Stephen Wilds
The series is back up to its old tricks, the bad ones, as this new installment hosts a crazy number of glitches and annoyances. Some fun can be had playing with WWE’s toys, but the cost of entry seems steeper than ever this year.
One of the original beat 'em up franchises is back and it hasn't felt this good to knuckle up in quite a while. As with the games that came before it, River City Girls is a brawler and RPG spliced together to create an amazing and silly adventure that provides a ton of fun.
Shakedown: Hawaii offers a wonderful cavalcade of carnage down in paradise, where making money is king. The place is inviting, but may lose its appeal for some after the jokes and violence get old.
Resident Evil on the Switch is a familiar experience with some excellent gameplay that can be enjoyed in handheld mode. The few flaws it has shouldn't detract, but the price might.
Close to the Sun's art direction, themes, and basic ideas are going to draw many in, but once the story gets started and the gameplay fails to advance, they'll be trying to jump overboard.
The ideas are sound and the visuals look good, but Generation Zero doesn't have too much to offer. Looking past the glitches may offer some fun co-op play, though.
The Messenger is a retro-styled old school challenge that starts off easy but will soon test any player's hidden ninja skills. This is a multi-genre homage to some real classics that manages to feel like a long lost gem.
It's cool to be the hero you were meant to become in a pretty world, but Black Desert is lacking in the meat of other classic MMOs and requires a hefty grind.
Back in the Groove is a reboot that maintains the franchise's classic feel with a few worthwhile tweaks. Whether it is for nostalgia or a new adventure, this is a shattered Earth worth exploring.
Take a bite out of godlike monsters in this post-apocalyptic action RPG. The greatest enemy may not be the Aragami, but a stagnated system and potential fatigue instead.
Under this luchador mask lies a familiar game with a lot of the same old issues, but somehow there is even more fun to be had, with a new impressive look, a good bit of polish, and some features reminiscent of its younger self.
I could play this game for so many more hours and still feel like I was learning something new and just scratching the surface at the same time. Monster Hunter: World isn't going to be for everyone with its challenge and controls, but for those who embrace the life of the hunter, there are so many good things to experience.
Shed some blood, save the world. It's a long hard road but the journey is incredible and fun, while the big advantage here is being able to take the slaughter on the go. It isn't the best version visibly, but for Switch owners who haven't experienced the glorious bullet-bath, it's a pure thrill.
Dungeon Punks is a game that captures the dream of the developers, but that dream may involve finding friends to play with. Raid through some colorful yet repetitive landscapes to collect gear and level up. The characters are colorful and switching between them to use various spells to stack combos can be fun, but many of the missions can be tough. The game is cynical and has an attitude that is easy to fall in love with, and may be addicting for those who enjoy a good grind.
I love the ideas, it’s imaginative and doing something different, but I will probably give the soundtrack more attention than I do the actual game.