King's Bounty 2 had the potential to be something special in the tactical RPG genre but ultimately falls flat. It's especially disappointing because the idea of combining third-person exploration with hex-based strategic combat isn't incredibly common, and it's clear there was an excellent idea buried in the game somewhere for what the world of Nostria could've been. Unfortunately, that vision didn't quite pan out, leaving King's Bounty 2 a bland, dull slog instead of a deep fantasy.
Overall, though, Windbound’s visual and atmospheric aesthetic just can’t save the gameplay. I wanted to love Windbound as a fan of survival games and cel-shaded visuals, but the world was too empty and uninteresting to make the adventure worth it. The survival mechanics were almost unnecessary, making the trek through the world feel even more pointless and empty than it should have. Windbound is an attempt to combine narrative, survival, exploration and aesthetic into one package and fails on every count.
Tempest’s aggravating sailing mechanics in a game dedicated to sea travel are too hard to ignore, bogging down the entire experience and making progression feel like an unmanageable chore. Though the world is beautiful and includes an endless amount of quests, the good is, unfortunately, not enough to outweigh the bad for this pirate adventure.
Milkmaid of the Milky Way was an interesting experience, but not one that I would necessarily recommend.
There's not much to hunt.
YesterMorrow isn’t a bad game exactly. It’s just mediocre, and in an age of fantastic indie platformers, it doesn’t make the cut. The story and gameplay are generic, and the technical issues are frustrating and feel easily avoidable. YesterMorrow is an average experience, but not one that I would recommend considering the plethora of other options available.
Overall, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a great game, but not on Nintendo Switch. The controls are too difficult and not well optimized for a console experience. The menus are hard to navigate and park customization is difficult to do using only buttons when it is so clearly meant for the finesse of a mouse and keyboard.
Destruction AllStars is pretty mundane.
while I had a fun time mowing down the Undead, I wouldn’t really say Onee Chanbara Origin is a great game. The characters are shallow, obviously designed to be something nice to look at, which doesn’t sit well in a modern context. The story doesn’t make much sense and the small bits of lore the writers tried to toss in doesn’t make an impact on the actual gameplay experience. Onee Chanbara Origin remains stuck in the early 2000s, unable to make the transition to modern audiences with higher expectations.
Overall, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is a complicated kart racing game that might please experienced kart racing fans but isn’t approachable for casual players who could pick it up to play as Squidward in a Mario Kart clone. The visuals aren’t too interesting and neither are the tracks themselves, but there is a true depth to kart selection and customization that makes the game more challenging than many other simple kart racers. It’s a worthy game for racing fans, but if you’re planning on a fun casual party game with friends, this might not be what you’re looking.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix offers some fun story beats, unique gameplay mechanics, and a brilliant aesthetic that never quite live up to their potential.
I won’t pretend that Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Mario and Sonic is anywhere near as polished as other popular party games on Switch, but it is still fun to play.
While it does have its downsides when playing alone, Thunder Tier One is, overall, a solid wartime strategy game. It encourages its audience to contemplate their actions clearly instead of rushing in headfirst. The combat itself is rather simple - players point and click at enemies to trigger their weapon - but the sense of realism is impressive for the nine-mission campaign, and the ability to play the entire game with friends is a bonus.
Overall, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a competent and well-done remaster of the first three Monkey Ball console games. There are issues with how engaging those games can be, mostly due to the nature of the franchise's arcade style, so there are caveats about replayability.
Murder Mystery Machine has its flaws, but it's packed full of content that should please puzzle fans, especially those who have a fascination with crime shows. While the outcome of individual cases may be easy to guess, the player still needs to back up their opinion with proof, adding an extra small challenge as it forces the player to think on a more detailed scale. Additionally, while the smaller cases may be predictable at times, the larger story heads in a direction that is entirely unexpected, tying together Murder Mystery Machine and making it surprisingly engaging as a result.
Miles Morales doesn’t reinvent the superhero genre or change any of the core gameplay that Spider-Man fans fell in love with during the original game. Instead, the charm is found with Miles Morales himself and his journey to establish a presence in New York while becoming confident in his abilities without Peter Parker by his side… Miles Morales makes you feel like a fledgling superhero and a teenager, learning the ropes of life, love, and web-slinging.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun gameplay experience if you’re really into managing statistics and growing from your mistakes. The biggest flaw is that the narrative, which has an interesting premise, is stunted by the shallowness and, at times, obnoxious nature of the characters. Luckily, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is focused more on the gameplay and is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a rewarding combat experience and farming simulator.
Overall, while I do wish the ending hadn’t disappointed me as much as it did, my time with Vishnu and Durga was full of character and charm, and my issues with the controls were minuscule. I learned about Hinduism and ancient India through a fictionalized, interactive tribute to the country’s culture and history, which was such a unique experience in an industry dominated by the United States, Western Europe, and Japan.
Star Wars: Squadrons is exactly the space combat flying simulator I’ve been looking for from modern Star Wars video games. The flying feels smooth and the environments are absolutely stunning, making you feel like you’re really in your own Star Wars movie, piloting an X-Wing to victory.
Metamorphosis is a creative, albeit short, video game interpretation of Franz Kafka’s novella. The game absolutely nails the creepy, absurd vibe of the story all about turning into a cockroach and trying to work as a bug. Metamorphosis is a fun, narrative experience, especially for those who are fans of classic literature.