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Repetition aside, Capcom Fighting Collection acts as a great companion piece to the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, bringing out all of the other non-licensed fighting games the company has done over the years to a variety of platforms. The overall selection is solid with a bevy of presentation options, while the extras feel comprehensive if you aren't looking for movies or the histories behind the games. The online play performs well thus far, so fans of 2D fighting games will be happy.
Weird West is a game that players can grow to love, provided you can forgive some of its issues and design decisions. The idea of going through five different protagonists with somewhat connected stories is fascinating, but the resetting of items and skills when changing characters doesn't contribute to the desire to explore. The lands don't vary much given the setting, but the changes based on your actions are fun to see. The combat is fine, but the enemy behavior can sometimes be laughable, while the presentation teeters between amazing and average. It's worth checking out if you're prepared to invest some time waiting for its magic to hit.
Breakout: Recharged features a standard brick-breaking concept that still resonates today, and the addition of power-ups is a nice touch. However, those changes only bring it on par with what others did in the space decades ago, and when compared to a few of the other brick-breaking games on the Switch alone, this feels rather bare-bones. You can give it a shot if the name Breakout strikes a chord, but don't be surprised if it doesn't draw you in like the other modern brick-breaking games.
Lost Recipes isn't a very long game, but it has undeniable charm throughout its runtime. Clearly geared more toward VR novices, it provides good-looking interactive environments and some interesting recipes to cook, but it doesn't offer a lot of content or challenge to be captivating beyond the first playthrough.
Windjammers 2 is an addictive 1v1 arcade game that is perfect for esports or your own little rivalries. The tight gameplay and controls expand on the original, and if you find an opponent close to your own level, you'll experience a ton of great matches. There isn't much that you can do outside of some bot matches and local play. Online features are available, but during our testing period, it was almost impossible to find an opponent, much less one who wouldn't immediately obliterate us. That doesn't make Windjammers 2 less good, but it does limit how much of that goodness you can experience. If you have a few capable friends or want to try it on another console, Windjammers 2 is the perfect 1v1 game to play and obsess over in a friendly rivalry.
Powerslave Exhumed is another solid conversion by Nightdive Studios that's improved by some smart changes. The merging of elements from all three versions of the game creates an experience that feels both familiar yet new, while focusing on the console version's exploration aspects makes for a more interesting game. The shooting remains solid despite the slow rollout of different enemy types, and the platforming is also good for a first-person shooter, despite your swift movement speed. Fans of the original will be thrilled to go through this version, but newcomers who love retro games will enjoy this more since they get to experience an early exploration-based, first-person shooter.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is an interesting "what if?" direction for the franchise. It genuinely feels like an alternate universe take on Three Houses with action combat, rather than feeling like a mere license. The core gameplay is a lot of fun but becomes one-note as you get more powerful, but it's not enough to sour the experience. Overall, it's a good Warriors game and a big improvement over the first Fire Emblem Warriors.
There's a lot of potential in Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel, and it has some moments of excellence. Unfortunately, the lackluster visuals, weirdly unfriendly UI, and general awkwardness drag it down. It's a fine game to play if you want to scratch the survival-horror itch and you've already gone through a lot of other titles, but it doesn't do enough to distinguish itself. I'd be deeply interested to see a more polished and refined sequel because the potential doesn't shine through as well as it should.
It is difficult to recommend MX vs ATV Legends under any circumstances. The opening moments are punishingly slow to get through, and the whole process of going through the events lacks any polish. The races all suffer from a myriad of issues - including bad track design, wonky physics, constant stuttering, and a fiddly handling system against braindead AI. With the ability to power up all three of your vehicles after only three races, the drive to progress is barely there. This is a case where there are plenty of other motocross racing games that are worth your time, unless you're willing to wait a year or two to see if the team can throw enough patches to make this somewhat decent.
These faults weren't enough to deter me from sinking over 10 hours into Forgive Me Father. There's a lot to love about the game, especially if you turn down certain elements in the audio options. Classic shooters live or die on a handful of core elements, and for the most part, Forgive Me Father meets those needs: a strong shotgun that decimates enemies, fast-paced action that constantly has you adjusting tactics, and hidden secret areas scattered across the levels. Some of this falls to the wayside when you're craving the next ammo drop that the game refuses to provide you, but it's an otherwise enjoyable shooter that's dripping with character. It provides plenty of joy with a dose of Cthulhu madness on the side.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a bare-bones experience that facilitates tense competition but leaves behind casual players. The limited selection of game modes, stadiums and characters further limits its potential, leaving the title with good gameplay but almost no interesting ways to engage with it. The hope is that Nintendo has more to add via DLC, but what, when and how is still a mystery. As with previous Nintendo sports titles, you're better off waiting for the additional content to make a more informed purchase decision. In its current state, Battle League is fun and great to play, but it's hardly worth the full price tag.
