Dave Aubrey's Reviews
So, can I recommend The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game? For kids, if they have an interest in Ninjago and the developers can fix the crashes, yes. For everyone else? Please don't bother.
I like Miitopia, but I can't really recommend it to anyone. Maybe people who still regularly play Miitomo (do people still do that?) but other than that… Just, don't bother. It's a game that plays itself, and you're supposed to derive your entertainment from simply watching things happen. It's a struggle to suggest this even to younger gamers - I can see what Nintendo wanted to do here, but Miitopia is honestly a flop.
I do hope they bring Mario Party to Switch soon, but until then, this honestly isn't a very good replacement. Not worth it unless it's a gift for a younger gamer, or you happen to get together with friends and 3DS consoles often.
Have you played Hyrule Warriors on Wii U? Do you own a Wii U? If the answer to either of those questions is "Yes" then you shouldn't bother with Hyrule Warriors Legends.
Portal Knights is a Minecraft-alike with a lot of personality and a lot of promise, but in its current state, I just couldn't enjoy it. It feels bloated in places, empty in others, and just can't compare to other games in the block-placing, creation “genre”. Fun for a while, but outstays its welcome too quickly.
L.A. Noire isn’t quite an action blockbuster, but more of a serialised crime caper. The slow approach and moments of intrigue are welcome, and ends on an incredibly memorable note. DLC fills out the experience for Phelps fans.
Kirby Fighters 2 is an adorable, polished brawler that is sure to make you smile - but not for long. The game is great while you're unlocking and using new abilities, but you'll soon be forced into repetition after repetition while playing, and that'll suck the fun out of things. Good for young gamers and less experienced players, but there are better options.
Ary and the Secret of Seasons is a lovely looking game with some truly smart gameplay ideas, but all of that is plagued by screen-tearing, performance issues, animation bugs, and a general lack of polish in almost every aspect. After a few patches and a sale Ary could become someone's favourite game, but the fact it launched in this state is just a shame.
Pokémon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor Expansion gives the game the best environment and world design Pokémon has had in any 3D game, mainline, or spin-off, but very little else. If you're a Pokémaniac who is dead-set on completing another Pokédex, you'll love this, but if you want to do something other than filling out a list, this is not for you. This is not the whimsical world-traveling adventure mainline Pokémon games are, this is just boring.
My Hero One's Justice does so much right with a fun combat system and some lovely anime-style visuals but lets the whole experience down by a lackluster story mode, a lack of performance polish, and some serious repetition in the single-player content. Having said that though, these games keep improving, so if we're lucky, we'll be impressed by My Hero One's Justice 3.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is more ambitious than it needed to be, to its own detriment. While the main missions and combat are very enjoyable, forced, lacklustre side content spoils the pacing and makes the game tedious to play. Still very fun for the right fan, but not without a sale.
Jump Force has major problems, but it can actually be really fun. It feels tedious when playing missions, and repetitive at times in combat. But using your favourite characters' abilities in battle remains fun throughout. It's going to be an acquired taste, but anime fans will actually find a lot to enjoy here. Just stick to the online play, where you can remain blissfully ignorant of the awful cutscenes and animation.
There are so many things I can complain about with Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, but ultimately, I can't help but admire the effort. It's not a cinematic experience like the Ultimate Ninja Storm games, and it won't take you through the story of Naruto or even Boruto, but when the multiplayer games work in your favour, it feels good, and unique. It's just a shame it doesn't feel good for long.
Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi is an interesting, but painfully slow and uninvolving strategy game that I want to praise more, but in comparison to its contemporaries, I can't help but feel it still needs work. Shame, as the strategy flavor of Nobunaga's Ambition has always appealed to me, but in practice it feels sluggish and makes me yearn for strategy games I'll enjoy that much more.
Should you get Payday 2 on Switch? Well if you want an interesting multiplayer shooter and don't have access to it on other platforms, sure. Otherwise? Probably not. Maybe wait to see how things are after an update or two.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT should be a celebration of the series as a whole and instead makes the franchise feel washed up. Character interactions are nice and graphics are definitely pretty, but mechanically the game feels behinds its competition and far more frustrating. Only recommended for the most hardcore of Final Fantasy fans, but even then, no local multiplayer? What's the point?
Brawlout isn't terrible, but it's a struggle to recommend to anyone. If you play Smash Bros. by yourself a lot, maybe this has the kind of content you'll enjoy, but with no reason for casual players to get involved, and an inferior competitive game compared to Smash, Brawlout isn't a game I'd put on my wishlist.
Amazing art style, tedious battle system and a difficulty that's aimed at young children - not one for Monster Hunter fans, but maybe their kids. If they like Rock, Paper, Scissors, that is.
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is out-done by other farming games on the market and even games from its own series. Not exactly a low-point in the franchise, but not worth playing over other titles.
Unfortunately God Eater 2: Rage Burst just drips of mundanity. Boring combat, characters, environments... It is not a bad game, just not a particularly good one.