CapGaming:
" The Game of the Year " Award 2021
Introduction:
2021… There it is, It’s yet another end of the year, and MAN! Doesn't time fly very quickly?
2021 was a super Meh year in gaming IMO. Don’t get me wrong, We did have some good AAA games releases in it, like Deathloop, It takes two, Resident Evil village, Returnal, Psychonauts 2, and much much more. BUT mostly many games in likes of God of War 2, Elder Rings, Horizon Forbidden West, Dying Light 2: Stay Human sadly got delayed from 2021 to 2022 and of course, Covid is one of those reasons to blame it.
2021 was still a heavy hit year of covid spreading around. We got different variants of it. People were still getting vaccinated from it and many Game developers were still working from home to be safe from it BUT 1 thing that was great in gaming in 2021 was how it was basically an Indie developer's year to shine. We got SO Many good indie games in 2021 in likes of Kena, 12 minutes, loop hero, sable, Valheim, and a lot more.
I am personally very happy for all of them and why not give them the recognition and the award that they very well deserve. So Without Further ado, Hi and welcome to Capgaming presents: “ The GOTY Award 2021 “
NOTE: Oh and before we start. I would like to say that this list will be missing all of the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S exclusive games since I sadly do not own those consoles as of now.
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Worst game of 2021:
“ eFootball 2022 “
Konami just LOVES to destroy games ain’t they. There is a saying that "The best things in life are free" BUT I think it doesn't apply to video games. Konami's 20-year-old pro soccer franchise—once considered the be the best of its genre—got a complete overhaul ( or more like underhaul?) in 2021, switching to be yet another free-to-play game and adopting a new name, among other changes. But eFootball's September launch was a legendary disaster. Critics and players noted laughable, embarrassing graphics, incoherent and lethargic gameplay, and a severe lack of content. It also became the worst-reviewed game on Steam in that storefront's history so I guess they did win 1 award this year
Yeah, Stay away from it
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Most Disappointing Game of 2021:
“ Battlefield 2042 “
I was so excited for Battlefield 2042 months before it was released. I actually took my time to start re-playing Battlefield 4 months before Battlefield 2042 and Had a blast with it BUT when the release happened. Battlefield 2042 turned out to be just awful 😖. There were missing features, missing game-modes, Maps was Meh, Optimization is awful, Servers had BIG issues at launch, Glitches, Bugs, Hackers, and much much more.
I Know Battlefield 2042 will or hopefully be great in 1-2 years' time just like BF4 turn out to be BUT that does not make the excuse that the launch of Battlefield 2042 was this much bad. Should have just delayed the game till 2022 and fixed it all rather than doing....Well, this.
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Biggest Industry Fail of 2021:
" Activision / Blizzard "
I think I don’t even need to talk about this since 99% of people already know what awful stuff is going in that company and if you don’t know what is happening there then feel free to google about it
In short, F**k Activision / Blizzard and I hope Microsoft buying them fixes these issues there are.
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Best Multiplayer Game of 2021:
" Halo Infinite: Multiplayer "
Halo Infinite Multiplayer despite the battle-pass not being great and customisation being meh is still one of the fun games that I have played in 2021. The Gameplay is just so much fun. The shooting feels right, the weapons feel right, the special abilities are awesome.
In short, If you want to get sucked into a shooting multiplayer game then Halo: Infinite is perfect. Truth me, Infinite is awesome
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Best Comeback Game of 2021:
" Halo Infinite "
Remember back in 2020 when Xbox showed us the 8-minute Campaign Gameplay Demo which looked rough and #Craig meme was born. Yeah, if that game was released on that state then it would have been a disaster BUT I have to appreciate Xbox and 343 for delaying this game for a year and improving a lot since that gameplay video.
This released version of Halo Infinite is 1000 times better looking than the 8-minute video we got in 2020 and 343 have done justice, they made a comeback and made Halo Infinite really good. GG 343/Xbox 👏👏👏
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Surprise Game of 2021 :
" Valheim "
Valheim came out of nowhere and took over the internet for at least that month. Valheim is a brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players, set in a procedurally-generated purgatory inspired by Viking culture and even though it is still in Early Access. It is Damn worth every penny it is. You have a huge interesting world to explore, lots of weapons and stuff to craft, 5 bosses to defeat if you wanna complete the game ( which ain’t easy bosses ) and Literally you can build your own home in whatever design you want or mess around with the terrain and make it however you want to
I went super meh into it, Came out of it playing the whole of February, and have a lot of fun, definitely check it out if you like survival games
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Best Independent / Indie Game of 2021:
" Valheim "
Like I said in the ” Surprise Game of 2021 “... Valheim is the best Indie game that had come out in 2021 for me. Kena and 12 minutes were close BUT the fun I had in Valheim just was not even close to Kena or 12 minutes.
