Ys VIII abandons the sprawling, dramatic settings of other JRPGs for a restrained world and cast, then gives us every reason to fall in love with both. From combat to story to exploration to sound, Ys VIII offers subtle, but refreshing distinctions from the usual genre fare.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle offers its own take on the turn-based strategy genre while managing to be fun and deeper than you'd ever expect, even if the experience is over with just a little too soon.

With a touching look into the backstory of Gamora and Nebula and an existential question over the morality of life, Guardians of the Galaxy episode 3 sets up an emotionally provocative endgame with a superbly fleshed out group of characters.

In all, the execution fails a great premise for what could have been a fun romp around a city. I wanted to like this game more, but it ultimately never brought much more to the table beyond the slapstick vibe it had from its opening moments.

Yakuza Kiwami represents a solid reimagining of the Kamurocho of old.

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

Flip Wars is yet another fun party title from Nintendo. Alas, just being fun doesn’t justify a purchase. Many of the concepts used in Flip Wars are interesting but lack the depth or volume for me to call them anything greater than a concept. It may be worth revisiting in a few months after some heavy updates.

Severed loses little, if anything, by coming to Nintendo Switch. It gains screen space for the player to bask in its incredible, artistic environments, and though the console can be heavy to hold one-handed for longer play sessions, that’s hardly a reason to stay away from this title. Given its brevity, you may dismiss Severed as a game for a rainy, bored day, but don’t. This is one of only a handful of must-plays in the Nintendo Switch library.

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.

Setting the table for a big adventure to come, Batman: The Enemy Within gives players a window into a larger world. Batman and Bruce Wayne must balance their responsibilities and decisions, giving the player a multitude of ways to explore each scenario. Already there are a ton of path divergences along the way, giving us an entry into a series that will test the limits of the Caped Crusader. For now, a ho-hum, plot-seeded opening episode centered around a disappointingly mundane villain is good enough if a better payoff down the road follows suit.

My only hope is if they release a rock version or, at the very least, a classic pop game with the likes of Michael Jackson and Rick Astley. This game has the potential for excellence, but the series isn’t quite inclusive enough… yet.

While its character design is nothing groundbreaking, the focus on individual skill and quick reaction times make for a stimulating and entertaining experience. If you are prepared to overcome a relatively high skill cap, LawBreakers adds just enough flavor to the genre to warrant your attention.

Namco Museum on the Nintendo Switch offers a few arcade classics on the go but not really much else. The lack of online or even local multi-Switch play for all but one title, no real extras and the fact that the selection is kinda meager make this a pass for most people. It’s the absolute minimum to expect out of such a title.

No attempt at a series “refresh” is without its hurdles, and Layton’s Mystery Journey is no exception. The iffy puzzling doesn’t always hit the mark, though there’s some mind-stretching fun to be had among the hundreds of challenges. Though a disconnect in the writing between the excellent animated cutscenes and clunky written dialogue results in a strange story pacing, Katrielle’s adventure nonetheless has a satisfying payoff and a strong cast of characters that has me hopeful for future installments.

Despite the enormous potential of the ideas behind its job and relationship systems, Miitopia falls short in almost every department except quirkiness. At least the screenshots will be a good laugh.

Though it touches on some interesting ideas, Hey! Pikmin never ventures outside of the comfort and safety of a standard Nintendo handheld platformer. Still, its relaxing, low-stakes gameplay may prove enjoyable for many, particularly those looking for a respite in an otherwise fast-paced genre.

Colorful characters, wonderful music and unique gameplay along with some RPG elements make Pyre fit in with the studio’s back catalog quite nicely. Despite its storytelling and gameplay faults, it still fits in a great deal of content for the asking price and is worth picking up if you’ve enjoyed the studio’s previous work or are looking for one of the more unique takes on the RPG genre, which you’ll definitely find here.

While the story is built around an original premise (sentient self-delivering boxes), the gameplay is lacking in creativity and becomes repetitive fairly quickly. If you must play a 3D platformer with sentient boxes, then you must play Unbox: Newbie's Adventure. If not, then stick to Crash Bandicoot.

While it does have some surprisingly great acting and emulates giant robot combat quite well, I would wait just a bit. Neither of those features is impressive enough to make up for Archangel VR’s boring gunfights and somewhat tedious characters.

The Zodiac Age retains the best parts of the PS2 original and improves on the game’s flaws. With enhanced visuals, a vastly improved job system licensing board, and the option to move at a faster speed, The Zodiac Age is the best way to experience Final Fantasy XII.

