Top 5 single-player games of 2021

Single-player games are evergreen and loved by gamers all over. It doesn’t matter how old the person is, what taste they may have, or what device they play on, there will always be a solo game to satisfy the hearts of gamers.

Single-player games are highly interactive and allow for rich character growth. In 2021, there have been quite a few games that have served this purpose.

The level of narration, emotion, character development, and artistic elements that a single-player game has are unmatchable, be it on a PC or console.

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Most enjoyable single-player games this year

1) Mafia Definitive Edition

Developer: Hangar 13

Publisher: 2K Games

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox One

The remake of the classic Mafia single-player game, Mafia Definitive Edition, has been widely praised worldwide. A new cast, a better driving model, and a beautiful and authentic representation of the 1930s have caught every Mafia fan’s attention.

Being an open-world game, it allows players to explore every corner of a noir American city, inspired by Chicago, and is not restricted by the linear nature of missions. The Free Ride mode helps to find hidden side missions and collectibles.

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2) Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platforms: PS4 and PS5

The second single-player installment of the PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man series by Insomniac picks up from where the first left off. Players step into the shoes of Miles Morales after he is handed the great responsibility of protecting the gorgeous city by Peter Parker.

The combat, while inspired by the Batman: Arkham Series, has a very Spider-Man-ish style of taking down enemies. Swinging from building to building in Manhattan feels ecstatic as usual.

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3) Resident Evil Village

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Stadia

The latest single-player game in the Resident Evil series, set in a compact snowy European Village from the Victorian era, is an excellent mixture of horror and action.

Lady Dimitrescu is easily one of the series’s best-ever characters, also known as the “tall vampire lady”. The story will give the player some highly creepy moments with a nice quality of life improvements.

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4) Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Developer: BioWare

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox One

The Legendary Edition of the classic Mass Effect Trilogy remakes all three games of the franchise with visual enhancements, technical improvements, and gameplay adjustments. The first installment received the most intensive upgrades in comparison to its other counterparts.

Mass Effect has always been a player’s favorite single-player, and the remake just makes things better. Combat has been updated with improved aim assist (a stickier lock-on), a dedicated melee button, rebalanced weapons, and smarter enemy and squad artificial intelligence.

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5) Hitman 3

Developer: IO Interactive

Publisher: IO Interactive

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Stadia

Agent 47 returns in the new single-player installment of the Hitman series, and players get to enjoy the third-person perspective stealth game just like old times.

The main game features six new locations: Dubai, Dartmoor, Berlin, Chongqing, Mendoza, with an epilogue set in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania.

Owners of previous games can import maps and levels as well as their progress into Hitman 3. However, importing levels and purchases can only be performed for that family: PlayStation to PlayStation, Xbox to Xbox, PC to PC.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.