Although it does have some issues with text readability in handheld mode, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore otherwise represents a clear improvement over its Wii U counterpart. The ability to speed up Session combos makes the combat feel substantially faster in the game’s later stages, and the new content exclusive to the Switch release is a more than welcome addition to an already sizeable package. Despite my one issue with it, I can’t help but consider it the superior version of an already excellent game.

Unless there are some inherent issues with certain types of machines, God of War is an easy recommendation if you're looking to get in for the first time on PC.

While Last of Us still has some of the same issues the original debuted with in 2013, the PS5 version (and likely the upcoming PC port, based on Sony's past efforts) is the best way to play it to date. [Review in Progress]

The combination of the roguelike and card genre seems like a match made in heaven and Slay the Spire uses that match to craft something amazing even while in Early Access. I do wonder why it took so long for someone to bring these two genres together in such a well-done manner but that matters not because it's here now and roguelike and card game fans are better off for it. [Early Access]

Despite these nitpicks that are unique to the console editions, TERA is still absolutely worth trying out if you've never delved into it before. It's something I plan on sticking with on the side rather than as a main course, but those of you who are already chowing down on TERA should probably stay with the PC version.

Building these toys back-to-back in a rush just doesn't seem like what it was made for. It's made for creativity, thinking on your own, and a million other things that you would have never have thought a video game console could do. My only worry is where I'm going to store all this cardboard, and if the games will continue to hold the interest of both myself and my son beyond the initial impact of how cool it is to make something like this.

Aethermancer is a beautiful representation of the roguelite and monster-tamer genres combined into one, and it’s got a lot to offer for those who enjoy the nuance and difficulty that these games can be known for. It’s worth picking up for anyone looking for their next run, though it’s not without its flaws. [Early Access Provisional Score - 80]

As I geared up for this assessment I found myself playing the entire first act again without thinking.

One of the first things I did was head over to the ocean and pee in it with a dedicated button.

Squall and his gang are welcome in my home anytime.

If you enjoyed previous Labo kits with your family you'll probably like spending a weekend with this one, even if it won't be making the rounds and wowing Late Night audiences.

If FuturLab can continue adding creative levels, further flesh out the Career mode, and implement its planned multiplayer and "experimental" mechanics, PowerWash Simulator will be in a great place. As is, it's definitely good enough to recommend. Not so much "oddly satisfying" as it is "satisfying, period." [Early Access review]

Action-wise, Devil May Cry still wipes the floor with most standard genre fare.

More of this please, Konami.

XV will likely go down as one of the most divisive games in the series, and not in a 'it was more liked over time' sort of way: I'm fine with that.

The Switch version...lags way behind the others in nearly every conceivable way.

If you're still active, these changes and another season will keep you going. It's that simple.

There is so much to celebrate here in terms of quality aesthetic design, intelligent gameplay, online stability, and genuine heartfelt passion from the underdog developer. Betting against something special being delivered over time would be foolhardy. There's more work that needs to be done, but Them's Fightin' Herds has come out of the gate with a lot of promise, and I, for one, hope it builds upon its foundation, finds its audience, and takes its place in the Winner's Circle soon.

If you're the type of old school rhythm player that's willing to look past those blemishes and just focus on the music, you'll be fine.

In a way, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a wish come true for me. [Review in Progress]

My advice? If you’ve got a partial PS4 save file ready to go, or even an endgame file that’s not at 100 percent completion, Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a wonderful way to tie up loose ends. Some of the additions are interesting distractions at best, while others are genuinely helpful tools that provide alternate plans of attack as a futuristic delivery man. The short but memorable line of new side-quests is essentially icing on top. Brand-new players, by all means. Tear into this poignant, artisanal, off-the-rails hiking video game, even if it’s slow at first. And don’t forget to smash that “like” button.

If you're thinking of playing Among Trees and you know you need extrinsic motivators to hold your interest, you'll want to wait until the Early Access schedule is further along. If you're down for a laid-back forest hiking game and you enjoy charting your own course just for the heck of it, give it a chance. [Early Access review]

If you’ve played the original, you know exactly what you’re getting here. If you haven’t—why haven’t you?! [Review in Progress]

We’ll continue to follow Palworld as it develops throughout Early Access. But right now, Pocketpair has managed to both deliver on its surreal vision.

