted) gameplay roots already on the PS2? Very exciting even, like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart shows. The Combat comeback was often traded as the PS5 showcase — so the game that finally shows the graphic potential of the new console.

And yes, that's definitely an important aspect, but Rift Apart has much more to offer. Especially in narrative, insomniac games can attract here with lovable characters that tell a more spelling story as so many 50-hour RPG.

Psychopath 2

Honestly, my fun with psychopath 2 I did not see. I never played the original and never felt the incentive to catch up with RAN's first adventure. However, this gaping gap has never felt me ​​psychopath 2, although it occurs as a direct sequel.

I was immediately trapped in the miraculous world with her idiosyncratic style design and had my fun to explore the levels with the help of crazy PSI forces. The attention to detail in psychopath 2 is impressive, and I did not think about falling in love with two 3D platforms — but that's how it happened.

Other gaming highlights from Hannes:

Fora Horizon 5 The Great Attorney Chronicles Death loop Dodgeball Academia Destruction All stars Chivalry 2 Kenya: Bridge of Spirits

Annika has 2021 particularly like straining her head

Death loop

The complex at first glance time grinding mechanism makes it Death loop not easy, to arrive in the right players. Who but I can not put off by this seemingly inaccessibility of the killer puzzles, shooter gets a special kind that does not let go of one so quickly.

This is partly due to the unused style of the 60s, which served us a great soundtrack and motley areas. Secondly load the Dishonored-like special forces to experiment, which at that well fits into gun play.

More important, however, that we will be carefully introduced to the thrilling story of the loop system. Even if our hero Colt fails times, any attempt brings us one step closer to the goal of killing all eight visionaries in one pass, to break the loop. Thus, I was really motivated, the solution unassisted out what it felt perfect. And then there's the cat-and-mouse game with Julianna, which provides more voltage.

3 Hitman

A more subtle, but significant highlight of 2021 was the third for me Hitman Closing of the World of attacks trilogy not make really much different from its predecessors, but so has the usual Meuchelspaß (optional even in VR!) With countless solutions to and all this with excellent level design. The locations were, but to mimic in previous parts real eye-catcher with Agent 47 on the gloomy Dartmoor property a British detective, again has its own charm.

The more tense I'm on the year 2022 have been announced for the new content again. The second season will bring, among others, new levels, which for Hitman fans like me are likely to be a godsend.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One

While we can pretend to be in Hitman 3 only as a British detective Sherlock Holmes Chapter One gives us full again us completely into the skin of the eponymous cleverness Meier's hatch. But this time we determine not as experienced and well-known private investigator, but as arrogant and naive youngster. And that's the exciting thing. That, and Jon (not John), the new companion of Sherlock, and the open game world.

The sunny Mediterranean island is a welcome change from London, although Sherlock there — what a surprise — to clarify a number of cases must. In its aim only the grave to visit his mother, it does not remain thus. For that we get as a journey into his past presented which again puts Jon in a special light, which incidentally gives a great sidekick.

Other game highlights of Annika:

Disco Elysium Final Cut The Forgotten City Fora Horizon 5 Far Cry 6 Mass Effect Legendary Edition Subnautica: Below Zero Little Nightmares 2

Rae enjoyed the

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Normally, I would rarely grab a highlights list remasters or remakes, when returning one of my favorite series, but I have unsurprisingly made an exception. After many rumors and years of waiting returned Mass Effect in the revamped Legendary Edition back, and I left all the adventures of Commander Shepard to experience again.

Especially in the case of Mass Effect 1 has me very happy, because the console versions of it were barely playable. Now it not only looks better, it does also a lot more elegant — even if you ME1 his age still observes. Still, it was one of the highlights in 2021 that I was finally able to fly back to the Normandy through space. And it was just as great as nearly a decade ago.

Halo Infinite

Yes, yes, I know I have both in my column as desert in the test to Halo Infinite much — and I stand still. Still, I just have to say that Halo has clawed his grip hooks in me and I simply will not let go. It meets what I had mentioned in my column as a hope: I got myself into the multiplayer eingefuchst and tasted blood.

What helped inter alia Fiesta (less powerful tips of my loving teams such as you must also think times, Rae ) and my own stubbornness. Sure, perfect, I'm not and that makes time to time for frustration. But now I have the Mapverständnis have learned what Top-Mid means and no one gives me something to do with gravity hammer or sword before. No one is supposed to say, I would not be able to learn.

Watchword

Actually, I should Watchword not so much love as I do, because the core of the indie title is Ali entrap nothing more than a never-ending to-do list, a single fetch quest. The aim of each chapter is to produce a particular article. But that I can make the, I need only a few other things that I have to collect only once or prepared by I collect other things back or manufacturing, for which I first — you get the idea.

