Ori and the Will of the Wisps is bigger and more polished than the original title. I can't recommend playing it before the original, if only because the plot relies on you having played the first game. Otherwise, this is an absolute must-play for fans of the genre. Some minor quibbles and a few annoying bugs hold it back, but hopefully, those will be addressed by the day-one patch. If you've been waiting for Will of the Wisps, you'll be extremely pleased.
Nioh 2 is going to be compared to Sekiro, but it is its own beast. It's an excellent follow-up to the original game, and it isn't any lesser for being compared to FromSoft's attempt at the samurai Soulsborne genre. The new features help keep the smooth gameplay feeling intense and exciting, and the various tweaks do wonders for keeping the game fresh. Its biggest flaw is being "more of the same," but the original game was fun enough that a fresh new set of enemies and items is worth a lot. Just be prepared to die a lot. A whole lot. As in, "I saw multiple corpses by the first enemy of the game."
The Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is a great collection. It contains six solid and enjoyable games with a lot of nice quality of life features that make this the definitive version of the game. The only real flaw is that the games have aged, and no smoothing filter can hide the jagged GBA pixels. If you can look past that, then this is a great addition to any Mega Man fan's collection, and if you missed these gems on the GBA or DS, then you owe it to yourself to give it a chance.
If you enjoy farming, collecting, and casual dungeon-crawling, it's hard to think of a game that does everything as well as Rune Factory 4 Special. It's still a seven-year-old game at heart, and it sometimes does feel dated.
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition for the Switch is the definitive version of arguably the best Devil May Cry game. Freestyle mode is a revelation that makes a great game even better, and the rest of the port is similarly top-notch. If you're a fan of the game or the franchise, then DMC3 for the Switch is absolutely worth the money. The party is really getting started now.
Does that make it worth $30? That's tough. In terms of gameplay, the new boss fights are a huge chunk of the challenging content, and they're a ton of fun to play. If you enjoyed Kingdom Hearts III's combat enough to want to see it at its best, then Re Mind is for you. The Organization XIII fights alone are worth the price of admission in this case. If not, then $30 is difficult to justify for what amounts to a couple of add-ons to cut scenes that you've seen before and boss fights that you might not be able to beat.
All in all, Patapon 2 Remastered is as bare-bones of a remaster as you can get of a fun game. It has nothing in the way of new features, and the lack of compensation for input lag means that like many older rhythm games, it can be borderline unplayable on some modern televisions. If you can get past that, you can find a lot to like in this adorable and surprisingly difficult little game. Just don't blame us if you hear "pon pon pata pon" in your sleep.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a solid, workmanlike zombie shooting game. It's quite fun to play and makes for an enjoyable co-op experience as you and a friend team up to buzzsaw your way through Hitler's legions. That's basically the beginning and end of it. If you want a game where you kill a lot of Nazi zombies, then Zombie War 4 provides. If you're looking for something more, then it doesn't. It's still a fun co-op experience and worth picking up if you're looking for something new to add to your gaming library.
JRPG fans hoping for something to tide them over until Persona 5 Royale should find a comfortable home in the weird world of Tokyo Mirage Sessions.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a solid Dragon Ball Z game that is dragged down largely by a lack of polish in some areas. The combat system is probably too repetitive, and the content is too shallow to be of much interest to non-fans, but it's the Dragon Ball Z game that fans have dreamed of as kids. It doesn't matter if it's punching Frieza or playing baseball; the game captures the spirit of Dragon Ball extremely well, even if the gameplay doesn't always keep up.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition is one of the best values that a JRPG fan can get on the Nintendo Switch. The games are fun if not particularly special, but they scratch the "got to catch 'em all" itch. They're marred by some issues, like inconsistent difficulty and a dodgy translation, but nothing ruins the experience. If you're a Digimon fan or just RPG faithful looking for something new to try, it's worth giving Cyber Sleuth a shot.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is a solid by-the-books Atelier title. It does everything pretty well, and its only real flaws are a somewhat lackluster story and an overall low difficulty level. If you like the Atelier titles, then you'll like this one, and if you're interested in getting into the franchise, this is a solid starting point. There's no lack of Atelier games to play, but Ryza is one of the more enjoyable ones available. Besides, who doesn't like crafting a bomb so powerful that it blows up a dragon?
In my opinion, Disco Elysium is the game of the year for 2019. It shows how you can make creative, engaging, and well-written games entirely using writing and player choice without falling into the simple "visual novel" style. It's biting, clever, and witty, and it deserves to take its place among Planescape and Fallout: New Vegas. It's a must-play for any fans of RPGs and a genuine modern classic that will hopefully set the stage for many things to come.
Greedfall is a tough game to judge. It's neither bad nor great. It comes staggeringly close to greatness in a number of areas, but it just lacks the polish or ambition to go further. If you're looking for a nostalgic trip back to the mid-2000s style of WRPGs, then you'll find a lot to like in Greedfall. It's worth a shot if you're a fan of that style of games. In a year that gave us titles like Disco Elysium, it's difficult to be particularly impressed by something that is merely standard.
All in all, The Surge 2 is a great game to pick up if you're looking for a more arcade-like take on the Dark Souls formula. It's a fun and engaging game with a solid combat system and enjoyable mechanics, and it's only dragged down by a mediocre story and lackluster environments. With the excellent improvements from The Surge to The Surge 2, the franchise is well on its way to standing tall in the Soulsborne genre. It's well worth playing if you're an aficionado of this genre and don't mind dying a few times.
Shenmue III is a game for the fans … and only for the fans. It feels like what would have happened if the Shenmue series had continued on the Dreamcast. This is delightful if you were hoping for a continuation of the franchise, but unfortunately, the appeal stops there for most casual players. If you're a fan of playing old, quirky games, you'll find something to like here, but if you can't tell Shenmue from Shamu, you probably won't understand the hype. It's nice to revisit a long-dead franchise, but if Shenmue IV gets made, one can only hope that it's slightly more ambitious.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is at once a really fun game and a disappointment. It has a lot of great new features, excellent new Pokémon, some much-needed quality of life improvements, and is generally a solid Pokémon title. However, the first console outing feels like it should've been more impressive, especially given the reduced Pokedex. If you're a fan of Pokémon, you'll enjoy Sword and Shield a lot, and if it's your first Pokémon, it's a good way to experience the franchise's high points. If you're a longtime fan hoping for the Breath of the Wild of Pokémon games, you'll be disappointed.
Terminator: Resistance is reminiscent of the days when tie-in games were released with practically every action movie. It's playable, but it's forgettable. It's fun to get your chance to shoot Terminators in the face and see John Connor being John Connor (instead of the mess he became in the various sequels), but beyond that, there's not much to recommend it. If you're a die-hard Terminator fan who is eager for a chance to visit the future of the original movies, then it might be worth a go. It's difficult to recommend for anyone else, though.
At the end of the day, that is what will determine whether Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is right for you. Are you looking for a Wii-style minigame collection to play at parties or with friends? If so, this title fits the bill exactly. If you're looking for a challenging single-player experience, you still won't find that here. In many ways, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is as straightforward of an update as you can get. Its primary purpose was to bring Olympic-style events to the Switch for the first time. If that's what you're looking for, then you'll be happy with this Mario & Sonic outing.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is a charming, delightful and enjoyable game. It doesn't break any molds or do anything particularly new, but it executes the gameplay with almost perfect precision. The only really flaw is the lackluster combat, which is at odds with the rest of the excellent experience. If you enjoyed the original Luigi's Mansion or are looking for a fun adventure with a certain green plumber, this is the game for you.