Welcome to Fextralife’s 2021 Game of the Year awards! The Fexy Awards feature our favorite games of the last 12 months, but with a different twist than most sites: we focus on the games our community loves! These are the winners of this year’s Fexy Awards.
2021 Fexy Awards – The Best Games of 2021
Best Storytelling: Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteousis one of the biggest RPGs we’ve played in years. Not only is theCombatcomplex and deep, but theStoryitself is also monumental, thereby taking our Best Storytelling Award! The game focuses on your battles against demons who have invaded the world ofGolariontogether with the tough choices you have to make along the way. You either give in to the temptation, or rise to be a hero.
Every decision you make is important because they heavily sway the direction of your playthrough in terms of theMythic Abilitiesyou gain. You’ll also bear witness to how the narrative unfolds, which could lead to more bloodshed depending on your actions. What makes these adventures all the more engaging is theCompanionsyou’ll meet and recruit along the way because of their motivations and different personalities. Read ourPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Reviewfor more details.
Best Gameplay: Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Risetakes our Best Gameplay Award because of the new and seamless mechanics it has introduced in the Monster Hunter franchise. With significant additions to the gameplay such as theWirebugandPalamutes, it has created something fresh and accessible for both veterans and newcomers alike.
For those who enjoy multiplayer mode, there areRampage Queststo skillfully battle multiple monsters in an arena while supplying you with sufficient artillery and upgrade tickets in the process. Furthermore, Monster Hunter Rise continues to feature a variety of fascinatingMonstersand boss encounters, which are familiar yet unique in terms of theCombatexperiences they provide.
Even after more than 90 hours of playtime, the game’s mechanics remain as exciting and satisfying as ever, so you definitely won’t want to ignore this title especially when it comes out on PC next year! Read ourMonster Hunter Rise Reviewfor more details.
Best Visual & Audio: Resident Evil Village
Choosing the game with the best visual and audio design is no easy feat since there are a lot of strong contenders this year like Returnal andThe Ascent. However, the one which stood out the most is Resident Evil Village. Similar to the previous Resident Evil games, Resident Evil Village has managed to maintain its stellar streak of impeccable visuals coupled with excellent music and sound effects. Although we did encounter some small performance and framerate issues, the game continued to richly depict the horrors of every location because of its ominous texture and realistic lighting.
What makes it all the more terrifying is the audio design that Capcom always nails. From the loud blasts of firing weapons to the nuanced shrieks of the creatures you hear, you’ll never run out of nightmarish encounters entrenched in strong, haunting atmospheres. As such, Resident Evil Village takes our Best Audiovisual Award! You can watch ourResident Evil Village Impressionsfor more details.
Best Multiplayer: New World
Even ifNew Worldhasn’t reached a stable state yet in terms of the major bugs that need to be addressed, the multiplayer elements of this MMORPG are definitely a strong point, making it our Best Multiplayer Game of the year.
Participating in PvP and PvE activities with your company are the game’s highlights on top of its deepCrafting Mechanics. From rallying your troops in order to take control of territories to defending forts against other players and creatures, you won’t be running out of things to do with your friends even after playing for more than 200 hours together. Although improvements could be made especially when it comes to combat, the multiplayer aspect certainly shines the most in New World. You can watch ourNew World Reviewfor more details.
Best Value: Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
For 49.99 USD, you’ll be able to play through at least 80 hours of the gargantuan CRPG that is Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and likely more than that if you’re a fan of these types of games as you playthrough again with different characters and builds. If you’ve been a fan of the Pathfinder series, and you want to experience the rest of theDLCs, including two new campaigns as well as a new rogue-like mode, then purchasing the Season Pass for 28.99 USD is also be a solid bargain.
With Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, you’ll definitely experience rich and intriguing storylines, deep combat mechanics that necessitates patience and practice, and the creation of optimizedBuildsto survive the most difficult encounters. Additionally, you’ll be able to replay the game for several more hours should you wish to try out anotherClassout of the 25 available classes or to change the initial string of choices you’ve made. It is for these reasons that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous easily wins our Best Value Award!
Best Soulslike: Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
No other game this year has managed to present a fresh and familiar take on theSoulslike GenrelikeDeath’s Gambit: Afterlife, from its dark and beautiful 2D pixel art style to the recognizably difficult yet satisfyingCombat. For instance, boss encounters are very intimidating at the start because they require you to gain a strong understanding of the enemy’s movements to execute moves with great precision. There’s also no shortage ofClassesandTalentsto invest in, as well asWeaponandStat Upgradesyou can chase after to improve yourBuildfurther.
