Light Fall shows potential with its central premise and its core mechanic, but short levels, a run-of-the-mill story, and an all-too-brief campaign make it feel like there's some unrealized potential here.
Tropical Freeze isn't perfect by any means, but having run through it a second time, I feel like it's aged well in the last four years. The challenge can be soul-crushing, but it's satisfying to finally make it across that one jump or beat that one boss. There are enough tools available to make the journey a little bit easier this time around, but not so much to completely diminish the challenge outright.
God of War was never the deepest experience, especially with what feels like limited enemy types. But the PlayStation 4 makes up for this in spades with an incredibly vast world and a heartwarming story. Beyond Kratos and Atreus, the game is filled with some surprisingly lovable characters. On top of that, finishing the main story doesn't truly feel like the end. While previous games made it feel like treading old territory to find everything, the post-game in this God of War makes it feel like the world has truly opened up.
Kirby Star Allies is a brilliant Nintendo Switch debut for the pink puffball, bringing his accessible and lovable brand of side-scrolling platformer to a new console. The friend mechanic adds to the formula tremendously, especially when human friends are involved.
There's so much to love about Pit People, it's hard to nail its single best quality. The simple-to-pick-up strategy gameplay is fantastic, as are the options to make it tougher through the Insane Difficulty toggle or through enabling Permadeath. There's the off-the-wall humor, filled with one-liners, anachronisms, and even the gibberish voices that sound like the Canadians from South Park invaded. There's the mind-blowing amount of recruitable allies and the room for experimentation. And there's the co-op aspect of the game, which leaves room for a friend.
Way of the Passive Fist is an imaginative twist on a classic genre. It's fun to imagine a hero that can go through an entire warrior's journey without laying a hand on anyone… mostly. (The Wanderer's special attacks are a power punch, body slam, and gravity-powered explosion.) The idea isn't to beat everyone to a pulp, it's to rhythmically withstand everything that everyone else can dish out.
Fe's charm is in its concept and its songs, as I learned new songs with different pitches and tones, and learned to communicate with new wildlife. It also has flashes of visual brilliance, thanks to its use of soothing water color landscapes. But a humdrum story, lack of direction, and inconsistent controls didn't leave me wanting an encore.
Those who are looking for one of the year's first true single-player challenges should look no further than Celeste. The team at Matt Makes Games has crafted a tough, yet not entirely unfair platformer, one wrapped in a touching narrative with some memorable characters. It's clear that a lot of heart went into writing the story, while it's also clear that Matt Thorson put his best level design foot forward. Some of the areas in Celeste were very reminiscent of some of his Super Mario Maker work, in terms of gimmicks, precision jumping, tricks, and difficulty.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a beautiful journey through Chloe Price's teenage years. It's a brilliant exploration of what happens when a directionless teenager meets a special person that changes the course of their life forever. It's a journey that explores the themes of loss, love, finding one's self, and whether the road to happiness ultimately lies in truth.
Beyond the core multi-person battles, Gang Beasts has little else to offer. There's almost nothing for solo players to truly sink their teeth into for an extended period and local multiplayer starts to get old after a while without the ability to add bots. That only leaves online play as the best way to experience Gang Beasts as it should be played, but playing online is a rocky prospect at the moment.
It's Quiz Time has some first season growing pains. Salli as a host doesn't quite work as well as she should, even if her personalization efforts are top-notch. Her robotic presentation starts to feel like an overwhelming negative at times and her repetitive mannerisms don't help.
Super Mario Odyssey is an incredible game for any fan of the platforming genre.
Cuphead is a joyful flashback to a bygone era, both in terms of animation and in terms of crushing video game difficulty. It's easy to get lost in this gorgeous cartoon world and get overtaken by the sheer beauty and whimsy of the game's characters. Then the intensity picks up and it becomes one of the most challenging video game experiences of the year.
In spite of its shortcomings, Destiny 2 shines thanks to its replayability. There are many different ways to enjoy the game, both alone and with friends. As a solo player, I've even come to familiarize myself with different players, as we went through a Strike mission and later attempted and failed the Leviathan Raid. (Advice: Do not attempt the Leviathan Raid with strangers.)
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has some noteworthy kinks, but for all of its warts, it still feels like a Marvel game at its core. And while it's not always pleasant to look at, it's still every bit as fun to play as its predecessors. Capcom even seems to have gone the extra mile with its netcode, as I experienced minimal lag during all of my online matches.
Nidhogg II is a case where bigger isn't always better. It's like trying to improve on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sure, it's possible to add things to it, but the PB&J isn't something that really needs improving.
While Boss Key doesn't quite have an instant classic on its hands, there are enough cool ideas like anti-gravity combat in place that there's a sense of a foundation for something truly great.
Tacoma lays the foundation for a truly great story, but a short length and some unexplored ideas leave it feeling lacking.
Arms sessions are quick, fun, and satisfying. With easy-to-pick-up mechanics, solid stage design, and quirky characters, Arms genuinely feels like a fun and different addition to the fighting game genre. More than that, it feels like just the kind of game that makes the Nintendo Switch itself feel fun and different.
While Tekken 7 doesn't offer a lot of varied game modes, it excels with the ones that it does feature. The fighting features enough new additions and familiarity to appease experts, while remaining as accessible as ever for newcomers. On top of that, the numerous customization options ensure that there's always something worth fighting for, in-between trying to prove dominance online. The Mishima Saga carries on the series legacy in the sense that it's a mess of a story, but even that spotlights how well Tekken's visuals have adapted to the new generation of hardware. With an iron fist, Tekken 7 proves that it deserves to stand with the best in the genre.