Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to platforming, and much of its gameplay feels every bit as old as its 2003 counterpart. But what Rehydrated gets right is preserving what made the original so special, while also bringing the visuals up to date in dazzling fashion.
Predator: Hunting Grounds looks and sounds like Predator, but lacks the soul of the 1987 classic film. For being one of the most iconic hunters in the galaxy, the Predator feels weak compared to the vastly overpowered Fireteam. I never felt terrified of the Predator, and I think that's Hunting Grounds' most glaring issue. I'm invested enough in the Predator franchise to see what Illfonic has up their sleeves in terms of additional content for the game, but I find it hard to recommend to those who are looking for the ultimate Predator fantasy.
NBA 2K20 features the best gameplay to date with a plethora of content to chew into at launch. It'll be interesting to see how the game shapes up throughout the year, even after a shaky launch. Launch bugs/glitches aside, NBA 2K20 is one of the better entries in the series.
DragonBall Z: Kakarot isn't necessarily trying to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't have to. After years of adding more and more "new" lore to the canon, it's nice to take a trip down memory lane and re-experience the characters and story that makes DragonBall so special. While the open world isn't necessarily the most engaging aspect of the game, the combat is epic and the characters are always entertaining. Simply put DragonBall Z: Kakarot is fun and is sure to please new and old fans alike.
Those who are seeking out a challenging action RPG on the Nintendo Switch should give Warlocks 2: God Slayers a shot. It's just hard to recommend the game based on its tedious control scheme and slow moment-to-moment gameplay.
Jedi: Fallen Order mixes the magic of Star Wars with the stellar combat gameplay mechanics Respawn can provide. It's both challenging and exhilarating. Technical issues and minor graphical bugs plague what is otherwise the best Star Wars game in over two decades.
Kingdom Hearts 3 delivers the conclusion to the story started nearly 20 years ago in extraordinary ways. It has the best gameplay of the series, wraps up all the storylines and still finds room for some surprises.
Maneater perfectly embodies the fantasy of being a super-powerful shark to great effect, even if there are some small technical issues and rough-around-the-edges gameplay decisions. It never overstays its welcome and is fun to devour a few hours here and there.
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 isn't the best in the series, but it's solid enough to justify it's sequel monicker. Blackout is such an exhilarating take on the Battle Royale genre that it's hard to not recommend it to even casual fans. Zombies is engaging and fun, especially with its story, but I wish it took more liberties with its maps. Multiplayer is great for veteran Call of Duty players, but offers little to no innovation over previous entries in the series.
CoD: WWII's The Resistance DLC is a strong start to the DLC packs for WW2. While the highlight is certainly The Darkest Shore zombie map, the other four map additions are certainly welcome, and offer some much needed variety to the multiplayer mode.