Kyle Foley's Reviews
While no game is completely perfect, it’s hard to find fault with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The game is stunningly beautiful, incredibly smooth to play, and brilliantly written. A truly vibrant and dynamic universe you will never want to leave.
For better or for worse, Square Enix wanted to make sure the Legend of Mana HD remaster was as close to the original as possible. Thankfully a beautiful world and good story help make up for the lack of guidance or varied combat. It may not be the most welcoming to newcomers, but fans of the original are in for a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane.
The biggest selling point for Destroy All Humans! on the Nintendo Switch is the ability to play the game on the go, and it is perfectly playable that way. In fact, I actually enjoyed playing it handheld more than I did docked. There wasn’t a very noticeable difference between the two outside of screen resolution. If you have not purchased the game on another system or the idea of playing it on the go is the most important thing to you, then I would say the game is worth checking out. With that said, I would not recommend anyone just looking to play the game purchase it on the Switch if they have the ability to play on another platform. Switch ports are always going to suffer from being a slight step down from their other console counterparts, and Destroy All Humans! is no different.
Overall, the Skyward Sword HD remaster is an excellent game worth playing despite some of it’s flaws. There are some quality of life improvements throughout that may not stick out as obviously as you would expect, but they really help the game play a bit more like a modern game despite the janky controls. It may not be as beloved as Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time, but Skyward Sword is absolutely a game worth your time.
I understand visual novels aren’t for everyone, but it’s hard to find a reason not to suggest The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles to even the most ardent visual novel skeptics. With an excellent story, fun characters, and an amazing soundtrack, it really is an excellent game well worth the time spent playing. It does feel a bit derivative of other games in the series, and whether that is good or not depends on how much one enjoys the other games. Still, if you have not had a chance to enjoy the world of Ace Attorney before, I highly recommend picking up The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for the Nintendo Switch and giving this legal gem a try.
No Longer Home is an authentic and often unsettling story about the process of moving out and moving on. Of course, every player will take something different away from their experience playing, but it is an experience that I highly recommend. With beautiful designs, excellent characters, and a great soundtrack, No Longer Home is well worth picking up.
Patron is an ambitious game, working hard to stand out in a genre that is saturated with countless clones of each other. The social system is intricate, although I think it still has some work to be done to make it feel as massive as Overseer Games would like it to be. Still, there is a lot to like about Patron, and it is a perfectly enjoyable city builder.
Axiom Verge 2 is an outstanding game that really sets the bar for future indie Metroidvania games. It builds on the original’s success by introducing new mechanics and ideas that help freshen up a classic and sometimes stale genre. I loved every second of my journey as Indra, and I know you will too.
As a visual novel, Necrobarista: Final Pour works hard to try to set itself apart from the genre. At times it does a really fantastic job, and even the negative aspects aren’t nearly enough to stop me from recommending the game to visual novel fans. Necrobarista: Final Pour is a unique take on a common theme, as well as a fresh approach to a genre that can feel a tad paint-by-numbers at times. I absolutely enjoyed every second of my time in Melbourne, and the way it made me think about death and my own mortality was truly fascinating.
Recompile is not a bad game by any means, I just would not say it is a great one. I enjoyed myself at times, but ultimately feel like it did not do remotely enough to stand apart from the rest of the genre. Recompile is an interesting concept, but one that feels more like an incomplete idea. I loved the concepts, but there are some core gameplay things that would need to be fixed in order for me to truly feel like the idea made it’s way onto my computer the way the developers intended.
Townscaper is the perfect game if you’re looking for a way to relax and unwind while flexing your creative muscles. The mechanics may be limited, but the game itself is absolutely limitless. Townscaper is like a nice warm batch of cookies from grandma, and I can already tell I will be returning quite often to the comforts I found while playing.
Overall, Gamedec is an excellent attempt to do the impossible. Tabletop games are as popular as they are today because they can't be replicated anywhere else, but Gamedec comes as close as possible to making it a reality. I felt like my choices truly mattered, and that's not something that happens often in games. While some of the virtualias can feel a bit tedious, the overall narrative they serve makes the experience worth it.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a game with a ton going on. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a creative and enjoyable experience. The only question for those who played the original version is whether or not they enjoyed their first trip through Kojima’s brilliant creation. If you did, or if this is your first time playing Death Stranding, you are absolutely going to love every second of the Death Stranding Director’s Cut.
Throughout my time with Lost Judgement, I felt torn about how I ultimately felt about the game. There were moments that I really enjoyed, especially the combat, but the handling of sexual assault and some unimaginative mechanics left me frustrated at best. All in all, I would say Lost Judgement is a perfectly okay sequel that fans of the original Judgement are sure to enjoy. It may not be amazing, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth playing. If you can handle the negatives, some genuinely great moments in Lost Judgment are worth experiencing.
Overall, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a fun fighting game with iconic characters and easy to learn but challenging to master mechanics. They nailed the feel of a good fighting game, but the game still feels like it has a ways to go before it reaches the level of an iconic franchise like Smash. The potential is absolutely there, and after we see a few DLC launches who knows where it will stand, but for now it’s hard to imagine myself inviting friends over to play All-Star Brawl when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is still around.
Echo Generation does an excellent job of combining nostalgic feelings for the 90s with modern game development in a way that makes every second an enjoyable time. The characters are diverse and interesting, the combat is varied and fun, and the world is about as beautiful as it gets. Combine all of that with the fact that it’s launching on Xbox Gamepass, and it’s impossible not to recommend Echo Generation.
World War Z may not do anything to really stand out in the genre, but that doesn’t mean it is not a fun time. The core of the game is very basic, and at times can feel like a simple reskin of other similar games, but that should not turn anyone away from checking it out. I would especially recommend it if you are looking for a zombie game on the Switch, as it is probably the best option out there for you.
Overall, Vaas: Insanity is an excellent first DLC for Far Cry 6. The look into the chaos of Vaas’ mind is a really interesting one, and the gameplay loop is as intriguing as it is challenging. It can be fun solo or with friends, and is absolutely worth taking the time to check out.
Overall, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are incredibly faithful remakes of Diamond and Pearl, warts and all. There are some nice new additions that enhance the experience, and the visual style is unique and quite good-looking. It’s hard not to recommend these to any Pokémon fan or newcomer to the franchise. There might be a few negatives, but none of them take much away from the overall excellent experience.
Pro Basketball Manager 2022 is a promising management game that still has room to improve. However, it will absolutely scratch the basketball management itch, and options are plentiful.