By Jacob Fisher

It has been over ten years since the trifecta of major shooters – Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Halo – were released on the same holiday. This rarity has now landed these industry giants in the same window for the biggest FPS season gaming has seen in an exceptionally long time.

These are not the only titles releasing this holiday, however. In fact, there are some contending Game of the Year titles that you will just have to pick up.

The global pandemic has undoubtedly affected many release windows for highly anticipated games. 2019 and 2020 have been rife with delays after delays. However, the industry is now rapidly picking up steam once again.

The bottom line? Gamers are eating good this holiday season.

Halo Infinite is the most surprising release (and success!) this holiday season. This sci-fi FPS title was initially revealed all the way back in 2018, but after a disappointing gameplay showcase at E3 2020, the game was delayed a full year for further polish.

Then, after consistent rumors of an early multiplayer debut in November for Xbox’s 20th anniversary, Halo’s six-year hiatus ended as a “content complete” multiplayer – including all the maps and weapons – was released completely free to play.

The reception to the game’s multiplayer beta has been enormously positive. Fans love the tight gameplay, classic music, and general return to form that the series has struggled to achieve since the new developers, 343 Industries, took over after 2010. The biggest complaint currently is a lackluster progression system.

Reviews have also been positive for the campaign in early media reviews – one promised to be the biggest (and now open world) Halo campaign to date, with all new enemies and weapons, picking up after the disappointing Halo 5.

Halo Infinite came out for retail on December 8, 2021, but you can play the multiplayer beta for free today on Xbox and PC.

This return to the decidedly legendary sci-fi trilogy has been nothing short of fantastic. With full 4k remasters for both next-gen and last-gen consoles, you can now shoot (and talk!) your way through Commander Shepard’s action RPG story in its best version possible.

Mass Effect is a series all about making your own choices. Some of them are small, like who to befriend or romance, to a bit bigger ones, like the fate of the universe.

This remaster touches up all three mainline entries, but the first one receives by far the most attention. The original 13-year-old Mass Effect was rough around the edges, now being remastered with updated UI and fixes to previously irritating missions.

If you are looking to experience gaming history in the best way possible (or just trying to forget about the lackluster Mass Effect Andromeda), picking up this trilogy should be an easy decision. Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Forza Horizon 5 is the racing game to end all racing games. Now set in Mexico with a map twice as large as Forza Horizon 4’s countryside England, this newest entry in one of the most consistently excellent series is one you should not ignore.

The developers of Forza Horizon realize who their players are – and especially what they want to do. Although this newest title is not a massive reinvention of the series, the sheer amount of work put in to perfecting an already excellent gameplay structure is immediately noticeable.

No matter what you do, whether that be street racing, competing in drift competitions, or winning in Forza’s own Battle Royale, The Eliminator, you will always have an acute sense of forward progress that leaves you feeling rewarded – a rare feeling in modern multiplayer games.

Join the Horizon festival in 2020’s highest rated game on Xbox and PC.

Insomniac Games strikes once again in another fantastic outing in this iconic (and now gorgeous) PS5 exclusive. Starring the cutting-edge

DualSense controller and PS5 SSD, Rift Apart aims to immerse you in the journey of the titular Ratchet and Clank (and Rivet!) as they hop across the galaxy.

Rift Apart is a technical showcase from beginning to end. Using the PS5’s ray tracing horse power, light is accurately drawn to reflect and bounce realistically, giving a newfound sense of fidelity to console gaming.

Likewise, the next-gen DualSense controller uses its advanced haptics in both the triggers and controller to accurately simulate gameplay actions. Further, the lightning-fast SSD, one even more advanced than some PC SSDs, allows you to hop between levels and areas with a button press and a short animation. It is something worth seeing to believe.

The gameplay is equally exciting, involving you grappling and shooting your way across various levels and worlds. Along with the basic platforming features that are expected to be a part of a Ratchet and Clank game – such as the famous rail grinding – this new entry introduces hopping across rifts to gain an advantage against your opponents.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is out as a PS5 exclusive, and no doubt the one needed to show off just what this console can do.

Metriod has never been the biggest franchise in Nintendo’s decades of worldbuilding. However, as a partner piece to the new Nintendo Switch OLED, this monumental series aims to reinvent itself and go back to its roots – one of helping invent a whole genre, the “metroidvania”.
Safe to say it has succeeded.

Metroidvanias typically have you playing through a larger world where many avenues of exploration are initially blocked off. Bosses might be unbeatable. Gates may be sealed shut. So, finding the powerups and abilities to move forward is essential to progress.

Metriod Dread follows this pattern to make one of the best Switch games this year. You will explore an alien planet, fight an unknown threat, and discover a bit about your own history as the iconic Samus.
Likewise, as many unfortunate gamers have found out, the title is also hard as nails. Fans of Hollow Knight and other similar metroidvanias will feel right at home.

Metriod Dread is out on Switch – but even better on the OLED model.
It is hard to express just how fantastic of a deal Xbox Game Pass is. This landmark service offers hundreds of games – from AAA to Indie – for just an initial offering of $1 for three months.

Xbox has had an amazing turnaround even compared to just a year ago, especially in the games department. Psychonauts 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator for Xbox, Deathloop, and Forza Horizon 5 are some of, if not, the highest rated games of this year. All but one of them are on Game Pass (Deathloop is currently a PlayStation console exclusive).

Along with some excellent third-party entries into the service, Microsoft does not make a hard sell for this “Netflix of Gaming,” all for the price of a candy bar.

Xbox has truly delivered this 2021 for a premiere gaming lineup. Let’s see if it continues.

6 OF THE TOP 25 GAMES OF 2021 ARE
ON GAME PASS

(Scores out of 100 from Metacritic)

• HADES (XSX RELEASE) – 93
• FORZA HORIZON 5 – 92
• PSYCHONAUTS 2 – 91
• MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIM – 90
• IT TAKES TWO – 89
• DEATH’S DOOR – 88