Once the polls are closed and your votes are counted, the iGamesNews Game of the Year 2021 winners can be revealed. Another huge turnout saw rocky voting across multiple categories, with many neck-and-neck matches for the top spots throughout the voting period, while last-minute twists shifted the category rankings. until the polls close.
A big thank you not only to everyone who voted and made this year’s accounts a compelling watch, but to all of the nominated studios for bringing us another great year of gaming.
Now it’s time for the winners!
Dame Dimitrescu | Resident Evil Village
Fittingly, Countess Alcina Dimitrescu’s vote count eclipsed the other nominees in one of the most popular categories this year. In a franchise already rich in captivating – and terrifying – villainy, Lady Dimitrescu stood tall. Whether she stalked players the halls of her lavish homestead, cut them to the core with retractable claw-like nails and licks, she was an unforgettable presence.
Rivet | Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
Tenzo | Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cup
Alex Chen | Life is Strange: True Colors
Resident Evil Village
From the moldy Baker family bayou mansion to the dangerous lands surrounding Dimitrescu Castle – Ethan Winters just can’t get a break. The story of Resident Evil Village begins with deceptive simplicity: a man, his new family, and a tragic past colliding with a troubled future. Capcom is doing a tremendous job gradually building on the scope and breadth of Ethan’s quest for his daughter. Once the embers fade in the explosive finale, you might wonder how this story began in a quiet house.
Life is Strange: True Colors
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
The race for votes for the best art direction was tough, but Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart wins the top prize. Insomniac Games has rediscovered Ratchet & Clank’s vivid intergalactic art style from the PS2, and it shines in this first PS5 release. The expressive faces of Ratchet and Rivet shine with new levels of detailed animation. The PS5’s super-fast SSD creates a kaleidoscopic collision as artistically contrasting dimensions quickly collide. Despite the scale of the adventure, Insomniac still manages to move from frantic gameplay to cinematic cutscenes. Little Nightmares II takes second place with its confusing locations, and It Takes Two takes third place thanks to its irresistible little-big-world aesthetic.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
The contagious exuberance of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy extends beyond its vivid dialogue and jaw-dropping alien views. Eidos-Montreal crammed a real who’s-who from the top of the 1980s charts to convey, with music, the same exaggerated excitement found in its gameplay – and then went the extra mile to create a fictional ’80s metal band that could easily fit into a modern metalhead’s playlist. And let’s not forget the radical and adventurous score… just an audio treat to see.
Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Extension
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
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It takes two
A moving story about divorce and reconciliation, a wise talking book, and an army of militarized squirrels are just a few of the highlights of It Takes Two, but these take precedence over the incredible gameplay. Hazelight Studios’ genre adventure is designed from the ground up with two player co-op in mind, so whether you find yourself hammering nails into walls for your partner to sway, reversing time for them. saving from certain death or riding frogs through the garden together, you will always have a buddy by your side during this joyous adventure. An instant multiplayer classic.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
FIFA 22
EA’s FIFA 22 promised a true next-gen football experience and it didn’t disappoint. Its HyperMotion technology brought us a more authentic and smooth football experience, while the use of 3D audio – taking us further into the game than ever before – coupled with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller, allowing us to feel the game in our hands as it was played on the field. EA has truly delivered the most realistic FIFA football experience yet.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cup
In addition to the many other updates to Ghost of Tsushima for Director’s Cut, Sucker Punch has also made significant improvements to the accessibility of the game. Four new preset control layouts, larger text and caption sizes , the ability to lock in enemies and the directional haptics on the DualSense for Guiding Wind brought the mind-blowing adventure to more players than ever before.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
Few in-game features make the DualSense Wireless Controller buzz like a creative arsenal. For fans of the Ratchet & Clank series, it might come as no surprise that Rift Apart is a great showcase for the controller’s haptics and adaptive triggers. You can really feel the difference, whether it’s detonating the humble Burst Pistol or unleashing the roaring devastation of the Negatron Collider. Insomniac Games takes it one step further, allowing players additional finesse depending on how far they squeeze the R2 adaptive trigger (e.g. press 50% to display the throwing arc, fully press to shoot). From immersive gameplay to increased control, the proof is in the hands of gamers.
Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cup
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
According to fans, Insomniac Games pulled off the aesthetic landing by winning both Best Art Direction and Best Graphic Showcase this year. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s Photo Mode is a wonderful way to appreciate the studio’s attention to detail, zooming in from the tiny hairs of Lombax on Ratchet’s incredible face down to the texture of his little one. brown nose. Plus, spectacular visual effects and lighting help sell the game’s innovative weapons. Few players will forget the first time they shot the topiary sprinkler at a huge boss and stared in disbelief at the instantly covered creature. ‘countless tiny leaves. All these elements merge into a delightfully mesmerizing visual.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cup
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is more than a standard reissue. The magnificent Sucker Punch adventure returns with a whole new story chapter, a whole new island to explore, and tumultuous multiplayer legends updates. That’s before we even mention its DualSense features, super fast charging, 3D audio, and resolution and frame rate options that only the PS5 can offer. Ghost of Tsushima has always been a breathtaking experience, but Director’s Cut introduces changes that take it to another level.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits
This category had the tightest race in awards, as two games went shoulder to shoulder during the voting window. Ultimately, Kena: Bridge of Spirits clinched platinum, with Hades taking home a well-deserved gold. With Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! and Disco Elysium bagging silver and bronze respectively, this category showcased the high caliber – and diverse experiences – of independent studio production this year.
Doki Doki Plus Literature Club!
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut
Hitman 3
The arrival of Agent 47 on PS VR resonated with fans: Hitman 3 topped the votes for this category. The adaptation of the Assassination world to the platform allowed players to appreciate the densely populated and richly detailed sandboxes of IO Interactive – and experience the inventive teardowns within – of a whole new way. And as an unexpected bonus, support for virtual reality has also extended to the first two games.
Resident Evil Village
Satisfying shooter, memorable encounters, plenty of twists and turns. There was a lot to salute in Capcom’s pursuit of the Ethan Winters story. And that’s before you even appreciate the studio’s daring but successful puzzle of four distinct horror subgenres – one for each of the four Lords you’ll face – and merging them into a cohesive whole. Everyone would find something to fear in Village: Everyone who has played has found another incredible installment from the Resident Evil canon.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart
The return of Ratchet & Clank was a celebration of not only the beloved duo, but also the cutting edge technology under the hood of the PS5 and the immersive features of the DualSense controller. Dimensional and Planetary Adventure is packed with exciting and increasingly creative combat platform challenges (Rifts and Topiary Sprinkler FTW), mini-games and more. And of course, we met Rivet and Kit, who quickly became new PlayStation icons.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The first reveal of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 at PlayStation Showcase earlier this year offered a tantalizing glimpse of what awaits Peter and Miles next. And there is much to be excited about in the immediate future: With Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West releasing in February, 2022 is off to a good start.
Insomnia games
Considering his super heroic feats at the end of last year, you would have understood if Insomniac had had a quieter time in the past 12 months. Instead, the studio barely got past its pace heading into 2021, not only offering a PS5 showcase title in the form of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, but reserving its year’s accomplishments by teasing its superheroic future. No wonder then that it took first place as Studio of the Year.
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