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Drag x Drive is fun, but it doesn't pack enough content to keep players coming back. The three-on-three basketball games can be fun with the right teammates, and nailing some sweet tricks for bonus points is satisfying, but the magic quickly wears thin.
Time Flies is a brief but fun title that focuses on reflection and choice. It might not resonate with everyone due to its simplicity, but don't let that deter you. It's a game that reminds us that time cannot be reclaimed, so make the most of the time you have.
Dead Take is a surprise standout experience from Surgent Studios. It's got a stacked cast with a focus on storytelling over anything else, using the allure of Hollywood as the gateway to unconventional horror. While there are some predictable moments, the environment, the performances, and immersion make up for it. It is an emotionally charged horror experience that punches well above its weight and serves as a commentary on ambition and exploitation.
Chained Echoes: Ashes of Elrant is a bit uneven, but it introduces a great new character and allows the lore of this world to blossom. It is pretty clear that this was made for fans of Chained Echoes thirsting for more and does a decent job at filling in the gaps of the base game's unresolved plot threads.
Atomic Owl is a beautiful game in a colourful and dangerous world that is genuinely interesting, but it's also a game mired in technical issues that make it hard to enjoy it.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a fantastic return to 2D action for the franchise. It delivers a challenging action-platformer with tight mechanics, excellent level design, eye-catching visuals, and a wild story worthy of the Ninja Gaiden name.
For those looking for a quiet life in Hobbiton, Tales of the Shire is perfect. Wētā Workshop masterfully delivers a game about community in a cozy format that's small in size, but big in heart. It only seems to struggle when it gets too close to it's environments.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is an all-around fun Soulslike experience despite some rough edges. It is certifiably challenging with a plethora of builds available, which rewards patience and split-second timing.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 does a lot to reenergize these two games from the early 2000s. At the time, the series was something every kid would talk about with their friends. Now, the series is given another moment in the spotlight, offering a new generation access to a series that feels as timeless as ever, thanks to its eclectic gameplay, excellent music, impressive skaters, and memorable levels. The personality, humour, and flow of these games are all still intact, and that makes them unforgettable.
Donkey Kong Bananza is far deeper than I ever anticipated, and it's absolutely one of this year's best games. There has never been a better Donkey Kong adventure than Bananza.
Despite some unique ideas and a solid art style, Shuffle Tactics has a very high difficulty curve and a roguelike loop that isn't rewarding enough, especially early on.
Ruffy and the Riverside is full of whimsical exploration and joyful personality. You don't have to look any further to experience a bright, colourful, and animated world this summer!
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a good port, and it holds up well a decade-plus later thanks to some incredible gameplay choices, excellent music, and exciting twists midway through.
Rematch does a great job of creating a fun and rewarding skill-based sports game while providing a challenge and promoting teamwork.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a bigger and bolder expansion that will once again split fans and critics. The improvements across the board are felt immediately, bringing about a significant amount of much-needed change to the formula. Between the changes to stealth and combat, the new structures you can build, and the new settings, cast, and music, Death Stranding 2 has proven that Kojima is not only on point but also an auteur of the industry. There is nobody like him doing what he does, and I sincerely doubt there will be.
Mario Kart World moves the series in a bold new direction with open world and battle royale elements, but there's a distinct feeling of loneliness in the free roam.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour features some elegant ideas, including minigames, medals, and tech demos, that give you an idea of what the Switch 2 hardware offers. Some of it, mainly the tech demos, are excellent samples of what the system can do, but ultimately, the medal chasing is little more than busy work, and it just leaves an awkward impression of being a game that should've been on the hardware for free. The minigames are also extremely simple and sometimes entertaining, but they never enticed me to return to them once I had finished what I was asked to do.
The Alters is a mashup of some of the best sci-fi movies of the last few decades, taking the idea of an isolated human and turning it on its head. The base-building and survival mechanics are fun, and they flesh out and elevate the story of a wayward soul looking to get back home in one piece.
Date Everything has a lot of heart, great writing, and memorable characters, but it is hampered by uneven game flow.
Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time should not work with so much content crammed inside of it, yet it remarkably does.