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Winter Ember presents players with an engaging story and plenty of interesting levels to explore. While its combat can feel repetitive and the voice acting could be polished a lot further, overall the game offers some fun stealth mechanics that will be entertaining to fans of titles like Weird West, Desperados III, and Sherlock Holmes.
As much fun as Nintendo Switch Sports games are, it’s hard not to feel as if Nintendo didn’t exactly push the boat out on the game. 6 games might have been enough for a new game in 2006, but not these days, and not for a full-priced game. That and the lack of extra modes and options make it feel like it’s a half-game, something that should have been bundled in with Nintendo Switch Online instead of sold at full price. It’s still a fun distraction, perfect for engaging the non-gamers in your family… as long as you’ve spent enough hours unlocking some accessories first.
Rogue Legacy 2 learns from its lineage and presents a superb sequel with a huge amount of depth of content. With so much replayability and meaningful progression, the game will have players hooked on its delightful gameplay loop for hours upon hours. Built with both style and substance, Rogue Legacy 2 is a tremendous success for fans of the original and the genre. It may not be a game for everyone, but for those willing to take up the challenge, a truly splendid journey awaits.
The House of the Dead: Remake could have been such an easy recommendation if it controlled properly. It hits all the right notes EXCEPT for the most important ones, and I seriously cannot wrap my head around how it got released in its current state beyond a deadline that absolutely should have been pushed back. Either way, I think the Switch got the short end of the stick here… with FPS lag and bad controls to boot. At this point, you’re better off waiting for a version on another platform or at the very least waiting for a patch for this one, because this is one game that should’ve stayed dead a while longer.
The Serpent Rogue is a game that has a lot going on, which unfortunately has led to most of the game’s features feeling rushed and not fully executed. Keeping it simple would have been a good mantra for The Serpent Rogue to live by, but it instead tries to implement too many things with not enough finesse. The game certainly has interesting researching and crafting elements, with some other unique ideas too. However, it falls short with clunky mechanics and a lack of polish.
Chinatown Detective Agency’s main draw, the real-world investigation, is a great idea that worked very well for the most part. It will be interesting to see if it can survive the internet’s aggressive SEO algorithm, but I still think it’ll be a fun time for any mystery game fan. Unfortunately, multiple bugs and glitches that should have been caught before launch ruined a lot of my experience, along with a truly annoying inability to save mid-mission. The good news is, the developers have already been very active in fixing many issues with the game, so the grievances I have with the game may very well be temporary.
Trolley Problem, Inc is a decent exploration of morality and philosophy, culminating in a provocative experience that will likely linger beyond its rather short playtime. It’s cleverly presented, even if it can verge on the side of overly simple. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t maintain the same level of intrigue generated by its opening questions, failing to include real-world politics in a satisfying way. It stumbles one too many times, with moments of brilliance being met in equal measure by disappointing shortcomings.
Even if you don’t normally enjoy point-and-click adventures, Norco is a must-play for anyone interested in story-driven games. It’s one of the best-narrated tales since Dysco Elysium, rich with the real-life history of the town of Norco with some imaginative fiction mixed in. It’s dark, funny, and scary in all the right places, and even if the ending doesn’t wrap up all the mysteries it opens, it’s still sure to leave its mark on you.
Cat Café Manager entices you in with hopes of cute kitties and a bustling management sim but sorely underachieves. There are a lot of awesome and inventive ideas, however the execution leaves a lot to be desired. I found myself enjoying the game with its chilled vibes and laid-back style, but also felt frustrated at all the missed potential. Whilst the representation of diverse characters gives the game several bonus points, unfortunately there are a lot of features missing to help make Cat Café Manager a timeless simulator classic.
A renewal of the monster-collection genre, Coromon takes the well-loved gameplay formulas of its genre predecessors and polishes them for the modern era. By providing unique twists on traditional turn-based combat, a delightful presentation, and a slew of quality-of-life enhancements, Coromon delivers a nostalgic adventure filled with wonder. While it may occasionally stick a little too faithfully to its RPG roots for the less patient creature-collectors, there’s a whole heap of juicy monster content here for any budding trainer looking for a refreshing take on a classic style of game.
As a puzzle game, Kombinera understands the assignment with ease. Conceptually, it feels familiar, easy to pick up, and perfect for handheld play, but it holds its own on a console as well. Where it falters is in its desperation to be something it isn’t. The game’s story is over the top and if anything takes away from the soul of the game. Similarly, the repetitive music can make the game feel underdone, which is a weird statement considering how polished the puzzles are.
