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Another special addition to the Pokémon series, the delightful Detective Pikachu Returns is worth the investment for fans of undemanding detective, adventure, and cosy games with compelling narratives. While it might not push your deductive reasoning skills to their limits, you probably won’t be purchasing it for that reason. Likely, if you’re not grabbing it for your kids, you’ll just be seeking to let your inner child run loose in what is a wonderful encapsulation of the Pokémon universe (no judgement at all).
Sunshine Manor lays down a fantastically bone-chilling foundation, telling a story that would be welcomed around any night-time campfire. Its gothic and gory themes are heightened by its fantastic sound design, leaving the player both unsettled and reaching for their heart medication. However, the game ultimately falls short thanks to its frustrating gameplay and its lack of map, leading to a lot of aimless wandering. There's potential here but I'm afraid it just didn't quite live up to its vision.
A puzzle game needs to have great puzzles; that much is obvious, but when said puzzles are presented through a monotonous cursor system and unmemorable characters, the colourful presentation is just not enough to bring them home. A Tiny Sticker Tale had promise and while it's not a total loss (you can still find an enjoyable couple of hours here), it feels like Ogre Pixel left a lot on unimplemented here. Oh well, there's always next year.
Although super sweet, I can understand that Mineko’s Night Market is not everyone’s cuppa tea. But it’s definitely worth it for people like me who play cosy games to unwind, because they look cutesy, and because these titles don’t take themselves too seriously. This poorly written review also hasn’t taken itself too seriously. Me personally, I just want to grind this game into a fine powder and inhale it… Not through a nostril but by first stirring the sugar into a warm, cosy, delicious beverage that it’ll only make warmer and cosier and deliciousier. The end.
Super Adventure Hand is a fun romp through its 50 stages that will test your hand-eye coordination. Within those stages, there are 70 thimbles to find and speedrunning opportunities that present some reason for replay. I wish there had been a two-player option included or online leaderboards, as this game’s premise is very intriguing and I'd love to see a sequel with more stages and extra content. What's here is a fun romp; however, it's a rather short experience but handy for quick car journeys or train commutes.
WrestleQuest is a game that I adore but I ended up getting more and more disappointed in it the further I got into the game. It's an idea I love but unfortunately, it mishandled some of its ideas in ways I was not expecting. Ultimately, it is a great game but WrestleQuest ends up dropping the ball on some very obvious concepts.
At the end of the day, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a great game but I'll admit that I enjoyed looking and listening to the game far more than I did playing it. Like Jet Set Radio, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is all style, no substance, but that style is REALLY GOOD AND I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT!!! If you’re like me and all you wanted was Jet Set Radio but with better modern controls, then you’ll adore Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.
Sea of Stars is definitely a good time. I enjoyed my time with the game a lot, but the more I thought about it, the more the nagging feeling that it was missing something grew inside me. I still recommend it as a well-made and very fun game, but it lacks some aspects that really give classic JRPGs the spark that makes them masterpieces, and it fumbles its own story and characters far too much to ignore. On the counterpoint, though? The parts that are good are really good. I can go on and on about wasted potential all day, but Sea of Stars delivers a great experience, with a lot of fun to be had and beautiful visuals from minute one. I enjoyed all of the good it offered me, and I am excited for what its developers will cook up in the future; they’re definitely worth keeping an eye on!
The Teal Mask is an interesting addition to Pokémon: Scarlet & Violet that at the moment doesn’t feel worth the cost of entry. However, with the addition of another set of DLC which looks to be larger and continues the story from both base game and wave one, the initial investment may hold up yet. The story and character really carry the DLC however, the performance struggles to hold up and the map just feels lacklustre. In the end, we can’t wait to see what the entire DLC package brings to the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is good. It is actually really hard to put into words how much of an absolute gem it is because, as I said before, there is just so much to it. This is the type of game that deserves large essays written about it, in the best way possible. The internet has been flooded with explanations as to why so many of its system mechanics are ground-breaking and how incredible it is - and they are all correct. Tears of the Kingdom has done the impossible: it has fully lived up to its own hype, and we all know how huge that hype was. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is the fact that its few negative points are very much connected to its most front-and-center positives as well; but make no mistake, Tears of the Kingdom is, without a doubt, at the very top of any “must play” list for the Nintendo Switch throughout its entire lifespan.
