I totally get the appeal of Super Dungeon Maker if you’re the kind of person who loves building their own game worlds. It never claims to be anything more than that, and there seems to be a solid community in place to help the game continue to grow. To me it feels like there’s still some work to be done on fleshing it out, but as it stands, there’s definitely some potential here.
2023 might be the most stacked year for video games in history, with an absurd number of absolutely incredible titles available to play, and even more to come before the year closes! With all of that in mind, Baldur’s Gate 3 has captured the cultural zeitgeist in a way that few games in history have, all while being the most polished and complete, well-put-together launch experience I have seen in years (due in large part to the three years of early access, but still). This has been an absolutely banner year for video games, but Baldur’s Gate has planted its flag firmly at the top, and I don’t see anyone dethroning it for years to come.
It all feels very worthwhile. The thing is, at least as far as the Switch version goes, you need to dig deep in order to see all that – and honestly, it’s hard to say that it’s worth it, all things considered. I’ve no doubt that Skabma - Snowfall is a very interesting, enjoyable game on systems that can handle it, but unfortunately the Switch isn’t one of those systems.
Plenty of games draw inspiration from classics but never amount to much – in part because they lack the technical ability to pull off their theft. Pilfer, by contrast, was made by someone competent enough to copy Super Mario Galaxy and smart enough to not get in the way of an already near-perfect thing. It may not deliver something we’ve never seen before, but it does deliver a product that works, which is more than a lot of imitators can say.
It all feels like someone grabbed a bunch of ideas and put them into a “Create your own PS2-era platformer” generator.
Red Dead Redemption was a great game when it came out in 2010, and this proves it’s still a great game in 2023. While some classics from previous generations feel dated, that’s certainly not the case here – and if you missed it (or weren’t around for it) thirteen years ago, now’s the time to finally play it. And if you did play it? Maybe it’s time to play it again.
It’s been a long time since I hated a game as much as I hate Fort Solis. From top to bottom, there literally wasn’t a single thing about the game I liked. I’m sure I’ve played games that are more poorly made than Fort Solis, but for sheer dislike, I can’t think of many games that come close.
The fact that Immortals of Aveum is a lot of fun to play will also make you want to invest your time (and money) in it. It may not be the most original game I’ve ever played, but when it’s this enjoyable, I’m okay with that.
It really is a remarkable game, and in a year that’s been blessed with way more than its fair share of standout games, I’d put Viewfinder on the same level as any of them.
It may not be aimed at Dragon Quest diehards, but if you’ve ever wanted to get into the series, Dragon Quest Treasures is a great place to start.
When you get down to it, Ducky’s Delivery Service feels very much like a classic platformer – if not the archetypal 2D platformer. It’s obviously not going to have the same level of fame or influence, but it’s fun enough that it’s worth playing.
I really wish I could say that Hammer of Virtue is a fun game despite its many, many issues. Really, I do. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing as fun in games as making the world around you come crashing down. But Hammer of Virtue shows there’s limits to even that. You need to be fun and functional, and Hammer of Virtue is very clearly neither of those things.
It’s a pity that the football part of Legend Bowl is so underwhelming. The ideas here are good, and the developers deserve credit for making a game that feels both modern and retro at the same time, but if you’re looking for a football game where you’ll actually want to play the on-field game, this isn’t it.
While its action kind of drags, Adore also deserves plaudits for taking a well-known genre and formula and trying something completely new. It may not work enough to sustain it for a 10+-hour runtime, but there are enough interesting ideas here that it’s not hard to imagine it evolving into something fun.
Koa And The Five Pirates of Mara is perfectly serviceable, as 3D platformers go. And it’s certainly more fun than Summer in Mara. But it’s lacking in any kind of spark of inspiration, and for that reason, it’s every bit as forgettable as its predecessor.
Given how nice the game looks and how well it’s put-together, there’s a very solid argument to be made that Disney Illusion Island is the perfect way to get kids of all ages hooked on this genre. It may be a well-worn genre, and Disney Illusion Island won’t win any awards for originality, but on the whole, this is a pretty polished game.
Drill Deal is far better than it has any right to be. It’s not about to make me run out and buy a car or change my attitude towards the oil industry (for the record: still wholly against it), but as these kinds of simulators go, I’d be lying if I said it was anything other than a solid game.
Crime O’Clock shows that even within a genre like hidden object games, evolution is possible, and the end result is a lot of fun.
What makes Project Nightmares Case 36: Henrietta Kedward interesting is that it’s built around an interesting idea, except it sabotages itself by then allowing two of the dumb ideas – one of them possibly dumber than anything else I’ve ever seen – to take precedence over that interesting idea. It would be fascinating if it weren’t for the fact the end result is so mind-bogglingly awful.
Arcrunner has its explosive charms. It may not have the same sense of promise as a game in Early Access, but if you find it for the right price – or if you just want to grab a squad and blast your way through wave after wave of enemy AI – Arcrunner has its share of positives too.