Pathfinder Kingmaker isn’t for everyone, and that shows. The complex and deep RPG mechanics mimic those of pen and paper RPGs of old, and the lack of meaningful direction the game gives new players can be off-putting. But if you are familiar with the genre or are willing to put in the time to truly learn this game, it can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Just bear in mind that it’s hard to recommend to console players in its current state.
Hellpoint is a Souls-like game that is actually really close to being good. The black hole mechanic was a noble attempt at adding something unique to this subgenre of games, but it’s not enough to make up for the uninspired level design, framerate issues, boring story and dull combat.
Demon’s Tier + at its best is a decent enough twin stick roguelike to play, as it performs well enough, but doesn’t add anything new to the genre. Its overly repetitive gameplay, uninspired level designs, and lack of interesting mechanics makes it one I’m not going to return to.
Bonelab lays the foundation for the future of VR gaming. It is an immersive playground experience that highlights some of the best aspects of this burgeoning technology. Unfortunately, it also brings out some of its worst elements, namely nausea and a pitiful amount, and it’s just that, a foundation for more content down the line. I expect Bonelab to have an incredibly fleshed-out future with updates and mod support, but that’s not its present state, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that it will receive said expected amount of support later down the line. It’s an incredibly tough game to recommend in its current state, sadly enough.
As a whole, Thymesia feels like a missed opportunity. The plague weapons and unique sense of progression carry its gameplay that can often feel a touch unfinished and forgettable. It’s short and very uneven: just when it’s starting to feel a bit more interesting, it ends in a very unspectacular fashion. If you are foaming for more soulslike games, then I guess that Thymesia can (maybe) be a good time. Even so, I’d strongly recommend grabbing it on sale.
Vampire The Masquerade: Swansong is a flawed game for sure, with some rough visuals and a gameplay loop that certainly won’t be for everyone. However, if you are looking for a compelling vampire mystery and don’t mind quite a few annoyances that are usually present in modern AA games, then there is a lot to like about this flawed, but certainly captivating detective adventure.
Godlike Burger could and should have been so much better. It is an amalgamation of really bizarre ideas that come together to create a really unique (and mental) gaming experience. However, it suffers from a myriad of technical and design issues, such as a clunky user interface, awkward progression system, and annoying controls that do bring the experience down several notches. Not all is lost, though. There is potential in here, so I really hope this idea isn’t abandoned, but instead built upon via patches or a sequel.
If you have somehow enjoyed the base Serious Sam 4, you will most certainly enjoy Siberian Mayhem. It’s pretty much the same damn game, just with some slightly less terrible performance and some better level design. However, most of these changes don’t make up for a very superior overall package. If you didn’t like that game, this won’t be the one that will make you change your mind. For every fun action-packed encounter, there will be something else that is equally dull to bring the experience down a notch.
Battlefield 2042 provides a surprisingly complete multiplayer experience with a game mode for everybody. Although, with it’s countless number of bugs, mediocre map design and balance issues it also makes it a very difficult game to recommend especially at the current price. There is a fair amount of fun to be had with the game that might be improved in the next year or so.
World War Z is one of the better horde shooters out there right now. There’s nothing quite like mowing down hundreds upon hundreds of zombies in a single wave. However, with the DLC content not in this particular Switch version just yet, it is hard to recommend to people who may have already played it on a PC or other consoles. Still, if you can overlook this, and if you really want to experience this on-the-go, then World War Z on Switch is still worth playing.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends has potential when it comes to its team-based, stealh-oriented heist gameplay concept. That cannot be discussed. However, issues related to its gameplay and how easily it can be exploited, as well as that overall sense that it’s not bound to retain its community for long, make it quite hard to recommend, even if I’m hopeful the developers will continute to support it over time.
For better of for worse, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is pretty much what it was so many years ago. If you didn’t like the original release, then this won’t do much to convince you otherwise, and if you are coming from Automata, this is a weaker game in a lot of ways.
Super Meat Boy Forever is a disappointing return to a beloved game in the ultra challenging platforming genre. Forever does manage to re-create that challenge, but the auto-run approach just feels lacklustre. You are in a lot less control over our red meaty hero and the game feels much worse for it.
ScourgeBringer is a roguelike in an overly saturated genre and it does just enough to make it worth a look. Whilst it didn’t grab my attention for too long, it’s still a worthwhile game. The fast paced combat is smooth and easy to pick up, but difficult to master.
As a fan of the original Crysis it’s very hard to recommend this remaster. The changes to the art direction on top of the missing content and technical issues make this arguably the worst version of the game to play. Though if you have no other way to experience it, then there is some enjoyment to be had with it.
I have some conflicted feelings about Maid of Sker. The giant Resident Evil-esque hotel setting provides an entertaining and exciting place to explore. But the game ended up being lacklustre in other aspects, namely its predictable story, undercooked stealth mechanics and overabundance of jump scares.
Curious Expedition has some good ideas but most of them don’t quite land thanks to the overly repetitive gameplay that gets boring after a few short runs, as well as its terrible combat system. Hopefully the upcoming sequel can improve on these issues, if it ever comes out.
Overall, Resident Evil Resistance shows some promise with its fun and innovative mastermind gameplay, that brings something new to the genre. Unfortunately, the survivor’s gameplay is simply lacking.
The Winters’ Expansion feels like a victory lap for this era of Resident Evil. It closes the story with a smaller and more personal end to Winters’ storyline. Going through the same locations as the base game may feel cheap, but just enough has changed to justify it and the inclusion of third-person and expanded mercenaries means that there’s plenty of stuff to do here.
Undetected is not amazing, but it is a surprising game in the best of ways. If you are a fan of the old-school Metal Gear Solid games and are tired of replaying Snake Eater for the millionth time, then it would be worth checking this game out. It’s a well-designed stealth action game, and impressive for what’s probably very low-budgeted, but it’s not perfect and it does lose steam in its second half.