Deadly Premonition is both very hard and very easy to recommend. For fans of the series it's a no-brainer. It's another 30 hours with York and his gang of nutty friends. The story is Twin Peaks meets True Detective put through several extra filters of oddness. For newcomers to the series the gameplay, graphics, animation and loading times may simply be insurmountable obstacles. For those that can look past it there are so many interesting ideas at play and the game can be genuine fun. In short it sucks, but it may also be one of the more interesting games of the year. It's destined to be a Let's Play classic.
Ultimately your enjoyment of the Switch port comes down to whether you value accessibility over performance. XCOM 2 is a fantastic game and is a great title to play on the go
So, does Final Fantasy VII Remake live up to the standards set all those years ago? Overall, yes. The world is lively, the script is well written and the combat feels natural. There is still a long way to go in the saga yet, but with these bones it feels like Square Enix has the potential to build something great. The first instalment strikes a great balance of catering to long-time fans while opening up the tale to a newer generation. If you don't like it, there's always the original. This trip to Midgar is well worth taking, even if it feels like the best may be yet to come.
A great port of a great game. Civilization VI offers so much to do, and with two expansion packs bundled in, now is the perfect time to experience it on a console.
Syberia and its sequels suffer a common fate with many classic games released on the Switch. It is expensive. 15-year-old PC games should not be double the price of pieces of genius like Celeste, there is a problem. Nostalgia should not extend to the feeling of knowing you've been ripped off because Electronics Boutique is the only store in town that carries the game you desire. If these games were half the price, I'd suggest looking in to two hidden gems of a mistreated genre. As it stands, I hesitate to whole-heartedly endorse it. Fans of the series may get a kick out of it, but there's so much more out there.
Absolutely essential if you're a fan. If you've never played a Trails game before, you might want to consider starting at the beginning. Or reading a lot of plot summaries.
The lack of changes to the gameplay are emblematic of the series as a whole. As PES continues to tweak its on-field game, FIFA tweaks the modes surrounding it. These tweaks are a success overall but the game finds itself lagging behind. Ultimately none of this matters. FIFA fans are going to continue to eat up the game and PES fans are going to continue to think of themselves as football purists. If you like FIFA, the new Volta mode is a ton of fun and the upgrades all around make it worthwhile. If you hate FIFA, this won't change your mind.
Ultimately the question everyone is asking, is it better than FIFA? It comes down to personal preference. PES 2020 undoubtedly plays a better more compelling version of the beautiful game. But some people will never get over the unlicensed content, and the extremely little effort Konami seems to place on anything outside of the on the pitch action. The effort Konami has made into the on the pitch action deserves notice. T hey've once again tweaked the formula and made an exciting yet realistic game of football. Not quite a wonder goal, but you've got to appreciate the effort put in.
Oninaki is disappointing. Mostly because the right elements were in place to make it great and it's so thoroughly mediocre. Tokyo RPG Factory have yet to release a truly essential game. As it stands they've released three games with interesting ideas and spotty execution. Perhaps one day they will get it right and release a defining RPG. However, today is not that day, and Oninaki is not that game.
One of the most underrated games in the Final Fantasy series gets the remaster treatment.
PlatinumGames have made another essential game. Fast paced combat, interesting characters and a lived in world. Don't miss out on Astral Chain
Fire Emblem adds another essential title to its franchise.
The Last Remnant is a fascinating and frustrating experience. Beneath a fundamentally mediocre game are a lot of interesting ideas. The story is epic and interesting, but only in parts. The battle system is wholly unique and feels massive in scope. Except you have to play the game for hours and hours before it becomes any fun. The Switch is full of quality RPG ports at the moment, and there are plenty more coming. The Last Remnant is not one of them.
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is great. It was great in 2017 on the PS4. It’s greater now on the Switch. It looks amazing and the frame rate is consistent in the dock and in handheld.
Overall it's a very solid packaged. Both games are fantastic in their own way and still hold up. The feature upgrades available in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX are nowhere to be found when they would have been most welcome. Considering the upcoming Final Fantasy XII remaster also contains these features makes this package stand out all the more. It is also a steep price point. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster may include two full games, but charging $80 seems a little ridiculous. Despite this it still comes highly recommended. Maybe just wait for a sale first.
One of the defining games of the 90s is ported to the Switch with a few bells and whistles. Essential playing for newcomers and veterans.
Final Fantasy IX is a fantastic game with an average port. The price is steep for a 20 year old game with no major upgrades. But once you start playing you won't be able to put it down.
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition continues the winning streak of ports for the Nintendo Switch.
HoPiKo is challenging and moves at a lightning pace, although it can't escape the fact that it feels more like a game you'd play on your phone than on a console.
For all the grumbling about Nintendo's strategy of releasing last-gen ports to their new console, it's hard to argue when the games are as high quality as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Nintendo has also added their typically high gloss coat of paint, with new features, new characters and even an entire bonus game.