The 20 Best Video Games of 2021 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 7, 2021

Which games impressed professional reviewers the most during the first half of the year? Above, we rank the best-reviewed videogames released between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021 by Metascore. Games must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion.

Note that ...

If a game was released on multiple platforms, we included only the version receiving the largest total number of reviews (usually, but not always, the PS5 or PS4 version).

Multi-game compilations and newly released ports of games released in prior years on other platforms are excluded, unless they are substantially different from the prior release(s) (for example, an HD remaster of a previous-gen game that also adds some new content).

17 of 21 photo by EA Originals

88 #2 (tie): It Takes Two

Released for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in March, the latest from A Way Out developer Hazelight Studios is another two-player-only action-adventure. While that previous game tasked you and your partner with breaking out of prison, the more emotional It Takes Two casts its two players as a bickering married couple who have been trapped inside the bodies of two of their daughter's handmade dolls. Cooperation is the key to passing a series of tests, reversing the spell, and reuniting with the young girl. Critics praised the game's inventive approach.

“It Takes Two is a Pixar-worthy adventure that consistently innovates, offering players an excellent co-op experience unlike any other.” —GamesRadar+

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