My Top 10 Japanese Games of 2021

It’s that time of year again and 2021, for all its countless horrors, has been a great year for Japanese games. So here are some of my personal favorites.

This is the sixth year that I have made this top ten for Japanese games. From 2016, until 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Naturally, these lists are only based on my personal preferences of the games I have played during the year and are nothing more than that.

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10. Shin Megami Tensei V

While more people seem to know about the Personage derivative games, the main Megami Tensei the series goes back much further. With the first game in the series released in 1987. The Shin megami tensei evolution started in 1992 and has been with us ever since. This last opus had a lot to do, but it was beautifully done. Although I still wish Hiroyuki Kitazume took care of the character design.

9. Final type R 2

I didn’t expect it to be good at all, but it was good to have a good Type R replay game. Using Unreal Engine 4 this time around, the game looked pretty decent but luckily kept the series’ quality tier design and unique tactical shmup gameplay. With a huge roster of ships to choose from, luckily it didn’t upset the game’s balance this time around.

8. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

A simply stunning Metroidvania-style action platformer where you play as Deedlit from the Recording of the Lodoss war series. Like most anime fans, I love the original OVAs and to have such a good game play using the license is both surprising and very welcome.

7. Garage of the game builder

One of the bad things that defines game development is that it’s so poorly defined. Game design in particular is also seen as something strangely, almost perniciously, ambiguous. So I can’t get enough of that Play builder garage helps demystify a lot of game design, namely the scripting aspect. The fact that Nintendo created and released it also means that we get lessons from the best people. If you are curious about how games are made then Play builder garage pull that curtain so everyone can see it.

6. Monster Hunter Rise

While Monster hunter world does much better than I expected, as a console historically only Monster hunter rejections tend to accumulate. Monster hunter rise went back to type and nailed what a laptop Monster hunter is all about. Since the Switch is a hybrid console, we also have the best of both worlds. He also looked great, which was a pleasant surprise.

5. Renaissance actress

This came out of nowhere and was a gorgeous and brilliant remake of the original. Actress. With additional siege modes and hero characters, the base game of dealing with your followers and hitting demons in the platform sections was still present and correct. The updated music was fantastic too. If you’re interested in how the remake came about, check out my interview with game producer Keisuke Nakashima and songwriter Yuzo Koshiro.

4. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

I loved World of Super Mario 3D on the Wii U, because it was a great sequel to Super mario 3d Earth on the 3DS. However, the Switch update made it even better and ensured that the game was not lost in the dawn of time. What made this collection special was Bowser’s Fury, which gave us a tantalizing glimpse into what an open world is Super Mario the game could look and play like.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

One of my favorites Zelda games and also an entry in the series which tended to get an unfair reputation for being difficult to play, due to the Wii’s motion control setup. This HD remaster then handled that problem perfectly, offering both motion controls and traditional pad controls. Again, making sure this game hasn’t been forgotten and introduced to a whole new audience is definitely a good thing.

2. Super Robot Wars 30

Although my review is still ongoing, this is a curious guideline Super robot war Gameplay. Gone is the traditional purely linear mission approach and instead you can choose which levels to play. It took me a while to figure out, but the setup works and makes sense with all the DLC planned. These games are still the best tactical role-playing games and the fact that this game celebrates the 30th anniversary of the franchise only proves it.

1. Metroid Dread

Without doubt the highlight of the game of the year for me. Not only was Terror Metroid the game we never thought we would see made, but it also ended a decades-long story when it finally arrived. With a complex and involved level design, with evolved powers that Samus can wield, this is definitely one of the best Metroid games never created. While people like David Jaffe have gotten lost, don’t be put off. Terror Metroid is a game that every Switch owner should pick up and play.

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It looks like Nintendo has had a very solid year and the Switch is still doing well. As always, there are quite a few omissions in this list, especially the Demon souls do it again because I spent a great part of the year playing this (I even bothered to do it Platinum too).

Naturally, I look forward to what 2022 will bring in terms of Japanese games, but I’m still happy that we’ve had such a solid year for 2021. If you’re interested in any of my other game reviews, don’t feel free to go to my OpenCritic page.

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