Who would have thought that a crossover of Mario and the Rabbids would be so damn fun to play? I thoroughly enjoyed my time venturing across the Mushroom Kingdom and taking part in tactical battles, with the accessible nature of combat proving to be entertaining even for newbies to the strategy genre. Add to the that the stunning visuals, the constant introduction of new mechanics, and the challenging yet fair difficulty curve and it’s hard not find yourself totally absorbed in Ubisoft’s bizarrely brilliant concoction. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle offers a fresh and unique experience that stands out as one of the Nintendo Switch’s best titles.
Whilst there have been plenty of these interactive narrative titles released on VR platforms, none have captured my attention or have felt as thought-provoking Manifest 99 – the fact that I still think about it days after completing it shows how much of a one of a kind experience it really is. Admittedly, there’s not a whole lot there to bring you back for repeated playthroughs, but seeing everything play out just the once will be enough to leave its mark on you. Add to that the fact that it’s available for such a low price point and it’s easy to recommend Manifest 99’s emotional journey to just about anyone.
At the start of this review I questioned whether UFC 3 was the best entry in the series so far, and without a shadow of a doubt I can say the answer is yes. Not only does the game feel more authentic than ever with its improved visuals and striking, but it also features a career mode that’s genuinely exciting and a whole host of brand new features that improve the game ten-fold. It still has its flaws here and there, with the ground and grappling game a little underwhelming and some aspects of the Ultimate Team mode a little uninspired (for me anyway), but this really is the best MMA game that EA have ever released and one that embraces the excitement of the sport both in and out of the octagon. Whether you’re a casual fan, a hardcore mixed martial arts enthusiast, or even if you just love Conor McGregor – you won’t regret giving UFC 3 a purchase.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a brilliant addition to what is already a spectacular game, with the new story content proving a treat to play through and the three additional characters all adding something uniquely enjoyable to the experience. It’s just a shame that it’s so pricey, with the £34.99 price tag proving quite hefty, especially since the base game can be picked up for much cheaper. Still, there’s no doubting the quality of the content in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath and it certainly makes for a VERY good reason to re-visit NetherRealm Studio’s dazzling fighter once again. Here’s hoping that the team will continue to support the game in the future, and who knows, maybe we’ll see more top-notch content coming to Mortal Kombat 11 in the future…
What the Golf is a brilliantly silly take on the sport of golf, with its ingeniously chaotic level design and countless nods to other video games making for one hell of a good time. Of course, those looking for a serious golfing sim will probably want to steer clear, but players that are itching for a creative and outrageously fun experience on their Nintendo Switch will DEFINITELY want to give What the Golf a whirl.
Superliminal offers a puzzling experience that isn’t only unique and ingenious in design, but also a hell of a lot of fun to play. Best of all, it really feels at home on the Nintendo Switch, with the port offering slick visuals that certainly make the game’s weird and wonderful world a sight to behold in the palm of your hands. A few sketchy puzzles towards the backend of the game do see Superliminal falling slightly short of puzzling perfection, but anyone who appreciates a game full of clever and unique puzzling enigmas will DEFINITELY want to give the game a play.
Ratchet and Clank are PlayStation icons, with their futuristic escapades giving 3D-adventuring masterclasses ever since the PlayStation 2 days. I remember playing and loving the original game, whilst every entry since has been top class too. They have been welcome faces on the platform since 2002, with their adventures certainly standing the test of time.
When playing Ghost Recon Wildlands in single player you’ll find it offers an enjoyable action-packed experience that never does anything bad, but can feel a little repetitive at times. It never stops being enjoyable though, whilst the atmospheric surroundings that Bolivia offers will simply astound you at times. However, there are certainly better single player games out right now that I’d recommend over Ghost Recon Wildlands. When you jump into the multiplayer mode though it’s a totally different experience. I’ve mentioned it once already and I’ll say it again – I really think that Ghost Recon Wildlands’ co-op action is some of the best I’ve experienced in any video game. You might be doing the same things as you do in the single player campaign, but when carefully orchestrating these operations with a group of friends it becomes one of the most enthralling multiplayer experiences you’ll have in a video game. It really is that good. If you’re looking for a single player experience there is fun to be had with Ghost Recon Wildlands, but it’s not the game’s strongest point. If you’re looking for some co-op multiplayer action though, you simply NEED to play Ghost Recon Wildlands.
