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Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl — Gold proves to be a fun and entertaining adventure with plenty of care put into the writing and gameplay. I would strongly recommend this title to any RPG fans as it provides something a little different to the usual range of “too serious” RPG stories and has no issue with poking fun at the tropes often seen in other franchises.
Arc of Alchemist could have been a fun tactical RPG. Trouble is, it’s squashed between outdated exploration, a half-formed battle system, and a general lack of polish that altogether makes the game’s flaws impossible to look past. Within the context of the many fantastic JRPGs that are out there, I can’t pretend Arc of Alchemist is worth your time.
This co-op sniper game has a big conundrum at the center of it. Co-op is fun, but not for sniping. Sniping is fun, but not in co-op. If you’re a Sniper Elite fan who wants to continue that series’ playstyle in a zombie shooter, there are some caveats to deal with. Fortunately, there are many different ways to play Zombie Army 4: Dead War, so it’s quite easy to avoid this conundrum altogether.
Skellboy is a game that served as a brilliant throwback to an era of gaming I simply missed. It’s bright, colourful and oozing with an endless amount of charm. Anyone that is a fan of classic Nintendo RPGs like Paper Mario or Super Mario 64 should definitely add this to your Switch library. Get slashing and get adventuring, folks!
Journey to the Savage Planet borrows from a bunch of different titles and genres but combines them in a way that makes a unique and engaging experience. The game is a testament to how a focused vision backed up by a talented team is a winning formula for game design. I found the game captivating, enthralling, exciting and wondrous. It’s a game I won’t soon forget and intend to return back to with a coop partner for another session of otherworldly exploration, humorous shenanigans and punting Pufferbirds across the gorgeous landscape.
The game has some shortcomings as an open world RPG. However when it comes to story, combat mechanics, and battle depictions, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an enjoyable ride from start to finish. And that remains true whether you’re an old-time fan or a complete newcomer to the series.
Coffee Talk is relaxing, caffeine-flavoured take on the visual novel genre. With a fun and appealing cast, and a smooth soundtrack to go with it, Coffee Talk is a hard game to dislike. While you may want to catch up on your coffee knowledge before diving in, if you’re looking for an experience that is a bit less demanding and more on the casual side, Coffee Talk is definitely worth your consideration.
AO Tennis 2 is quite an upgrade and a marked improvement from the previous game, with more features, a surprisingly deep career mode and refined gameplay that feels dynamic and engaging from point to point, especially once you’ve gotten used to the timing and flow. There are still some issues when it comes to the overall polish of the experience and the lack of licensed content overall that hold it back from being a total ace, but with minimal competition in this genre, AO Tennis 2 is an entertaining and fun tennis game that is easily the best of this generation.
In short, Super Crush KO is a powerful and addictive brawler that makes you feel like you’re in a music video. There’s plenty going on for it and the clear influences never end. You’ll love the art style that looks like it’s straight out of a Cartoon Network show, the simple but effective pop soundtrack, or maybe even the surprising and delightful queer story. So why not settle in, have a blast and go pursuing your feline friend?
Orangeblood throws you into an alternative history timeline where you control a party of girls taking on the dirty and corrupt underworld of a Japanese municipality. It’s a game that merges cultures and aesthetics in a uniquely interesting way, but also struggles to find its footing at the same time.
If you go into this title knowing exactly what you are getting and have no issues with a shooter that has a slower approach, then there is plenty to enjoy here.
The Touryst is a secret indie gem that I really hope will gradually make some waves.
I think Shenmue 3 is the best in the series so far, its big and long but not overwhelming or pretentious.
Despite Sparklite being yet another retro-indie title, I still think it is worth checking out.
There’s the potential for a good game here, but there’s no internal logic to the storytelling, controls are exhausting, it’s a bug addled mess, and its reliance on shock value and ham-fisted treatment of delicate topics drive me up the wall.
Bee Simulator’s visually stunning scenes should undoubtedly be appreciated. Whilst more effort could have been made to make the game more dynamic and exciting, I can’t deny the game succeeds in providing an interactive education system that would be a real win for younger audiences.
To see an RTS game with core mechanics still enjoyable more than a decade later is impressive and speaks to the timelessness of the game’s core premise.
Planet Zoo successfully captures the complexity and reality of what it takes to manage a zoo without sacrificing the game’s relaxing atmosphere.
Ellie puts it best, “it looks okay from far off, but once you get close you realise it’s just the same mismatched shit that everyone’s agreed to overpay for”.
Disco Elysium is an enthralling song of inner-struggle, tabletop role-playing, and mystery.