Death's Door is a near-flawless isometric action-adventure full of heart, humor, and honest-to-goodness combat excellence.
Resident Evil Village is one of the first games that feels truly "next-gen," with absolutely stunning tech bolstered by the industry-leading RE Engine. Stunning visuals, truly bizarre creatures, a memorable parade of eccentric characters, and truly satisfying gameplay make Resident Evil Village soar, even if a few quirks in the plot delivery deflate the spectacle. Resident Evil Village is a truly excellent game and one of the best entries in the legendary franchise. Long may it continue.
UI anomalies and enemy pathing issues aside, Evil Genius 2 is a deep and addictive simulation strategy game that will satisfy your inner desire to, you know, take over the world.
Little Nightmares II builds on its predecessor as a sequel should, expanding the scope of the universe both in terms of lore and mechanics. Little Nightmares II is one of 2021's first must-play titles.
Blizzard clearly learned from the mistakes from Battle for Azeroth's endgame launch state, injecting piles of content that actually contribute to player power in meaningful ways. On the one hand, the time gating on the story elements is irritating, but it's not like most players will find themselves short of things to do. Shadowlands has some of the most stunning art in the game's lengthy history, and the cinematic treatment represents a step up for the studio. Despite balance issues, Shadowlands may end up among the likes of Legion and The Burning Crusade as one of the game's best expansions to date.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world masterpiece that features some of the most immersive and liberating storytelling this industry has to offer. With full freedom to choose V's personality, looks, and gameplay style, Cyberpunk 2077 gives the player an unrelenting amount of control in a world that delivers dozens upon dozens of hours of high-quality content. Cyberpunk 2077 is a mammoth achievement and solidifies CD Projekt RED's place at the top of the pile.
Powerful characters, nuanced story-telling, and stunning visuals make Mafia: Definitive Edition one of the best story-driven games of the year.
Wasteland 3 is a testament to the power of the branching narrative, taking it far beyond binary choices and into a grand canopy of cause and effect. It gives the wintry climbs of Colorado a lifelike quality that must have been painstaking to build. The most impressive RPG in years, Wasteland 3 is a masterpiece.
Many of Battletoads' design sensibilities may seem archaic in 2020, but that was ultimately Dlala trying to build on the chaotic formula set by the original. Battletoads struggles as a single-player game but soars as a varied couch co-op experience party game for up to three friends. And hey, it's often laugh-out-loud funny too.
Othercide could use some quality-of-life improvements, but this is one of the most stylish games I've played in years, complete with oppressive gameplay that is as thrilling as it is rewarding.