My #1 game of 2021. Everything about it was incredible, from the sound design to the rewarding secrets to the fun weapons and feel of using them to the bosses. Not as long as the other games on this list, but my experience was just remarkable.

My #2-#4 are practically tied, but Celceta edges out at #2 because out of the three, the gameplay was the most intense, the soundtrack was the best, and my overall satisfaction was at its highest.

My #2-#4 are practically tied, but DQ:B just barely overtakes Nier at #3. Less intense gameplay than the others on this list, but the way it was executed and the charming characters and aesthetic left me coming back for more. I'm hoping to pick up the sequel for 2022.

My #2-#4 are practically tied, but I gotta put NieR: Automata at #4. Excellent game with its take on philosophy and existentialism. The soundtrack was great, the gameplay was good, and even though 100%ing got a little tedious, I was just engrossed by the sidequests.

My #5. Black Mesa is a labor of love and absolutely respects the source material. It brought me back to when I first played Half Life, and it was just incredible. Great soundtrack, fun weapons (some getting a bigger spotlight too), amazing reimagining of a classic. It's not ranked higher only because Xen dragged on too much in an un-fun way.

My #6. I loved the old-school FF games (1-6, save for 2) and this game reminded me a lot of them in the right ways. It doesn't do much to innovate gameplay, but wow is it charming. Charming in every sense, but it's #6 because the combat was a bit slow and unfun for me.

My #7. The first game was just an alright beat-em-up, but this game takes just about every quality and takes it up a significant notch. I really liked what CQ2 did to make itself stand out from the first. It's only #7 because it was slightly repetitive and I enjoyed my experience with the other 6 more.

My #8. I was eager to play this one for a long time. I took the plunge this year and I must say, my eagerness paid off. The chilling atmosphere, the goofy characters, the sense of dread I felt early on, and even the side content was really good. It just stopped getting scary too soon and a couple moments were tedious. I'm definitely replaying this next year.

My #9. Great take at a Pokemon-like Metroidvania-like that made me realize how easy my Pokemon games were as a youth. I enjoyed the plethora of options I had throughout the game. The pacing dragged a bit at times and I got curbstomped at the end no matter what I did, but if I had more time I know I'd have a ball with it.

Rounding out my list is related to my #1 leadoff. Heretic was my favorite old-school FPS (though Blood became a contender this year) so my expectations were high. The weapons are cool, the soundtrack is cool, the levels were freakish but cool, and I'd say the game met my Heretic-like expectations enough. It just wasn't as good as DUSK.