The Female First Awards 2021 continue today with a look at some of the finest video game offerings of the past year. It’s been a rough one for everybody, with no freedoms promised and a life unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. So, games have been even more important, allowing us an escape into virtual worlds that capture our attention and distract us from the horrors of reality.
Though studios have had to work in conditions they’re not used to, they have still managed to pump out some of the most memorable gaming experiences of all time. Some have been worked on for countless years with gamers excited to get their hands on the finished content, whilst others seemingly came out of the blue and shocked us with their addictive nature.
Here are the five nominees and our winner, for Video Game of the Year.
Metroid Dread
After almost two decades, fans of the Metroid franchise were excited to finally get their hands on a new adventure that brought ass-kickin’ hero Samus Aran back into the spotlight, complete with bigger boss battles and better combat than those that have come before.
Genuinely intense from beginning to end, Metroid Dread enveloped the player in a sense of… well, dread, as they fought their way across the side-scrolling, action-packed levels in 12 hours of all-encompassing gameplay. A true top-tier offering for the Nintendo Switch; and one that looks even better on the console’s luxury OLED model.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
It seems as though Sony Interactive Entertainment can do no wrong when it comes to their exclusive releases, but the bar was raised even higher when Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart from Insomniac Games dropped for the PlayStation 5 console back in mid-June.
As the landmark 16th(!) instalment in the series, the game not only offered the opportunity to step into the shoes of the titular heroes once more, but introduced a handful of new characters, most notably the female Lombax Rivet, played expertly by the industry's iconic voice actor, Jennifer Hale.
Moving through both space and time via inter-dimensional portals, players return to fan-favourite planets and explore all-new lands, putting unique but sometimes familiar weaponry to the test, in an adventure that will be remembered long after it’s experienced for the first time.
Halo Infinite
Whether you’re a fan of the multiplayer, first-person-shooter content that games like Halo Infinite has to offer or not, the campaign presented in 343 Industry’s latest instalment - the sixth mainline entry - is undoubtedly the best one in the series’ history, partly in thanks to their movement from a linear gameplay experience, to an open world.
Following the apparent death of Cortana, human supersoldier Master Chief continues his fight against the enemy Banished and quickly learns that the AI who was designed to destroy the rogue Cortana didn't self-delete, as intended.
Saying much more would spoil the incredible writing efforts from the team behind Infinity, but it is an enthralling and stunning play through 10 or so hours of Master Chief’s latest chapter.
Deathloop
In 2021, it’s hard to release a video game that feels genuinely unique in its approach. Fortunately, there are still some wickedly talented minds out there who will not just push the boundaries, but forge new ones entirely, and that was the case with Deathloop, developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.
Players are transported to the mysterious island of Blackreef, where they come to learn that two rival assassins are fighting it out in an eternal struggle of wits and violence, one hoping to bring a 24-hour loop to a close whilst the other will do everything in their power to ensure it remains in place.
Fun was to be had in both the main campaign as Colt, and also in the online mode where you could take over the murderous main antagonist Julianna, invading other players’ worlds and trying to get one-up on them for special rewards.
Resident Evil: Village
If you’re looking for excellent horror, the last few Resident Evil releases have more than hit the mark. The most recent, Resident Evil: Village, combined all of the finest elements of those that had come before it, retaining the first-person camera and delivering a terrifying, action-packed experience throughout.
Once again battling for survival, players assumed the role of Ethan Winters following his traumatic journey in Resident Evil: Biohazard and searched a mutant-packed village for his kidnapped daughter.
The stunning setting is perhaps the most beautiful of any Resident Evil offering, with a ton of variety forcing the gamer to pay attention at all times, or face an unpredictable and unsettling future. Not to mention Lady Dimitrescu!
And the winner is…
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games did it again, delivering a next-gen-defining experience that will for sure remain close to the hearts of PlayStation 5 gamers in the years to come. Congratulations to everybody involved!
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