Still, Project Highrise is the ultimate example of efficiency. Coming in at around 150MB to download, it's actually one of the smaller games available on the PlayStation 4, and that's because it cuts corners in the presentational elements to focus on the quality simulation. It's a delight to play, and replay, to come up with different tower designs, and I expect that I'll keep coming back to this for quite some time to come.
Home Sweet Home isn't a classic that transcends its genre roots, but the developers behind the game show that they understand how fear works, how to build tension, how pacing should work in a good horror game, and how to create some shocking imagery. I wanted more of the promised delve into Thai ghost stories, but overall, as a genre fan I found this an engrossing enough diversion.
It's truly impressive just how substantial the Anabasis expansion is; by rights it could be an entirely separate game in the Battlestar Galactica Deadlock series. But Black Lab Games and Slitherine opted to make it an expansion, so it's an excuse to go back to that base game if you've put it down for a while, or finally pick it up if you somehow missed it the first time around.
There is a glut of rhythm games on the Switch already, but none of those subsequently inspired me to pull out my keyboard and brush up on some of the music that I've learned over the years. Pianista did, and while it might not encourage you to take up music lessons, at the very least you'll walk away from this with a better sense of "classical" music. That is something valuable.
In the end, I found it difficult to keep coming up with new ideas for art works - and perhaps that's another piece of commentary to take from the game; when artists are forced into endless creation loops by the necessities of commercial demand, it tends to be difficult keeping the creative drive high. Despite that, I never stopped finding Passpartout enjoyable, thanks to its lighthearted presentation and biting, and yet amusing, sense of humour.
If you go into Yomawari with the right spirit (hah, I had to get one pun in there), both of these games are memorable, beautiful, elegant and often chilling.
Quote not yet available
Because it is so accessible and enjoyable, I suspect that Soulcalibur VI will become one of my most played fighting games, because it's just that versatile and enjoyable that I'll just default to it when I'm in the mood for a fighter (or looking to play with someone else).
It's pure fun, and with Warriors Orochi 4, Koei Tecmo has done such a lovely job that I suspect I'll be coming back to it frequently for many years into the future.
Space Hulk: Tactics is the most impressive Warhammer 40K effort I've played in recent memory. Cyanide clearly decided to focus on the atmospherics and worldbuilding in lieu of the complex combat systems that make other 40K titles strategically engaging. Space Hulk doesn't have that, but what it does offer is a visceral, best-played-in-first-person tactics board game that offers up a hefty challenge. Do Hero Quest next, Cyanide!
Once you put aside Starlink's somewhat confused nature and design, what you're left with is a genuinely enjoyable open space adventure.
There's nothing unpleasant about Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story. It's easy to pick up and play for short bursts, and as a simulator, its simplicity makes for a nice change of pace. It's also charming and actually does offer an intriguing world and narrative. In just about every area, the game could also have been much more than it is, but everyone needs inoffensive time wasters too, and Valthirian Arc scratches that itch nicely.
Best of all, while none of these four tables are my favourites from Williams, the subtitle of the DLC is "Volume 1." There's clearly more to come. And, I mean, Williams is the manufacturer behind Tales of the Arabian Nights. The greatest pinball table ever made. Bring Volume 2 on!
There's reason for existing fans to play the game again, because it has an all-new chapter to work through, and there's certainly a reason for people who haven't previously played it to give it a go, because to this day, nothing else has quite managed to offer what The World Ends With You offers.
With all the lavish features of other SNK arcade ports to Nintendo Switch, Zupapa is one of the more distinctive and enjoyable that we've seen from this retro series for some time. It's one of SNK's lesser known classics, perhaps, but it's so bright, charming, and oddball that it's one you won't quickly forget.
It's good. It's really, really good. The combat alone demonstrates that while everyone who plays Yakuza games remembers everything but the combat, even that "forgotten" element in the formula, when brought to the fore, is still very deserving of a player's time.
It's hard to argue against the notion that Armello might just be the best Australian game ever produced. Highly refined, beautiful to play, deep and intelligent, it's as endlessly replayable as the very best board games, and deserves to be respected as such.
Sitting squarely on the "fun for the whole family," end of Nintendo's spectrum, Super Mario Party is a joy. It's colourful, cheerful, and good-spirited, and backs that up with excellent board and minigame design. After a few iterations that were too experimental for their own good, Mario Party is back in form, and that has made me really happy.
Disgaea 1 is the one least likely to overwhelm people who aren't deeply familiar with tactics JRPGs and complex JRPG systems. For this reason, this remaster is the perfect entry point for the curious, and anyone interested in the history and heritage of Nippon Ichi's premier franchise will get a kick out of it too.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain has clearly been a success for Tin Man Games, and perhaps the neatest thing about it is that the modular nature of the game allows Tin Man Games to build on it from here.