Can’t wait to return back to it when it comes out in Full release
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Best Strategy Game of 2021:
" Age of Empires "
I was and still am a BIG FAN of Age of Empires game. I still to this day remember clearly playing Age of Empires 2 and while sucking on it, still have a blast of a time so since Age of Empires IV was announced I was super excited for it and Well, The wait was worth it
Best Strategy Game of 2021 for me. I loved how they improved from the last entries and just made it even better.
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Best Roleplaying ( RPG ) Game of 2021:
" Loop Hero "
Loop Hero has to be the best endless RPG game of 2021. So many things about it are just so great. Each hero is fun to play and the design of that game is just OUTSTANDING. It has Deckbuilder, roguelike, CRT-aesthetic, and the loop is so much fun to go through as you discover something new each loop
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Best Soundtrack Game of 2021:
" Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy "
OMG! The soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy is just SO GOOD. I've been listening to it on loop since I finished that game and still Jam to it. Much like the Guardians Of The Galaxy films, this game has a full soundtrack of licensed music that would be enough to place it on this list. However, what pushes it over the edge is the fact that Square Enix put together a fictional hair metal band called Star-Lord just for this project. And they rule.
So not only do you get to hear songs from artists like KISS, Blondie, Billy Idol, and even Rick Astley, but you also get cheese-rock goodness like the song above.
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Best Narrative Story of 2021:
" Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy "
The story of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy which is a straight adaptation of the comic arcs. players take charge of the character of Star-Lord, they get to enjoy the game with other notable characters like Gamora and Rocket Raccoon among others.
It was my first-time entry to the Guardians of The Galaxy and MAN I enjoyed the story it had. Started off slow and steady and went awesome and awesome with time passing by. Seriously if you are a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Don’t miss this out
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Best Graphics Game of 2021:
" Kena: Bridge of Spirits "
Ember Lab first game is an EYE-CATCHING one. Kena is just such a beautiful game to look at wherever you are in it. Developer Ember Lab has had a lot of experience with animation in the past, and that has been showed in spades in Kena, with Pixar-esque animations and stunning art design that never failed to impress
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Best DLC / Expansion of 2021:
" Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye
Outer Wilds ( The Main Game ) was AWESOME. Honestly was so much fun to explore around and found out what happened to that civilization and Outer Wilds Echoes of the Eye is more of that with a new mystery and new way to die.
The aforementioned species in this new expansion are sooo cool and so fun to learn about them. The new mystery / locations you explore are super cool and overall if you want more of Outer Wilds… Get this expansion
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Best Art Direction Game:
" Deathloop "
Deathloop is really beautiful to look at. The unique 1960s B-Movie aesthetic look is eye-catching to keep looking at and gives the entire game a distinct and unique look that has come to define much of Deathloop's tone and action. Character models look a little Play-Doh-y, with their edges being unrefined, but that only makes the sharp weapon models and important objects in the game-world pop even more. The lighting in the game is also beautiful and not only being used from a gameplay perspective to denote the time of day, but also looking truly next-gen.
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Best Action Game of 2021:
" Deathloop "
Deathloop mostly is a stealth game and you can finish it that way if you want BUT when hell let’s lose than the combat in Deathloop is just AWESOME. The use of different weapons + the abilities you get combine makes it so much fun to shoot and than teleport somewhere else and use another ability to throw them in the air and than get a headshot is just so satisfying.
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Best Action and Adventure Game:
" Resident Evil Village "
Now If you focus on only action then Deathloop has that BUT if you focus on Action + the adventure you have in it then Resident Evil Village takes it without any doubt.