Splatoon 2 provides a second chance at life for the Wii U’s best game, drawing in a new Switch audience with the staples that made the first game great and adding just enough quality of life adjustments and new modes to entice veterans. Robust launch content and a steady stream of promised updates should quickly soothe series naysayers, even if there are still a few desired features off the table. Above all else, Splatoon 2 radiates silly, squiddy fun throughout; a don’t-miss title when you take the plunge and pick up a Switch.

Despite a pleasing aesthetic and overtures at greatness, Yonder’s clunky menuing, excessive fetch questing, and empty story deprive it of the greatness it reaches for. There’s a lovely game buried within Yonder The Cloud Catcher Chronicles that I want to enjoy, but it’s far too shrouded in Murk to properly get at for now.

There’s a reason this DLC is called the “Master Trials.” It’s heavily focused on challenging combat, with a few cosmetic rewards. If that’s your forte, you’ll find the design of Master Mode and Trial of the Sword to your liking, though Master Mode is a touch late to the party in terms of time investment and reward. It’s not a new adventure, but it will do just fine until the second pack, complete with story DLC, drops this holiday.

Valkyria Revolution is an extremely wrong-headed attempt to re-invent a series that needed no such treatment, and falls short on just about every level.

Vicarious Visions dresses Crash up with a swanky new outfit that looks and sounds superb in the N.Sane Trilogy, but this dogged commitment to recreating the franchise’s authenticity comes at the expense of some much-needed modernization.

Dead by Daylight has enough positive in it that this isn’t a terrible game. The problem is that it’s just not a particularly good one. The look of the game seems to be one that could fit just as easily on the previous generation, and the replayability factor is rather low given the limited maps and ways to win.

Supplemented by a beautiful score and packed with sidequests and replayability, Ever Oasis proves a sorely-needed bit of refreshment for 3DS owners waiting for a title they can get lost in.

Cave Story+ is an absolute blast of a game. It’s addicting, it’s entertaining, and the multiple endings will keep you playing time and time again. It’s one of the Switch’s best releases and one you shouldn’t miss out on.

Randall is not a bad looking or broken game, but its lack of variety in level and enemy design, along with the lackluster plot, confusing dialogue and cut-scenes, make it a chore to finish.

ARMS is not going to be for everybody, but it tries to present something different in the fighting genre much like Splatoon did for shooters. And I feel like it mostly succeeds. Both the regular and motion controls mostly work well, there’s a lot of strategy and customization involved, and it offers a good variety of multiplayer modes to keep things fresh, even if it’s lacking in single player options.

An oddly-paced episode is made up for with a deep characterization of the Guardians of the Galaxy, further supplanting the series as a character-driven comedy adventure game. With an unclear look into where the future lies, the next chapter could make or break this series.

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.

The Walking Dead A New Frontier has a story worth telling at the heart of it, and Telltale eventually gets there, but the narrative stumbles at almost every turn. Repetitive gameplay, technical glitches, and the constant overshadowing of one character by another significantly blunt the set-up of the season’s cutting finale. The journey must continue in the inevitable fourth season, but I hope Telltale devises a better game plan for when that time comes.

What worked in this finale did not make up for the flimsy story, lack of character development and general lack of focus throughout The Walking Dead: A New Frontier. Instead of going forward and telling a gripping story that focused on a brand new bunch of characters, I couldn’t help but care about just three. “From The Gallows” does as best a job as it can wrapping things up in a neat little bow, but the overall quality makes me fearful for the future of the Telltale narrative adventure.

Frustrations from PC struggles and awkward movement controls were quickly swallowed up in the glorious, but brief adventure that is Rime. Through beautiful environments, clever puzzling, and a soundtrack contending for game music of the year, Rime draws its audience into a truly moving tale that will keep them absorbed in its splendid island world from start to finish.

At the end of the day, I have to wonder who Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is really for. If you just want a competitive multiplayer game on the Nintendo Switch, there are better options.

Magikarp Jump can barely be called a game and is instead more of an exercise in scrolling through endless text boxes. While a cheery aesthetic and some admittedly clever writing can keep you engaged for a few league’s worth of jumping, there’s simply not enough to this game to merit your attention for longer than a few days at best. At least, unlike the Magikarp, you can buy in the main games for 500 Pokedollars, with Magikarp Jump you get what you pay for.

Deck 13 have vastly improved upon their formula, and hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come. But for now, The Surge falls short of being anything more than a serviceable title that sticks to what it knows.

