Joel Gralton
In the end, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers surprised me in the best way. It wears its influences proudly, but it’s not just following the leader. It brings its own flavor to the genre, both mechanically and thematically, and offers a journey that’s brutal, mysterious, and rewarding. Yes, it stumbles a bit in terms of pacing and balance, and the storytelling doesn’t quite hit FromSoftware’s heights. But when it comes to combat depth, build variety, and sheer style, Wuchang absolutely delivers. If you’re a fan of Souls-likes and you’re looking for something familiar but fresh, Wuchang is worth your time. Just be ready to die. A lot.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is an uncompromising, creative triumph. It doesn’t care about trends. It doesn’t follow what’s popular. It dares to be strange, thoughtful, and different. In an industry obsessed with franchises and replicating proven game mechanics, this game feels like a gift, a creative’s vision executed at the highest level. It’s still not for everyone. It never wanted to be. But if you’re someone who values originality, emotion, and design that challenges the norm, there’s nothing else like it.
It may not be a giant leap forward for the Somnium Files franchise, but it doesn’t need to be. This game knows what it is: a character-focused detour that fills in the blanks between major events and gives fans more time with characters they’ve come to love. Its lighter tone, varied gameplay, and sharp writing make it a highly enjoyable experience for existing fans—though perhaps not the ideal starting point for newcomers.
Nintendo Switch Welcome Tour is an interesting, well-polished introduction to the Switch 2’s capabilities. It’s got charm, it’s got cool ideas, and some of the tech demos genuinely impressed me. But the experience is uneven. Between the padding, locked content, and awkward quizzes, the fun often gets buried under a pile of system-showcase obligations. And that price tag? Still hard to justify.
Despite its flaws, Hogwarts Legacy on the Nintendo Switch 2 is an incredible experience. It’s the definitive way to play the game on a handheld device and a must-have launch title for the new console. The technical upgrades, the seamless exploration, the richly detailed world—it all comes together to finally deliver the Harry Potter game fans have been dreaming about for decades.
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a fascinating, stylish, and refreshingly different take on the Shin Megami Tensei formula. For newcomers like me who missed the original, this remaster is a gift. For returning fans, the updated combat, added content, and modern polish make it worth diving into all over again.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is nothing short of a triumph. Not just because it runs well, or looks good, or offers a complete package of content—but because it proves what’s possible.
Date Everything! is one of those rare games that sounds like a joke until it blindsides you with how good it actually is. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and completely committed to its absurd premise. The writing is sharp, the voice acting is elite, and the emotional beats generally land. Sure, it makes you fall in love with a stapler. But it also makes you care about that stapler’s hopes, fears, and weird poetry about office politics.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remastered is more than just a nostalgia trip—it’s a reminder of why this game stood out in the first place. The bold battle mechanics, deep customization, memorable characters, and stellar music all hold up, and the visual upgrade breathes new life into its world without messing with what made it great.
Sonic X Shadow Generations on the Switch 2 is a confident, satisfying package. It’s equal parts nostalgia and reinvention. The Sonic stages remind us why the series earned its legacy, while the Shadow content pushes it into darker, more exciting territory. Performance-wise, it finally runs the way it was meant to, and while there are definitely a few areas that could’ve used more polish—particularly the hub world and resolution in the Shadow portion—the overall experience is undeniably worth the ride. If you’re a longtime fan, this feels like the game Shadow always deserved.
If you’ve never played a Yakuza game, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is your perfect entry point. If you have played it, this version gives you the excuse—and the enhancements—to revisit it in the best way possible. Between the polished visuals, new content, flawless performance, and the added portability of the Switch 2, this is more than a re-release—it’s a celebration of what made Yakuza 0 great in the first place.
Despite its issues, Elden Ring: Nightreign is an exhilarating experiment. It’s not just more Elden Ring, and it’s not trying to be. It repurposes a world we already know and remixes it into something fast, chaotic, and strangely addicting. It trims the fat, strips away the lore-heavy open world, and drops you into a fight for survival that demands tight coordination, smart planning, and adaptability.
There’s nothing else quite like The Hundred Line. It’s bold, bizarre, heartfelt, and filled with more ideas than most games twice its size. It respects your time by giving you meaningful choices, compelling characters, and deep gameplay systems. And most of all, it delivers on the potential that made me excited for it in the first place.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a bold reinvention that retains the soul of the franchise while pushing it in a new direction. It’s more narrative-driven, more methodical, and more melee-focused. It trades some of the speed and chaos of Eternal for raw brutality and deliberate pacing, and while not every experimental idea lands, the ones that do hit like a sledgehammer.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just a great RPG—it’s a statement. A declaration that there’s still room in this industry for big ideas, deeply personal storytelling, and gameplay systems that respect the player’s time and intelligence. It combines razor-sharp combat with haunting world design, memorable characters, and a level of customization that lets you truly own the way you play. The story sticks with you, the soundtrack lingers in your head, and the world invites you back in long after the credits roll.
Days Gone Remastered isn’t a reinvention—it doesn’t try to be. It’s a polished, tightened, and enhanced version of an already ambitious game that finally delivers on most of its promise. The story still takes time to get going, but the payoff is there. The horde battles are better than ever. The visuals have been noticeably upgraded. And the DualSense features, along with the added game modes, give it a level of refinement and replayability the original lacked.
If you played the original, this remaster is like coming home after years away to find your childhood home renovated, cleaned up, and full of fond memories. If you’ve never played Oblivion before, this is the best way to see what all the fuss was about.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is exactly what fans have been asking for—a stunning, immersive adventure set in feudal Japan. It offers refined mechanics, a compelling revenge story, and a world that feels alive thanks to its dynamic weather and changing seasons. The dual protagonist system is a great addition, even if the balance between the two characters isn’t perfect.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is the kind of game that reminds you why you love RPGs. It’s massive, ambitious, and deeply rewarding. The enhancements brought to the Switch version smooth out many of the rough edges from the original release, and the added content gives even veterans a reason to return.
South of Midnight is a unique journey through a beautifully crafted world, filled with rich folklore, striking visuals, and a surprisingly deep story. It delivers engaging melee combat, a memorable cast, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that blends blues, country, and soul music seamlessly into the experience.