ANN Holiday Gift Guide 2021

Video Games

It took a global pandemic to show us that socially distancing oneself by staying home and playing video games is not only fun, but the good and moral choice to make. Though more people were gaming than ever to pass that time at home, they had fewer games to choose from, as that same pandemic slowed down production for many development companies. That said, 2021 still had plenty of quality new titles to offer despite the lower quantity of games overall. Here are ANN's picks for some 2021 video game titles to check out this holiday season.

Shin Megami Tensei V

ANN critic Jean-Karlo Lemus praised the latest SMT title for taking the franchise to new heights. Phenomenal voice acting, a stellar soundtrack, and sweet demon designs give it points for style, while new gameplay elevates it from a dungeon crawler to a more open-ended adventure. The ideal way to escape from reality for a bit while you attack and dethrone God (or the devil, or both! In this latest title, you get to choose your final enemy).

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

Gnosia

You're stuck on a spaceship with a bunch of people you can't trust… and some of them definitely want to kill you! This sci-fi visual novel is billed as a “social deduction game” and plays a lot like a game of Werewolf or Mafia. With tense music and painterly character sprites, it's a startlingly polished production from an independent Japanese developer. Fans of Among Us will want to try their hand at sniffing out one or more imposters, single-player style.

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita
Retail Price: $24.99
Shopping Link: Nintendo

Boyfriend Dungeon

Tired of having to choose between fighting games and dating sims? Look no further than this indie visual novel slash dungeon crawler, where you can finally do what gamers have clamored for since the beginning of time and make out with your sword (or staff, or dagger, etc.) Pursue your enemies while you pursue (romantically) a male, female, or nonbinary sentient weapon. Emphatic writing and charismatic voice acting give real heart to each kissable character, while a creepy stalker villain presents a foe perfect for the era of online dating.

Platform: Xbox Series X and Series S, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh operating systems, Xbox One
Retail Price: $19.99
Shopping Link: Steam

Persona 5 Strikers

What if you could spend more time with your favorite Persona 5 characters, but with a fun new battle system and an enviable travel itinerary throughout Japan? Visit six Japanese cities with the Phantom Thieves, taking in the sights and taking down the bad guys. Part summer travelogue and part action-adventure, this game introduces new gameplay drawn from the Dynasty Warriors franchise while retaining Persona's trademark visual style.

Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

New Pokémon Snap

Twenty-two years after Pokémon Snap blew fans' minds on the Nintendo 64, this new photo-snapping game utilizes the latest in high definition visuals to bring the world of Pokémon to life like never before. The first-person-on-rails format is surprisingly tough, challenging players to snag the perfect shot in the nick of time. Luckily, the gorgeous environs of the Lental Region have tons of replay value, offering surprising new events and photo ops.

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

Metroid Dread

There was a lot of pressure on this latest Metroid game to live up to its astonishing pedigree—and critics are generally in agreement that it delivered. It retains Metroid's classic side-scrolling gameplay, paired with atmospheric graphics and improved, fluid movement that gives the player exacting control over Samus' combat. You'll need it, too, since the game's tough bosses present an uncommon challenge. An inventive storyline ties it together with the Metroid franchise as a whole to establish a satisfying finale to Samus' adventures.

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

Resident Evil Village

Ethan Winters has had the worst couple of years ever. First he had to rescue his wife; now a weird European cult is after his infant daughter. Battle zombies, lycans, and Big Sexy Lady in a survival horror that will keep jolting you into jumpscares long after you thought you'd adjusted to the atmosphere. Creative enemy designs spanning from Terminator robots to one very huge baby will terrify and fascinate. Great for new parents! (I'm kidding, but not really?)

Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia
Retail Price: $19.99
Shopping Link: Gamestop

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Speaking of scary, this title is Supermassive Games' best effort since their thrilling teen slasher story Until Dawn. The third mini-horror game in the anthology, House of Ashes is a cinematic revisit of the Iraq War, in which soldiers find themselves in an ancient Sumerian temple under logic-defying B movie circumstances—you can not imagine the twists that are coming! Short, but sweet, every choice you make in this game has big consequences later, leading to tons of replay value as you inevitably regret your decisions.

Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Retail Price: $29.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

No More Heroes 3

Legendary assassin slash relatable moe otaku Travis Touchdown is back for a third hack-and-slash adventure. Creator and director Gōichi Suda's oddball sense of humor is evident in this game's many pop culture references to franchises like Gundam, Kamen Rider, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rewarding combat is punctuated by some of the most unusual boss fights you'll encounter in a game this year—like when a boss character challenges you to a game of musical chairs… to the death! It's a genre-bending comedic storyline that will keep you invested in Travis's tale even the third time around.

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon

Danganronpa Decadence

A late entry to 2021's best games, but an excellent collection and a great deal. Danganronpa is a now-classic franchise famous for its atmospheric music, cosplayable character designs, and bizarre premise that has you investigating a series of deadly mysteries in the most unusual high school on earth. Now is the perfect time to revisit (or play for the first time) the three central Danganronpa visual novels—and get a bonus game reminiscent of Mario Party crossed with an old-school JRPG. It's easily more than 100 hours of gameplay in one package!

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Retail Price: $59.99
Shopping Link: Amazon