Injustice 2 is one hell of a time and has plenty of things to do within it, even if you’re playing by yourself. With stunning visuals, an engaging single-player story, a unique, but not overbearing Gear system and the refreshing, ever-changing Multiverse to keep coming back for; it really is a nearly-perfect package. Outside of frustrating zoning characters at the time of release and a few business practice decisions, such as unveiling three DLC characters before the game’s release, Injustice 2 demonstrates how fighting games should be done in this console generation. And it’s damn fun to boot.

Terrible puns aside, Shadow Warrior 2 is wildly good fun. The immediate gratification of the combat is what keeps the game enjoyable throughout, but Flying Wild Hog has backed this up with several layers of RPG mechanics to support and enrich the game’s strong sense of variety. Find some friends to experience the game at its best in co-op mode.

Disgaea 5 Complete on Switch is the best way to play and to experience Disgaea 5. If you are ready to sink another couple of hundred hours into a game this summer, then let Disgaea 5 Complete satisfy your needs.

Fire Emblem Echoes is not here to make waves in a tried and true formula–certainly not as a remake of a very old game. But it’s one of the most competent remakes that I’ve seen in years and more than enough for anyone wistfully longing for a new series entry.

Persona 5 is an exquisitely put together RPG overflowing with incredible style and a main cast you will sorely miss when the game is done. It’s easily the best RPG I’ve played in a few years.

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.

There’s a fine, fine line between relaxing simplification and dullness, and OK Golf straddles it rather precariously. You’ll either find it a charming, laid back way to enjoy a golf puzzle or uninstall it after the first course or two.

NBA Playgrounds has some rough spots, but one cannot deny that it is a fun arcade-style basketball game. Local multiplayer is a joy, and the single-player modes are entertaining enough to warrant a playthrough. If the online is able to recreate the fun of local multiplayer, then NBA Playgrounds will be tough to pass on.

I laughed along with Human: Fall Flat much more than I’ve done so with a game for a very long time. By putting a little more finesse and care into building the parameters of its goofy concept, it’s far more enjoyable than your average “Gabe Newell Physician Simulator 5000” found on the daily sales page of Steam, making this purchase well worth its slightly steeper asking price.

Taken together, Prey is a brilliant but flawed descent into a world of science gone wrong, driven by a well told, cerebrally satisfying story which makes up for the mechanical inconsistencies of the experience. Comparing Prey to Bioshock only reveals the relative cracks which explains why the former doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the latter, so it’s instead best to enjoy Prey as its own thing, forgiving its flaws to marvel at the results of Arkane’s intelligent approach to game design.

Awkward controls and a requirement of patience are the only things holding Birthdays the Beginning back from excellence as a scientific twist on a world simulation. Managing to perfectly balance education and enjoyability, you’ll continually be delighted by the different paths life can take and the ways you can shape it as you alter your Cube. Three different game modes and a vast library of creatures to discover offer playtime beyond the basic goals of the Campaign, and ensure the birthday surprises continue for hours on end.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is not a terrible game. It is, however, hopelessly dull, shoddily put together, and lacking any distinguishing features to make a case for itself over its contemporaries. All would-be snipers are encouraged to set their cross-hairs on other, much better titles.

Yes, it’s a slow-paced, story-driven walking sim, but What Remains of Edith Finch is also one of the finest of its kind; an example of how the genre can tell stories in a way which no other form can achieve, and an enthralling journey from start to finish.

Dragon Quest Heroes II is a game that looks good in HD and runs smoothly at 60 fps, but shows that a great-looking and performing game cannot cover for a shallow adventure with repetitive sound, seemingly never-ending battles, and repetitive gameplay. There is a good game in Dragon Quest Heroes II. It is half as long, much more streamlined and features a raucous soundtrack befitting the big battles you experience. This bloated version merely deserves to get slimed.

In setting up an explosive finale, the player's predictable busywork and inconsequential story as Javier fall into predictable, repeated tropes. Barring the final moments (some of which flip conventions on their head in a genuinely interesting turn), Telltale cannot decide how to make their protagonist compelling enough without servicing the narrative needs of others. Hopefully, the final episode carries forward with its momentum and salvages a worthy capper to the story of A New Frontier.

A fantastic pick-up-and-play puzzle party game for those who like the genre, but the barrier to entry is pretty high and there is little to make it welcoming to any newcomers.

Just Dance 2017 on the Nintendo Switch is a great debut for the genre on the new console, and speaks to the promise of more great Joy-Con motion-controlled games to come.

