PC Gamers GOTY -- Staff Picks

[ZedClampet]

PC Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2021

We reveal the best PC games of the last 12 months.

www.pcgamer.com

Jacob Ridley: Hell Let Loose
Morgan Park: Jackbox Party Pack 8
Natalie Clayton: Unbeatable [White Label]
Tyler Colp: Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye
Mollie Taylor: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Lauren Morton: Book of Travels
Sarah James: Unpacking
Andy Chalk: The Pathless
Lauren Aitken: Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris
Chris Livingston: Farming Simulator 22
Jody Macgregor: The Forgotten City
Rich Stanton: Scavengers
Imogen Mellor: Life is Strange: True Colors
Wes Fenlon: Cruelty Squad
Shaun Prescott: Astalon: Tears of the Earth
Alan Dexter: Magic the Gathering: Arena (Innistrad: Crimson Vow)

Have you played any of them? I've played AC Valhalla, but not the expansion listed. Played some Farming Simulator 22. I have The Pathless, but haven't played it yet. Looks fun with the bow.

Might look a little closer at some of these later. The Forgotten City sounds amazing, but I just don't think I could endure repeating the day over and over.

Well, I could curmudgeon my way through the list and explain why everyone should be playing something else instead, but I'll spare you this time, even though curmudgeoning is my favorite thing to do.

 

[Zloth]

Naturally, I've played none of them, but Forgotten City is on my wish list. I had forgotten to put the Outer Wilds on my wish list, but Tyler reminded me! I'll likely buy that one pretty soon as I really loved the main game.

I might go for Valhalla someday, but I played a lot of Odyssey plus I want to wait for the DLC to all get set up.

Natalie didn't pick Sable!

Well, I could curmudgeon my way through the list and explain why everyone should be playing something else instead, but I'll spare you this time, even though curmudgeoning is my favorite thing to do.

Would that mean curmudeotizing the list? (Maybe we should put a spoiler tag on these things to protect editors that are supposed to be on vacation? )

 

[ZedClampet]

Naturally, I've played none of them, but Forgotten City is on my wish list. I had forgotten to put the Outer Wilds on my wish list, but Tyler reminded me! I'll likely buy that one pretty soon as I really loved the main game.

I might go for Valhalla someday, but I played a lot of Odyssey plus I want to wait for the DLC to all get set up.

Natalie didn't pick Sable!

Would that mean curmudeotizing the list? (Maybe we should put a spoiler tag on these things to protect editors that are supposed to be on vacation? )

You spelled curmudgeotizing wrong.

 

[PCG Jody]

Would it help if I told you The Forgotten City only takes about six hours to play? I found it well-paced, low on repetition. Didn't outstay its welcome.

 

[ZedClampet]

Would it help if I told you The Forgotten City only takes about six hours to play? I found it well-paced, low on repetition. Didn't outstay its welcome.

That does help. Thanks.

 

[ZedClampet]

Natalie didn't pick Sable!

Looks like Sable got a different award for Best Narrative. Was posted this morning. Have you played it?

Best Narrative 2021: Sable

A coming of age story about finding who you want to be.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Zloth]

Ah HA! Nope, haven't played it, just wish listed it.

 

[mainer]

Nope. I haven't played a single one of those games, and truthfully, most of those didn't really interest me (not that they weren't great games, just that they weren't for me).

The 2 I have wish listed on Steam are the same as @Zloth - Forgotten City & Outer Wilds, so I do have an interest in those.

I have a lot of respect for PCG and the writers (last mag standing from the years of the big 3: PCG, Compter Gaming World, & Computer Games & Strategy Plus), but I rarely agree on the chosen GOTY or RPGOTY. Not that "I'm right they're wrong", just that my gaming choices are different.

 

[Pifanjr]

I haven't heard of half of them and played none. I do still have some hope I'll eventually catch up on the Assassin's Creed games, but they've been releasing more games than I've been playing for the last few years.

 

[ZedClampet]

I haven't heard of half of them and played none. I do still have some hope I'll eventually catch up on the Assassin's Creed games, but they've been releasing more games than I've been playing for the last few years.

It definitely feels that way. This is going to sound crazy, but they've only released one AC game in the last 3 years. That doesn't include all the expansions, though, and the three edutainment AC releases. With all of those, it feels a bit overwhelming, like they are releasing a new game every few months. I'm hopelessly behind anyway. I haven't actually finished an AC game since Unity, and that came out in 2014.

 

[Zloth]

Retirement is coming guys, just hold on!

I should point out that there are six additional staff picks in the last page of the print magazine - at least in the North American version. If you haven't got the print version, you'll never know which game had the best swimming!

