John Rairdin's Reviews
Instead it is a shallow glimpse at what could be. When you factor in significant performance issues that even the Switch 2 can't seem to brute force, and constant stability problems, it becomes very hard to recommend this game. I really want to like Tales of the Shire. I think there is a reality in which it could potentially get better in time, but it just isn't there yet.
The relationship between DK and Pauline develops into something pretty heartwarming by the end, and the story goes places I wouldn't have dreamed. I don't want to spoil anything here, but the phrase "oh hell yes" was shouted multiple times by me during the final hours before rolling credits. Donkey Kong Bananza tries a lot of new ideas, and the vast majority of them not only work, but revolutionize the idea of a 3D platformer. There are definitely problems along the way, and it is a long way from perfect, but I can't argue with how much pure fun there is to be had in playing Donkey Kong Bananza.
The constantly changing level variety and natural drive to 100% each area had me absolutely hooked. Now and then the platforming or level design would slow things down, but never enough to prevent me from pushing through to see what was next. Misc. A Tiny Tale is an easy early pick for my personal indie of the year lineup.
On a technical level it does exactly what it sets out to do and does it very well. The game itself remains an important release that would lead directly into iconic titles like Bioshock and thus makes for a fascinating historical curiosity. But it is important that you approach System Shock 2 from the right perspective, keeping in mind its ambition at the time of its original release.
The learning curve, even with a reasonably well handled tutorial, can be steep. This is only exacerbated by often-times awkward controls, though other elements of this port are very well done. This isn't going to be a game for everyone, and it's almost certainly better played on a PC, but if you're looking for a city builder that you can sink endless hours into on your Switch or Switch 2, Against the Storm is among the best options out there.
While I have some minor critiques of the image scaling implementation, the technical package overall is excellent. The Switch 2 has certainly come out of the gate as a racing powerhouse but don't let Mario Kart World take all your attention. Fast Fusion is another great entry in this sci-fi racing series.
The Switch version specifically doesn't really come with any compromises, offering the highest possible image quality and frame rate available on the platform. Croc is still a very simple platformer and obviously the original game design has not been changed, but it is presented here with a level of respect and admiration that only its original developer and avid fans could provide. Even if you don't particularly like Croc, it's hard not to recommend this excellent package.
While progression can stutter somewhat along the way if you can't quite figure out exactly what it is the game wants you to do, the vast majority of your adventure is fun and endearing. While combat lets down the experience somewhat it can generally be powered through with efficient use of your bonsai tree. The rest of Omega 6 The Triangle Stars is a wonderfully stylized adventure that is certainly worth taking.
Moons of Darsalon has some rough edges, but its charm and level design is usually enough to shine through. This is a game that builds upon a lot of old ideas, but manages to make them feel incredibly fresh. While it can trip over itself now and then, the end result is a memorable and fun puzzle experience that feels truly out of time.
But an oftentimes inscrutable, poorly told story is unlikely to win over any new fans. I'll also note that in Japan, all content that featured the cast of the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross was contained to a separate DLC. Currently that DLC is not available in this release, and seems unlikely to become so in the future, due to licensing issues. Still I'll take what I can get, and it is great to see this series making an appearance at all.
Achilles: Legends Untold is a functional isometric souls-like that plays well enough and has plenty of territory to explore but falls short in its Switch port. It isn't completely unenjoyable by any means and mechanically it is quite solid. But ultimately through the combination of a rough Switch port, poor voice acting, and a general struggle to do anything that stands out, it winds up being a forgettable journey.
It is definitely at its best the more human players you have, as empty slots ultimately just become extra characters for your party to manage in addition to their own. The UI is a little clunky and can take some getting used to. But Worlds of Aria is ultimately a charming adventure that bridges the gap excellently between tabletop RPG and party game.
The Switch version comes with a few minor hiccups, but not enough to sour the experience. What you're left with is an incredible adventure full of beautiful worlds, fun puzzles, and witty writing. Broken Reality is one of those games that is just fun to spend time in.
Whether or not the combined offering of Sonic Generations and Shadow Generations is worth it will depend heavily on what your expectations for each half of the game are. For my part, I see this as a brand new game starring Shadow the Hedgehog with a remaster of an old game packed in, and by that metric I think it is a stellar package. Sonic X Shadow Generations may spend a lot of time looking at the franchise's past, but it represents the best I've felt about its future in a very long time.
You may find that the difficulty curve isn't quite harsh enough on normal difficulty but with five different difficulty levels this is easily adjusted for. Modes unlocked later in the game will also give you a run for your money. This is a remarkable rail-shooter with a deep understanding of its inspiration, while also offering a fresh experience. If you enjoy Star Fox, Galaxy Force, Space Harrier, or After Burner, you will find something to love in Rogue Flight.
Dungeons return to a quality we haven't seen in more than ten years and the musical presentation is excellent. Performance while consistently hitting 30 frames-per-second strains fruitlessly for 60. But ultimately Echoes of Wisdom excellently weaves itself into the grand tapestry of Zelda with surprising originality while being careful never to trample on what has come before.
While elements of the technical design still feel rooted a few generations in the past, an updated engine and attention to the Switch version in particular make this the most technically accomplished game in the series. Perhaps most of all Ys X: Nordics presents a fun world to exist in and a charming cast of characters that I became genuinely invested in. It is somewhat reassuring to know that despite my earlier fears, there may in fact be hope that I like this series as a whole, and not simply one game.
I couldn't help but think of a game like Custom Robo and wish that Gundam Breaker was willing to commit to a more adventurous, almost Pokemon-like experience. A game where you actually explore a world, engaging in Gunpla battles as an RPG encounter mechanic, rather than selecting them from a list. Gundam Breaker 4 is good, but it feels like there is an obvious path to be something more.
Deliver Us the Moon is an excellent narrative adventure that comes to Switch mostly unscathed. The docked experience is pretty smooth, and all things considered, the concessions here are fairly light for a Switch port. The handheld experience is fine when navigating tight space station interiors, but gets extremely blurry anytime you enter a more complex environment or step out onto the surface of the moon. It isn’t unplayable in these moments, but the difference was enough to catch me off guard. Still if you’ve waited this long to play it on Switch, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. This is an enthralling story that is definitely worth experiencing.
It still isn't perfect, but it is largely an improvement on the original release, which I cannot always say for their ports and remasters. The Switch version specifically gets nearly all the new graphical features while maintaining 60 frames-per-second. While you may have forgotten just how repetitive Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is over the last twenty years, this is a pretty solid way to play it, so long as you can put up with a slightly shorter version of Jango Fett than you're used to.