Far Cry Primal shows us that gaming still has plenty of interesting worlds to take us to. Its Stone Age setting really is its best quality. Sadly, the series' formula is beginning to feel familiar and, frankly, a little dull. The first-person combat is tedious, and I think I've cleared out enough enemy camps for one lifetime.
This is definitely its best version thanks to the addition of Toadette. But New Super Mario Bros. U lacks imagination, and bringing it to the Switch doesn’t solve that problem.
It's not as big and beautiful as I want it to be, but Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite still has plenty to offer.
Tri Force Heroes is a lot of fun when you're playing with friends, but make sure you have two buddies who can dedicate some time. The experience just isn't as engaging when you're alone, and you lose a lot of the social elements when you play with strangers over the Internet.
Pushmo World is a fun puzzle game, even if its presentation will make you feel like a preschooler. Still, the easy-to-use level editor really helps make it an easier recommendation to anyone looking for an interesting little addition to their Wii U library.
Transistor is beautiful and engaging with a brilliant combat systems that encourages careful planning before and during battle. It's just a shame the story holds it back from being a true classic. It's a more flawed experience than Bastion was, but it's also a more interesting one. It takes risks. It ditches Bastion's charm and lighter moments for a darker, more somber story. Not all of the risks, however, pay off.
Yoshi's Wooly World is an adorable game, and it's often a fun one. However, the light difficulty prevents it from reaching the excellence of Yoshi's Island. It's still the best Yoshi adventure since that classic, but no one is going to bring up Wooly World in future "best platformer ever" discussions.
Overall, however, I’m impressed with Sonic Frontiers. If I put my nostalgia-tinted glasses aside when it comes to my affection for the Adventure games, I feel pretty comfortable calling this Sonic’s best 3D effort. I hope Sega continues using and refining this open world formula. Who knows, we might even get two good 3D Sonic games in a row if they do.
It’s far from the best Final Fantasy game. It certainly isn’t the best action game. But it’s still a fast-paced and enjoyable playthrough.
When it comes to past Forza Horizon games, I tend to bounce off them rather quickly. But I’ve been sticking around with this one. Yes, it is just that darn pretty. Its beauty encourages me to spend a longer time in Mexico, during which I eventually become a better Forza racer (even if I feel like the game could be doing more to help me learn).
If you enjoyed the original, or just like the idea of a psychic-themed 3D platformer, I’m sure that you’ll like Psychonauts 2 and find plenty of laughs along the way.
Resident Evil: Village is going to make fans of the franchise happy, especially those who aren’t cowards like me. But even if you also find yourself shying away from horror, I’d encourage you to screw your courage to the sticking place and consider a look at Capcom’s latest survival horror stunner.
Instead, Rise is all about hunting monsters. Which, you know, seems appropriate for a franchise named Monster Hunter. Capcom has done a great job bringing this series to Switch, and new features like the Palamute and wirebug make this a more fast-paced experience.
I’m not sure if you should call Persona 5 Strikers a spinoff or a sequel. Honestly, it feels more like the latter. But if you want to call it a spinoff, it’s the best one that the Persona series has offered yet.
Immortals is not a masterpiece like the game that it takes so much inspiration from, but it is ambitious and impressive in its own right. It feels good to play, and it gives you a lot to play with. It won’t be the unforgettable adventure that Breath of the Wild is so for so many, but Immortals still offers a journey worth taking.
I love 3D platformers. You don’t usually see this kind of charm and polish in the genre unless it has Mario’s name attached to it. Granted, Astro isn’t as acrobatic as our favorite Italian plumber. He has a simple move set consisting of a jump, a hover, and some punches. But Astro’s Playroom never feels dull for a second thanks to its unbounded creativity.
But judged on its merits as a VR game, it excels. If you're looking for something to wow you with what the technology can do, this will get that job done.
Jurassic World: Evolution is more of a pure sim game than Planet Coaster, but it does a good job of taking advantage of its license. It keeps things complicated enough to feel interesting without letting it feel out of your control.
Matterfall is a challenging and creative take on the twin-stick shooter. Even if it's sci-fi setting is bland, the multitasking gameplay rarely offers a dull moment. This is a strong followup to Resogun, and one of the PlayStation 4's better digital exclusives.
Mega Man & Bass's omission sucks, and I wish the whole thing had more extras, but these are still four great 2D platformers. If you're a big fan of Mega Man (like me), it's nice to have these game's easily accessible on modern systems (unless that modern system is the Switch, which would actually be a great place for this). And all four games play great, so the ports are solid. If you're more of a mild Mega Man player, you might be content to just own the first Legacy Collection.