The demand for puzzle games on a system that can be played anywhere is always high, and Lumines Remastered is a shining example of what the Switch can do with them.
Valkyria Chronicles has had a rough go of it since its initial release. Although the remastered version of the original sold well, the second game was divisive and the third was never localized. Don't even get me started on the Revolution side game. But with Valkyria Chronicles 4, the series is back and everyone needs to enlist.
If I didn't have a pub's worth of RPGs on the Switch already to deal with, I could see myself putting thousands of hours into Disgaea 4 Complete+. The story is a blast, and the combat is addictive enough while also being a nice change from the huge maps of Three Houses. Right now, D4 is the best bet if you're looking for some humor to go along with your strategy, dood.
Still a fun experience, and the new options provided by having the Ashen Wolves in my class make me want to get back on the bike and finish the storylines I’ve yet to play myself.
Operencia differs from a lot of the dungeon crawlers on Switch: it's more of a low fantasy story, and its fixed story and chapters helps to differentiate it from the dozens of roguelikes and roguelites we've seen in the past few years. For that alone, Operencia: The Stolen Sun is worth a long look.
I wasn't expecting to see all of the best endings before writing the review mainly due to time, but it was worth setting aside the backlog to get through Paradigm Paradox. It's probably been my favorite of the Aksys / Otomate collaborations since they really kicked off in early 2020, and has genuinely ratcheted up my expectations for Lover Pretend next month.
It's tempting to ignore the faults of a game if you think it's a favorite - but I can't do that here. I really do miss the things that came later, especially since I would really prefer to swap the Rated E10+ Superstar out of the endgame party for someone who knows what a defense stat is. Still, Final Fantasy IV remains an all-time great RPG, and it's nice to finally have it on Switch in any form.
The Wii U version of Nihilumbra isn't the game's first picnic on a console, but it never really got the publicity it deserved. If you've passed it up previously, don't sleep on this game now that it's on the Wii U, just have some kittens handy to provide a dose of happiness afterward.
Dark Arisen has some of the most unique systems in modern RPGs, and great combat to go along with it. It’s a great adventure, and if they can improve the loads after the inns it’ll be essential.
Because it was a 2012 DS game, the first release of Devil Survivor 2 flew under the radar of a lot of strategy RPG players. If you're one of those, or want something that can take up a lot of time, then Record Breaker should be on your radar.
Plenty of competition for the strategy RPG dollar is out there – Disgaea 5 Complete hits Switch days after a new Fire Emblem on 3DS, after all - but Disgaea 5 is one of a kind on the Switch right now. It's worth picking up if you have any interest in playing on the big screen. Just don't download Nisa.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Warriors titles because after a long day of work it's fun to take out my various frustrations on thousands upon thousands of units. The fact that it's in a universe that I've become a huge fan of and that I can take it wherever I go is huge pluses. There's a few holes in the game that the season pass might alleviate somewhat, but the core package of Fire Emblem Warriors is still worth diving into.
The original Hand of Fate was a game I had heard a lot about, but never got around to. The Switch is encouraging me to go back and pick up a lot of these titles, and this is one worth grabbing a hold of. Just be sure to watch the cards and choose your battles wisely, and you'll have a tale that will live on through the ages.
Given the Switch's propensity for roguelikes and exceedingly long, story-driven games, this is a minor miracle. Not every game has to be a seven-course meal; sometimes you just want a light snack. On that front, Longest Five Minutes delivers.
Rogue Aces does a fine job of balancing randomness and giving agency over the flights, and it definitely doesn't deserve to be buried by the wave of eShop releases every week.
Steins;Gate is already one of the most dynamic visual novels, and the added anime cutscenes of the Elite version makes it worth exploring. If you can handle a main character who is extremely delusional and doesn't have a filter… you're probably comfortable dealing with me. Either way, Steins;Gate Elite is the best pure visual novel we've got right now.
A lot of my interest in Ai was due to the writing talent: though he's done things since, this is the first post-Zero Escape project from Uchikoshi that I've had the chance to play. I definitely want to see where Ai is going next, and just hope that the experience is a little smoother when it goes wide.
For a first effort, Guardian of Rebirth is a fine read despite some of the minor quirks—and maybe Impey will be a little bit less annoying in the future.
I remember reading about Darius first in early 90s game magazines, and thought I'd have to make do with the console versions. Playing the arcade versions actually made me even more excited to try the console games in the other collection that came out. There's some frustration to be found in this collection, but overall it's another quality batch of shooters for Switch owners.
I hadn't played Samurai Shodown in any form since a torrid weekend with the Super Nintendo port of the original sometime in the mid-90s, but I was always intrigued by the series from afar. To that end, I'm glad that the Samurai Shodown SNK Collection was a 10 in terms of my quest for knowledge and also has some good fighting action behind it—and by default it's less expensive than buying the games piecemeal in the Archives.