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Despite faltering in its plot delivery and the absence of meaningful decision-making, Fire Emblem Engage once again allows Intelligent Systems to demonstrate its unparalleled strategic brilliance and unquestionable dominance in the genre. It isn’t a game that is lacking in heroic ambition, in many ways evolving its own formula triumphantly beyond what was achieved with Fire Emblem: Three Houses but otherwise disappointingly falling short in others.
If you can look past this, you are rewarded with one of ATLUS’ most impactful works of art in the most accessible way possible. The art is not lost, even if I wish there was a version where we could have had the best of all worlds. Persona 3 Portable, as a game, is incredible and this revisit has made me realize how much it means to me. I get the disappointment, I do, but as a modern version, I think it holds up alright. This game deserves better, and I think if the backgrounds weren’t sticking out like a sore thumb this would be a glowing recommendation. As of now I can really just say that if you play this on Nintendo Switch you’re in for a good time.
Long stretching RPGs are exactly the type of game I try to steer away from, opting instead to spend my time with shorter more compact adventures. My rule is shorter games means more games. Persona 5 Royal may well be the longest RPG I’ve experienced but that journey with the Phantom Thieves was one filled with so many countless highs it left me questioning if I should change that rule. It may have taken its sweet time but Persona 5 has finally made its way over to Switch and there’s little denying it was well worth the wait.
What Monolith Soft has achieved with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 went far beyond my expectations. The developer’s masterful approach to character development and world-building results in an unforgettable adventure that is set in a world that is just as remarkable to explore. It is the emotional storytelling that makes it an unmissable journey that’s worth undertaking, elevating the experience to not only be considered as a Game of the Year contender but an all-time classic that will be remembered for decades to come.
Make no mistake; Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a good game. With a great variety in themes, inventive bosses, and some really cool small ideas that break up the main gameplay elements.
What CD Projekt Red and Saber Interactive have done to make the Nintendo Switch version possible is a stunning achievement in its own right.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is just as magical as it ever was, and, in being remade, has lost none of the charm that made the original so special in the first place.
Astral Chain is yet another addition to the Nintendo Switch library that will be fondly remembered for decades to come.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is unrivaled in its scope and execution on Nintendo Switch to resoundingly deliver strategic perfection, whether at home or on the move. With a memorable cast of characters each with their own motivations – complemented with remarkable voice acting – it is the meticulous worldbuilding that elevates it to become one of the best games available on the portable home console. More than that, it's Fire Emblem at its very best.
It’s funny every time I try to finalize this review I remember an exciting feature I’d forgotten to mention and have to go back. That’s the kind of game Super Mario Maker 2 is though. It’s a game that builds on the original in a number of smart ways introducing a wealth of new features, entertaining modes and appreciated improvements.
There’s a need for extra content to fill out what’s currently on offer, as My Friend Pedro could easily benefit from a much-needed encore with a bag full of boomsticks and a few more bullets to the head.
I appreciated the way that the lid finally closed on the Telltale’s The Walking Dead, and the decision to wrap everything up in just four episodes felt, to me at least, the right choice to make. While collective distractions and over-saturated plot lines can seem all too familiar with the franchise as a whole, to finally see the nail hammered into the coffin on a strong note is a far braver achievement made when compared to its peers.
With Yoshi's Crafted World, Good-Feel should be very proud of themselves for what they have achieved with this heartwarming adventure. Not only have they created a Yoshi game that convincingly pulls the series out from under the ever-widening shadow of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, but they have also managed to prop it securely on its own aspirational eye-candy pedestal as a result.
Ultimately, I Am The Hero is fun for an hour or so but it’s impossible to recommend beyond that unless you really miss the halcyon days of the side-scrolling beat ’em up. It may well be that you can push through it if you like to chase scores, but it just lacks that special something that made the classics so good.
The two-game LEGO Harry Potter Collection offers great value for those wanting to relive the young wizard’s brick-based adventures on Nintendo Switch. It’s practically bursting with content, but the improvements offer little more to those that have experienced their magic and charm before.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is one of the best RPGs to grace the Nintendo Switch. It’s a lengthy adventure that will keep players absorbed from start to finish. With new content and new characters, those looking to double-dip will more than get their money’s worth.
DYING: Reborn had the potential to be a decent game. Nevertheless, with its lack of real horror elements, bad translation issues and nowhere near enough good puzzles, all of the things you would want, it is hard to recommend.
In essence, Radiation Island is a zombie-infested survival adventure game on a budget. It is yet another mobile game that has washed ashore on Nintendo Switch and one that fails to ever become a memorable experience on the portable home console. It has clear potential but ends up feeling incomplete, in needing more content to help keep the player both engaged and motivated.
Golf Peaks is a stylish and satisfying puzzler that takes the sport of golf and gives it an interesting twist helping it stand out in an already crowded genre. Sure it’s a little on the short side but it also means Golf Peaks never outstays its welcome. A golfing experience that’s more birdie than double bogie.
NORTH carries an important message that it wants to impart, but whether it manages to successfully convey it to the player is debatable. The cyberpunk atmosphere helps it to stand apart from other games on the Nintendo eShop. But, with the developer having exerted more effort to create unpredictable and trippy scenes, you soon come to the realization that it is reading the letters sent from brother to sister that beat at the heart of the experience. In comparison, everything else feels meaningless.