Sonic Origins isn't a comprehensive collection of Sonic games, as some of the 16-bit entries are missing. It also isn't the definitive version of these games, especially since the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems to be the sticking point for re-releases. What you have are four games that add a good deal of quality-of-life changes without changing anything else that made the Sonic games classics in the first place. If you can get over the initial asking price and confusion over the versions and are a fan of the older Sonic games, this one is worth a spin.
Overall, Gordian Quest is fun deck-builder that's similar to a Griftlands-style campaign that's absolutely packed with content. It goes all-in on the RPG elements, which is both its greatest strength and biggest flaw. It's not as addictive as some of the strongest games in the genre, but it's still fun to play. I wish the developers had trimmed off some of the fat, but since they didn't, it means that you're getting a game with tons of content for a very reasonable price.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is exactly the game it promised to be: a heartfelt, funny, clever and incredibly fun tribute to a classic beat-'em-up and the cartoon on which it was based. The old-fashioned version of the Turtles might seem a bit odd to kids who are used to the more modern versions, but even they should have a ton of fun beating the heck out of the Foot Clan with their favorite of the timeless terrapins. If you feel nostalgia for Turtles in Time, then Shredder's Revenge is made for you, and I'm darn glad it is.
Zorro: The Chronicles is a below-average game made worse by a litany of bugs. From an unruly camera to the ease with which you can get stuck in the environment, it tests the player's willingness to stick with it. If you are lucky enough to make it through a play session without any of these issues, you'll find an unrefined combat system that's accompanied by a childish approach that aims younger than the ESRB rating. It has the bones to be a kid-friendly version of the Batman: Arkham series, but the execution is more than lacking, and you'll be hard-pressed to give this a shot unless you know someone who just discovered the series or can find this title on sale.
Neon White is an absolute delight of a speed-running game. It's easy to pick up and play, and it has enough bite that you need to master how to shave off a few seconds from your time to proceed. More importantly, it feels really good to do so. The plot is fun, if not groundbreaking, and the likeable characters keep you invested. Aside from some backtracking that I wasn't fond of, Neon White hits all the marks and hits them well. Just be prepared to start playing and discover that eight hours have flown by.
Metal Max Xeno Reborn feels like a wasted effort. There is a lot of potential that Reborn brings to the surface, but ultimately, it's not the game that it needs to be. If you're a Metal Max fan hoping for an improvement over Xeno classic, then you'll technically get what you're looking for, but it's still not as good as earlier games in the franchise. If the idea really appeals to you, then you'll get some fun out of it, but otherwise, it's just tough to justify a purchase.
Green Hell VR on Quest 2 is an audio-visual showcase that sets a high bar for future Quest 2 titles and ports. It does so by making smart adjustments to the original game without compromising its core experience and gameplay. The streamlining of open spaces makes the experience easier, especially for those familiar with the title, but the gameplay is immersive yet unforgiving. It's not entirely smooth sailing, with some annoying bugs and frame rate stutters and some inherently frustrating gameplay moments that can take some wind out of its sails. As far as survival games on the Quest 2 go, Green Hell VR is the most immersive of all, and it's a great pick for survival fans who want to experience some rainforest survival training in virtual reality.
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a fairly weak port of a flawed classic. The core characters and writing are still among the best in the entire franchise, but the gameplay is rapidly showing its age, and many of the flaws from the original release are still present. Fans of the franchise who may have skipped this particular entry should absolutely give it a shot, but for longtime fans, the Restored Content DLC is going to be the real game-changer.
The Quarry isn't quite what I had hoped it would be, but it's in the ballpark. Performance, animation, and dialog are usually perfectly executed, but some elements don't meet this high bar, and as a result, the experience can feel slightly disjointed. I didn't like the execution of some of the main baddies, both in a story context and on a technical level, and the story was sometimes too straightforward. Choices have interesting impacts, but the overall story beats remain largely the same - with the exception that a few protagonists are missing. What remains is a largely entertaining choice-based horror narrative that doesn't stray too far from Supermassive's tried-and-true formula.