The complicated issues and themes hinted at in The Suicide of Rachel Foster present a haunting tale of digging up the past based on one's perspective. The start of the game hammers home Nicole's father as the leading cause of the death of teenager Rachel Foster, but when you first reach the hotel, the game's narrative focuses on her survival. Slowly day after day, things unwind, as memories come flooding back. A few plot twists are sprinkled throughout, but nothing should feel like a surprise once they happen if you are paying attention.
Shing! delivers a unique approach to the stagnant brawler genre, but still has room for improvements. When a lot of yōkai are on-screen, I found myself wagging the right analog stick like a mad man, attempting to handle so many foes at once. The whole point of advancing the genre is to avoid having to "mash buttons" or, in this case, "waggle." The additional challenges provide added value, and through great voice acting and funny dialogue, I cared about the characters by the time I finished the game.
Fight Crab's goofy premise, and at times cumbersome controls are all part of the charm. The game puts over 20 types of delicious crabs in front of you, battling to the death with oversized zany weapons. I couldn't help but chuckle the first time I faced off against a crab dual-wielding shotguns. The added online and local versus multiplayer and online co-op is a treat, especially considering how well the online mode works on Nintendo Switch.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the definitive experience of playing through two of the greatest games of all time. The modernization and enhancements across both means both games play similar (although purists have the option of reliving the control schemes from either THPS1 or THPS2), and that's not a bad thing considering the advancements the series has made. This bundle is precisely what THPS fans have been waiting for, ensuring once again The Birdman has the stamina for another run.
Mortal Shell may be a smaller Souls-like adventure, but the passion from the developers and unique mechanics results in one of the best entries in the genre.
Lovingly Evil is a charming visual novel dating sim with a humorous premise and well-written characters.
Nowhere Prophet is a single-player procedurally generated card battler with a brutal learning curve with critical decision making.
The remastered Destroy All Humans! visual enhancements and gameplay improvements make this the best way to experience the comical alien invasion of the 1950s.
Close to the Sun successfully crafts a tense narrative and world through visual storytelling.
NASCAR Heat 5 feels like the definitive edition of Heat 4, along with yearly team, roster, and track updates.
West of Dead provides an adequate challenge set across an intriguing premise.
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade may have fewer titles than the console collection; however, the original arcade games are such a pleasure to play.
Darius Cozmic Collection Console features a robust selection of the various Darius ports; however, there are some odd decisions. The amazing port of Darius included in the Sega Genesis Mini, which was based on a build that was initially canceled, is absent. I understand it didn't have a home release back in the day, but it is still one of the best ports of the original. I thought the inclusion of games from three different regions was smart, especially considering how popular the Sega Master System remained in Europe well into the life of the Mega Drive. It certainly must have been quite a task to convert/port the arcade games to home consoles over twenty years ago.
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition is the best way to experience Daedalic Entertainment’s first game. Playing on Nintendo Switch, I was floored with the new visuals (although you can play with the original graphics at any point). The new control scheme and UI work well, but I would have liked to see touch mechanics when playing the Switch in handheld mode. It’s a quirky adventure, with plenty of laughs, especially seeing Edna’s disturbed and dark mind interacting with everyone else who may or may not belong in the mental institution.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated proves that a great game is a great game regardless of age. The remaster of the campaign is phenomenal, with impressive improvements to the character models, textures, and environments. Some may be turned off by the overly saturated visuals, but it does match with the show's current look. Aside from Mr. Krabs and Mermaid Man, all of the original cast reprised their role in the initial release. The optional multiplayer horde mode disappoints, but it can easily be ignored and left untouched.
Beyond Blue's educational approach to studying sea life and learning about the various effects humanity has on life is outstanding. While marine biologists look to tag and consider these precious creatures' habits, learning about their behavior, family development, health, diseases, etc., some seem to disrupt and cause harm. The experience is relatively short; however, I genuinely enjoyed learning and scanning all of the inhabitants.
As an interactive Goosebumps experience, Cosmic Forces has successfully recreated the beloved children's series with Goosebumps Dead of Night. However, the game only lasts a handful of hours, and a small chunk of my time was spent replaying sections because I wanted to collect achievements along the way for dying to each monster.
Moonlighter: Between Dimensions adds new content to an already enjoyed experience without changing the formula. The new enemies, customer types, and mini-bosses are the highlight, especially when returning to the latest dungeon each night. The DLC is priced right for the amount of content included; make sure you are aware the majority of the substance requires you to complete the base game.
Get Packed is a charming cooperative game with wacky physics-based mayhem for up to four players offline or online. There are outfit pieces for the starting four characters and a couple of new characters to unlock. At least three new levels are coming soon, but it only gives the game 15 co-op stages. On a couple of occasions (during local multiplayer) I've experienced failure of both grab buttons for the entirety of a level, while other players were not affected.
Monster Train is a highly addicting deck-building game, with multiple clan(deck) types, and higher-level difficulties that'll have you playing for quite some time. The inclusion of online multiplayer mode provides further value, as you compete to see who can defeat heaven the fastest. If greater difficulties don't entice you, there are daily global challenges and custom challenges that let you design your own challenge and share it with friends. Not to mention, there are over 200 cards to unlock, and unique tactics to deploy based on your chosen clan combinations.