Looking back at it, Man of Medan isn’t the awesome successor to Until Dawn we wanted, but it’s a good step to delivering that successor. While it inherits a similar structure – and it’s bizarre performance issues – it just isn’t as enthralling as what came before. Some routes are disjointed and the cast and environment aren’t as interesting as the sassy clique that fought off the Wendigos, but it’s still a strong horror experience that makes for a fantastic co-op experience. The look on your friend’s face when you accidentally kill his character is one you’ll never forget.
Control is one of Remedy’s Entertainment’s most inventive and captivating titles yet. For those still bummed out over the disappointing Quantum Break, Remedy has done well to improve on everything that upset players before. There’s more of everything: combat, content, style and story. This is the proud return of Remedy: distanced from the cold grasp of television, this is a full, lengthy title that always entertains.This is one of Remedy’s best.
For those of you who love a challenge, Double Fine’s charming adventure is far from an easy game. With devious bosses, dastardly platforming challenges and that ever-so-engaging roguelike butt-kicking, RAD is another fantastic title coming out of Double Fine.
Unless you're a fan of the anime, Kill La Kill: IF is not the game for you. While the story mode is beautifully presented, it's not as lengthy or engaging as the hours-long experiences offered by other arena fighters. While the potential of an Arc System Works arena fighter sounds promising, this 3D fighting game ends up being a bigger disappointment than many of its contemporaries. The visuals are pristine, the animation is gorgeous, but everything else feels barren. Kill La Kill: IF feels like a budget title – too bad it costs $50.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a 'Walking Simulator' that doesn't just tell an unforgettable story – it's genuinely unforgettable. As tragic as its tale is, it always manages to entertain. As one section ends and as you fight back tears, you'll always carry on, because the next story is as engrossing as the last. If you want a strong feature-length story that doesn't waste a minute, Edith Finch is the one you need.
There's no doubt that Graveyard Keeper is a fun game every now and again; there are bright nuggets of gold sporadically hidden within it. It's the video game equivalent of Now, That's What I Call Music: you get it for a few good hits and deal with the fluff in-between. However, if you're looking for a strong competitor to Stardew Valley or Rune Factory, this doesn't quite hit the mark.
There’s always fun, albeit repetitive fun, to be had. It’s a perfect match for the Nintendo Switch, it’s a match made in Mars.
There’s no hiding the fact that Spider-Man: Far From Home VR is an advertisement. It feels cheap and bare—a budget version of what a Spider-Man game could be. Just like with Homecoming VR, you can see more potential here than what developer CreateVR is letting on: you’re given the prospect of actually being Spider-Man but it’s only just a tease. Then again, it’s free, so go wild.
Without a doubt, The Sinking City is the best Lovecraft game we’ve ever seen. It’s still not a perfect title—for some reason, none are—but it’s a damn fun time as a Lovecraftian private eye. Hopefully, Frogwares will follow up with another Lovecraft title with stronger combat. But if investigating eldritch horrors in an entirely unique game world is what you’re after, you need to play this despite its flaws.
After four years of development time, Koji Igarashi has created the game that fans have craved for years. It’s a love letter, not so much to Castlevania itself but to the fans that helped him distance from publisher Konami. Ritual of the Night is not a perfect game, but it’s a bloody good game. If you’re craving for a new Metoridvania, or IGA-Vania, then this is definitely a title to put on your shelf… or digital library.
Slender: The Arrival is far from the greatest horror game on Nintendo Switch. With the likes of Outlast 2, Layers of Fear, and Resident Evil to compete against, this bland and bare horror title shows its true colours separated from the hype of 2013. Unlike the mystical powers of the Slenderman, there's nothing compelling here in the slightest, unless you like looking at poorly rendered forestry.
My Friend Pedro is at the forefront of sidescrolling action. While it will undoubtedly take a while to fully get to grips with its controls, the time investment is worthwhile. As soon as you finish, you’ll be returning to prior levels in an attempt to beat your score. It’s an addicting, adrenaline-fuelled, action-packed adventure that ends just a little bit too soon.
Team Sonic Racing is one of the best kart racers you can get, outside of the obvious Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It’s a brilliant entry in the genre, and a fantastic effort from Sumo Digital. While the exclusion of classic SEGA characters outside of the Sonic franchise is a bit of a let-down, this is the best Sonic racer money can buy.
Radiation City is shovelware, to put it bluntly. Within the entirety of its (admittedly large) open world, there isn't a single original idea to be found. The ideas it copies from its contemporaries aren't well implemented either. If you're looking for an enjoyable open-world zombie game, look somewhere else. If you just want a thrilling undead experience, check out Resident Evil.
Hue is an interesting title. It's unique and striking, but it always feels just a hair's breadth away from true brilliance. The few moments of exasperation after finding your way out of a confusing situation are some of the best a game of this type could possibly have, but they happen so rarely throughout the four-or-so hour running time that their impact is dulled. Hue could have been something more, but what's here is engaging enough if you're gasping for an inventive indie puzzler.
Void Bastards is full of personality—it’s also exploding with uniqueness. If you’re looking for a gorgeous survival title with unique gameplay, stellar visuals, a grand sense of humour and actually wants you to beat it; there isn’t much better than Void Bastards.
Crystal Crisis isn't going to dethrone the kings of the falling block genre anytime soon. It's a solid puzzler with a heart of gold, but it doesn't have the decades of improvements that its peers have. With a solid amount of content, an amazing cast of characters and fantastic presentation, though, we recommend this as a fun alternative if you tire of Tetris 99.
Straight out of a time portal, Super Magic Cane Zero feels like an XBLA game that never was.
Sniper Elite has only evolved since this game’s original version, but the foundations here are still strong.
A gorgeous and macabre tale that doesn’t shy away from its more fantastical underlying narrative. It’s not a perfect game, it definitely feels rather last-gen in some of its moment-to-moment gameplay, but an unforgettable story and unique mechanics hold it up high.