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Against the Storm feels like a perfect fit for the Switch—you can jump in for an hour or two and complete a settlement from scratch, ready to move on to the next. The roguelike aspects keep the game fresh and challenging and make it stand out from other similar games. It won’t be for everyone, but fans of this genre will find Against the Storm is part of their game rotation for a long time to come.
Bravely Default is a true celebration of classical turn-based RPGs and the Square Enix golden age that captures players with a compelling story, amazing characters, and one of the best takes on turn-based combat. Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster brings a beautiful coat of paint, additional lore, and some interesting minigames while keeping the core of what made the original so iconic. If you're an RPG fan, this is a must-buy experience to go through, and I can't help but recommend it.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and perhaps that’s why I have scored Dead of Darkness so highly. Nothing in Dead of Darkness is particularly flashy, but everything is done extremely well and faithfully to its source. If you prefer the Resident Evil series from 4 onwards, then this will not be for you, but fans of Resident Evil 1, 2, and maybe even 3 need a piece of this blood-curdling action!
If I were to sum up my time with Tempopo in one word, it would be joy. Discovering the ways the commands could be used, watching Hana celebrate every flower rescued, and seeing the way the Tempopo encouraged Hana when she stuffed up. Pure. Joy. Aside from that, Tempopo is polished to a standard one would expect from a high-end indie game or even a AAA game. It’s awe-inspiring how the Witch Beam team managed to fit so much into what appears to be a simple game on the surface and they managed to make every bit enjoyable as well.
Ruffy and the Riverside often feels like a bit of a fever dream, but at least it’s a fever dream with original ideas. The puzzles are fun and the world of Riverside will appease many an explorer and collectathon fan. I can’t wait to see what Zockrates does next!
Despite my frustrations with Mario Kart World, I absolutely love it! Simultaneously the best and messiest Mario Kart title in the franchise, it adds some of the most fun mechanics to race with. I just wish the characters were easier to unlock and the open world more rewarding to experience. Despite the outrage on the internet over the price point (which was a non-issue if you purchased the bundle), Mario Kart World is well worth the entry cost if you enjoy the series, with exceptional music, entertaining gameplay, and some of the most fun you can have with friends.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a giant leap forward in the right direction for the series, especially after the disappointment that came from the fifth installment. The Japanese-inspired setting, dynamic characterisation and sheer scope of the world provide dozens of hours of fun for the player, all while respecting their time and moving a surprisingly engaging narrative along. What perhaps lets it down is the lacklustre combat and the overwhelming quantity of tasks to complete and maintain; so while Guardians of Azuma promises a bright future for the franchise, it still has plenty of room to grow.
I should not be scoring a port of Yakuza 0 this low but the additions to the game were largely unnecessary. While I enjoyed my time with Red Light Raid, it was not worth all the negatives that were brought in alongside it. If you just want to play Yakuza 0 at 4k 120fps, then this is the port for you. Everything that made the original game great is still here, but if you want the best version of the game, then I’d steer clear of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut.
I’ve wanted to play Cyberpunk 2077 for a long time now. I’ve had it wishlisted on both my PC and my Xbox, waiting for sales and a time when life gifted me with the spare time to do so. While the game has been on sale quite frequently, life hasn’t been as kind with giving me time to unwind with a game like this and the backlog is brutal, so I did not expect for Cyberpunk 2077 to be ticked off my list for the sake of a Nintendo Switch 2 review. For the most part, I didn’t feel hindered by playing it on less powerful hardware at all; in fact, in some ways, it provided me with more freedom and convenience. The performance is serviceable, but the mere fact that the game is running on hybrid Nintendo hardware at launch is an impressive feat for both CD Projekt Red and Nintendo. As previously stated, I wasn’t going to say much about the game itself, but to summarise it in just two words: it’s incredible. If you want the freedom of multiple control schemes and hybrid play styles, then the Nintendo Switch 2 version is a fantastic way to do that. But if you’re looking for more pretty lights, better textures and smoother frame rates, and being tied to a TV or PC monitor isn’t a deal breaker, then certainly opt to play the game on more powerful hardware. Regardless, either way, you can’t go wrong.
