10 Best Video Games Of 2021 (So Far)

6. Monster Hunter Rise

What could've just been "another Monster Hunter" that stuck to its guns, actually turned into a notably different feel for the franchise - whilst keeping the core tenets of the IP intact.

You'll still be hunting increasingly humungous creatures and carving off parts of their hides for better weapons and armour; you'll still be diving into other hunters' games to aid with top-level quests or spending a few minutes eating a ton of stat-boosting food, but on top of that, is an extra level of traversal and monster-wrangling that makes this a great entry in the series.

For the former I'm talking Kaiju-style weakening of monsters and then leaping on top to make them fight each other. It gives fights an insane sense of spectacle when you see another player barreling into the fray on the back of a bear-like Arzuros, doing a quick combo and special finisher before continuing the bout.

Knowing creatures have this "timed window" of extra abilities essentially works as a powered up state to your own moveset, going alongside new Wirebug techniques that let you air-dash and climb around the environment faster and more capably than ever.

Monster Hunter Rise just goes, and as Capcom continue to make increasingly more mainstream instalments of such a unique, quirky IP, this is the best entry for new players and veterans alike.