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Undoubtedly the best way to play Resident Evil 4 on Switch 2 is via this Gold Edition with all the trimmings. However despite the handheld system, it still begs to be on the big screen running from the dock, and the gamepad makes for easier long gaming sessions.
Ratatan brings back the wonder and magic of Patapon, but doesn't live up to it in any meaningful way. The visuals are superb, and the songs are catchy and fun, but don't go in thinking there is the same amount of fun to be had like in the PSP classic.
Silver Pines fuses the familiar elements of Metroidvanias and repurposes gameplay systems from survival horrors to innovate in well trodden territory. There's some teething problems with its formula like its less-than-great narrative pace, and some systems not working in conjunction with the rest of its stellar gameplay. However, these are small critiques of what is otherwise an atmospheric, engaging and truly great game.
EA Sports FC 27 shoots for the top corner, only to see its shot come flying back. The Grounds is a messy and uninteresting hodgepodge of modes alongside poor performances from its famous faces. The football feels like a considerable step back on last year's improvements too. However, the production qualities continue to be stellar, and the career mode has seen some noticeable improvements, not to mention its alongside a wealth of modes on offer. But when the football is only decent, how much of it will you really want to play?
Keep Driving is the quintessential road trip game. Whether that's because of its resource managing emphasis, to keep your car in good nick, or the views you'll take in on the road, you'll ultimately feel the stress and bliss of road life all in one. Only mired by its control scheme for consoles and overbearing onboarding; Keep Driving has an infectious gameplay loop, incredible style that'll see you through to its destination, and make you fall in love with the journey.
A strong run-based design philosophy, combined with fantastic arcade racing and a stunning depiction of the Star Wars universe gets Star Wars: Galactic Racer off to a flying jumpstart. Its parts come slightly loose thanks to some repetition in maps, difficulty spike boss races and the odd demoralising run. However, this speeder has been assembled with craft and care, which shines through as it fires its engines to a great victory.
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered brings the 25 year old classic hack-and-slash title back to life. Fresh lighting and overhauled visuals sparkle, while modern combat elements elevate the slicing and dicing nicely. While there's plenty to cut your teeth on here, the old frustrations with stun-locking enemies, less interesting mission designs and getting crossbow mobbed irk sooner than they should. At least the dialogue is absolutely hilarious and the series' charm remains fully intact.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a triumph of sheer, thrilling joy. Dogfighting amongst the clouds is an exhilarating ride, one matched by the strength of its mechanics and brilliant presentation. While its story is a mixed success, the overall design of this aircraft is almost unparalleled, with a superbly crafted campaign and fully fledged online offering, it will keep you coming back for ever more takeoffs and engagements.
Well Dweller is Kyle Thompson's best game yet. Consistently seeing his Metroidvanias evolve through gameplay and level design, Well Dweller feels like a culmination of every other Thompson game thus far and is a thoroughly enjoyable time for it. Whilst the story this time around is left to be desired, this distinct take on puzzle platforming meets Metroidvania make for a fantastic game.
Whilst nowhere near as good as its two fantastic predecessors, Infinite Rush nevertheless offers a variety of fun, vibrant and expansive playgrounds to explore. The magic seems to be a little lost when you're not just playing Hot Wheels on your bedroom floor, though.
A wildly successful fully cooperative experience, Orbitals is an absolute essential purchase for Switch 2. It is demanding for non-gamers, but also highly rewarding, dishing out challenge, fun, and laughs both scripted and emergent. Definitely the most perfect recreation of an 80s anime gaming has ever achieved.
A perfect return to the once-forgotten series, Onimusha: Way of the Sword blends old school nostalgia with modern sensibilities. Action-adventure fans will get comfortable quickly enough, whilst the returning fans will hit the ground running. It looks beautiful, and whilst the English dubbing might be off-putting to some, it's all part of that classic Capcom charm.
A stellar opening bite from Rebel Wolves, The Blood of Dawnwalker demonstrates it can claw and battle with the toughest of the vrakhir. While it's not quite at the level of the very best in the genre, it delivers a superb open world adventure, filled with intrigue and compelling combat. Give it enough time to feed and this Dawnwalker could grow into a titan, and I can't wait to see what blood feast will come next.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault manages to loot everything that was great about the original and bring it into glorious cozy 3D in a huge backpack, ready to sell to the masses. The loot-and-sell loop is as addictive as ever, and anyone coming in fresh at this 1.0 release is getting a deal that will put a smile on their face. However if you were on board in Early Access, 1.0 doesn't add a whole lot to the plinth for consideration.
This may not reach the same ambition as previous Messhof games, but Blood Dungeon stands out in the bustling genre of bullet heavens. Whether it's the crude lo-fi approach or the emphasis on movement, Blood Dungeon, whilst light in offering, is heavy on finesse.
The next step in a clear path from Innocence, through Requiem, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy confidently switches to a full on action-adventure in the vein of Uncharted. A good combat system, simple story-serving design choices and a great story, make this a joy and to play, even as the dread mounts and you descend into the heart of darkness towards scenes every bit and terrifying and memorable as that tsunami of rats.
If you want a traditional game of Monopoly with Star Wars trappings, then this isn't the game you're looking for. If however you want to play something quite new for virtual board games that uses Monopoly as its basis, introduces a dozen new rules that transform the game and covers it in Star Wars regalia, the force is strong with this one.
With an exceptional level of detail in its gameplay design and social implementation, Big Walk is one of the best co-op experiences to date. There's a decent amount of making your own fun that Big Walk helps provide, but it may be totally void to some players, if they're not willing to embrace its hands-off approach and charm.
Starsand Island fails to offer anything new in an already overstuffed genre, and is poorly optimised for consoles. Nothing to see here.
Dispelling the open world and detective heavy gameplay of the first, The Sinking City 2 sinks its roots into the survival horror genre with great success. It's more imitation than original in concept, which may disappoint fans of the original. However, it leads to a tighter, leaner and far more engaging sequel. Frogwares sought solace in an alternative Deep One, and have been bestowed with a more memorable journey as a result.