All kinds of game developers have been releasing amazing games this year from Resident Evil 4 to Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, so we wanted to find out which developer held a special place in people’s hearts.
Aaron Byrne (he/him)
When it comes to game development, no one else pushes the boundaries quite like Rockstar Games.
Whether they’re writing gripping character-driven stories, or creating a dense open-world for you and your friends to explore and experience together – there’s no doubt that with any game from Rockstar, you’ll be getting a ton of quality content that’ll keep you glued to your screen for days on end.
With many of their titles, specifically GTA V Online, I hold some of my fondest gaming memories, playing mini-games and races with my friends until the early hours of the morning, doing high-pressure heists and, of course, running each other over with flying supercars at 240 mph.
Rockstar doesn’t solely thrive in creating incredible open worlds, but equally succeeds in making captivating linear games like Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption, which I grew up completing multiple times to get achievements, and somehow always found something new to love about them.
What’s great about Rockstar is that they pay attention to the finest details, making sure their soundtracks, graphics, side-missions and updates to their online worlds are to the highest standard to ensure they always produce a cohesive and superb game.
Sophie Layton (she/her)
I am a huge Star Wars fan, so when it was announced back in May 2016 that Respawn Entertainment would be developing a Star Wars video game, the bar was set high.
Star Wars Battlefront had been released in 2015 and would soon be followed by Battlefront II (developed by DICE), so there were some shoes to fill. Respawn Entertainment not only filled them in, but propelled Star Wars gaming to incredible new heights.
Winning the NME Award for Best Game in 2020, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a beautiful and fulfilling story, with incredible graphics, realistic animation and software, and a set of huge, explorable worlds within the galaxy.
The exploration and combat mechanics were almost flawless throughout the entire game and I found myself playing it several times just to relive the fun of such an immersive story. I particularly enjoyed the handling of boss battles, side quests and spending hours looking for every last collectible and achievement.
Following my love of Fallen Order, I explored a few more games developed by Respawn, playing through both Titanfall and Titanfall 2 during the pandemic and similarly had a great time with both. Respawn’s games work a treat. I’ve enjoyed all three games I’ve played, so after finishing Jedi: Survivor I can’t wait to get stuck into Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.
With Respawn returning later this month with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, boasting even more open-world exploration, more fluid movement, and an increased range of fighting styles, I am looking forward to seeing what magic Respawn have worked this time!