 

[ZedClampet]

I should point out that there are six additional staff picks in the last page of the print magazine

It won't let me update the original post, so I'll add the full list here:



The Awards
Best Ongoing Game: Apex Legends
Best Co-op: Back 4 Blood
Best Multiplayer: Chivalry 2
Best Horror: Resident Evil Village
Best Strategy: Old World
Best Characters: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Best RPG: Wildermyth
Best Shooter: Halo Infinite
Best Design: Loop Hero
Best Narrative: Sable
Best Open World: Forza Horizon 5
Best Action: Deathloop
Best Stealth: Hitman 3
Game of the Year: Valheim

Staff Picks

Jacob Ridley: Hell Let Loose
Morgan Park: Jackbox Party Pack 8
Natalie Clayton: Unbeatable [White Label]
Tyler Colp: Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye
Mollie Taylor: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Lauren Morton: Book of Travels
Sarah James: Unpacking
Andy Chalk: The Pathless
Lauren Aitken: Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris
Chris Livingston: Farming Simulator 22
Jody Macgregor: The Forgotten City
Rich Stanton: Scavengers
Imogen Mellor: Life is Strange: True Colors
Wes Fenlon: Cruelty Squad
Shaun Prescott: Astalon: Tears of the Earth
Alan Dexter: Magic the Gathering: Arena
Harry Shepherd: Toem
Evan Lahti: Battlefield 2042
Robin Valentine: Trials of Fire
Dave James: Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition
Katie Wickens: Mini Motorways
Fraser Brown: The Ascent
Phil Savage: Blaseball

 

[Pifanjr]

It definitely feels that way. This is going to sound crazy, but they've only released one AC game in the last 3 years. That doesn't include all the expansions, though, and the three edutainment AC releases. With all of those, it feels a bit overwhelming, like they are releasing a new game every few months. I'm hopelessly behind anyway. I haven't actually finished an AC game since Unity, and that came out in 2014.

I'm still halfway through Assassin's Creed: Rogue, which was apparently released on the same day as Unity? I decided to play that one before Unity because I read it was more similar to the previous games while Unity introduced some new mechanics, but then I got distracted by other games and I haven't played it since January 6, 2020. And I doubt I'll get back to it soon, as I'm still very invested in Warhammer 2 and Epic has given me a bunch more games I'm very excited about.

 

[mjs warlord]

Hi Zed , just wondering why Horizon Zero Dawn did not make it to your list, personally its the best game of this type i have played in years , my wife has a hospital bed at the side of my pc and when she saw what Aloy the lead character did near the end it made her cry.

I have seen some users say they asked for a refund because they did not want to play the part of a silly child , well without giving anything away all i can say is they cant have used it for long , but maybe its because steam has a 2 hour use / 2 week owned refund policy.

In 20 years using a pc its the only game i have ever finished and re-started the very next day.

 

[ZedClampet]

Hi Zed , just wondering why Horizon Zero Dawn did not make it to your list, personally its the best game of this type i have played in years , my wife has a hospital bed at the side of my pc and when she saw what Aloy the lead character did near the end it made her cry.

I have seen some users say they asked for a refund because they did not want to play the part of a silly child , well without giving anything away all i can say is they cant have used it for long , but maybe its because steam has a 2 hour use / 2 week owned refund policy.

In 20 years using a pc its the only game i have ever finished and re-started the very next day.

That's not my list. That came from PC Gamer's website. I haven't finished Horison Zero Dawn yet, myself, but it does seem like a very good game. And, yeah, the opening part when she is still a child doesn't last long at all. There are always some ridiculous reviews on Steam for pretty much any game.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I'm still halfway through Assassin's Creed: Rogue, which was apparently released on the same day as Unity? I decided to play that one before Unity because I read it was more similar to the previous games while Unity introduced some new mechanics, but then I got distracted by other games and I haven't played it since January 6, 2020. And I doubt I'll get back to it soon, as I'm still very invested in Warhammer 2 and Epic has given me a bunch more games I'm very excited about.

If I remember correctly, Rogue continued using Black Flag's Naval aspects. I loved that about Black Flag. But if I'm remembering Rogue right, you start off playing as a Templar, and that just didn't sit well with me for an Assassin's Creed game. I don't think I played that one for very long. It's tough having it ground into your head that the way of the Assassins is the right way, and the Templars are the bad guys, and then you have to play as a Templar.

 

[Zloth]

Horizon Zero Dawn is a 2020 game. Heck, even *I* own the game now!

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Horizon Zero Dawn is a 2020 game. Heck, even *I* own the game now!

I just bought it in the Steam Winter Sale tonight. Talk about a last minute purchase. The sale is over tomorrow morning.

 

[Brian Boru]

even *I* own the game now

You creature of impulse!

Still a bit steep for my pocket, but some day… open world, stealth, archery—yep!