The best single-player games usually transport us to exotic worlds without the effort of untrustworthy individuals with shaky internet connections. And, with this hardware changing our perception of what’s possible on console and PC further, there are now such a large amount of amazing single-player games out there, free from the multiplayer sphere’s ever-changing seasons and countless weekly updates, simply waiting to be explored.
Despite the recent rise in internet video games, a number of the simplest single-player games are released during that point. Resident Evil Village, Hitman 3, and Psychonauts 2 – all of which appear on the list below – have arrived in 2021, as have dazzling next-gen console upgrades via the ultimate Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. This emphasizes the importance of single-player games in today’s varied gaming landscape.
There’s something for everybody on our list of the simplest single-player games you’ll be able to play straight away, from narrative-driven epics to numbers-juggling management sims, contract-killing capers, scary survival horror, and more.
Hitman 3
If you’re missing the exhilaration of exploring the globe, Hitman 3 is the ideal remedy. With each Hitman level sending an out-of-place 47 into a replacement country for a short period of your time, there’s simply enough time for him to induce in and quickly finish the task before being whisked away to his next ‘business trip.’ This innovative arcade-like sandbox sends players everywhere, from an enormous Berlin club to a weird country mansion, making for a brilliantly diversified worldwide murder spree. With more destructive tools at your disposal than ever, this endlessly replayable action game allows you to be as creative as possible, providing players with a slew of amusing methods to eliminate their targets. Move over, Microsoft Flight Simulator; Hitman 3 is the ultimate virtual MVP travel experience.
Returnal
Returnal could be a strange, ambitious, and engrossing ride that’s half old arcade school shoot ’em up and part Hideo Kojima-Esque narrative masterpiece. It’s also mercilessly violent. This all-consuming PS5 exclusive isn’t for the faint of heart, with few save points and a hearty dose of punishment. Yet, with its slick-feeling movement, all-consuming sense of atmosphere, and superb sense of curiosity, it’s a game that continuously draws you back. This story-driven sci-fi roguelike may be a delightfully unique invention, combining a sickeningly realistic Aliens-esque design with a number of the foremost enjoyable fighting this side of Platinum games. Returnal could be a lovely, ambitious, and utterly essential experience, whether you’re unaccustomed to the genre or a stager.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Look no further if you’re yearning to wield a virtual lightsaber after binge-watching The Mandalorian. Jedi Fallen Order could be a joyful blend of Uncharted-Esque cinematic adventure and hard Metroidvania, taking dark Souls and Hollow Knight cues. Even more importantly for Star Wars fans, the story it conveys is fully canon. Fallen Order, which features characters from Rogue One and elegantly ties into the events of Rebels, the Bad Batch, and therefore the Clone Wars, could be a must-have for everybody who’s fallen back dotty with a galaxy far, far away.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake does the seemingly impossible. It takes the opening section of Square Enix’s 1997 JRPG, expands it into a 50-hour experience, swapping out turn-based combat for real-time action, and subverts everything you thought you knew about the first tale.
Even with those brave, perhaps divisive alterations, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is astounding and doubtless a more timeless and delightful experience than the popular title it’s supported. If this is often simply the start of a multi-game reimagining of 1 of Japan’s hottest stories, we’ll be there for each new chapter.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, a brighter, expanded, and updated version of the previous year’s base game, was released for PlayStation 5 on June 10, 2021.
Half-Life: Alyx
I am aware that few people can afford to play Valve’s surprising prequel to the Half-Life series, which was launched earlier this year as a computer game exclusive on PC. That being said, it’d be criminal to overlook Half-Life: Alyx’s advances in immersive storytelling and, therefore, the VR platform as an entire, making this a must-have if you’ve got an opportunity to possess a headset and a PC right away.
Not only is it an amazing experience on its own, but Alyx makes significant pronouncements about the long run of Half-Life, with our eponymous scavenger’s adventure tying to the series’ broader narrative in jaw-dropping ways. Let’s hope Valve releases a non-VR version soon.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds could be a must-play if you’ve never played an Obsidian game. The studio’s most up-to-date new IP could be a haphazard, zigzag tour through the long run of the ultimate frontier, one where corporations rule, and it’s as joyful and joyous in tone because it is cynical in humor.
Obsidian’s talent for traditional role-playing immersion is on full display here, with branching stories, rich and robust character customization, and a slew of characters to befriend and explore the galaxy. We hope that The Outer Worlds is simply the start of the many new adventures in Halcyon because we’ve enjoyed what Obsidian has given us to this point.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
It would be a real understatement to suggest that Assassin’s Creed has become stale in recent years. Thankfully, Ubisoft listened to our complaints and addressed them in its 12th core adventure. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla abandons the series’ boring forced stealth and fully commits to a grin-inducing historical power fantasy, allowing players to embrace the trend of a blood-soaked Viking. Valhalla’s head cleaving, fortress topper may be a breath of fresh air after years of climbing towers and walking incredibly slowly behind foes. Valhalla’s Ye Olde England may be a world to immerse yourself in, with the foremost lifelike and varied Ubisoft open world to yet, as surprisingly hefty combat.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Are there a more appropriate thanks to beginning this list than with Rockstar’s western epic? Red Dead Redemption 2 may be a prequel to the primary game that puts you in the shoes of Arthur Morgan. Explore the breathtakingly magnificent West on horseback, hunting animals, playing poker, fishing, and more as a part of Dutch van der Linde’s gang. When you’ve completed the 80-plus hour adventure, drop onto Red Dead Online for even more West action.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If you’ll be able to get your head around an entire new reasonably combat that rejects most norms found in earlier games, The Witcher 3’s remainder of the sport is also deemed excellent. Geralt of Rivia, you’re a Witcher, also referred to as a monster killer to you and me. The chances are so endless within the Witcher 3 that it should seem daunting initially, but once you finish your first few monster contracts and begin Geralt’s adventure to search out those he loves, you won’t be ready to put the sport down until you’ve finished it and murdered thousands of enemies.
