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Overall, Irem Collection Volume 3 is charming and fun, but it really doesn’t bring anything groundbreaking to the table. These aren’t the classics you would recognize, nor would I call them undiscovered gems that never got localized. It’s a good preservation, but, after your curiosity is slaked, you may never find yourself opening them up to play again. But at least you have the option, and that, more than anything, is the purpose of keeping these titles alive.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour‘s biggest problem isn’t even the fact you gotta shell out some cash in order to experience it. The problem is that, sadly, it is an incredibly lame title, with just a few memorable minigames which aren’t enough to make me forget about the sheer amount of befuddling quiz sections, annoying collectathon mechanics, and the overall sensation that you are not playing a game per se, you feel like you’re witnessing the company patting itself on the back with this brand new system.
In a world where games can be patched and updated till they barely resemble their original form, Front Mission 3: Remake still could not grow into a better and more satisfying sequel. Clean up the graphics, tweak the AI and make the missions load faster, and you’re still left with bland combat and unlikeable leads. I doubt this’ll be my last time with the franchise, but, in a world where even the best games can be left behind in a blink, I have no choice but to eject from Front Mission III immediately to save myself.
Overall, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a lot of fun, and would be a great pickup for anyone into the old school puzzles games. That said, if you already own the original and aren’t completely sold by it, the addition of a 4 player mode and mouse controls isn’t going to change your mind.
Of course, the music and voice acting is all great, it pretty much always is in Sonic games, and its quality is definitely not lost in the transition to the Nintendo Switch 2. Honestly, this might be the first time since playing the original Sonic games on my 3DS that playing Sonic handheld has felt so this good, this absolutely polished. Fast-paced levels mixed with being able to play in bursts in handheld mode. This might be a decade-old title, but it’s almost like this game had been originally crafted with the Switch 2 in mind, almost in a savant-like manner.
System Shock 2 is an all-time great, easily one of the most important games of all time, and Nightdive’s 25th Anniversary Remaster edition makes it a touch more accessible without ever gutting its core, or anything that made it so cherished in the first place. The excellent core gameplay and stellar level design come together for an unforgettable experience. Furthermore, the fact it works shockingly well on a controller is already something worthy of a medal of honor for the studio.
Ruffy and the Riverside is a joyful little game with a really inventive gameplay loop. It mixes elements from open world adventures, logic-based puzzles, and the level structure of classic 3D collectathons to create something that is truly unique, whilst still being accessible, and not at all condescending. It also helps that its visuals are great, and its sense of humor is completely on point.
Look, no matter how I try to put it, there’s no denying that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is basically Hades, but with more reptiles and pizza. But let me reiterate, that ain’t a bad thing. Sure, if you’re expecting for it to be as good as Hades, then you’re out of luck, but this is still a fun roguelike with a neat combat system, fun character interactions, and some great multiplayer support.
This is not a game without a handful of flaws, namely its underwhelming story and really ugly (human) character models. That being said, consider me a brand new fan of Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, and the Devil Summoner subseries as a whole. I really enjoyed it being a faster-paced, action-oriented take on the Shin Megami Tensei formula, in an episodic format that makes it highly enjoyable in smaller sessions. It may have aged visually, but mechanically-wise, it still holds the hell (pun intended) up.
When a collection has a literal hundred games, you’re bound to find one or two you end up playing for quite a while. Even if 100 in 1 Game Collection is one of the least creative gaming compilations I have ever seen, with the in-game characters themselves stating you shouldn’t expect much from it, it’s not the worst thing in the world. There’s just not a lot of creativity in this package. Most games are clones of classics from thirty years ago, with a less exciting presentation.
“Fine” might be too reductive, but this could have been either a delightful masterpiece or absolute garbage, and it’s neither. If you’re a huge Castlevania fan, it could be a lot of fun. If you liked Bloodstained better than most, then you’ll love this game. But when the sun rises in this house, Chronicles will simply disappear, like a nightmare with lingering doubts left in the day.