Watchword is much collecting and crafting and re-gathering and crafting. In many other games I would certainly have thrown in the towel early, but what annoys me elsewhere, not only provided a great game play loop, but also for a fascinating way to relax in Watchword. Cozy crafting calls my colleague Aziz the dub in their game idea and I can not better it. Watchword is cozy and relaxing, a hard contrast to all the other games I've played 2021st Maybe that's why it made me immediately click. Well, that and the wonderful picture book look, which is one of my visual highlights of the year. This certainly has not hurt.

Other game highlights of Rae:

Split Gate War zone Sea of ​​Thieves The Wild at Heart Unpacking Village romance Curious Expedition 2

Toby had his first place not on the invoice

IT TAKES Two

If you had told me a year ago that It Takes Two my game of the year 2021, I would have probably told you crazy. Because at that time was very little about the game known, and I had initially dismissed as overwrought relationship dud. Rarely have I been wrong rather, because the game was blown away from beginning to end. What's inside here of ideas, variety and attention to details simply the absolute madness.

Accordingly, I have enjoyed every single minute of the co-op tests with Dennis, at one point I even laughed tears, keyword: animal symbols. And I was rarely so sad when a game was over. I could now enumerate so many more scenes and details that military Squirrel example, or the drama of the fabric elephants. And all these things make a whole that I will be very long remember this game.

Halo Infinite

The hotly anticipated Halo I had actually planned a year ago for my tight top spot 2,021st That it is now turned out differently, is due to the enormous surprise of It Takes Two and secondly to the fact that Halo Infinite does have to contend with a few weaknesses, such as the hub areas and the slow progression in multiplayer. Nevertheless, Infinite has become in almost all respects as I have wished.

The gun play is outstanding and for me the shooter range, the measure of all things, even the story with numerous flashbacks and allusions has one or two spine-tingling moment given me. And the multiplayer I have to launch played as intense as any of the main series since Halo: Reach. My fan's heart is completely satisfied and looking forward to everything that has in mind 343 entitled.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Rift Apart has earned its place on the podium fought until very late. Because when I end of the year for real Showoff games for my new OLED television was looking me the new Ratchet & Clank was offered from several sides. And just technically the adventure of the Combat 'and his robot buddies is a real stunner and is an impressive example of what the PS5 and in the box. At times, I felt like to be in a playable animated film.

What finally brought the title but the place in my top three, is the fact that it is not a graphics Blender, but I also like playing extremely well. Be it the successful mix of puzzles and battles, the great expandable arsenal or the new skills to Rift Apart feels easy to around. And makes the title for me one of the best games of the year.

Other game highlights Toby:

Fora Horizon 5 Super Mario 3D World + Bowler's Fury Village romance Psychopath 2 Death loop Mario Party Superstars Death's Door

Elevens Games year was full of memories

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

I think no video game series has left such a lasting impression on me as the Mass Effect trilogy. The hundreds of hours I've spent with my crew on the Normandy over the years and all the little and big stories that I have experienced in my travels to various planets and solar systems will always remain in my memory. No wonder, then, that I was happy like a scavenger to the Legendary Edition.

Of course, I realize the series now playing their age, even with the necessary and successful gameplay enhancements Part 1. But just again to fire up Mass Effect to hear Shepard's voice and to travel through the vastness of space — all of which met me with a nostalgia that I get so no other game.

IT TAKES Two

Since 2018 I have played the absolutely great Unravel 2 with my co-op partner, I'm always looking for other games for two. Some good games were definitely over the years here, including Borderlands 2, Monster Hunter World and Overcooked.

Few of these games were designed but just as an experience for two players inside and none of them came in the area for me ran to the experience I had with Unravel 2 — not even the great A Way Out. The next match of the development team should change, however.

It Takes Two was everything I could wish for from a co-op game. Cooperative interaction in which to truly play together, not just side by side, varied and creative gameplay with tons of attention to detail and in essence an emotional story. Like the time when Unravel 2 I will remember about the moments together with my team-mate: How mastered we boss fights after several attempts or the controller have changed if one did not come from us cope with one point.

Boyfriend Dungeon

Well, I'm biased something when it comes to Boyfriend dungeon. Finally, the game my first test I've published on Gamer was. The anticipation, the excitement, the pride than my own test on the site went live — all that I associate with boyfriend inevitably dungeon.

Apart from that, the game an unusual mix of Rogue lite and Dating Sim is also simple. Although Boyfriend Dungeon is outstanding in any of the two genres, the mixture of action-packed gameplay and the quieter provides character focused Dates that the game is more than just the sum of its parts. There are also interesting characters and a variety of dating options that are great especially for the LGBT community. Friendships on polygamy to asexual relationship is pretty much more.

Other game highlights of Eleven:

Psychopath 2 Kenya: Bridge of Spirits Watchword Unpacking Monster Hunter Rise Life is Strange: True Colors Halo Infinite

Kai love's nostalgic

Sega Castro City Mini

The Games 2021 was nothing special in my opinion. If I had a lot more fun with a retro mini-console, as with most new releases, there is something for me lazy in the gaming world. This may also be because I'm just getting old. A good indication of this is the age of the games that captivated me at the Castro City Mini in front of the TV. Golden Ax: The Revenge of Death Adder for example, has more than 30 years old.

