Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a quirky little diversion from the main series. Replacing swift combat with slow-paced exploration and puzzles, it's quite a different attraction. I love the storybook illustrations and narration, and exploring the atmospheric Avalon Forest with Cheshire's various abilities was great fun. Issues with the forest's discouraging mazelike map and the simplistic combat are easily trumped by the oodles of character and charm offered by this whimsical spin-off.
Return to Monkey Island brings the beloved classic point-and-click series into the modern puzzle adventure genre, and it's a perfect fit. It's a fine addition to the Monkey Island series, but it nevertheless seems held back by Monkey Island 2's strange ending. In its attempt to explain it away, it just hurts its own narrative, which had the potential for more than it achieved. But it is still a fun ride, full of wild, funny, and surprisingly sincere moments. I will be keenly looking forward to the next Monkey Island game from the mind of Gilbert and his team.
Assassin's Creed Mirage might be a smaller experience than the mammoths that have preceded it, but that doesn't make it lesser. Clocking in at a decent 20-30 hours of streamlined gameplay and story, it's a great return to form to the stealth-focused days of Altair and Ezio. While the main missions could have used more variety, it's encouraging to see that Ubisoft hasn't forgotten the franchise's roots.
With its skilled application of a foreboding atmosphere instead of cheap jumpscares, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is the perfect game to lead us into the spooky season. It's a well-crafted mystery that is creepy in all the right places, taking us back to a not-too-distant past of superstition. If you're in the mood for a suspenseful tale of oft-overlooked folklore and themes of grief and loss, the Excavation of Hob's Barrow gets my firm recommendation.
Shin Megami Tensei V is sure to bring a large swath of fresh fans to the series with its beautiful graphics and complex turn-based strategy mechanics. It presents a challenge even on the easiest setting, and the demon recruitment process has been made all the better with livelier, more varied dialogue. Shin Megami Tensei V is only held back by some lacklustre storytelling in the first half, and the unfortunate performance on the Nintendo Switch, which was the wrong console to handle Shin Megami Tensei V’s powerful graphics.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are faithful recreations of the classic DS titles, updated with plenty of small, ease-of-life changes. While some fans might feel alienated by the features that have been added to make the game easier, the changes are a net positive that make the game a smoother experience all-round. The upgraded Underground is more involved and offers more things to do, and the remade music tracks sound beautiful. Although a lot more could have been done to make these remakes truly special, what’s here will make Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl a worthwhile experience for returning fans and new ones alike.
New Pokémon Snap is a fantastic sequel to a much-beloved N64 classic. It improves on everything from the original game, and the opportunity to snap cute pics of our favourite Pokémon with upgraded graphics is worth the purchase alone. Due to a few small annoyances, it falls short of being a masterpiece, but it’s certainly nothing that will ruin your enjoyment. New Pokémon Snap was worth the wait, and it’s a must-have for any Pokémon fan.
No matter how many times I get frustrated at the little things, I can never stay mad at Bugsnax. It’s got a perfect blend of exploration and narrative, with a story that climaxes in a surprising but satisfying way. It’s not exactly a Blockbuster title for the next generation of consoles, but it’s a delightful adventure with hidden depths. Due to the clunky controls while using a controller, my recommendation is for the PC version, but it’s a great time either way. I’ll be back to Snaktooth Island to catch more Bugsnax very soon.
Crusader Kings III is for a niche audience: its own fans, and any new player that has the patience to learn how to play over multiple playthroughs (though it’d be faster to watch tips and tricks videos on YouTube). If you’re not a member of this audience, tread with caution. It’s a lot of looking at menus, clicking options, and waiting for all those in-game years to pass. If you are, however, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. An imperfect tutorial is an annoyance, but it’s small potatoes compared to the majesty that awaits you on the other side.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a great game with plenty of reasons to keep you exploring – it’s just missing that Wow factor that Paper Mario needed to put it back on top of the charts. Just don’t come in expecting it to be like the old games and you’ll have a great time.
My recommendation is for the mobile versions, as the graphics and the tap-and-swipe controls are clearly optimised for it. It’s a reasonable price on both mobile and PC though, so take your pick of platform.
Unicorn Overlord is not quite enough to dethrone Vanillaware's previous title, 13 Sentinels, but it's not far off. With an extremely solid tactical strategy campaign that allows more casual players to engage in all of its complexities, it's an easy recommendation for any strategy fan or fantasy fan in general. It doesn't utilise all of its long playtime effectively with an unremarkable first half, but the gameplay and phenomenal artwork are more than enough to keep you going until it picks up.
Slay the Princess is an entertainingly dark and subversive visual novel with hidden depths that makes for a great few hours. For developer Black Tabby Games' second title, it's a very encouraging success indeed, and proves that its horror-telling chops in Scarlet Hollow wasn't just a fluke. I will be keenly looking forward to its next title.
With or without friends, WarioWare: Move it! will have you smiling at every turn. Featuring hundreds of new and quirky micro-games, Move it! gets you on your feet and moving once more by striking silly poses with the Joy-Cons, which feels (mostly) natural and accurate. It's not the kind of game you can play for hours, but it will be one to return to any time you need a pick-me-up. Its sense of humor and goofy mechanics will stay fresh for years to come. Finally, this is the successor to Smooth Moves we've been waiting for.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe only improves on the original. It's great to be able to play as Magolor in the new epilogue, which changes up the platforming gameplay simply but effectively. There's even more fun to be had playing subgames in Merry Magoland with your friends. If you're playing solo, there might not be as much to keep your attention, but it will still be a short and sweet adventure.
Do you want more of Bayonetta 1 and 2? That's Bayonetta 3! It keeps the heart and soul of the first two games in every sense, but adds even more fun ways to pound your enemies into the dirt with style. Its chock-full of action set pieces, each more ridiculous than the last - it stays at 100% almost the whole time. Our favourite witch is back in black!
There wasn't much to improve about the original, but Croteam has succeeded in creating an incredible sequel in The Talos Principle 2. The puzzles are better, the world is larger, and the narrative is even more thought-provoking. Top it off with a breathtaking environment and a moving soundtrack, and this just might be the puzzle game of the year.
Not often do we see a narrative RPG with so much squeezed inside a relatively small package. I Was a Teenage Exocolonist will leave you thinking, laughing, crying, and even blushing. With beautiful character illustrations and a story that feels genuine from start to finish, this is a must-play for anyone who enjoys narrative games. Though one playthrough will run you around 5-10 hours, the things you missed will have you coming back for one more playthrough every time.
Even if you don’t normally enjoy point-and-click adventures, Norco is a must-play for anyone interested in story-driven games. It’s one of the best-narrated tales since Dysco Elysium, rich with the real-life history of the town of Norco with some imaginative fiction mixed in. It’s dark, funny, and scary in all the right places, and even if the ending doesn’t wrap up all the mysteries it opens, it’s still sure to leave its mark on you.
A continuation of Samus’ story from Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread excels as a hybrid of both classic and modern Metroid gameplay. The exploration and combat are top-notch, with satisfying boss fights complete with stunning graphics and mid-action cutscenes. It’s only a few nitpicks that prevent Dread from being a masterpiece, but that still means that it’s a must-have for Metroid fans. The future holds a lot of promise for Samus Aran!