The Story and how it progresses in Village is just top-notch and the Action scenes you get in it ( especially that near end one ) is just spectacular. What’s surprising, and what makes this game really great, is that it sticks the landing with pretty much everything it attempts. The end result is a spectacular game
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Best Moment in a video-game of 2021:
" The Basement Part in Resident Evil: Village "
The basement scene in Resident Evil: Village, HOLY SHIT was it an experience to go through. I literally had nightmares after finishing that part of the game. The “ Da Da “ sound still haunts me to this day and honestly as much scary as it is, The team have done an outstanding job on making it as good as it is and honestly was the scariest yet best moment I had in any video game that came out in 2021
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Best Voice Acted Game of 2021:
" DeathLoop "
Deathloop is well voice-acted in every part of the game. I honestly don’t remember even a single character voice acting being bad in it. Especially Colt and Julianna connecting and voice acting. They were TOP-NOTCH and just so awesome / funny to hear them each time they spoke
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The Best in-game character of 2021:
" Colt - Deathloop "
Colt! What a great acting / voice-acting and overall character he is in Deathloop. Like just WOW! 👏👏👏 Colt is a unique vessel throughout Deathloop, mainly because he is just as confused as to what is going on at Backreef Island as we ( the players ) are
Colt Character is performed by wonderful Jason E. Kelly and he helps even the slowest moments in Deathloop feel worthwhile. You Sir have done outstanding work with bringing this character to life
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Best Audio Design of 2021:
" Forza Horizon 5 "
Forza Horizon yet again proves how to get goosebumps when you hear the sound of those cars and Forza Horizon 5 improves even more than they already had in 4.
Forza Horizon 5 with a 7.1 surround sound and in a quiet place is SO SATISFYING to listen to when you are driving different cars and through different locations. I feel like if you close your eyes and just press the accelerator on a highway in Forza Horizon 5 then you might get the feeling that you are ACTUALLY in that car, That’s how good the Audio Design is in Forza Horizon 5
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Game i wished i played:
" Inscryption / Psychonauts 2
I heard SO MANY good things about these 2 games BUT sadly did not had time to play them in 2021 OR I think it would have made in my TOP 10
Inscryption I heard starts off great then gets pretty meh in the middle BUT later parts are what makes it special WHILE Psychonauts 2 seems like a fun time to have and “ drugs “... Hopefully, will play them in 2022 when quiet month happens
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TOP 5 Anticipated Game for 2021:
God of War Ragnarök:
God of War ( 2018 ) was SUCH a great game by Santa Monica and honestly, even more, better when I replayed it on PC with that smooth 60FPS and it had some of the best story-telling and action scenes that I have ever seen in a videogame so them making a new GOD OF WAR is keeping my super excited to see where they take it to. Hopefully, I get a PS5 before it comes out so I can be ready for it DAY 1.
Horizon: Forbidden West
I don't know why but I liked Horizon: Zero Dawn more when I replayed it on PC than on PS4 and honestly, Guerrilla Games have kept me hyped to see the return of Aloy and see where the story goes and what will happen to her + other characters we met in Zero Dawn
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2
STALKER! What a good series of games they are. Exploring the alternative world's Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and being scared every step you take in it as anything can come out of nowhere to kill you. Getting the loot and the different anomaly. Choosing which faction to side with and all that makes STALKER an amazing game to play since the announcement of the new one. I am very optimistic to play it out when it comes out in December and just explore the new zone they will have to offer and see what the story is all about. Hopefully, it does not disappoint us and is a good game.
Starfield
Bethesda has been in rough water recently with all the Fallout 76 things BUT I have hope for them since Microsoft brought them so I hope and pray that Starfield is as great as they have promised and is basically a new Skyrim for us all to keep playing and playing until Elder Scroll 6 comes out. I have hope for this game so I hope it is good and bring the best Bethesda back that we knew of
Sonic Frontiers
Funny story, I was absolutely not excited for Sonic Frontier UNTIL I found out that Sonic Frontiers is apparently a “open-world” game which honestly I am kind of excited to play it. I just wanted to speedrun from one part of the map to another as Sonic and see how fast he goes. Hopefully, it is a 'good' open world and not like *cough* Ubisoft style open world *cough* so I am checking it out when it comes out
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My Last Year Game of the Year was:
( Click the name to see why it was my GOTY )
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And here we finally are, Here are my TOP 10 games that were released in 2021 and i enjoyed every aspect of what it had to offer. 2021 was a decent year in gaming and lots of Indie games got a chance to shine. So without further ado, HERE is my TOP 10 Games of 2021:
Honorable Mentions:
( Here are some games that could not make my TOP 10 list but deserve to be called out )
13: Subnautica: Below Zero:
Subnautica: Below Zero is another big, frosty bite of one of the best open world survival games to come along since the genre's inception. It might not be as BIG as the original but still it was super fun to explore the frozen islands and discover the mystery it has to hold
12: Kena: Bridge of Spirits:
Been their first game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is beautiful in both art and animation and has really solid combat, solid world design, and a great balance of action, platforming, puzzle-solving, and exploration. Still, not a perfect game but been it is Ember Lab's first game. It is a good start and I am looking forward to seeing what is next for them
11: Breathedge 1.0:
Breathedge was just a pure comedy ride from start to finish. It is a fun, humorous free-form float through space and there's not a lot to complain about here as the game does the survival/collecting game genre proud. Wrap this up with some humorous storytelling that would make Deadpool proud and you have a winner.
