Returnal. The best games released in 2021
Table of Contents
- Released: April 30
- Platform: PlayStation 5
- Our rating: 9/10
Returnal turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. Quite a weak advertising campaign completely failed to announce an extremely atmospheric game with a compelling story and very challenging gameplay. We can't forget, however, that this is still one of the few exclusives for PlayStation 5, so interest in it was pretty much a given. However, Housemarque Studio's production turned out to be a truly hardcore experience, teaching humility to even the biggest shooter veterans.
The story of astronaut Selene, whose ship crashes on an alien planet, draws you in from the start with its mystery and gradually revealed plot. It's a great psychological horror, with an atmosphere similar to the best productions with the alien. Only difference is that almost every discovery is connected with the death of the heroine and starting the whole adventure over again. Because Returnal is very much a roguelike game – death of the character resets progress, and levels are generated randomly. You die often here, very often, because the degree of difficulty is high and you can't change it. Fortunately, instead of frustration, the feeling of a real challenge prevails and the feeling of eventual accomplishment. It may not be for absolutely everyone, but if someone feels unsatisfied after the remake of Demon's Souls, Returnal will definitely provide another portion of excitement.
Resident Evil Village
- Release date: May 7
- Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
- Our rating: 9/10
The next installment of the Resident Evil series as an FPP action game confirms the high form of the developers. Village is a direct continuation of "seven", except that it changes the atmosphere strongly. Instead of the atmosphere from Texas Chainsaw Massacre we now have Fearless Vampire Hunters somewhere in a Romanian village, Count Dracula's castle, and then other "attractions." Ethan, known from the previous part, has to face everything once again, but there's no denying that the real star of this part of the series is Lady Dimitrescu – an elegant lady vampire, distinguished by her impressive height and stylish hat.
And apart from that, we have well-chosen proportions between the exploration of spectacular, atmospheric locations, fighting with various types of mummies, logical puzzles and quite an intriguing plot. Adventure, action and horror lovers will find something great here. There's even a bit of metroidvania added to it, as we visit the titular village several times, each time discovering new secrets and nooks. Resident Evil Village is simply a great, complete production that remains a strong candidate for game of the year.
