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Sometimes opposites attract, and Pode's contrasting characters are a great example of that, combining to overcome the game's environmental puzzles. While it's a little rough around the edges, Pode is a charming puzzle game whether you play it alone or grab a friend to play alongside you.
Mario Tennis Aces looks and performs as well as anything you'd expect from the House of 'Tache, but its family friendly appearance disguises a brutally difficult single player experience that will surely alienate younger players.
There is an incredible core set of mechanics and gameplay at the heart of Cross Tag Battle. It is fun as hell to play, and addictive and rewarding to try and master. Unfortunately, the package that this gameplay ships in is embarrassingly sparse, especially by Arcsys standards. Offline modes and unlockables are kept to a bare minimum, and the big story mode fails to fully embrace the magic of this bizarre crossover. Worst of all is the shallow and incredibly lopsided character roster. Arcsys has made a habit of releasing updated, 2.0 expansions of every fighting game they make, expanding the selection of modes and characters. In the case of Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, this is a game that feels like it desperately needs one.
Of the many roguelites I've played over the last few years, Monster Slayers is perhaps the most successful in offering enough variety and options to prevent the annoyance and frustration that so often accompanies repeated playthroughs.
The MotoGP series has long suffered from a lack of obvious progression from one release to the next. This time, Milestone has at least tried to do things differently and switch game engines, but right now that hasn't paid off. Last year's game was already supposed to be a transitional one, yet here we are with a game that is a regression for a series that was becoming a bit stale.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is everything the first game should have been; it doesn't have to be “so bad it's good,” and it features some good honest fun at its core. A Legend Reborn is definitely one to pick up if you've missed the beat ‘em up genre and are fancying something with a modern twist.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr's final release feels better than it did in Early Access, through a mixture of added polish by Neocore and likely a dose of Stockholm Syndrome on my part. The dark aesthetic and relatively messy combat will likely turn those who aren't fans of Warhammer 40,000 away, but if you do like the universe and have people to play with, then the procedural generation and promise of ongoing support means that this is a game you can sink plenty of time into.
The fact that Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection gives players a thorough insight into Street Fighter II, III and the Alpha series is recommendation enough, but when they're so well presented it makes this more or less essential for fight game fans. Add in the Switch's portability, and on-the-go multiplayer opportunities (if you're both willing to forgive the limitations of the Joy-Con) and this is everything a Street Fighter fan could hope for.
Unravel Two is everything a sequel should be. It stays true to the original but adds co-op which allows you to play and experiment together as you find your path through the beautiful environments. Unravel was already a very enjoyable game, but with co-op feeling as natural in this game as it does, Unravel Two is a delightful playground for fans of puzzle platformers.
Business management games don't come much cooler than Jurassic World Evolution, and as subject matter goes it has done the the franchise proud. The dinosaurs look fantastic, the park building is easy and coherent, and the ensuing chaos when it goes a little bit off the rails can be frantic and enthralling. It's pacing where the game struggles a little, with a few too many sedentary moments stretching your patience, but you're not likely to get any closer to building your own park packed with once extinct animals than this.
Whilst by its nature a niche title, I would happily recommend surrendering yourself to The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker.
My early impressions of Runner3 were that the original purity of gameplay had been sacrificed in the push for more sophisticated visuals and quirkiness. After a few deaths brought about by perspective transitions, I was starting to feel an unwelcome sense of disappointment. Fortunately, once I got used to these new additions and the classic flow of Runner's gameplay loop got its hooks in me, this initial reticence was forgotten. At its best, Runner3 is the epitome of pure twitch gaming and, as such, is a fantastic addition to the series.
Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness Is Not The Bombastic DLC We Were Hoping For
Just Shapes & Beats is the best EDM compilation album you can play, and assuming the music floats your ear-shaped boat, it's an absolute treat. Challenging, engrossing and exhibiting a purity we so often forget, this is a genre mash-up where everybody wins.
Aragami: Nightfall adds a wealth of new missions and stories to Aragami that are worth checking out if you missed the game the first time around, and doubly worth checking out if you never picked it up at all.
There's a little bit of everything in Onrush, from racers to shooters, from destruction derbies to sports games. If you were expecting a sequel to MotorStorm, Onrush won't be for you, but give it a chance and its clever blend of different genres can draw you into its unrelenting vehicular action.
Shape of the World isn't a bad game, it just never quite hits its stride in the way a game like this needs to.
Shio is not a game for the faint of heart. Tremendously challenging, it truly will push you to the limit of your videogame abilities. The stunning level design, clear visuals and wonderfully tight controls all ensure that the game is fair, but that won't be enough to stop player frustration from ultimately setting in. Played in short sittings this is a taught, tight and compelling experience. Just have an extra controller nearby, you'll need it to replace the one you just threw out the window.
Much like its early 20th century setting, Vampyr feels like a bit of a throwback to a past age of action RPGs. In a time where the genre is evolving Vampyr holds on to past ideas for much of its tenure, and it doesn't have a story strong enough to overcome that fact. The world itself is ripe for lots of stories to be told within, with Dontnod having done a good job with world building, but while Vampyr isn't a bad game, nor is it as great as it could be.
The Piano is an ambitious and interesting project that doesn't quite meet its potential.