Hooshan Torabi
When it comes down to it, the core gameplay is just as fun as it has ever been. Playing with others is what makes this series remain fresh after all these years. People only looking for a single player experience should look elsewhere.
This collaboration between Mario and Rabbids is an important one to have. It allows the Rabbids to shine to a broader audience and it allows Mario to move out of his comfort zone. When you succeed in both of those departments it shows that both of these series can do more when you put your mind to it and pour your heart into making those creative ideas come to fruition. A bold step was taken and I welcome other crazy ideas of this caliber.
It's Doom (2016) for Nintendo Switch. It has online multiplayer. You can play it at the barber shop if you wish. Just don't let it entertain the person with the clippers or you'll meet your doom.
This game is meant for people looking for top-down arcade shooting and people who don't mind having their reflexes tested.
This is a shoot-'em-up catered to players who don't want a frantic & flashy game and would rather play something that's more chill while playing with minor simulation elements. The game's smooth controls are attributed to that.
Super Mario Odyssey is a culmination of all things Super Mario. It takes the best from its 3D predecessors and combines them in a grand experience that is perfectly paced. The combination of granular platforming mixed in sandbox environments is designed in such a way that gameplay never feels bogged down and provides moment-to-moment fun. While a main hub world is missing, and many fans may miss that, the worlds feel dense enough that there's enough mystery and secrets within them. I'm glad Super Mario Odyssey reinvents the series then even if elements should feel familiar, it creates its own identity. Super Mario Odyssey is a 30+ year celebration of Mario that pays tribute to the series itself and all eras of gamers in general. Odyssey delivers and I can't wait to see where we'll make our next stop.
SUPERBEAT: XONiC is very fun and there's nothing really bad about it. Its main purpose is to make sure the music and your coordination are in line with each other while offering a visual style to keep you engaged. It succeeds in all regards. The track list is enjoyable and the visual presentation is far from lazy. This is a perfect game to play at home or on the go. The game is just shy of 70 total songs which may leave players wanting more, but it's the kind of game where you still have all of these tracks to master because putting good songs on repeat is the name of the game and the beat music lovers should feel.
Ittle Dew from 2013 has always been seen as a game that took direct inspiration from The Legend of Zelda series. Ittle Dew 2+ follows that principle, but adds so much more than the original game and sets out to create its own identity. It's sort of like allowing a game like Zelda to go a little crazy by not being entirely serious and be a well-designed game at the same time. Players looking for sidequests in order to have more to do won't exactly find that in Ittle Dew 2+. Instead, the puzzles and dungeons that are in the game are enough to fill that void. The developer Ludosity created an even better product than Ittle Dew's first outing and this game is sure to please fans of the first game as well as players looking for a puzzle-solving top-down action-adventure in the same vein as The Legend of Zelda. The team has great ideas and I'd love to see what they could come up with if given the opportunity of a bigger production budget.
All-in-all, this is an enjoyable game. The way vehicles handle feel great and despite the lack of variety in courses, they are detailed and beautiful. There's many modes to choose from and playing with others with a similar skill level will be fun. It offers a single player career mode with 150-ish events and you can play it in multiple ways. I'd say it's a bang for your buck. The gameplay is really good, but the surrounding parts aren't up to par. It could just use a few more boosts in the balance department.
Lumo definitely caters to specific crowd and may not be for everyone, but it's easy enough for anyone to be able to play. It creates isometric gameplay which is forgotten in this day & age. Lumo offers a pick-up and play experience and has collectibles worth seeking for those who enjoy going after them.
The package all comes together in Stick It To The Man; the smooth visuals along with its cartoonish animation and unique art style topped with hilarious writing from start to finish fully realized by top notch voice acting. It truly is a wonderful achievement worth playing through. I felt as if I could have described at least a few of the characters and scenarios you'll come across, but I would rather let every experience be the player's.
Crimsonland is has a rewarding perk system and fun guns to use on a level-to-level basis. People who care about obtaining the best scores will find more value here than most. Still, its repetitious level design and bland presentation make it a duller experience. Why not add structures to the levels such as walls and maybe some vegetation? Broken down 2-story buildings would be nice. Weapons and Perks are the highlights. If only the rest matched up.
Anyone who never got into Minecraft might find something enjoyable with Portal Knights. There is more structure, customization, variety and fresh ideas to keep things interesting. The game can become addicting and if you have a friend to play with the experience is even more enjoyable. There is no pure creation-only mode, but that shouldn't stop anyone from creating anything they want. The world's are purposefully constructed as well as giving you your own lands to play around in. These kinds of games can be a bit ambitious to pursue when creating them and that may be where some of the implementations such as inventory and leveling up are not thought out very well, but all the things surrounding those are pretty good.
It always feels good to play a game that pays total homage to The Legend of Zelda. The world design found in Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King shows it was cared for and the controls feel good. There aren't many collectibles and upgrades and the game doesn't put up a fight through most of it, but I can't deny the strength in all of its departments be it dungeons, bosses, charming dialog and vibrant art style. Heart went into this game. Anyone looking for a fun Zelda clone shouldn't look past Blossom Tales. It's worth picking up. It's worth getting a sequel. I want more.
I like seeing love letters to games many people enjoy. Furi looks, sounds & plays good and it has some known names to back that up. It draws heavy inspiration, sure, but Furi is its own art worthy of standing alone. Some players may find it short if they're wanting more than just battling opponents, but it does have style and is satisfying from start to finish. This is a badass indie gem that reminds me of something I should have played on Nintendo's GameCube.
World to the West deserves to be praised for its charm and personality. The varied characters all bring something to the table in terms of gameplay and some personalities are easy to love. The music compliments your journey very well. The aspect of character switching is more of a problem than it needs to be and a certain scavenge hunt, while integral to the back story, feels like a shoe-in. It could use more polish, but it's a good game worth checking out.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood's presentation and creative use of puzzle-platforming are really well done. It has a difficulty curve that is accessible for all ages and remains fun. It looks beautiful despite running at a lower resolution and its appeal can be good for both parents and children to play together.
InnerSpace started off with me not knowing what to expect, but continued to get better and better. It's not perfect. It feels clunky when you keep crashing into walls when you don't want to. Flying around feels satisfying, though. It's beautiful to look at and relaxing to play while maintaining a fun factor. It's a unique game that is well executed and we need more of these.
SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt may not be good as SteamWorld Dig 2, but it's still good. Getting to know the characters and even having different moves is enough to warrant playing it if you haven't already, but it's fun anyway. If this game is your introduction and you are into the metroidvania genre, you will also enjoy this. It has a pacing that never dulls and you're constantly being rewarded. It's about time you dig in.
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes the blueprint of the first game and injects more adrenaline. It plays as beautiful as it looks. This game can cause an addiction. It's definitely highly regarded for multiple reasons. A fresh take on metroidvania with smart platforming and puzzles into the mix. Just moving around doing what you need to evolves into its own reward. Just buy it.