#2021 oprainfall Awards

[operationrainfall]

2022 oprainfall Awards: Best Music

BEST MUSIC Previous Winners 2016: Final Fantasy XV 2017: Persona 5 2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2021: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… We always love a good tune, and the games mentioned here in oprainfall Awards 2022 Best Music category are the best of the best when it comes to their amazing soundtracks. I have to say, the competition was fierce this year,…

[operationrainfall]

2022 oprainfall Awards: Best Story

BEST STORY Previous Winners 2016: Muv-Luv 2017: Persona 5 2018: Yakuza 6 2019: Fire Emblem: Three House 2021: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Depending on the game, the story might be one of the most important elements to have. The hours put into a game can be more than justified when you become attached to the characters or journey. Our last winner of this award was an MMO which brought in a lot of…

[operationrainfall]

2022 oprainfall Awards: Game of the Year (GOTY)

GAME OF THE YEAR (GOTY) Previous Winners 2012: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) 2013: Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) 2014: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) 2015: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) 2016: Hyperdimension Neptunia V-II (Multi) 2017: Persona 5 (PS4) 2018: Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Multi) 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) 2021: Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch) It’s finally time to crown the oprainfall…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Game of the Year (GOTY)

2021 oprainfall Awards: Game of the Year (GOTY)

GOTY (GAME OF THE YEAR) Previous Winners 2012: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) 2013: Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) 2014: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) 2015: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) 2016: Hyperdimension Neptunia V-II (Multi) 2017: Persona 5 (PS4) 2018: Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Multi) 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) It’s finally time to crown the oprainfall Awards 2021 Game of the Year! We…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Girl

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Girl

BEST GIRL Previous Winner 2019: Marnie (Pokémon Sword and Shield) Everyone has that character, that one that stood out to them from among the rest. Because we are so passionate about these characters, that may explain why this category is one of the most contested among out staff. Being the Best Girl means being able to captivate us with multiple attributes. These can include one’s looks, their…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Hero

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Hero

BEST HERO Previous Winners 2016: Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice) 2017: Protagonist (Persona 5) 2018: Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza 6) 2019: Byleth (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) There were quite a few heroes to choose from this year. All of them were completely worthy choices, the type of guys who do what’s right and who anyone would look up to. Overall, though, who we found to be the best…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Game of the Year (GOTY)

2021 oprainfall Awards: Game of the Year (GOTY)

GOTY (GAME OF THE YEAR) Previous Winners 2012: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) 2013: Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) 2014: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) 2015: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) 2016: Hyperdimension Neptunia V-II (Multi) 2017: Persona 5 (PS4) 2018: Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Multi) 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) It’s finally time to crown the oprainfall Awards 2021 Game of the Year! We…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Action / Adventure

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Action / Adventure

BEST ACTION / ADVENTURE Previous Winners: 2018: God of War 2019: Devil May Cry 5 There’s never really too much of a drought of games of this category, which for all of us is a good thing since we get more to choose from. In our last awards, a certain stylish demon killing series got our pick. This year we definitely got some good choices between following a private detective, the hunting of…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Console Exclusive

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Console Exclusive

BEST CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE Previous Winners 2018: Super Smash Bros: Ultimate 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2020 was pretty much just crappy for everyone, and all of us here at oprainfall got tied up in the madness last year. This made doing our yearly awards basically impossible. This year, we have gotten back on track, and it’s time for me to present the award for Best Console Exclusive. There are…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Console Exclusive

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Console Exclusive

BEST CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE Previous Winners 2018: Super Smash Bros: Ultimate 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2020 was pretty much just crappy for everyone, and all of us here at oprainfall got tied up in the madness last year. This made doing our yearly awards basically impossible. This year, we have gotten back on track, and it’s time for me to present the award for Best Console Exclusive. There are…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Guy

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Guy

BEST GUY Previous Winners 2019: Astolfo (Fate/EXTELLA LInk) To no one’s surprise, the men created by SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio stole our hearts in 2021. Most of us at oprainfall these days are fans of the Yakuza franchise and with 2021 seeing The Yakuza Remastered Collection get ported to Xbox and PC, Yakuza: Like a Dragon landing on PS5 and Lost Judgment coming out for the first time on both…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Heroine

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Heroine

BEST HEROINE Previous Winners 2016: Neptune (Megadimension Neptunia VII) 2017: Futaba (Persona 5) 2018: Jade (Dragon Quest XI) 2019: Reisalin Stout (Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout) What makes a good heroine? Is she smart, capable, strong, funny, clever? Is she compassionate, brave, brash or calm? Or maybe all of the above. For me, a good heroine embodies several of these traits;…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Story

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Story

BEST STORY Previous Winners 2016: Muv-Luv 2017: Persona 5 2018: Yakuza 6 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Video games have a special place in media: Their interactive nature makes for impactful storytelling in ways movies and books cannot replicate. Games can offer new experiences that cannot be attained in real life; can augment situations in ways you may never be able to experience otherwise; or…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Multiplatform

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Multiplatform

BEST MULTIPLATFORM Previous Winners 2016: Megadimension Neptunia V-II 2017: NieR: Automata 2018: Valkyria Chronicles 4 2019: Code Vein This category contains the nominees for games we simply found to be overall fantastic and happened to be released on multiple platforms. Due to how common it is nowadays for games to launch on a variety of platforms, there was certainly no shortage of great games…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Music

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Music

BEST MUSIC Previous Winners 2016: Final Fantasy XV 2017: Persona 5 2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses One of the most impactful aspects of video games for me are the soundtracks. We spend so much time listening to the games we play that music becomes an integral part of not only the storytelling, but the world, mood, and even characters. A good soundtrack can elevate…

[operationrainfall]

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Atmosphere

2021 oprainfall Awards: Best Atmosphere

BEST ATMOSPHERE Editor’s Note: There are no previous winners listed since this was not a category we voted on in previous years. This is a brand new category this year, which I actually happened to suggest to replace an accidental double on our early list of categories we’d be voting on. The atmosphere of a game is one of the most important parts. It’s not only good music that gets one into a…