There’s no doubting that Berserk and the Band of the Hawk won’t be for everyone – the fact that it’s a Musou game alone will make it a divisive title for gamers. Those who enjoy the games though will find it one of the finest Musou titles to have been released for some time. Everything about ‘Berserk’ works perfectly within the genre, with the series’ brutal combat and massive scale of battles portrayed perfectly in the game. The lack of multiplayer options and the small character roster is a disappointment, but it doesn’t do enough to take anything away from what is otherwise an enthralling experience for both veteran ‘Berserk’ fans and newcomers to the series. There’s hours of savage entertainment to be had with Berserk and the Band of the Hawk and I can’t see myself putting the game down for quite awhile.
After loving Life is Strange when it originally released, I’d been intrigued to see where they would go with Before the Storm. Prequels haven’t always been successful after all, so I didn’t know if it’d still manage to offer the same emotionally-driven experience that I’d loved so much back in 2015. Thankfully, Deck Nine have managed to deliver something that might not have as grand a stage set, but somehow manages to feel a lot more human and, at times, more enjoyable than its predecessor in the process. There’s no huge looming disaster in Life is Strange: Before the Storm; instead, it’s a tale of two girls, their blossoming relationship, and the believable trials and tribulations they face as part of growing up. Whilst anyone who has played the first game knows that it can all end tragically, you don’t have to think about any of that here and it makes for a truly poignant experience. The choices you make, the situations you find yourself in, the ways you interact with the world – everything comes together perfectly to make Life is Strange: Before the Storm a very enjoyable and worthy prequel to the original game.
Marvel’s Iron Man VR delivers an excellent action-packed experience that really allows players to see how fricking brilliant it’d be to be Tony Stark. Besides the fact that the Iron Man suit itself is intuitively designed to feel satisfying to use whether you’re simply flying around or blasting away at enemies with its vast arsenal, the game also just so happens to offer an engaging storyline and genuinely enjoyable missions to complete too. Some loading issues and the occasional performance hiccup do see the game falling a little short in some aspects of its design, but for the most part it really captures the vibe of being Iron Man perfectly. Marvel’s Iron Man VR is simply the best representation of being a superhero that I’ve played in virtual reality.
Shadow Warrior 2 is a sequel in the most truest of senses, offering something that feels fresh and new whilst still offering the same top notch action that returning gamers would have been used to. Some might not necessarily like the game’s new direction, but I loved it and would thoroughly recommend Shadow Warrior 2 to both FPS and dungeon crawling fans – you certainly won’t feel shafted by Wang’s latest outing.
I could tell from the moment I first saw the game that a lot of love has been poured into the creation of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom, and it really tells in the final product – it’s a thoroughly entertaining adventure that mixes up exciting battling with the exploration of luscious worlds. The combination of combat, platforming, and puzzling will keep you hooked from start to end. It does stutter a little with some balance issues in combat and a story that never grips you in, but the fact that the game is so much fun trumps these issues. It’s a great effort that brings together a multitude of different genres into one fantastic package – here’s hoping we’ll see more from the awe-inspiring world of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom soon.