“ TOP 10 Game of the Year 2021 ”:
10: HITMAN 3
( IO Interactive )
Released: January 20, 2021
Review: HITMAN 3
I think and I might be wrong BUT I think all 3 HITMAN games since IO Interactive rebooted in 2016 and it's not a surprise why so. HITMAN is just super fun to play, find your own fun ways to enter a place, and to kill your target and the story is also pretty decent and HITMAN 3 is even more of it and improved. I am super surprised at how IOI has kept making HITMAN even better with each new installment and HITMAN 3 is the combination of all the good things. The Levels are HUGE and many ways to infiltrate it. There are even more gadgets to use here and many fun ways to kill your target ( Like pushing them to their own grave ) and MUCH MUCH MORE
HITMAN 3 is a perfect conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy and now that they are focused on the James Bond. I know they can make a good James Bond game and super looking forward to it
9: Loop Hero
( Four Quarters )
Released: March 4, 2021
Loop Hero has to be the best endless RPG game of 2021. Honestly, this game came out of nowhere and I just had SO MUCH fun playing it for days and days on. Loop Hero is Shockingly creative in its fantasy fiction setup and addictive in its largely automated gameplay, Loop Hero I think is something new and interesting in the realm of RPGs and it does not disappoint.
8: Valheim
( Iron Gate AB )
Released ( in Early-Access ): February 2, 2021
Valheim is a brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players, set in a procedurally-generated purgatory inspired by Viking culture and even though it is still in Early Access. It is damn worth every penny even in Early-Access. MAN! I had so much fun exploring the world it has to offer, killing the 5 bosses it has, and just building the main base to the liking which I wanted it to be. I feel like how good Valheim already is, even in been in Early-Access. It will keep on getting better and I would highly recommend buying it if you like survival games since this might the best one yet
7: Chernobylite
( The Farm 51 )
Released: Jul 28, 2021
If you are still waiting for STALKER 2 to come out BUT want to play something similar to it then Chernobylite is just a PERFECT GAME for you since basically, it has a lot of DNA of Stalker games. Chernobylite begins during a heist on the sarcophagus of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Players take on the role of Igor, an ex-employee searching for his missing wife Tatyana. You have your own base to manage, choices to make each time you visit a map, and those all choices ACTUALLY matter at the end of the game.
In short, I really enjoyed the atmosphere this game had, enjoyed making my base however I wanted to, and enjoyed the choices and story it had to offer. I am looking forward to seeing what next they do.
6: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
( Eidos-Montréal )
Released: October 26, 2021
When I tried out Marvel: Avengers back in 2020... I was super disappointed on it and honestly gave up hope on marvel games UNTIL I just randomly decided to check out Guardians of the Galaxy and I AM BACK IN. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a very great game in almost every aspect it has to offer. The Story is super great, the characters are AMAZING, and then the soundtrack is just... The best of 2021 for me ( And hence it won my " Best Soundtrack " award ).
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy nicely balances a goofy, action-filled adventure with some genuinely heartfelt story moments and I would recommend you check it out ( even if not a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy )
5: Age of Empires IV ( Mainly Campaign )
( Relic Entertainment / World's Edge )
Released: October 28, 2021
I AM A BIG FAN of Age of Empires, I still to this day remember playing Age of Empire 2 and even I might have sucked in that game. I just LOVED messing around in it and with AOE 4 being announced, I was super excited for it and Microsoft has done it again with it being improved in every aspect it has to offer. The Campaign mainly in AOE 4 is just amazing and it was so much fun to learn history in it and watch those AMAZINGLY beautiful created videos that each chapter had to offer in it.
I am super looking forward to seeing what DLC they make for it cause if they do more of those videos they did, I AM SOLD.
4: Deathloop
( Arkane Studios )
Released: September 14, 2021
Review: Deathloop
From the creators of Dishonored and Prey comes " Deathloop " which you can basically say it is Dishonored 3 but with a different name.
