Disintegration is a dull experiment. Taking shallow replicas of two genres and squeezing them together results in a largely forgettable game that can hardly even be considered a curiosity. The technical issues and average presentation don't help matters.
The Last of Us Part II offers more of the same great stealth gameplay, as you face overwhelming odds in increasingly challenging and haunting environments. But with an ambitiously structured narrative that doesn't pay off, and the new cast lacking chemistry, this adventure can't quite live up to its predecessor.
Minecraft Dungeons is a straightforward action RPG spinoff that doesn't try to be anything more than an accessible entry for existing fans of the franchise. The low asking price helps offset the areas where the game comes up short.
Despite a fair amount of repetition and simple design, Maneater offers a surprisingly fun atmosphere with lots of bloody action to sink your teeth into.
Deep Rock Galactic offers some enticing exploration, as discovering randomly generated caves can be a thrill each time, and the unique abilities of each class are fun to combine. But things quickly begin to grow stale, like the air this far down into the earth, with repetitive missions and little reason to grind out your experience levels.
Streets of Rage 4 is both a sequel and a throwback to the original 2D brawler series. The gameplay has been tweaked and the presentation updated for the modern day, but it's still an unabashedly retro experience that will appeal to a select few.
Predator: Hunting Grounds occasionally offers a satisfying and violent asymmetrical multiplayer showdown, but doesn't look or play well while doing so. Hardcore fans of the series might get some value out of this title, if they're patient enough to wait in the long matchmaking queues.
112 Operator is more of a spinoff than a sequel. It adds a few things, but also carries over all the problems of its predecessor. While there's still potential here for an enjoyable micromanagement game, it gets lots in the shuffle of bad design choices and repetition.
Gears Tactics is a worthwhile spinoff that does a great job of integrating key franchise elements into a different genre. The story is shallow and the missions get quite repetitive, but fans of turn based tactics should get some gory fun out of this one.
The Complex is a run-of-the-mill live action adventure game, in a genre that can't really afford to phone it in. The decent price tag makes it at least a bit endearing for the curious, but fans will find The Complex to be an underwhelming movie and a forgettable game.
Bleeding Edge has a solid foundation as a melee-focused multiplayer action game that tries to appeal to the masses, but it is a bit short on content, and has a few notable issues that need resolving. Within such a highly competitive genre, hopefully changes arrive sooner rather than later, if the game is to have a shot at longevity.
The Political Machine 2020 doesn't really capture the magic and madness of the US presidential race. It looks better, and can offer a few rounds of strategic election planning, but on the whole it's a bit dull and lacking in variety compared to the previous version.
One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows may please some fans of the overpowered warrior, but the repetitive campaign missions, formulaic fighting mechanics, and underwhelming presentation will limit the appeal of this fighting game.
Taur has a few exciting moments and addictive progression elements to get you far into the campaign, but repetitive design, uneven difficulty, and unsatisfying combat eventually wear out its welcome.
Dreams is a creator-focused set of tools more so than a video game. If you've always wanted to get into game making, collaborate with the like-minded community, and weren't sure where to start, this is a great option. But if you're primarily after some quality gameplay, and not just bite-sized imitations, it's best to look elsewhere.
Kentucky Route Zero is an incredibly dull and over-embellished text adventure that fails to engage, entertain, or provide much value to anyone but perhaps the uppermost art connoisseurs.
The Touryst is a leisurely puzzle/adventure game that should satisfy those looking for something very light to play on the go. Everyone else might find the experience too trivial and forgettable, apart from the unique visuals.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts alters the course of this honed-in franchise to offer a tighter and more customizable sniping experience. It doesn't iron out all of the issues and lacks big innovations, but it's a solid fix for fans of the genre.
While packed with content, WRC 8 is a rally sim that struggles on the Switch due to poor presentation and the console's inherently unresponsive controls.
Death Stranding is less like a masterwork from a newly liberated veteran, and feels more like a debut effort of an imaginative and yet still unrefined game creator. Its convoluted story is propped up by a solid cast, and the very dull gameplay is just helped along by the well implemented multiplayer. It will only really appeal to fans of a very specific game subgenre, or those who enjoy unbridled narratives.