David Flynn
Night Call may draw you with its murder mysteries, but you'll keep playing to learn about its numerous, interesting characters. It's incredibly well written, if a bit pretentious in the best way. Unfortunately, it's numerous glitches may frustrate players too much to keep playing.
Rehydrated is a wonderful remake of an incredibly fun game. The humor and joyful platforming will have you smiling ear to ear, even if the game has more than a few technical problems.
Namco Museum Archives is a collection of the company's NES classics, no more, no less. While the emulation is great and the original games are a good touch, the "Museum" part of the title rings hollow.
Summary: Persona 4 is still one of the best JRPGs of all time, and this port only further proves that while clearing up your vision of Inaba and adding a new control scheme with which to Face Yourself. With this PC version bringing along the enhancements and new features of Golden, there's never been a better time to Reach out to the Truth for newcomers or for veterans to Make History.
House Flipper is emblematic of why every game doesn't need to be on Switch. Its nauseating performance, terrible controls, and laggy menus combine to make an overall awful experience. The game itself, while relaxing at times, seems to want to waste your time in any way it possibly can.
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is the best version of Monolithsoft's masterpiece. Its additions serve to streamline the experience and make an already great game that much better. Its expansion Future Connected gives some much needed closure on one of the story's best and most complex characters while spicing up the exploration and combat in a fun, new way. If you're not already a fan, this version might just hook you like it has so many others.
All three of these games are exactly what you'd expect from other versions: the same shootin', lootin', and possibly rootin' and tootin' found on other platforms. However, this style of game is a great fit for a portable console and may be worth double dipping if you've never played the DLC before.
Mission: It's Complicated is a visual novel that will immediately charm your pants off with a cast of diverse and lovable characters. It's short enough to just hop in for a quick playthrough, but has enough endings to keep you busy for quite some time.
SNK Gals' Fighters is a reminder of why fighting games didn't really work on portable consoles back in the day. While the additions to this port are nice and the game looks good, the game itself feels unresponsive and the controls are too complex for its own good.
Trials of Mana is a wonderful reimagining of the 1995 classic. It's an almost endlessly replayable RPG thanks to the roster of characters, class system, and incredible new game plus. However, it's held back from greatness by a terrible english dub, poor performance on Switch, and the lack of multiplayer especially leaves a large hole in an otherwise enjoyable experience.
Guard Duty is an ambitious adventure game, inspired by the likes of Discworld and Monkey Island, that doesn't quite reach its goal. Still, if you're looking for a short, funny romp through two distinct worlds the game definitely delivers.
Levelhead is an astounding creation from such a small studio. It's not just a toolset or portal for platforming levels, it's a community of creators all over the world supporting each other. It's not perfect, the single player is aggressively difficult and some aspects of sharing or finding levels leave a bit to be desired, but it's clear that this game is going to be supported by players and developers alike for a long time to come.
Sakura Wars is a great entry point to a fascinating series. If you wish Persona had a bit more action, you'll find exactly what you're looking for here. While the "sexy misunderstandings" are cringe worthy, the characters are fun to interact with and the giant robots are a joy to pilot.
Moving Out is a friendship-ending comedy game about moving furniture at any cost. It's a riot in both its premise and writing with a sizable amount of things to do that'll keep you coming back for more wacky physics. While it's best enjoyed with friends, it can still be fun on your own.
In Other Waters' best quality is just that: it makes you feel like you're in other waters. It's a well written exploration game that, while short, provides an interesting story. If this is the form the classic text adventure returns in, In Other Waters leads the charge with its immersive soundscape and imagination sparking descriptions.
Gigantosaurus The Game, while above average for a licensed game, is a thoroughly average platformer. While it is glitchy in some places, it will probably keep kids young enough to enjoy the show entertained for a good while and could serve as a gateway into the genre.
Bless Unleashed, when it's not completely broken, is a boring, unfun disaster. Everything about the game has too many issues to even recommend at the very low price of free.
Those expecting the quality and polish of its predecessor will be disappointed with Exit the Gungeon. It's too visually clustered and the new mechanics can be more frustrating than fun. Still, for a short burst of rogue-like goodness, you could do worse.
Dandara is an excellent game and I can't believe I haven't heard people talking about it. Its unique movement is accompanied by an equally unique world, soundtrack, and symbolic story that will fascinate lore nerds. While it's controls may not support the precision combat asks of you, the Salt is definitely a world worth saving.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a delightful update to a classic, and just the kick in the pants the series needed. It's a return to what made the spinoff so beloved in the first place, from the emotional story to the difficult resource management and boss fights. With a gorgeous watercolor art style, the world of Pokémon has never looked better.