BEST INDIE
Previous Winners
2016: VA-11 HALL-A
2017: Cuphead
2018: Dead Cells
2019: Luminous Avenger iX
It seems every year we always have a ton of great Indie titles that release throughout the year. This year was no exception, but the staff here narrowed down our choice for Best Indie of 2021 to these three titles pretty easily. They are three very different titles, which is to be expected since Indies come in lots of different genres. Without further ado, let’s start our award presentation.
Metallic Child
NA Release Date: September 15th, 2021 (PC), September 16th, 2021 (Switch), TBA (PlayStation)
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation
Review
I actually reviewed this for the site on a whim. I looked at the trailer that came with the review offer and thought Metallic Child looked like a lot of fun, I was very correct. You play as a cute robot named Rona that will have to defeat the other Metallic Children in order to end an uprising. This will also give her the power to keep her spaceship from crashing into Earth, causing massive damage. There is a lot of great top down action here with lots of variety, depending on the weapons and powers you use with Rona. Stages are generated randomly for tons of replay value, and you can unlock some adorable skins for Rona that will give her some nice buffs. The team here have created a wonderful character, and I certainly hope to see more of her very soon.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos
NA Release Date: February 18th, 2021
Platform(s): Oculus, Steam VR, PlayStation VR
Review
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is a very unique entry on any list. It’s a visual novel where the story is totally experienced in VR. This adds a whole new level to the storytelling and immersion. Our reviewer was really taken in by the music, saying it really helped to build hype during the battles events. The game covers a wide range of emotions that are made better by the whole VR experience. This would be a game I would certainly want to check out immediately if I had a VR Setup, it’s sure seems like one of the most unique games out there.
Astria Ascending
NA Release Date: September 30th, 2021
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One
Review
When I started playing Astria Ascending, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew the developer Artisan Studios from their work on Super Neptunia RPG, so I was very interested to see if they had improved upon the flaws found in that game. They did just that in many areas. The art style here is top notch. I love all of the character designs here, each different character class have very detailed and unique look. The boss monsters all looked fantastic as well. Throw in some great turn-based combat plus an interesting story, and it’s no wonder this made our list of top indies for the year.
And the Best Indie award goes to…
Metallic Child!
While the other games on this list are wonderful, none of them have the charm of Metallic Child. Rona is just an adorable character you want to cheer on as she faces off with the corrupt Metallic Masters. The solid beat up style combat with dozens of weapon combinations is just satisfying, and will keep any fan of action games entertained for hours. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Rona’s journey, it’s one well worth taking!
