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Baja: Edge of Control HD is a decent, if uninspiring, racing title. The mechanics hearken back to a time when racing was simpler but the tracks can be boring with those mechanics in play. The modes are sparse, but they function well, and the presentation is decent, although it falls in the lower end of the spectrum for the current console generation. With the lack of competition in this field, Baja HD can look enticing, but don't expect it to compete with the bigger names in the genre.
Surf World Series is a decent game for those who want to surf without learning how to physically do so or go to the beach. Once you come to grips with the trick system, the controls are rather good, and you'll get plenty of fun from riding the waves and pulling off some realistic tricks. For that alone, those looking for aimless fun will enjoy playing this in short bursts. This isn't recommended for anyone who's looking for a title with a long campaign or online competition.
Fire Emblem Warriors is a fun game held back largely by its adherence to the source material, which drags down several gameplay systems. It's still enjoyable, especially if you like Warriors games, but it could've been a lot more. The lack of diversity in the cast hurts it as a collection of fan favorites, and the overt similarities to Hyrule Warriors mean that it's easier to recommend Zelda over Fire Emblem unless you're a die-hard fan of the latter. If you can get past the nagging flaws, it's still one of the most solid Warriors titles on the market and a great Switch exclusive. It's always going to be in the shadow of Nintendo's other popular sword-swinging franchise.
Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash works as a third-person shooter, and the card system adds some variety. It has a variety of single-player modes that could be fun if the enemy AI were any good. However, the lack of an online audience kills much of the potential, and the title can only be recommended to die-hard series fans or those who have friends who have purchased the game and can meet up for online matches.
I love Super Mario Odyssey, but it isn't flawless. The kingdoms are mostly open and varied, and they encourage fun exploration. However, the main story and beginning of the game are a bit of a letdown. The postgame is where experienced players will find the most enjoyment. This is not the best Mario title, but it pushes Mario in a new and refreshing direction, and it may even develop into a Switch evergreen. There are plenty of things that I'd like to see rectified in the inevitable sequel.
It's easy to enjoy playing WWE 2K18. Wrestling games inspire a special creativity that no other sports games can match. While 2K18 feels like it misses the mark and comes in below expectations, it still offers a MyPlayer experience, eight-man matches, online competitiveness, community creations, and more. The graphics and animations are starting to grow stagnant and there aren't too many incremental improvements that can be made until there's a drastic change to the game engine, so I'm hoping that there will be an announcement about that soon.
FIFA 18 is the most gorgeous-looking soccer title to date. This is the second time the Frostbite engine has been used for the FIFA games, so the change may not seem as dramatic, but the development team has been able to achieve what it wanted with the engine. The title features tight and responsive gameplay as well as better visuals. Additionally, the Ultimate Team mode is by far one of the most interesting and encouraging ranking systems I've seen in video games. For those looking to dive head-first into a soccer game, FIFA 18 is your best choice.
Hob is a solid adventure game. If you can live with brief moments of frustration when you're lost and nothing is going on, you'll often be rewarded with a large chunk of the game where the pacing is just right and the balance between combat and puzzle elements is fair. Despite a few issues with stuttering, the presentation is exquisite, and the game comes in at a satisfying length. Adventure fans would do well to give Hob a look.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus delivers on its promises. It's more of the same, but there are more weapons, more tools, and more Nazis to kill. In some ways, it's slightly disappointing in that the mechanics aren't more creative to go with the excesses in the plot, but a safe sequel isn't a bad thing. If you enjoyed The New Order or its spin-off The Old Blood, you'll enjoy Wolfenstein II. It hits all the right marks of the original, and any flaws are minor and don't detract from the all-important task of blowing up Nazis. Sometimes, that's all a game needs to be.
Assassin's Creed: Origins manages to be both experimental and safe. It tries a lot of new things, but it never ventures too far from the Assassin's Creed formula. There's a lot of potential in Origins, and it'll be exciting to see how the new features evolve in future games. Fans of Assassin's Creed should find a lot to like, and it may be time to revisit the battle between the Assassins and the Templars.
The $30 price tag might scare away a few people, but there's no denying that Namco Museum is a bundle of fun. Just about every game is a classic, and while the overall collection could stand to be bigger, the fact that three games are new to the series shows that there's hope for some newer titles in the future, as opposed to the same library of classics. If you're a fan of retro gaming, Namco Museum is an easy purchase to make.
One Piece: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is a great choice for anyone who's a fan of the anime, show or genre. It offers an original story from the creator of the "One Piece" universe, and it features smooth combat, a gorgeous world that has clearly received a lot of development attention, a ton of DLC, and it's wallet-friendly to boot. My only nitpicks have to do with the camera being too close to the character, which interrupted the fluidity of traversing the world, and there were a few slow points in the story due to a lack of clarity in missions. If you're looking for a fun and lighthearted adventure, you can't go wrong with this title.
Tragedy of Prince Rupert is both a surprising and maddening experience.
NBA Live 18 feels like it can be a competitor to the NBA 2K series. The game still needs some work in the presentation department, and while the streamlined modes may be pleasing for players who can feel overwhelmed with options, the available modes can feel pretty bare-bones. The gameplay is solid most of the time, and The One is a pretty good way to do a story mode, even if it doesn't have the writing depth. NBA Live 18 is now a decent alternative, and as long as EA Sports can keep up this momentum, it has a good chance of putting up a tighter fight next year.
It's still a better-than-average game that features a classic series plot and two of my favorite characters. If you go into it with the understanding that this is a port of a handheld game, you should be more than pleased with it.
My complaints, it should be said, are relatively minor. Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a good, surprisingly polished callback of a game that replicates a lot of the feel of classic JRPGs without bringing along most of their flaws for the ride. I have no idea how appealing it is to anyone who didn't spend 40-hour chunks of his childhood on Final Fantasy III, but for me, it's a pleasant combination of modernity and nostalgia. That's a tricky combination to pull off.
Moero Chronicle has moments of being a decent dungeon crawler for those new to the genre. The basic mechanics are done well, and the idea of collecting monster girls as party members makes gameplay more interesting. However, the act of taming the girls is difficult enough that your interest will fade even if the humor is appealing. Until some of the issues get fixed, it's difficult to recommend this title.
All in all, Lichtspeer is a fun indie title with limited story and gameplay elements that create an overall good but somewhat lacking experience. What's here is incredibly well made, but if you're not a fan of difficult arcade-style, high-score shooters, Lichtspeer might not be right for you.
Your enjoyment of Gran Turismo Sport depends on what you're looking for in a racing game. If you're looking for a beefy single-player experience, you'll have to look elsewhere. Outside of Arcade mode, you can learn how to drive well and get in a good challenge while doing so, but GTS pales in comparison to the campaigns of versions past with respect to long-term, single-player engagement. If your focus is on multiplayer, then GTS is just right for you. You'll have to learn how to drive like a professional and not hit things, but the game provides you with all the necessary tools to achieve that.
All in all, South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a solid follow-up to the original game. It doesn't change too much, but the new combat system is an improvement over the original, and it retains the same sense of irreverent humor and love for the franchise as the first game. TFBW is a solid RPG on its own merits, and fans of South Park will find a ton to love here. The only thing that drags it down is feeling a bit too similar to the first game despite the differences, and some of the humor can fall dangerously flat. It's a fun, solid, and well-made licensed title that captured the good and bad of South Park while managing to craft an enjoyable gaming experience. What more can fans ask for?