I love the game that is bubbling under all the excess garbage. This year’s MyPlayer is pretty much what I would have liked to see before in the series, even though I had to play it with Plan B characters as photo uploading in-game didn’t initially work. Despite its crappy presentation, MyCareer is also endearing and inspiring. If you, like me, advocate equality in all things, WWE 2K20 is worth your attention if the entertainment it features is your thing – and only when it’s fixed to the state when all the playtime won’t be spent on bewildering bugs and glitches. A tip to 2K and Visual Concepts; don’t even bother with the next year’s iteration until this one is fully patched.

Although the Switch version is a new way to play, it really doesn't add anything new to the game. If you were a fan before, you'll either want to play it again or you won't. But if you're a new player picking Overwatch up for the first time, then you'll very much enjoy the experience on Nintendo.

If Hideo Kojima’s non-conventional storytelling, flair for the cinematic, and fourth-wall-breaking silliness gets you out of bed every morning, then Death Stranding is going to appease, surprise, and maybe even delight.

While it lacks the processing punch of a PC-tethered headset, the mobility and no-strings-attached freedom of the Oculus Quest has allowed me to dive deep into the headset as a fitness product, and Beat Saber, Box VR and a few other titles are in regular rotation. Synth Riders has the potential to challenge those products if it can expand the range of its playlist and offer a few more bells and whistles (like a campaign) to the generally solid foundation. Synth Riders’ approach is definitely influenced by Beat Saber but it has expanded the earlier game’s vocabulary and mechanics in several interesting ways.

The problem with all puzzle games is that they are almost always a single-play through experience, so that initial run has to be the memorable one. Moons of Madness has some jump scares and other surprises, but its biggest draw might be that it takes Lovecraftian elements into a wholly new environment and replaces combat with exploration, puzzles and a slow-growing sense of confusion and dread. Fans of all those different elements and genres might find Moons of Madness just the right companion for Halloween night video gaming.

Overall, Galaxy Champions TV is a decent little game, and an instant purchase for those who miss Smash TV. Otherwise, I feel like this is the sort of game perfectly suited to the Switch. Just something to play during your morning train ride. Simple, engaging for a short time, and rounds are over quickly.

To sum it up, The Eyes of Ara is a solid point-and-click adventure with plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep you interested.

Overall, Iron Rain echoes Insect Armageddon as a spin-off that tries to take the well-loved series in a new direction. Unfortunately, it drained out a lot of the charm that made the older titles so fun to begin with. Admittedly, any Earth Defense Force game will have a passable fun factor just from how straightforwardly enjoyable it is to blow up giant enemies and buildings. However, the campaign dragged on far too long and relied too heavily on endless waves of bland enemies. Sadly, Iron Rain is a massive misstep that should probably be avoided by both fans and newcomers alike.

There’s a lot to enjoy here for BurgerTime fans, and I have always been one of them. If you are already a fan, I think you will really enjoy the game. However, if you already know you aren’t a fan of the series, then please skip the game. The new ingredients (pun intended again) will not change your mind at all and may actually reinforce the elements you don’t like. If you aren’t sure and have never played the original, I urge you to play the original BurgerTime arcade game and make your decision from there as BurgerTime Party! just improves upon the classic.

I enjoyed my time in the world of Trine 4. The puzzles are engaging, the world is attractive, and there are few puzzle platform games with local co-op out there. There were a few issues here and there, but I recommend Trine 4 to anyone looking for a game to play with a friend.

The post-game content can be a complete nightmare for clueless newcomers because Disgaea 4 demands you to learn its systems in-depth so that you can break them in your favor. That being said, with lovable and quirky characters, amazing voice-acting, great writing, and excruciatingly complex gameplay, Disgaea 4 Complete+ is a dream come true for strategy game fanatics.

Including all unavoidable failures and retries, it only takes two hours to play Stela through. In that sense, the asking price of twenty bucks is a bit too steep. However, the game is well done and the gameplay focuses only on the essential as there’s nothing extra to distract you. There are plenty of similar games out here (Limbo, Inside and Little Nightmares to name a few) and despite somewhat unfortunately hollow emotional response, fans of the genre will find a competent puzzle-platformer in Stela. As of writing, no one has clocked the achievement for zero deaths during a playthrough so the game is a perfect challenge for die-hard completionists out there.

Aside from some minor visual glitches and pop-in and some finnicky platforming, A Knight’s Quest is not at a bad time but it’s not an experience that will stick with you, either. Its focus on humor instead of drama or pathos will be a selling point for players weary of self-important heroes and dark themes but on the flip side, humor is very subjective. From its title to its overall mechanics, A Knight’s Tale seems like a safely familiar variation on a popular but over-played theme, appealing for its recognizable form but less satisfying for its lack of creative ambition.

In some ways the game feels pigeonholed by its genre and its aesthetic qualities don't do it any favors, but Fight'N Rage elevates the hot-blooded action of old-school beat em' ups to new heights.

