Toisto's Reviews
If you have kids or friends that come over on the regular, Jamboree is the finest installment in the long-running franchise, and one of the best games you can buy on the Nintendo Switch.
It captures the additive nature of classic city builders of the past and iterates upon them successfully. It's almost a comfort in how familiar it is, yet it never feels stale or repetitive. Instead, Citadelum builds on tradition through innovation and emerges as one of the most satisfying games of the year.
There's a myriad of reasons why I wouldn't recommend Kill Knight for most of my friends, and only a few why I would. But herein lies the beauty of it: Kill Knight does the things right that this particular audience wants, and in doing so it cements itself as one of the best games in its genre. Just as long as you're in that very small subset of gamers who like that kind of thing.
Ara: History Untold is a bold and terrific first game from an interesting studio. I think their sequel will be better. For now, this is a solid title to tide you over until Civilization 7 launches next year. Next time, I wouldn't be surprised if things didn't turn out the opposite, as Ara has room to grow into something even more impressive.
Despite the occasional grumble, I can't fault Echoes of Wisdom for anything consequential. This is one of the most joyous Zelda titles out there, and easily in the top five of any game in the series.
For fans of murder mysteries, thrillers, and visual novels, Emio: The Smiling Man is a must-buy. For everyone else, it’s a solid recommendation with some caveats. You’ll have to adjust to an old-school play style, and it won’t deliver the constant gamification modern titles offer. If you can overlook these aspects, Emio offers a smart, often terrifying experience that is different from anything else out right now.
Astro Bot is a nearly perfect platformer that joyously redefines everything we love about the genre. A must-own title.
This is a game that I can recommend to everyone, regardless of their love of Star Wars, and be comfortably certain they will enjoy it. What a time to be a Star Wars fan.
It’s not a perfect new beginning, but new beginnings rarely are. Instead, it has the growing pains of every long form story that has taken a shift into uncharted territory. We’re only just diving into a big new mythology, and there’s a certain excitement to that uncertainty.
Nobody Wants to Die, the new game from developer Critical Hit Games is a stylistic triumph. It's a moody, atmospheric, and thoroughly captivating experience that's one of the most gorgeously rendered and conceived titles in years.
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun is the kind of title that’s easy to recommend to everyone. It’s an accessible, supremely fun blast from the past that does nearly everything right. In its price range, there’s very little competition that can offer an experience as smooth and polished as this. Do yourself a favor and give it a go.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is yet another gem from Nintendo’s remastered library. One that reminds us how many great games are still waiting to be rediscovered in their backlog. It’s true that the third Luigi’s Mansion is the better, more refined game, and that asking for a full price for a remaster is steep. But there’s so much to love and play here that maybe, just maybe, it’s fine this time around.
It might stumble with balancing issues, but everything else overshadows any minor complaints I might have. This is a gorgeously rendered dark fantasy, same as its predecessor; a vast and mythic nightmare I love to get lost in.
At its best, it’s the kind of action adventure game that you can point to as a high point of the genre. The kind of game that in the future others will use as an influence for their own projects. A work of art that emerges from the shadow of its predecessors and takes its place alongside as if it always belonged there.
With gorgeous visuals that have aged gracefully, a stellar soundtrack, and a solid, perfectly playable experience right on the card, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is an easy recommendation. It’s yet another home run from Nintendo and their Switch console.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Endless Ocean Luminous, warts and all. It’s not a game that would be my first recommendation for most, but it is something that I wish everyone gave a chance. There’s a lot to love in any project that has this kind of purity of vision. Even if it’s vision to a fault.
For under 15 euros, it’s one of the more solid dungeon crawlers out there, and a perfect pick-up-and-play experience for fans of the genre. It’s the kind of indie gem that you can recommend for just about anyone, thanks to a low barrier of entry and a solid difficulty curve that makes repetition a joy.
Played with friends, Operation Galuga delivers exactly what it promises. A frenetic and over-the-top run-and-gun experience that is perfect for couch co-op sessions. In an era of 100 hour epics and online games-as-a-service sludge, Operation Galuga feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s simple, direct, and precisely what we need right now.
Princess Peach: Showtime! is an easy game to recommend. If you’re a fan of platformers, you’ll enjoy it. (Though, let’s face it, you’re not going to grit your teeth with this like you would with Super Meat Boy or something.) If this is your introduction to the genre, you’re in for a treat. It’s a deft balancing act between familiar and innovative that is consistently engaging and, above all, fun.
The Thaumaturge is the kind of game you can point to when asked what indie games can be at their most profoundly beautiful state. You can see the rough edges, the compromises, and the early faltering steps, and none of it matters. Instead, you’re captivated by the untarnished vision, the uncompromising attention to detail, and the unconventional narrative choices. It’s a game that does so much with so little, and each nuance feels like a revelation.