Owlboy has a lot of charm but suffers from a convoluted control scheme and some serious game-crashing bugs. The best way to play it is still on the PC, even though the Nintendo Switch seemed like it would be the most ideal place to play it.

While a terrific game in it’s own right, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut just doesn’t cut it on Nintendo Switch. Lengthy loading times between small rooms and different floors of buildings makes the game drag enough to completely lose the narrative flow, which is a big problem considering narrative is its primary focus. If load times get fixed alongside the poor A.I. that tends to get your character lost while trying to look at something two feet in front of them, you got a great portable game. Until then, it’s all some what of a bummer.

Minecraft Switch Edition is a strange animal, largely focused around a competent, if simplistic survival game and supplemented with worldbuilding that you can share with maybe one friend who also owns this edition of the game. Stripped of the game’s best aspects and with a limited amount of skin packs, much of Minecraft’s appeal is lost. Split-screen co-op and portability options do what they can to entice an audience, and may attract some eager to expand their Nintendo Switch library.

For a game made by the same studio responsible for the previous two Bayonetta games, it’s strange how often Bayonetta 3 feels like a poorly made fan project. The story that has been built up has been thrown to the wayside to introduce a tired “multiverse” concept. All the confidence and character development has been completely scraped in favor of turning her into a loving motherly type character in constant need of saving. Wonky camera angles and visuals make it look like this game should have gone back into the over for another year. It’s playable and, at times, fun, but as part of a series, it’s quite possibly the weakest chapter.

Sonic Mania brings Sonic and friends back to the series' 2D roots successfully but also reminds us of many of the issues with early 90s 2D platformers. Longtime Sonic fans will no doubt find some value here, but everyone else is better off playing more modern takes on the genre.

The potential was there for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom to be a big improvement over its already solid predecessor, but instead of focusing on one new thing and doing that well, it doesn’t keep anything that worked and gives us several modes that could’ve been great but all have major issues. It’s not a bad game, but certainly not on par with the original and does little well enough to make it stand out in a pretty big sea of PS4 RPGs.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are fine games by virtue of being Pokemon games. They have the same fun battling and collecting mechanics you’d expect and offer an opportunity to re-explore the gorgeous and lore-rich Alola region. But their butchered retelling of Sun and Moon’s story and the addition of the obnoxious RotomDex should once again have you questioning why you would pay full price for almost the same game a year later.

It’s hard not to enjoy Mortal Kombat 1, but the main story is too tied into the overall gameplay, which makes the “it doesn’t make sense” execution of it too difficult to ignore. The events of the story itself indicate that none of this should not be happening. While the rest of the game goes off without a hitch, the plot holes of lore-heavy focus and deep integration of its story take away from what Mortal Kombat 1 really could be.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are fine games by virtue of being Pokemon games. They have the same fun battling and collecting mechanics you’d expect and offer an opportunity to re-explore the gorgeous and lore-rich Alola region. But their butchered retelling of Sun and Moon’s story and the addition of the obnoxious RotomDex should once again have you questioning why you would pay full price for almost the same game a year later.

Resident Evil 3 has swapped out the horror genre for action-adventure, which makes for a short, yet highly-enjoyable campaign. Resident Evil: Resistance will leave you wishing the story was much longer than six hours and the cut sequences from the original game had made it to the final product.

Guacamelee 2 takes but never quite gives; it amps up the difficulty without making the necessary changes to keep the game interesting. The result is a test of patience rather than a test of skill.

As far as Picross games go, this game is middle of the road. It offers nothing new and devolves into basic pictures of birds and animals once it goes through a few Hatsune Miku puzzles. As far as a Hatsune Miku game though, it’s a huge disappointment. None of the iconic songs are present nor the animation quality. It’s just a Picross game with pictures of Hatsune Miku taped over it.

Despite some hiccups with the ambitious new story mode, Madden NFL 18 remains a solid entry in the franchise.

Subnautica: Below Zero feels like more of Subnautica, and that is only a good thing to a certain extent. Where it falls short by copying its predecessor is in the story and thematic department, making it feel like an uneventful and unimportant step in the series.

There’s no denying that Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy are all masterpieces of their time. But without modern trimmings, this is a series that will only fully be appreciated by incredibly hardcore fans. Newcomers to these games may find themselves quickly turned off by the limitations of older software and controls. So while fun, the lack of effort put into Super Mario 3D All-Stars is very disappointing.

Beyond a few lacking voice actors and a somewhat unnatural tone at moments, this is a well-made piece of psychological horror. Simulacra shines in its storytelling, and many of the haunting visuals serve their purpose quite well. Kaigan Games has crafted a relatable and frightening thriller for the sleuth in all of us. It is a surefire pick up for those seeking a puzzling and frightening mystery within the confines of a black mirror.

Horace is an enjoyable game filled with interesting platforming mechanics. Unfortunately, its fun platforming and brilliant pixel art are buried beneath a pile of constant pop culture references, an obsessive need for close-ups and a plethora of free domain music.

Make no mistake, Tekken 7 is a game for diehard fans of the series. It features solid combat and a story that, while not very strong, can justify fans wanting a solid conclusion to the nearly 25-year-long Mishima Saga. Unfortunately, this installment falters when it comes to everything else.

Mega Man 11 is a must-play adventure for series fanatics, but not an essential adventure for everyone else. It's a paint-by-numbers experience that offers more of the same game content you've come to expect from over three decades with the Blue Bomber.

Dragon Quest Builders is a charming game that is great on the go and provides a satisfying loop but is burdened by absolutely terrible combat mechanics.

The Bayonetta Remaster is an interesting time capsule that didn’t get a whole lot cleaned up for its 10th Anniversary. Stellar controls and excellent enemy design constantly combat a terrible camera and painful cutscenes.

Even if you forgive the nightmarish art style and the dated quest methods, as it is a remake of a decade-old game, it doesn’t forgive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for having awful controls and a complete lack of quality of life features.

Trinket Studios clearly put time into Battle Chef Brigade’s art, story and voice acting, but the gameplay often feels lackluster. The sidescrolling combat is often repetitive, lacking a sense of progression as you continue.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits takes us on a whimsical tale that’s both predictable and familiar, but also something brand new with the way that it’s presented. Between the the back and forth moments of polish and unpolished gameplay lays an absolute gem of a game.

Fire Emblem: Engage feels like a massive step backward from both Awakening and Three Houses. Losing many of the features that made modern Fire Emblem games, ironically, engaging, we’re left with a barebones game that barely feels like a Fire Emblem title. Stories are poorly written, characters are barely fleshed out anime tropes, graphics are muddled, and the series’ signature bold and clear tactical battlefields have been replaced with PS2 era maps with indistinguishable tiny 3D models on them that look near identical until the camera swoops in.

The art style, music, and core gameplay offers players a unique gaming experience unavailable elsewhere. Lady Luck isn’t always kind, however, and when combined with the occasional graphical issue, unwanted frustrations arise. Despite its flaws, it’s still worth the effort for those with patience and determination.

Torna the Golden Country could’ve been a welcome expansion with some insight into the past of several key characters and a welcome twist on combat. However, the new “community level” mechanic that is forced upon you makes a good portion of it just a slog to get through.

Etrian Odyssey V can offer the right player a fun experience, but many players will find this game either lacking in story or just flat out too hard. Those with series experience, however, will enjoy the robust customization options and the extreme challenge.