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A screenshot from "Halo Infinite."
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The 10 best video games of 2021

Microsoft/AFP via Getty Images

The 10 best video games of 2021

This was always destined to be a good year of video games, for so many reasons. Start with the fact that we’re in the second year of the new generation of consoles, meaning developers could make games with even more confidence and comprehension of the hardware. Add in several major franchises getting new iterations. And finish with greater freedom across consoles; more Xbox, PlayStation and PC games than ever permitted Crossplay, opening the multiplayer and cooperative action to more people across more machines than ever.

It was all a perfect storm for standout games to thrive, and that’s exactly what happened. This year’s titles kept me up late at night and had me running on next to no sleep over the weekend. Here are my top 10 titles from the year, and 10 titles you’ll want to make sure to have on your console.

‘Halo Infinite’

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I’ve never ever played a bad “Halo.” Seriously. Earlier this year, my brother and I started working through the entire franchise, starting with the original “Halo,” and every single game, without fail, still holds up today. But even in this storied franchise, Infinite manages to be something special. It pushes the franchise into a brand new era, offering character progression and an open world, and it tells the most compelling story of any “Halo” title. Despite this strong focus on storytelling, it still stays true to the franchise, consistently driving forward the action and letting you kill grunts and brutes with magical precision. Well done.

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‘Deathloop’

Leave it to Arkane Studios to give us the most creatively bold game of 2021. “Deathloop” reimagines storytelling and game progression, tasking you with taking down a series of targets in a single loop and adding to the action each time. It also reimagines how multiplayer can look; as you’re chasing your targets down, an outside gamer can enter your game and try to take you down (assuming you decide you’re open to that). The game does it all while also telling an engaging story and delivering on many of the gameplay conventions we’ve come to expect from Arkane, things like stealth and shooting and just enough puzzling to keep things going.

‘Far Cry 6’

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I’ve been in love with Ubisoft’s flagship wildlands open-world title every since “Far Cry 4.” And the latest game just may be my favorite. “Far Cry 6” returns us to a tropical island (Yara, a take on Haiti), and has us facing another dictator in Anton Castillo, voiced by the great Giancarlo Esposito. And this time, the game dares to take things a bit more over the top in terms of firepower, giving you a backpack loaded with explosives and some other new goodies. The franchise skillfully toes the line between realistic action and “Just Cause”-type wildness, but it never ceases to be fun, even in the moments when tale and game mechanics don’t fully jive.

‘Hitman 3’

The coda to IO Interactive’s stealth series manages to reinvent an already-great game, delivering a series of levels that are full of surprises. We had the first two chapters of “Hitman” the last few years, and both were excellent, delivering open-ended gameplay in massive, varied environments. “Hitman 3” changes things up by forcing you into new situations, letting you solve a “Knives Out”-style mystery before one kill, having you take a winery tour with your prey as you find a moment to end her life the next. All the while, it wraps up a compelling story for Agent 47, one that’ll leave you wanting more gameplay when it’s all over.

‘Resident Evil Village’

Capcom’s “Resident Evil” franchise has been on a roll the last few years, shifting from chaotic action to more atmospheric experiences. Never is that more true than with Village, which leaves you to explore a desolate city and mansion, and forces you to be ready for battle. You feel more armed and licensed to shoot than ever, and yet, you never feel in control, always overwhelmed by elements that you don’t understand. Wrapped in all this gameplay is a fantastic story, and it’s told in splendid fashion.

‘Metroid Dread’

Samus Aran returns in a Nintendo title that decisively reminds us that classic action exploration games aren’t dead. This is a 2D title in the vein of classic “Metroids,” except the story is stronger, and, despite the exploratory elements you think of with “Metroid,” there’s a sense of, well, dread, thanks to the evil EMMI robots that stalk you and change the pace of gameplay at the most perfect (read: awful) times.

‘Returnal’

Time-looping gameplay was a thing in 2021, and both “Deathloop” and “Returnal” did it splendidly. “Returnal” stars Selene, who crashlands on a hostile, unknown planet and must escape while uncovering unique story points. It’s a game that changes how you view video game death in satisfying fashion, and it delivers some tremendous firefights, too. This isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s well worth the challenges it presents.

‘Back 4 Blood’

One of the best cooperative experiences I’ve played in the last few years. The minds behind “Left 4 Dead” craft an experience that has just enough story to keep you going, and fantastic gunplay, as well as an exciting, challenging card-based progression system that makes every single playthrough fresh and fun. This is a game that encourages coop play and can be as easy or challenging as you want to make it.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Square Enix’s first go-round with the Marvel license (2020′s “Marvel’s Avengers”) was a disappointment. But its second turn, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is splendid. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket Racoon all come to life, both in the aggressive action and in a fantastic, galaxy-hopping story that introduces you to various parts of Marvel’s space world and never ceases to entertain. This game works hard to capture the dynamic of its superhero team, and it works to spectacular effect.

‘Shin Megami Tensei V’

I guess I’ve never really gotten over Persona 5 and how excellent that title was. “Shin Megami Tensei V” brings over similar characteristics while returning to the franchise’s darker, more foreboding tone, and casting you into a more solitary world. It also feels like a tougher journey, thanks to scarce resources and a need to always balance. Every battle is tense, even the ones you’d consider gimmes in other RPGs. But survival feels satisfying — if you can survive.

First Published: December 31, 2021, 11:00 a.m.

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A screenshot from "Halo Infinite."  (Microsoft/AFP via Getty Images)
A screenshot of the latest video game "Halo Infinite."  (Microsoft/AFP via Getty Images)
A screenshot from "Halo Infinite."  (Microsoft/AFP via Getty Images)
Microsoft/AFP via Getty Images
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