Matt Bianucci
Planet Zoo is a worthy spiritual successor to Zoo Tycoon and makes improvements in virtually every area to bring the genre into a new generation.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is a soft reboot that retools some of the series' defining aspects but has significant problems that hold it back from giving the series the rebirth it wanted.
Arise: A Simple Story creates an entire package whose diverse gameplay, beautiful environments, and touching story make for a fully immersive and unmissable experience.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York is a visual novel that has bright spots and some intriguing moments but is brought down by a lot of filler material that adds little to the overall package.
Journey to the Savage Planet combines a hilarious and upbeat tone with a constant sense of discovery and progression to make for a fantastic explorative experience.
Rugby 20 has a passable foundation for rugby gameplay, but repetitive and barebones modes make it last much shorter than its potential.
Despite an inconsistent RPG mode, Granblue Fantasy: Versus contains well-balanced and rewarding gameplay for fans, experienced players, and newcomers alike.
Despite some frustrating design choices, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 makes some welcome additions to the One Piece story and the simple yet enjoyable combat, making for a great entry in the saga.
Streets of Rage 4 impressively combines classic arcade beat-'em-ups with modern day adjustments to create a fantastic sense of progression and reward in a retro setting.
Despite a shallow loot system, Minecraft Dungeons crafts an enjoyable and relaxing dungeon crawling experience that offers something for both fans of the series and fans of the genre.
While its structural, environmental, and contextual inconsistencies hold Desperados 3 back, its ability to facilitate clever and crafty strategies in its best moments kept me coming back for more.
Despite some rewarding moments coming at the end of long tracking sequences, Hunting Simulator 2's lack of meaningful progression and long stretches of emptiness make it miss its mark.
F1 2020 improves on virtually every aspect of the series, combining a satisfying and detailed on-track experience with a variety of old and new modes that allow for a comprehensive and engaging racing simulation.
CrossCode creates a wonderful world for its characters to immerse themselves and for us to explore, and its gameplay allows it to also be a wonderfully complex RPG.
Despite some hitches in its structure and similar levels, new additions to the orc killing formula make Orcs Must Die! 3 as fun as the series has ever been.
In just a few hours, Creaks puts together a worthwhile experience that might not push boundaries but is definitely worth a look for those craving a lovable puzzler.
Mortal Shell has a lot of things that allow it to be notable in its own right, but it makes it hard to forget that it's taking from a giant whose shadow it never truly escapes.
Madden NFL 21 is as fun and realistic as every Madden game, especially in its new "The Yard" mode and its increased focus on superstars, but its stagnation in gameplay innovation and established modes makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish its improvements over previous games.
NBA 2K21 makes welcome improvements to its MyCareer and MyTeam modes, but the frustratingly inconsistent new shooting system and lack of changes elsewhere make it feel like it's lost its step over other sports games.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a welcome spin-off for the franchise, giving it the extravagant, over-the-top, enjoyable gameplay that captures and magnifies the WWE's best aspects.