While I see potential in Sonic Forces, the execution just isn't there, especially with the Switch edition. In the future I really hope Sega reinvents the wheel, taking a more Mario Odyssey adventure approach. The whole level-based 3D "thing" hasn't worked out so frequently that it's worth a shot.
The Frozen Wilds doesn't feel like a must-play add-on, but it's more Horizon Zero Dawn. It's something you can enjoy once or stack with New Game+ runs when you inevitably play through it again. In other words, an actual expansion.
Despite all of the minor gameplay upgrades in Super Lucky's Tale, I actually had a better time playing as Lucky in VR last year. It was really cool to be able to "peek" around things and control the camera yourself, and despite all of the claims that "platformers don't benefit from VR" I couldn't disagree more. If stripping that is what Playful Corp needs to do to reach a bigger audience so be it, but a version with optional VR would have been ideal.
I was really torn in assessing Assassin's Creed Origins, as it hits several of the same lows as the rest of the series, with its sometimes uneven mission structure and janky physics. But given that they now have the formula down to a science and didn't rush it out the door, all of that is a little easier to deal with than its predecessors. It was a big risk trying so many new things at once, but it worked, and the setting carries it.
Has there ever been a bad 3D Mario game? Many would reserve that honor for Super Mario Sunshine (my least favorite), but it's a far cry from a failure. No, before shipping any iteration of its flagship franchise, Nintendo ensures that a proper level of care goes into its plumber, and that streak of quality still remains unbroken with Super Mario Odyssey.
With the power to pick up the Switch tablet and storm through History on the go, Fire Emblem Warriors is still going to get some play in my house despite its issues. It follows a set formula with very little in the way of risk-taking, but so long as you can stomach the idea of warring kingdoms with very little at stake other than your level-up bar, it'll probably delight you too. With some DLC meat on these bones it'll likely be a long, wild ride.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War has a lot of fluff that attempts to sabotage it, but the game succeeds in its effort to make its world worth roaming around and killing things in. Although I wasn't enthralled by the silly story beats that try to dance around telling an actual epic and somber tale, the ability to create my own stories with an expanded level of gameplay was more than sufficient to call this a step up.
For many, tacking playable goons onto Superstar Saga won't be enough to revisit the world of Beanbean Kingdom mostly because the campaign is still the same uneven adventure it was before. But even though many will see the minion angle as a throwaway, I loved creating and molding my own little army bit by bit, and found it to be a worthwhile distraction.
The selfless girl of A Hat in Time is not only a great role model, but she forges her own identity as a true mascot, with subtle notes of likable heroes like Dr. Who (complete with her own time-manipulating Tarvis). Any game that makes me smile while I'm glued to it is a great one.
Say what you will about some of these ancillary modes not being included in Nioh as a baseline, but I've gotten more out of the game than almost anything released this year. To see Team Ninja add to it, a project that was already a hardcore action game that mostly does its own thing while building on its predecessors has restored my faith in them as a developer. I can't wait to see what they're up to next.
I feel like Capcom finally was able to settle on a formula that doesn't feel too experimental, while at the same time not being so safe that it's a bore. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is sterile on the surface, but a functional as hell fighter. I'm fine with that. Are you?
Maybe the next 2D Metroid will take more chances, but Returns is far better than I expected it to be. The faux magic system, while shallow, adds some panache to the action, as do the combat animations that work within the confines of the engine.
Darkside Detective is a quirky, sometimes overly so, adventure game with simple but enjoyable puzzles that's over before you know it.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was an acceptable ride from start to finish, but that just isn't enough. It didn't hit the same lows as Ghosts, but it really exposed how long in the tooth Infinity Ward is getting. If Sledgehammer's WWII has a strong debut, they'll without question be the weakest of the three, and Retribution hasn't really helped their case. Saved by the zombies!
Destiny 2 commits a lot of the same sins as its father, but it succeeded in doing something the original never did -- make roaming around the open world fun and rewarding. It still has a lot of room to evolve with expansions and major updates, but the future is looking brighter than it once was.
I wasn't super impressed by Monster Hunter Stories but I don't think the developers intended for it to be a game-changer. It's an above-average RPG infused with some of the cuteness of the Monster Hunter universe, with portability to boot.
Knack II has the bones of a good platformer and a hint of charm but it just doesn't execute. I'm not sure what the Knack series attempted to accomplish, but after a sequel, it stands as one of the most missable franchises Sony has ever crafted. Maybe one day Sony can combine both of these together on the PS5 as a free PS Plus item and call it the "Knack Pack." That one's free.
Warriors All-Stars is good silly fun as the story never takes itself too seriously, nor do the cameos. But in the process a few huge staples we've come to expect have been stripped, much to the detriment of a project of this scale. I really wish it didn't have to be an "either or" situation.
Sparc has the potential to grow, but it needs all the help it can get from as many installbases it can get its hands on.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle's guts are impressive, but its main event feels like a [good] expansion for a fleshed-out strategy RPG that has more to offer than a great combat system. By the time it opens up halfway in and you really start to delve into the skill tree, it begs to be played. But until then both exploration and some battles feel like going through the motions in a "kinda sorta" tutorial way.