Dan Rizzo's Reviews
I'm grateful to have experienced Metroid Dread's tale on the Switch, given that its initial - and scrapped - intention was to be a Game Boy title. The impact this game alone will have on the franchise is of grandeur, that will remain unmatched for many years. Game of the Year worthy? Yes. Definitely.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is an unexpected contender for Game of the Year. Most definitely an exciting addition to the 2021 line-up and one of the best action-adventure platformers I've had the pleasure of experiencing in quite some time.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles may not be perfection, but still delivers a one-of-a-kind experience for those looking to be interactive and immersed within its lore. Despite some shortcomings, its exemplary gameplay loop will have fans elated, along with set pieces that have made the franchise a staple within the medium.
Despite some aesthetic grievances, House of Ashes is most definitely The Dark Anthology’s strongest showing. An immersive experience that doesn’t market an engaging display, but rather an engrossing narrative that will shock you into disbelief. The bloody, the brutal and the absolutely jarring set pieces that manage to manifest and unfold over your journey will leave you with goosebumps, and some toe-curling scenery.
I’m sure a wave of Breaking Bad fans would be here for some hidden easter eggs, and yes there are some lines delivered that can be connected to its universe. Hell even some plot points that may be coincidental or ironic, but separating it from Esposito’s involvement and discerning its overarching premise for being a Far Cry game, is what fans of the series will unequivocally walk away with… and then some.
a game that attained critical acclaim off its incredible narrative, and sensational delivery with an unconventional melding of different genre's Alan Wake deservedly cemented itself in gaming history as one of action-adventure's most alluring.
A mind boggling, time twisting race right to its final act makes Deathloop an instant classic, and an essential title that I'm sure many will be talking about for years to come.
It’s without question an essential in 2021, despite some minor drawbacks in its writing and creative premise. It does make good on its expectations for being that casual, cinematic game that everyone will fall in love with. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an adorable action-adventure that players will come away feeling overjoyed and elated.
Lost Judgment is essential gaming this year. Packed to the brim with intensity, and engaging sequences that will leave you floored upon completion. The sensitive themes addressed here will leave players shook, and somewhat perturbed but unequivocally entertained to say the least.
Life is Strange: True Colors is an evolutionary entry that will not only support the franchise going forward, but may well be a renewed outlook on its future. [...] an emotional joyride that proves to be Game of the Year worthy.
Tales of Arise is unequivocally one of the greatest JRPG’s, ever. A tantalising continuance of a once drawn out franchise, that was in steep decline but has been reborn though this triumphant reclamation. [...] A crowning achievement in Japanese role-playing that sinks its sharp hooks in, with great appeal from beginning to end. Tales of Arise is unmissable.
It’s charming, it’s daring, innovative and original. It attains a merit of quality within independent circles of gaming, and could continue as an ongoing series if it really wanted to, that withstanding Greak: Memories of Azur does an outstanding job at delivering new experiences in gaming, and the puzzle-platforming genre.
I’m elated to have experienced such an awe-inspiring tale, one that no doubt has motivated me for the better, and one that I will surely be reflecting upon for a long time. I can without a doubt, unequivocally recommend Psychonauts 2, as an essential title for 2021. Game of the Year worthy.
a love letter of some sorts but its unique attributes – from its translation to 3D, a new cast of quirky characters, absolutely gorgeous overlay and incredible sound design – makes this entry a must play in its own right. Sure, without “The World End with You” attached to its title, it may have been somewhat questionable, but NEO’s clear delivery in Story, Gameplay, Presentation and Sound, which is what we base our reviews on, makes this an extraordinary feat for both h.a.n.d. and Square Enix. Definitely in our favourites for Game of the Year.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is most certainly a must play for those that aren't yet acquainted. Its engrossing charm, wit, character and adventure will inspire you to enamour yourself in its longstanding premise, tentatively convincing you to be the next Hunter.
Trigger Witch is an enigmatic twin-stick shooter that deserves your undivided attention. It's may be bear a bloody front, but its charming tale will draw you into its addictive gameplay loop.
This could very well see a renaissance period that has one of the more polarising reputations in gaming. Some see Musuo as a hack-and-slash for the unexperienced, others understand its qualities but I do know one thing, and that is Samurai Warriors 5 is most certainly an entertaining title, worth the price of admission.
Disgaea's foundations are compartmentalised into this almost parody-like escapade that brings forth a mandate of abstract, while trying to envision grandeur in what may be its finale.
Yes, a guilty pleasure-style conscience supports this notion of recommendation, but Greedfall’s excellence is encompassed by its catalogue of countless offerings that are to be discovered through a litany of options, and paths that are carved out in each player’s experience.
This is the way of the future with character building, personality progression and the ability to facilitate and satiate that need for exponential, rigorous pacing that escalates further into the adventure. Scarlet Nexus is a must play this generation.