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Underneath the extremely rough and laggy exterior, Fallout 76 has the makings of a great and entertaining game. To some, the damage may have already been done and the appeal may have already worn off, but with Bethesda's level of support, the game has potential to grow into something much more than it currently is.
As it stands, Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight are fantastic ways to explore their respective soundtracks from a new perspective. However, they lack the glue that a story mode brought to the previous game in the series that could have made it feel like a cohesive whole rather than a broad but disparate list of songs and customisations.
It's Civilzation on Nintendo Switch in all its glory. It's full featured, plays great with the Switch control schemes and is addictive as ever.
Darksiders III is the follow-up that fans have been waiting for, no doubt, but this is both its greatest strength and weakness. On one hand, it feels just like the previous two games albeit with a much better combat system and some fantastic encounters. On the other, much like Darksiders II, it's trying too many things at once and comes off as having an identity crisis. Without a doubt, though, Darksiders III is easily better than Darksiders II, and that's worth celebrating.
Tetris is like an old shoe, it's comfortable and familiar. It's hard to believe that three decades on, Tetris is still making the splash it is. It's an evergreen sensation that constantly renews itself and its latest iteration, Tetris Effect might be its euphoric best. Were this rock and roll, Tetris would be held in as high esteem as The Beatles and this particular game would be its 'Revolver'.
Pokemon Let's GO ushers in a brand new era for the Pokemon brand and I couldn't think of a better way for the core franchise to makes its debut on the Nintendo Switch. The game's mechanics perfectly rides the wave of success of the Pokemon GO phenomenon. Some core fans will be disappointed and that's completely fine, but the direction of Let's GO Pokemon is clear and it succeeds in its mission to provide a simple, yet addictive Pokemon game that can be enjoyable for all gamers. It's Pokemon at its addictive best and the only option is to set out and Catch 'Em All.
Though some elements are clearly still being developed and will evolve in the future, HITMAN 2 is a great example of games-as-a-service done right. Specifically, the base game is a an already strong offering that will no doubt grow into something even better as time goes by. Eclipsing the previous game in practically every way, HITMAN 2 successfully leverages strong level design, creative kills and absurdist situations to offer the best Hitman experience to date.
Taking off the nostalgia goggles for a moment, Toys For Bob have done a brilliant job in revamping a classic trilogy of games. In updating the visuals and tweaking the controls, they've stayed true to the source material and crafted an experience so involving that you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a brand new game. Initial viewings had me concerned that they might not be able to live up to the hype; but on playing the game, for the briefest moment I was eight years old again – and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Battlefield V retains heart in its single player War Stories mode and variety in its multiplayer modes. New & improved personalisation within 'Your Company' gives each of the classes a fresh, personal feel to your soldiers, while remaining authentic to the era. A solid road map of content is set to deliver new maps, modes and seasonal events to keep gamers coming back, which is a good thing as no other game does raw gun play and bullet physics quite like Battlefield. It just feels right and Battlefield V is no exception.
As far as kart racers go, Nickelodeon Kart Racers is a disappointing case of missed opportunity. Nickelodeon, as a brand, is rich with properties though barely any are appropriately handled here too, with a roster that's quite frankly anemic. Instead, Nickelodeon Kart Racers offers some serviceable kart racing that's ultimately devoid of any personality. Some kids who don't know any better will find some enjoyment here, but most probably won't.
Diablo III: Eternal Collection for the Nintendo Switch represents the best way to play Diablo III right now, whether it be with friends or by yourself with whatever controllers you have. While the exclusive gear and equipment are superficial and not a sole reason to buy on the Switch, Diablo III is a perfect fit for the platform, as cliché as it sounds. Sure, it's starting to show signs of ageing, but it still plays as well today as it did all those years ago.
Call of Cthulhu is one of the better games based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and despite its visual shortcomings does a great job at commanding your attention from start to finish. It's not for everyone, however, and the emphasis on exploration and trial-and-error stealth mechanics is bound to turn some people off. Putting this aside, Call of Cthulhu feels like a triumph for many reasons – it's well paced, its story is intriguing and the uneasiness of it's chilling conclusion will stay with you long after you've turned it off.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a triumph in world-building, character craft and downright skulduggery. Being bad has never felt so good as Rockstar toe the realism line while still keeping their sharp, trademark tongue in cheek. It's the keen attention to detail where Rockstar succeeds and this outlaw prequel comfortably outperforms their best works and in time, I believe, will be regarded as a once in a generation game.
With robust single-player offerings, as well as a fast paced and dynamic fighting system, Soulcalibur VI represents the best the series has been for a long time. It has a great and diverse roster of characters, and Geralt fits right into the world too. It's just a little bit of a shame that it's missing a few things from previous games. Despite this, Soulcalibur VI is easily the best Soulcalibur game and one of the best 3D fighters you can play right now.
Gone are the days where Call Of Duty sets the trends, but Black Ops 4 does a great job of keeping up. Choosing which mode to play first every time I launch the game is a struggle, with each being unique and impressive in their own way. Black Ops 4's individual components may not be groundbreaking, but as a package, it's one of the most refined Call Of Duty games. Black Ops 4 is a complete and polished package with Treyarch's deft touch of quality.
Starlink: Battle For Atlas is a fun game that adults and children alike will enjoy. The planets are beautiful and the amount of customisations that can be made in the game is impressive. Ultimately, the missions get a little bit repetitive and the Nintendo Switch version leaves a little bit to be desired in the visuals department, but as far as Star Fox goes, this is better than most Star Fox games in recent times.
The World Ends With You Final Remix is fantastic. A unique ARPG packed with a brilliant story, fun gameplay, and a fascinating premise, everything about it screams instant classic. Don't sit out on this one, especially if you can get around the initially jarring control options.
Super Mario Party has successfully stripped back a lot of the bloat to return it back to the simple, fun and classic game that it was intended to be. At the same time, the game cleverly uses a number of key Nintendo Switch features making it a game that almost anybody could enjoy. Unfortunately, the weirdly implemented online and lack of boards are only thing stopping it from joining the most top tier of Switch titles.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey successfully builds upon the already strong foundation that Origins set to provide yet another Assassin's Creed experience that still feels fresh and, more importantly, fun to explore and dive into. Even better, it does all this without the typical bloat you'd expect, although Conquest Battles do feel like a missed opportunity. Despite this minor letdown, Odyssey eclipses Origins in practically every way, and is easily the best Assassin's Creed yet.
Forza Horizon 4 offers racing fans endless, ever-changing amounts of fun. Few racing games are as dense with a seemingly infinite amount to do and collect. It's immensely liberating too, allowing you to play through it however you like. The open-world might have been better populated with environmental features and I wish the menus had been a little faster and easier to navigate, but it's a small price to pay for a game with so much under the hood.