Despite being a fascinating rundown of the Nintendo Switch hardware’s capabilities, as a game in its own right, 1-2-Switch falls sadly flat. You’ll enjoy yourself immensely for a few hours, but after you and your friends have tried it, 1-2-Switch will be relegated to gathering dust on your shelf and having its most innuendo-heavy screenshots be used for bad memes. If you can play a preview of this somewhere, you’ve already seen everything it has to offer.

It’s beautiful, emotional, full of surprises and nostalgia, and just flat-out enjoyable to play at every moment. While I have played open world titles before, Breath of the Wild gave me a new sense of control over how my adventure played out, offering me a steady flow of chosen objectives and paths to them without overwhelming me with unnecessary information or bogging me down in sidequests. Mechanically sound, aesthetically pleasing (often breathtaking), challenging but rewarding, Breath of the Wild is a joyous journey you won’t want to put down, just so you can see what’s on the other side of each new hill.

Chime Sharp takes the simple concepts of the original Chime and brings with it new music and new challenges and puts it together in a robust, affordable and unique package.

Whether played in VR or not, Resident Evil 7: biohazard is a thrilling game and it shouldn’t be missed. If you have the option to play the game with a PSVR, you should by all means do so. Regardless of how you play Resident Evil 7: biohazard, just be sure that you do because it is one of 2017’s finest releases and the constant stream of DLC keeps the nightmare alive.

Snipperclips is what you make of it. It’s a non-stop puzzler joy that you can share with friends to demonstrate what the Nintendo Switch can actually do. There’s fairly little depth in terms of replayability, but at a budget price, it fits the niche that can serve seasoned players and newcomers, alike. Try getting through this without a laugh or two.

With few bells and whistles, Fast RMX delivers all it promises: it’s a simple, fun, and challenging gravity racer, full stop.

While not completely fleshed out just yet, Disc Jam provides enough fun and enjoyment with a simple concept for the asking price.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is practically a must-own for anyone who has just picked up a Nintendo Switch. The expected excellent platforming fun, enjoyable storytelling, and impressive art and sound of all three campaigns not only comes all packed together in one title, but also includes better accessibility than ever before on a platform the title feels made for.

Mario Sports Superstars left me with a weird mess of feelings. Some aspects, such as the tennis, baseball, and some aspects of horseback riding and golf were genuinely enjoyable, if lacking in long-term replay value. Others, such as the golf course reskins, everything in soccer, the tedium of horse care, and the fact that the best versions of every character in every sports are locked behind paywalls left a sour taste in my mouth. Should you get this game? If you like Mario Sports in general, well, sure. But if you’re only looking at a single sport or just looking for more 3DS fun before you cave and purchase a Switch, Mario Sports Superstars is a title you can skip without regret.

Danganronpa 1 & 2 Reload provides a powerful and gripping experience that will keep players addicted from the opening sequence until the final credits begin to roll. If you enjoy disturbing visual novels, odd characters, and solving murders, then Danganronpa 1 & 2 Reload is well worth experiencing.

You can almost hear BioWare repeatedly mashing the “Series Reset” button during a play-through of Mass Effect: Andromeda, but the game’s deviation from what we’ve come to expect from the franchise is largely characterized by a downgrade in quality almost across the entire board. Mass Effect: Andromeda attempts to redefine the potential for the franchise as it moves forward into the current generation, but the establishment of this new fiction makes for a disappointingly inconsistent experience.

Troll and I had the potential to be a good game: an intriguing (albeit overdone) adventure-driven story mixed with puzzle solving, combat, crafting, and more. But the game fails to successful execute any of these ideas in a meaningful way. The plot falls flat and the gameplay is repetitive and boring. The game is filled with immersion breaking bugs, and has the graphics of a PS2 era title from a Walmart bargain bin. When looking at Troll and I, remember the internet meme: “Don’t feed the troll.”

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix is a great value for fans of the series looking to have most of the games in once collection on their most current console with several upgrades that even those who own the previous collections might want to consider upgrading for.

MLB The Show 17 takes smart, calculated approaches to improving its gameplay while expanding the Road to the Show Mode with its addition of an ongoing narrative. In an attempt to solidify an excellent baseball simulation experience, one with more control over minute details in all available gameplay modes, the development team builds upon a solid base.

Has-Been Heroes is a brilliant idea that overreached itself in difficulty. A mix of incredibly complex strategy, RNG, weak tutorials, poor UI explanations, and a limp story drag a strong concept into the mud. If you’re patient, skilled, and attentive, you might be able to master the core concepts of Has-Been Heroes and relish the goodness hidden beneath the bad design choices. But had I not been reviewing the game, I would have been done after just a few hours. I just don’t like skeletons that much.

