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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a very different game from what Vanillaware has released in the past, but this is a great showcase of what they are capable of. The narrative is a fantastic piece of science fiction that can easily work as an anime or feature film.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a great remaster that retains all the glory from the original. The updated visuals are great, really elevating the entire experience.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a fine return form for the Lego game series, the massive changes to gameplay are fully welcomed. The level of depth in the overall design and recreation of Star Wars lore is phenomenal. There’s so much content within this game, that the completionist will be busy for a while, let’s just hope there is additional DLC on top of what is coming, that will explore the upcoming series.
.Hack//G.U. Last Recode is a huge walk down memory lane that offers tons of content and replayability. The game does suffer from some repetitive features and a lack of strategic enemies. But overall .Hack//G.U. Last Recode is a great JRPG that feels perfectly suited to the Nintendo Switch.
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 5 has certainly made the game the most accessible in the series allowing newcomers to not feel too overwhelmed. But the game still feels very much like its predecessor with most of the modes only featuring subtle tweaks.
It’s fair to say that there aren’t many emotionally driven games like Crystar on the market, and it excels in creating a heartfelt experience from start to finish. The battle mechanics and gameplay systems have been tailored well to keep in tune with the game's themes. For its relatively short duration, there is an admiral amount of content that will see the completionist looking to finish the memoirs of the dead. However, Crystar can feel really repetitive with its constant reuse of reskinned enemies and level designs which can be frustrating at times.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is another great platforming epic from Nintendo that will constantly challenge the player. There’s a good balance between combat and platforming that keeps the game fresh and compelling throughout. There are tons of secrets and replay value that will keep players coming back for a long time.
The atmosphere and world-building in Ghostwire: Tokyo are easily the strongest elements of the game. It's unique and weird showing fantastic creativity as well as highlighting some of japans most interesting folklore and culture while paying homage to the city itself. The game looks stunning with its wet, neon-lit streets rendered in superb detail and just buzzing with atmosphere. The Visitors are creepy and fun and while I wish there was a few more in the mix, the ones here are awesome.
Aside from the new additions to gameplay, I feel the title still played it too safe as there wasn’t too much to separate its overall experience from past titles. The familiarity and reuse of certain gaming mechanics may be fully welcomed by fans who have waited so long but I feel more is needed to differentiate the overall experience.
Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox Series X and PS5 isn't so much expanded but it's certainly enhanced. The common criticism here is that it looks the same, and there’s a small nugget of truth to that, the updated visuals aren't mindblowing, but they do add up to make a difference. While those graphical changes aren’t as dramatic as the difference between GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, the drastically reduced loading times, higher framerates and improved audio on the current hardware does make the game much more enjoyable.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a grand return for a fighter that has aged really well. Atlus has done a fantastic job at porting this game over even with the omission of the rollback netcode. The level of complexity within the combat and endless amount of content will ensure that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax's second spot in the limelight will last until the next Persona fighter is hopefully released.
In the midst of all the amazing fighters one the market Phantom Breaker: Omnia could be this year's hidden gem as its unique approach to creating an original experience is just fantastic.
Dawn of the Monsters is the Kaiju beat 'em up we’ve been waiting for with the developers doing a grand job to create a unique experience whilst celebrating the genre. I would love to see some new characters and levels in the form of DLC or even some online PVP worked in there to ensure its longevity.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is basically the best of both worlds with the combination of Square Enix’s RPG elements merging with Team Ninja’s fighting mechanics to create a whole new experience for the series. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is still very much a Final Fantasy game, but it's great to see Square Enix take a risk with this title which has been fantastically executed.
WWE 2K22 is a return to former glory with developers Visual Concepts really paying attention to what didn’t work in 2K20.
Young Souls is a breath of fresh air for the genre, the developers have done a fantastic job at merging so many different elements into one. Jenn and Tristan are some of the most memorable characters to ever grace the genre. Although playing on the Nintendo Switch I did experience some slow loading times and a bit of dropped frames during those frantic moments, but this wasn’t enough to sully a stellar title that is sure to be a new classic.
Aztech Forgotten Gods packs a lot in its relatively short playtime, with the boss battles and engaging story being the biggest highlights. The game just could’ve done with a few more extra features to boost its longevity and warrant a second playthrough.
Babylon's Fall is a mixed bag with combat mechanics and customisation standing at the forefront of the positives. But the majority of the game just doesn't flow as well as it could’ve with dated graphics, shockingly repetitive gaming loop and expensive microtransactions, Babylon's Fall is a bit of a letdown.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a delightfully innocent game that looks to bring in newcomers to the JRPG genre with its simplistic controls. However, I feel veterans of the genre will simply find this game way too easy with its linear and basic approach. There just isn’t enough depth within its core gameplay and becomes repetitive real quick.
Triangle Strategy is one of the most compelling titles on the Switch if you can immerse yourself in the world and its characters then you’ll find it a rewarding experience. The game juggles several complicated systems that are awesome once you get the hang of them. Each unit feels distinctive in their design, character and playstyle and I cared for them all which is a hell of an achievement in a game with a fairly large cast.