Robot Republic GOTY 2021
We asked the team here at the Robot Republic to say a little something about their Game of the Year choice.
KB123 - Orcs Must Die 3
For me, I would have to say my Game of the Year would have to be Orcs Must Die 3 (Robot Entertainment). This game is a fantastic entry into the Orcs Must Die franchise, The gameplay provides a unique mix of Third Person Action and Tower Defence creating a game unlike any other and also has online Co-op which is a big plus for me. I would recommend that everyone should buy this game and give it a go, Because this game is the best Tower Defence game ever made and in my opinion, the best game that has been released in 2021.
Check out KBs full review here.
Bandit - Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
Though the comparison between the Rare title and Pirates of the Caribbean was always made, it wasn’t until 2021 that we got an official crossover. Unlike the lazy amalgamation of franchises that Fortnite employs, the crossover between Sea of Thieves and Pirates of the Caribbean felt organic, fun, and actually blended well with the lore of the base game. It was also great fun sailing the seas with Jack Sparrow and hearing the earworm that is “A Pirate’s Life For Me”. It was like being back in Disneyland! Easy contender for GOTY.
Some other ideas for SoT cross overs:
Cally - The Forgotten City
Beginning life as a Skyrim Mod, this stand-alone experience received a full release earlier this year. I picked it up on the back of a dramatic trailer and a host of 5-star reviews on the Xbox store.
A time loop game (but like, before they were cool), the Forgotten City sees you transported to an ancient city living under the tyranny of ‘the golden rule’. This being, any sin committed by one person, will result in the whole population being killed.
When the rule is inevitably broken, you must dash back to the portal to reset the day.
Where The Forgotten city shines (other than gold statues) is in its writing. The characters you meet will become invested in their plight. With only a few you will desperately want to slay.
The story is well thought out, and the twists and reveals are hard to see coming but feel earnt.
Multiple endings exist, but the ‘good’ ending really hit me hard. It takes a lot to make a robot feel emotions, but this game had me leaking oil from my optics.
Check out Cally's full review here.
Holly - Resident Evil Village
Being a gaming person with severely below-average ability, I played this years games with my partner, so a lot of them were from a Player 2 perspective, and my favourite (predictably) was Resident Evil Village by a country mile. I sat and watched the seconds tick down on my purchase and it became my favourite RE game within the first hour. The story structure, the fairy-tale characters and the different takes on horror absolutely won over my heart. The monster design was engaging and refreshing, and the 4 bosses culminating in a huge final battle was absolutely delicious. Only flaw was not enough vampire boobs.
Check out our full review of Resident Evil Village here.
Odhrán - SPOOKWARE
For me, there were few games that enticed me and made me laugh as much as SPOOKWARE did this year. With its immensely charming story and mini-games the guys over at BEESWAZX Games and Dread XP have made one of the most visually appealing, fun and polished games I’ve had the pleasure of playing. It’s got an incredibly charming visual style and score too! We need more games like this!
Find a full review for Spookware over on The Gaming Sandbox, our rival site.
Jack - MS Flight Simulator
Before it was moved to early next year, I was prepared for my GOTY to be given to All Elite Wrestling’s console game. Obviously it can’t be the case, but my pick is equally strange still: it is the console port of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. While it is not exactly a game you can just dip into and fly a Boeing 747 to New York’s JFK Airport from Heathrow, with just a bit of willingness to learn, you can live the dream of the Foo Fighters and really learn to fly. The fact a console (admittedly one which can be considered ‘powerful’ in the same way Brock Lesnar can be considered ‘musclely’) can run this with minimal changes is nothing short of astonishing and the graphics alone are enough to make this title a demonstration game for the console in the same manner Ratchet And Clank should be for the Playstation 5. This game could be considered closer to a sim than a true game, but for my two pence, it still sits comfortably on the gaming side of the fence.
The Aussie Perspective
Dynamic quests, magic, monsters, in-depth character customization, god-gifted superpowers that make you feel amazing and a whole lot more are offered in my selection, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. This game has everything I wanted in an RPG and more. The scaling epicness of the campaign, the ridiculously in-depth nature of character and party building and all of the in-between are fantastic features that not a single Triple-A game I’ve ever played has ever offered me. It will not shock me when this game gets next to zero mentions for Game of the Year. It will however, bring a tear to my eye. (Just remember to turn off crusades)
Check out Aussie Perspective's work over on his channel:
