Dean James
While definitely not for everyone, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is truly a trip down memory lane full of the best songs that the series has to offer. With more than 140 tracks and a relatively minuscule new story involving Kairi thrown into the mix, the game is a must play for long time fans of the series, especially if you love rhythm games.
Compared to the lackluster The Isle of Armor expansion, The Crown Tundra feels much more fleshed out with enjoyable story quests, on top of the very addictive Dynamax Adventures and Galarian Star Tournament, though there is still something missing that prevents it from taking the series to the next level.
Even with an enhanced version on the horizon that includes 120 fps with the arrival of next generation consoles, Dirt 5 delivers a fantastic off-road racing experience full of content that will keep you busy not only on the track, but also off with the addition of the new Playgrounds arena editor. Considering there is a free upgrade to the next-gen version as well, there is no reason not to go ahead and pick this one up if you were at all interested, especially if you are a fan of the franchise.
For those expecting a Kirby-like platformer experience due to the game being from HAL Laboratory, you will likely be disappointed. Instead, Part Time UFO feels more like a series of wacky extended WarioWare type levels that will keep you addicted as you strive to earn every medal in the game.
Being a game that will no doubt test your reflexes and tenacity, Disc Room will make the number of deaths you have in a Dark Souls game look miniscule in comparison.
As the title infers, Mafia: Definitive Edition is indeed the definitive version of the classic game, this time with completely redone visuals and updated gameplay that makes the game feel like it could have released today as a brand new game and few would have known the difference.
Crash Bandicoot may have had a rough patch for a number of years before his triumphant return in the N. Sane Trilogy, but Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time proves that he is still one of the titans of the platformer genre with his most content rich and well designed adventure to date.
While looking perhaps a bit too ambitious on the surface with two distinctly different gameplay elements, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a captivating sci-fi adventure set across multiple periods of time. There is no question that the game will have people very confused during the first few hours, but the split story really starts to come together and is well worth playing through to unravel the ongoing mysteries found throughout.
After falling off the board entirely with Tony Hawk's previous outing, Activision has successfully gone back to the beginning and proven again what once made the series so iconic with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.
Madden 21 as a whole may feel like a bit of a letdown compared to the past few years in some areas, but The Yard definitely helps to make it worth it for players that are interested in trying something a little different. With the free upgrade to the next generation version and the promise of treating Franchise like a live service as the season goes on, Madden 21 is likely still going to be well worth the purchase in the long run, even if you may be left a little dissatisfied at this point.
As the first game in this newly rebranded series, PGA Tour 2K21 feels a little bare bones in some areas while also managing to build a solid foundation for the future now that they have the PGA license behind them.
While the art style and crude humor may be the most polarizing aspects on the surface, the lack of any consistency when it comes to gameplay and level design is the real disappointment in what was supposed to be the triumphant return of Battletoads.
Fans of the franchise that have been longing for a full scale game based on the property should be somewhat satisfied by Fairy Tail, although a lot of it is heavily inspired by Gust's flagship franchise.
While it may not return to the heights of The Thousand-Year Door, Paper Mario: The Origami King is by far the best entry in the series in over a decade and gives us hope for the future of the series for the first time in awhile.
Carrion turns the horror genre on its head by letting you be the monster this time in a Metroidvania style game, which serves as the perfect type game to pick up and play between many of the other larger scale releases that have released this year.
People have been waiting for years to finally get what could be considered a really good Sword Art Online game, but the fourth time is certainly not the charm for developer Aquria with probably the most disappointing attempt yet due to the overall squandered potential in Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris.
F1 2020 continues the positive trend the series has had over the last multiple years by not only improving on existing game modes and game mechanics, but also introducing the brand new My Team mode and even new racing options that make the game more accessible than ever.
While many players may have not used their PlayStation VR in awhile, Marvel's Iron Man VR is without a doubt the game to get people to dust it off and play again. Far more than a tech demo, Marvel's Iron Man VR actually makes you feel like you are flying around and firing repulsor blasts in one of the most immersive VR experiences to date.
With all the added Pokemon that were previously missing and the fact it's just more Sword and Shield to enjoy, The Isle of Armor is definitely worth getting, but it's best not to have the highest of expectations going in regardless due to the major flaws that hold it back from being great.
Finally making its way out of Japan for the first time, Mr. Driller DrillLand is still the best entry in this niche puzzle franchise and fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch.