Digital Chumps
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Marvel’s Wolverine does not reinvent the superhero action genre like other games in Sony’s portfolio. Instead, it violently refines it with flair and demonstrates how Insomniac has become fluent in beautifully brutal combat. You’ll walk away fully satiated with the presentation, even if there were some missed opportunities to take Logan’s stealth sequences and broader skillset further with the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller.
With The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero making its way to the Switch 2 for the same price as the original Switch version, there’s very little reason to choose the older version. The performance improvements are smooth while overall story and OST are more than worth the price of admission. The game would be better served for a full remake, though – there’s some excellent storytelling to be experienced in a fully realized and redesigned world.
If you enjoyed Trails from Zero, then The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is a delightful complement with an even more gripping story. The Crossbell Duology is some of Nihon Falcom’s most compelling work and worth playing if you haven’t yet had the chance.
The Blood of Dawnwalker from developer Rebel Wolves is a great starting point for what could become a bigger series. It delivers a strong story, entertaining gameplay elements, and plenty of quests to keep the journey going.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword lives up to its name by providing intense, complex sword-based combat against a barrage of powerful bosses. But its exploration and side quests can frequently distract from the best parts of the game.
Star Wars: Zero Company from developers Bit Reactor and LucasFilm Games is a tactical masterpiece. It’s fun, it’s easy to learn, it’s immersed in good Star Wars lore, and it’s an incredibly deep tactical experience.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy enshrines Asobo Studio's incredible ability to deliver emotional narratives wrought with tension and adventure. Sophia's sprawling journey is a harrowing spectacle that truly masters what makes an adventure game memorable.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is surprisingly solid on the Nintendo Switch 2. While it won’t match the resolution or frame rate of bigger, more powerful platforms, it still delivers fantastic gameplay with plenty of extra content.
Helix: Descent N Ascent from developer Badass Mongoose is an addictive, gorgeous puzzle game that features some well-placed Metroidvania elements. It can be confusing and sometimes frustrating, but it’s a hoot to play overall.
This year’s Madden NFL release is solid for the most part. I think it’s an improvement from last year’s game. Madden NFL 27 has on-field tweaks that improve gameplay, mostly solid modes, and better stability. A questionably unsteady kicking game and a required EA online connection with Superstar mode keep this from being great.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 2 from Konami brings back some solid games to add to an already budding Metal Gear Solid collection. Of course, the star of the collection, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, is the real reason why players will want this, and it doesn’t disappoint with its story and perfect PS3 translation.
Mexican Ninja’s satisfying combat and art style are worth more than its low price of admission. Its standout thematic is a great start to hopefully something more from the Madbricks crew, even if some of its roguelike elements feel underdeveloped.
Mortal Shell II's eviscerating difficulty and grimdark world work to grind the player into a fine paste. But its build variety and satisfying loop often turn the tide, rewarding exploration and experimentation to brave enough players.
While Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls features a deeply complex tag system, Arc System Works incorporates enough newcomer-friendly elements that practically every player can enjoy the bombastic entertainment of a varied Marvel roster beating each other up.
HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon, from developer Ars Goetia, is a fun turn-based RPG with a strong narrative, solid world-building, a deep backend system, and plenty of adventures throughout. It’s fun, impressive, and a lot more than I expected.
The Mermaid Mask from developer SFB Games is a point-and-click marvel that brings with it a good story, modern gameplay design, and a respectful tip-of-the-hat to an old genre.
Truxton Extreme is a celebration of all things I love about Truxton. From Masahiro Yuge’s involvement on the game’s incredible soundtrack to its modern spin on shmups, there’s much to love…assuming you’re up for a good ol’ fashioned shmup challenge.
Wreck Runners is a zany, malleable fest of cooperative goofing off with enough player freedom to make a game about collecting salvage with a gravity gun fun and satisfying. Though it does have its shortcomings, it's hard not to want to dive right back in.
Beast of Reincarnation from developer Game Freak is a good first step for what could be a fun action series. The story is great, the characters are interesting, and the action, when it gets going, is fast, fun, and furious. The bland and repetitive enemies and bosses, as well as a confusing skill tree, get in the way of making this game something special.
Lies of P: Complete Edition on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a standout port of an already beautifully-designed game. From its graphical options to its full collection of DLC, it’s a worthy contender. This is especially true if you’ve never played a soulslike before – this is one you shouldn’t skip.