Blue Fire is an enjoyable experience when solely focusing on its platforming sections, but can otherwise be a slog. Combat is serviceable if not stale, and its upgrading system is more often than not a hassle. I can’t help but wonder that if Blue Fire leaned more heavily into its platforming gameplay, would it be a more enjoyable experience? Right now, Blue Fire attempts to be a game that it’s not and it shows. The Void challenge rooms are fun and are easily the best part of the game, but everything else is just decent at best.

Pumpkin Jack isn’t a game that revolutionizes 3D platformers, nor does it particularly add anything new to the formula; but the level of charm, humor, and ambiance it offers is just too good to pass up. It’s easily able to make it onto a “Top Halloween Games You Must Play” list if there is one out there, even if it’s not necessarily going to resonate any other time of the year. Combat is the game’s only disappointing downside, but it was hard not to have a ghastly smile on my face playing through it.

Overall, Metropolis has the bones to be a great game, however, the slow pace, lack of instruction, and lengthy dialogue made it frustrating to play. While the interactions, visuals, and storyline are amazing the gameplay and mechanics were lacking. If there were more instructions or hints this game would have been a home run. If problem-solving is your jam, then this game is perfect for you. However, if you don’t like having to figure out every small detail of a game, then you should probably skip this game for now.

Overall, between the microtransactions and graphics balanced with the gameplay and storyline – I would argue that the game is pretty decent. I don’t get to have my own Pegasus or be trained by Phil the Centaur, but being a Paladin God who saves people is a pretty decent experience, even without the Muses to sing about my experiences.

Everything about this game is so straightforward, that my final thoughts will be as well. This is a solid port of an old game. It does exactly what it set out to do and does it well. If you like fighting games, you can’t find a better bang for your buck in this price range. Fairly priced, designed, and realized. This game is a really solid experience, and one I imagine will be elevated for anyone who looks back on this game with any nostalgia.

Curse of the Dead Gods is by no means an easy roguelike. It is often brutal, punishing, and hopeless. The game flings curses at the player meant to transform how they adjust to established mechanics by throwing in new gameplay wrenches that can potentially drown the unprepared in obstacles. It’s up to the player to decide how to adapt and persevere. A wealth of tools makes combat difficult, yet exciting and varied. Using light as a boon to further test your mettle allows an outpouring of creativity in how a potentially terrifying or simplistic room can be turned on its head. Curse of the Dead Gods is a stylish, confident dungeon crawler that incorporates the right amount of reward into its teeth. Rarely did I feel absolutely overwhelmed, punished by the gods who tested me. Eventually, with a firm grasp on my torch, I burned them all down with ease.

Hitman 3 is about the highest bar IO Interactive could set with the franchise. This is a universe the developer has lovingly crafted over the years and a perfect opportunity to let Agent 47 rest awhile. Hitman‘s laughable dark humor is here in spades, as the community devises weird challenges for each other that were never part of IO Interactive’s original plan. There are flaws–one’s that haven’t changed since 2016–but they are merely quirks that fans have embraced and come to terms with. As Escalations, Contracts, and new content trickles out over the months to come, Hitman 3 will continue to delight in its murderous, unique intent. Though 47 will eventually be traded for 007, it would be foolish to not recognize IO Interactive as an accomplished developer, responsible for an incredible game.

The remastered versions of NIOH and NIOH 2 are outstanding. Visually they are nearly equal to each other and both still maintain the core enjoyment of the series, which is dying over and over again while slowly but surely progressing. Of course, those deaths are in 4K with a high frame rate via PlayStation 5, which makes the experience far more entertaining.

Little Nightmares 2 is a testament to horror in games. Tarsier Studios envelops the player in a sense of dread through impeccable sound design that often hints at something terrifying several screens away. It is a perfect, digestible length that often allows somewhat frustrating controls and combat to be passed over relatively quickly. But nothing can compare to this world and the ominous, open-ended story that punches you in the gut several times. Often Little Nightmares 2 is an emotional typhoon that swirls players up with accomplishment only to have them come crashing down in fear of what lies beyond a darkened doorway. And it’s in that vast chasm of the unknown where Little Nightmares 2 creeps, along with the best horror games of its ilk.

Strikers captures the affable singularity of Persona 5 while shifting its perspective from a turn-based slow burn to an action-focused escapade. At the same time, Strikers’ devotion to its source material succeeds in keeping the player active and invested amid the turbulence of its strained support structure. It’s a summer vacation masquerading as a sequel, and that seems to suit the Phantom Thieves just fine.

TOHU reminded me of a lot of games that I played as a child, from the point and click design to the mini-game layout, I found myself feeling a bit nostalgic. This game is quite delightful if you don’t mind going at a slower pace and you have the patience to figure out some pretty difficult puzzles. I found myself enjoying the problem-solving aspect and wanting to play more.

The more I played Gods Will Fall, the more I understand its intricate design. It’s a good game that at the very heart depends on dungeon design and bosses to make it fun. It exceeds in the latter and does a good job with the design. The story is meaningful, the gameplay design of the action is simplified, and while it does have its pain points here and there, it delivers a fun and purposeful experience.

Immortals Fenyx Rising: A New God stands on the strength of the base game’s many captivating puzzles and challenges. In the dense Greek world there were so many Vaults and side activities to uncover that it was an embarrassment of riches. Those who didn’t want to wait for more should embrace A New God for the handful of new mechanics it introduces–including a coveted triple jump–and be satisfied with another reason to dive back into the game so soon after launch. Players expecting more combat and more story are likely going to be disappointed but the next two episodes of DLC tease content that may drastically mix up the formula. Fenyx’s journey is not over yet and for that I’m thrilled.

