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Agent 64: Spies Never Die is an impressive retro shooter with plenty of modern touches across the visuals, music, level design, and gameplay. It'll be a great time for anyone who grew up playing late 90's shooters.
Overall, I'm happy with the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 upgrade on the Switch 2. It's got the technical updates that were sorely needed, it has some new content, and the added Merc Assault mode lets you use your Blades directly. It still has some features that are at times grating, and the anime tropes are cringe-inducing, but the gameplay is solid.
Lies of P: Complete Edition brings the best Soulslike to the Switch 2. While it's a mostly coherent port, there are technical snags that drag the experience down. A possible day-one patch could iron out these issues, but if you're curious about Round8's debut title, the port is enjoyable as long as you stick to performance mode in the interim.
Beast of Reincarnation shows Game Freak’s potential at being something other than the people behind Pokémon. However, some bad habits it’s carried over are on display here, with uneven storytelling and nonsensical character arcs. However, combat and the bond between Emma and Koo help this game mostly realize its potential.
The Mermaid Mask is a smart and thoughtful game where you’ll use your deduction skills to uncover the mystery behind the death of Captain Mortuga. In that journey, you’ll experience various twists and hard truths that come together to tell a smart story well worth the price of admission, and it’s bolstered by a wonderful cast that is having a blast playing these characters.
Midnight Moments may have won me over in a genre I normally don’t gravitate towards. I say may because I’m still playing it and working on more scenes filled with glowing streetlights, citizens chattering, and buildings where I can imagine almost anything happening inside.
Truck-kun Is Supporting Me From Another World?! is a fun, ridiculous subversion of the classic isekai trope that doesn't slow down.
As far as multiplayer party games go, Heave Ho 2 is one of the most engaging due to how simple it is. Anyone can play alongside you, and it's easy to pick up and play on a whim. The developers have a winning idea that really only needed bigger levels and more variety, and they've delivered just that, with a lot more insanity to match their ambition.
It’s tricky to enjoy the main gameplay loop of a game like Hyperwired, but I struggled to find it consistently. There is a lot to dig into here, and I enjoyed quite a bit; it was just bogged down by a few too many systems. The game looks cool, sounds great, and has some fun ideas. I only wish they all came together in a stronger package overall.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game includes all the elements for a standout experience within the Avatar universe — excellent mechanics, a good roster, a solid roster, and attention to detail.
Most of what Halo: Campaign Evolved does on a technical level is refine, not replace. And while the core gameplay is great, most of that already existed back in 2001.
K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut is a disjointed and buggy experience that doesn't reward you for your choices, instead grounding everything in RNG.
Splatoon Raiders is a genuinely great twist on the Splatoon formula. Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as I left the tutorial, I knew this was a game that I find far and above more my preference than the mainline games. It might not have the deepest story, but what Splatoon Raiders does have is a sense of adventure, and the island hopping in search of treasure does just enough with its story and characters to keep you entertained through to the credits.
Denshattack! simply rules, with imaginative and creative levels and bombastic bosses. It looks and sounds fantastic, plays great on Deck, and is something entirely new.
Moss: The Forgotten Relic does a great job bringing two wonderful adventures to more players. It has a beautiful world and story with puzzles and action that are always rewarding.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is like discovering a lost treasure. So much could have gone wrong in bringing this behemoth back from the depths, but Ubisoft does so with tremendous care and respect.
Echoes of Aincrad fails to leave a lasting impression, but for the hours you put into this Sword Art Online adventure, it satisfies the need for more games like this one.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink — Endless Ragnarok is more of what I wanted from Cygames, and its expansion is meaty with tons of thoughtful decisions made that make sense. Whether I'm exploring the Sky Realm while learning six new characters or entering The Conflux to grind out new materials and gear, I'm consistently having a blast with this game. Even if the main story isn't up to par with the base game, it warrants a return because the gameplay really is that good and even now, 100-plus hours later, there's something new to discover. And thankfully, all the new bosses provide a real and hard-hitting challenge — which will have you itching to get back into the fight with every loss.
Rhythm Heaven Groove has a lot going on, with over 80 minigames, tons of bizarre moments, and a whole lot of heart. The series itself feels like it hasn't changed much, but that's exactly why I find it so endearing; it's basically the same sort of experience that permeates through the Nintendo ecosystem, and one that I feel rightfully celebrates the return of Rhythm Heaven. The series is timeless and remains a franchise that fans often clamour over online. Thankfully, this entry is diverse and memorable, with so many fun minigames to keep you busy despite a couple of frustrating additions that do not exude the same joy as the rest of the game offers.
Star Fox feels like it’s on the cusp of relevance again with this masterfully done remake of an iconic classic. The same familiar action from the original is wonderfully realized on the Switch 2, adding more nuance, fleshed-out cutscenes, and all the wonderfully weird secrets fans can expect to uncover. However, it's time to move past the Lylat Wars and onto something else entirely new. For a new generation, this game is a great entry into the series that's been sidelined for far too long.