I had a lot of fun playing Chrono Cross again; the unique spin on turn-based combat, colourful locales, and dimension-hopping narrative was a joy to re-experience all these years later. However, through a critical eye, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition leaves a lot to be desired. Glaring issues with performance, improvements, and graphical inconsistencies take away from the truly great source material. This lack of care and attention to detail flies in the face of some of Square Enix’s other remaster works, and is a disappointing black-eye on what could have been a truly great remaster package of a still phenomenal classic JRPG.
FixFox is a delightful title that manages to be a comfortable experience despite the at-times heavy themes. The self-fulfilling loop of repairing machines is the highlight, and it’s what you’ll be doing most, outside simple puzzles. Occasional unclear objectives, however, drag the experience down during specific moments. But once you get past FixFox’s quirks, it confidently takes you through a gentle, emotional ride.
While Shredders is definitely a great homage to snowboarding, it feels restrained and I can’t decide if it’s the budget, the developers, or the lack of length in missions that are what’s holding it back from entering into truly great territory. The incredibly beautiful snowfields help this world come to life. And while the characters can look a little generic, the voice work from professional snowboarders does help make up for this (sometimes). The developers at FoamPunch have delivered an open world with intuitive controls and a killer soundtrack that will make you want to keep coming back. Shredders is undoubtedly a solid snowboarding simulation. Hopefully the next attempt can clean up the pain points to deliver the whole package.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is what all of the LEGO games have been building towards, if you’ll pardon the expression. With its huge open world with side quests, puzzles and secrets galore, it’s a great adventure game for players of all ages. If you’re a Star Wars fan, then the nostalgia trip and mountains of obscure characters and references they manage to sneak in here is a real treat. While the unimaginative script and missing character creator does hold it back somewhat compared to previous entries, from a gameplay and content standpoint, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most ambitious LEGO game yet, and a must-have for Star Wars or LEGO fans out there in the galaxy.
Overall, Weird West dishes up an alluring world that you can explore to your heart’s content. Its story structure and procedurally generated travel encounters will keep players on their toes and ensure that no two playthroughs are the same. Even though there are a few glitches and the game’s camera can feel a little clunky at times, the visual style and depth of Weird West’s world more than make up for it. If you have a soft spot for comic books, interesting stories, and dynamic characters, Weird West will be a great addition to your library.
Rune Factory 5 is more of the familiar, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It makes enough small improvements that it does feel newer, but if you are looking for something leaps and bounds different from the last game, you will be disappointed. The game has a lot of charm and love put into it, but the abysmal frame rate does make it hard to recommend, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it. With some future patches addressing the game’s framerate issues and input delay, Rune Factory 5 could easily turn into a wonderful game.
FAR: Changing Tides is a stunning atmospheric adventure that makes you feel the ups and downs of sailing through a world that has been destroyed by unknown reasons. It excels at making you feel a connection to your vessel as it develops into something bigger, faster, and stronger throughout your time with it. However, opportunities for a deeper narrative and more rewarding exploration weren’t taken, so this intriguing world never felt fully realised. The tranquil atmosphere and art of FAR: Changing Tides is superb, it’s just a shame the somewhat repetitive gameplay loop wasn’t able to match those same standards.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is easily the best expansion since The Taken King. Savathûn and her story are engaging and thrilling to play, each mission putting the always stunning art and design on display. With glaive in hand, new mighty Void powers, and weapon crafting at your arsenal, Guardians will have a terrific time annihilating hordes of Hive in the campaign and raids. Unfortunately, it’s not a newbie-friendly expansion. The complicated narrative and deep history which is partly unplayable due to removed content, as well as awful UI, make it challenging for even previous players to jump back into the journey. If you’ve been playing Destiny 2 and still are, you need to play The Witch Queen.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands surprises and delights with its evolved gameplay and stunning world. There’s a confidence and charisma here that goes beyond what came before it, with spells and class abilities weaving themselves effortlessly between the cathartic gunplay. A cast of likable main characters and a storytelling technique that’s unique and smart both go a long way in creating a world that’s just fun to be a part of. Minor glitches and a rather unfortunate online matchmaking system do hurt the title, but the successes here far outweigh any inconveniences. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands stands out as a great title, even amongst the many we’ve seen already this year.