All in all, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an exploration-based, open-world collect-a-thon with crafting and quests that are both beautiful and fun when played in small bursts. Ultimately, it doesn't provide any substantial challenges and doesn't run too well on the Switch's hardware. Unless you're a die-hard fan of relaxing games that you can play for the sake of playing, Yonder may not be your cup of tea.
Masters of Anima mostly succeeds in implementing an inherently troubled concept: a strategy title on a console. It provides some frustrating and subpar moments, but it always comes up ahead with a fun, demanding, and good blend of gameplay styles to pull you through its 10-hour campaign. You'll want to see it through to the last fiercely fought battle.
Is it the best version of the game? Not by a mile. Is it enjoyable? Yes, and that may be all you need to know. It is a playable, albeit technically flawed, version that runs on a tablet. If you can play it elsewhere, you should. If you can't, the Switch iteration does a serviceable job of sharing B.J. Blazkowicz's action-packed journey.
With a rich atmosphere, solid puzzles, good platforming, and a story that unravels in your mind as you play Inside is one of indie gaming's best titles. It's short and sweet, and it should be experienced by everyone who loves atmospheric and dystopian narratives.
The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy offers three fun platforming classics that have been re-created from the ground up, and only minor adjustments have been made for the Switch.
All in all, The Lion's Song achieves what is intended at a very high level. It masterfully tells and blends three separate stories about culture, creativity, and social influence into a cohesive story to paint the picture of an early 20th century Vienna. It's a niche project that won't appeal to everyone, and it has a few pacing issues and an undesirable control method for an adventure, but it is a good game that knows its strengths and plays to them.
Assassin's Creed Rogue is an often-overlooked entry in the series. It's a fun compilation of all prior releases, and it has a cool story and strong characters. Its remastered version, however, doesn't add anything significant and falls flat since it doesn't offer any improvements to Shay Cormac's Assassin/Templar story.
As a whole, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is literally the complete package for fans of the series and genre enthusiasts. It's not the best platformer around, but it is a fun journey, especially with the additional DLC characters. I wish the developer would've embraced the Metroidvania aspects more, gotten more creative with some platforming segments, and included a few more environments for the DLC, but there is not much else I can hold against this truly fun platformer.
Strangely enough, Onrush checks every item on my gamer wishlist while still staying well below its potential. It's beautiful, fun and technically sound, but it also has an identity crisis that won't go away anytime soon. It's a great casual online experience that wants to be more than that — but doesn't actually offer enough to achieve it. The continuous updates may nudge the game closer to that goal, but recent layoffs at the studio don't instill hope that updates will continue at a consistent rate. If you're looking for a fun, bare-bones, online racing experience, Onrush may still be the perfect game for you. It still has a long way to go to fulfill its potential.
Overcooked 2 is still one of the best local co-op experiences to make your friends hate you. The sequel plays it safe, though, with few overall improvements apart from an online mode and a throwing mechanic. Add to that the inconsistent difficulty, which ranges from ridiculously easy to punishingly tough, and you have a game that is familiar but doesn't push the envelope as much as you may have hoped for a sequel.
We know that Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition won't be the definitive edition of the game, since more DLC is scheduled. This is the most complete and most beautiful edition of the game thus far, but it's asking you to buy into a very good but still flawed experience that is slowly but surely catching up. If you truly can't wait until the real complete edition surfaces, you'll have a decent experience at the very least. Otherwise, pass on this title and wait another year. The mammoth project that is FFXV will eventually come to a satisfying conclusion.
Overall, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is one of the best entries in the franchise. It's the technically most advanced and includes many improvements that significantly enhance the experience while also telling a gripping and satisfying story. It's not perfect, with a sometimes slow progression system and a few hit-and-miss additions in the side content. Some fun additions from previous iterations could've made Kiwami 2 even more special.
NHL 19 is vastly better than its predecessors in terms of value and pushing the franchise forward, but it still falls short of a significant upgrade in many areas. If you haven't purchased an NHL title in a while, this is a good year to jump back in and experience one of the better NHL games in recent memory.
Overall, Divinity: Original Sin II is still an excellent RPG experience that uses intuitive mechanics and player choice to an incredible degree to make every encounter challenging and interesting. Divinity II is a beast of an RPG that does many different things incredibly well. It's not perfect from a technical standpoint, and fights and leveling can be frustrating at times, but these are minor quibbles when compared to all of the good stuff that's in the game and works well. If you're in the market for a new RPG with interesting storytelling and an appropriate amount of freedom, make Divinity II your next adventure.
As a sum of its parts, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a big adventure that has its highs and lows but ultimately provides an enjoyable journey through Ancient Greece.
All in all, Dark Souls: Remastered on the Switch is a solid port that presents a modern classic to a new audience. While this version is an overall good showing, it falls short in sound quality and lacks any significant improvements over the original. Most will get this for the sake of playing Dark Souls in the restroom, and there is no valid argument I can bring against that.
All in all, Broken Sword 5 is a good adventure with good visuals, a good story, and enjoyable puzzle segments. It's not the hardest, it's not the best, and it certainly comes at a price point many won't find acceptable, but it's an enjoyable experience nonetheless.
Jackbox Party Pack 5 also includes the features we've come to expect, with family-friendly modes for all games except YDKJ, streaming support for an audience of up to 10,000, and plenty of fun. All in all, this is a commendable effort that consistently delivers, even though an experimental action title keeps it from reaching greater heights.
All things considered, if you're into Diablo, Diablo III: Eternal Collection may be one of the better versions due to its flexibility and options. If you're not into Diablo, this may be the best place to start. While it's good for what it is, bear in mind that it can become a frustrating and repetitive loot-escapade that can drag you into hell.
Tetris Effect checks all the boxes, and if you're into music and puzzle games that are as challenging as they are meditative, look no further. Tetris Effect is truly the best version of Tetris I've ever played, but at the same time, it is "just Tetris." It pushes the gameplay into interesting directions without actually changing any significant part of the core gameplay, and that's the beauty of it. The toughest sell may be the $40 price tag, but Tetris Effect showcases quality work with high production value, and that justifies a price tag above what we'd usually consider to be acceptable for a Tetris game.