Generally speaking, Styx: Blades of Greed’s move to a more open world is a good choice and plays to the title character’s strengths. Intricate level design and challenging stealth are matched by Styx’s new and returning toys. Apart from some technical misfires and my personal gripes with a few mechanics, Styx: Blades of Greed is not quite an open-armed introduction to the loveable green guy, but it should absolutely please fans of the series.

The original game charmed people with its characters and premise but fell through on delivering a satisfying story. This game feels like it’s been mapped out from beginning to end, and this strength carries me through its weaker moments so I can experience events like the climax of Wastelands. I have faith in Life is Strange 2 that it understands where it’s going and what it wants to do, and I’m here for the long haul.

This expansion is a great buy for players of either the Vampire or Empire factions. It is a more modest price then the last piece of DLC for almost the same amount of content. While the additions favor the Vampires, both sides get some cool new toys to play with. It’s a great expansion that is sure to tide players over until the next race is introduced.

Overall, if you’re looking for a more open world experience or a narrative that takes one of many paths based on your various choices, you might be a bit disappointed by Silence. It is a linear experience, a straight narrative path with puzzle-gates to go through to continue on — much like other point-and-click games like Deponia, Monkey Island or Broken Age. Having said that, the writing is very good and I enjoyed the narrative very much even if it did feel like a visual novel at times. Added to that are the gorgeous visuals, haunting musical score and solid puzzle elements and you have a fun and entertaining package that feels right at home on the Switch.

At the core of the game is your relationship with the ship’s AI – Kaizen. If you treat it with the proper respect and try to foster a friendly relationship, the game narrative will resonate with you more and by extension, make your journey through the game all that more engrossing.

Breached melds together a plethora of mechanics and systems to build a unique experience. The more I played it, that impressive effect was not as astounding as was first introduced but it’s still there.

Still, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town gets it right in all the important areas. The characters are definitely serviceable and are full of personality. I’m still absolutely in love with the aesthetic, and I can admit that I’ve definitely stayed up too long playing this game. It is missing any online functionality though, but if you are looking for a new solo farming game, definitely take a look at this one.

VR is obviously at its best when it creates an experience that is unique to the medium. By this definition, Bounce Arcade is a definite success. It has an original concept that’s well executed and lots of fun. Often in VR, novelty is a game’s only selling point. I don’t think that’s true with Bounce Arcade, and hopefully the game will continue to be supported by new tables and additional modes or incentives to keep playing.

Metal Eden is free of mission creep, focusing on refined movement, breakneck speed and punchy combat. It does those things well, embedded in an interesting fiction and shiny cyberpunk environments. A few objectives and systems aren’t always clear, and the game’s linear design and rigid mission structure could use some breathing room, as it starts to feel a bit repetitive. All in all, Metal Eden is a fun, fast and furious sci-fi shooter and will definitely appeal to fans of the genre.

Bard’s Gold, while simple in theory, plays with a bit more difficulty, and though you may want to turn your TV down to avoid the uninspiring soundtrack, it is well worth its price of $4.99.

Silt is a unique game that perfectly blends the themes of horror and isolation. Due to the abominations that manifest within, unease spreads throughout and you will second-guess every narrow path. The wonderful puzzles offer a suitable level of challenge which will you keep you content. Even though the movement is a little rigid and it is relatively short, it’s a brilliant experience that taps into the darkest, depths of thalassophobia.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney still cleverly presents itself as one of the most memorable adventures to reside in the Ace Attorney series. Having it available on the 3DS allows returning fans as well as new players to experience the series at its best in this day and age. While nothing revolutionary is present, it simply retouches the visuals, audio, and added features that will help players experience the game in a way similar to its original launch.

New Pokémon Snap takes everything the original game did right and only adds onto the original, successful formula. It is beautiful and relaxing while being frantic and fun. There is an almost overload of things to see and do on each stage with plenty of challenges to complete. Seeing your favorite Pokémon come to life is an absolute treat, but making the game bigger and better while adding certain limitations feels like a recipe for artificial longevity. With so much going on at any given time and imperfect means of interacting with the Pokémon – coupled with the ability to submit only one photo per outing per Pokémon at a time – New Pokémon Snap is asking you to complete dozens of perfect runs per stage to fill the Photodex. While the repetitive nature might be just fine for kids, this game may be better in short bursts for adults and perfectionists.

Despite these easily fixable flaws, I haven’t had this much fun in an arcade racer in a long time. It’s a beautiful and smooth experience with clever level design, cheeky humor, and the ability to make some truly spectacular vehicles. With split-screen and online multiplayer, LEGO 2K Drive is a great choice for some late-night gaming shenanigans.