As a tech demo / ‘welcome to the console’ Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is happily an 8 or maybe 9 out of 10 experience. As a separately purchased piece of software, though? It’s not a game—a lot of it isn’t really trying to be ‘entertaining’ in a traditional video game way—but it is interesting, charming, and provides some memorable individual moments in its tech demos and minigames. Some will justifiably baulk at the price tag, but those who do pick it up and take it for what it is will end up appreciating the Switch 2 just a little more.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo will actually be the last game I review in the pre-Nintendo Switch 2 era, and what a way to bow out. Tight gameplay coupled with beautiful visuals makes for an absolute treat. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo will be popular with Zelda fans, Metroid fans, nostalgia fans, and pretty much everyone who loves a good old-fashioned adventure.
Cattle Country is a serviceable farming sim that will likely receive some initial interest based on what it initially promises. However, once the initial beauty of its pixel art wears off and the southern setting gradually loses its meaning, what's left is a perfectly mediocre entry in a genre that hit the point of oversaturation a few years past.
Wow, a collection of some of Capcom’s best fighting games is phenomenal? Who would’ve guessed? Honestly, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is worth getting just for Power Stone alone but there are a lot of really great games on here too. I think Capcom VS SNK 2 said it best: This is true love we’re making.
Wings of Endless provides great value for money and, as a result, is a low-risk weekend pick-up for most action-RPG fans; it’s a great effort by the tiny development team from Uruguay. There are other action-RPGs out there that perhaps execute the party mechanic more effectively (Astalon: Tears of the Earth springs to mind) but there is a lot to be admired here; the positives outweigh the negatives in Wings of Endless and that’s what matters.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is such a wonderful swansong for what may well become the best-selling console of all time. It reaffirmed just how convenient the Switch’s design is in its hybrid nature, highlighting aspects like portability and being able to quickly pop your console into sleep mode and pick it back up whenever and wherever—something we likely take for granted today. The developers at Monolith Soft have come such a long way since they first released Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U 10 years ago, and it shows. Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and both their respective story-based DLCs show that they’ve certainly put a lot of time and thought into how they explain mechanics, themes and UI elements while being able to learn from the very best over at Nintendo.
Not afraid to imitate its inspiration, the developers of Ogu and the Secret Forest have clearly gone whole hog and decided to just make a Zelda game but with a cute little duck as the main character, but who’s complaining! Ogu and the Secret Forest is the best Zelda-like I’ve played in a couple of years, and as long as you’re not put off by anything too cutesy Ogu and the Secret Forest is a must-have for any fans of the classic series.
BIOMORPH is a great option for anyone wanting to ease themselves into the metroidvania genre. Its biomorphing mechanic presents enough originality to make it stand out from the pack, and the added element of city-building also felt fresh. Overall, BIOMORPH is perhaps only second to Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist in the best metroidvanias I’ve played so far in 2025 on the Nintendo Switch, and that is an impressive feat as I’ve played quite a few!
Star Overdrive’s advertisement led me to believe the game was something akin to Airblade meets Tony Hawk Pro Skater but what I got was a poor excuse for a Ubisoft sandbox game and I’m very upset about it. More power to you if you enjoy these kinds of games but I have been sick of them for around 15 years. It really feels like the dev team wanted to make a cool hoverboard game, got around a third of the way through production and just decided to turn it into Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
It’s worth noting that Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is most definitely NOT a metroidvania, which the developers themselves haven’t claimed to be anyway, but I have seen many publications claiming that it is. That being said, it’s a solid platformer that will take you on a journey back to the good (or bad?) old days. Beyond the Ice Palace 2 will probably please most Castlevania fans because it’s punishing and visually faithful to the series that has inspired it. Hopefully we don’t have to wait 37 years for another game in the series!
I would love to give Cabernet a higher score; at its heart, it’s an excellent narrative RPG with thoughtful writing, interesting mechanics and a charming presentation. Unfortunately, to experience all that, you have to put up with a few too many bugs and crashes, and other rough edges besides. If you’re willing to overlook that, then you may well find yourself playing through multiple times, trying different choices and quests. But I’d recommend waiting for a few updates to smooth things out before you buy.