76 November/December 2021
BEST NEXT-GEN TITLE
Ratchet & Clank:
Rift Apart $70Taking Sony’s beloved buddy-
action franchise into glorious
4K, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s
expansive worlds show off what
we can expect from the next
generation of games. From
vibrant cyberpunk cityscapes to
lively lush jungles, the massive
explorable planets of Rift Apart
couldn’t be rendered on last-
generation hardware. You can
see this when dimensional rifts
transport you to a completely
different environment during a
boss fight in real time without
any loading. Haptic feedback lets
you feel each unique weapon
as you fire, and realistic trigger
resistance makes this game
more immersive than most.BEST VR GAME
Population:One $30
Population:One breathes new
life into the oversaturated bat-
tle royale genre by taking it to
virtual reality. With 1:1 motion
controls, parkour free climbing
on every surface, and wingsuits
for gliding across the map, the
game allows for strategic kills
and tactical gameplay. You can,
for example, climb a giant tower,
hold onto it with your left hand,
and shoot using your right. The
chaotic gameplay is constantly
evolving, offering new modes
and weapons to keep the experi-
ence fresh and engaging.
B E S T C R P G
Disco Elysium $40Surreal and gritty, Disco Elysium
has you taking on the role of an
amnesiac detective. You’ll access
skills and dialogue branches as
you explore a large open world.
Whether you solve a problem
with violence or diplomacy,
your actions shape the plot. It’s
a meaty story, but if you see it
through, you’ll be rewarded with
an adventure that rivals genre
giants like Divinity Original Sin 2.B E S T V I S U A L S
Cyberpunk 2077 $60Cyberpunk may have over-
promised on a lot of gameplay
elements, but boy did it deliver
on visuals. The rainy neon streets
of Night City pop, thanks to a
combination of ray-tracing
and HDR scenes that have lifelike
color and reflections. Nightclubs
feel realistically populated,
desert drives never-ending, and
skyscrapers as massive as their
real-life counterparts. If you are
lucky enough to have a higher-
end gaming rig, you get to see
each at a crisp 4K resolution at
a super-smooth refresh rate.
Slashing, shooting, and hacking
may have been done before, but
it never looked better.B E S T N A R R A T I V E
13 Sentinels Aegis Rim $60You would be forgiven for mistaking 13 Sentinels as another high
school life-sim. While the anime aesthetic and inclusion of a pop star
idol won't do much to dissuade you, this hidden gem combines a real-
time strategy game, visual novel, and a chilling sci-fi adventure into a
story that twists and turns until the very end. If you have even a pass-
ing interest in mechs or the aesthetic of ’80s Japan, you’ll appreciate
the mind-bending plot that leaves you thinking days after finishing this
game, plus the gorgeous art and provoking story.COURTESY INSOMNIAC GAMES (RATCHET & CLANK); COURTESY CD PROJEKT (CYBERPUNK); COURTESY BIGBOX VR (POPULATION:ONE); COURTESY ATLUS (13 SENTINELS); COURTESY VA/UM (DISCO ELYSIUM)