If you believe you’re ready to take the plunge on a journey that just might end you, La-Mulana 2 is highly recommended. Just be sure to look out for false tablets…and don’t stand still too often…oh, definitely listen when the game tells you to stop reading.

I could watch Phoenix coyly and confidentially slap documents while presenting them in court all day.

There’s still some work to do, and I have a laundry list of things I want to see, but I have zero regrets about binging the whole thing over a single weekend. [Early Access Review]

Despite its promise, we really need to see where post-game support and server population is going to be in a few months.

If you've been craving more of the occult in Sims 4, it's a decent way to indulge that craving given that "Vampires" is one of the only substantial offerings in that department since 2015.

I’m not convinced Core Keeper can match the quality and scope of its best-in-class inspirations, but it’s already worth a look in Early Access, and if the rest of the pieces fall into place leading up to the full launch, it’ll be fondly remembered. [Early Access Review]

If like me, you have a love of history, Attentat 1942 will be a treasure not only for a fresh perspective on a widely reported period of time but also for the amount of work that you can see the developers put into making sure their story fit within the confines of history. It won't be a joyous or happy ride but in the end, it makes for an enlightening experience that uses the medium of gaming to educate in ways that only it can.

A few of the issues I had during my playthrough have already been addressed, and as of the most recent update, the Party Hard Killer is ready to crash and slash your party.

If you haven't played this series yet, now is a good time.

Due to the marriage of puzzles and story I was swept up in Isle of Madness from start to finish.

The combo of real-time lanes and card-based abilities allows Teppen to feel more intense than most of the other card games on the market.

One of the things I like most so far is that almost nothing is simply a straight "upgrade" of another thing. Even the lowliest farmer finds use supplying the growing complexity and demands of an advancing society. [Review in progress]

Castlevania: Requiem is a complicated thing. It's both a wonderful package of two incredible moments in Castlevania history and a bog-standard port.

I urge you to pick The Messenger back up and give Picnic Panic a shot: if only for more sassy shopkeeper dialogue.

Town to City is the latest city builder now in early access, and it’s a must-play for fans of the genre. This new beautifully blocky game lets your creativity run amok against an absolutely stunning landscape, and with a wide array of customization options, it sets itself apart from other entries in the genre. It's not without minor flaws, but aspirational players should by no means let that prevent them from giving Town to City a go. [Early Access Score = 80]

A lot of us have been recommending this game for almost four years now, and with the slick visual upgrade, it's even easier to vouch for.

There's a lot of time for the studio is smooth things over, build on the season concept and trim some of the fat. For now, be cautious.

I hope every Resident Evil game from here on out has VR support, because it’s a great long term value add. At this point you kind of know that if you’re buying into an RE project, there’s something cool coming down the line. I can get behind that!

Given that these are single-player experiences first, it makes sense that there wouldn't be a focus on bringing in multiplayer.

Like all Labo experiences the Vehicle Kit was fun to build, but once that's done and you've saturated the software, you're done.

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a fine collective of games that helped define several genres, even if they weren't nearly as popular as their successors.

I wouldn't feel good about Battlefront II's progression system even if there were no way to buy loot boxes with real money. It'd still be a drag. And the fact that we're talking about a full-priced, big-publisher, triple-A game here makes the whole situation even less forgivable.

Despite just offering a taste of what's to come with Vader Immortal, the first episode has me hooked and I want more.

While Dauntless still has a lot to prove in terms of longevity, grabbing a few friends and going on a hunt is easy as hell given the free-to-play system and open platform concessions.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a platformer that needs to be experienced by as many people as possible.

I really do believe there’s a great horror game here. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve played up until this point and love the breadth of content on offer, as well as the intriguing puzzles and an environment that slowly evolves over time. Still, for now, I don’t recommend you buy this game until a patch has been released and I’m able to get through the entire thing for our final review. [Review in Progress]

Overall, Exoprimal is a bit more interesting than I’d thought it be. It’s not anything to shout from the rooftops about, but it’s got a little more charm and more enjoyable combat than I was expecting. But that’s just day one. [Day One Impressions]

As long as more companies like Panic Button figure out the secret sauce of how to distill 44.55GB (PS4) files into 21.8 GB (Switch) while keeping the gameplay intact, the Switch has a bright future ahead of it.

