EvanLahti: This mighty
little RPG got 50 hours
out of me over the
course of reviewing it. It’s
remarkably distilled. If Diablois
a ten-gallon tank of pleasant
ARPG liquid, LoopHerois a
thimble of hyperconcentrated
essence. The loop: build the
level. Fight enemies
(automatically). Equip loot they
drop. Repeat. How does combat
feel this engaging when you
have essentially zero control
over it? The retro sound design
has a lot to do with it, steeping
the whole game in a
Halloween-y vibe and making
weapon impacts, harpy claws,
and shattered shields feel sharp.
Like the sprawling
deckbuilder genre that Slaythe
Spire spawned, I hope we’ll see
more of this sort of thing across
different themes. I can easily
imagine a multiplayer version
of this where you’re building a
board for an opponent, not
unlikeLegionTD2.
GraemeMeredith,video
producer: You see a lot of
games on the indie side of
things trying to replicate or
re-establish retrovisuals. More
often than not it’s just a
practical means to an end, but
the best ones really exemplify
that the early years of gaming
only really scratched the
surface of the potential in pixel
art graphics.
Not only doesLoopHero
provide a lavish visual
experience with that aesthetic,
it’s one of the very best
‘non-specific CRT era’ style
games I’ve seen, and it’s a key
part of why it’s so addictive.
The vibrating scan lines, grimy
sprite work and rattly sound
effects suck you in and keep
you looping your way round
these maps of your own design
for hours.
That, and the rumour mill it
creates for itself – something
typical in pre-internet gaming,
but rarely seen these days. Get
talking with a friend or two,
sharing in the experience, and
each of you might have noticed
or discovered something
different or unusual while
running the loop. It fills you
with an eagerness to share
information. So it’s not just the
gameplay or the visuals that
transfixes you, it’s the time and
place LoopHerocreates around
you that makes it such a stand
out this year.LOOPHEROSABLENat Clayton: The hero
of this desert adventure
doesn’t save the world.
There’s no existential threat, no
looming war or ancient
MacGuffin to recover. In fact,
Sable doesn’t really have much
of a plot at all – and yet, within
an hour of firing up the game, a
passing conversation brought
me to the brink of tears.
Sable is a coming-of-age
story. A rite of passage that
sees you leaving your family
behind to explore the world
and figure out who, exactly,
you want to be. Every quest,
every conversation, every mask
and piece of clothing is there
in service of finding an identity
for the titular glider.
Throughout the game you’ll
be choosing conversation
options and outfitting your
bike not because you need to
optimise stats or grind
reputations, but because it’s
what feels right for your Sable
at that moment. Every mask
you acquire is quite literally
another face to try on.
There is simply such an
earnest warmth toSable’s
writing. Almost every
conversation you have is
fleeting and incidental, but
penned with such absoluteearnestness that it’s hard not to
well up. You’ll meet an old
guard who’s chosen to embark
on her own journey of
discovery late in life, and even
the most sour-faced shopkeep
meets you with the
understanding that your gliding
is an important moment. It
resonates hard with my own
brief experience of travelling
after high school,
experimenting with identity as
I floated haphazardly between
volunteer gigs across Europe.
Most telling of all is that
Sable is happy to let you wrap
things up on your own terms,
whenever you feel ready. This
isn’t a game that wants you to
rinse it of content – rather,
you’re free to return to your
clan whenever your Sable feels
she’s found the mask that’s
right for her. It’s a game about
the joy of self-discovery,
encouraging you to reflect
during those long desert rides,
best summed up in a tear-
jerking line from one of your
clanmates at the very beginning
of your journey.
“Try to have fun. There’s a
lot to be said about ritual and
independence and all of that out
there, but the world’s an easier
place if you put joy first.”GAME OF THE YEAR2021
BESTNARRATIVE
2021BESTDESIGN
2021