So that's my recommendation. Play and enjoy the Monster Hunt mode, but stick to the Arena and Tavern Brawls when playing against others if you don't want to open your wallet. I still enjoy playing this game, but the busted meta means I'm enjoying playing against other people less and less.
Lost Sphear is a colorful, charming game, and does a pretty good job of triggering the nostalgia folks like me have for SNES RPGs of their youth. It just doesn't quite reach the heights of the titles it's influenced by. There's nothing wrong with it, but by trying to be everything to everybody, Lost Sphear becomes sort of a pastiche of other RPGs rather than something which will be remembered for its own merits. I've certainly enjoyed my time with the game, and I think it's worth playing. But I know deep down that in a few years I'm far more likely to replay Chrono Trigger for a twentieth time than I am to come back to Lost Sphear.
Kobolds and Catacombs has some great ideas, and I hope future expansions will each add something similar to Dungeon Run.
While my group and I enjoyed trying out this year's Party Pack, it's fair to say it didn't live up to my expectations. It's still a lot of fun, and there were frequent outbursts of laughter in my living room. But there really wasn't a standout title here, nothing to recommend this year's pack over previous entries in the series. It felt like all the games here would've benefited from a little more playtesting, a little more polish. I think it's telling that at the end of the night, we ended by loading up The Jackbox Party Pack 3 and playing a couple rounds of last year's Trivia Murder Party. You'll get your money's worth out of The Jackbox Party Pack 4, but you might have a better time with one of its predecessors.
Axiom Verge works great as a portable game, and while it's been available before on the Vita, I feel like the Switch is the best possible platform since it looks spectacular in handheld mode and works beautifully as a sit-down, console experience. Even if you've played another version, this is still a fun, fast-paced exploration game that holds up quite well and is certainly worth your time.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a worthy addition to any library, but stands out on the Switch because it works great as a portable game and also looks amazing on a big TV. I took about 15 hours to track down every collectible, but it'll probably take most people around ten for their first playthrough. It's perfectly playable with the Joy-Con, but I used a Pro Controller for most of the game to take advantage of the cross pad. If you haven't gotten your fill of Metroid gameplay after playing Samus Returns, you'll definitely enjoy delving into SteamWorld Dig 2.
Hiveswap: Act 1 is pretty short, and took me about two hours to play through from start to finish. It sets its hooks well though, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Despite the long load screens, I enjoyed my time with Pillars of Eternity, and look forward to continuing my journey through Eora. The setting and characters are wonderful, and anyone looking for a meaty, densely plotted RPG will find a lot to like. Simply put, games like this rarely get made, and seeing one on a console is like finding a unicorn egg in your cornflakes. If you have any interest in a playing a game like Baldur's Gate or Planescape: Torment again, you'd be doing yourself a disservice not picking this one up.
Infinite Minigolf shows a lot of promise, but in its current state it's bland. Apart from the course creator, there's just nothing here that stands out from other minigolf titles. Zen has always been good about supporting their offerings after release, and I'm hopeful Infinite Minigolf will continue to receive updates to improve the experience. As it is, it's a decent time, but hard to recommend if you're not excited by the prospect of making your own courses.
As much fun as it is to share with loved ones, Death Squared is considerably more difficult than Snipperclips, which didn't even have a failure state. Even though it has a "party mode," it's not a game I'd advise pairing with alcohol, since fine motor control is one of the first things to go when you're hammered. If you're persistent and willing to work together though, Death Squared is a good time, and definitely worth picking up on the Switch.
I had a lot of fun with Endless Space 2, and I'm looking forward to putting more time in with it. Despite my initial reservations about diving into the deep end, I soon found myself invested in the stories that came from my triumphs and failures. There's a lot to like here if you give it a chance, and even if strategy isn't your preferred genre, you might find that it's worth your time to give ES2 a shot.
Playing through took me about 12 hours, though it might take more or less time if you bump up the difficulty or stick to the critical path. None of the problems I had with this game are insurmountable, and I'm hoping that Zeboyd will be able to fix them with an update. In spite of the bugs, I enjoyed exploring the galaxy with Alyssa and her crew, but you may want to wait for a patch or two before mainlining this Heroine.
Even though the Master System was an also-ran next to the NES's dominance, there were some real gems created for it, and Wonder Boy 3 just might have been the best game released on the platform. Lizardcube and DotEmu have done a lot of work to bring The Dragon's Trap up to today's standards, and the new version plays as good as it looks. It's plain to see how much effort went into making this into the best possible version of a game that deserves to be a classic, and it's absolutely worth your time.
When the Kickstarter for Thimbleweed Park was launched, the stated goal was to create a game that plays like a lost LucasArts adventure title. In my opinion the developers succeeded brilliantly, creating a game that feels like a forgotten relic of LucasArts' heyday, but with enough touches to make it a little more relevant to a modern audience. It's fair to say no one makes them like this anymore, particularly since Telltale discovered a more lucrative formula based on popular franchises and keeping track of player actions. It was a rare pleasure to get to play a game like this again. I had a blast exploring Thimbleweed Park, and if you've ever enjoyed telling Bernard Bernoulli or Guybrush Threepwood what to do, you will too.
Bleed 2 manages to feel accessible while still rewarding precision and accuracy. It plays wonderfully, and you can enjoy it as a light co-op experience or really break it down and dig in to master its intricacies. I'd definitely recommend playing with a controller, but if you're looking for a fast-paced platformer with plenty of action, Bleed 2 has you covered.
Dragon Quest VIII was without question one of the best RPGs on the PlayStation 2, and 13 years later it's one of the best RPGs on the 3DS as well. If you haven't played it before, this version offers a lot of features that make it very easy to recommend over the PS2 and mobile versions. Even if you have, there's more than enough new content to make DQVIII worth revisiting. As I said in my review in progress, this game is a classic in every sense of the word, and I'm overjoyed that it's available for a new generation to get their hands on.
There's a lot to like here, and I hope WayForward gets to keep making Shantae games. As long as they do, I'll keep playing them.
There's been no shortage of great games this year, but Darksiders: Warmastered Edition still holds up exceptionally well, and it's easy to recommend. It's not quite as fresh and exciting as it was in 2010, but I still think it's something everyone should try out. If you've played it before, it's worth revisiting. If you haven't, it's a solid adventure that's well worth your time. The budget price makes it a great value, with a campaign that will take most people between 12 to 20 hours to complete. I'm glad to see that THQ Nordic seems interested in keeping the series in the public eye, and I hope this means that the Darksiders franchise will be resurrected. I look forward to seeing how Pestilence and Famine will play in Darksiders 3 and 4.
There's a lot of value here for the price, and even if you could buy each of these games separately for five bucks apiece, I'd still recommend picking up all of them.
I can't help but wonder what Demon Truck might be like with a more traditional control scheme, one where the player controls the movement. I frequently felt like I could have done a better job of driving than the demon behind the wheel, and I don't think that's a good sign. Despite the flaws, however, I enjoyed my time with it. From Click to Truck to Truck is Over, it's a fun time waster, and there are definitely worse ways to spend five bucks.