Life is Strange: True Colors features a strong cast with even stronger performances. Taking around ten hours to complete, the story starts off strong but loses its balance before regaining stability towards the end of the game. Learning what led to the death of her brother Gabe comes with the cost of some heavy discoveries and playing as Alex, you’ll need to make some important choices — ones that felt like they made a difference. However, technical mishaps and frame rate issues hinder the experience.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a decent upgrade that adds a few bells and whistles to an already great game. While these aren’t exactly necessary upgrades, the resolution and frame rate boost make it worth not pulling your Wii out. A decade later, Sonic Colors is still the best 3D Sonic out there thanks to some inspired level design and the variety the Wisps add to the gameplay. However, the load times and glitches leave a bad taste in your mouth.
No More Heroes III might have the best boss battles of the series and an amusing story but the humour and tone are firmly stuck in the past. Suda51 diehards are going to enjoy the newest entry in the series but share the same issues as its predecessors. It’s more of the same and while combat can be entertaining and flashy, exploring the open world of Santa Destroy is barebones and uninspiring.
Gathering a couple of friends and blowing through to the co-op campaign is the best way to experience Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Fans of the franchise will have a blast and get the most mileage out of Aliens: Fireteam Elite and this is a good game packed with tense moments.
Psychonauts 2 is everything a sequel should be — bigger, bolder, better. Although the wait was much longer than anticipated, the top-tier writing and gameplay improvements more than makes the wait for a sequel worthwhile.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is the definitive version of Jin Sakai's journey — one that begins as a slow burn before ramping into a bold transformative tale. Iki Island offers a great follow-up delving into Jin's trauma while keeping the Mongols at bay and the jump to PlayStation 5 offers a technically impressive port filled with quality of life improvements.
Road 96 will keep you busy on your journey to the border thanks to engaging gameplay, interesting characters, and brilliant writing. If you like choose your own adventures, then this is right up your alley.
Trigger Witch is a commendable twin-stick shooter that'll keep you invested for a dozen hours. While the dungeons are good, the puzzles within them are simplistic and the combat difficulty only really ramps up in the second half. If anything, Trigger Witch is a charming game with enjoyable elements.
Neo: The World Ends With You was absolutely worth the lengthy wait and offers exciting combat stylish music and some fantastic new characters. Combining the best elements of the DS original and modernizing the series for today, this is a true gem to play.
Cris Tales is an homage to the JRPG genre that delivers a worthy tale across time and space. With a gorgeous aesthetic and great characters, Cris Tales builds an interesting world but also never takes full advantage of its combat systems. There’s so much to love about Cris Tales but it stays far too close to an homage and a game that never attempts to stray away from the confines of what we know a JRPG should be.
Death's Door is a beautiful isometric game that delivers a challenging and engaging experience. Combat is fun and rewarding, bosses are tough but fair, and exploration off the beaten path will reward you. Don't miss out on this excellent indie title that will likely be around during award season.
The remastering of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD makes it a drastically more accessible game on the Nintendo Switch that offers a wider audience the chance to explore the earliest point within the expansive Legend of Zelda timeline.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin delivers a worthwhile experience that successfully builds on its predecessor. The spin-off series is more accessible and offers a ton of content that will keep players busy.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a stunning Metroidvania set in a gothic nightmare where there is no hope for the inhabitants. Through a roughly 20 hour campaign, you restore the light to Land's End in what is a breakout hit for 2021.
Chivalry 2 is a great multiplayer game that doesn't take itself too seriously but is a serious contender for one of the best online games this year. Combat is rewarding and skill-based but the lack of maps holds the game back from being excellent.
Mario Golf: Super Rush is the perfect game to kick off the summer. While it isn't the most innovative title from Nintendo, it's a fun and easy way to learn golf.
Scarlet Nexus is an excellent game bogged down by some minor issues. Combat is fast, frantic, and fluid and offers some exhilarating moments but at the cost of bland environments and fruitless exploration.
With an abundance of quests, a fun battle system, and some of the most beautiful hand-drawn graphics you'll ever see, Legend of Mana gets a second chance at proving itself to a new generation.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX won't be for everyone but it is something fans of the original will cherish. As a remake, it does a good job updating the visuals and some of the mechanics but Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX carries the same issues as the original did three decades ago.
Insomniac Games deliver a Rivet-ing new Ratchet & Clank video game, one of the best protagonists in years while evolving the gameplay and proving that Sony purchasing the studio was the right decision. Rift Apart is the one exclusive on PlayStation that everyone needs to experience.