Deathloop is a tremendously stylish stealth-action game that builds on Arkane's strengths, even if some of its creative gambles fall flat.

There isn’t an easy way to recommend Life is Strange: True Colors. It, like the rest of the Life is Strange franchise, isn’t a typical game. It’s more akin to a visual novel or point-and-click adventure. The game is a slow, enjoyable experience, perfect for when you want to wind down for the night or get up in the morning. More than that, though, it’s an emotional triumph. Experiencing Alex’s adventure and seeing the world through her excellently crafted perspective is a joy that hit me harder than I expected it to.

Tales of Arise is a games I would recommend for anyone looking for “the future” of the JRPG genre. This game could easily be Bandai Namco’s Final Fantasy 7. It feels tailor-made for the era and pushes the barriers for RPGs thanks to complex combat, weighty storytelling, and gorgeous visuals.

No More Heroes 3 is one of the best action games of the year and offers some well-rounded fun. The writing, gameplay, performance, music, and virtually everything else come together to deliver a must-play game for the Nintendo Switch, just as the original did back in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii. Fans of Suda51, No More Heroes, action games, and a hilariously good time need to give this one a try. If you weren’t a fan of developer Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda before, you will be after this one.

Empathetic storytelling and mind-bending level design make Psychonauts 2 a worthy follow-up to one of gaming's great cult classics.

12 Minutes is something unique and experimental, and like any experiment, there are going to be some hiccups. As it turns out, this game’s main fault was that it, by its nature, rips time from its players. But between those moments, it tells a brilliant story, one in which you can go back to any chapter and decide to do a rewrite. 12 Minutes certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a change of pace, the game comes recommended highly.

I’ve played a decent number of RPG expansions in my time, and a majority of them have built on what makes the base game good. Whether it was The Witcher 3‘s Blood and Wine or New Vegas‘ Old World Blues, a good DLC takes the best aspects of the base game and raises them up while including a unique, new spin. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s Siege of Paris is antithetical to that. The game’s best parts — its world and characters — are left in the muck, while a boring gameplay loop and heavy-handed story take center stage. Of course, some players will enjoy having more of the same to explore, but considering how long it takes to even finish Valhalla, I couldn’t imagine coming back for seconds. When I first arrived in the game’s version of Paris, I saw an exhausted, burnt-out land. When I left it, I could certainly sympathize.

Pokémon Unite can be a lot of fun, but it’s not a must-play multiplayer experience. Pokémon and MOBA fans alike are likely to miss some of the depth of their respective titles, while the game’s supremely confusing menu system, pay-to-win microtransactions, and strange design omissions make it more difficult to recommend. There’s a good game deep in there, but it’s covered in layers of unnecessary material and bloat.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a must-play for fans of the series and anyone interested in visual novels.

Death’s Door is one of the best games released this year and will certainly be a game-of-the-year contender by the time 2021 wraps up.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a top-notch spinoff that cleverly distills the complexities of Monster Hunter into a friendlier RPG. Rewarding combat and a thoroughly entertaining story make up for repetitive map design and a stuttering frame rate. For those who found Monster Hunter Rise too intimidating, this is a better way to get a grasp on the basic ideas in a less demanding, turn-based format.

Whether you’re fighting, crafting, or gathering, your actions always serve a purpose in the Burning Crusade Classic campaign. Anyone can feel like they’re contributing either to their own guilds and groups or to the server as a whole. Leveling can feel sluggish at times, but talent points, meaningful gear upgrades, and a clear endgame goal create an RPG experience that still manages to make it a game worth experiencing if you have the time, even if it’s more demanding than we typically tolerate from games like this.

On paper, Mario Golf: Super Rush should be a hole-in-one. The core golf experience has never been better and multiplayer modes like Speed Golf offer a clever twist on the formula for casual players. There’s just not much to do outside of its short, disappointing adventure mode. Free DLC should help pad it out in the long run, but an overall lack of content leaves the package in the semi-rough for now.

