On the one hand, 2021 was a quieter year than usual for major video game launches. As the pandemic raged on, studios struggled to hit release dates and quite a few of the games we've already seen arrive this year were originally slated for 2021. That doesn't mean last year will be one we forget anytime soon though, with titles like It Takes Two, Guardians Of The Galaxy, and New Pokemon Snap destined to leave a mark for years to come.
It was also a particularly successful year for Xbox, something highlighted by Metacritic this week as it revealed the most successful publishers of 2021. Ten Xbox games registered Metacritic scores in 2021, averaging a very impressive score of 87.4. The site highlights that a company averaging more than 80 over the course of a calendar year is rare, and Xbox is the first studio to ever score an annual average over 85.
Metacritic does also note that Xbox launched fewer games than usual in 2021, but it was very much a quality over quantity situation. Leading the way were Forza Horizon 5, Psychonauts 2, and Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X, all of which scored 90 or higher. Up next was Halo Infinite, launching right at the end of the year and scoring an almost as impressive 87.
Sony has to settle for second place this year, but that silver medal is arguably just as impressive as Xbox's gold one. With twice as many distinct titles as Xbox, PlayStation managed to have a much busier year than its biggest rival. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, and director's cut's of Ghost Of Tsushima and Death Stranding left Sony with an average score of 81.3 for the year. Had that score not been dragged down by Destruction AllStars then the top of the table may have looked a little different.
2022 may only be two and a bit months old, but PlayStation has already got a couple of scores tucked away as it tries to beat Xbox to the Metacritic punch this year. Both Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 have registered scores of 88. There's also still Ghostwire: Tokyo and maybe even God Of War Ragnarok to come. Xbox will want to get Starfield out in the wild before the end of the year to compete, and maybe Activision Blizzard games will count towards its average this year, or maybe not as the deal won't be finalized until at least 2023.
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