The constant fear and impending sense of dread make sure you're always uncomfortable, making Dredge a master class in the subtlety of horror. Even though the story never comes out and explains everything that's happening, it does enough to make sure you can put it together, while relying on the journey you've made for yourself to stand tall. All in all, Dredge is one of those near-perfect indie games-it accomplishes everything it sets out to do, keeps the player entertained throughout, and manages to be innovative in an industry filled with games for us to play.
Mato Anomalies loses itself with too many systems, mechanics, and story-telling styles. While ambitious, it never gets good at any of the things it tries to do, which makes the overall experience lackluster at best.
Fans of the genre will be fully immersed and giddy about being able to experience something like this, and it is something to behold visually even for those who don't come with prior knowledge. Unfortunately, those visuals are best experienced on systems other than the Nintendo Switch, which only makes the monotonous gameplay more evident. Incredible storytelling, though cliché, boosts Trek to Yomi towards something worth experiencing, especially when the game can be beaten in an afternoon.
Life is Strange 2 on the Nintendo Switch holds true to its story-telling ability and deep dialogue choices while offering a good-enough option for those wanting to take the game on the go.
While Monster Harvest offers a unique perspective on the farming sim, it follows along with the genre norms too closely to really set itself apart.
Madden 22 makes strides in several areas, but lack of polish, numerous bugs, and mostly reloaded content put it behind the sticks.
The incredible world-building found in Cris Tales is often overshadowed by lackluster combat, regardless of the unique time travel mechanics.
Although it can be tough at times to jump into an era that you’re unfamiliar with, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles masterfully offers all of the gameplay you’d hope for without leaning on other iterations for story content.
While Mario Golf: Super Rush isn't the deepest experience, the arcade gameplay and modes on offer allow it to stay on par.
Nintendo’s best development toolkit to date, with a gamified process that makes creating enjoyable, even if the curation tools are sub-par.
Kill It With Fire is fun. While it's just about as bare bones as you can get and totally lacks the variety you'd want from a more long-term experience, there's just something about repeatedly murdering spiders in various ways that puts a smile on your face. For those looking for something simple to mess around with on occasion (or as a way to vent stress) you'd do well looking into this one, while those looking for something more full-fledged should probably keep moving down the line.
undefined.Buildings Have Feelings Too! stands on its own in terms of a city management game of this style, and it's that uniqueness that makes it something worth taking a look at. Some performance issues in load times and frame rate dips are an annoyance, but otherwise if you're someone who likes the strategy of city management titles, but are looking for a less serious experience, then this is definitely right up your alley.
Cozy Grove arrives as advertised-a smaller, more story-based Animal Crossing experience with its own charms and enjoyment. Though the tasks are also just as tedious at times, the fact that Cozy Grove holds back story entries through their daily cycle, rather than fish and bugs, tastes sour at times, even if the rest of what is on offer is a bountiful harvest. For those Animal Crossing fans out there looking for something close to what you've already experienced with New Horizons, this is the perfect drop-in-drop-out version of that experience and is definitely a must-try title, even with the hard feelings over how long it takes to really get to know that seagull-bear.
Even though the aesthetic, soundtrack, and intelligent dialogue create a package that looks outstanding, Rip Them Off fails to come together in its puzzle gameplay. While utilizing trial-and-error can have its merits, Rip Them Off's method of having the player learn a mathematic language that it then changes constantly just doesn't make for a fun gameplay loop. Lacking hard solutions and ramping up difficulty before you've been properly taught makes Rip Them Off a puzzle title that is hard to recommend.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time resurrects this classic series in an authentic fashion. While a modern adventure with maximum replayability is a godsend for fans, a lot of what made the original Crash games rough around the edges is also present in this iteration, with inaccurate platforming and frustrating difficulty. However, for those looking for a return to form for the Bandicoot, Toys For Bob has proven themselves yet again in this long-awaited sequel.
Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse is a perfectly serviceable point-and-click adventure that offers a lot of opportunities for laughter. However, unless you're a longtime fan of their comics, the jokes can regularly fall flat as they're pumped out in every sentence of dialogue. Between holding to basic mechanics and failing to impress past what is expected, Freakpocalypse forces you to focus on the negatives, even if there aren't that many.
Little Nightmares II successfully creates a series of titles that pair up splendidly. Through masterful environmental storytelling and world-building, Tarsier Studios steps up to the likes of Limbo and Inside to invoke a creepy, horror experience that will force its way into your memories. Even with some frustrating sequences and some perspective clunkiness, Little Nightmares II gets a helping hand with all the other ways it exemplifies the genre.
Tohu is a beautiful and fresh iteration on one of gaming's old school genres. Cursor-based movement in docked mode, a short playtime, and shallow story aren't enough to hold back the top-notch art and animations, intelligent puzzles, and incredible soundtrack from creating a memorable experience from beginning to end. For those fans of LucasArts and Double Fine, Tohu is worthy of your time, while probably not changing the minds of those who haven't discovered the secret of Monkey Island or defeated those dreaded tentacles.
Boot Hill Heroes, though an honorable attempt to make a retro RPG in the rarely-used Wild West setting, fails to hold up to modern standards. It also isn't a close enough homage to let those misgivings slide. A fine combat system and an on-point soundtrack aren't enough to get past the bland gameplay, trope-filled story, and old-school jank.
PHOGS! is as delightful as it is unique and entrancing. While the controls are a little tough to get the feel of for solo-players, teaming "pup" with a friend allows for an experience that, though mostly on the easy side, guarantees the player a thoroughly good time-especially in the boss stages.