Well, our Best Games of 2020 list is done now so it's time to move ahead to 2021. There's a lot to look forward to over the next 11 months (provided the release dates hold). All in all, it's looking to be another solid year for gaming. Read on for a list of 12 selected highlights that you should be able to play before the year's end.

It's so nice to be out of 2020. Between the pandemic and a multitude of various other reasons, it was surely a year most people would sooner forget. But that being said, 2020 wasn't actually a total loss. Despite several titles having to see their release dates pushed back due to the challenges of working through social distancing and quarantines, it was overall a pretty fantastic year for video games. Don't believe us? Well, just read on and see for yourself as we recap 12 of the very brightest spots in an otherwise pretty dark year.

Well, CD Projekt delayed it all they could, but apparently they weren't willing to go beyond 2020. So as a result, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally out, for better or for worse. Though between high-end PC graphics cards being nearly as impossible to find as the new video game consoles, and Cyberpunk being nearly unplayable on the consoles it was actually designed for, perhaps a delay into 2021 wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world. That being said, If you do happen to be one of the very lucky few who was able to somehow secure a high-end graphics card and/or next-gen game console, word is that Cyberpunk is a pretty decent trip, so long as you don't mind a few bugs. Hopefully, CD Projekt will use the coming months to fix these aforementioned issues that really should have been addressed before release.

Also out in the last four months, a sequel to the 2017 puzzle game mash-up, Puyo Puyo Tetris; a slew of fantastic new GOG releases; and a follow-up to 2014's Hyrule Warriors. Night City changes every body. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 28 days.

As of this week, the next round of the console wars is finally in full swing with the launch of both Sony's brand new PlayStation 5 as well as Microsoft's own Xbox Series X. Both consoles have several shiny new games to show off as well (though nothing truly exclusive as of yet). Probably the biggest standout though is going to be Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the PS4/5. Semi-sequel to Insomniac's outstanding 2018 Spider-Man game, this new entry lets you continue the adventures as Peter Parker's new web-slinging protege.

Also out in the last few days to weeks, a brand new spin-off adventure from Sony's wildly popular LittleBigPlanet franchise; another new installment in the long-running Dirt series; and Switch ports of both of the ridiculously crazy No More Heroes Wii titles (amongst others). Be greater. Be yourself. Then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 7-49 days.

So, Star Wars: Squadrons came out today, and the reviews look to be fairly good so far. Though there's no split-screen play, and apparently the map selection is pretty sparse, so that's a bit disappointing. That being said, it's not every day we get an even halfway-decent Star Wars game, so it still might be worth checking out. And just in case you'd be interested in reading up on some great past titles from the Star Wars universe, we've got you covered there.

Also out in the last two weeks, the newest numbered sequel in the Crash Bandicoot franchise to be released in over two decades; a most-welcome GOG release of the new Panzer Dragoon remake; and a trove of GOG-released Konami titles, including multiple Metal Gear classics and the seasonally-appropriate Silent Hill 4: The Room. "Pilots wanted." Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 14 days.

For over 10 years prior to the launch of their N64 system, Nintendo sat fairly comfortably as the top dog in the video game console market. That all began to change by the mid-90s, however. Following Sega and Sony's (then) next-gen console face-off throughout much of 1995, Nintendo somewhat controversially opted to wait until the following year to release their own competing hardware. One of the main reasons for this decision was so that they could allow enough time for a sufficient pipeline of software titles to be ready to support the console (and not wind up in the same embarrassing predicament Sega had with their premature launch of the Saturn). While the delay did likely hurt them a bit with regard to potential sales lost, it also ensured that the N64 would make a strong impact when it did finally arrive (the lack of which for the Saturn no doubt contributed to that console's early demise).

Even though the official US launch date for the Nintendo 64 was intended to be Sunday, September 29th, 1996, as advertised, the vast majority of retailers broke that release date and began selling them before the start of the weekend. Following its successful launch, the Nintendo 64 achieved modest success throughout its life. The the decision to stick with cartridges in the age of the compact disc, along with a slight lack of third-party support, would cause Nintendo's system to be pretty handily outsold by Sony's PlayStation console. However, the Saturn's early departure from the field, combined with an absolute wealth of outstanding first and second-party titles, still solidified the Nintendo 64 as both an unquestionable success for Nintendo, as well as an object of great affection for Nintendo fans and gamers everywhere. 

Well, we're nearly three weeks into September, and that means it's about to be autumn, here in the Northern Hemisphere. But in case you wanted to hang on to that summer feeling for just a little while longer, Crytek has you covered with a beautiful-looking return to the lush jungles and crystal blue waters of the Lingshan Islands in their newly-refreshed first-person shooter classic, Crysis (Remastered). It's the legend you love, now with even better graphics (and this time around you don't have to worry about whether or not your system can handle it because it's on consoles now).

Also out in the last three weeks, an apparently limited-time three-in-one package of 3D Mario classics; a Steam port of the 4th entry in the scary good Disgaea series; and a pretty gnarly remaster of the first two titles of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise. Adapt, Engage, Survive, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 21 days.

It's a crying shame but we haven't seen any former GameCube exclusives get ported anywhere in a pretty long time. Thankfully though, that all changed this week when Square Enix finally decided to release a remaster of their solid 2004 Final Fantasy spin-off, Crystal Chronicles. As you'd expect, the remaster features enhanced graphics and additional features, as well as online play (as opposed to the somewhat wonky Game Boy Advance-required multiplayer of the GameCube original).

Also out in the last six weeks, a Steam version of last year's Remedy hit, Control; another exciting new installment to the Wasteland series; and a Steam port of the fantastic 2017 PlayStation 4 exclusive, Horizon - Zero Dawn. Join a crystal caravan, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 42 days.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made 2020 anything but typical. With nearly every major public event cancelled, it's no surprise that E3 would be among the casualties. Yet, despite there not being an actual Electronic Entertainment Expo this year, that didn't stop the big players from still making their obligatory mid-year gaming announcements. So, E3 or no, we've still got plenty of great information to round up for you.