White Rabbit has shown us that they’re capable of delivering an unforgettable Soulslike title while retaining the game’s charming qualities, which make it stand out from the rest. Death’s Gambit: Afterlife, without a doubt, takes our Best Soulslike Award! Read ourDeath’s Gambit: Afterlife Reviewfor more details.
Best DLC: Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
Death’s Gambit: Afterlifeis a testament to the good relationship the developers and its community continue to have years after the base game’s initial release in 2018. With thisDLC, White Rabbit has transformed Death’s Gambit into a notable Metroidvania that makes it accessible to more players including those who enjoy Soulslike titles.
Each level is now more intricate and larger than before, pushing you to explore it as thoroughly as you may. There are also newBosses, challenging platforming mechanics, and a multiclass feature to look forward to. What’s more is the improved combat style that feels natural and fluid since you’re able to execute a variety of actions, which weren’t present in the original game. There’s no better DLC than Death’s Gambit: Afterlife, easily taking our Best DLC Award!
Best Indie: The Ascent
The Ascent is one of the best RPGs we’ve played this year because of its exciting and fast-pacedCombatthat doesn’t try to imitate other Action RPGs likeDiablo. Instead, the game treads its own path with confidence by providing an immersive cyberpunk experience in terms of its ambiance, narrative, and classless system, which allows you to come up with flexibleBuilds.
Neon Giant has also created a living world brimming with hand-crafted assets, perspective changes to show The Ascent’s scale and verticality, and fantastic audio design, further elevating your experiences when it comes to exploring the dystopian world. What’s even more impressive is that only 12 developers worked on this project in 3 years. It’s a feat worthy of recognition on top of the exhilarating gameplay The Ascent offers, making it our Best Indie of 2021! Read ourThe Ascent Reviewfor more details.
Best Surprise: Returnal
Returnal came out of nowhere as a refreshing take on theRoguelike Genrethat exceeded our expectations. Not only does the combat and weapon variety catch your attention, but the ways in which new things are also revealed in each of your runs provide exciting things to discover. The environments continue to change every time you fall to your death and respawn thereafter, making every playthrough feel unique and enticing at the same time.
Additionally, you can expect the same level of quality in terms of the game’s stellar audio, fantastic visuals, and commendable writing, which are the reasons why Returnal takes home our Best Surprise Award this year! Read ourReturnal Reviewfor more details.
Game of the Year: Monster Hunter Rise
Fextralife’s Game of the Year in 2021 is Monster Hunter Rise! While the story isn’t a strong suit, similar to other Monster Hunter titles, it’s new and engaging gameplay mechanics has certainly encouraged us to keep playing until the wee hours of the morning.
Monster Hunter Rise has introduced quality of life systems, which are heavily integrated into its core mechanics. There’s a certain level of thrill and satisfaction when you traverse from one mountain peak to the next using your Wirebug or every time you explore the world and fight monsters with your Palamute, on top of yourPalicoes, of course!
But the improvements don’t end there since you also have numerousWeaponsandArmorto chase after and craft, not only because of their functionalities, but also due to how good they make your character look. We can’t wait to relive the experience when Monster Hunter Rise comes out on PC in 2022!
2021 Fexy Community Awards
Community Member: AutumNyxis
OurForumsandDiscordcontinue to grow with over 47,000 Discord users, making the choice of best community member more difficult with each passing year. In 2021, we’re going to put the spotlight onAutumNyxis, not only for her constant help moderating the Twitch channel, but also for participation in nearly every activity we put on. She’s always got a cool and collected demeanor, and is one of the people that really helps make Fextralife a place anyone can hang out and enjoy. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone else with such a great sense of humor, and laid back approach to life and gaming, so thank you Autumn for your time and dedication!
Wiki Contributor: Rougeric87
As it is every year, this was a VERY difficult choice! We now haveover 180 wikiswith dedicated community editors who go the extra mile to help out those who need guides. Rougeric87 stands out this year for his ongoing contributions to theMonster Hunter World Wiki, where he not only helped people with useful comment replies and information, but also made thousands of fixes to the many, many pages on MHW. Special mentions toNioh 2wiki contributor Adderflail who has provided incredible and extensive information to the Nioh wiki in over 1000 edits, andVigil: The Longest Nightcontributor bami, who has added a record amount of great data to this wiki. As with last year, thank you to Lewisriver for an incredible amount of contributions toMonster Hunter Rise!
That’s it for our Fexy Awards 2021, congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to some great games coming in 2022, and we’ll have our list of what the best ones are, so keep an eye out for that video. What were some of your favorite games this year? How did we do? Let us know in the comments below!
you may check this list of 2021 games that we are excited about! You might also want to check out our2020 winners,2019 winners,2018 winnersand2017 winners.
To keep up with all upcoming releases, visit theFextralife Wikis Hub
