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Close to the Sun is a few steps shy of a great narrative-driven horror, but its trite gameplay expels the magic its environments worked to create.
The World Next Door is an ambitious action-puzzle game with some interesting narrative and RPG elements, but unfortunately wears itself thin trying too much with too little.
At the end of the day, Duck Game is flocking fun and a real gem for anyone wanting some pure, unadulterated entertainment. Its simple controls mixed with addictively fun gameplay and a hilarious premise make this an instant multiplayer classic.
Mortal Kombat 11 offers the same gory, over-the-top violence that we've come to love from the series. The story is interesting, meshing past and present together in a fun way. Several modes offer replayability, but the grinding resources for the Krypt may get tedious.
Metagal tries to be a Mega Man homage, but instead comes off as a semi-decent clone with very few original elements. The ability to play as different characters later on is a neat twist, but it doesn't make up for the lack of sound design polish, inconsistent difficulty spikes, and the lackluster choice in specials weapons. For the asking price of $5, however, Metagal may be looking into for scratching a micro-sized Mega-itch.
Tragically short and simplistic, Homo Machina will satiate those looking for a fun little interactive experience about the human body. At $3 however, its runtime of less than an hour puts a huge damper on the whole thing.
Ritual of the Moon is a reflection of life, tranquility, and choice that is more of an experience than a game. The paper aesthetic and color palette fit the tone perfectly. There's not much in terms of content, but the short bursts are nice each day.
While it might not have enough staying power to keep you going for long periods of time, Iron Snout is still a functional title that has a tongue-in-cheek satirical style. It's great for extremely short bursts, but nothing more.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is easily one of the best tactical games I've played in recent memory. The fact that it was made by just two people is mind blowing. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, or games like Banner Saga, Fell Seal will scratch that itch. Just know going in that it might be a little bit before we get our next content fix.
Driftland: The Magic Revival is a mix of RTS and god game that focuses on the realm of magic. The indirect control of individual units and their free will can lead to insubordination, which ruins the fun. Planning out your moves is the key to success.
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain lets you blast away at hordes of alien enemies, making you feel powerful. The framerate drops when too many enemies appear, but it doesn't ruin the game. The story isn't very compelling, but manning your PA gear in combat makes up for that.
Days Gone features some potentially interesting community-building mechanics and the appeal of a bikers vs. zombies game is hard to ignore, but it never lets its best ideas take center stage. Instead, it focuses on lackluster combat and a repetitive set of missions. It moves along on the kind of momentum that exists almost by default in big open world packed with activities, but I could never get fully engaged, partly due to its dragging pace, scattershot story, off-putting protagonist, and frequent bugs.
Mechstermination Force is a wonderful follow-up to Bertil Hörberg's Gunman Clive series. While it can get a bit frustrating at times, the silly atmosphere and tough but entertaining gameplay make for a great time for those who want some simple, unadulterated fun.
BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! takes the puzzler series to new heights with the first Switch BoxBoy! entry. With an innovative spin in the form of fresh new mechanics and the playable inclusion of another loveable boxy character, this eShop title will brighten up any puzzle fan's day.
My Time at Portia is a visually beautiful, charming game rich in story, lore, and personality; everything about it is made better by the jump to a portable console. While this version lacks voice acting and rumble integration, the portability and surprisingly decent load times make this a great way to discover all that Portia has to offer.
Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a creative infusion of card-based combat with a traditional RPG. It plays entirely unlike any other card combat game, and it's worth a look even for those who don't generally like the genre. While it's light on story, less replayable than other card games, and could use some refinement when it comes to building decks and equipping characters, it's still a fun twist on a familiar concept that's easy to recommend.
I have a lot of VR games because I think they transcend barriers for non-gamers, and they are also a whole lot of fun. Job Simulator was a great way to break in new players, but I have to say that Vacation Simulator will be supplanting (or at least supplementing) their previous effort. While some of the minigames won't keep you coming back, there's enough here to keep you busy for quite a while. Owlchemy Labs has spent four years hard at work, but I'm gonna enjoy bit of my Vacation Simulation.
Forager marries everything you love about survival-adventures with everything you didn't know you wanted in one. A casual yet chaotic experience that's worth a try despite a slight lack of polish.
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is ingeniously designed. The synthesis of physical cardboard Toy-Con with commensurate digital software creates a tactile and fun virtual reality experience that feels decidedly Nintendo. However, once the initial magic of Labo VR wears off, all that is left is a shallow, oddly assembled lot of minigames that won't last more than an afternoon.
Katana Zero is a game that I loved playing, but I walked away from it with some major reservations. On top of its tight, excellent swordplay, fun time-shifting powers, and pitch-perfect soundtrack, Katana Zero packs some interesting storytelling tricks that I wasn't expecting. On the other hand, it uses its innovative structure to tell a story rife with ill-conceived takes on disturbing subject matter without a content warning in sight. Katana Zero is an extraordinarily fun experience for the few hours it lasts, but the bad taste it left in my mouth lingered much longer.