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Chants of Sennaar is as defined by its peaks as its valleys. For every moment of mind-blowing, brilliant puzzle design comes an inversely frustrating moment stymied by '90s adventure game logic. The game's ability to teach a player aspects of a language is awe-inspiring, and its way of guiding players along with as little information as possible is intensely rewarding-when it works. Even though it isn't for everyone (or consistently excellent), it's constantly impressive. If you're interested, we recommend checking out the free demo for the game that's available on the eShop, which will help let you know whether or not this game might be up your alley.
The real draw here is simply the ability to play Rune Factory 3 on a console that doesn't have 'DS' in its name-about 90% of the experience is exactly the same as the original, and that remaining 10% doesn't exactly cover a whole lot. Luckily, Rune Factory 3 is and always was a great farm sim/RPG hybrid, and it's something that we can still easily recommend to new and returning players alike. That said, if you fall into the latter group, we'd encourage you to consider carefully how much you want to shell out to replay this on modern hardware. It's a great game, but it's effectively the same thing as your DS copy. Still, it's good to see a return to form after the rather uneven Rune Factory 5. If you're looking for another very solid farm sim to add to your Switch library-and you haven't played it before-this is definitely one to consider.
The Making of Karateka is not for everyone, and most of its appeal will lie with older gaming generations. If you're a student of historical gaming flash points, however, it's a package that delivers the goods, and in fine form. It doesn't have anywhere near as much unique gaming content as Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, a fact that will limit its appeal. Despite this, the two remasters are solid, the prototypes intriguing, and the content comprehensive. If you were a fan of Atari 50, The Making of Karateka will find you well.
This has all the charm of the base game, but with a challenging new stand-alone mode that adds quality and value. The opening challenge won't be for everyone and those early runs can be pretty unforgiving, but once you see those unlocks rolling in and with an upgrade or two under your belt, you'll soon wonder why a Turtles roguelike hasn't been on your wishlist from the very beginning. With these added bells and whistles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is still totally tubular, dude.
Hercule Poirot: The London Case delivers on its promise of a new Agatha Christie-style story in the Poirot universe. While it doesn't have the same level of tricksy, interweaving motives and relationships as Poirot favourites, the story is entirely entertaining nonetheless. However, the game lacks polish to the extent that it's distracting, progress is not always logical and the loading times on Switch are a real problem. For all its charm, you don't have to be a world-class detective to see its flaws.
Just as the Science Adventure games posit that human perception affects reality, not every player will experience Anonymous;Code the same way. For those new to the franchise, this latest entry is an imaginative if conceptually dense sci-fi romp. For those who have played the other entries, it's something more - a gratifying culmination of thematic and narrative strands roughly 15 years in the making. Either way, Anonymous;Code has something special to say about the universe, the soul, and video games as a medium.
As we haven't seen Rayman on the Nintendo Switch in quite some time, Rayman in the Phantom Show comes as a disappointment – especially when compared to Kingdom Battle's Donkey Kong Adventure. The lack of Rayman specific elements, the inability to play as Rayman in the base game, and the rehashing of old enemies and encounters, make this an adventure fit only for those that can't get enough of Sparks of Hope's great tactical battles.
Dino Rex and Solitary Fighter aren't exactly high points, and considering they're two of three exclusives, much of the appeal of this collection depends on how many titles you may already own, and how much you want Darius II. That said, for those who are yet to dabble in Hamster's series, it's a superb slice of Taito arcade gaming that outdoes its predecessor in terms of quality and appeal, and comes through with solid emulation. There are hundreds of hours of fun to be had here with some of Taito's most deservedly celebrated works.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central brings back the cult classic monkey and all the fun that comes with him, but it does too much in the wrong places. By bombarding the player with no fewer than three different progress bars to level up in, any sense of growth, progress or leveling feels arbitrary and unnecessary. They feel like an attempt to hide the fact that Samba de Amigo is an arcade game about a dancing monkey that you can dress up in silly little outfits; it doesn't need to be an RPG, so why make it one? After all, Samba de Amigo is inherently fun-be it with maracas, a Wii remote, Joy-Con, or just buttons.
Trine 5 hasn't changed all that much from its predecessors, which is more of a good thing than it is bad. At its heart, this is still a gorgeous, remarkably charming, and challenging puzzle platformer that features some of the best environment design in the business. On the other hand, combat still represents a notable low point of the experience despite efforts to tweak it, but this isn't enough of a drawback that it ruins the overall game. It goes without saying that if you liked any of the previous Trine games, you'll love what Trine 5 brings to the table-we'd argue that this offers the most polished and honed version of the series' traditional gameplay. Trine 5 is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a chill puzzle game of reasonable length, it's got a lot of heart and is definitely worth your time.
