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Sociable Soccer is a fun arcade-stye football game that plays like the complete opposite of the realism-focused EA Sports FC, and in doing so manages to be just as satisfying in an entirely different way despite its drawbacks. EA's big-budget game may be the equivalent of eating at a fancy restaurant, but sometimes you just want a burger, and Sociable Soccer is a delightful dose of fast food.
Monster Hunter Stories, like its sequel on Switch, has some issues on the hardware; in this case the problems are more related to 3DS-era design hangovers and simplistic porting. Yet when you put these issues to the side, we still have a charming, enjoyable experience either for young gamers or young-at-heart RPG / Monster Hunter fans. You can take or leave all that classic MH depth, and it won't take long to master the battle mechanics, but this is a game with enough silliness and earnest storytelling to deserve its second chance.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a stellar example of an enhanced re-release done right. Its comprehensive approach to improving the story and various gameplay systems of the original release makes for an experience that's even more engrossing than the already excellent original game. Though we were disappointed by the lack of any performance gains here, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is still an extremely easy recommendation for any RPG fans. Some may consider SMT to be "Persona without the heart," but SMT V: V cleanly demonstrates that this old Atlus stalwart still has an abundance of fantastic gameplay and unique appeal.
Star Wars: Hunters might not bring anything particularly new to the ever-increasing field of class-based shooters, but there's a lot of fun to be had here. If you can look past the fiddly menus and 'Arena Pass' trappings that have haunted so many in the genre, Hunters offers a level of tactical PvP gameplay that is simple to grasp and entertaining enough to warrant mastering. Best of all, it feels right at home on Switch. There's certainly room for improvement but, like ol' Shiv Palpatine, we will watch its career with great interest.
Overmorrow has its share of satisfying eureka moments and is a compelling concept. While there is a genuine purity of intent behind its development, it would benefit greatly from more fine-tuning and playtesting. If its numerous bugs and issues are eventually ironed out, and quality-of-life improvements added, it would indeed be a journey worth taking for players interested in its premise – but be prepared for moments of frustration along the way.
If Picross historically hasn't been your cup of tea, there is absolutely nothing in Picross S Namco Legendary Edition that's going to change your mind. Much like the last 10 or so releases in Jupiter's never-ending puzzle series, this is effectively little else than an extensive level pack that should offer another 20 to 30 hours of puzzles to solve-only this time around it's Namco stuff that you're uncovering. But let's be real, what else did this release need to be? Picross is already just about as highly polished as it can be, and the introduction of too many supplemental mechanics would just come off as gimmicky. Picross S Namco Legendary Edition isn't designed to be anything to blow you away, then. It's simply another great entry in an exhaustively lengthy series. If Picross is your thing, this one is definitely worth a look.
Hauntii is so beautiful that it's heartbreaking not to be able to recommend it right now. We can tell that it's made with love, but love isn't enough to overlook its flaws. We hope that the developers manage to fix the issues in the long term, because underneath them is something truly magical – but for now, it's just a ghost of what it could be.
Despite some visual shortfalls, Capes is a very solid turn-based strategy game that takes the best bits of XCOM 2 and gives it the superhero treatment. The tactical gameplay will have you thinking of the best way to position your growing roster of heroes on each turn to help you save King City from the nefarious Company. Even a predictable plot doesn't undermine how well-balanced and fun Capes is to play. Strategy and comic book fans will find plenty to enjoy here.
Paper Trail is one of the finest puzzle games you can buy for the Switch right now. The storybook narrative, compelling visuals, and cleverly designed conundrums, all come together to make for a chill and enjoyable experience that you shouldn't miss, and you'd do well to keep an eye on what Newfangled Games does next. We'd give this one a high recommendation to anyone looking for a low-stakes yet sufficiently challenging new addition to their puzzle library.
For 20 years, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has been held as the best Mario RPG of all time, and the Switch remake proves it has earned that title. This is a fantastic RPG adventure, whether you're a Mario fan or not, with some best-in-class combat, brilliant writing, and a few little creases ironed out to make this the definitive way to play Thousand-Year Door. We wish there was a little more to do post-credits, but there's no doubt about it, this is a beautiful-looking Switch remake and a must-play RPG.
