As with Atari’s previous revivals and reinventions like Mr Run and Jump and Haunted House, this is a game that elevates the ideas that made the company’s releases in the 1970s and 1980s so beloved and looked back upon so nostalgically while introducing new ideas that don’t necessarily change it up, but add to what made them so entertaining in the first place. Lunar Lander Beyond is undoubtedly a safe bet, but one that makes sense in keeping the brand alive and well and not simply cashing in on the rose-colored memories of old school players and arcade goers alike.
New Star GP is the sort of racing game that comes every now and then that truly gets a hold of me and is unwilling to let go until it has its way with me. Last time I felt this strongly about the genre was with the very first Gran Turismo on the PlayStation, and prior to that, the arcade version of Daytona USA. If you have any interest in arcade gaming and are willing to invest some time into surprisingly meatier career mode, New Star GP will have you covered for a while.
SoulGame Studio’s inaugural game is a brilliant mix of genres that will delight you to no end.
Saviorless will definitely appeal to those who can look beyond the simpleness of gameplay in order to see what lies within its beating heart. That alone is reason to give this one a go, but the entire struggle that happened behind the scenes is an extra incentive to try it out as well. It’s an achievement and a marvel of perseverance that turned into an above average game against all odds. It’s short and to the point with a message to get across – it only depends on whether or not you’re there to listen to it. If this is a slice of what’s to come out of Cuba’s gaming scene, I can’t wait for the rest of the cake!
South Park Snow Day is passable at best. If you’ve enjoyed the show at any point and are looking to see its characters and setting depicted in game form, you’ll be much better served by what came before it in RPG form. Those are excellent examples of how to carry a property through different media while maintaining its identity and still be fun and worthy of your valuable time on this Earth.
Freedom Planet 2 takes what worked in the first game and leaps to greater heights, offering a visually pleasing, dexterity-challenging, and what’s most important, a rewarding time for those who dig exploring every nook and cranny in search of secrets. You are bound to find a few in this gorgeous game which I’m glad it’s coming back for a second most deserved outing.
The PC version of Horizon Forbidden West is positively beautiful!
Without the time crunch to get a review out for it, Rise of the Ronin would be the sort of game that I’d keep on the backburner to come back to every now and then. It’s something I’d rather not rush through as I want to hear what it has to say, not just in regards to its narrative, but as someone who’s keenly interested in its setting and the way in which it portrays a Japan that was in a deep identity crisis. With this and excellent new Shogun show, the true battle is finding the time to devote to them as they justly deserve.
For what is on offer, there’s enough game to be had if you know what to expect coming in. It’s a cute game with a fun mechanic that is put through its motions well enough, but it lacks the depth to keep you coming back for more for more than the length of its campaign.
It’s a little baffling to me why it took publisher GungHo this long to bring Grandia HD Collection to more consoles, nearly five years after its initial run. There’s likely a perfectly good reason for that, but still, it’s kind of silly when you think about it. Nonetheless, they are finally out on just about every single current console and on PC now, so this is your best bet at getting two of the finest RPGs – easy the highlights of the franchise too – in honestly their best form they’re likely to ever be.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is an incredibly ambitious game for sure. It is not for everyone and its quirks surely will get under some players’ skins, especially those who are looking for more fantastical adventuring such as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim – which is also on Switch, I’ll be damned! Then again, if your expectations are in check, and they should be at this point nearly 7 years after the fact, you’ll find a nifty little gem with this one.
Star Wars had never been as down in the dirt as it was in the Battlefront games, and it’s now time to do it all over again. Will you heed the call of duty?!
The Legend of Steel Empire isn’t a shooter that will blow you away or anything, nor is it going to be a terribly long game to finish, but for what it is, it’s serviceable, not to mention its approach in terms of theme which sets it somewhat apart from the rest. I’d maybe draw a comparison to something like Jamestown in regards to that, yet another great little gem that happens to be on Switch too. Either way, you’ll be well served if you do decide to pick this one up, but keep your expectations in check as it lacks any form of extra materials or game modes. It is what it is.
I’m positively surprised at just how well Contra Operation Galuga turned out. After their previous game in the series, I was worried that Konami would just phone it in and have this be just another cash-in for nostalgia’s sake: it is in fact a shockingly good entry. It won’t blow you away or anything, but what it does it does well and there’s a decent amount of different ways to play and keep you busy for a little while. Don’t pass this up. Fight aggressively!
Balatro is in equal measures a sensational and maddening roguelike deck-building experience that will keep you going for that all-so-close high score for hours upon hours.
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is yet another solid hit by Digital Eclipse. Whether or not you have any history with the name, you’ll be sure to get to know him inside and out with this documentary.
Nightdive’s treatment of Star Wars Dark Forces, one of the greatest first-person shooters ever, sets the bar even higher for future retro re-releases.
Nostalgia is the fuel that powers Top Racer Collection, and in that regard, it succeeds at providing a lot for your retro buck if you’re looking to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy the best that there was in 16-bit wheel to wheel racing. Frankly, I would’ve loved to see more bonus material in the form of design docs and other knick knacks and emulation options, as they would make this more historically valid as some other compilations.
As it stands, Expeditions is pretty much what I expected out of a new entry in this very niched franchise that I was lucky to run into years ago with Spintires. It’s something that those looking for a quirky but immersive open-world experience are bound to eat up. There’s nothing quite like these games anywhere else, and even though others like Alaskan Road Truckers might’ve tried, there’s something to be said about Saber’s knack for steadily improving on and adding to the mix with each new edition, while keeping what makes them so damn addictive in the process.
I’m positively surprised by the end product after such a short window between its announcement and release, less than a week apart from each other. Zen and Nightdive have done a terrific job keeping it all hush-hush and I couldn’t be happier with how System Shock Pinball has turned out. So much so that I’m anxious to see what’s next on their plate for both Pinball FX and Pinball M.