Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a fun beat ’em up with a wide variety of unique heroes to choose from, though stumbles when it comes to offering players more than the basics.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is like no survival game I’ve played before.
Kind Words is a unique and, more importantly, kind idea that deserves an audience. It encourages empathy between strangers online, and this shouldn’t be overlooked, especially in 2019 when it often feels like everyone wants to cause as much harm to one another as possible. Your appreciation of it will vary depending on how much you need it, but even its existence should be commended.
While Untitled Goose Game is a short experience, this also means that it doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Battle for Neighborville seems targeted towards an audience that arguably doesn’t exist in any meaningful capacity — PvZ players who wanted a more competitive shooter with fewer customization options.
This is a must-play for RPG fans, and an absolutely vital game for Fallout fans.
Speaking Simulator is a fun idea that remained best on paper.
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.
Despite some of Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ new features disappointing, in almost every other department this is much more of what series’ fans love.
If you were rooting for the shark in Jaws, Maneater is the game for you.
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.
Carrion is a great concept that becomes repetitive in practice.
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.
Asobo Studio has created something truly impressive with Flight Simulator 2020.
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.
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.
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.
Watch Dogs: Legion‘s beautiful London and its array of recruitable denizens make it one of the most enjoyable games of the year.
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.
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.