Handing in a four-star, 4,000-point photo of a Pokemon having a great time is satisfying, but New Pokemon Snap’s tedious progression makes it far more exhausting than it should be. I just wanted to see these beloved creatures frolicking with one another in their natural habitat, while simultaneously doing my best David Attenborough impersonation and capturing their antics on camera. However, its levels are far too structured for me to believe in its weird world, while its secrets are more laborious to uncover than they are fun. I had a reasonably enjoyable time with New Pokemon Snap, though it’s still a missed opportunity to do something with these creatures other than beat them up.
It Takes Two is one of the most delightful and ceaselessly entertaining co-op games I’ve played.
Like its predecessors, Resurrection isn’t for everyone. Different difficulty levels help soften the blow, but if you’re playing on anything tougher than Page mode, you’re going to die. A lot. Still, it’s tremendously satisfying when you finally beat a hard-as-nails boss or a tough stage, even if the sheer number of enemies and obstacles to overcome often feels unfair. This is a good-looking remake with plenty of new sights to take in, even if I’ve got a feeling that most won’t get to see them.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an excellent combination of games, offering both co-op Mario mayhem and a 3D Mario collect-a-thon in a single package. While Mario 3D World might not be Nintendo at its most creative, it’s still a must-play multiplayer game for Nintendo Switch owners, and Bowser’s Fury is much more than just the cherry on the cake.
When played on PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is still an impressive, engrossing, and fun RPG despite its flaws. However, assuming that CD Projekt Red sticks to its word and fixes its problems, it has all the potential to be a genuine classic of its genre. As such, it’s difficult to recommend playing it at its worst, when its best could be something special.
Fuser lets you become a DJ from the safety of your own home, without having to deal with a global pandemic or 24-year-olds with jaws swinging like saloon doors. Its pricy entry point may be a turn-off for some, but when you’re enthusiastically bopping your head to a mash-up of Amy Winehouse, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Pitbull, you can almost forget that it wants to charge you $1.99 for Evanescence. It’s a fun time with tons of replayability, that will deserve a wider audience than the niche crowd it’s poised to appeal to.
Bugsnax is an enjoyably dark mystery that deftly handles mental health issues with a superbly voice acted cast of entertaining characters, despite its shortcomings as an adventure game.
Watch Dogs: Legion‘s beautiful London and its array of recruitable denizens make it one of the most enjoyable games of the year.
FIFA 21 may not contain any brand new modes or major new features, but by providing substantial changes to gameplay and introducing key improvements, it has easily positioned itself as the best FIFA yet. Combining challenging yet satisfying defending with ludicrous goal-scoring opportunities takes its on-the-pitch action to new levels, while additions to its Career, Ultimate Team, and Pro Clubs modes make this an essential purchase for football fans.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is a triumphant return for the series and makes a strong claim for the best skateboarding game ever. It’s a must-play for fans of the series and newcomers alike, and I hope this isn’t the last Pro Skater game we see from Vicarious Visions.
Tell Me Why and Dontnod deserve praise for the game’s carefully considered representation of trans protagonist Tyler, but unfortunately, the game struggles on all other fronts.
Asobo Studio has created something truly impressive with Flight Simulator 2020.
Fall Guys is a fun party game that wonderfully replicates TV’s silliest game shows, but replaces the boring humans with lovely bumbling egg monsters.
Carrion is a great concept that becomes repetitive in practice.
While SpongeBob fans will undoubtedly be happy to play through a game that retains the show’s sense of humor and colorful animation, its solid platforming and the freedom it provides players with to explore its diverse levels make it one of the better remakes we’ve seen.
If you were rooting for the shark in Jaws, Maneater is the game for you.
Despite some of Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ new features disappointing, in almost every other department this is much more of what series’ fans love.
There really is nothing else quite like Dreams. Super Mario Maker may make you feel like Nintendo for a few hours, while LittleBigPlanet will let you create a ramshackle platformer or two, but Dreams will grant you the opportunity to create virtually anything you set your mind to. From RPGs to puzzles, to sports games and first-person shooters, this is an endlessly imaginative toy box to open up and play with.
Speaking Simulator is a fun idea that remained best on paper.
This is a must-play for RPG fans, and an absolutely vital game for Fallout fans.