Welcome to the first major post of 2021 on SuperPhillip Central, as well as the first edition of the Tuesday 10s of the year as well! Looking ahead and leaving 2020 rightfully in the dust, 2021 is shaping up to be an incredible year for games. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series line of consoles are kicking into overdrive, and the Nintendo Switch continues its successful run. This installment of the Tuesday 10s looks forward to the games that most excite and bring the hype in 2021. For this list, games that have a somewhat firm 2021 release period will qualify, so titles with nebulous launch dates like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's sequel (albeit well worth hyping up) won't be listed. Now, with that out of the way, let's get to this list of the most anticipated games of 2021 with the Tuesday 10s!
Horizon: Forbidden West (PS5, PS4)
Our first most anticipated game set to release this year is Horizon: Forbidden West, the follow-up to 2017's fantastic Horizon: Zero Dawn. A planned cross-gen release, Forbidden West takes place in the titular locale, specifically the United States' west coast, though one that has gone irredeemably south in a post-apocalyptic setting. We'll be able to explore above and below ground, even underwater--a first in the series--on a map that is set to be even larger than the already expansive original game's world. Aloy's sophomore adventure is shaping up to be an excellent one, that's for sure, and I'm eager to discover more about the game later this year.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5)
All of Sony's first-party PS5 projects and games use the system's enhanced hardware and solid state drive for sensationally fast loading times, and none show this as excellently gameplay-wise than with the latest in the Ratchet & Clank series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. One segment of last June's first footage from the game showed our lombax and robot pair falling through portal after portal, where complex and completely different action-packed environments--that on any other platform would require loading screens to show--displayed themselves instantaneously in utterly impressive fashion. Rift Apart showcases a lot of the PS5's processing power, most certainly, and it'll be nice to have a wholly original game in the series to play, with new worlds and characters (such as a new mysterious female lombax!), after all this time!
Gran Turismo 7 (PS5)
Arguably the king of racing simulation games (the "arguably" is due to Forza being in contention), Gran Turismo 7, comes screeching down the PlayStation 5 pipeline. The ultimate driving simulator is estimated to make its PlayStation 5 debut sometime this year, and I cannot wait. Several classic modes are confirmed to return in this installment from past games, such as the GT Simulation Mode, the helpful tutorial and practice mode known as the Driving School, Special Events, and Championship modes, to name a handful, as well as various modes and features from Gran Turismo Sport. This seventh numbered edition of Gran Turismo is shaping up to speed into the hearts of many racing game lovers and delight!
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5, PS4, PC)
A graphically stunning game made by a small but ambitious studio to boot, Kena: Bridge of Spirits looks absolutely delightful--almost Pixar-esque in its graphical glory. The game follows our eponymous protagonist as she serves as a spirit guide in an oriental-inspired world. There, she goes around venturing through the world collecting spiritual creatures. The developers have revealed that the name of these spirits is collectively known as the Rot. Using her staff, bow, and even getting some help from her new Rot friends, Kena engages in combat and sets off on a grand adventure to learn more about herself and restore the village hub to its former glory. Kena: Bridge of Spirits was delayed to later this year, but with a game with this much potential for being fantastic, I'm just fine with the developers taking as much time as they need to make Kena's debut adventure as great as possible.
Bravely Default II (NSW)
We move on from PlayStation projects and games on the horizon to the Nintendo Switch, which has some mystery surrounding it on what will actually release on the darn thing from Nintendo this year! Will we see the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the series' 35th anniversary? While we ponder that question, let's turn to Bravely Default II, the direct sequel to the Nintendo 3DS RPG hit from Square Enix. The Brave Point combat system from the original game returns, though in altered and refined form, as does the sensationally talented composer Revo. This time around, players find and collect asterisks in order to change each party member's class, making this job system function in a different way when compared to the 3DS original. After receiving feedback from players last year from the first demo, a final demo for Bravely Default II released a month ago, offering one last look at the game before it arrives on the Nintendo Switch on February 26th.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (NSW)
One of the few remaining games that could realistically make the jump from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch without drastically reworking the game, Super Mario 3D World prepares to make the leap to Switch on February 12th. However, it's not just a simple port with little work done. In fact, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury seems more than worth its asking price with the new content packed into it. While we don't fully know the details about the new Bowser's Fury content, we do know that Mario and company have faster maximum running speeds to alter the gameplay rather significantly, and more interestingly, online co-op has been announced! I adored Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U, as you can see by the SPC review from 2013, so it'll be terrific to replay the game on a more enjoyable platform in the Switch with the game's new features.
Monster Hunter Rise (NSW)
It's time to rise up, hunters! Well... or at least will be come March, and possibly even in two days if the announced limited-time demo is set to debut that day after the big Monster Hunter Rise stream. Regardless, Monster Hunter Rise is currently set as a Nintendo Switch exclusive (though a Capcom leak revealed a PC version in the pipeline), and the game looks absolutely sensational so far. New and familiar monsters await battling, and the movement and mobility options on display in Rise have reached levels never witnessed before in the Monster Hunter franchise. It's going to make hunting down monsters an even more thrilling activity than past entries--and that was exciting already! The fact that Monster Hunter Rise looks so good running on the Switch is pretty astounding as well, as we all know that the system isn't the most powerful under the hood, but Capcom's development team have done superb work. It won't be long until we all get our hands on the final version of the game, but in the meantime, let's have that demo, Capcom!
No More Heroes III (NSW)
Suda51 is a master at making provocative, eccentric, and at times, just off-the-wall crazy games, and that's why a great deal of gamers love his titles. No More Heroes III seems to take the craziness and insanity and turn it up all the way to 11. Alien invasions? Check. Super Sentai-like abilities? Check. All the familiar beam katana action that fans of No More Heroes have come to love? Check and much more! No More Heroes III seems to serve as Suda51's magnum opus, at least for the No More Heroes series. If he and his team can nail down the mechanics and gameplay well enough so the game has a nice balance of style and substance, No More Heroes III will no doubt knock it out the proverbial ballpark. I can't wait to see just how masterfully insane No More Heroes III is and where the game goes.
Hollow Knight: Silksong (NSW, PC)
After its debut at Nintendo's E3 2019 showcase, fans of the original Hollow Knight were left in the dark, like being lost in the Hollownest, after there was complete radio silence from Team Cherry's Hollow Knight: Silksong. Fortunately, last week saw the reveal of new information as part of Edge Magazine's cover story for the game. While not a drastic departure so far from what made the original game so beloved and cherished--and for someone like me, that's great news--Silksong does feature some new gameplay and mechanical upgrades. Of course, there's the new playable character Hornet, whose move set is much different than the Knight's, but there is also a fresh quest system where Hornet can speak with various characters and assist them with tasks and missions. This is all the while keeping the intrinsic exploration and discoveries that fans like myself adored about the original Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight: Silksong will hopefully launch this year initially for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (PS4, NSW, PC)
Our final game on this edition of the Tuesday 10s, and the one that is closest to release--February 2nd for North America, to be exact--Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the latest in the long-running series of action-RPG games. Once more, Adol Christin finds himself on a new adventure, though this time he seems to have gotten himself into a real pickle, being imprisoned and cursed as a Monstrum in the process! His new abilities grant him--and players themselves--new means and methods to get around areas, such as a warp that he can use to shift himself to higher platforms, and even the ability to run up walls. The familiar, tried and true high-octane combat Ys fans like myself love about the series returns with a new flavor as well, as many of the new mobility options available to Adol and his party are useable in battle, too. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox debuts first on PlayStation 4 with Nintendo Switch and PC versions launching later this summer.
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