Games

As a fan, I’ve been noticing some games from 2021 are still really popular – Steam makes it easy to see how many people are playing. It’s cool to see they’re doing well, and I wonder if they’d be even more popular on other consoles if we had that data. Whether you’re into online multiplayer or prefer a single-player adventure, these games are clearly still being enjoyed by a lot of people. I’m excited to see if they get even more popular in the next few years – maybe by 2026!

The newest trailer for 007 First Light was shown during yesterday’s big State of Play presentation, which included reveals, announcements, and updates on upcoming games. PlayStation also shared news about the PS5 exclusive Saros and confirmed that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be added to PS Plus Extra and Premium later this month, as previously rumored. The event ended with Santa Monica Studio announcing that a remake of the original God of War trilogy is now in development, and immediately releasing God of War: Sons of Sparta for PlayStation 5.

Released in August 2019, Control puts you in the role of Jesse Faden, who is searching for her lost brother. Her search leads her to the Oldest House, the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control, where she discovers a major outbreak of strange, paranormal events. The game was highly praised when it came out, and currently has an average critic score of 84 on OpenCritic, with 89% of critics recommending it.

Larry Pinkstock’s Fedora is a valuable item and a famous movie prop, so it’s kept safe inside a very strong, reinforced glass case. You won’t be able to simply break the glass – you’ll need to find a way to shatter it using something else.

Tokyo Scramble is easily the strangest game released so far for the Switch 2. Players control Anne, a teenager who gets stuck in a ruined underground world filled with dangerous, dinosaur-like creatures called Zinos. Instead of fighting, Anne must rely on stealth to survive, as she has no weapons.

Okay, so I’m facing a seriously tough decision in this game. I’ve been a Bounty Hunter for most of the original High on Life, and now I have to choose between following the Hunter’s code and killing Lizzie, or betraying everything I’ve known and helping her. It’s messed up because people actually look up to me as a Hunter way more than I even care about my sister! The whole point of this new mission is to rescue Lizzie and take down the Bounty Hunters, but I’m really curious what would happen if I just… went against everything and killed Lizzie like the Hunters want. Would the story actually change? Or is there some other consequence I haven’t thought of yet?

Hearing the name Neopets often brings back fond childhood memories. It reminds many of coming home from school and spending time on their computers caring for their virtual pets. While Neopets originally launched in 1999, it’s still around today – and after more than 25 years, it’s become much more than just a simple website game.

This scene perfectly embodies the sequel. While still wild, rough around the edges, and generally lighthearted, High on Life 2 has a surprising amount of depth. The game tells a genuinely engaging story that changes based on your decisions, features improved acting from both new and returning characters, and adds exciting new ways to get around, like skateboarding, which makes both fighting and exploring much more fun. It’s a bigger, funnier, and more ambitious game than the original, even if it’s not perfect.

While Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game, it doesn’t fully fit the traditional RPG mold. It has choices and character building, similar to action-RPGs, but it’s less free-form than games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Fallout: New Vegas. Those western-style RPGs, inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, really emphasize player freedom, letting you create your own story within the game’s world. You’re usually limited by the overall adventure and how the game is played – you can’t typically ignore the main story to start a business, for example. However, Nivalis lets you do just that, making it surprisingly more engaging than some of its competitors.

Over the last couple of decades, video games have given us some surprisingly memorable couples that players still love. The process of building a relationship with a character in a game – through conversations and even giving gifts – has become a really detailed and engaging experience. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we’ve created a 25-question quiz about these popular couples and how the games made us care about them. Can you charm your way through, or will you end up stuck as just a friend?