The Trailers do not do justice for this game. Deathloop is basically a Loop game where Colt ( Main Protagonist ) is stuck in a loop where he needs to find out what is happening to him, to the world and how to stop this loop and it is awesome from start to end. Arkane Studios have crafted a beautiful world linked by meaningful connections; time influences space, space influences tactics, and tactics influence loadouts and is yet another masterpiece by them
" TOP 3 "
3: Halo Infinite ( Campaign + Multiplayer )
( 343 Industries )
Released: December 8, 2021
For my NUMBER: 3, Halo Infinite Takes it cause 343 Industries have just done a FANTASTIC Job on making this game look and play just the best it can be. Honestly, It won my " Best Comeback game of 2021 " and it rightly deserves it. It was a great decision to delay it for a year to make it great cause the reveals they did before it got delayed in 2020 looked REALLY Not great.
Let's Start with Multiplayer. First of all, it is FREE-TO-PLAY which is awesome to see since Halo multiplayer was never F2P before. And it is super fun, the guns feel really fun to use, the maps are good to move around, and honestly, it is super fun to mess around in it BUT sadly the battle pass was so grindy that it honestly got to a point where it was not fun anymore to play as unlocking skins took forever + they were not so amazing... Honestly, I hope next season is better and brings me back to that game cause it was fun while I played it.
Now the main reason this game made to my TOP 3 is the cause of the Campaign of Halo: Infinite cause I PERSONALLY THINK this is the best story that Master Chief has to date. It was so fun to learn about the village and get some unanswered questions that were left in previous Halo games. The standout for me in the Campaign HAS to be the movement in it cause of the grappling hook... It was honestly SO MUCH FUN to move around while grappling to mountains, buildings, and enemies even. I went ahead and 100% that game even and it was damn worth it.
I am excited to see if they do a DLC for this game and if the next season of multiplayer is fun with new maps and weapons and hopefully an improved Battle pass as well. Definitely check out my review on it to see why I love this game so much <3
2: Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
( ZA/UM - Zaum Studio )
Released: March 30, 2021
For my Number 2 it goes to Disco Elysium: The Final Cut and honestly if this game came out this year ( the original without the voice pack came out in 2019 ). I think it would have been my " Game of the Year " 2021 cause still think Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has to be one of the best role-playings that I have played to date. THIS GAME IS FREAKING OUTSTANDING. It is a masterpiece in my opinion
Like Holy Sh*t, The game starts off very strong, and literally, the first decision you make has a HUGE IMPACT in the storyline. Some of the choices you can make are literally the funniest stuff I have seen in a role-playing videogame. The Characters are outstandingly written, the story is very intriguing from the start till the finish, There is a lot of suspense throughout the story. AND YES! this game is HIGHLY replayable multiple times. I mean, I can just keep on saying good stuff about this game but would recommend you all to check out my Review on it.
I kind of wished this game came out like this with this voice-pack and not as it did in 2019 and I would have gladly given it my GOTY but as it can't be, I think you all know which game is my GOTY of 2021.
" GAME OF THE YEAR " 2021
Resident Evil: Village
( Capcom )
Released: May 7, 2021
Resident Evil: Village is my " Game of the Year " for the year 2021 and I think it is not even a surprise why it is. Resident Evil: Village was just such a fun ride to have with all the batshit crazy stuff happening in it. While it was not as scary as RE 7, It kept a perfect balance between being scary, creepy, and having action in it.
The character ( Ethan Winters ) had a strong motivation to keep on going through this strange Village, Lady D was well *cough* HOT *cough* but also lived up to how she was promoted by both Capcom and the community. The villain was good, the characters you meet throughout the story ( be it good or bad ) were fun to be around and it was just a perfect ending story for Ethan as he went through Hell 2 times now.
One place that this game stood out to me was that Basement scene which won my " Best Moment in a video game of 2021 " award and honestly I literally had to stop playing cause of how scared and creeped out I was on that scene. Honestly, Capcom have done outstanding work throughout that section of the game and honestly even to this day seeing it on Youtube creeps me out ( at least it was fun watching other get scared/creeped out as i did )
Yeah, RE: Village deserves to be my GOTY 2021 and honestly I am super super looking forward to seeing where it goes next with the DLC they are working on.
Congratulations to Resident Evil: Village and Capcom on winning my " Game of the Year " award 👏👏👏👏
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And That's about it for the Capgaming: " Game of the Year " 2021 list. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you somewhat agree with my choices on some selective categories. Do let me know what YOU would have picked in the selected categories and I AM KIND OF EXCITED FOR 2022 since I know it is gonna be a great year for gaming with already announced games and February already is looking to be an intense year for gaming. I am super looking forward to it and I hope you all join me on the amazing ride of playing some great games.
See you all in 2022 and as always, THANK YOU for supporting me and everything i do <3
