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NBA Playgrounds is a conflicted game, it tries to cater to two different audiences at once, but in doing so weakens the overall experience and therefore appeals to neither. It did succeed in making me want to play an NBA game; just not this one.
There's something Faustian about it: in striking a deal to carry such a powerful banner, it's gotten attention that games of its class would never get. Ironically, it's that banner that invites the most bitter criticism for a game that certainly could have done a lot worse.
As an experience, Tokyo 42 is worth your attention, but unfortunately, its gameplay and mission design become a hindrance as you progress, losing the spectacle that was notable from the start. It might at times feel reductive due to heavy reliance on other references, but it does manage to construct an identity of its own in spite of this. Tokyo of 2042 provides plenty of distractions, and it’s likely that it is this that will help it stand out amongst its contemporaries.
Dirt 4 has one of the best career modes you'll see in the racing genre, at times closer to the do-whatever-you-want elements of Forza Horizon than the franchised motorsports games it seems outwardly more similar to. If you're a real stickler for speed and technical challenge you'll probably enjoy the 'proper' rally cars more than I did, but the beauty of it is that you can progress your career however the hell you want, which is delightful.
There's a rough-cut, lo-fi patina to Get Even that adorns its good ideas like graffiti. With its edges scuffed and its heart in the right place, it feels like that now endangered species: the AA release. Long live dirty, flawed experimentation. This one’s different.
Oceanhorn is a game built from components so familiar that even Nintendo has tired of them. If the brief was to ‘Make a Zelda’ then Cornfox & Bros have only succeeded on a surface level. The studio evidently has talent – it’s a visual and aural treat – but due to the game’s mobile heritage, Oceanhorn on Switch feels compromised, vague, and ultimately forgettable.
This would have been better as a complete package, with all three chapters sewn together. Considering it’s a plan that Tarsier has had all along – teasing its DLC, as it did, long ago – its merits and additions would be more sating had they been swallowed by The Maw, along with everything else, from day one.
Already there has been no shortage of excellent Switch games, and Death Squared is definitely one of them. It might not be the most inventive of all puzzle based games, but it certainly utilises the strengths of Nintendo’s hybrid system, and is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that is deeply rewarding after having completed a particularly challenging level. There are plenty of games vying for attention this year, but Death Squared on the Switch is worthy of receiving it.
Survival, that most impermanent of genres, seems to have found permanent residency in the last few years, yet in a crowded space, Mojo Bones has made a mark. Impact Winter is dream-like and transfixing; it’s frustrating and brittle; and there is something truly special here you can just make out through the ice. If only it was given time to thaw.
Vostok Inc. is a moreish slice of rampant capitalism, an adventure in both space combat and middle management, sewn together with cute ideas and clicker-style mini games. Once you have that initial bump you'll be hooked, but if you can go cold turkey for even a short time you might struggle to go back, even though it felt amazing. Vostok Inc. is here for a good time, not a long time.
Namco Museum is a well produced package, but it's also a missed opportunity. If you played – and loved – these games as a kid, dive in. However, if you’re an enthusiast of retro games, and games preservation, Namco Museum – at its recommended list price – lacks the supporting content that would make it an essential purchase.”
Sega reminds us that, with Yakuza Kiwami, not only is its heart in the right place, but it hasn’t missed a beat.
Codemasters has tweaked and refined a Formula one driving experience that is, as of writing, unrivalled. Project Cars 2 lurks just round the corner, but it would require an awful lot to overtake this.
Fate/Extella The Umbral Star is a great addition to the Switch, but not a great addition to either genre it tries to emulate.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is the real deal, folks. It separates the wheat from the chaff, takes everything that's great about Uncharted 4 and distils it down to its purest, most brilliant form. Nathan who?
Deck Nine has shown an extraordinary understanding of a delicate formula. For fans, it's a return journey to one of the most vivid, joyous settings in gaming. For them, and for everyone else, it's a brave effort which, at times, surpasses the original.
The Switch eShop is attracting a fair few match up puzzlers of late, but Ironcast should be the first one to be considered. It might be a port, but you would be forgiven for thinking this was designed from the ground up for the Switch.
The core racing model is a fluid rush, and a thrill to control through an intriguing, if undercooked world. It’s to 34BigThings’ credit that they make known where their crosshairs are trained, but the bite is that much harsher when they miss their mark.
Cities: Skylines takes a classic game design template and updates it with minimum fuss and considerable style. It might not be the type of game you'd normally want to take over the family TV, but it's hard to imagine a better console execution.
Pillars of Eternity is an elegant, beautiful, well-written piece of craftsmanship; it's proof that if we really want to, we can go back, but what we see there can't deliver on our fantasy.