Although it has an intriguing story that feels like a Greek mythology greatest hits collection, Argonus and the Gods of Stone impresses with a fresh setting and the transposition of the puzzle-adventure genre into the world of ancient gods and heroic characters. Playing through it can be frustrating at times, thanks to technical issues, an overall aimlessness and puzzles that are made challenging by their dependence on hard to find objects and an inconsistent interface. With a bit more polish, focus and quality of life enhancements, Argonus and the Gods of Stone would impress all the more.

For me and for my generation, the subject matter that Ghostbusters: The Video Game so respectfully represents is a flight back to the carefree childhood. Here’s the catch, though. It’s not a one-way nostalgia ticket to the bygone world but a fun game that perfectly holds up today with its entertaining gameplay, sparkling and characteristic visuals and amusing narrative. Can I ask for more from the game? Wait, of course I can! Next, give me a Ghostbusters game where I can play as Jillian Holtzmann and the world would be complete!

Deliver Us the Moon is a good-looking game with a solid story premise that doesn’t quite stick the final landing. It never strays far from many of the tried-and-true puzzle-adventure game mechanics (uncharitable people might call them cliches) that remind us we’re in a world with artificially created barriers for us to remove in order to progress. I appreciate that Deliver Us the Moon pulls from some of the dire headlines and concerns that are part of our lives today and suggests how they will resolve — or not.

Blasphemous finds success by adhering to staples of the genre and executing them well. Coupled with its strong art style and design, it’s a great option for anyone seeking another Metroidvania fix. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it proudly shows off its visual personality.

Overall, Dune Sea feels like a work in progress. Though it generally succeeds with its pleasant scenery and occasionally inspiring music, the gameplay holds the game back from being the kind of experience it was meant to be. Had the flying been more polished and the glitches less abundant, Dune Sea would easily be a solid, relaxing experience. As it is now, it’s a good example of why playtesting and polishing are so important.

Candleman is a very fun game to play on the go as the short levels allow you to just pick it up and play whenever you feel the need. It’s also easily replayable due to the goals of lighting candles in each level, but overall, it’s a bit short. It’s a shame as I feel like there could have been many more avenues to be explored. However, if you want a short, thought-provoking game to play through that won’t take up all your time and won’t break the bank, then Candleman is at the top of my list of recommendations.

Not all games that focus on a few, selected mechanics are bad, of course, but any game that narrows its focus to such a small set of moves had better make sure those are brilliant or that there are other, supporting pleasures, like an interesting narrative to fill out the experience. The developers seem to think that minimalist presentation, limited mechanics and high, often unfair difficulty and repetitive combat are enough to distinguish Ling: A Road Alone from other hack-and-slash games. Come to think of it, they’re right.

The Sojourn is a beautiful game with numerous extremely clever puzzles but it has a hard time balancing its story and difficulty curve. I honestly wish I liked this game more than I did. It has a lot going for it, but if I hadn’t been reviewing it, I would not have made it to the end. Though seemingly inspired by some of the best games ever, The Sojourn falters in its ambition. On the other hand, if you like first-person puzzle games and want to stare at something incredibly pretty for a while, you could do a lot worse than The Sojourn.

The VR Case Files, though technically well-adapted to the platform, is a novelty, a carnival rendition of a game I hold a huge amount of personal respect for. If nothing else, I thank L. A. Noire: The VR Case Files for reaffirming my love and respect for the original game.

Trails of Cold Steel III is a must play if you enjoyed the first two games in the series. The game is not radically different from the previous titles, so if you didn’t love them or just do not like JRPGs in general, it won’t change your mind. If you’re a newcomer to the franchise, I strongly recommend playing the first two games in Trails of Cold Steel series before getting into this one.

At times, Code Vein can be stressing as you can’t cut much slack until you have gained not only level-ups to strengthen your character but also personal confidence to challenge everything the game throws at you. While it sometimes too obediently follows conventions of Souls-likes, its generous framework and character-centric exposition bring the game its own kind of unique personality.

As an allegory, bringing light to personal or cultural darkness through art isn’t terribly original but it’s still relatively surprising for any game to have a wider subtext, and besides, Concrete Genie’s deepest pleasures are aesthetic. It’s simply fun and rewarding to paint with light and bring fantasy fairy tale Genies to life. The VR implementation is bare-bones and is of little consequence for those without a headset, but Concrete Genie is a great example of an imaginative interactive experience that simply couldn’t exist outside of gaming. We need more of those.

As a landmark title that other games have trouble matching even now, The Witcher 3 flourishes on the Nintendo Switch. With an immense amount of absolutely engaging content, a meaningful narrative, and a meticulously designed world to explore, there’s no doubt about the quality of the game.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a masterpiece of design that balances tradition and subtle innovation and is very bit as entertaining on the Switch as it was on PC or PS4. It’s a generous game with relaxed yet engaging storytelling and despite some minor graphical compromises and hiccups, it’s a near-perfect fit on the Switch, absolutely worth revisiting for those who played another version, and required playing for anyone with an interest in the genre or series.