Such is the way of things in a pandemic-riddled society, games got pushed. They got moved, postponed, even cancelled. Back in the time of naivety that was December 2020, I wrote a list of games that I was personally looking forward to come 2021 and I wanted to reflect back on them and see... just how well it went.

This post is going to be broken up into three categories of 'Is It Out Yet?': Yes & I Own It, Yes & I've Played It, and No Not Yet. You can take a guess as to which two sections will be a bit on the shorter end.

Own It

To start off light, these are three of the games that actually came out this year! I own all three of them (Far Cry 6 through a Boxing Day sale, Boyfriend Dungeon and Tetris Effect through Xbox Game Pass), but I just haven't gotten a chance to play them yet. The Connected update for Tetris Effect is a bit of a tough one because it's predominantly multiplayer, and I honestly just keep bumping the other two down for other games I want to finish first. I will get around to them at some point.

Played It

This update did not hold back ANY punches. Eric Barone absolutely delivered with this update, and I put an ungodly amount of time into it. I am a sucker for any kind of beach scenery or aesthetic so the new Beach Farm layout and the Ginger Island location made the game feel like it was brand new again.

I wasn't sure if Garden Story was going to make it out this year until it surprise-dropped after a Nintendo Direct! It was exactly the experience I was hoping for, an uncomplicated but opportunity-filled adventure of a silent protagonist pushing past feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome to help those he cares about. Supported by a simple and fulfilling quest system that doesn't overextend itself, I had a wonderful time with this game all the way to the end.

Ok right off the bat, I had a lot of fun playing this game, but I do regret (slightly) buying this game at full price. I say slightly because I got plenty of game time out of it, heck I liked the gameplay enough to have platinumed the damn thing. However in hindsight, between the quality of the narrative and what the actual gameplay had to offer, I think I would have preferred to wait for a sale. Regardless of the price, I did play this while I was recovering from my top-surgery and couldn't really move, so I do look back on it fondly. Plus you get to turn into a wolf AND a werewolf, it's hella fun.

I'll be honest, I was very late to starting Deathloop because the month it came out I was in the middle of moving, but I'm currently working through it now and having a lot of fun. The beginning was a bit tough; I felt like I was dying much more than I was supposed to be, which led to me feeling a bit unmotivated to keep trying. After I got my first special weapon and skill (called Slates in-game), things really started to ramp up and I got the hang of the combat. I believe I'm getting near the end of the narrative and while I've been chipping away at it slowly, I'm still very invested in where the heck the story is going!

Not Yet

Unfortunately these games still don't have a date in sight. And that's ok! Game development is hard, let alone doing it in the middle of an ever-changing pandemic. Nonetheless, I'm still excited for these titles to eventually make their way into the world.

There you have it! Did you play any of these games this year? Are you excited for the ones that haven't come out yet? Let me know over on twitter at @HeySlackshow or my personal account @atlaspolara!