Zanki Zero's strange blend of roguelike exploration, survival gameplay, and sci-fi character drama is truly unique, but lousy combat and a rough beginning stretch keep it from greatness.
The beautiful visuals, fun battle arenas, and easy-to-grasp fighting gameplay of Dead or Alive 6 make for a brawler that packs a punch.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus combines some the best elements of the long-running series into a meaty, challenging adventure that sucks you in and doesn't let go.
Excellent platforming action elevates Double Cross, but weak combat and a half-baked mystery-solving element keep it from reaching great heights.
The arcadey gameplay of Battle Princess Madelyn is a treat, but the game's weak story mode drags down the package.
Taiko no Tatsujin's solid rhythm gameplay is a good hook, but Drum 'n' Fun's mini-games make the Switch version shine.
Mega Man 11 is a solid return for the Blue Bomber, but it's held back somewhat by overly long and frustrating stage design.
The unique presentation and excellent storytelling of 428: Shibuya Scramble make it a great visual novel experience.
Steeped in tradition and not afraid to show it, Dragon Quest XI reflects the best qualities of the series' past.
Fighting EX Layer is a no-frills package, but the combat is top-notch.
As an upgrade to the excellent Sonic Mania, Sonic Mania Plus/Encore offers a pair of good new characters but underwhelms with new modes and content.
The fast movement and skillful action of Wizard of Legend sets it apart among a sea of indie roguelikes.
Good pacing, engaging mechanics, and an interesting setting help make The Alliance Alive a noteworthy RPG.
Fatal Bullet isn't a bad game, but it didn't hold my interest for very long. It's fun to be surrounded by familiar faces from the anime series, and I could see glimmers of depth in Fatal Bullet's combat and upgrade systems. However, the poor story pacing and the repetitive nature of exploration dragged it down. While it's a good change of pace for games based on SAO, it still lacks the polish needed to really stand out.
The Longest Five Minutes' intriguing premise and charming visual style is hampered by poor design elements.
Brawlout is a Smash Bros.-like fighting game that's equal parts admirable and frustrating.
Etrian Odyssey 5 further refines a winning dungeon-crawling formula while sticking closely to its roots.
On top of the joy of creating and playing as your own character, there's a lot of goofy charm that makes Sonic Forces hard to be too disappointed with. The graphics are colorful and engaging, and the music is a pumping backdrop for extreme team-ups, super-speed cinematics, and lots of ruminations on the power of friendship. There are some really fun levels in the mix, too, and surprisingly strong boss fights make for some unexpected highlights. But Sonic Forces doesn't build on its handful of good ideas as much as it should, and it screeches to a halt just as it seems to hit its stride.
Solo Spelunker Party is an unforgiving grind, but a strong multiplayer component makes for a fun time with retro-minded friends.
Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is an extremely short and completely forgettable platformer based on nothing but irony and nostalgic notoriety. I'd honestly rather replay the original Bubsy than this - for all of its serious flaws, at least that game was memorable. The Woolies Strike Back isn't even that.