Technical foibles aside, Darksiders Genesis provides yet another fresh take on everyone's favourite Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The isometric viewpoint is an interesting new direction and one that isn't quite justified by the familiar hack 'n' slash action, but this is nevertheless a fun and well-designed experience that stays true to its roots despite its diminished scale. Fans of Darksiders will surely find a lot to enjoy here.

Short, sweet, and to the point, Lydia makes for a memorable and engaging hour of gameplay. Its story of abuse will prove uncomfortable, but a restrained hand ensures audiences never have to confront anything too visceral through gameplay. There isn't much in the way of replayability, but a well told story, plus an excellent visual style make Lydia a worthwhile play-through for anyone looking for something emotionally dense.

With Coffee Talk however, as with similar experiences such as Neo Cab, taxing gameplay couldn't be further away from a selling point. The real joy is the feeling of interaction and intimate knowledge of every NPC that crosses the threshold. It's very easy to become embroiled in their lives and feel comforted knowing that the small amount of ingredients bundled together has made a difference to them, and might lead to even more forthcoming titbits. A charming and relaxing experience from start to finish, milk it for all its worth.

From a gameplay standpoint, Wide Ocean Big Jacket is an extremely simple game - with 'game' put between the biggest quote marks imaginable. As an experience, though, this is something else entirely. Turnfollow's tiny adventure is basically a funny, and occasionally very sweet, slice-of-life tale of four people enjoying themselves in the woods, while also dealing with some serious matters, but not in a very serious way. It's not a narrative-driven game. It is vacation in video game form - and only the good parts are included.

With the pedigree and ideas going into this, Phoenix Point should have been much, much better than it is. The cool ideas are overshadowed by ever-present bugs, glitches, and hiccups that constantly get in the way of the player. Even excusing these, the ideas and presentation come off as incredibly bland very soon into the adventure. Little customization, little options, and little reason to care about your soldiers or base, round out reasons this is in need of massive updates and overhauls if it is to be saved.

This is jam-packed with mini-games that can be enjoyed both against other players and alone, with enough content even for those with limited hand and/or arm mobility issues. It's the cutest party title known to mankind. This really is a game that everyone can find something to love: no compensation will be given for any arguments that multiplayer conjures up.

Too easy, too simple, and more often than not, too dull and slow, LUNA The Shadow Dust counts on its beautiful, fairy-tail, dreamy graphics, and soothing OST, a bit too much than it should. It's not a bad point-and-click adventure, sure, and those who can look past its heavy flaws will be entertained for about two to three hours, but if it weren't for its stunning hand-painted world, few would give it a second look.

Old lady Talma's melancholic tale of utter loneliness and inevitable end does provide some tasty breadcrumbs every now and then, but as a whole, this farm sim/narrative-driven title overstays its welcome, doesn't manage to be enjoyable, and ends up being a chore that just happens to include some pretty, and mildly coloured vistas, as well as a nice calm-and-then-ominous aura.

The heavy criticism towards Warcraft III: Reforged has nothing to do with the quality of the experience therein. This remains the wonderful real-time strategy that thousands of people have loved. The real problems begin when you take the changes of this remaster into consideration. The half-baked, unimpressive new engine and hit-or-miss design choices; the numerous bugs and network issues; and, finally, those mind-numbing, corporate-smelling decisions, like the fact that custom maps now belong to Blizzard, or how Reforged effectively ruins the original for those who don't even own the new game.

Big booties aside, the easiest way to sum up Atelier Ryza is: an absolutely great game framework, waiting for a game. The battles are interesting enough, the gathering okay, and the alchemy very good, but it all fails to connect on a purposeful or coherent level. With no driving narrative or reason, pretty rapidly the whole point becomes to simply battle, gather, alchemize, repeat; all of which fails to pull the player into something deep or meaningful. The is a great casual-friendly title, but it lacks any serious staying power.

It's a fun, stylised romp, with a plot that ticks all the "good versus evil" organisation boxes. Playing from start to finish isn't going to set your world alight, but what will be provided is a solid and fun run and gun, with some neat twists to break up the sections, and keep the interest right up until that last terror spreader falls under a metal Mecha boot.

Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace deserves credit for managing to retain a desire to spend more time with these characters, and runs with the humour and nerdiness in combination with the sexually natured and light-hearted narratives that Okabe ends up entwined in. It does the series justice by sticking to what makes everybody so appealing, but it is a very specific type of visual novel that doesn't get into any serious or dramatic situations. Understand what you're setting yourself up for and this is a fun alternate diversion to the original title.

A good tactical game makes you feel dumb when loosing, Banner of the Maid makes you feel cheated, as it's less about forming a plan, and more about retrying missions to discover which exact "route" to follow. Add to this a heavy lack of balance, some annoying friendly AI, and a needlessly long length, and this makes this Chinese-born SRPG hard to recommend. Its flawless pixel art style, and sexy anime look are really the only things of any worth here.

For the price-point of this DLC, it is hard to fault the amount of content offered up. This is most definitely the template for The Creative Assembly to continue forward with when it comes to future DLC for Total War: Three Kingdoms. The overarching conflict is an intriguing one, and the presence of the mysterious Yellow Turban faction really freshen things up in the campaign side. On top of the six new factions, the DLC also renews the interest in some of the existing warlords, with the ability to experience them under completely different circumstances than previously. This isn't a DLC for gameplay additions, but the play style adjustments in the campaign to the core gameplay loop do enough to keep things interesting.

