Minor graphical hiccups aside, Shin Megami Tensei V is an outstanding RPG, made all the more so by its countless improvements over its older siblings. It's tough but enthralling, and brimming with style. More importantly, perhaps, it has great ideas executed to something near perfection. It's been a long wait since Atlus first announced SMT V at the Switch reveal show, but it was absolutely worth it.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a bold genre fusion that pays off with superb farming and combat systems plus a cast of characters you'll remember for a long time to come. Far from skimping on one part or another, Sakuna pays lavish attention to both of its halves and adds a group of endearing, solidly realized characters on top.

All that is to say that if you like Elden Ring even a little bit, even after hundreds of hours or a single playthrough, you should get Shadow of the Erdtree. It takes everything that worked about the main game, improves it, and addresses some of the main complaints players had. It’s still very much more Elden Ring, but also the best version of Elden Ring, free of much of the bloat massive open worlds require, reimagined as a focused experience with a distinct narrative throughline and plenty of smaller but no less important side stories worth enjoying. Shadow of the Erdtree is the complete package, bigger and better built than most full games, and the only way to end the story of Elden Ring is on the highest note imaginable.

Rusty’s Retirement was promised as a relaxing, idle farming sim that allows you to do other things simultaneously, and it proves to be all that. Despite being a straightforward game of steady progression and expansion, it’s an addicting process with satisfying results. As a gamer who multitasks quite often, I enjoyed every aspect of this little game and recommend it to anyone who likes to stay extra busy while completing other tasks.

The Delicious Last Course? More like Decadent Dessert, as every single bite through this Cuphead DLC is as rich as it is satisfying. If you enjoyed and finished Cuphead, even as a less confident player, there's so much to love in The Delicious Last Course that it is impossible to not recommend.

Telling a gut punch of a story with novel gameplay mechanics is no small feat, and Before Your Eyes marvelously delivers on both fronts. Just as Edith Finch and Firewatch before it told stories only games can tell and used mechanics we would likely never see borrowed elsewhere, Before Your Eyes feels like it's immediately timeless and permanently unique.

With some of the cleverest level designs and a boundless sense of joy, Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is essential playing for any Mario fan. Super Mario 3D World might be almost eight years old, but time hasn't dulled this cat's claws. And while Bowser's Fury is short, it's full of so much potential for Mario's future, making this the most easily recommended port-and-repackage of the Switch's lifecycle so far.

I love almost everything about it, so much so that I struggle to find the words to do it the justice I believe it deserves...While it still has minor technical issues, they never got in the way of Remake ramming its fingers into my nostrils and dragging me face-first through one of the deepest, most satisfying, and most downright engulfing Japanese RPG campaigns I've ever experienced.

Monster Hunter Rise does more than rise to the occasion: it utterly outdoes itself. Monster Hunter Rise as it stands might be one of the easiest games in the series, but it's also one of the most flexible and ultimately satisfying in each and every regard, and for that, it deserves full marks.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is more than a game for me. It's a catharsis vessel. It's a story of self-love. It's a reminder that some things break but that doesn't make us broken. It was once a dream and now forever a memory. It's transcendent and undying, but, of course, it is. Wild Hearts Never Die.

Almost nothing compares to Elden Ring in quality and depth. This is a game everyone should try at least once if only to get lost in the Lands Between.

Altogether, there is a lot to love about Scourgebringer. On the PS Vita, there’s even more to love because like so many other indie games, it feels at home on Sony’s handheld. The ease with which combos can be created and how multipliers work to keep the game's frenetic pace is unmatched thanks to the controls on PS Vita non-existent on other consoles.

Deathloop takes elements from games like Bioshock and Dishonored, combining them with a Groundhogs Day like timeloop to create the coolest, most stylish, and best game of the year.

Before I Forget is a highly emotive tale about one woman’s struggle with dementia, and a story that everyone should experience. I’ve never experienced anything like Before I Forget, and I strongly urge everyone to play it.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is an exemplary PS5 game, showing full well what the system is capable of — all while masterfully reviving a beloved series for the new generation.

The Resident Evil 4 remake is a tighter, more engaging version of the 2005 original. On the surface, the game still resembles its original form much more than something like Final Fantasy 7 Remake or even 2019’s re-imagination of Resident Evil 2. But what we’ve got with Resident Evil 4 is a kind of remake we haven’t seen from Capcom in quite some time.

I went into Forza Horizon 5 expecting a pretty racing game. What I got was an experience, a splendid open-world car exploration simulator with light RPG elements and a trunk full of things to do and see. While I’d like to see Playground try something new or perhaps break free from the existing formula next time, this is a clear candidate for 2021’s best game and a must-play, whether you have Game Pass or not.

Insomniac wanted to please Miles Morales fans with their latest Spider-Man adventure. The result is a damn near perfect action-adventure game.

Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition makes one of the most joyous and downright wonderful gaming experiences of all time even better. It's a game unashamed to be a video game, and it's one that embraces its roots in a charming, beautiful way. It's unashamedly jolly and light, but most importantly, it's comforting.

Spiritfarer is a finely crafted piece of artistic commentary on what it means to let go, and it's far and away one of the best games to come out of 2020.

Half-Life: Alyx picks up the baton and carries it much further than anybody ever expected of a VR title, let alone a "spin-off" title that isn't technically Half-Life 3. In short, Half-Life: Alyx is here, and it's the real deal. And while I can see myself replaying it many times in the near future, the only question I have now is: "What's next?"

It transcends its hardware, the genre in which it operates, and the series that spawned it. It’s a masterpiece. It’s Zelda. And I can’t wait to see how Nintendo tries to top it.

The latest Animal Crossing is also the best, full of life, charm, and near-endless ways to make your very own island paradise.

Persona 5 Royal improves on the original in almost countless ways, big and small, to deliver a top-notch RPG for new and old fans alike.

Hades is everything great about the roguelite genre all but perfected. Few games aim as high, and fewer still reach their goals. Hades does, exceeding even the loftiest expectations.

Space Marine 2 is the ultimate Warhammer 40K experience. It perfectly captures the essence of 40K and transfers it into the action-adventure format. Its three game modes offer countless hours of gameplay and tons of customization options to look forward to. For Warhammer fans, this game is a must-play, and a perfect entry point for those uninitiated into the lore of 40K.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles surpasses its forebears and, hopefully, sets the stage for what's to come. It tells a more intimate and engaging set of stories, refreshes the well-established mechanics with just a handful of new additions, and takes the series' writing to an even higher level. Sure, it likes to linger over itself a bit too frequently, but in return, you get a superb set of adventures and storytelling, unlike almost anything else.

I can’t sing the praises of NEO: The World Ends with You enough. It has both style and substance, with fun characters, energetic gameplay, and gorgeous visuals. There was never a dull moment throughout my time writing this review; it had virtually no lows — only high highs. NEO: The World Ends with You is everything a fan of the series could ever ask for in a sequel. This isn’t just only the best JRPG released in 2021 so far, but perhaps one of the best games this year, period. It’s simply incredible.