Noah Hunter's Reviews
Despite its gorgeous anime-inspired presentation, Orbitals never quite manages to reach the heights it desperately aims for. There is an undeniable passion stitched throughout each piece of the game, but a lack of difficulty, lackluster narrative, and mediocre area design left me mixed on what I hoped would be a defining game of 2026. Younger players could have a great time with Orbitals, but I struggle to recommend it to anyone looking for anything more than a surface-level experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is everything I wanted out of an upgrade, with sharper visuals, 60 FPS performance, and one of the original game's biggest frustrations finally fixed. More than anything, it gave me an excuse to return to Alrest and experience one of my favorite games of all time in the best way possible. Nearly nine years later, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 remains an unforgettable RPG that stands among the very best games I have ever played.
LEGO Party! - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition brings some much-needed performance enhancements to the console, making for a much more enjoyable experience on the go. With endless charm thanks to its unique board spaces and 300+ minifigures, LEGO Party is the next best thing to Mario Party on the platform.
Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is an excellent Switch 2 port that preserves the game's stylish and endlessly replayable action while delivering smooth 60 FPS performance in both handheld and docked modes. There's no new content, but basically everything essential for DMC5 is here, making this an easy recommendation for anyone looking to experience one of the best action games in recent memory.
Gamble With Your Friends is far from revolutionary, but it can be a chaotic, fun time with friends for a handful of hours thanks to its ticket system, casino antics, and ridiculous body-part sacrifices. However, with little variety between runs and most of its tricks revealed quickly, it’s hard to see much reason to return once you’ve had your fill.
Pragmata dreams big with inventive hacking-shooting gameplay, and Capcom has hit a home run. Hugh and Diana's journey across the moon is one to remember, with an excellent gameplay system that never fails to be exciting. While I wish Pragmata spent more time developing its central relationship, that shortcoming never comes close to dulling what is otherwise one of Capcom’s most inventive and exciting new releases in years.
My Hero Academia: All's Justice is, at times, Byking's best entry in the series, taking some ambitious swings that don't always hit. The story mode, while frustrating at times, is servicable, and there are a few modes worth checking out. Unfortunately, limitations with the Rising system, a lack of stages, and the clunkiness of Team-Up Mission can leave you with a sour taste. All's Justice is a fun time for existing fans, but it makes no sense for a newcomer to start here.
Romeo is a Dead Man isn’t without its flaws. Performance issues can disrupt gameplay, repetition can occasionally take you out of segments, and some gameplay sections can get incredibly tedious. But in the end, these stumbles give way to a wacky and confident vision that carried me through the credits with a smile on my face. The fact that I still can’t stop thinking about it says enough in itself, and I suspect fans will be raving about Romeo for years to come.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is an absolute joy to play on Nintendo Switch 2. This fantastic RPG is filled with memorable characters, an amazing narrative, and an engaging combat system that's almost impossible to put down. The game runs great and looks excellent, with performance consistent at 30 FPS. While some visuals can appear grainy due to heavy DLSS usage, it's a small trade-off for having this wonderful game on the go.
Solitary in the Library is an indie horror game with immense passion behind it. Its impressive psychological elements and fully dubbed Japanese voiceover are excellent, offering an atmosphere that will keep you captivated til the end. Some animations and narrative elements could be improved, but in the end, this experimental horror game is worth your time.
Yakuza Kiwami is an absolute blast to play on Nintendo Switch 2. The mystery of the 10 billion yen is one well worth experiencing, and the performance is essentially perfect, offering a locked 60 FPS and sharp resolution throughout. You'll be hard-pressed to find very many third-party games on Switch 2 that run better than this.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is an excellent Musou game that any One Piece fan will instantly fall in love with. Although the game can be daunting for newcomers and the camera can be tricky at times, it's hard not to appreciate the incredible work Omega Force has done implementing over 60 characters and a great variety of modes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers solid multiplayer and a decent Zombies mode, but its campaign is a messy, Warzone-influenced experiment that fails to land. Despite some attempts to innovate, the game lacks meaningful change and feels almost identical to Black Ops 6. Overall, this year's entry feels creatively stagnant, despite its large amount of content, and I find it hard to recommend it for that reason.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is a solid return for the series that mostly does right by the original. The core gameplay still holds up, the added modes are fun, but inconsistent visuals, missing dynamic music, and a few technical hiccups keep it from being excellent.
Persona 3 Reload finally hits the Nintendo Switch 2, but what should've been a celebration quickly turns into a major letdown. The frame pacing and constant stutters make every step through Tatsumi Port Island a chore, no matter how enjoyable the game itself can be. Maybe ATLUS will patch the frame rate issues in the future, but even then, the lack of support for 60 FPS might be enough to detract some players regardless.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 brings two of Nintendo’s most beloved 3D platformers to Nintendo Switch with meaningful updates. These re-releases enhance the originals with sharper textures, 4K support, smoother performance, and a few quality-of-life additions. Overall, this is the definitive way to experience these two inventive and magical 3D platformers.
Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is a heartfelt and commendable effort that brings forth one of Square Enix's most beloved games to modern platforms. Special attention to recreating the original experience has paid off, with fantastic quality-of-life features added alongside a refreshing UI. While I wish an orchestrated soundtrack were included in this release, this is easily the best way to experience Final Fantasy Tactics.
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. It's the perfect introduction to Trails, with an outstanding cast, engaging gameplay, and a world impossible not to get invested in. The slow-burning narrative, while very enjoyable, can lead to monotonous sections of the game, but this is just a minor gripe considering the massive adventure at hand. New and old fans alike will fall in love with what is assuredly one of the best RPGs of the year.
LEGO Voyagers is a creative co-op adventure that is fun for all ages. The visuals and atmosphere are a real treat, and the gameplay has a lot to offer. A relatively short runtime leaves much to be desired, but this is still a good co-op game that is worth your time.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an immaculate return to 3D for DK. Bananza offers creativity seen in very few games in our industry have achieved. Each Layer is expertly crafted, Donkey Kong is endlessly fun to control, and the narrative is surprisingly great. While the general lack of difficulty, especially with bosses, leaves a bit to be desired, Donkey Kong Bananza is one of my favorite Nintendo games of the last decade. Let's just hope this marks a new era of consistent Donkey Kong games.