It’s time for price season here at Twinfinite, so we look back at the best games from the past year. In 2021, there were an impressive number of action / adventure games, each of which took us on unforgettable journeys. These were voted on by our very own editors and staff best action / adventure game in 2021 which offered the richest experiences in their genre.
Best action / adventure game in 2021
Honorable Mention: Scarlet Nexus
News Editor Giuseppe Nelva: When the Scarlet Nexus was announced back in 2020, it felt different than many other games from Japan. It was one of the first announced for the next (now current) generation of consoles, and it was to be released at the same time with an anime series by the prestigious Studio Sunrise. It incorporated Bandai Namco’s new IP policies, so I had high expectations for it.
I was not disappointed when I played the game. While the story is not exactly shocking to those accustomed to Japanese media (but it may shock others), it is told in a fresh and interesting way, and the gameplay is a lot of fun, leaving plenty of room for creativity. It’s definitely one of the best games coming out of Japan in 2021, and I would say that it’s generally quite underrated.
If you liked the Persona 5, it’s likely the Scarlet Nexus is straight to the right leg, and I’m not making the comparison easy. Of course, it does not play the same in many aspects, but it is based on a similar core that builds the game on the interaction between a group of friends. It’s basically a playable anime, and it’s great in my book.
Best action / adventure game in 2021
Honorable Mention: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Features Editor Andrew McMahon: When it comes to action / adventure games, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was easily the biggest surprise of 2021. Not only did this game manage to be better than last year’s Marvel’s Avengers, but it also created its own niche among an already massive fan base for MCUs. part of the franchise.
All of this is thanks to the combined strength of solid character writing and immersive combat in the midst of a deep, yet linear, experience. It also does not hurt that the game has a tracklist of the best the 80s has to offer, which is also blended seamlessly into the action.
If you can only take on one adventure this year, I would highly recommend that it be Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, as it blends action and narrative perfectly to create an experience that almost everyone will enjoy.
Best action / adventure game in 2021
Second number two: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Senior Editor Alex Gibson: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is without a doubt the best showcase for next-generation performance on the PS5, and lived up to the billing in terms of its absolutely spectacular images and production quality. It feels like every time Insomniac releases a new game in the series, we declare “it’s like playing a Pixar movie!” – but seriously, it really is this time!
However, Rift Apart delivers much more than that kind of beautiful pictures and really entertaining writing to put it on a part with CGI movies. There is a quality and innovation to its gameplay that also makes it a rival to the very best action / adventure and platform games of all time. In addition to just the typically robust platforming and shooting, there is a new dimension-changing mechanic that has been cleverly woven into the experience. It’s an industry – leading design that boasts the creativity that mainstream gaming should strive for, but often does not, and it’s something we should all celebrate.
Rift Apart is a game that can really be enjoyed by everyone and we love it to remind us that the very best games are not only the ones that not only impress you on a technical level but also give a huge smile on the lips . How Insomniac will ever top what is certainly the series’ high watermark, we are not sure, but then we have said this before and been pleasantly surprised time and time again!
Best action / adventure game in 2021
First place: Psychonauts 2
Editor-in-Chief Ed McGlone: Psychonauts 2 is about as faithful and thorough as a sequel as one can be, which is great considering it’s over 15 years since last release. But unbelievably, Psychonauts 2 does not skip a beat.
The game literally goes back from the start of the last game, does an excellent job of bringing both league veterans and beginners up to speed, and when all is taken care of, players jump straight back into the story with all the skills that they learned from the first game.
Learning new skills and developing them in increasingly crazy ways is a big part of the fun of Psychonauts 2, where you will often cross the heads of some troubled individuals. This opportunity gives you the chance to explore some very amazing worlds and I imagine that was what made the developers go wild with their imagination and give players all kinds of fun skills to explore these crazy worlds with.
Combine all that with a wonderful story and entertaining and memorable characters, and you have a recipe for one of the best action / adventure and platform games of recent times.
Best action / adventure game in 2021
Winner: Metroid Dread
Staff Writer Rebecca Stone: Metroid Dread was a pleasant surprise for fans of the franchise. MercurySteam had already proven itself with the evolution of Samus Returns on the 3DS, so there was little doubt that it would struggle to create a whole new world for Samus to explore in Dread. The company was able to capture the essence of the Metroid titles before it, while also managing to innovate in a way that stays true to the series.
Metroid Dread is the epitome of an action / adventure game. Planet ZDR is a huge, diverse planet with tons of hidden secrets to discover, and Samus takes on a wide range of abilities, both new and old throughout the journey. The game encourages players to get lost in the world, and each boss fight is a trial-and-error test of both reflexes and pure determination.
It can be easy to forget that the predecessors of this game defined an entire genre, especially since it’s so long ago that a Metroid game has been in the spotlight. It’s been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it. Metroid Dread lives up to the high expectations that were set for it, and it has successfully regained the title as queen of the genre.
