Ageless is bright, colorful, and sounds great, but is just a bit clunky. The game gives off a Celeste-vibe, which is a good thing, but it can take some time to get used to the age mechanics and the precise aiming required for a lot of the puzzles.
Borderlands Legendary Collection is a great way to experience the first three games in the series on the Nintendo Switch.
As it is, though, Poly Bridge 2 is very enjoyable and can bring some levels of satisfaction when you finally finish a bridge under budget and without it breaking at any point. It’s a very casual and relaxing game that doesn’t rush you in any way. I’m not going to lie, the game gets a laugh out of me every now and then when my bridge breaks and the driver of the vehicle just drives into the water anyway. Everything looks great from a visual standpoint. While there's no progression system with everything open from the start, there's still a challenge aspect as long as you don't view the Gallery before completing a level. It does take some time to get the hang of the physics, and you might wonder a few times how your bridge broke. Being able to take on any level at any time means you can play a level or two if you're short on time. Plus the music is nice and relaxing for a game that will see vehicles driving into the water on a regular basis.
Gears Tactics is definitely different than what Gears fans are accustomed to, being a tactical-style game, but I think it fits the genre pretty well. If you've ever wondered what Gears would be like outside of the main series, Gears Tactics shows that it does pretty well in a tactical-style.
Book of Demons is a fun Diablo-like game, but some of the mechanics might be a turnoff for others. Movement is locked to set paths while enemies are free to roam around and there is no equipment as cards represent spells, items, and artifacts in the game. That said, there is still quite a bit to like about Book of Demons as there is a good amount of strategy to employ if you want to survive. However, the price tag might be a bit much given the restrictions some of the mechanics place on you.
If you're looking for a fun simple shooter that has a nice difficulty curve and a bit of strategy in how you play (namely in how you spend your coins), Fantasy Zone is worth checking out.
Sega Ages: Shinobi is still a great game more than 30 years after its initial release
If you're not worried about a major story or a lot of strategy but still want to see what the monster hunting genre is like without shelling out a lot of money, Dauntless is a nice free-to-play game to ease you into things.
The game isn't bad by any means, but it feels like more could have been done to enhance the multiplayer experience and to just add some replayability.
Whether you’re experienced with the series or if this is your first time, Trine 4 is a simple and relaxing puzzle-solving adventure that anyone can enjoy.
Borderlands 3 is a great game, but it's definitely got some technical issues with sadly brings the score down a bit. While my issues weren't as bad as others I've heard about, they're still annoying at times. However, if you can get past that you'll find a game that's more of the same as previous games (especially 2 and pre-sequel), but that's what made Borderlands great to start with. A great story, reuniting with old friends, and some pretty interesting villains ensures I'll be coming back to open any more vaults that are found on any planet Gearbox wishes to travel to.
Torchlight II is as fun on the Switch as it was back when it launched on PCs seven years ago. The controls on the Switch feel pretty good and eased my worries about transitioning from PC to console. While a lot of the game is basically fighting enemies, collecting loot, and repeat, if you're into games like the Diablo series you should enjoy Torchlight II, and at a third of the price of Diablo III (at least on the Switch), Torchlight II is a great alternative.
Damsel is a fun arcade-style platformer/shooter/speedrunner/whatever genre you want to call it. The comic-style motif is a nice concept that I haven't seen for a long time and the gameplay is pretty fluid. The darkness of the stages and the similarities between the three game modes kind of bring the game down a little, but it's still an enjoyable outing for the Nintendo Switch.
Million to One Hero is a well-polished game in the "custom level creation" genre (is that a genre…well it is now). The controls are fluid and you'll have to employ a lot of skill to finish some of the creations players can come up with. The level creation itself is pretty robust, though it would have been nice if some of the icons were a little bigger on the screen, and combining levels into a mini-adventure is a nice touch. If you're a fan of 2D platforming and level creation, you'll find a lot to do in Million to One Hero for a satisfying price.
Blazing Chrome is a great throwback to games such as Contra; simple run-and-guns with swarms of enemies, awesome boss fights, special weapons, and a great soundtrack to go with it. With fluid controls, multiple difficulties, and a stage select so you can pick which stage to tackle in any order, Blazing Chrome is definitely worth picking up if you’re into Contra-style games.
Warlocks 2: Godslayers is enjoyable for the most part, but the difficult and tedious combat can take the fun out of the game for some people. The game is definitely geared for multiplayer as the combat can be overwhelming during solo play. Beyond that there are a few minor performance hiccups though it doesn't normally affect any major gameplay. If you can get past that and the difficult-at-times combat, you'll find an enjoyable and humorous game with some interesting gameplay mechanics and even more interesting writing.
I was hoping that Shards of Infinity would get a digital release and it didn't disappoint…mostly. Newer players to the game might find that even the easiest difficulty can still be quite challenging and that may prevent them from fully enjoying the game, at least against AI opponents. Once you've learned some basic strategies and have gotten used to how some of the cards work, you'll find a challenging deck building game that keeps you on your toes and is just as enjoyable as its physical counterpart.
Team Sonic Racing does a pretty good job with the new team mechanics, but the difficulty can still be a tad rough at times. While not as bad as prior entries, it can be easy to fall behind after you've spun out, only to catch up again using a Team Ultimate, only to drop back a few spots when the opposing team does the same thing and cost you the race. Still, Sonic Team Racing is enjoyable alone and even more with friends or while playing online.
Silence is a great game with some quirks. The artwork is beautiful and the animation is pretty good for the most part, and the story definitely takes center stage for me. However, the puzzles are rather simple, most of the dialogue (and puzzles for that matter) have no real consequence for choosing a wrong option, and the forty dollar price tag might be off-putting to some, especially since you can find it for half of that on other platforms. Silence is definitely worth checking out and it makes me want to play through The Whispered World, but I'd recommend waiting for it to go on sale.
Katana ZERO is a game I've been interested in from the moment I saw the trailer for it and once again Devolver Digital and Askiisoft didn't disappoint. From the nice graphics and awesome music, to the fluid controls and the engaging story with different ways to respond to dialogue and take out enemies in each area, Katana ZERO was an enjoyable game from start to finish, even with the story getting a little bonkers after several stages. Then again, it's that bit of craziness that kept things interesting throughout the game and I'm perfectly okay with that.