Jason Faulkner
I thoroughly enjoyed escaping from Raccoon City again, and I loved the expanded story. Resident Evil 3 remake is a great game that is held back from being truly excellent by a few factors.
For its flaws, Rune Factory 4 Special brings an incredible life-sim/Action-RPG to the Switch.
If you love mecha and miss Armored Core as I do, Daemon x Machina is the game for you. It has some narrative issues, but the tight gameplay will keep you wanting more.
Kentucky Route Zero is a coffee table book of a game. I don’t feel like you’re really supposed to try and take it all in as a whole. Instead, KRZ, with it’s myriad of references and views, seems like it’s supposed to be taken a piece at a time. Some players are sure to absolutely love that, while others, like me, would prefer something more grounded.
This game is aimed at a particular audience, and those who get a rush of nostalgia from seeing Goku and his friends duke it out with the universe’s biggest baddies will love it. Others may need a proper introduction with the series before they soak up everything DBZ: Kakarot has to offer.
If you are a MechWarrior fanatic, MechWarrior 5 will probably give you hours of enjoyment. If not, I’d wait until some of the problems above are addressed before making a purchase.
If you’re someone who doesn’t “like to read” or wants a lot of action in their games, Disco Elysium might not be the best pick. It does an excellent job of bridging the worlds of literature and gaming, and offers a unique blend on the venerable CRPG formula.
Jedi Fallen Order isn’t perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction. The critical factor with this game is that it taps into that sense of adventure that Star Wars instills in fans.
Death Stranding is one of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s smart, it’s well-produced, and it just feels good to play.
Shadowkeep had a solid campaign, though it ended prematurely for my taste. The expansion itself isn’t on the level of Forsaken, but it keeps the Destiny 2 machine rolling forward. I’m not personally happy with some of the changes that come alongside Shadowkeep, but I can see the imperative to reward players who keep regularly returning by spreading content out instead of releasing it in lumps.
With so much competition, the Nintendo tax isn’t worth paying for this one, especially with such a packed release calendar over the next six months.
Despite its flaws, Borderlands 3 is worth playing, and it’s definitely no worse than the other entries in the franchise, which means it’s pretty darn okay.
If you’ve ever wanted a Souls-like without most of the baggage that comes with playing one, Code Vein is right up your alley.
Astral Chain is a unique and beautiful game that excels at what it’s trying to do. It’s one of the best games of the year so far, and it makes me excited to see what the studio will come up with next.
However, that’s just the way expansions work, and in exchange for that mild inconvenience, you get another 20-30 hours of new content with the same high quality that generated critical acclaim for the game when it first released.
It’s a shame the pacing does such a number on Blair Witch. It deals with some heady topics like PTSD, mental illness, and police shootings. Instead of hitting you hard and fast and hooking you, it lets your attention fade in between major plot points. Furthermore, it doesn’t use the Blair Witch lore to effect.
Telling Lies is like the best parts of an adventure game, a mystery novel, and an art nouveau movie all rolled up into one.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is a great arcade space shooter with a lot of style. Unfortunately, it lacks a bit in substance, and expanding the various systems and lore would have taken it from a good game to a great game. However, Outlaw does fill a niche and is an excellent space arcade shooter.
An abridged telling of the story up to Shadowbringers when you use a Tales of Adventure would go a long way towards smoothing the process. As of right now, I can’t recommend Shadowbringers as a direct starting point for Final Fantasy 14. Instead, play through the base content a bit and get a feel for it. You’ll thank yourself later.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is far from just an upscaling of the 3DS games. It’s an evolution for the series which makes it appealing and accessible even to those who aren’t crazy about strategy RPGs. It’s a great gateway for the genre and another excellent addition to the Switch library.