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There's simply no reason to play something so utterly bereft of thought as Narcos.
Overall, when Need for Speed: Heat is producing its promised fantasy, it’s a wonderful game which I’m always happy to keep coming back to.
Shenmue 3's real strength is in the way that it suggests a different way of looking at the very storytelling of videogames.
Ultimately, Planet Zoo is to zoo management games what Planet Coaster is to theme park management games—a spiritual successor to tycoon games of days gone by, with more depth and more freedom for creativity than ever. Some of the more complex elements can take a while to really click, but when they do, Planet Zoo becomes an engrossing experience.
Civilization VI is essential. Not only is it a game that's educational, informative, and inspirational (see my video above for more thoughts around that), but it's also deeply pertinent to today's world and gives players a way of seeing - and grappling - with the topic on their own terms.
There aren't enough rhythm games that make the piano the central instrument, and Deemo is an elegant example of how to take an elegant, classical instrument and spin it into an interesting rhythm game.
There's a lot to like about Fishing Star World Tour. It's a lightweight, highly accessible, and charming little arcade-like take on fishing, and while it's never going to top anyone's list of favourite games, it's the kind of mindlessly relaxing thing that's useful to have on the console for those times where you really do just want to chill.
These are fun little games, but they're hardly classics.
I didn’t think that there would be a Tactical Mind 2. I’m glad there is, because the fundamentals are there that it deserves to be played. On the other hand, there is so much unrealised potential in Tactical Mind.
The series needed that soft reset, and now Game Freak has the same outstanding basis and core to build on anew. Just as it did back when Pokemon Blue & Red so effectively captured my imagination 21 years ago.
Mad Games Tycoon is a noble attempt to do something really cool. As someone who loves tycoon simulators, and loves video games, the dream is very much there to have something more serious and deep to replace Game Dev Tycoon. Unfortunately Mad Games Tycoon also struggles to give you a genuine sense of ownership over what you're doing. A very pedestrian presentation, and a sense that you're being pushed to play in a specific way is very antithetical to how the overwhelming bulk of the real world games industry works.
There wasn't a moment of Romancing SaGa 3 that I did not love.
It’s easy to dismiss Tsum Tsum Festival as being “just” a minigame collection, but there’s value in those – especially on the Nintendo Switch, which is built around the easy sharing of experiences but has, to date, had a relatively minimal application of that potential outside of Nintendo itself.
New Super Lucky’s Tale is a competent game but not one which will excite players.
Initially I was worried that Layton sans the titular professor would be a problem. In the end that wasn't where the issues lay with Layton's Mystery Journey. I'm certainly on board with Katrielle taking over and having the kind of long career that her father did, but Level-5 does need to get some fresh new puzzle-designers in, because with this game they dropped the ball too frequently for a series of this calibre.
Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party! wasn't quite the celebration of digital celebrities that I had hoped it would be going in. What it is is an excellent rendition of one of the better rhythm games out there, and while it might be more straight-faced and less "party" than the title implies, it's still hard to go wrong with this one.
Incredible Mandy is a great example of design by subtraction, focusing on puzzle-solving and atmosphere and eschewing mechanics which do not contribute to the developer’s singular vision. The result is a game which evokes a particularly introspective sensation in the player – if they are able to afford the game their patience and attention despite the lack of combat or narrative tension, then they will be met with rewarding puzzles and a comforting mood.
Like the very best horror, Tokyo Dark takes a look at real-world issues and tensions in a way that's memorably shocking. There's a strong subtext to Tokyo Dark's story, and its told in a nuanced way, with memorable characters and intense imagery. Cherrymochi is a unique developer that has created a unique thing here, and for that the team has certainly earned my attention for whatever it has coming next.
For the first ten hours or so I thought that The Outer Worlds would become a game of the year contender. Unfortunately it ultimately proves itself to be a little too shallow for that, but the combination of stunning vistas, excellent party members, and entertaining gunplay make it much like the 70's and 80's science fiction that it's clearly inspired by: A lot of fun when you're looking to switch the brain off and just unwind.
I walked into The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game fully expecting yet another attempt to "do Hearthstone" on the Nintendo Switch. I walked away thoroughly impressed with how completely the game surprised me.