And yet I had more fun with the fantasy thrashing as with many PS5- or Xbox Series games. The rest of the built-game lineups like Shinobi, Shadow Dancer, Space Harrier, Alien Storm or SWAT caused me hours of pleasure. The arcade classic is simple, but incredibly entertaining retro fun. In contrast, each Master Chief stinks for me from enormous.

Resident Evil: Village

The eighth officially part of the horror series (Hey, like taught me, but I'm seeing in the title a night!) Is basically utter nonsense in playable form. Very utter nonsense. The story is so outrageous that I would have shut the thing as a film in the middle. But as a game does the madness if you're getting into it and do not expect a narrative masterpiece, but would like to be scared just once properly or will shoot horrors overboard. The game makes both possible.

Resident Evil: Village works for me because it is a strictly choreographed roller coaster ride despite relatively open game world. However, I would again want a VR option — the predecessor I once experienced completely in virtual reality, which increased the creepiness even further. But so be it, even as the epic to classical-inspired horror figures and mold people are a wonderful (trash) experience.

Ghost of Sushi: Director's Cut

Sony Samurai spiel here is a bit like cheating. Ghost of Sushi has been released on the one hand 2020, on the other hand, in August 2021, the Director's Cut New Edition, which I felt for my relatively at the same time picked PlayStation 5. The game is so fascinating that I had to start right from the beginning.

And even if the PS5 version is basically just a glorified PS4 title, the game will just meet the claim of the developer, which actually suffered from the older technology. Surely no mistakes as the first game on the PlayStation 5.

Other gaming highlights from Kai:

Mobile Suit Gun dam: Battle Operation Code Fairy Act raiser Renaissance Kenya: Bridge of Spirits No More Heroes 3 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Fora Horizon 5 Hitman 3

At Linda, it bangs... and it is cried and laughed

Far Cry 6

After stopping Far Cry 5 after just a few hours, because Montana setting had not pledged at all, I found a new home in the Cuba Island Open World from Far Cry 6. Such an exotic setting fits in my opinion just better to the over-scooter series. The hammering over the year 2021 I spare myself at this point, but I say so much: the dull baller action just came right.

IT TAKES Two

Wow, how often did it Takes Two have already been mentioned in this article? 3 times? Anyway: One still works, it Takes Four. Haze lights Loop adventure is just an exception title, with which I had the most fun this year. The story of Cody and May has prepared my best friend and so many laughs that I will always think of this beautiful time in the couch coach. Thanks for that.

Life is Strange: True Colors

Finally, a new Life is Strange again. And finally a serial part, the fans of the very first IS like me makes happy again. Adventure tells a warm history around love and loss. And TRUE COLORS allows us to dive into the thought worlds and stories of beautifully written and comprehensible characters. I had several times tears in the corner of the eye during the adventure.

Other gaming highlights from Linda:

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Pokémon radiant diamond and glowing pearl Unpacking Them Unsifted Fora Horizon 5 Age of Empires 4

Max is fled to space in front of the gruel

Resident Evil: Village

I first entered the Horror series with the Resident Evil 2-Remake and have since made the most of the main games. In the relatively short time I have the franchise, especially because of the cool gameplay mix of puzzles, exploring and crisp struggles into the heart. All the more I am pleased that Village was a nearly perfect package for me.

Each section felt unique and had a clear playful and atmospheric orientation. As a result, I was not boring for me throughout the game and everything was there. The village gradually opened in motivational, the action sequences have fun made and a spot was so fearing that I could only play with light on and sound out. A wonderful roller coaster of the feelings, as you say so beautiful. My game of the year!

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA-DLC

Maybe I use the release of the Director Cuts by Ghost of Sushi only as a lazy excuse to mention my absolute highlight of recent years. Ghost of Sushi has done properly for me and finally meets me the long-lasting dream of a modern Samurai game, which takes the topic and setting to a reasonably authentic way seriously.

The Director's Cut repels a whole piston content on top and even if it is essentially more of the same, that's enough for me in this case. Anyway, I'm glad again with Jin and Nob (the only true horse name) ridden through the landscape. It will not have been the last time.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Since I all missed the original games, the Legendary Edition was the perfect opportunity for me to dive into Mass Effect Universe. I also believe that to Mass Effect has actually been told everything, but I like to repeat the most important points again: it is a great RPG series and I completely understand why Commander Shepard has so many fans. Even if the gameplay is likely to be a bit bulky, the very personal stories and relationships with my crew members will definitely replace.

I also finally know why the end of the third part is so unpopular and yes, too I have to connect the critical voices here. That was really nothing. And yes, through the first part you really have to fight a bit mentally, because here the age of the series becomes most clearly felt. But that's not bad either, because the rest of the trilogy is all the better for that. If you, as I did not have a look at the turn for a long time, I can only recommend you to you. Max 'more game highlights: Mortal Shell Enhanced Edition Outrider Death loop Far Cry 6 Are you turning now: What were your games of the year?