10.) Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Sure, the netcode may have left a LOT to be desired, but I was just happy to have a new Virtua Fighter again. Even if it is just Virtua Fighter 5 with a new coat of paint. Not that it’s a bad thing considering Virtua Fighter 5 is one of the greatest fighting games ever created from both a technical and visual level. At least this might finally pave the way for SEGA to finally commit to a Virtua Fighter 6 down the road. One can only hope! But as is? I really enjoyed my time with VF5: Ultimate Showdown. I only have two requests. 1.) Bring it to Steam and 2.) Research Rollback Netcode for future Virtua Fighter titles.
9.) Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Perhaps the best visual showcase on the PlayStation 5 thus far and arguably one of the best reasons to own a PlayStation 5 (if you can even get your hands on one considering limited stock supplies.) Rift Apart doesn’t necessarily deviate from the formula as much as I would have liked. It is still ultimately more of the same Ratchet and Clank. You will run, gun and platform against countless hordes of enemies as you level up your guns. But it’s still just as much fun as it always has been…even if it doesn’t evolve the formula as much as I might have hoped. Graphically speaking, it’s the closest Insomniac games have come to delivering on that promise of Pixar-like CG.It really is a beautiful looking game in motion as particle effects fly from every direction at a rock solid 60fps. But graphics aside, the true star on display is the power of the SSD as you seamlessly warp from world to world sans load times. It is quite an impressive showcase of just how fast the SSD in that system really is.
8.) Hitman III
Hitman III delivers another set of mini sandboxes to creatively kill your target in a multitude of ways. But damn if it isn’t still just as fun as it was in the previous two installments. One of my favorite missions in the game involved hunting down my targets in a crowded nightclub. It’s one of the best representations of a nightclub I’ve ever seen in a video game as the dance floor is jammed full of bodies writhing together. Not to mention the joys of discovering the multitude of methods at your disposal to kill your target. Want to make it as simple as poisoning their drink? You can do it! Wanna go over-the-top and drop a lighting rig on them? You can do that too! Hitman III feels the most refined of this trilogy and still packs a massive punch in the number of open-ended creative ways it lets you tackle your mission.
7.) Forza Horizon 5
Sometimes you just feel the need to zone out, drive really fast and enjoy the scenery around you. That’s exactly what Forza Horizon offers for me. Forza Horizon 5 sets a new standard for open-world racers thanks to the power of the next-gen hardware and a development team hitting the peak of its craft. Not only is this the best-looking racing game to date, but its varied Mexican landscape is brimming with exciting things to see and do, and the enormous selection of real-world vehicles will please everyone from novices to the most discerning gearheads. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best video games of 2021 and is escapism at its best.
6.) Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury
I never actually played Super Mario 3D World when it first released on the Wii U. Truth be told, I never had a Wii U long enough to play it. I gave up on the Wii U very early on. Thank Nintendo for the Switch and its multitude of Wii U ports as 3D World is some of the most fun I’ve had playing a Mario game in quite some time. While not the most overly taxing or challenging of Mario games, its level design is still incredibly solid all around. Some of the later levels do pack at least enough punch to satisfy and it's just a beautifully crafted game all around in typical Nintendo fashion. It’s just pure fun in that typical Mario fashion. But the real surprise here is the included Bowsers Fury which is perhaps a prototype for what a true open world Mario game may feel like should it go in that direction.
5.) Persona 5: Strikers
The pseudo sequel to Persona 5…or the closest we will get to a Persona 5-2. Strikers is a direct follow up to Persona 5 but gone is the traditional turn based RPG mechanics and in its place are Muso mechanics. I’ve got to be honest. I’m not really a big fan of Muso games. Most of them are just too repetitive for my liking. There’s only so much fun you can have from mindlessly beating up hordes of brain dead enemies. But my love of all things Persona fuelled me to keep playing and in spite of myself, I ended up having more fun with this then I ever thought I would. It of course helps that it is set in the Persona universe and my love of Persona in general helps a great deal. It’s a nice follow up nonetheless. I enjoyed spending time with these characters on another journey to find justice in a cruel world.
4.) Resident Evil: Village
While Resident Evil VII was a direct return to the survival horror roots of the RE franchise, Village manages to find the fine line between Survival Horror and Action much the same way that Resident Evil 2 did way back on the original PlayStation. It’s a much tighter and leaner game as a whole. Village boasts plenty of fearsome moments, even when you're armed to the teeth. In what feels like no time at all after admiring the reveal of the imposing Gothic castle, you're surrounded by werewolves, left scrapping for survival with a mixture of bullets, red barrels, and sheer dumb luck. Playing it on Hardcore was quite the unnerving experience indeed. But it really is that fine line between action and survival that it manages to straddle that makes this entry stand out as one of the best games in the series thus far.
3.) Shin Megami Tensei V
For those unaware, SMT is basically a much darker version of Pokemon. It’s a turn based RPG that is all about conversing, negotiating and collecting a multitude of demons to use in battle. SMT V is an incredible evolution of the cult-like beloved SMT franchise. It manages to take the kick-you-in-the-balls old school difficulty that the SMT games are known for and shoves it into a pseudo open-world. Gone are the old school dungeons and in its place is a semi open-world for the player to explore. While it doesn’t have the same story depth as its spin-off franchise Persona does, it excels in just about every other way possible. The turn-based combat is tough as nails but rewarding.
2.) Guilty Gear: Strive
Hands down the best fighting game of the year. Especially that netcode. That wonderful use of rollback netcode is exactly what all fighting games should be striving towards in the future. It’s no joke when I say this game has some of the very best netcode in a fighting game I’ve ever seen. Coming from thousands of hours of delay based netcode in Tekken 7, this felt like a god-send.Every match I’ve had has felt nothing short of responsive. I can’t stress enough just how good this netcode really is. Not that the netcode makes me a better player, I still ultimately suck at fighting games but that wonderful netcode makes up for a lot of shortcomings when learning this game. On top of that, the game is just incredibly fun and rewarding to learn. It’s a hell of a fighting game all around bolstered by some of the best netcode I’ve ever seen in a fighting game. Take note Namco, SEGA and Capcom. This is how you do proper good netcode! Strive towards replicating it in the future, please.
1.) Lost Judgment
It is largely more of the same Yakuza formula…but I’ll be damned if SEGA doesn’t do that formula so damn well. Lost Judgment follows up from where Judgment left off and tells another compelling story of morality and justice. In fact, it might be one of the best stories that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has ever crafted.Yes, all the things you expect from a Yakuza game are still in place. There’s side stories to encounter. There’s mini-games galore littered throughout the world. Hell, you can even ride a skateboard freely around the open world this time. But the real star of Lost Judgment has to be the High School side quests as our hero joins numerous after school clubs at the high school he is infiltrating. Also, the return to beat-em-up combat is greatly welcomed and greatly improved upon from even the last installment of Judgment. The addition of snake style is incredibly well and fun to level up. It may be more of the same, but SEGA continues to refine this formula and do it oh so well.
- Daniel M
