Match all of the above with a mesmerizing soundtrack of hummable motifs, from cheerily playful ditties to dramatic dirges, and everything in between, and Eastward distinguishes itself handily within its heavily populated genre. While it's not without its shortcomings - in particular, a bit less variety in combat and puzzles than the genre often typifies - where it shines, it does so brightly. For RPG fans, Eastward is the real deal, and it’s an unmissable and impressive feat of indie design that deserves plenty of recognition amongst a sea of bigger releases in 2021.
For fans of the modern Hitman series, Arkane's outstanding catalog, and great-feeling FPS games in general, Deathloop is highly recommended; just go into the wild narrative with tempered expectations for self-directed play.
For such a visually boisterous experience, The Artful Escape feels more like a chilly museum after closing hours.
Lamentum is a fine debut that happens to serve a very specific fanbase, the same players who will celebrate its lack of trusty modern gameplay conveniences.
Min-maxers can prioritize equipment and stat upgrades to further sabotage any challenge, but everyone else can just jump into Dodgeball Academia’s matches and glide through the snappy story. By the end, a full roster of characters unlock for use in a versus mode pack-in, albeit with no online multiplayer available. Super Dodge Ball fans will immediately respond to what Pocket Trap is up to here, but Dodgeball Academia should also prove an easygoing delight to anyone looking to sink into a very specific type of sports RPG.
There are some problems in Eldest Souls, though, including weird pathing to certain bosses that require trap-dodging, which just feel out of place. Additionally, the lack of a true pause means re-speccing may require a return to a previous checkpoint. These are ultimately small gripes for what is a wonderful experience overall, as Eldest Souls is a challenging but fair boss-rush with great pixel art and some smart New Game+ content. The Souls community is sure to enjoy this, but the build experimentation and shard system add an appealing sense of growth that makes Eldest Souls feel like it has even broader appeal than its niche.
If Death’s Door is not mentioned in a list of the year’s best indies, it will only be due to its finer focus and lack of complexity or significant depth, which also speaks to the game's utter lack of bloat. Those who are looking for the cavernous biomes of Hollow Knight or the lore-rich epistolatory storytelling in a Souls game may feel shorted by the 10 or so breezy hours on offer here, but Death’s Door is a precisely engineered and immersive adventure which will fully satisfy anyone seeking that exact experience. Isometric action RPGs are a dime a dozen, but rarely are they polished to such a brilliant sheen.
Ages ago, when Castle Crashers hit Xbox Live, fans were happy to just pay out for a few new character and weapon skins, but the Mr. X Nightmare DLC appears to have been treated with the same level of care as the original game. Anyone who’s been looking for a better reason to go back to Streets of Rage 4 than just crawling up the leaderboards should jump on this DLC release, and the Survival mode’s 2-player online capability provides a great excuse to bring a friend along for the ride.
Unlike Wildfire, though, Within the Blade works marvelously on the Switch and seems perfectly optimized for the platform, although the speed of the game does make more sense when docked on a nice TV. Little control and camera niggles - inputs to activate skills are constantly stumbled on Joy-Cons, and orienting the camera during stealth attempts is a pitiful chore - don’t compromise what is a weirdly deep, potentially satisfying low-rez action ninja sim. Elaborate and overflowing with optional content and a snappy narrative, Within the Blade should be a hit with the Sengoku set.
A spoonful of VR would help the medicine go down.
Though there is plentiful evidence here of worthy inspirations which should feed into a fun run ’n’ gun experience, the finished product fails to deliver. There’s style and pizazz on offer, but even an assortment of unlockable abilities and AI-controlled companions can’t enliven a game which feels this flat and underdeveloped. Mighty Goose is sure to move a few units based on its visuals alone, but they’ll be little comfort when no one can tell what’s happening on the screen.
Biomutant is the rare case where the lovely screenshots tell the full truth, though a more robust combat system could have made this a GOTY contender.
Narita Boy is a curious and risky 2D adventure that isn’t always what it seems. Issues with some game mechanics shouldn’t deter anyone from playing through the story, and its soundtrack’s passionate synthwave-leaning collection of themes somehow stands out amidst a sea of new titles which share these sonic leanings. Narita Boy will be more impactful and absorbing to those who fully immerse in its narrative, and what may first appear as hastily written nonsense informs a lyrical and consistent fictional universe. Give in to its mysteries and enjoy.
Telling too much of ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos’ story would compromise what it’s really trying to do, but this isn’t to imply that it’s reliant on some sort of obligatory Shyamalan twist. No, like the best visual novels, it remains focused on its character growth, and unveils its secrets and motives with time. For someone with even a light taste for anime who may not normally take to visual novels, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos should make them a believer.
Dandy Ace is roguelike fun dialed up loud.
Little Nightmares II finds a niche and thrives.
Cyber Shadow brings the nostalgia in bunches.
Scott Pilgrim holds up exceptionally well.
Art Sqool is more sketch than masterpiece.
The takeaway is this: Watch Dogs: Legion is an ambitious simulation which reliably fails whenever players push against its boundaries. Like the cargo drones which grant them the ability to freely fly, it hits an invisible ceiling that prevents players from soaring above London’s skyscrapers.