In 2021, console gaming is going to be seariously exciting. Despite some <\/span>launch hiccups<\/span><\/a>, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will come into their own this year. It\u2019s arguable that owning a next-generation console isn\u2019t essential right now, but as more and more console exclusives come out, it\u2019ll be more difficult to resist the lure of picking these consoles up. We\u2019re about to run through the best console exclusives arriving in 2021, but a quick caveat first: we\u2019re counting Xbox Series X and S games that are also launching on PC. If we didn\u2019t, the Xbox <\/span>wouldn\u2019t have a showing here<\/span><\/a>. Without further ado, here are the best console exclusives arriving in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s kick things off with the Xbox flagship franchise. Master Chief\u2019s adventures will continue later this year in <\/span>Halo Infinite<\/span><\/i>, and despite <\/span>a number of setbacks and delays<\/span><\/a>, the semi-open-world shooter is looking sumptuous. Developer 343 Industries has described <\/span>Halo Infinite <\/span><\/i>as a semi-reboot, meaning it\u2019ll drop some of the baggage the franchise has accrued over the last few years and take things back to basics. That means Master Chief, Covenant, and plenty of exotic weaponry and open-ended maps to enjoy. We\u2019re looking forward to this one immensely.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Insomniac Games has made a name for itself with <\/span>Marvel\u2019s Spider-Man<\/span><\/i>, but it\u2019s the <\/span>Ratchet and Clank <\/span><\/i>series that is the beating heart of the studio. The adorable furry Lombax\u2019s adventures with his equally adorable robot pal are always stuffed to the gills with ludicrous weaponry, fluid platforming, and lots of Disney-esque humour. <\/span>Rift Apart <\/span><\/i>will benefit from the PS5\u2019s powerful hardware by rendering seamless transitions between worlds, and we\u2019re seriously looking forward to seeing how this incredible series takes advantage of that newfound power.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft Flight Simulator <\/span><\/i>has already hit PC, where it\u2019s <\/span>become something of a trial by fire<\/span><\/a> in the same way <\/span>Crysis <\/span><\/i>used to be. When it lands on Xbox Series X and Series S, it\u2019s not clear whether it\u2019ll boast the same visual fidelity as the most powerful graphics cards on PC can muster, but it\u2019s unlikely. However, it\u2019ll still be an absolutely breathtaking simulation experience, and Microsoft also says it\u2019s working with third-party peripheral manufacturers to make joystick play possible, which is exciting. <\/span>Flight Simulator <\/span><\/i>on a 60-inch TV – now that\u2019s luxury.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Okay, so we\u2019re cheating a little bit here; <\/span>Deathloop <\/span><\/i>isn\u2019t technically a console exclusive. Instead, it\u2019ll be <\/span>available only on PS5<\/span><\/a> for the first year of its release, after which it\u2019ll also hit the Xbox Series X and Series S (and it\u2019ll also launch on PC alongside PS5). Arkane Studios is an old hand when it comes to immersive first-person adventures, so we\u2019re looking forward to seeing how it brings its experience with winding level design to this time-bending shooter. Unlike <\/span>Dishonored <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Prey<\/span><\/i>, however, <\/span>Deathloop <\/span><\/i>won\u2019t emphasise stealth; instead, it\u2019s espousing stylish combat and slick kills.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fans of <\/span>Quantum Break <\/span><\/i>should be looking forward to this one. <\/span>Twelve Minutes <\/span><\/i>is a star-studded interactive thriller with appearances by beloved actors like <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i>\u2019 Daisy Ridley and <\/span>X-Men<\/span><\/i>\u2019s James McAvoy. You play a character stuck in a time loop and forced to watch his wife being accused of murder over and over again. Setups can sell games by themselves, and the one for <\/span>Twelve Minutes <\/span><\/i>has shades of <\/span>Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors<\/span><\/i>, which is enough to get us excited. The acting pedigree on display should elevate this one above the average interactive thriller experience.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Technically, <\/span>Horizon: Forbidden West <\/span><\/i>will also be playable on PS4<\/span><\/a>, but we think the definitive experience for this one will be on PS5. This time around, Aloy will be exploring a world much bigger and more stuffed with secrets than the one in <\/span>Horizon: Zero Dawn<\/span><\/i>. She\u2019ll also be able to dive underwater, leading to even more opportunities to discover the left-behind technology and stories of the Old Ones who came before her. Of course, you\u2019ll also find plenty more robot dinosaurs to slay. If this is even a shade as thrilling as the original, then it may well be reason enough to pick up a PS5 on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you love snowboarding game <\/span>Amped<\/span><\/i>? Have fond memories of the original <\/span>SSX<\/span><\/i>? <\/span>Shredders <\/span><\/i>should scratch both of those itches<\/span><\/a>. Developer I-Illusions is new to the game, but don\u2019t let that put you off; the footage we\u2019ve seen so far of <\/span>Shredders<\/span><\/i>, which will be available only on Xbox Series X and Series S, points to a loving, well-crafted homage to the snowboarding games of yore. Its developers and Microsoft are promising \u201chigh-end graphics, next-gen physics, and a perfect blend of fun and realism\u201d. It\u2019s a multiplayer-focused title, so you\u2019d better pick up an Xbox Live Gold membership!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the genius, albeit touched, mind of Shinji Mikami comes this first-person action-adventure game all about defeating ghosts with psychic powers. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo in which almost all of the inhabitants have disappeared. You must battle an invasion of spirits known as Visitors, all while getting to grips with your new powers and also combating a group of masked strangers who may be the key to understanding what\u2019s happened. Mikami\u2019s <\/span>The Evil Within <\/span><\/i>franchise was somewhat disappointing, but this looks like it\u2019s getting back to what he knows best: strange, scary, and camp as all heck.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2021, console gaming is going to be seariously exciting. Despite some launch hiccups, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will come into their own this year. It\u2019s arguable that owning a next-generation console isn\u2019t essential right now, but as more and more console exclusives come out, it\u2019ll be more difficult to resist the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-videogames","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Halo Infinite <\/i><\/b>– Xbox Series X and Series S (Q3\/Q4 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart <\/i><\/b>– PS5 (June 11th, 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Microsoft Flight Simulator <\/i><\/b>– Xbox Series X and Series S (Q2\/Q3 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Deathloop <\/i><\/b>– PS5 (May 21st, 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Twelve Minutes <\/i><\/b>– Xbox Series X and Series S (2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Horizon: Forbidden West <\/i><\/b>– PS5 and PS4 (Q3\/Q4 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Shredders <\/i><\/b>– Xbox Series X and Series S (2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n
GhostWire: Tokyo <\/i><\/b>– PS5 (October 2021)<\/b><\/h2>\n