Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land takes the series in a direction that will appeal to fans of open world JRPGs, but may leave fans of previous Atelier games scratching their head. It also has numerous technical issues on the Switch. It’s still a fun adventure, it just leaves room to improve in its inevitable sequels.
On the surface, Ever 17 – The Out of Infinity tells a compelling story about a group of people in a race to survive an underwater theme park disaster. Dive deeper, though, and you'll find plenty more to discover in this sci-fi visual novel that starts strong and doesn't let up until the end(ings).
WARRIORS: Abyss provides an interesting roguelite twist to the standard Musou gameplay of the Warriors series, but it's only interesting for so long. Repetitive action and graphics eventually overwhelm the slick, quick combat.
Freddy Farmer provides a couple unique twists to classic arcade platformer action. They may not be enough to hold the attention of today's gamer, but NES-era fans looking for something new will find a lot to enjoy.
X-Out: Resurfaced is a quality remake of a shoot 'em up originally released for the Commodore 64. The original's underwater setting and submarine customization options are now supported by improved graphics, UI fixes, and a co-op mode that should help it appeal to more than just those seeking their retro fix.
ROBOBEAT combines first-person shooters with rhythm gameplay, but never really defines its reason for doing so. Although the action does become engaging once you get the hang of it, awkward controls and drab level design will chase most dancers off the floor before the party can really kick in.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II does a good job of optimizing combat and dungeon exploration, and the new features and tweaks likely will appeal to series fans. Its slow story and propensity to disrupt its own momentum, however, make this a slight downgrade from the previous game, and a middling entry in the series.
As far as retro puzzle/platformers go, Moons of Darsalon is one of the most unique and entertaining I've played in quite some time. It's engaging, it's funny, and it's frustrating in (usually) the most entertaining of ways. The gameplay, graphics, and audio combine to remind us that sci-fi is still allowed to be campy fun. Gil Gerard would be proud.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is likely to overwhelm even the most experienced of SRPG aficionados at the start, but that's by design. Its depth and uniqueness will delight those choosing to stick with it, while others can just lower the difficulty to push through this colorful and charming adventure.
As far as remasters of remakes go, Ys Memoir: The Oath in Felghana is as good as they get. This PSP-era action RPG throwback is right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Its short time to completion helps prevent repetition and occasional aimlessness from being a real problem, making it an adventure worth taking.
Universe for Sale is a visual novel that will challenge genre and sci-fi fans thematically and structurally. While the graphics are certainly the highlight, the game's story and characters are unique enough to hold your attention when the puzzles and pacing slow things down.
FAIRY TAIL 2 is JRPG-lite. The story and combat mechanics are both easy to take in and work through, but it will leave genre fans a bit hungry-especially if you're used to meatier adventures or have little knowledge of the Fairy Tail universe.
Super Spy Raccoon offers a clever, stealth-based twist to classic arcade gameplay. Anyone who's ever dropped a quarter into a video game cabinet will feel right at home…once you get past the difficulty and settle into the game's puzzle-based approach to screen cleaning.
Journey to Kreisia is a breezy JRPG that clearly shows its 10-year-old mobile origins. It brings nothing new to the genre, but it's confident in what it's trying to be and checks the right boxes with a wink and a nudge.
It takes a bit to get into the puzzle-solving flow of Dungeons of Dreadlock 2: The Dead King's Secret, but it offers an approachable level-based challenge once you do. Fans of the original should appreciate this second adventure, while newcomers will find themselves similarly hooked.
Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast will not be enough to win people over to SRPGs or to the game's source material. But if you're already a fan of either (or both), it does more than enough to keep you entertained throughout.
The turn-based RPG The World of Kungfu: Dragon and Eagle is in equal parts clever and frustrating. The unique approach to combat, team building, and customization is fun and perfectly set up for multiple playthroughs. Story progression is often aimless, however, and the gameplay idiosyncracies could be better explained.
How Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 compares to previous entries in the series, I can't say. But if-like me-you're new to the EDF brand of crazy, co-op action gameplay, this is a wonderfully fun and entertaining place to start.
Miniatures is an extremely short collection of four… I hesitate to say games. Emotions? Memories? It relies more on mystery and melancholy to connect with the player. It can therefore be very intriguing, but at the risk of leaving some to wonder what was the point.
Pinball M – Camp Bloodbrook is a fun, well-designed addition to Zen Studios' growing catalog of original pinball tables. The game makes proper use of Pinball M's visuals and effects, and it challenges the player without ever feeling like it's going for a cheap "kill."