James Colozzi
TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2 is a good game, but maybe not so much for the Switch's limited Joy-Cons. I feel gamers shouldn't have to fight the controls to get a game to feel right.
For the budget price range, Rigid Force Redux is a solid game and fun to play—no loss in grabbing this and blowing stuff up. But not much has been done in this title that stands out amongst an extensive library of shmups on the Switch. It needs more content.
Other than the original Darius and Sagaia, these games are a great way to play a series of seriously challenging arcade shmups from the past where arcades ruled.
CrossCode is a colorful, fun, and content full action RPG that has a lot to offer both young and old.
RPG Maker MV provides plenty of tools, but the least possible direction on how to use them. The tutorial is embarrassingly bad, and a help section is nonexistent. Unless you're experienced with this series, skip this Switch port.
Through and through, Moon is the anti-RPG. It's a satirical stab at the RPG genre. While it could have been better with a more updated look, I still find this game innovative and fresh even by today's standards. It's cute and funny and fun to play. If you're looking for a laid-back RPG, this is it. Moon is a title that reviews can't do justice to; it has to be played to really appreciate what the developers were trying to do.
You will learn to use every trick your crew can perform to survive, or you will die over and over and over again as I did. Even with no room for error, I still found Space Crew fun, making me want to beat its missions just to spite it.
Overall I think G.I. Joe Operation Blackout is decent but will quickly fall into obscurity with the abundance of better quality third-person shooters on modern consoles. In my opinion, the diehard genre fans won't give much thought to this without online gameplay. In truth, this game will mostly appeal to a limited niche, mainly GI-Joe fans.
As an adult and long time gamer, I feel this really is for a much younger crowd of players. It's not necessarily a bad game, just very simple and easy with no real apparent challenge.
I find Gallic Wars: Battle Simulator more of a proof of concept than an actual game. There are so many far superior options in the tactics category that this game is even a waste of time for beginners.
If crafting is your thing, you probably won't be disappointed with Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack. In the end, I still enjoy this series as a JRPG fan, even though there are grind issues.
In the end, G-Darius HD is a challenging shooter from a time when arcades were still relevant. It still looks good and sounds cool, but it's not great as a standalone.
Armed Emeth isn't pricey, and it's an entertaining retro RPG for all ages, with a good presentation and a decent story.
Cotton 100% is a fantastically fun game. The stages are way too short, though, and that's a drag given the $14.99 price tag. But is its price a show stopper? That's up to you, the consumer. Still, Cotton 100% is silly, entertaining, and gives a decent challenge to beat.
While Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream does nothing totally different as a sequel, the streamlined crafting and simplified combat system allow players to be more invested in the story without becoming bogged down in complex game mechanics. For long-time fans, however, those mechanics are still available.
For the $9.99 price tag, Sword of the Vagrant gives you a lot of content, enough challenge, and a decent story to keep you wanting to get to the end. I just hope Vivian can eventually buy clothes in her travels, as running around in leather underwear seems drafty and embarrassing!