2021 isn't even half over yet and it's already had its fair share of high-profile video games. With E3 2021 about to take up the lion's share of the industry's attention, gamers might want to pick up some of the best releases of the first five months of the year before the annual deluge of releases that takes place from the fall until the holiday season.
Critic reviews are one way to determine what the cream of this year's crop is. The top 5 rated games, according to critic reviews aggregated by Metacritic and The Internet Video Game Database, has some surprising omissions. Resident Evil Village, Monster Hunter Rise, and Mass Effect Legendary Edition all missed the cut. While re-releases take up the majority of spots in the top 5, it isn't completely bereft of original titles and ideas.
Returnal, 88.5/100
One of the first big PlayStation 5 exclusives, Returnal was a big game for Sony and developer Housemarque, who brought the sensibility they developed in smaller budget games to a bona fide AAA title. It had the expectation of being a true next-generation experience to live up to. Thanks to the DualSense controller, it is a truly immersive experience, with its cinematic intro singled out as a highlight. Its graphics also lived up to next-generation expectations.
Critics heaped praise on the game's tough-as-nails roguelike gameplay, with a few reservations. It's less forgiving than last year's big roguelike hit, Hades, with longer runs, no ability to save, and less of a sense of progression after each death. Reservations about the game's difficulty and lack of creature comforts weren't enough to dampen critical enthusiasm too much, as Returnal received multiple perfect scores.
It Takes Two, 88.8/100
The latest game from developer Hazelight Studio scored considerably higher with critics than its previous title, A Way Out. It Takes Two distinguished itself from other games from publisher EA before release with its consumer-friendly "Friend's Pass," allowing players to play with friends who don't own the game for free. A second player is essential to experience It Takes Two. It's an exclusively co-op game.
It Takes Two's everything but the kitchen sink approach to gameplay means it never suffers from repetition. Each chapter of the story introduces new play mechanics, meaning it doesn't succumb to the rut of players taking on roles that don't change throughout the game. Its infinite lives and plentiful checkpoints encourage exploring its environments just for the fun of it, without the lure/chore of collectibles. Its story wasn't universally praised, although it was given credit for having serious themes without being didactic.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2, 89.3
The next-gen ports of the 2000s time capsule that is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 received high marks from critics, earning the PlayStation 5 version the honor of being named a Metacritic Must-Play title. Taking the already appealing mixture of the first Tony Hawk game and its sequel, considered the best in the series by many, and adding next-gen polish made an already popular remake even better.
The game isn't radically different from its last-gen counterparts. We're not at the point where we're getting remakes of remakes yet. The PS5 version in particular doesn't take full advantage of the DualSense controller's haptic feedback. It does feature improved graphics and the now standard next-gen lightning-fast load times. It also features painless cross-gen progression, which isn't always a given on PS5. It's the best way to play a game good enough to revive the skateboarding genre single-handedly.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, 90/100
The latest Mario game combines the recent trend of re-releasing games with a brand new Mario experience. In addition to a graphically enhanced version of 3D World, originally released on the Wii U in 2013, Bower's Fury is also included. It combines power-ups and enemies from 3D World with the open-world gameplay of Super Mario Odyssey. It even throws in brief kaiju battles with a gigantic Bowser.
While not quite ready to be the future of Mario games on its own, the combination of a Bowser's Fury's novelty and 3D World's existing polish won over critics. Some praised the package as offering a good one-two punch, while others considered Bowser's Fury a nice side dish to 3D World's main course. Either way, it's the best-reviewed Switch game of the year and a great way to celebrate Super Mario Bros.' 35th birthday after the untimely death of Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, 90.5/100
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut brings a game that was already a critical favorite, and Metacritic must play, on the PC to consoles with extra content. While PS4 and PS5 debuts have scored well, its 96 score on PC helps put it over the top as the best-reviewed game of 2021 so far. In IGN's review, Simon Cardy said The Final Cut's new content elevates an already great game to "a masterpiece."
Those masterful additions include voice acting for every character, new quests, and a hardcore mode to emphasize the importance of player choice. They highlight Disco Elysium's strengths: its writing, setting, and well-realized themes. The PC version also has some quality of life improvements, including controller support and additional languages. Console players can be happy that they're finally getting to play the definitive version of one of 2019's best games, even if PC gamers are still getting the best experience.