11 Best 2021 Video Games You Didn't Play

6. Cyber Shadow

The first title published by Shovel Knight developers Yacht Club after that immaculate body of work finally wrapped up, Cyber Shadow is crafted by one-man dev team, Aarne "MekaSkull" Hunziker, under the express purpose of being a brutally difficult side-scrolling action platformer, in the vein of Ninja Gaiden.

You can almost guess exactly what this is from that description - and you'd largely be right - but Cyber Shadow quickly fleshes itself out into your main character unlocking a slew of Mega Man-esque upgrades per boss battle. Alongside are items you can equip per checkpoint, and a neat currency system that pays off the more you revisit areas, giving you better gear when re-running the most challenging gauntlets.

With a dark synth soundtrack rumbling away as this Terminator-infused cyberpunk world unfurls behind you, Cyber Shadow might be too hard for the majority, but for those it clicks with, there's not much this passionately crafted across all 2021.