StarBlox Inc. is a perfectly enjoyable action puzzler that manages to balance reflex-based gameplay with on-the-fly puzzle solving. The core gameplay loop doesn't have much in the way of depth, but it's easy to pick up, and fun to play, especially in groups of four. Unfortunately, no online means that StarBlox has no real shelf life in spite of a surprisingly decent single player campaign. If nothing else, this makes for a decent couch multiplayer alternative to Puyo Puyo and Tetris.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is an absolute diamond in the rough. The motion-comic cut-scenes get the job done, but are otherwise unimpressive to look at. The frame-rate can get really rocky when there are tons of lawmen about, firing rifles or revolvers from all over a town, as Silas darts from cover to cover. The overall concept and execution on the other hand is pure genius and fully takes advantage of the historical setting, flawlessly weaving it into the gameplay. John Cygan as Silas Greaves is an utter joy to listen to, as he gradually succumbs to a hilarious stupor. The arcade-like structure makes Gunslinger a natural fit for the Nintendo Switch's portable mode, so that chunks of the game are easily digested and completed while on the go.

This Resident Evil 2 doesn't replace or overwrite its source game in the way 2002's Resident Evil did, but that doesn't mean it's a bad remake. Rather, it's one of the best the medium has seen; amplifying the underlying horror and replayability at the core of the franchise. Capcom has outdone itself in an era where they're not hurting for successes. Not for the faint of heart, but a survival horror masterpiece nonetheless, Resident Evil 2 sets a standard for good horror, good action, and damn good game design.

Technical issues, and lack of polish put aside, Evil Genome is just a mediocre action-adventure, that only metroidvania aficionados can manage to enjoy for more than an hour. Bring its many problems back in, and what you get is a bargain bin metroidvania that simply isn't worth the trouble... fan or not.

There is no denying that Touring Karts VR is rough around the edges. It's clearly a labour of love, though, and is far more enjoyable than something not made by the big three has any right to be. With its wealth of customisation options, and immediate gratification through objectives and trophies, nobody could be expected to want more. It's a huge surprise and delight then to find fun gameplay, great music, and some real love put into each and every distinct track. If there is a VR headset gathering dust, take the punt and pick this up. The stall has been set out for future kart sims, and it's a pretty high bar to clear, even if those bears can't skate.

Great graphics, a compelling experience, and overall heart, paint the general picture of this adventure game. While some aspects of the story go unexplored and the animal-shifting aspect largely goes under-utilized, these are not enough to distract from a positive experience. Gamers need to know going in that Lost Ember is a very casual-friendly experience, but one that is still well done. The only thing holding it back is a lack of truly diving into the mechanics presented, or truly investigating the story themes brought forth.

The intriguing plot pushes players forward with each puzzle that is completed, and it will have you contemplating all sorts of topics long after finishing the game. More unlockable rooms with some further challenge would have been welcome, but The Turing Test passes on many fronts. Well worth a purchase - and launches at a great price, too.

Forget about the little issues that Monster Hunter: World has here and there. There's only one big flaw, and it's the fact that it can be overwhelming towards newcomers, or those who just like their gaming to be a simple, pick-up-and-play deal. Those who'll persevere will discover something that, although simple in structure (fight monsters, craft weapons, and then fight some more monsters), is extremely enjoyable.

A flawed port that struggles to overcome mediocrity in its implementation, and that suffers from a lack of multiplayer, leads to a less than stellar experience. Star Wars Jedi Outcast is purely saved by its solid level design, and fan service. There are probably better options if you want a good TV experience, but nothing can beat this port's portable experience, which is in all honestly its saving grace. Recommended for fans looking to take it on holiday, and a near miss for fans looking for a Star Wars title worthy of being played in the big screen.

The controls are an absolute mess and it's a shame, as Surgeon Simulator CPR is a funny title that is great entertainment for team of friends. While the aim is to "save" patients, doing the opposite is what eventuates most of the time thanks to some unintentional, but humorous moments. With a better control scheme, more responsive controls, and less glitches, Surgeon Simulator CPR would be an easier title to recommend on the Switch. However, beyond the poor controls, there is some enjoyment to be found here for those who don't take these too seriously.

Mechstermination Force is a terrific boss-rush adventure that grants a few hours of undisputed, frenetic, and fast-paced gunplay against gargantuan robotic titans. Climb up the legs and torsos of these mighty beasts and take back Earth. Up to two heroes can blast away these monsters to the backdrop of fantastic audio tracks, while using a plethora of the biggest and most damaging guns. The visuals look neat, and the action-heavy fights are pretty to look at. If one downside had to be mentioned, it's that this experience can be over pretty quick as there aren't a lot of MegaMechs to battle, and the three-star system used to replay previous battles doesn't feature any further incentive other than bragging rights.

Even though a bit harder to play compared to the original, the wonderfully designed puzzles, characters and music make this game a wonderful experience. Players that enjoy brain teasers without being forced into a time constraint will enjoy Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy - Deluxe Edition, as a relaxing and sometimes infuriating title - but remember that every puzzle has an answer!

In spite of a somewhat spotty presentation, Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark manages to fill a tactical RPG niche that had been lying dormant for far too long. Beyond just serving as a competent TRPG, however, Fell Seal engages with the genre in increasingly dynamic ways. It borrows a good deal of its concepts from Final Fantasy Tactics, but nothing is just brought over as is. While there are conceptual similarities between the titles, this has more than enough mechanical depth to stand on its own. Strong map design and plenty of customization options make this game a must-have for fans of tactical RPGs.

Oppaidius Tropical Cruise! is Oppaidius Summer Trouble! all over again, with the only big difference being the new setting and girl. In other words, this remains a very good, comedy/ecchi visual novel, which doesn't take itself too seriously, doesn't last too long, and is appropriately naughty without getting distasteful. Oh, yeah - it's also free.