PO'ed Definitive Edition is yet another fine example of Nightdive Studio's excellent work in preserving unique, oddball games of yore while adding some welcome mod cons. With this one, however, the core experience is a little bit too weird to recommend to just any FPS fan. The general premise is odd, the enemy design is unsettling, and the layout of the levels can prove frustrating, especially for newcomers unaccustomed to its old-school ways. Despite this, the jetpack is honestly one of the most fun mechanics we've sampled in gaming, and the bizarre audio design had us in fits of laughter at multiple points. If you've played the original or fancy checking out one of the most unique FPS games from the '90s, it's well worth a punt.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most unique-looking games you'll see on the Switch, and it's got the substance to back up the style. Its heavy emphasis on puzzles and its refusal to throw players a bone when they need help may not be to everyone's tastes, but anyone up for a mental challenge in what's essentially an elaborate escape room will love it.
Slayers X is an enjoyable but basic entry in the boomer shooter genre that manages to satisfy without excelling in any one area. The levels are fun to explore, the gunplay feels good, and the gags can be amusing in small doses. Even so, little things like the increasingly grating sense of humor and lack of gyro controls drag this one down a bit, while the core gameplay feels just a little too vanilla. We'd give Slayers X a recommendation, but with the caveat that you should probably first play through a few other old-school shooters before getting around to this one. It's pretty decent, but this isn't a top-shelf example of the genre.
We would only ever recommend Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs to Pac-Man diehards at its launch price point. In fact, given the fate of its Pac-Man 99 forebear, we would be hesitant to open our wallets for it at all, because we doubt it will have much longevity if it isn't eventually made free-to-play. Though it introduces a cool idea or two, multiplayer Pac-Man was done better by its predecessors and, as it stands, its price tag is tough to justify.
Biomutant has a solid core. Unique enemy designs, a wide variety of weapons to use in combat, and flexible, fun combat are all highlights, but an arduous narrator and a monotone story filled with repetitive quests and tasks weigh the experience down. Pair all of this with the unpleasant visuals and low-quality textures, and we have to wonder if the game should have waited for Nintendo's next console. The actual gameplay experience is great, but instead of feeling like a polished handheld version of the game, Biomutant feels like it has been rushed out the door and left standing on the porch a bit dishevelled.
Braid remains a landmark equally for indie game development and puzzle platformers. The time control mechanics are mind-bendingly satisfying to play with and the puzzles are wickedly inventive. This Anniversary Edition is an exquisite expression of the original concept, with everything spruced up to perfection. And, even on top of that, it includes interactive creators' commentary that sets a high watermark for in-game analysis and represents a new key text for anyone interested in how games are made. In short: this package is an all-timer.
If you're a die-hard Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba fan, you and your friends might find enough enjoyment in Demon Slayer – Sweep the Board to get you through a game or two. However, the underwhelming and forgettable minigames, glacial pace of the gameplay, and connection issues that made online play unusable for us greatly overshadowed this party game's positive points.
Developer Shared Memory's stated goal is "to craft complete experiences that will be playable long after the world loses its internet connection," and screen after screen, Animal Well excels in delighting your eyes and giving your brain something to stew on. It's a riposte against a culture of post-launch updates in favour of a meticulously crafted, singular vision with potentially years' worth of discoveries baked in. By all indications, Animal Well delivers on that long-term promise and does so with a one-of-a-kind elegance.
Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable adventure that will almost certainly turn you into a cat lover, if you're not one already. It oozes charm and the realistic cat animations are simply incredible, although for as fun as it is to wander about the city, the game leans heavily on fetch quests and gathering up collectibles, which can lead to repetition. If you're someone who thrives on that kind of gameplay, however, then you'll have an absolute blast with this one.
Although there's room for improvement in ININ's presentation, and it would have been nice to get a few more bonus unlockables, this is still the best version of Rainbow Cotton around thanks to its silky smooth frame rate, lovely upscaling, widescreen formatting, and all-important gameplay enhancements. It's a fun, at times spectacular, novelty adventure in the Cotton universe, that can occasionally feel confusing and cluttered. Stick with it, though, and an enjoyable and genuinely charming rail shooter bubbles to the surface.