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The Outer Worlds is an RPG delight. Obsidian have honed what they’re great at and delivered a game with a gripping story, interesting universe and well developed characters. Even after completing the game, I still want to spend more time in The Outer Worlds and am hoping for further DLC or even a sequel in the future.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is the perfect game to get you excited for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. It’s fun challenges and iconic cast of characters make it approachable for the whole family and it’s certainly fun when played in groups. Although it does have some story pacing issues and design choices I wasn’t a fan of, it’s a solid sports game that looks and runs great on the Nintendo Switch.
This MediEvil remake is an incredibly faithful recreation of the original game many fell in love with in 1998. Fans of the original are going to get a massive nostalgic hit and will love travelling through Gallowmere again. If you haven’t played MediEvil before and really want to, this is the version to get in this day and age. The game’s presentation looks better than ever and much of the sound has been completely recreated. Just be prepared to deal with some issues we haven’t had to deal with in recent gaming generations, as this game certainly plays like a product of its time.
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World is a great, time-bending visual novel and after playing through it, I can see why it was such a hit in Japan over 20 years ago. It’s characters are well explored, fun and witty and I’m always a sucker for a good time travel story. While it does have some pacing issues with it’s story delivery I still very much enjoyed the tale it told and loved how the A.D.M.S system allowed you to fully explore what the story had to offer and cleverly manage inventory.
I had a great time with Concrete Genie, while it’s scale and length isn’t as large as other Sony titles, it offers a well paced story, enjoyable characters and ways to flex your creative side even if you have no real-world artistic skill. Those with PSVR headsets will also enjoy it’s first person painting modes that offer a place to peacefully create art. It has a few issues that can likely be fixed up in future patches but for the most part Concrete Genie is a really enjoyable ride and has me hoping to see more titles of this size and scale from Sony in the future.
If you’re looking for a JRPG to get stuck into and haven’t yet jumped into Dragon Quest XI, there’s no better time. The additions made to the Nintendo Switch version, along with the ability to take this lengthy game on the go truly do make it the definitive way to experience the game.
I know people have been a little concerned with some of Kotaro Uchikoshi’s writing projects outside of the Zero Escape not living up to their expectations. But I can say without a doubt that Uchikoshi is back in top form here in AI: The Somnium Files. It’s a fantastic murder mystery title that will have you addicted from start to finish, and then diving back in to play the other routes. It certainly has me excited to see what he’s got in store for us in the upcoming Death March Club and the other future titles he’s involved in at Too Kyo games.
The original Ni No Kuni was one of my favourite JRPG titles of all time. So I was so glad to see it available again on modern systems looking better than ever. If you enjoy engaging, character driven JRPG’s or the worlds created by Studio Ghibli you’re going to love this.
Borderlands 3 is a love letter to fans of the Borderlands franchise. They were very loud for a long time about wanting more, and Gearbox have given them just that, serving up another enjoyable game that will have players adventuring through it’s world, or worlds now for years to come and running into old characters from prior games.
If you’re a fan or either LEGO games or the Jurassic Park franchise you’re going to have a really fun time with LEGO Jurassic World. The game captures the feeling of the Jurassic Park films and by including the storylines of 4 films, it offers a lot of gameplay value in one package. The game runs really well on the Nintendo Switch in both docked and handheld modes so you’ll have the option of chasing down raptors while on the go if you choose. With the amount of collectibles to find and over 120 characters to unlock and play as, LEGO Jurassic World will certainly keep you entertained for a long time.
While the game is lacking in the storytelling department, it’s gameplay and customisation options make Daemon X Machina fun to play. With the deep mech customiser, you’re able to constantly tweak and upgrade your Arsenal so that it looks and performs exactly how you want it to and so that it matches your playstyle. If you’re not sure if the game is for you, you can try before you buy as the Nintendo Switch eShop features a playable demo that allows you to try out the first mission of the game for free.
Although it was overlooked by many at the time, and unfortunately looked down on as ‘the game that came after Final Fantasy 7’, Final Fantasy 8 offers a mature and gripping story filled with characters you’ll grow to love. Now that it’s available on all current platforms and looking better than ever, there’s never been a better time to jump in and give it a shot if you’ve ever been interested in playing it.
Erica takes us back to an era where FMV was a thing but uses it to provide an engaging and captivating experience, not just to deal with hardware limitations. It’s asking price of $13 AUD is very reasonable considering it can be played multiple times, presenting very different outcomes each playthrough all for less than the cost of a single movie ticket. It’s a game I’m sure I’ll be diving back into but mostly I’m looking forward to seeing what Flavourworks can do with the Touch Video tech next.
Catherine Full Body really has gone from a love triangle to a love square. The introduction of Rin into the story hasn’t just been bolted on as an additional chapter, it’s been integrated into the whole Catherine experience. And by implementing new difficulty options, the game is now accessible for all types of players and combats the difficulty spikes of the original game. Saying that, there are still themes in the game that not everyone will be able to agree with and it is most certainly a mature game that deals with mature situations.
Man of Medan is a great first entry in what looks to be a very engaging and spooky anthology series. I loved it’s spooky setting, it’s environmental storytelling and the vastly different ways it’s story could play out. Whether you choose to play it alone or with others, you’re in for a really fun and tight horror experience. I’m really looking forward to what’s to come in The Dark Pictures anthology.
PlatinumGames have shown yet again why they are masters of the action-adventure genre. Astral Chain delivers a fun and engaging story that is enhanced with fast paced combat with a unique tethering mechanic. It’s a game that’s right at home on the Nintendo Switch. If you’re a fan of PlatinumGame’s previous offerings or like games with anime art directions and tropes you’re going to have a lot of fun with Astral Chain.
Although it’s certainly weird and has a story that leaves you in the dark, slowly piecing together what on Earth is going on, when it all comes together, Control offers a really satisfying and enjoyable game. It’s world and characters are complex and like the game’s story, hide some very interesting things below the surface. If you’re a fan of mystery stories, or ever dreamed of being part of the X-Men you’re going to really enjoy what Remedy have done with Control.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist was already one of the highest regarded games when it came to current Yu-Gi-Oh! titles, but now with the game making it’s way to the Nintendo Switch with the Link Evolution version it’s hard to argue that this isn’t the definitive version of the game. It’s packed full of value, including all of the previous add-ons, 5 full campaigns, over 9000 cards and it’s all playable on the go. I think Yu-Gi-Oh! fans are going to get a real kick out of the game, but it’s also extremely friendly to newcomers that may have never tried Yu-Gi-Oh! before.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game I’m going to be coming back to and playing for a long time to come. It nails it’s characters and their sense of growth, has some really fun and strategic combat and gives you the freedom to control how things play out. It’s a long game, but it’s a great one. And if you too want to see all three story paths, it’s going to keep you entertained for a long time to come too.
While I can appreciate that Machine Games may have wanted to push the envelope and try something new with a series they’ve been hard at work on for years, I think they may have pushed the boat a little too far all at once. This is a very different Wolfenstein experience, and while it’s not bad, it’s certainly not what I’d expected from them based on the history of the series and the pre-release previews of the game. I’m still very much interested in seeing where they take the Wolfenstein franchise from here though.