Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is surprisingly solid on the Nintendo Switch 2. While it won’t match the resolution or frame rate of bigger, more powerful platforms, it still delivers fantastic gameplay with plenty of extra content.
Helix: Descent N Ascent from developer Badass Mongoose is an addictive, gorgeous puzzle game that features some well-placed Metroidvania elements. It can be confusing and sometimes frustrating, but it’s a hoot to play overall.
This year’s Madden NFL release is solid for the most part. I think it’s an improvement from last year’s game. Madden NFL 27 has on-field tweaks that improve gameplay, mostly solid modes, and better stability. A questionably unsteady kicking game and a required EA online connection with Superstar mode keep this from being great.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 2 from Konami brings back some solid games to add to an already budding Metal Gear Solid collection. Of course, the star of the collection, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, is the real reason why players will want this, and it doesn’t disappoint with its story and perfect PS3 translation.
HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon, from developer Ars Goetia, is a fun turn-based RPG with a strong narrative, solid world-building, a deep backend system, and plenty of adventures throughout. It’s fun, impressive, and a lot more than I expected.
The Mermaid Mask from developer SFB Games is a point-and-click marvel that brings with it a good story, modern gameplay design, and a respectful tip-of-the-hat to an old genre.
Beast of Reincarnation from developer Game Freak is a good first step for what could be a fun action series. The story is great, the characters are interesting, and the action, when it gets going, is fast, fun, and furious. The bland and repetitive enemies and bosses, as well as a confusing skill tree, get in the way of making this game something special.
Cultic from developer Jasozz Games is a fun game that is a tip-of-the-hat to old-school first-person shooters from the early 90s, while also sporting some modern gameplay amenities to make it feel familiar to most gamers who love the genre.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game from developer Gameplay Group is an impressive fighting game that has been visually translated from the show in a 1:1 manner. The visuals are stunning enough, as are the easy-to-pick-up-and-go controls, to help mask the minor imbalances in the fighting game. It’s a fun game that will please fans of the IP.
Gurei, from developer Lobo Sagaz Studio, is an incredibly challenging and unforgiving boss-rush game that takes pride in its gameplay simplicity while also offering complex strategy and a hefty amount of difficulty. It will properly rage-bait players, but in the nicest of ways.
Echoes of Aincrad from Game Studio Inc. is a wonderful open-world setup that brings gorgeous graphics, good backend character building, easy-to-get-into controls, and a very solid story. What it lacks is enemy variety and action-adventure elements that keep the gameplay engaging long-term.
College Football 27 from EA Tiburon and EA Sports feels good in gameplay and execution, as expected, and still delivers a fantastic football experience. It stalls a bit in its additional mode innovation, despite its variety of modes, by focusing more on number-crunching than button-mashing.
Observer – System Redux from developer Bloober Team is a psychological horror gameplay experience driven by old-school and new-school gaming concepts, while also being led by a fantastic story with a great lead actor. It’s not perfect, but it’s quite good.
The Drifter, from developer Powerhoof and Dave Lloyd, is a point-and-click adventure that stands out from most modern games in this genre. It brings brilliant control design, a thick narrative that can be felt, and all the right gameplay elements to make the game an impactful experience.
UFC 6 from EA Sports is a fun improvement on many levels from previous releases in the series. It’s easier to get into, exciting to play, and offers enough modes to make this a long-term experience.
Thank You for Your Application, from developer Ice Lemon Tea Studio, is a cognitively engaging 2D logical deduction gameplay experience that is simple on the surface but complicated underneath.
The 7th Guest Remake in VR and non-VR is exceptionally entertaining. The game contains a beautifully unsettling storyline, challenging puzzles, and various ways to be creeped out. It’s a gorgeous remake that is worth a look.
The Caribou Trail from developers Unreliable Narrators and ManaVoid is an emotional and revealing experience about the horrors of World War I and what soldiers went through. It’s not for the weak of heart, nor is it for those looking for their next first-person shooter fix.
World of Tanks: HEAT from developer Wargaming Group Limited is a good F2P game that offers fun modes, good customization, and a short stint of good MP matches. While the vanilla version of this game isn’t quite packed with a huge variety of modes, it still is a good way to have some dumb fun.
Realm of Ink, from developer Leap Studio, is a deeply entertaining action roguelike that excels through its visuals, stacked buff system, and variety of customizable elements.