There's so much to say about this game, but to sing all its individual praises outside a message board or playground would be ruining the fun. Once again, these talented plumbers cross generations to bring the fun to everyone. Even questionable control choices do little to mar the magic that is simply Mario in each and every way.
A crystalized version of everything good about its genre, Littlewood succeeds by giving the player all the tools they need early and still finds ways to surprise and delight over years of play, both in-game, and likely in real life too.
Bolstered by new features and quality-of-life upgrades, Disco Elysium remains a clever, uncompromising examination of how hard it is to do something as complicated as exist in the real world.
Umurangi Generation: Special Edition is a thrilling dive into a world on the brink of collapse, and a singular gaming experience that will stick with you long after you put it down, made only better by the included DLC and quality of life upgrades on the Switch.
Pikmin 4 is a deviously addictive and clever adventure, perfect for newcomers and experienced players alike. These sprouts may have taken a long time to grow, but this bounty was definitely worth the wait.
The Pathless is a fantastic game full of rewarding exploration and moment-to-moment gameplay that gets right at the heart of what makes open world games fun.
Simultaneously a throwback and a breath of something new, Eastward is a magic trick of blending familiarity with novelty and grim apocalyptic sci-fi with wide-eyed fantasy. In the future, if there's any justice, we'll be referring to similarly spirited and stylish games as "Eastward-like."
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a masterwork of puzzle engineering, with a fantastic cast, impeccable design, and no shortage of surprises in store.
Guerrilla Games needs to recognize that it's not plot points and politics that move its games, but the bullets and guns. If the campaign could take a step back from the spectacle to focus on core concepts and feedback loops, the qualities that make the multiplayer suite so flexible and entertaining could make the campaign even stronger. Killzone Shadow Fall is easy to recommend as a launch title, and it's also a fantastic shooter on its own merits, regardless of hardware or history.
The Broken Age will win you over in minutes, and what it lacks in length or difficulty it makes up for in pure personality. From talking Spoons to a guru who makes people remove vowels from their names in order to attain true lighten-ness, it's a weird world, and you'll feel part of it in way we haven't seen since the lost age of adventure games.
Little Nightmares 2 is an ambitious, thrilling sequel that occasionally reaches just beyond its grasp, but stays engrossing and terrifying the whole way through.
DUSK has found a fantastic home on the Switch, where its top-tier throwback FPS can bloom in all its bloody, wretched glory.
Rogue Legacy gives a fresh take on old thoughts, plays well with a keyboard and better on a controller, and stands strong even if some of its own biggest traits are ever-so-slightly underdeveloped. Superbly designed and balanced, this game rides the line of frustration and fun to deliver that one-more-go feel that will have every barbarian king and queen roaring a battle cry, then gearing up to take on that ancient evil one more time.
Simply stated, NES Remix 2 is a real sequel's sequel, with stronger games, weirder remixes and better bonuses. Players who'd like an interactive history lesson and anyone with fondness for old-school Nintendo could do far worse than romancing these ROMs.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an odd hybrid, but it knows exactly what it wants to be and pursues that goal with confidence and style.
Stonefly is a game with big insects and a bigger heart. Despite some clunky aspects in its combat and some repetitive sections, the game's visual style, relaxing exploration, and rewarding customization system make it a game worth crawling around in.
While Cris Tales has some bumpy aspects in its combat and doesn't pull any punches, it remains a stellar RPG that pays tribute to great titles of the past while still building forward to make a modern hit in the present.
While it doesn't reinvent the open world or stray too far from its predecessor, Horizon Forbidden West is a worthwhile endeavor for those in the mood for more open world adventures, with surprising nuance and complexity for those who make the trip.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals brings the same level of charm and creepiness as its predecessor, and though its new perspective doesn't quite push narrative or gameplay elements far enough into the unknown, it's still an excellent scary story for a dark and stormy night.
Crown Trick is slow to start and can't always get out of its own way, but patience is rewarded by a brain-twisting action RPG with a killer look.