Crawl spent a long time getting to where it is now, and the results speak for themselves – it's the best time you'll have knifing your friends in the dark, betraying all bonds, and desperately trying to escape the clutching tentacles of the abyss.

Fire Pro Wrestling World is a great wrestling sim that requires effort and patience to be mastered. However, it does reward those who commit to the game with intense, exciting and satisfying matches, featuring some of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the pseudo-sport...or at least 3,538 of them. [Early Access Review]

All of the gating is unnecessary, but if you're willing to dig into Seal the Deal there's a decent amount there.

Despite my high expectations, Orwell continues to be a solid thriller and a very different gaming experience.

If you skipped out on the 3DS release entirely or haven't played Hyrule in any form yet, it's going to be a much more enticing prospect.

It’s great for some rather mindless fun, but don’t expect anything too intricate. I have some genuine fears about this being live service, as I’m not sure there’s enough to really justify that sort of design. But I’m also currently Infamy Rank 6 out of 10, and maybe as I reach the maximum rank and experience some of the new content I will see more that gives me hope Skull and Bones could find its sea legs. [Review in Progress]

As much fun as it is to share with loved ones, Death Squared is considerably more difficult than Snipperclips, which didn't even have a failure state. Even though it has a "party mode," it's not a game I'd advise pairing with alcohol, since fine motor control is one of the first things to go when you're hammered. If you're persistent and willing to work together though, Death Squared is a good time, and definitely worth picking up on the Switch.

Despite the fact that it's probably being developed for refrigerators at this point, Skyrim is a great choice to port to the Switch.

I get why Path of Exile 2 has the Early Access moniker since GGG plans to have double the classes and campaign acts, not to mention other types of content added before launch. But even in its current state, Path of Exile 2 has set a new bar for the ARPG genre. I'm ready to pour thousands of hours into it over the years to come, and I'm confident that GGG will only make it magnitudes better over the next year as they continue to grow the game towards its full release. [Early Access Review]

You can also wait and just pick up the Vergil DLC on current generation platforms. The choice is really up to you, but I'm happy with the change.

Carefully consider your options before you dive in, but for those of you who are up to the challenge, it actually does work far better than you'd expect it to.

The best thing about Classic is that it will evolve, and you can join in at any point without too much fuss.

If you’re looking for a solid RPG in a beautifully built world, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is certainly that. The combat is fluid and satisfying, and the world of Thedas is well-designed and fun to explore. The story has its drawbacks, but overall it’s still better than most. Whether it will live up to the prestigious storytelling of the previous Dragon Age games will very much depend on the RPG’s curtain call. [Review in Progress]

The smoothness of the 13 Sentinels Switch port extends to the handheld mode as well, which is how I spent most of my time with the game. That’s something of a rarity for me, but in this case, I wanted to spend every waking minute I could with the game, so that meant trucking it around with me wherever I went. While handheld mode does appear to run at a lower resolution than when playing with your Switch docked, it’s not really that much of a downgrade (if it even is one). I’m about 55% of the way through the game on Switch, and it’s truly impressive to see how well Vanillaware and Atlus optimized this game for the hardware.

Those who don’t want to pay to try something that’s almost finished and/or planned as an eventual free-to-play game might want to wait for the final product in 2018. Those who are curious enough and willing to pay the price of admission now might want to bring a trusted buddy along for the ride since it’s one of those repetitive games that’s instantly better with familiar company. [Early Access]

The Witcher III is unquestionably one of the best games to come out within the last five years, and it's still impressive four years after its release. Yes, the Switch version sacrifices some of its beauty for the ability to take it on the go, but it's still a reasonably pretty game, well worth exploring for the deep gameplay, mature storytelling, and unique world. If you haven't yet experienced The Wild Hunt, then the Complete Edition on Switch is a great opportunity to check it out. [Impressions]

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds biggest achievement might be in providing a solidly-built platform to expand outward from, a foundation that will support whatever other crazy ideas Bluehole and Brendan Greene can come up with. [Early Access Review]

The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is crafted by a company that loves Tolkien, and understands both the lore and how to craft a unique world around the source material.

I had a blast going through the entire package again and will continue to bust it out when someone tells me they haven't played it yet.

Again, loads are quick, the DualSense is up to the task (and feels great with the heavy emphasis on gunplay in Control), and the game itself runs extremely smooth: especially on performance mode.