Star Fox Guard is a simple concept done very well. It's a new takes on the tower defense genre that really adds a whole lot to the experience. And in contrast to its big brother, it uses the Wii U Gamepad very effectively. However, while there is a lot of content thanks to the massive amount of levels and challenges, the core gameplay never strays too far from the base experience.
Kirby: Planet Robobot is a great new addition to the classic series. Aside from the new mech suit it doesn't do a whole lot different from its predecessors, but that shouldn't bother those who just want another great 2D platformer for their 3DS collection.
Inside is very much a near-perfect follow up to 2010's excellent Limbo. The game has the same dark, malevolent feel, and it expands on its predecessor's puzzle platforming in new and interesting ways. It does have a few of the same faults, such as a short runtime, and the overall experience isn't quite as blissfully satisfying, but Inside is a great game from start to finish.
Once again Nintendo has delivered an overall enjoyable game that doesn't seem to deliver what fans may have initially expected. Putting aside expectations though, Paper Mario: Color Splash is a decidedly solid adventure-platformer, with some great storytelling and humor layered on top. The papercraft visuals are gorgeous, and the soundtrack will have you humming along in just a few minutes. The card-based battle system is a real downer though and the loss of deeper gameplay elements is still hard felt, dragging the whole experience down quite a bit.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is chock full of content. The campaign, multiplayer, and zombies modes all add up to a game that will keep you playing for hours. These individual modes might have their faults, with the campaign being particularly skippable if you just want that base action gameplay. The multiplayer remains true to its roots, even with the big shift in setting. And Zombies is the highlight of the experience in a lot of ways, offering a great co-op experience. All together, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a winner. It just might not be the biggest winner the series has had.
You won't find too much that's completely fresh here, but if you like puzzle games and you own a 3DS, there's little reason to skip BoxBoxBoy!
Featuring enough new stuff to bring back longtime fans, Worms W.M.D is another great entry in the 20 year old franchise. The game doesn't reinvent the formula that has worked so well, but it does refine it in a number of important ways. With new weapons, vehicles, and visuals, Worms W.M.D should please anyone looking for an old school turn-based strategy game.
Nuka-World is a fine new addition to Fallout 4. However, as the final piece of DLC it is a bit of a let down. It does offer a huge and interesting new area to explore, and the attention to detail in creating Fallout's Disney World is very much appreciated. But there's just not much here that hasn't been done before in the series. The factions can largely be ignored, and many players will find that the role-playing aspect is almost non-existent this time around. But overall Fallout 4 Nuka-World provides a ton of new things to do and check out, which is enough to warrant a purchase from anyone who has exhausted what's available now.
Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 2 "Children of Arkham" continues perfectly off of the stellar first episode. The action is tight, the dialogue is engaging, and the characters are all fantastically acted and scripted. Fans of Batman and/or Telltale will be very pleased with the direction that this series is going. However, technical problems still create headaches, though they might be lesser for some players depending on the system they play on and the setup they have. Hopefully Telltale can clear those up soon, so that Batman: The Telltale Series can truly live up to its already great potential.
Gravity Rush 2 is a step up in almost every way from its already enjoyable predecessor. The sense of freedom and adventure is great, thanks to the gravity bending abilities of Kat. Combat is still kind of dull and frustrating, but it's less of the experience this time. The gorgeous art style and design eases this pain though, delivering a great action experience for PS4.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is off to a great start with Episode 1 & 2, "Ties that Bind".
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin serves as a fun side adventure, utilizing PlayStation VR to put players right into the world of the series. It does this well, with the usual excellent writing expected of Double Fine. The point-and-click gameplay is fun, and works well in VR, but the puzzles can and will stump you at some points, causing some extreme frustration. A short game, it is nonetheless worth trying out, especially if you were a fan of the original.
A great conclusion to this underappreciated puzzle series, Bye-Bye BoxBoy! is a must buy for anyone who enjoyed the previous games. It also serves as a nice jumping on point, giving players tons of new, fun puzzles to work through with some cool new mechanics.
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode 1 "Tangled Up in Blue" is a great introduction to this vast universe. It doesn't excel quite as much as Telltale's best, but it serves its purpose exceptionally well. Introducing us to the characters, the story, and delivering some laughs, it looks like we're in for another wonderful ride with Telltale.
ARMS is a great addition to the Switch's growing library of unique titles. Featuring a fresh new world full of color and character, the content might be light, but if you get hooked you'll find lots to enjoy here.
Solid visuals and framerate. Some drawbacks hold it back overall, such as smaller worlds, but this is easily the best handheld version of Minecraft. Splitscreen on the go is really amazing, and a lot of fun.
Perception is a truly unique game, putting players into the shoes of a blind girl and using that as a means of storytelling and gameplay. It develops a world that you want to explore, but also keeps you on the edge of your seat with fear and trepidation.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode 2 is another great episode from the developer. It's better than the first episode in a lot of ways, but still has troubling technical problems that detract from the fun.
While this isn't Samus' greatest adventure, it is still a very good one.
Pokken Tournament DX is the definitive release of Bandai Namco's Pokemon fighter. With more characters, modes, and other features, it enhances and improves on the original in a few key areas. However, it's not a complete overhaul at all, so those who never enjoyed the fighting mechanics will still want to stay away. If you're looking for a solid fighting game on Nintendo Switch though, you can't go wrong here.