Naughty Dog cite Returnal, Deathloop and Metroid Dread as the studio’s picks for games of the year

Naughty Dog cite Returnal, Deathloop and Metroid Dread as the studio’s picks for games of the year
Ben Borthwick Updated on by

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The Last of Us and Uncharted studio Naughty Dog has revealed its staff’s own personal picks for games of the year.

A new blog post from the studio reveals some of the titles that members of their teams had enjoyed in 2021.  Game director Matthew Gallant for example really enjoyed his time with Arkane shooter Deathloop. He praised the game’s art direction of course, but also how it changed his gaming habits.  “The time loop structure gave me permission to let go of playing flawless zero-kill zero-alert runs, and adopt a more improvisational and chaotic playstyle.”

Wasim Kahn, the studio’s director of character technology, also gave a ringing endorsement to Metroid Dread. “I’m so happy to see 2.5D Metroid exists with fine tuned player controls, new slide, and well-timed Melee Counters,” he said.

There was also high praise for Housemarque’s Returnal, which arrived back in April. Animation director Jeremy Yates called the game “a masterclass in design efficiency and created a really compelling game loop that made my heart pound and palms sweat.” Vice president Arne Meyer was also happy to heap praise on the game. “When I first saw a glimpse of Returnal many years ago, I was not at all prepared for how much of my mental space it would occupy at release. It is still on my mind to this day! Hats off to the entire team at Housemarque. I cannot wait for what’s next!”

While game of the year lists are a tradition this time of year – you can check out some of ours here – it’s still cool to see a AAA studio like Naughty Dog give props to its peers. As for the immediate future, Naughty Dog is gearing up for the PlayStation 5 release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on January 28, 2022.