Sea of Stars is a sensational achievement for Sabotage. The studio is two for two in providing impressively designed and genuinely innovative takes on classic genres. Some pacing issues aside, the complex narrative, deep and strategic combat, thoughtful level design, and fantastic visuals and music all combine to make this one of the easiest recommendations we can make. If you consider yourself a fan of old-school RPGs, you must play Sea of Stars. And if not? The execution and polish here are so good that we'd suggest you give it a try anyway. There are few games that would be a better introduction and representation of what makes JRPGs great. Sea of Stars is an instant classic and a new high-water mark for modern retro-styled indies. You really shouldn't miss out.
Shotgun King does a wonderful job of setting itself apart from the veritable deluge of roguelikes available today. Its blending of classic chess principles with shooting elements and randomized gameplay makes for a fun and highly replayable experience that we'd suggest you give a shot. If you're looking for a relatively short, addictive game that requires a bit of thinking to get the most out of, Shotgun King is undoubtedly something you should look into.
No matter how excellent its soundtrack or sense of momentum may be, there's no shaking the sense that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is in a race against its own sense of nostalgia. The game rips, but more often than not it feels like that's because Jet Set Radio ran before it. That's not to say it's bad, but part of what makes Jet Set Radio so fun and unique is its raw originality. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a sequel in everything but name-for better and for worse. For every banger in its soundtrack, there's a moment of jank or a feeling that this game hasn't left 2000. Again, it's still a great time, but it's lacking that lightning-in-a-bottle feel that JSR had. That's totally fine, and for people who missed out on it, this will feel much fresher.
Alas, even with WayForward’s skilled programming and graphical artistry, Xtreme Sports remains limited. The island overworld works well, adding a charming dash of RPG-lite, and the increased challenge will keep you at the events for some time. There are purportedly more than 400 competitors to defeat, but while fun and neatly executed, the repetitive nature and limited number of sporting events means that mileage will vary in how long it holds your attention.
Red Dead Redemption on Switch is a straightforward port of 2010's masterpiece with no added bells or whistles for a rather high price tag. If you can get over that, this is a game we highly recommend digging into, especially if you've yet to experience it. Rockstar's Western epic holds up surprisingly well, its story is as powerful as ever, its knockabout action still feels great, and it looks and plays perfectly well on Nintendo's console. Multiplayer has been cut, which is a sore but understandable excision, and we'd really have liked to see effort put into adding gyro controls or touching up the graphics a little, but it is what it is. This is a proper all-timer ported successfully to Switch and, if you can stump up the cash, you'll have a great time here regardless of the lack of TLC.
Blasphemous 2 sticks with the exquisitely dark and gory style of its predecessor whilst building on the core combat and improving upon the platforming we saw the first time around. The Game Kitchen could have served us up more of the same and we'd have been perfectly happy. However, they've made meaningful upgrades here, with deeper and more satisfying combat and three upgradable weapon sets that combine perfectly with environmental puzzling that feels more cohesive and fluid overall. The Penitent One's return to Cvstodia is an absolute banger.
Vampire Survivors skyrocketed in popularity in 2022 for good reason. It's one of the best roguelites in recent memory thanks to its gripping gameplay loop and metagame that highjacks your mind. The Switch port only adds more to love with local co-op and updated content. It's so easy to slip into a blissful sense of flow in Vampire Survivors' Castlevania-inspired, comically named levels as its ripping soundtrack and satisfying sound design propel you into the horde that you'll surely lose track of time playing it. It's a good thing that rounds don't usually last more than half an hour.
The Tarot deckbuilding aspect is present and correct here, but the wide variety of Witches and the way their stories intertwine is where The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood really shines. Every being that you encounter has a purpose in this story, and all the threads twist together to make a truly beautiful tapestry. Being locked down narrative paths without the ability to return might not be for everyone, but it's a moot point when the story is this good - every playthrough will feel like a brand-new experience.
Flutter Away is relaxing but uninspiring. It does an excellent job of setting up a peaceful atmosphere that just gives you the space to check out some butterflies, but it’s also over nearly as soon as it starts, and there’s not a ton else to do on a subsequent playthrough. If you're looking for a cozy one-and-done experience to disappear into for a bit, Flutter Away delivers before making good on its title.
Moving Out 2 may not quite be your multiplayer forever home, but its good vibes and intricate challenges are going to cause many joyful whoops of celebration, cries of frustration, irreparably broken furniture, and wild accusations about how the hell a bookcase fell off the balcony. Sounds like coming home to us.