Horizon Zero Dawn has an unforgettable protagonist, world, story, visuals, soundtrack and gameplay. Due to minor issues with inventory management and quest selection, I cannot call it perfect but I can say it is absolutely worth your time.

Straddling a weird line between far too difficult and a touch too easy, Human Resource Machine has a very specific audience in mind and may not appeal to everyone with eyes on a low-cost Nintendo eShop title. But for what it is, Human Resource Machine presents a challenging diversion in the form of code string puzzling amid pleasing and amusing dystopian aesthetic. If this is the sort of mental challenge you like to carry around with you, by all means pick it up on the Nintendo Switch–it’s the ideal platform for such a game.

Whereas most DLC works as a throw-in gameplay experience that complements the main game, Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City places itself in the role of an unforgettable farewell. Whether you enjoy the haunting vistas, the myriad of new combat encounters, the expansion of the weapon, armor and items catalog or the fond memories of the series at large culminating into a fitting conclusion, it’s hard not to argue that Miyazaki’s level of excellence has persisted throughout the series.

Frank Rising strips away all of Dead Rising 4’s best assets – most notably its weaponry and light-hearted humor – in favour of an unforgivably short piece of DLC that butchers the narrative of the main campaign for cheap thrills. If you’re a Dead Rising fan, best to sit this one out.

If you missed Bulletstorm the first time round, The Full Clip Edition leaves no excuses to impoverish yourself of this cult classic any longer. While there’s not a whole lot of compelling additions to the remaster, the ever gratifying pulpiness of Bulletstorm’s inventive and versatile gunplay – juiced up by a healthy assortment of technical improvements – justifies a return to the maniacal playgrounds of Stygia, even if some of the game’s more outdated components remain in need of a revision.

I did not enjoy Graceful Explosion Machine. But you might. It hearkens back to arcade shooters in its repetitive presentation and simplicity, but if you aren’t bothered by that loop, the gameplay itself may be enough to hook you. The controls feel smooth as silk, HD Rumble makes each explosion tangibly satisfying, and the music is chill, if samey. If racking up high scores creating massive alien explosions again and again is your cup of space tea, Graceful Explosion Machine may be the Switch exclusive you need for the time being.

A thrilling adventure to save a world turned on its head with themes surrounding human nature, civilians in war, and the soldier’s journey. Surrounded by an impeccable soundtrack and pointed visuals, there is not another game which so gracefully pulls this off. The multiple endings are another thing to keep players coming back and are just as thrilling as the first playthrough. There are some issues with cutscenes and sidequests hardly live up to the main questline battles, however.

A unique, immersive mystery adventure game that is a standout in its genre. The amount of detail present in nearly every aspect of the game makes for a challenging but accessible puzzle solving experience. The game brilliantly combines time-loop mechanics with clever and mysterious puzzles that will put you on wit’s end, while smoothly balancing a creepy plotline with a colorful art style and dry humor. This indie title is a hidden gem that fans of mystery and puzzle games alike will greatly enjoy.

Right now, in setting up a grander story, Guardians of the Galaxy can coast on its style. With a shocking revelation setting up a world of possibilities going forward, there’s plenty of promise here. Whether or not the story goes places will make or break this series, but “Tangled Up In Blue” sets up a dynamic cast that will be fun to follow on their journey.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe serves as the definitive version of this racing game. New characters, new items, classic battle mode reintroduction and all the game’s courses (basic and DLC) are packaged into a game that you can play with friends at home or on the road, online and off.

Mr. Shifty is a competent and mostly enjoyable top-down brawler with an instinctive, visceral combat system. The teleportation mechanic is a standout addition to the game that makes players feel more like a superhero than a thief. But that feeling is short-lived, as the game fails to meaningfully introduce enough new elements to keep the gameplay from feeling formulaic and repetitive. With essentially no replayability, Mr. Shifty is a mildly entertaining title that did not fully capitalize on its potential.

After a long and exasperating day at work, Bye-Bye Boxboy! is the kind of relaxing mindgame you want to come home to. It’s cute and laidback while being devoid of the design-based frustrations that plague many puzzle platformers. By remaining user-friendly, Bye-Bye Boxboy! promises that you’ll remain engaged in your journey with Qbby from start to finish through the game’s hundreds of brilliant, physics and geometry-based platforming puzzles. Though Bye-Bye Boxboy! plays it safe in a way that makes it less than memorable, you’ll nonetheless find its gentle challenges rewarding.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is nostalgia done right. While it could have been a little more fully featured, it contains several classics games absolutely worth revisiting, or even checking out for the very first time.