Nathan Anstadt
The game fully understands what makes it fun, and it does everything it can to empower the player to see that with as few restrictions as possible.
Figment's mechanics are woefully underdeveloped, but the rest of the game is so cohesive and often brilliant that it's difficult to dismiss out of hand. The ambient soundtrack, and especially the boss songs go a long way and are worth playing through the slight, five hour game to hear if that interests you at all. If not, the gameplay can be downright boring at times.
For a game where you play as an adorable yarn doll, it does an admirable job setting up a touching narrative intertwined with clever and unique puzzle platforming. And if you have a friend to play with, then Unravel Two is a treat in the visuals and the gameplay.
While not as deep and rewarding as the material it's riffing on, Reverie's ode to Zelda presents a charming trip through New Zealand folklore that's worth checking out.
Onrush is a racing game that strips away the commonly understood mechanics of the genre to deliver something that is both fresh and classic at the same time. And a vivacious multiplayer experience that rivals some of the big contemporary shooters of the day.
Everspace struts capably into a crowded field and proves itself as a vital experience worth revisiting again and again. This is the first game from the team at Rockfish, and they've certainly set the bar high for themselves.
I had a handful of small, niggling issues with Shio that by the end I was willing to overlook in the face of a game so expertly crafted that it shouldn't be missed. I just wish there was more of it.
There are enough small grievances I have with the game that hold it back from being truly great, but the tone and setting are so charming that it's hard to be too mad at it. If you want to do some peaceful meandering during your commute, the Switch version is easy to recommend.
The team at Lienzo has built a beautiful and fascinating glimpse into an overlooked and forgotten culture that is immediately endearing. The game they built to support that, though, is disappointingly shallow and clumsily constructed. It's nice to see game development coming out of Mexico, and I look forward to what they are able to do next, but Mulaka doesn't have the chops to make the game worthwhile.
For a game that deals with this large a scale it often feels small and lifeless outside of the boss fights. It is, though, a visual showpiece that offers a stiff challenge. And while playing it on the go probably won't make this worth a return trip to Ginnungagap, it is definitely a great game to add to your Switch library if you've not checked it out before.