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Automachef is absolutely not for everyone; it's a puzzle game that overwhelms you from the start and only piles on more complexity as you progress through its 45 stages. There's a degree of satisfaction to be found in spending hours putting together large, elaborate automated set-ups, troubleshooting their flaws then finally seeing them work as intended, but you need to put in a hell of a lot of work for that payoff and for many the toll it takes on the old noggin won't be worth it.
As long as you're playing it docked and willing to put the time in to master its helium-light handling, Rise eventually reveals itself to be a rewarding and visually fantastic arcade style racer with an interesting Challenges mode. Its slightly blurry handheld visuals and the complete lack of multiplayer are disappointing, but persevere with its slippery steering and the payoff is a fun – if unforgiving – solo racing game.
There’s very little here to attract players who have already braved Dead In Vinland’s wilds, but even without support for touchscreen play, the titular isle still has plenty to offer new settlers.
It doesn’t take very long for Lust for Darkness to overplay its hand and reveal just what kind of horror game it really is; for all the shock value of seeing some Giger-esque creature with an overtly phallic head or yet another doorway shaped like genitalia, you realise it’s just that: hollow grotesquery employed for the sake of making you cringe.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble surpasses both its predecessor and the recent Wargroove to become the number one Advance Wars clone available on Switch right now.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order isn't a groundbreaking, narrative-heavy reinterpretation of the comic characters you know and love, but then again neither were the first two games. In that regard, it's a very faithful sequel that mines the vast roster of characters from the comics while including plenty of nods to the current state of the more modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it doesn't do anything particularly new or outstanding, it embraces the brainless fun of its brawler combat with gusto, and it's at its absolute best when played with a team of player-controlled supers.
Etherborn looks fantastic, sounds incredible and revolves around a brilliant game mechanic that initially feels like it's going to lead to some clever puzzles but ramps things up far too quickly and engulfs you with frustratingly complex stages while you're still trying to find your feet. There's still a great game in there, but you'll need to have the patience of a saint to stumble up its 90-degree difficulty curve to find it.
While God Eater 3 has taken a bit of a knock in the visuals department, it’s a sacrifice that’s more than worth it for mostly consistent performance and a steady framerate.
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is a real oddity. There’s a lot of new content introduced as part of the expansion - much of it adding real depth and replay value to an already sizeable package - but changing the approach to how you experience season three (specifically without the character you created and used through the two previous ones) does create a schism between Final Battle and the rest of Attack on Titan 2.
Streets of Rogue isn't the cheapest of rogue-lites available on the eShop, but years of developmental evolution in Early Access have resulted in the final product making it to Nintendo Switch, and while we do feel the asking price is a tad high, the amount of content you get far surpasses what you're probably expecting. RPGs are at their best when they give you a world where you can be anyone and do anything - Skyrim has built its legacy on that very concept - so if you want to be a werewolf, or a scientist, or a bartender, then this is the game for you.
Hyperlight Ultimate is a great little arcade shooter that was good on 3DS and now arrives on Switch in a much more complete and satisfying form. The subtle gameplay tweaks here help make things a little less hardcore than in the original game, but this is still pretty tough stuff that comes highly recommended to fans of the genre who like a stiff challenge, so long as they stay away from Panic mode.
Should you buy Terraria on the Switch? Well, that’s a rather nuanced question. On one hand, you have a stable version of an enjoyable, content-rich sandbox classic that can be played both at home and on the go, with that latter option proving to be an intuitive take. On the other hand, the current lack of local co-op is pretty damning for many, especially given that this Switch version is selling for a notably higher price compared to other modern versions.
On its own, Paradox Soul is an average Metroidvania that will keep you reasonably entertained throughout its fairly short duration thanks to its creepy art direction and atmospheric soundtrack. But when you look at it next to some of the more accomplished examples of the genre on Switch, its repetitive nature and uninspired cover-shooting mechanics hold it back from being truly recommendable.
Charming characters, a well-tuned gameplay loop, and near endless replayability ensure that you’ll be coming back to this one for quite some time, and though the performance issues are disappointing, we’d still highly recommend you pick up Dragon Quest Builders 2.
War Tech Fighters does exhibit a few rough spots here and there, but it is undeniable that it ticks all the right boxes for any self-respecting mecha fan. As of right now, it's a toss-up between this and Project Nimbus Complete Edition for the title of top mecha game on Switch, but if you're after a fast and exciting robot-based space shooter and don't mind long loading times and the odd awkward menu system, then this is worth a look.
For those longing for a time when side-scrolling shooters ruled the roost, Blazing Chrome is exactly what you're looking for. Perfect for short sessions, its slick gameplay and old-school art direction make for an astonishingly fun game full of explosions, epic set pieces and spectacular boss battles. Its brutal difficulty may not be for everyone, but if you're up for the challenge, then get ready for one of the most accomplished 2D action titles in years.
Another Sight does possess some attractive qualities. There's an interesting story and a strong enough central character to hold it all together. Meeting some famous faces from the Victorian era of technological advancement is a nice touch, but these moments are few and far between. Most of the time you'll be wrestling with a needlessly clunky set of platforming mechanics and some repetitive level designs and not overly creative puzzles. The visual impairment gimmick does work to an extent, but you get the impression this would have worked much better as a local co-op experience rather than as a solo adventure.
It genuinely feels like an unfinished game in places, and it’s a real shame.
We spent a long time mulling over why Senran Kagura: Peach Ball didn't push any of our buttons. If you find anime ladies with animal features highly appealing, you can probably add a couple of points to the score below. Ultimately, though, Peach Ball serves up a tedious, repetitive story with monotonous characters and pinball tables that can be characterised likewise. Despite a polished art style and a genuinely interesting idea of livening up the arcade game in a way only possible in a video game, we found the end result sorely lacking in the pinball department.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a 'Walking Simulator' that doesn't just tell an unforgettable story – it's genuinely unforgettable. As tragic as its tale is, it always manages to entertain. As one section ends and as you fight back tears, you'll always carry on, because the next story is as engrossing as the last. If you want a strong feature-length story that doesn't waste a minute, Edith Finch is the one you need.