It may seem like there is no end in sight, no happy ending for those who survive, but with its fantastic presentation and no-nonsense attitude, Frostpunk is an exemplary game to learn from and with so many paths to go down, the replay value is through the roof, especially for gamers who happen to be a glutton for punishment.

Atari Mania is an absolute blast. The world includes a number of puzzles that adds variety to the speedy microgames formula. While the company lacks the same number of mainstream icons as Nintendo, the implementation of popular IPs is masterful. The controls are a little stiff and performance did falter at times, however, the love and admiration for the classics are palpable. With its imaginative mashups, nostalgia-filled collectibles and extremely addictive gameplay loop, Ataria Mania is a must for retro enthusiasts.

There’s definitely a Frankenstein’s Half-Genie of ideas at play here though; as much as the game does right none of it is original or groundbreaking. Still, I did enjoy playing through it a whole lot, its light and fanciful approach offering a nice break than some of the heavier games of late. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is more than the sum of its parts, but I just wish a few of those parts were original concepts.

Every aspect of this game is steeped in strategy. The choice system, the combat, and the core narrative all reinforce this idea. Especially the story, which maintains a desperate intensity throughout. Your every move is carefully considered, and each response carries serious weight. Between this intensity and the measured pace, my focus occasionally suffered. My tendency to level grind also backfired on me, adding extra strain to the runtime. On the other hand, the battles were all addictive and compelling. So much so that you resent the other sections a little. While the pressures of running a High House may seem oppressive, don’t despair! Each struggle comes with its own rich rewards. If you’ve got the patience for it, Triangle Strategy will get its hooks deep in your brain.

I don’t feel like I earned the ending I got, and I believe fans who traversed all three games are going to feel a bit shortchanged by the final cutscene. Despite captivating set pieces and a sentimental journey with Lara, my engagement took a dive at several intervals, and my pendulum of investment too often fell on the fringe of excitement. A few missing puzzle pieces leave a good experience in the place of greatness.

I review a lot of games and I’ll admit that diving into another roguelike isn’t always immediately appealing. But Ravenswatch does enough clever things with its mechanics, art, character design, and premise that I was intrigued and engaged. Ravenswatch demonstrates again that in the hands of talented developers, there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the roguelike genre.

If you get mad at touchy jumps that require perfection, you might want to stay away.

I really enjoyed Shuten Order. The narrative kept me excited to find out the identity of The Founder’s killer. I really enjoyed the structure of every investigation being a different style of visual novel. But the game suffers from many of the issues that plague the visual novel genre. The writing is long-winded, and can be lazy at times. There are lots of bad anime tropes that are going to turn away anyone who isn’t already a visual novel fan. But if you love the genre, Shuten Order is one of my favorite new visual novels in quite a while.

All in all, there’s enough happening in Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! that can keep you entertained for a long time. If you’re looking for a challenge, you can try filling out all the Bingo cards, beating your own high scores, and playing with friends and strangers online. There are fun rewards and lots of familiar songs that make this game feel nostalgic yet new at the same time. While there was opportunity missed by not having the drum controller available here, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! is still enjoyable by itself.

The best thing about Super Animal Royale, aside from its lighthearted art style, is that is reasonably satisfying to play without requiring the kind of time commitment that those other battle royale games assume you’re willing to make. Matches are fun, fast and the dopamine won’t even have time to leave your system before you’re in the next round again. It might not be the most complex or graphically impressive game in the genre, but Super Animal Royale accomplishes its goals of being accessible, adorable and addictive.

Ride 2 is definitely a game for racing fans, designed from the ground up with customization and realism as the foundational pillars. It’s hard to recommend if you aren’t a fan of the genre, but I would consider it a must have enthusiasts.

With over 9,000 cards at our disposal as well as being able to relive the anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is everything I could have hoped for. Sure, there are some elements and annoyances that hold the experience back but overall there’s a ton of content and fans should be plenty satisfied.

Bravely Default is a fantastic RPG, one that’s easily worth your time and attention. The job and combat systems alone are worth the price of entry. Everything else, the charming graphics, the clever dialogue, and the catchy music, is icing on a delicious cake. I wish the visuals felt more worthy of the Nintendo Switch 2, but they still look better than ever before. If you’ve played the original, I’m not sure if you want the remaster. But if you haven’t, you simply can’t miss Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster.

Tinkering around in Free Mode is much the same chill and fun way to spend some time as in other building sims. The game allows for the player to design some fairly complex and impressive structures, even if the tools aren’t always entirely cooperative. Anyone designing a dream home or business could certainly use Architect Life to make a first pass at realizing their vision.