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I can respect what Ratatan has set out to do by reigniting the classic Patapon formula while providing a new take with its roguelite approach, but the resulting execution feels haphazard and tedious. Don’t get me wrong, players can get some entertainment from Ratatan, especially if you’ve been starved for a new Patapon entry for over 15 years, but by trying to create a point of difference, it’s ultimately fallen short on being a solid standalone video game.
Despite all my complaints, I did enjoy the game, especially the latter chapters when I was much less frustrated. However, I would suggest anyone that is interested in this game to try the demo on the Switch or Steam to see if you have the same problems. The cosy space is incredibly crowded and I applaud them for trying to do something unique, but I don’t think it’s enough. Unlike other cosy games, I didn’t find the pull to play with Woodo like I did with others. Had it not been for this review, I probably wouldn’t have bothered playing it again after the first chapter. I’m hoping that they use experience to improve their next game.
Bluey's Happy Snaps is the perfect love letter to the Australian phenomenon that is the animated series Bluey. Gameloft Brisbane showed a lot of care and attention to detail that this franchise deserves. A wonderful experience for the family and I will forever be recommending this game to anyone with their own little Bluey fan.
I honestly can't recommend The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival to anyone but hardcore fans of the show, and even then it's a hard sell. While visually a gorgeous game, that is nowhere near enough to save it from the poorly designed gameplay. Committing some cardinal sins of beat ‘em ups of a single combo to execute and no multiplayer unfortunately has left Streets of Survival surrounded by a zombie horde, doomed to be turned into the one thing they swear to fight.
The Master Collection Vol 2 doesn’t feel quite as big as its predecessor; certainly, there are fewer than half the titles of that first lot. What it lacks in volume, however, it makes up for in quality by bringing some of the least accessible titles of the franchise to modern platforms. The Switch 2 port runs just about as fast as it did on my PC and I don’t feel like anything was lost in terms of graphical fidelity, which isn’t surprising given the long generational gap between it and the PS3. The only negative things I have to say are around the ways these games haven’t exactly aged well for one reason or another. The collection itself, though? More or less exactly what you’d hope it would be. If you’re a Metal Gear, however, fan then this is an easy pickup, and being able to play it on a portable handheld? What a thrill.
TOEM 2 is the kind of game you fire up and all of your problems go away, at least temporarily. Your mind will get lost in its whimsical world and, suddenly, mooching about and taking photos is all you need to worry about. Call it therapy, call it fun, call it what you like, but TOEM 2 is delightful and good for the soul.
I didn’t hate it. It’s not actually bad. But no game should be just plain boring. MONOWAVE isn’t a bad game thrown together haphazardly with a bunch of bugs, but there’s just nothing below the surface-level gameplay and the (admittedly very neat) aesthetic. Isn’t it a tragedy when you can tell someone was made with care and it still whiffs? I am still fumbling for anything else to say, and I think that just about sums up MONOWAVE. I wish that I liked it, but this is just the most “Meh. It’s a’ight, I guess.” state of mind a game has ever put me in and there’s just no escaping it. I hope that Studio BBB will put this level of care and polish on something more interesting next time they give it a shot.
Not only is Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave a fantastic entry point for newcomers to tactical RPGs and Fire Emblem in general, but it also is a must-play for any fan of the franchise. While the singular save file is a problem, it is completely outweighed by all of the incredible experiences throughout your time with the game. Fortune’s Weave has a genuine opportunity to make Fire Emblem a more mainstream experience in the gaming world, and I for one welcome our new tactical overlords.
Powerhouse Capcom has been knocking it out of the park with its releases this year, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword is no exception. This game has it all: stunning cutscenes and character models, phenomenal Japanese voice acting, impressive performance on the Switch 2, and an incredibly smooth combat system that makes it hard to put the controller down. So, free up your schedule and sharpen your swords, because there is Genma to slay!
I was really on the fence between a 7 and an 8 for Barbarian Saga: The Beastmaster. That might sound like small beer, but I think those scores hold very different perceptions. I went for a 7 in the end because, while I mostly enjoyed my time in Arborea and the environments and characters are gorgeous, there were significant elements that felt clunky and/or derivative, but these could be fixed with some tweaking and patching over time.
Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is yet another fantastic game by a development team that knows what to do with the IP but the change to an open-world format holds it back from being truly incredible. If you’re looking for the kind of thrill you’d get from their previous titles, you may not get that itch scratched here but if you’re looking for something a bit more laid back, then this is for you.
When I think of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the word I keep coming back to is 'big'. It is big in almost all permutations of the word. The environments? Vast. The story? Epic. The combat? Startlingly deep. The accents? Huge, and from all over the place. Fortunately for the most part, bigger does mean better, giving you a game to happily spend tens of hours in. The Switch 2 update may not provide too many new things, but it crucially makes this game look and run so much better; it’s enough reason for newcomers to try it out and veterans to pick it up again all these years later.
This was always going to be a tricky review, and it was mostly going to be about how it ports across to the Switch 2. I had no complaints about the performance and of course Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition itself was voted Game of the Year for a reason. To that end, if you haven’t played the original and you like adventure games that you can sink hours of your time into, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is one of those games that you MUST play in your lifetime. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition has to be seen to be believed, and at times it took my breath away.
A large additional town with a free update that allows players to dive underwater and utilise all the space down there as well. Anyone who loves Pokopia’s base game is going to be ecstatic to explore all of the additional content. With just the Bubbly Basin being released, the price point is very expensive; however, a second town is in the pipeline and an update that looks to add accessories to your town residents. I'm feeling very hopeful for the future of this expansion pass.
Splatoon Raiders manages to tick a lot of the right boxes by bringing its oft-forgotten single-player mode to the forefront. It’s a fantastic way to introduce new players to the series who were put off by its multiplayer focus, while still challenging the returning players. The fact that it’s such a great game makes it all the more disappointing that it seems to lack any additional accessibility options, especially as motion sickness seemed to be such a problem for some people in Splatoon 3. Hopefully, they might add them in later, as it mars what would have been an otherwise perfect game.
So: Fun but unbalanced, or unbalanced but fun? I legitimately still cannot decide which part is more meaningful for the Dark Scrolls experience, but I can say this: I did have a good time with the game, and I respect the passion put into the old school vibe. Even the digital game guide filled me with nostalgia!
Teeto is a cute platformer with some fine displays of what makes the genre one that we all eternally love. The Kiwi humour really shines as well, but sadly I was left feeling a bit disappointed in the levels themselves and a lack of true collectathon exploration and challenge. The husband-and-wife development team has done a fine job but will need more to stand out in a crowded market of 3D platformers.
It may have taken a while for Go-Go Town! to release, as I first saw it at PAX Aus several years ago, but it was worth the wait. It is the sort of game that players can truly become absorbed in and for different reasons. By allowing players to focus on what they enjoy, it gives the game flexibility to appeal to a wider audience. I personally love designing the town, but others may prefer to make automation as efficient as possible. This leads to towns which should all look the same, looking as different as the people who are running them.
Despite its minor hiccups, Rhythm Paradise Groove is yet another incredible addition to the Rhythm Paradise series that fans will be grooving too for a long time. Just make sure you play it in handheld mode, though, just to be safe.
Ultimately, Digimon Story Time Stranger is a mega level Digimon title but a champion when it comes to JRPGs as a whole. That is to say that it's a genuinely solid game, but unless you're a fan of Digimon, there are better JRPGs out there for players to discover. A few shortcomings in what is otherwise a fantastic experience, but those shortcomings are baked into the foundations.