Scarlet Nexus is a must-play for any fan of Japanese action RPGs and standard JRPGs. If the story doesn’t grab your attention, the combat will. It has enough meat to its action to distract from its very minor blemishes. Its characters are a delight to interact with and seeing them grow together really had me fully invested in all of their arcs. I left the experience craving another title like it that takes its excellent action even further.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is another great PS5 exclusive that really shows what the hardware is capable of. It’s a visually detailed platformer filled with three Iron Man movies worth of thrills. The shooting suffers a bit due to some overeager DualSense integration that’s a literal pain, but Insomniac has created a colorful blockbuster that’s loaded with good, old-fashioned comic mischief.

Biomutant is a clear labor of love that’s loaded with imaginative world building. The in-depth character customization options create a more personalized kind of action RPG. It’s eyes are often bigger than its stomach, which can often result in a repetitive, at times unstable experience. Even with those flaws, it’s hard not to be charmed by a kind-hearted project with some environmentally conscious storytelling.

Resident Evil Village boils all the best and worst parts of the franchise down into an eclectic, though uneven experience.

New Pokémon Snap is a delightful follow-up to a beloved classic, which is no small task. It avoids being a simple nostalgia act by giving players tons of photo ops to chase and way more control over their final shots. There’s more room for it to grow, whether that’s through DLC or a sequel, but it’s a wholesome photography game for fans who want to soak in the colorful glow of the Pokémon universe.

Returnal is a winning combination of big-budget production value and creative, genre-spanning gameplay that’s usually reserved for cult indie hits. It tells a haunting sci-fi story that thematically justifies its cyclical, roguelite setup. Demanding action combined with a lack of viable build options turn too many runs into frustrating nonstarters, but a compelling mystery and fast-paced action always provide a strong reason to die and try again.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… confirms that the original NieR was both way ahead of its time and far behind it. The story is tremendously captivating and it’s only gotten better with newly added content. On the other side of the coin, the repetitive gameplay feels outdated even by 2010 standards. Those who press through the 30-hour adventure will be rewarded with a bold narrative odyssey. It may even outdo NieR Automata in retrospect, but it’s hard to blame anyone who’d rather watch it all on YouTube instead of playing it for themselves.

Is Outriders a sophisticated action game with a compelling sci-fi story? No. Does it feel fun to freeze a spider with an ice turret and shatter it with a well-placed sniper shot? You bet. Sometimes, that’s all one really wants from a shooter like this. It could use an offline mode for single-player sessions and a fair bit of maintenance, but it’s a solid foundation for an action game that respects its players’ time.

Balan Wonderworld is a hodge-podge of half-formed platforming ideas that squander a whole lot of charm.

It Takes Two is Hazelight and Josef Fares’ most fully realized vision of co-op gaming yet. It uses clever interactivity to highlight the importance of good communication in video games and relationships alike. With Nintendo-quality level design and a charming story to motivate its platforming action, It’s the rare multiplayer game that will strengthen friendships rather than end them.

If you’re a fan of intense action RPGs, there’s very little like it on the Nintendo Switch right now. It’s a must-have. Once you get to grips with the combat, squeezing in a hunt in a hurry is a rewarding experience.

The Brave and Default combat system strikes a near-perfect balance between two rival battle mechanics that have struggled to coexist over the decades, but that’s about the extent of the game’s individuality. Beyond that, it features a comically overused premise, music that’s simply remixed to suit your current locale, countless dungeons that offer no new experiences and only serve to pad the game’s supposed worth, and an overall gameplay loop that’s worn out before the end of the first chapter. Besides looking a bit nicer on newer hardware, the reason for this sequel’s existence isn’t clear.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is positively brimming with joy. From its bright colors to its adorable cats, it’s the perfect game to close out Mario’s big 35th-anniversary bash.

Persona 5 Strikers is as flashy as Persona 5, featuring the same gorgeous artwork and animations, great dialogue, and brilliant music. It unfortunately lacks the meat on the bone that made the original such an addicting experience to its loyal fanbase. It also provides little incentive for newcomers to play it despite its egregious length being drastically cut down.

Destruction AllStars has a sturdy engine, but it’s overworked in almost every respect. The needless on-foot component and character abilities clutter an otherwise light but fun pick-up-and-play game with satisfying wrecks. Toss in some overeager DualSense support, and the result is a multiplayer game that’s chaotic for all the wrong reasons.