I’m not a huge fan of saying things like ‘we have Stardew Valley at home’ because I feel that it discourages competition, and instills the notion that someone cannot take inspiration from other games. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t make that joke to myself a few times while playing Fae Farm. It really feels like it wants to be its competitors without fully understanding what makes its competitors successful. I mentioned that the only other game Phoenix Labs has made, according to their own website anyway, is Dauntless. I feel that I should mention that it is a game that takes heavy inspiration from Monster Hunter. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that this game is just a tad too similar to the games that it is attempting to compete with. Don't get me wrong, there is a good game to be found here. If you show up to these games to make a farm, take care of farm animals, and fight monsters in a mine, then Fae Farm is a very good option for you. However, if you're looking to recapture the feeling of community you might have experienced in Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley in a new game, then I would encourage you to look elsewhere.
Gunbrella has solid gameplay with some of the most fluid controls I’ve encountered in a while, which just makes the whole experience a fun one. While lacking a good story or expansive exploration, there are still well designed levels and interesting NPCs to chat with as you work your way through the towns. This is one of the most accessible titles in the metriodvania genre and works perfectly as an entry point into the genre while still allowing for a challenge for the veteran in the form of difficulty options and omitting the use of the pill system.
Despite my going on at length about the cons, I would be a dirty liar if I said that 30XX isn’t phenomenal. Its cast might be barren compared to the Mega Man series and other roguelike games such as Hades, but it never set out to compete with them in those aspects. Sure, it could have put more effort into them, but the results speak for themselves. It’s addicting, fun, replayable, and wonderful in many ways. It is sheer platforming excellence, taking the best aspects of its inspirations to make something truly special. Mega Man Zero is among my favourite video game series ever, and 30XX feels nostalgic in the same way, despite this being my first foray into the series. 30XX is more than just a game that was inspired by Mega Man: It’s a love letter that is written masterfully enough to become its own story. And I dearly hope that it has a great future in the years to come.
I've found Samba de Amigo: Party Central to be a really enjoyable rhythm game. Your mileage may differ depending on how much you enjoy the song list; the game offers enough fun for solo players in the Streamigo mode, and multiple with online and local multiplayer modes. There’s also plenty of incentive to keep playing in order to rank up and unlock the plethora of cosmetics to show off your style to the world.
I honestly feel that in a few years’ time, when people say, ‘They don’t make them like they used to', they’ll be reflecting on Blasphemous 1 and 2. Both games are superb examples of how to come up with original creative direction and art direction and ensure that both are interwoven into the gameplay. Blasphemous 2 is a prime example of what you need to do to be successful in a crowded genre. Penitent One; I hope it’s not another four years until we meet again!
Well, GINSHA certainly packs a punch. There’s a lot to take in but once you get your head round it all, you can only sit back and admire its ambition and character. Of course, it won’t get anywhere near as much attention as Blasphemous II, but with some polish and tidying up, it will stand alone as a game that any metroidvania fans should give a go.
Circuit Superstars is a great racer on the Nintendo Switch and there’s a lot to enjoy here. The Grand Prix mode and time trial will definitely be where you spend most of your time, just make sure you have an online subscription if you want to use the online modes properly. While the game may take itself a little too seriously for my liking, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that and in every other aspect, it's a solid racer.
Venba tells the tale of a migrant mum’s relationship with her family, particularly her son. The gameplay involves crafting traditional Tamil food and holding branching dialogues revolving around the experiences of first-gen migrants and their children. While making the dishes is fun, as it is in many cooking sims, Venba expands on the genre by underscoring the lived realities of many families from migrant backgrounds. It also demonstrates how traditional food can be used to bond people, and to respect and keep alive culture across generations.
It seems Disney Illusion Island was torn between aligning itself with the audience that will love its IP or the genre that it has chosen to design the game around. Ultimately, Disney Illusion Island falls in a no-man’s land between the two because it’s neither a great metroidvania nor a challenging platformer that we’re used to with Disney games of the past. All in all, Disney Illusion Island is a great game for families to play, especially parents with their kids, which will surprise no one. As a family man these days, I can appreciate this; I just wish they had provided more challenging gameplay options to cater to a wider audience.
Frank and Drake is a beautifully and thoughtfully executed game, with a unique rotoscoped art style, that draws inspiration from the epistolary gothic works Frankenstein and Dracula. The title encourages multiple playthroughs to fully understand the supernatural mysteries surrounding the characters.