Whether you choose to go it alone or have a space-themed game night game with friends, This Means Warp is a solid arcade experience. Graphics may not seem like a lot, but the gameplay more than makes up for it. Easy to pick up, very tough to master and even more tough not to be tempted to come back in for another round. My only notable niggle is that you can’t mix local and online co-op, which is a bit of a pain when you want to play the game with your wife and a friend in another country. Regardless, This Means Warp is one of those co-op games that does its own thing and succeeds in the process.
I liked Worldless, but I wasn’t very good at it. Visually, the game looks great, and I had a lot of fun exploring the world and trying to make sense of the vague story while taking in the scenes and listening to the score. Combat, however, is tough. It’s not broken or glitchy. It just takes some fast fingers and careful attention to really master it. I liked it in principle, but it just didn’t click for me. I still give Worldless a solid recommendation. If you’re up for the challenge, you will discover a unique adventure that’s well worth taking the time to master.
DREDGE The Pale Reach DLC doesn’t add much new to an already solid formula. There are new fish to discover, new rods to collect and a cool new tool for your ship. It’s about an extra two hours of gameplay to add to the main content. If the main game hooked you, this DLC is well worth dredging up your copy of the game from your backlog to play.
Heroes of Drakemire is a good RPG, but it doesn’t bring much innovation to its classic formula. For some players, that will be perfectly fine. Heroes of Drakemire will take you back to a simpler time with straightforward turn-based combat and no overly complicated mechanics to get your head around. For me, the game fell a bit short because of the grind. After too many sessions, I found myself grinding away on battles, trying to gather loot to improve my skills rather than progressing. It just came across as tedious, and as a busy parent, it didn’t fit well into a busy schedule where gaming sessions are quite precious. However, if you have the time to spare and love the genre, give this a try and support an indie developer.
At the end of it all, I had fun with the Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection. The games are an unusual mixture of difficult yet intriguing experiences; some hit the mark while others certainly didn’t. Little has been done to make the games more accessible outside of save states and a rewind button. With that, it makes it hard to recommend for everyone. If you utterly love Jurassic Park or want an affordable way to play some obscure retro games without going to the expense of finding the original cart or hardware, then this Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection is worth the price of entry. My inner child was certainly happy I got to experience the games.
Dave the Diver is a wonderful dip into the ocean. For me, this was the game that kept on giving. With so many options during gameplay, I could not honestly cite a point where I felt bored. Dives were wonderous with plenty to explore and seek, whether it was finding new fish or discovering something sinister in the depths. Running the restaurant was also much more fun than I expected, far from a throw-away mini-game but an in-depth management sim. Either of these two elements of gameplay would make a great game but on top of all that, you have all the little surprises that make this something I could not recommend enough.
I really liked Colored Effects. There was something about this simple puzzler that really resonated with me. Maybe it was the rewarding puzzle design that felt challenging but not to the point of stress. Even when I did hit a puzzle wall, I happily walked away to try again later. For a very low price of entry, you can enjoy one of the best puzzle platformers I have played on Nintendo Switch this year. Colour me surprised.
Astral Ascent offers a compelling journey into the roguelite genre that I found worth taking. While the genre may be packed with heavy hitters, Astral Ascent hits all the marks of quality that make it easy to recommend. A unique variety of characters with their own play style, beautiful graphics and that ever-addictive gameplay loop is calling you to try again, even against impossible odds. To top it all off, you can bring a loved one along to enjoy the journey together.
Ebenezer and the Invisible World is a surprisingly good adventure game that really captures the joy and spirit of its source material. Though it takes on the familiar exploration formula, its unique approach to combat and beautiful art style make this something quite special. However, while I do recommend it, you may want to hold this on your wishlist on Switch until all its issues are ironed out. In a way, the game needs to go through its own redemption story, hopefully before Christmas arrives. Once that happens, which I like to believe it will, this will be a wonderful adventure that’s not just for Christmas but any time of the year.
Unloop is tremendous value for money. For less than the price of a coffee, you have a fairly relaxing puzzle game that will keep you busy for well over ten hours. I enjoyed my time with this title when my brain was in the right state. But, when I wanted to just shut my brain off after a hard day of work, it was sometimes a bit much for me to focus on. When my brain was too fried, I still enjoyed just listening to the cosmic soundtrack. As a puzzle game, it feels unique and should provide many hours of brain teasers to enjoy in long or short bursts.
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is another solid entry in the long-running SRPG series. Fans of the series most likely have already bought this game and will hopefully be satisfied. If you’re new though this is a really good entry to start off your venture into the series. The game does a good job introducing each of its mechanics and features whilst you grind away at creating the ultimate party. As with other entries of the series, this is a game that can potentially keep you busy for hundreds of hours. And if you have the time to spare, you’ll find plenty to like here. I had the most fun just doing a few battles after a long, busy day at work. The story is hit-and-miss. But it has deep and engaging gameplay, with a nearly bottomless pit of customization for your party. It will keep you glued to the most colourful netherworld in gaming.