Puyo Puyo Tetris amalgamates two classic puzzlers into one enjoyable package, mixing up elements from both games to offer a charmingly addictive experience. It’s a breath of fresh air for gamers who have been used to seeing more of the same from both releases over the years, with each aspect of the game feeling distinctly old-school but also surprisingly refreshing at the same time. It’s nice to see it coming together and working so well – I’d have easily wrote off a mixture of Puyo Puyo and Tetris as an outlandish idea, but it’s surprising how well both games compliment each other. With plenty of games modes, a lengthy single player adventure, and both local and online multiplayer to play through too, Puyo Puyo Tetris offers plenty of enjoyable fun to keep you busy for a long time. Just get ready to lose online… a lot…
I’ve already mentioned in this review that Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles won’t be for everyone and it’s something that I think is worth reiterating once more. Its focus on offering a tranquil experience that encourages relaxation and trudging along at your own pace won’t be exciting enough for all gamers, whilst the lack of combat and emphasis on crafting will leave some bored after just a couple of hours. There’s simply no hiding from the fact that it’s a very unique, divisive title. Those who enjoy the simplicities that the game offers will love it though, with Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles offering a sense of depth that always remains accessible from start to end. I loved discovering all the beautiful sights of the world, taking on different professions to craft all-new items, fishing and farming, and simply taking in everything that the game had to offer. It’s a wholly refreshing experience that might not be exhilarating, but will certainly warm your heart whilst playing. Its simple yet enjoyable nature won’t be for everyone, but it most certainly was for me.
Heave Ho is an utter delight to play, with its co-operative and outright zany take on being a trapeze artist making (kind of?) for a uniquely fun escapade. It’s a bit tough to recommend as a single player experience as it loses a lot of its charm when playing solo, so it’s definitely a case of ‘the more, the merrier’. If you can get some friends to join you though, you’re in for heck of a good time (and maybe the occasional argument if one of you gets slippery fingers…)
Alien: Isolation is a blast to play on the Nintendo Switch, with its frightening gameplay mechanics and incredibly atmospheric setting helping it establish itself as one of the best horror titles to release on the system. Sure, it has its flaws and I do think the game is a little longer than it needs to be, but being pursued by the Xenomorph is still as intense and daunting now as it was when the game first released five years ago – plus, you can do it all on the go now… what more could you want? Nintendo Switch gamers that are eager for some intense and utterly terrifying action won’t be disappointed by Alien: Isolation.
I thoroughly enjoyed my twenty-hour adventure through South Park: The Fractured but Whole, with the game offering plenty of the things I loved about The Stick of Truth but also evolving upon the formula with its new premise and its surprisingly deep combat mechanics. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to be partaking in some epic in-depth RPG action with complicated systems in place, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game actually had more than enough unique ideas of its own and never just relied upon the brand to do the hard work. There are so many zany and outright disturbing things I could talk about in this review, but the absurdity of South Park: The Fractured but Whole is best appreciated when witnessed yourself. It really is something special and those who love the show (or have a very juvenile sense of humour) will have a smile on their face from the start up until the very end. There are a few flaws in place, both technical and from a gameplay perspective, but in all South Park: The Fractured but Whole offers an entertaining adventure that’ll keep both fans of the show and gamers alike enthralled until the end credits. Just stay away if you’re easily offended…
Crawl hooked me in from the get-go thanks to its unique take on dungeon-crawling, with the constant shift between playing the hero and the enemy proving incredibly entertaining – especially when playing with three other friends. It’s certainly a whole lot different to the norm as far as the genre is concerned and it makes for something that never seems to stop being fun to play. The single player isn’t as fun as playing with friends and there could be a few balance issues here and there, but in all Crawl stands out as a must-own title for Nintendo Switch owners who love a unique take on competitive (and at times co-operative) local multiplayer action.
‘The Engima’ offers a great action-packed introduction to Batman: The Enemy Within, with the main players of the season clearly established along with some exciting teases of what’s to come. The action sequences were top notch, the decisions you had to make tense, and the overall presentation as dark and gritty as you’d expect from the depths of Gotham City – it really is a fine showing for the Caped Crusader. The frustrating issues that come with Telltale Games’ releases were present and I did feel like a few tricks were missed with the game’s puzzling, but overall it’s got me incredibly excited to see what’s going to happen next. It’s a welcome return to Batman – The Telltale Series, and Episode Two can’t come soon enough…