Andreas Salmen
At the end of the day, The Outer Worlds succeeds in being a story-driven RPG that offers a lot of freedom for you to experience and play the game as you see fit. It doesn't look particularly good or run incredibly well. I don't want to downplay the importance of the story and quests, but The Outer Worlds feels like either a calculated cash grab or a team obsessed with making a game run on an inferior system for the sake of it, rather than trying to find a new player base. It's all here and playable, but play it anywhere else if you can because the trade-offs are larger than the benefits of playing it on a portable format.
SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is a fun collect-a-thon platformer. It has tons of collectibles, and it successfully manages to update an old fan favorite in a franchise that has been idle for a while. It's not a perfect comeback by any means, but it's solid with tight controls and fun stages that will entertain fans of SpongeBob and anyone looking for a good platformer. Given its fair release price and the content on offer, it's definitely worth a look, although it could've turned out more polished than it did.
I have a nostalgic fondness of the original game, and Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition did not let me down. It's a smart and funny adventure with a unique tone of voice. The anniversary edition is truly the best version of the game, but it doesn't smooth out every gripe that I had with the original, all while introducing a few new headaches in terms of controls on the Switch. If you don't mind that, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition is a fun adventure that will thoroughly scratch that point-and-click (Sw)itch.
Borderlands Legendary Collection is exactly what it needs to be: a port of the first three Borderlands titles for the Switch. They run and look great, but they come with expected compromises, like a capped frame rate and a few issues with pop-in. While there's no hiding that the Borderland titles are on the older side, they are still fun to play with friends online. If you're up for a way to play these titles on the go or want to experience them for the first time, the Switch versions are definitely up to the task, and that is what matters in the end.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is not a perfect game, but it's an incredibly fun one.
The XCOM 2 Collection on the Switch is an OK port of a great game and its expansion. If you can look past the mediocre performance, what lies underneath is undoubtedly excellent and fun. Since any XCOM game can be a time sink, the ability to have it available on the go can be a mighty strong draw. If you're a fan of the game or genre without other means to play it, this is certainly a solid way to do so. If you are able to play it elsewhere, you should decide if the downsides of this port outweigh its portability.
As the sum of its parts, Moving Out is a fun couch co-op game that will certainly bring you a good dose of fun. The game can feel a bit too formulaic at times. While the tone and presentation are quirky and fun, the title doesn't necessarily strive to be its own thing, which is fine. What does sour the experience a little is that it can occasionally feel too random or tricky to control, and that can turn a fun session into a frustrating ordeal. If you're all out of co-op fodder, Moving Out is a solid and fun couch co-op experience that will satisfy anyone looking for a new way to test the strength of their bonds with friends and family.
If you were wondering whether World War Z: Game of the Year Edition is worth playing in 2020, you'll be pleased to know that it is. It's still very much the same experience that it was a year ago, except there's a lot more content. Matchmaking is a concern, but that may be alleviated by the introduction of cross-play across all platforms. Another issue is the general lack of variety in most areas, but if you get a good crew together, World War Z is plain, uncomplicated fun — and that's what matters.
For a game that's almost 20 years old, Munch's Oddysee on the Switch holds up incredibly well. It's a fun and creative platformer in an odd world that is still super fun to play and figure out from start to finish. Don't expect any technical leaps forward or special additions to this Switch version. If you already own Munch's Oddysee on another platform, there is not much reason to buy the Switch port, unless you must have a portable version of it at all times.
I'll be the first to admit that Grimvalor surprised me with both its platforming and combat. It's a challenging and addicting action-platformer experience that was easy to get into and satisfying and challenging throughout its 10- to 15-hour run, depending on your play style. Some streamlined elements and visuals are evidence that it's still a noticeably mobile experience, but it is a fun one at that. If you don't care much for bloat, plot, or elaborate displays of visual fidelity, Grimvalor is absolutely worth a look.
I enjoyed my time with Predator: Hunting Grounds. It's the first asynchronous multiplayer title in a while that has appealed to me, and it has already shown that it has its potential for fun. Nonetheless, it's a hard sell for a price of $40.
Golem is nothing to scoff at. It looks and sounds beautiful, it has an open world that can be explored freely, and the sword combat feels satisfying. On the other hand, cumbersome and awkward controls, a decent amount of motion sickness, and a few frustrating game mechanics prevent the title from reaching its potential. If you have a strong stomach and think you can make do with the controls, Golem will provide some joy, even though it is far from a VR masterpiece.
Exit the Gungeon is a lot of fun to play, especially if you liked Enter the Gungeon.
No matter how frustrating the combat became or how broken the environments turned out to be, I loved doing case work and figuring out obscure deaths or uncovering secret organizations within this peculiar game world. Given all the downsides, this is a game that is difficult to recommend, especially at full price.
Persona 5 Royal does what it set out to do: Make Persona 5 a better and more rounded experience with more content.
Overall, Two Point Hospital is a treat on consoles and is not to be missed, especially given the inclusion of the DLC and almost all of the features from the PC. It's a funny, addictive and engaging experience that is great if you have fond memories of Theme Hospital or Theme Park.
Dreams is a social network, a content platform, and a creative suite all in one. It's probably the hardest game to review, but it is easy to fall in love with it. It is incredibly polished and does exactly what it promised to.
With Thronebreaker, CD Projekt Red has succeeded in making a fun, single-player experience about a simplified card game. It's a polished, story-driven experience that has a lot going for it. It's not a masterpiece, and there are some minor gripes, such as the difficulty (or lack thereof) and the absence of meaningful decision-making, but it is still an incredibly entertaining game. If you're into The Witcher and on the lookout for another story in the same universe, you can't go wrong with Thronebreaker.
As the sum of its parts, Soccer, Tactics & Glory is pretty disappointing
Even if you have already played it, this is the best way to jump back into a game that has aged incredibly well, both visually and in terms of gameplay mechanics.