Shacknews Top 10 Games of the Year 2021

#3 Game of the Year 2021 - Halo Infinite

here’s a reason that Halo Infinite has won so many categories at the Shacknews Awards 2021: it’s a great game. During our deliberations, we all recognized the various areas that 343 Industries has hit a homerun with the delivery of the game. Infinite’s multiplayer is on-point and a return to what made the series so popular. The campaign and its narrative is the perfect mix of recognizing the past and setting up a path for the future. On top of it all, as a series first, the campaign is an open-world experience that rivals some of the greats in the genre.

For a lot of players, there was doubt creeping into their mind as we neared the release of Halo Infinite. Halo 4 and Halo 5, while good games by anyone’s standards, didn’t have the same industry-defining appeal that the original trilogy offered. But the murmur of the community started to grow, and soon hushed whispers of hope turned into full-fledged rejoicing as fans realized that Halo was officially back.

As we’ve recognized with our awards, Halo Infinite succeeds in offering a multiplayer experience that rivals the originals. It’s got the equipment that spawns on the map Halo 3-style while Halo 4’s mantling and sprinting helps it translate to a modern audience. Plus, Halo’s iconic zoom returns, leaving behind the ADS style of Halo 5.

In terms of the campaign, the story that’s being told here highlights the relationship between the Master Chief and Cortana, while building new foundations with the Pilot and the Weapon. It’s an emotional journey that will leave invested fans wiping away tears.

And all of this is packaged up in a visual representation that begs to be compared to the original trilogy. There’s a chunkiness to Chief’s armor, a simplicity to the multiplayer designs, and the vastness of a Halo ring to explore that has us reminiscing about the first time we stepped foot on the Forerunner structure back in 2001.

Though it didn’t manage to take home the overall Shacknews Game of the Year award, Halo Infinite manages to stand proud as one of the best games released this year. What we need to remember here is that Halo’s back, baby. Now go and read our Halo Infinite review for more good vibes.

Halo Infinite is available on Steam and Xbox platforms. It is also part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

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.