There are two correct answers to the question, “is the Gex Trilogy collection worth your time”. If you want to be technical, no, the collection ain’t worth it. The games have never been part of the upper echelon of platformers from the 90s, and haven’t aged that well. The other, more emotional and subjective answer, is that, yes, this collection is worth your time, as these are funny, creative, and inventive games from a bygone era. Even if the original Gex just isn’t good at all, both Enter the Gecko and Gex 3 are hilarious and inventive titles that will easily please any 3D platforming fan, no matter their age or experience.
All in all, there’s a lot that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time does very well. It managed to create a perfect mixture between a JRPG and a slice-of-life simulator that can engage anyone, from the most seasoned veteran to the most casual of newcomers. Sure, some of its areas can occasionally look a bit too bland, but then again – and I might be cursed for it – even more refined and legendary titles in the Final Fantasy titles are guilty of such issues. The Lives system is interesting, and offer more than enough variety, nearly brinking on MMO territory.
Blades of Fire is a much better game than I initially anticipated. Granted, don’t expect grand innovations to the soulslike genre, but we’ve got some really novel ideas, such as directional-based combat and a weapon crafting system that add a unique flavour to the game. Even if not all of them work, I still have to admit I respect the efforts. I highly recommend fans of the classic Souls games to check this one out.
I have no idea what happened for MindsEye to come out at such a pitiful state, but even if it worked as intended, it would have been, at best, a truly mediocre cover shooter with a subpar “what if big techs were bad” story (spoiler alert: they also are in real life). But when you add in the horrendous framerate, poor optimization, braindead enemy AI, and countless bugs, then there’s no way to recommend this trainwreck, even to those looking for an ironic playthrough of a crappy game.
Mario Kart World may have been slightly controversial based on its price, but realistically based on my time played already vs my time playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it seems somewhat justifiable. The Switch 2 has a significantly better online experience, meaning less connection issues during races. Having essentially double the amount of races with Grand Prix and Knockout Tours, plus having the free roam all means there’s a ton more to do just playing the game alone.
The Hitman: World of Assassination has always been a great collection. It combines IOI’s newest Hitman trilogy into one cohesive experience. With over a dozen unique locations, each with dozens of ways to complete them, it’s a complete package and an incredibly easy game to recommend. However, in its current launch state, I’d suggest waiting for a few patches. It is an impressive showcase for a new portable, don’t get me wrong, but it still needs some extra tinkering to truly become a must-have.
Even with these handful of issues, PaperKlay is still an easy recommendation, with a few asterisks. If you are looking for something very akin to old-school 3D collectathons, you’re going to be a bit disappointed. It’s a bit more linear, vastly less challenging. Now, as an introduction to the genre, a very accessible game to convince casuals to play something a bit more traditional, this works oh so well. At the end of the day, it’s a very competent and easygoing 3D platformer with a lot of charm and heart.
If you’ve never played Yakuza 0 before, then this is another fantastic version of one of the best titles in the franchise, and I would highly recommend it as one of the best titles in the Switch 2’s launch lineup. It’s a game that everyone should experience at least once, and the Switch 2 Director’s Cut might actually the best way for a new player to get into the franchise. However, not much here is worth getting the game again if you’ve got the tremendous PC or current-gen versions already.
There’s a lot of potential in here, and if you were a fan of Conan: Exiles‘ grindy loop, you’ll have a blast with Dune: Awakening, considering it’s a tad bit more forgiving than its predecessor. Oddly enough, however, the more you’re a fan of the Dune books, the more off-putting Awakening will become, considering its bizarre fanfic-y premise and ideas that just go against everything the books (and even the most recent movies) have been saying for the past half-decade. As a result, Dune: Awakening, whilst easily the best Dune game since the strategy titles from the early 90s, is more appealing to those just seeking for a new survival MMO, and not exactly die-hard fans of the seminal sci-fi franchise.