Winner: Persona 5
The 10 year wait for the next story of the Persona franchise was worth it. The exceptional new entry in the series is filled to the brim with new mechanics and alterations, all in the theme of the Phantom Thieves. The goal here isn’t to stop the end of the world or captured a serial killer; this time we’re stealing treasure using the Metaverse app, allowing us to enter the cognitive world of corrupted minds with different manifestations of appearance. Each of the worlds/dungeons are varied and unique, no two being the same, and no climbing a tower of over 20 floors just to reach a boss. Persona 5 is not simply a fantastic game for the series, it is a fantastic JRPG in general. It is worth playing even if one has never played any of the prior titles.
Runner-Up: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
This Deluxe edition of Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch provides a bit more than just a console change from the previous version. Packing in all the DLC characters and tracks from the original, along with even more characters to the roster including: Inklings from Splatoon, Dry Bones, King Boo, and Brower Jr. Throw in the revamped battle mode, ability to carry multiple items, and the cherry on top: with the Switch we can take it all on the go.
Honorable Mention: The Sexy Brutale
This game might have slipped under the radar for most this past month, but The Sexy Brutale still rose above others to make it to this list. An Indie game from Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works, this puzzle and adventure title takes players into a murder mystery and even the occult. A masked ball being held by enigmatic Marquis turns to horror when in his mysterious absence from the event guests are being murderer by the staff. Players control the elderly priest Lafcadio Boone, the only one who seems protected from the dangers of the mansion, making it up to him to save the guests and uncover the mansion’s secrets.