Blades of Fire’s blacksmithing burns bright, but overly simplistic combat and a mediocre story mean it doesn’t forge a sharp enough edge to put its customizable weapons to good use.
Warriors: Abyss may stumble in its open-ended, cookie-cutter story and cut-and-paste boss battles, but the replayability that comes from its combat and the customization of its multitude of characters and builds helped keep me slashing through thousands of enemies for dozens of hours of roguelite runs.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins doesn’t just have the largest amount of enemies the series has thrown on screen at once, it also deepens its combat, improves its storytelling, and provides a healthy amount of replayability.
Lego Horizon Adventures reimagines Horizon Zero Dawn with a playful Lego twist, simplifying the story while keeping the heart of its key moments and characters.
Sonic X Shadow Generations takes an already excellent game and spring jumps it to new heights with a creative Shadow campaign and an appreciable graphical upgrade.
It may not stand out from the pack, but Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn still continuously found ways to entertain me with flashy combat and swift movement.
Sonic Superstars has a mix of both interesting and ill-advised new ideas, making it an enjoyable Sonic game but not exactly a Super one.
Pikmin 4 adds variety to the series' traditional gameplay by offering options other than the grab-and-throw formula of the past, and brings an extra helping of top-tier levels after the credits roll.
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is fairly straightforward, but it nails the feeling of playing as Sylas. The story goes to some interesting places and is accompanied by some great bosses and a momentous finale.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a great return for this long-neglected series. While there isn’t much variety in the game modes, depth comes from the number of variables you can adjust to make every match feel unique.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is full of charm and nostalgia, and its impressive 385-song tracklist makes it an enjoyable way to listen to and play along with the most memorable songs from the Final Fantasy series.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin's story doesn't come together until the final hours, but when it does it pairs nicely with a solid and engaging action combat system and a strong dose of FF nostalgia.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a deep turn-based RPG that lets us experience Runeterra from a whole new perspective and gives its characters room to grow.
While it has a lot of star power with all of its characters and abilities which are sure to please the hardcore Kirby fanbase, this new Switch adventure certainly won’t be winning any awards for innovation.
Dissidia is undeniably attractive and enjoyable to play. However, the steep learning curve and amount of time needed to master makes it a fighter that’s not for the faint of heart.