Storm’s Harvest is a fun arcade game that is worthy of its own cabinet. For a very reasonable price, you can play an additive arcade title which is suited to short gaming sessions. It is great alone, but it is also worth swapping rounds with a friend or loved one if you want to share the arcade joy. My biggest praise for this title is it feels like a unique original concept that does its own thing. Many arcade titles released to modern systems tend to take inspiration from something else, but Storm’s Harvest feels fresh and new despite its retro look. Whether playing for Halloween or any time of the year, Storm’s Harvest is well worth inserting a credit to play without giving you nightmares. It’s definitely a retro treat.
Bish Bash Bots is a super happy and fun tower defence game that I highly recommend if you can play with friends. For a game night game, this is excellent value for money and will keep you busy for many gaming sessions. The game has plenty to unlock and an appealing incentive to replay levels and pass every small objective. Single-player is okay, but the real fun of this experience will be enjoying it as a team as you potentially shout orders at each other and conjure up a master plan on the fly to defeat the robots. Bish Bash Bots is the happiest robot uprising I’ve come across, and it’s a pretty darn good game, too.
A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection is a good collection of two original games from a long past retro era. It’s presented in its original retro form, warts and all, with minimal features which may not work for everyone. For the price of entry, though, this is a very good gaming deal. For me, I found the best way to enjoy this game is just to dig in, make mistakes and learn from them the old-fashioned way. A bot-like life, I guess. I even got the notepad out to make notes along the way. If you love your retro, this is well worth picking up. If you’re looking for something totally different and can put up with its often frustrating trial-and-error gameplay, this should make for some satisfying gaming sessions.
Super Bomberman R2 is an exploding good time, especially if you want to enjoy the multiplayer with friends locally or online. As someone who has enjoyed the series for a while, it’s not my favourite entry in the series, but it still gets so much right. The gameplay is as simple and addictive as ever, whether you are looking to have a quick match or you are looking to top the online leaderboards. I’ll even credit the single player who it at least tries to divert from the series’ familiar formula. For those with time and creativity, you can sink down the rabbit hole of the level editor. Basically, it’s Bomberman, it’s still fun, and I recommend it. Have a blast.
Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur is a good action roguelike worth its name. Combat is fun and satisfying, offering addictive pick-up-and-play gameplay that kept me returning run after run. I was personally very fond of the fantasy setting as a fan of the lore. However, it doesn’t bring much to the round table compared to other games in the genre and also suffers similar issues. The game can be grindy and requires a lot of investment before you get to the good stuff, making some runs feel like obligations than time well spent. If you love the genre, it’s a quest worth taking up. But if this has never been your chalice, then you need not venture. Somehow, I’m not tired of this genre yet, and Kings Vs. Giants certainly made a video game Knight out of me.
Wargroove 2 is extraordinary value for money. For less than a third of the price of a modern AAA, you’re getting one groovy SRPG. A campaign that is suited to newcomers and experienced players. Then you have the addictive new conquest mode, putting a fresh roguelike spin on things and even the ability to create your own levels and campaigns. All these aspects feel carefully crafted with deep and engaging gameplay that will keep you busy for a very long time. This is all wrapped up with a colourful pixel art style and epic soundtrack. I found myself hooked to the gameplay even when I failed, keen to learn and change up my strategy next time. The game may not divert much from the first in terms of its gameplay, but that’s unlikely going to be a problem for returning fans. Wargroove 2 stands as one of the titans in its genre.
RoboDunk is easily the best sports video game I have played in a very long time. Bringing the excitement and spectacle of basketball into a fun pick-up and play experience that becomes all the deeper for players who choose to take the time to master it. Fun alone and with friends in both long and short bursts of gameplay. If I had to nitpick anything, the game could feel a little grindy to unlock new content and upgrade your players. Otherwise, this is an utter slam dunk from the developers.
Pizza Possum is a great game to pick up. Especially if you’re looking for something short and simple, ideal for a gaming break or when you just want to switch your brain off after one of those days. Easy to pick up, pretty hard to put down, Pizza Possum ticks all the right boxes for an original arcade game that comes in at a nice low price. Alone or with a loved one, this comes highly recommended. This is also probably the best video game where you play a possum that I know of.
I do not recommend Notebook Ninja Fights. Even with its enormous faults, I can see the potential of this title, with its unique art design and potentially quick-to-the-point gameplay. Sadly, it seems the game that this could be will unlikely surface. According to Steam, this was originally released in March 2022 but recently patched this year to add controller support. It feels like a lot of work is needed to make this the fun ninja game it could be. What I find more confusing is that the trailer presents this as a more polished experience. In reality, that is not the case. As it stands, you don’t need to play Notebook Ninja Fights. You’ll find more entertainment doodling in your own notebook and imagining your own game.