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Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny provides a decent enough framework for fun, but the battle system's flaws become more and more apparent under any amount of pressure. Pressure you will most assuredly feel unless you feel comfortable grinding out hours of short missions required to level up and pass the numbers check to do things like finish the story of the first anime. It’s not a bad game, but it’s a game that should mostly be considered by big-time enthusiasts of this kind of game with time to burn.
Alien Hominid HD is definitely simple, but there’s a lot of charm to be found in this old-school package. If you’re looking for a good challenge filled with goofy moments that won’t take up too much of your time, this is a solid enough pick.
I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed every little detail and bit of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The minimal approach to the art design of the characters and world only amplified the beauty of the 3D rendered hardware show. Glimpses into the inner workings of the hardware and the history of Nintendo products scratched a nerdy itch I didn’t realize I had. It’s a bit of a bummer that it wasn’t free, but I found myself unable to pull myself away from Welcome Tour after I started it, and have been thinking about it more than any other game available at launch. I hope Nintendo will add more content to this as new first party hardware is released, and while some of the mini games encourage using two people, adding a sleek way to pull up the catalog of mini games, tech demos and quizzes to offer a better experience to show friends and family would be a welcome addition.
Survival Kids can be fun to play for bits at a time, but some peculiar choices and the game’s repetitive design make it hard to recommend to most. Kids may enjoy the multiplayer aspect with friends and family, but it’s not the best game of the Switch 2’s launch library.
Mario Kart World is a solid next step for the world’s top mascot racing franchise and a great launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. There’s lots to unlock and some truly exciting modes to try, even if free roam could use a bit more content. If you want to have an exciting time racing around impressive courses – especially with friends – then you can’t really go wrong with Mario Kart World.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma absolutely smashed my expectations, delivering one of the most robust and feature-rich games in the farming/cozy/life sim genre while also being no slouch at its action RPG elements either. This game puts its best foot forward when it starts its sprint and doesn’t slow down anytime soon. I am still locked in and can’t wait to play even more of this gem, it stands shoulder to shoulder with some of my favorite similar games like Harvestella. Fans of the series and first timers, this is not a game to miss out on.
Nice Day for Fishing is an interesting and enjoyable fishing game that takes advantage of its funny concept and surprisingly deep mechanics to create a surprisingly unique fishing game. It can be fairly repetitive with its fetch quests, but it’s still a worthwhile venture for those whose interest is piqued.
Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker is a great DLC for those who were already hooked on the base game and crave more, though it may leave others wanting. New classes and a new party member don’t make up for the lack of character development for our main duo, and I did not appreciate having my party shrunk and helpful skills removed. A gorgeous and bombastic ride seems to be Sea of Stars’ goal here, and on that note, they do not disappoint. If you were craving more Sea of Stars or have been away from the game, this free DLC awaits a brave Solstice Warrior or three to mete out justice once again.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is the second TMNT game I’ve played and reviewed in recent years, with great humor, music, and gameplay. I did find some occasional lag, which I think is because the game is unclear in communicating if an animation is “over” or not. It is also a shorter budget title, which seems to work very well for the property. If you’re even a casual TMNT fan, I think you’ll find something to love here, with a great story that hints at more to come in the future.
to a T is certainly a unique and charming game, but it’s not quite as fun as I had hoped. There are enjoyable bits and pieces throughout the experience, but for the most part, it never quite grabbed me in its roughly five-hour runtime.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a blast to play. It has a lot going for it and is an Elden Ring game at its core. The game is challenging and fast-paced, forcing you to adjust to whatever is thrown at you. Running through some of the best bosses in the FromSoftware catalog is something I never thought I could do in one game. But at the same time, not having a mode to play with less than three people does shoot itself in the foot, and the lackluster story is disappointing.
Roboquest is a fantastic shooter that’s chock-full of secrets and seemingly endless enjoyment. It can be a bit harder to play at a frantic pace on a console, but it doesn’t take long to get fairly accustomed to it. All-in-all, this is a must-play roguelite that nails essentially everything it does, with style.
Monster Train 2 delivers a smart, wildly creative, and compulsively replayable roguelike deckbuilder that builds meaningfully on its predecessor. The mechanics—particularly its verticality, floor-based strategy, and layered factions—make for exhilarating and varied runs. The writing’s energy reflects how fun the game is in motion, with just a few complexities that may slightly overwhelm newcomers. But for fans of roguelikes and deckbuilders, this is a masterclass in chaos and cohesion.
Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer takes everything from the first game and improves it, with stronger puzzles and an intriguing story. Fans of point-and-click adventure games will find an enjoyable experience here, and fans of the first game should enjoy seeing how Kathy’s murder investigation unfolds.
If you enjoyed the first Duck Detective, you'll likely enjoy the sequel as well, and if you're new to the series, this is a fine place to begin. This short mystery adventure game might not be packed with thrills, but it's filled with charm and leaves one to wonder what stories might await in the duck detective's future.
Between the performance, gadget usage, and open world issues, Deliver At All Costs still manages to pull it out and make an incredibly satisfying game. Difficult in all the right places and fun the whole way through.
Blades of Fire is a misfire, attempting to mix elements of soulslike games with its own action ideas in an oil and water result. The story is bland, and the characters are deeply unfunny despite constantly trying to be, resulting in a tone that matches the worst of the Xbox 360 era. Obtuse and confusing level designs combined with the choice not to have objective markers create a frustrating experience, which is only furthered by the unique combat system feeling out of sync with the hardcore third-person combat games it wants to emulate.
Onimusha 2 might have some odd pacing and distances itself from its predecessor's survival horror trappings, but it's a great game with a lot to offer, and the remaster further improves it with some nice bonus features and quality-of-life improvements. I couldn't be more excited for the future of Onimusha, and Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny further proves this series deserves its revival.
While it was lovely to be able to see a world bursting with color and full of culture, it didn’t feel fitting to the overall theme of Detective Dotson, and instead felt like it was a bit all over the place.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a stellar collection of some of Capcom’s most acclaimed fighters, both the well-known and the overshadowed. The range of titles is diverse and exciting, the added features are useful, and the additional content is always a welcome bonus. Once again, Capcom has proven itself to be excellent at remastering its many unique titles.