Dragon Quest Builders 2 does everything right for a sequel to an excellent title. The core mechanics have been improved, so basic building remains engaging, while the minor issues with deconstruction and weapon management have been ironed out. This is especially true of combat, which feels much better than before. The addition of multiplayer is absolutely welcome, but it's limited to one island and there's no way to play the whole campaign this way. DQB2 is a treat that is just as good as the first game, and it's highly recommended for RPG fans with an itch for building and lots of time to burn.
Cursed Castilla EX remains a fantastic and tough platformer. The look is authentically retro, and the controls are as tight as ever. The challenge is ever-present, but nothing feels unfair, except for the requirements to get the "good" ending. The game feels like it comes in at just the right length. For adventure platformer fans, Cursed Castilla EX certainly belongs in their library.
Mech Rage is a game that you play out of curiosity or because you want something that wraps up quickly. It does the shooting elements well enough, but some fights can feel like slogs due to the puny amount of damage you deliver. The overall length of the game is very short, but that ends up being a positive given the generic story and the lack of variety in the presentation. The title isn't easy to recommend unless you can find it on sale.
That's probably a good way to sum up The Raven Remastered: serviceable but underwhelming. The title shows plenty of promise with its characters and story, but the sluggish gameplay, questionable acting, and mediocre audiovisual presentation drag it down. Mystery fans and avid Christie book readers will find something to like with The Raven's narrative, but the rougher edges make it a tough experience to recommend to all but the most dedicated and patient of players.
Your appreciation of Gods Remastered is going to come down to whether you're familiar with the original. By today's standards, the general movement and combat is clunky, and the enemy appearances can be considered cheap. However, changing any of this would run the risk of destroying the memories that old players have of the title. If you've played the game before, this will be a nice nostalgia kick. Otherwise, new players might be better served elsewhere unless they are really into retro titles, warts and all.
Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition won't win over any new fans due to the core act of long battles against hapless minions, but existing fans will love the sheer amount of content here. With the many long modes available and all of the DLC present, this title offers some real value, and while the presentation isn't breathtaking, it is good enough to keep up with the relentless action. For fans of the series, DW8 on the Switch is well worth picking up.
Golf Peaks is a gem of a puzzle game. Everything — its controls, presentation, and premise — indicates simplicity, but the ingenious puzzles won't let you breeze through this. It's an addictive enough title because of this, and while this is light on content, its relaxing nature means you won't mind too much. If you need a game that acts as a nice break from the longer and more stressful titles on the system, Golf Peaks is it.
Your enjoyment of Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is going to be dependent on how much you value the lore of the series. As this contains both the early wacky adventures and introspections of each of the shinobi, fans of the characters will love the treatment. Otherwise, the combat holds up, even without the use of items and combo moves. Although the other modes are filler, the presentation looks and sounds excellent. If you're a fan of the series but didn't play this game on the 3DS, Burst Re:Newal is worth checking out.
Guns 'n' Stories: Bulletproof VR is a disappointment.
R-Type Dimensions EX is a solid tweaking of a remaster that was pleasing to begin with. The original titles are classics, and while their difficulty is well known, the tweaks and additions make this more accessible to new players by getting them interested in playing the game the right way. There's already plenty of good shooters on the Switch system, but EX is still a great addition to that growing genre library.
Blood & Truth ends up being a strong title that adds more value to the PSVR platform. It may just be an evolution of the light gun game, but the immersion and action movie sensibilities coupled with a better-than-expected story for the genre does wonders as far as making it stand out among other VR titles. Provided you can handle the bouts of motion sickness, Blood & Truth is a VR game that's worth experiencing.
Assault Spy is a hidden gem that you rarely see nowadays. It may look a little unpolished at times, but the combat system feels so good that you won't mind much about the aesthetics. The main campaign with Asaru may feel short to some since it clocks in at about six hours, but the unlockable difficulty levels and a different story perspective for Amelia gives the game some longevity that most don't expect from a game developed by just one person. Assault Spy is a great complement to any Platinum Games title, and fast-action fans should check it out.
Just Deal With It is an example of a title that just wasn't planned out well. The inclusion of online play is fine, but it's wasted since there hasn't been an online community to speak of since the game's launch. The forced multiplayer means that there's no real way for players to learn the games on their own, and the use of power-ups feels arbitrary. Unless you want a more expensive way to play these games with friends locally, your best bet would be to check out YouTube tutorials for these games and break out a physical deck of cards.
Genesis Alpha One is a game with some good ideas but no elegant way to execute them all. The merging of ship building and exploration is quite good once you understand how to do it. DNA splicing is also a neat little touch, but it doesn't fix the fact that the clones are as dumb as bricks and about half as useful. Planetary exploration feels fine, but the gunplay is undercooked. All in all, there's a decent title here if you're able to overcome all of its issues.
Katana Zero is a mesmerizing title. The narrative twists and turns in odd ways, and the payoff is both open and satisfying. The action is crisp if you can commit everything to memory well enough to create small, bloody masterpieces. With a familiar yet attractive presentation, Kata Zero feels right at home on the indie-loving machine that is the Nintendo Switch.
Everybody's Golf VR feels like a good first step in getting the sport on to a new technology. Once you get used to the controls — specifically controlling the shot direction and amount of power needed — you'll find the game to be very immersive due to its presentation.
As a stand-alone title, Knowledge is Power: Decades is fine. The mechanics taken from the first game still hold up well enough, and the small improvements give the game some more depth, such as the ability to remove power-ups and the new modes that remove trivia questions or challenge rounds. The easy and straightforward questions and the small selection of available decades make this feel like it should be DLC instead of a full-fledged game. Decades is a better purchase if you didn't pick up the first game, as owners of that are better off waiting for a big sale before adding this to the rotation.
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a pleasant surprise during a season that usually has few significant releases. The story starts off in a fascinating way, and despite a few bumps along the way, the game maintains a player's curiosity throughout its runtime. The mechanics are great, especially since the title doesn't have many of the expected drawbacks, and it's all reinforced by an excellent all-around presentation. For those who want a rich story and strong gameplay, A Plague Tale is definitely worth checking out.
Rage 2 is an engaging game that's hindered by a number of annoyances.
Despite this, Nairi: Tower of Shirin remains a charming and engaging point-and-click adventure game. The story is conveyed well via good writing, with enough twists and revelations that make it feel like a children's show due to the subject matter and higher stakes involved. The puzzles are great brain teasers but also have the good sense to not fall into the trap of being difficult for the sake of it. Most of all, that art style is too attractive to pass up, with every character being extremely likeable. Provided you don't mind the cliffhanger ending, Nairi is a worthy pickup for adventure fans.