Donovan Erskine
Atomicrops is an unlikely meeting of two genres. Set to the backdrop of a post-nuclear apocalypse, Bird Bath Games finds a way to adequately weave together two styles of gameplay that typically shouldn’t work together. Although there are moments where the two primary modes of play feel like they’re stepping on each others’ toes, those moments are few and far between. Bird Bath’s Atomicrops is an excellent addition to PC and home console indie catalogues.
Warhammer Underworlds Online is practically a 1:1 recreation of the board game. Players are restricted on how many moves they’re allowed to make between turns, forcing them to carefully consider each and every move. While everything has gone digital, the game still operates using a virtual die. In several cases, the fate of a match came down to either a good or bad dice roll. This could potentially frustrate some players.
PiedPipers Team’s Plebby Quest: The Crusades is a fresh take on the historical strategy sim.
Sky Racket is an excitingly fun love letter to retro gaming.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is a great installation in the Pirate Warriors series and feels like a love letter to fans of the franchise.
Freedom Finger is an enjoyable take on the classic shoot’em up thanks to its simple yet challenging gameplay.
A great take on a classic genre.
Ring Fit Adventure is an excellent cross between fitness and action/adventure. Nintendo manages to create their best exercise game yet while weaving in classic adventure tropes to gamify the experience.
Lost Ember is an experience that will stick with well past the credit roll.
Performance issues and lazy tropes hold them back from being excellent, but Pokemon Sword and Shield are a strong step in the right direction for franchises latest generation.
Sparklite is an impressive outing from mobile developer Red Blue Games. It’s visuals and core mechanics harken back to classic action-adventure titles. At the same time, cleverly designed and well defined systems provide for something fresh and exciting.
Although it’s best played in co-op mode, there’s a fair amount of fun to be had in playing alone too. Throw in the fact that Knights and Bikes features clearly defined mechanics along with some powerful instances and you’ve got yourself quite the charming indie experience.
Overall, Etherborn is a short and sweet puzzle platformer that centers around ideas of identity and purpose.
This dungeon crawling RPG builds upon familiar mechanics to craft something fresh and new.
Muse Dash is an exceptional rhythm/action game that thrives on the Nintendo Switch.
Vectronom is a superb platformer that utilizes music in a creative and dynamic way. Ludopium and ARTE’s collaborative effort shines bright in this rhythm platforming hybrid. Although the lack of additional content/ game modes feels like a missed opportunity to truly up the ante, Vectronom is still a romp that’s easy to pick up, and hard to put down.
Its look and feel gives it a charming aesthetic that draws you in, and its solid controls coupled with balanced puzzles makes you stay a while. A funny campaign that has some true laugh out loud moments, but sometimes has vague mission objectives forcing you to wander around aimlessly until you stumble upon the next step.
All in all, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate brings some neat new features and monsters to the table, but at the same time it doesn't do anything to truly alter the way you experience the Monster Hunter Franchise.
Overall, Unravel 2 is an adequate follow up to 2016's indie darling. It hosts a plethora of new puzzles that force players to think, but without making them go mad. Too many checkpoints may turn off players looking for a genuine challenge, though. The all new dynamic of co-op really gives a jolt of energy to this game; Without that new component I'm afraid Unravel 2 would've just felt like a level expansion. Those that really dug the first Unravel will love what its sequel has to offer.
Overall, Skyrim on Switch is as good as I hoped it would be. I still find new areas to explore and new secrets to discover. Being able to take this awesome title on the go truly showcases why the Nintendo Switch is king. Sadly, Skyrim is a 2011 game, and at times it really shows. Because of this, it doesn't stand up against a game like Breath of The Wild, though that comparison may not be fair. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim proudly stands as the second best RPG available on Switch. If by any chance you're a Switch owner that's never played Skyrim, I'd recommend picking it up.