Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed is a fantastic addition to the Xenoblade Chronicles saga. It ties up the story so far in a nice thematic bow, with equal amounts of new additions and returning favorites. The combat system is tighter and incredibly satisfying, and is even tied to exploration to make you feel like you're always growing. Once again, I can't wait to see what Monolithsoft cooks up next.
DNF Duel had the potential to be a great fighting game for beginners, but is far too shallow and unbalanced to be competitive in. Even so, it's good for a more casual and laid back experience with some great visuals.
Amid Evil is a great throwback to old-school shooters like Quake, and this VR version features some incredibly satisfying combat with immersive controls. However, it is sorely lacking in comfort options which makes it hard to get through even a single level in one session. This works best as a compliment to a flat version.
Strayed Lights is a short and sweet game exploring a unique, defensive combat experience. It can feel shallow and falls short in aspects like the music, but it remains engaging throughout its runtime.
Teslagrad 2 is a fantastic adventure that's over way too soon. The puzzles and platforming are some of the best in the genre, but given your breadth of moves the game doesn't come close to fully exploring what it can do.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is a wonderful followup to a chill and touching story that retains the charm of the original while not feeling bound by it. The character arcs feel even more human and relatable within a fascinating world and branching story.
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate Episode 2 lets you delve even further into this sci-fi murder mystery, with a gripping if poorly written narrative that provides more thrilling twists and turns. While the middle of this middle chapter can be slow and unsatisfying, this is still an incredibly fun plot to piece together in your head.
MegaMan Battle Network Legacy Collection is a neat package of 6 GBA titles with some interesting features that somewhat capture the appeal of the games. While it could do a lot more, the games themselves are good and the collection makes them easier to enjoy than ever.
Infinite Guitars tries to be a lot of things, and unfortunately doesn't quite succeed at any of them. The rhythm mechanics come the closest, but like the rest of the experience are marred by glitches. Despite the immaculate soundtrack, the rest of the game just isn't finished with a poorly written story and lackluster mechanics.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fantastic spinoff depicting an early adventure of a beloved character. Controlling both Cereza and Cheshire to solve puzzles and defeat faeries is a ton of fun, with a lot still left to discover even after the lengthy main story. This is a delightful start to what will hopefully be a fantastic sub-series.
Vernal Edge is a thrilling character action game mixed with an intricate, connected world that's a joy to explore. The story may not be anything to write home about, but the combat and platforming more than make up for that.
Octopath Traveler II surpasses the original in every way. The additions to combat were greatly needed and spiced up battles, the story, characters, and pacing are leagues better, and somehow the music cranks it up another few notches. There are still a few issues to be ironed out, like grinding, but this is a retro-style RPG you won't want to miss.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure has a lot going for it, but even more holding it back. The story and characters are mostly fantastic, but the game does so much to get in the way of enjoying it both through dialogue and gameplay it becomes hard to recommend to those not already invested in the world.
Scars Above is unfortunately bland, with dull combat and very few puzzles. It has hints at interesting ideas and ambitions, but couldn't execute on those.
Theatrythm Final Bar Line is a good celebration of Final Fantasy's musical history. While a few key songs are behind a paywall or missing entirely, fans will find a lot to like here.
The Pale Beyond is a masterclass in tone and atmosphere informing gameplay. As Captain Robin Shaw, you'll need to make tough decisions constantly, but this stressful journey is well worth seeing through to the end.
Gun Jam fails to capitalize on a novel idea through its unpolished and at odds mechanics. There's not much content here and what is there isn't particularly fun.
Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a great game, but doesn't do much to stand out against other games in the series. The story and setting are novel and interesting, however, the combat lacks any sort of balance. Even so, the excellent melodrama is worth seeing through to the end.
Metroid Prime Remastered is an amazing update to a classic game. Despite some remaining issues like clunky combat and platforming, the new control scheme and visual updates make this a must-play in the Switch's library, even for those who didn't enjoy the original. This is how you update a game for modern audiences.
Hitman: World of Assassination brings together most of the trilogy's content in a convenient package. While what's excluded and the always online requirements are baffling, the game itself is still a ton of fun with the new Freelancer mode bringing you to locations from all three games. This is a great way to dive in for newcomers, though veterans will be confused as to what's not included and why.