Mario Golf: Super Rush is a solid hit for the Mario Golf franchise. It’s probably as fluid as it has ever been. It plays very well and is really easy to pick up, even for people who have never touched a golfing video game. Unfortunately, it falls short in terms of content, which only really allows it to be enjoyed in bursts.

Absolver spends so much time honing the development of its fascinating, ambitious combat system that it leaves a shallow narrative structure in its foundation. An ever-evolving gameplay mechanic cannot carry a game's excellence on its own merit, and unfortunately, there is little draw to the world of Adal than the encounters within it.

Much like No Man’s Sky, Sea of Thieves has the foundation for a game that could be incredible. Unfortunately, it’s current state is more akin to something that should be a $20 Early Access title. The game is also most optimally played with friends, as randoms are typically hit or miss. Solo players probably shouldn’t even bother.

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.

Although the fun in traversing through Belles’ Hells and beating a variety of Kleshas will keep you engrossed in the game, it will start feeling a bit repetitive after a while. It lacks engagement in some areas where I expected a bit more. This unique storyline of various girls and your precious bond with your soulmate Ms. Poisonette put this game ahead of certain RPGs.

Artifact is one of the most polished digital card games available. The game’s multi-lane mechanics bring MOBA elements into card game form, providing challenging strategic gameplay. Valve still has a way to go to prove Artifact’s long-term viability though due to its lack of a progression system and ranked modes.

Eight years after its initial release, VVVVVV is still fun, still challenging, still weird, and still sadly short. There’s nothing new to see here if you’ve already beat the game, but as a cheap, quick pick-up-and-play title, VVVVVV has found a fitting home on the Switch eShop.

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.

NBA 2K21 remains a top-tier basketball simulation game, although one that has seemingly maxed out its potential on current-gen systems. Things like the shooting difficulty can and will be adjusted with patches over time. If you put in the time and work, you’ll probably learn to love the new skill gap it provides, but it’s definitely not for everyone. And that’s where NBA 2K21 misses its mark; it feels geared more towards the hardcore competitive community, leaving casual players and fans feeling lost and overwhelmed.

Arcadia Fallen is a solid visual novel with branching baths based on character interactions, romance options and how you ultimately choose to educate your character. Some of the voice acting is a little rough and the art style is devoid of things we’ve come to expect from visual novels, like splash pages that actually show what your character is doing. Despite its flaws, Arcadia Fallen is a fantastic visual novel game, and a solid first step for Galdra Studios.

With so many scary games to choose from in recent years, Amnesia: The Bunker wouldn’t be my first or fifth go-to for horror. Even though the game starts strong, it’ predecessors are fierce competitors in terms of mechanics and scares. Amnesia: The Bunker is a good game but not a great one.

The game looks amazing, the combat system is great, and some of the comedy is extremely funny. But in terms of plot and humor and even customization, it feels like a step back from the first game, which should never be the case for a video game sequel.

After a disappointing second salvo, The Council episode 3, “Ripples,” rebounds with full gusto. Bringing a narrative and gameplay balance, players are given a better picture at what the series aims to accomplish and keeps them hooked onto what happens next.

While there isn’t anything to make Evil Dead: The Game stand out among the other asymmetrical survival horror games, what the game does, it does really well. However, that sameness will get old fairly fast.

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.

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.

Death Road to Canada is a fun play after powering through the extreme learning curve, combining zombie survival and old arcade art.

Dynasty Warriors 9 still retains the fun factor of its predecessors but has not built upon them. The inclusion of the open world and 90 playable characters does not add as much value as it should but does only a little to take away from the experience. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will enjoy this game despite its limitations and glitches.

Fire Emblem Warriors exceeded the expectations of fans and newcomers alike. The intense battles are a balanced combination of satisfying attacks and careful direction of your allies to take down generals. Strategy is key, making it impossible to take your eyes away even for a second.

Ancestors is a beautiful game that pits you against all odds in the simulated perspectives of our forebears. Go about through millions of years of evolution, but don’t expect your hand to be held throughout. It’s about exploration, survival, and learning. Curiosity and patience have to be your biggest drivers to get by. Aside from questionable AI choices and oftentimes monotonous tasking, it’s an interesting experience.

The writing is exquisite and reflects the joyful diversity of both writers and characters, blending the lines of history and fable to great effect. But the technical framework supporting the discovery of these tales is shaky, with some mechanics simply frustrating and others downright broken. Keep a very, very close eye on this game to pick up after a patch.

Unfortunately, the tediousness of the game’s mechanics erases some of the magic of seeing your dinosaur park come to life.

A middling exploration game with subpar fighting mechanics, it’ll be harder to enjoy Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles if you’re not already a fan.

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.

Culdcept Revolt is a huge time commitment and is not for the faint of heart. It’s about as niche and unique of an experience as you can get. If you are a masochistic tabletop guru, then this is right up your alley.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has some fun references for longtime Suda 51 fans but ultimately is a merely okay top-down action game dripping with missed potential promised by its premise.

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.

Everything genuinely good about this game exists mostly because the original Diamond and Pearl games had a good story and interesting characters. This game takes all those and rehashes it only through the veil of basic 3D characters that have the mobility of Funko Pops. Boring textures and an almost purposeful lack of detail takes something that was originally served as a masterful dish and converts it into a repackaged microwaved TV dinner.