In sum, Cyber Shadow does a great job of doing what it set out to do. It’s a modern take on genre elders Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, and it provides all the ninja lore, atmosphere, challenge, and aura that those games do. Furthermore, it gives players plenty of reason to keep playing thanks to evolving gameplay elements that keeps things fresh, interesting, and challenging. For anyone who enjoys the genre or ninja games in general, Cyber Shadow is a must-have.

Playing as a Werewolf should be fun and exciting, simple as that. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood doesn’t come close to offering that. Between the dull and laborious Human and Wolf gameplay and the lackluster Werewolf gameplay, it’s difficult to recommend Earthblood to anyone. Above story and visuals, gameplay for this type of game should be king. Instead, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood ends up being too sheepish.

Some random good points I noted were the music, which worked nicely to add to the atmosphere. Great voice-acting and writing, excellent graphics, so an all-in-all solid presentation that deserves a hat tip. Great checkpointing, a nice mixture of puzzles and exploration, and a good pace overall as well that compels you to play this game to completion in just a couple or few sessions. In sum, The Medium is a great game with a few quirks, and it’s the best from Bloober Team to date. Available on Game Pass, it’s well-worth playing through as it makes for a nice early next-gen experience.

More than just a competent roguelike fresh out of early access, Skul: The Hero Slayer delivers power-swapping action and a mostly satisfying loop that should sufficiently satisfy your Dead Cells or Hades cravings.

Sensibilities both modern and retro pepper the fabric of Olija. Players may walk away from the game feeling confused, satisfied, or yearning for more. While I lean towards satisfied with my time, I could not help but immediately begin another playthrough, hoping that more would be illuminated the second time around. Much about Olija is familiar and a game with less self awareness would have drawn out its ideas, pushing players with more aggressive enemies or platforming bordering on tedious. But that’s not what we got. Instead, Olija is a balanced work that speaks volumes despite its quiet nature, breathtaking in both its journey and execution.

Golden Force is a fun, retro, side-scrolling experience not for the faint of heart. Full of challenging battles and pixelated fun, this run-n-gun will keep you on your toes.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition is exactly the game you remember from ten years ago. It’s a complete nostalgic joy that honestly didn’t really need to be touched up or fine-tuned. Ubisoft chose to preserve the experience where it mattered rather than alter it in any significant way. Instead, the crucial missing component of online play was worked into the game, drastically increasing its appeal for just about any player. Though not without the same faults that were in its DNA from the beginning, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition will have you grinning from ear to ear with its irresistible charm that gushes from every pixelated pore. Finally, Scott’s journey is complete.

Haven presents a lush alien world, one rife with resource gathering and loaded with turn-based combat, as a suitable venue for its forbidden love story. Such an unorthodox collection of disparate elements may have had trouble connecting if not held together by widely relatable and sharply written interpersonal dialogue. It’s an assembly that allows its pair protagonists to thrive inside moments of tedium, suggesting a story worth telling takes precedent over action not always worth doing.

I thoroughly enjoyed Airborne Kingdom and it is certainly one of my favorite city builder/ resource management games. From style to gameplay, the game is relaxing and easy to play.

Space Invaders Forever drops a trio of games in your lap that bring a variety of gameplay for solo and multiplayer experiences. It certainly treats the Space Invaders franchise appropriately, even though not all the games included work as planned.

Dreamscaper is a permadeath RPG that took my breath away. This is a game that carries weight behind it. The overall moves and story arcs are impeccable to take it and watch. The visuals are staggering and impeccable. It’s a wonderful game. It’s a moving and relatable narrative that allows you inside our protagonist’s life and personal experiences of her subconscious. It’s a damn good game.

Heroes of Hammerwatch: Ultimate Edition is a game that works best with friends, and does a great job with how it balances gameplay and grind. This indie game is something you should add to your list of ‘must-haves’.

The violent and gory world of Doom Eternal is just amazing and playing as the Slayer makes you feel powerful when faced up against terrifying Demons. Being able to play under my comfy blanket made me feel immersed in the world, something that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions wouldn’t be able to make me feel. Usually, Nintendo Switch versions of games feel like lesser versions of games released on other consoles, but id Software did an amazing job at making Doom Eternal on the Switch feel just as good. If you’re a longtime Doom fan looking to give it a try on the Nintendo Switch I highly doubt that you’ll be disappointed and I would also highly recommend giving Doom Eternal a shot even if you’ve never played any other game in the series, because you are missing out if you haven’t.

Cyberpunk 2077 is broken on last-generation consoles. That doesn’t mean you can’t see the finer details of the game, but you simply cannot enjoy them because of that brokenness. Where the game succeeds is in story, beautiful RPG elements, and a strong amount of customization that makes it feel like ‘your’ game and story. At the same time, Cyberpunk isn’t unique as the game feels like an amalgamation of Fallout and Bladerunner. Ultimately, aside from the game-breaking bugs, the game has good aspects that could have been great with a little more time in development.

Overall, Project Wingman is a wonderful flight game. If you’re looking to get your wings, but Flight Sim is way out of your realm, this is the next best thing. The story is forgettable through a lot of the game, but that isn’t the full selling point really. The actual flight and gameplay is the main event. Once you get over the steeper learning curve, the game is honestly a blast to rip around and fly in. Combat lacks some, and honestly, I feel like just a free mode for flying would be a nice addition for the game as a whole. It’s a really good game, and though the overall presentation lacks at times, it redeems itself with gameplay.