Pro Game Guides’ Best of 2021

Gaming, if anything in 2021, was surprising. Despite company rivalries, a PlayStation-exclusive launched on Xbox Game Pass, which shows promise for the future of the industry. Even after an unimpressive E3 2020 demonstration, Microsoft listened to feedback and massively course-corrected on its main flagship title. The list goes on.

But 2021 also had its share of unpleasant controversies. Publishers continue to take advantage of audiences by releasing broken games. Misconduct, abuse, and employee discrimination continue to poison the workplace, not to mention destroy innocent lives. It seems our games industry exists in an uncomfortable tug-of-war—for every excitement, there exists a reckoning that demands examination and immediate change. There is still plenty of work to be done in 2022; top-down, ground up.

As is typical of a post-console launch year, game delays are more prevalent than ever. Release dates inevitably shift. Despite those disappointing delays, however, there were many surprise hits that, perhaps, weren’t even on your radar. And this year saw many, many, incredible gems from indie developers to expansive AAA blockbusters.

If you’re in search of the next best gaming experience, be sure to check out Pro Game Guides’ Best of 2021 roundup below.

Pro Game Guides’s Best of 2021