Shacknews Top 10 Games of the Year 2021

#5 Game of the Year 2021 - Returnal

Silly name, serious game. Returnal became the must-play PS5 cult hit of the year.

How many folks had Returnal being the best PlayStation game of the year on their 2021 bingo cards? I wager not all that many. That quickly changed in early May when Housemarque and Sony released Returnal for the PS5. We first saw the game in trailers way back in the Summer of 2020, but almost every part of the experience was shrouded in mystery.

When Returnal started warming up those dormant PS5 consoles this past spring, its unique mix of roguelike features, bullet hell gameplay, and H. R. Giger-inspired visuals was an instant smash among the few who jumped into the game early. While more than a few may have picked up the game due to a lack of fresh software for the new console, they were treated to a challenging jaunt into sci-fi action.

Featuring a generous assortment of firearms and various powerups, players will have all sorts of ways to approach the fresh levels of hell that Returnal throws their way. Despite being procedurally generated, the environments in Returnal never fail to impress and the clear and concise layouts make navigation much less annoying than many of its peers.

If you need further convincing, Sony felt strongly enough about the job Housemarque did on Returnal that it permanently acquired the Australian dev house this year. We can’t wait to see what this team is capable of on PS5 hardware with the full force of the PlayStation empire at its back.

Returnal is available exclusively on PlayStation 5. 

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.