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In an era where every RPG - and every genre that’s assimilated roleplay mechanics into their DNA - have used grinding and oversized maps to extend their playtimes into figures only a select few can truly undertake, Little Town Hero has confidently opted for a shorter experience that’s more akin to the pace, style and sedate pace of Animal Crossing than a traditional RPG or JRPG.
Stranded Sails offers some terrific farming simulation which does the majority of the game's heavy lifting, but it's held up by middling RPG-esque mechanics. Mixing things up and throwing a selection of genres into a pot to see what comes out is arguably commendable, and there's an awful lot to like about Stranded Sails, but some frustrating and bizarre choices in regards to recipes and the energy meter system hamstring the game for those hoping for a less taxing castaway experience.
Neo Cab has its fair share of awkward encounters as you explore the futuristic city of Los Ojos, but more often than not, these will develop into genuinely meaningful conversations that - despite the game’s limited graphical capabilities - make its citizens feel real.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a masterpiece, and being able to take such a grand and engrossing adventure on the go is something well worth celebrating. The Switch's Complete Edition is a truly impressive achievement, and although performance isn't perfect, it's still an incredible and impactful role-playing experience. The Witcher 3 set the bar for modern RPGs back in 2015, and this port is a startling reminder that it has yet to be bettered.
Together, these two make for a pretty essential addition to your Switch's RPG library.
It's such a shame Mable & The Wood can't back up its interesting premise and impressive visuals with engaging gameplay. It's a unique take on the shapeshifting concept, to be sure, but navigating the environment is more frustrating than it is fun. There's a nice variety of boss encounters that keep the experience feeling relatively fresh, but overall, this is one Metroidvania that fails to live up to the hype.
Call of Cthulhu manages to deliver a game that's ripe with atmosphere but is built upon tried-and-true tropes of the genre that never really manage to evolve beyond the scope of what's already been seen and heard before. Paired with some technical hiccups, we can say that Call of Cthulhu is only really for truly dedicated fans of Lovecraft; everyone else is advised to look elsewhere for their entertainment.
The Bradwell Conspiracy offers an intriguing take on the first-person puzzler formula, even if its USP lacks the simple creativity of other similar puzzle games.
A Knight's Quest brings a much needed light-hearted take on the action-adventure fantasy genre, with a genuinely funny sense of humour running throughout and plenty of world to explore. It's marred by a poor navigation system, inconsistent visual quality and an overall lack of polish. There's plenty of fun to be had on this quest, but there's very little to write home about when the Switch is full to the brim with similar titles that provide superior experiences.
Nearly two years on from its initial release, The Alliance Alive HD Remastered proves to be a perfectly competent port of an already fantastic handheld game. A well-written story, a smartly interwoven and complex system of gameplay mechanics, and a distinctive visual style makes this a no-brainer for anybody looking for a consistently high-quality RPG experience on their Switch. It may feel a little simple, given its origins on the 3DS, but don't make the mistake of passing up on The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, it's well worth your time.
From start to finish, Trine 4 is a remarkably absorbing and beautiful experience that’ll keep you challenged and interested right through to the finish, while also offering a fair bit to keep you coming back for a couple hours after the credits roll.
Overall, Valfaris is a much better game than its predecessor, introducing new systems and ideas to help keep its action-platformer formula engaging and interesting.
When it gets on with the bun-lobbing antics of classic BurgerTime, this is a great reminder of an arcade gem. But too many co-op cooks spoil the broth, and the recipe is overstuffed with extras that detract from the core flavour. That said, any game that lets you leave a trail of murdered pickles as you fight up the online leaderboard can't be all bad. Just a tad overcooked, perhaps.
Mechanically-speaking, there's little you haven’t seen elsewhere, but it’s a good-looking, fun third-person romp dripping in slimy nostalgia, and the chance to spend time in the company of these old friends – some of them dearly departed – is too good to pass up if you've ever strapped on your school backpack and gone out to catch ghosts in the garden.
One Night Stand is a very unique experience that will likely feel quite close to home for some folks. It's a very honest, almost heartwarming glimpse into the lives of two complete strangers brought together by a heavy night of drinking. The presentation may be a bit lacking overall, and some may be put off by the short length of the game, despite its many endings, but if you're after a visual novel that's a bit different from the norm, then this is it.
Asphalt 9: Legends is a free and surprisingly fun arcade racing game with mobile microtransaction free-to-play gubbins that could potentially ruin the experience for you, unless you've played enough mobile games to know how to ignore it. The reasonably priced Starting Racer Pack significantly lessens their impact, making it feel more like a 'normal' premium product, so if you try the free version and enjoy it, this – and this alone – is the sole purchase you should consider.
This is a genuinely enjoyable platformer with a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere.
As it stands, for a budget price, this is a still a slick little twin-stick shooter that nails the basics and is well worth your time if you're a fan of the genre.
Dead By Daylight has been around for quite while now and has remained a pretty popular game on both PC and console over the years. It’s a straightforward and repetitive online affair that, if you're lucky enough to be matched with the right bunch of randoms or happen to be playing a custom match with friends, can deliver the goods in terms of frights and tension from time to time. However, it has also always been a pretty clunky affair, a fact which is amplified further here by the noticeable graphical downgrade, laggy menus and the exclusion of a bunch of DLC that we really feel should have been included for the steep asking price.
More than a decade after its initial release, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is a worthy upgrade of a solid match-three RPG. It adds new quests and new classes for both veterans and newcomers to enjoy, and manages to resist the 'freemium' business model that plagues a lot of games in the genre these days. It falls down a bit on graphics and presentation, with the artwork particularly showing its age, but if you're after a surprisingly deep puzzle adventure to get lost in, then look no further.