Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe turns a solid Wii platformer into a slightly better Nintendo Switch title. The extra copy abilities are fun to use, and Magolor's Epilogue is a good way to wrap up the story. However, the lack of challenge in the campaign is difficult to look past.
Hogwarts Legacy may not have enough magic to ensnare all gamers, but fans of the series will find more than enough enjoyment in Avalanche Software's open-world adventure.
Fire Emblem Engage features familiar excellent gameplay with copious ways to customize your team. However, the story is rather dull, and the large roster is hurt by the limited character depth. There's plenty of tactical RPG gameplay to enjoy here, but it feels like a light step back for the series.
Grotesquely designed and brutally challenging, GRIME is a unique metroidvania experience. It's certainly not for everyone, but those willing to dive into the title's dark world will find plenty to enjoy.
Marvel's Midnight Suns might not deliver on everything it's setting out to do, but is still an excellent fusion of hardcore strategy and super hero action. It's engaging to take down enemies with your superpowered pals, and then getting to unwind with them afterwards.
Pokémon Scarlet is a good game undone by extremely poor performance. The open-world set-up is fantastic, and the title does a good job of letting you wander into the deep end, but not forcing you to drown. Unfortunately, the copious amount of technical issues with it prevent it from reaching the heights it should have.
The Chant had the pieces to be a unique piece of survival horror entertainment, but the assorted aspects of the title fail to congeal into a satisfying adventure. The combat is clunky and bland, and the story has its moments, but doesn't deliver in the end.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope builds upon the framework established by the first title in several positive ways. The tactical combat has been given more variety, and having more things to do outside of battle was also a smart addition. Despite the annoying Rabbids and lackluster plot, it's an overall improvement and a solid sequel.
There are plenty of moments in Gotham Knights that make for a good time - the camaraderie between the heroes is enjoyable, and the city itself looks great. However, the combat is too basic and monotonous to stand on its own, and the story struggles to get going before it falls apart.
PGA Tour 2K23 ups its game from the previous release. The sport remains as enjoyable as ever to play, and smart customization options keep the experience fresh. However, lackluster presentation still continues to be an issue.
NBA 2K23 represents one of the biggest steps forward for the franchise in recent years. The abundance of modes will keep players entertained throughout the NBA season, and the on-court gameplay continues to be improved. It's just a shame that microtransactions continue to be as woven within the fabric of the game as they are.
Rollerdrome certainly has its issues, but the overwhelmingly chaotic action is fun enough to compensate. I continually found myself dropping back into levels to try and chase higher scores and take out my foes with increasing style. There are elements that could have been fleshed out further, but considering the scope of the project, I'm impressed with the results.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a true labor of love from Digital Eclipse. Although the quality of the games included may be scattershot, ultimately, there's still enough good content to appeal to fans and non-fans alike.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a great RPG, and arguably the best title in the series to date. It could still use some editing, and the problems with the Switch itself will continue to hold the franchise back. But even those issues can't put a damper on the captivating combat engine and dynamic storytelling featured here.
It may not offer enough to draw in repeat customers, but Sonic Origins is still a solidly put-together package of classic Blue Blur adventures.
Eternal Hope had potential, and it has great presentation qualities. However, the lack of meaningful plot direction and unresponsive controls make the adventure more of a slog than it should be.
Shifting the spotlight to some more obscure releases was a wise choice, as the set of games included in Capcom Fighting Collection features some of the publisher's weirdest, but enjoyable, fighters.
MLB The Show 22 is still a great game of ball, but one that is stating to slow down as it ages. San Diego Studio has been able to innovate in the past, and I hope they get around to addressing some of the weaknesses next time around. Whether that's through going full current-gen or delivering a fresh approach to Road to the Show, there is room for improvement.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land might not redefine the genre, but it's still a solid 3D platformer with a great gimmick. Kirby's duplication ability makes for some great gameplay and the much-anticipated Mouthful Mode doesn't disappoint. It's still lacking in some areas, but there's plenty of enjoyment to be had.
WWE 2K22 is a massive step up in quality for the troubled wrestling franchise. The gameplay engine is in great shape, and the mode quality is mostly solid. While there are improvements to be made going forward, I'm no longer totally hopeless about the future of the series.