I would have enjoyed more interaction between me and my organisms, but the game draws the line of interaction with the world to merely altering the land. With that said, the systems introduced in the game work well for a game that is supposed to the “beginning” of a much larger idea.

Starbites is that JRPG that stays true to its promise, delivering exactly what is on the tin. Its turn-based gameplay borrows some formulas and mechanics from other JRPGs, which may feel uninspired to some fans but can be a novelty to others. It's delightful in the first hours, but it can get a bit stale and repetitive by the second half. The narrative is solid, and the story is very coherent with everything presented, with great highlights given to the charismatic cast. Despite being only a 20-hour journey, it still suffers from pacing issues here and there. Overall, Starbites is a neat, straightforward experience for those who need a break from 100-hour JRPGs.

While the physics and collision problems and dying online community can dampen the experience, Drive!Drive!Drive! is like no game I have played before, and probably won’t be like any game I play after. For such a tired genre, it was awesome that developer Different Cloth could breathe new life into it with solid innovation.

Although God Eater 3 boasts some stellar gameplay mechanics that allow you to play how you'd like, the surrounding aspects keep it back from being otherwise a great game.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider fails to stand out among the two games that preceded it simply because it lacks an identity of its own.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin delivers a remarkably in-depth set of mechanical systems. The interplay is impressive, even if the execution is somewhat flawed.

While Redie is really fun, you always feel like you’ve played it before if you’ve ever played Hotline Miami.

There’s is so much content in Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy which justifies the one-time purchase. Even though this is clearly a game for another platform, it can pass as a console quality game on your mobile phone.

Sleep Tight’s art style and gameplay make it stand out above other twin-stick survival shooters.

If you can get past the slow start and some of the glaring technical problems of The Mad Ones, then you will find the most innovative episodic adventure game to come from a studio other than Telltale.

Steins;Gate has been re-released with new anime visuals that completely revitalize an already interesting storyline.

Yooka-Laylee is a fun, familiar, and nostalgic trip to a genre from the past that still holds up incredibly well in the present. It certainly proves that there is a place in the current landscape for games of this genre. If you miss the mascot platformer of yesteryear, then Yooka-Laylee will almost certainly give you your fill and make you feel warm inside.

Sadly, the campaign is the only offline mode in Splatoon 2, and made me wish for something a bit more to complement it, especially given the Switch’s handheld capabilities suited for on-the-go play. Even if there was something as simple as bot matches against enemy AI for practicing on the train or bus and then hopping into online matches at home, it feels like a missed opportunity for Splatoon 2 to have some other offerings that aren’t so online-dependent.

Hunter's Moon: A Sovereign Syndicate Adventure is a deckbuilder that I absolutely loved early on. The presentation is fantastic, and the Slay The Spire-esque gameplay is top-tier. Unfortunately, the more I played, the more I'd encounter substantial performance issues and an overall feeling of imbalance. Give this one some more time to be optimized, and it'll be one of the best titles in the genre. Until then, it's still a good time, but hasn't yet reached its full potential.

All-in-all, a second portion of Overcooked‘s co-op insanity was exactly what I was looking for.

Although Ghost of Yotei lacks a cohesive and well-executed main story, it makes up for that with its vastly improved combat and world design. It obviously doesn't do anything mind-blowing for the open-world genre, but it refines nearly every aspect that made Tsushima special while carving out its own unique identity. Atsu’s journey delivers both emotional depth and visceral action through her mastery of various weapons, supported by a beautifully crafted world that feels alive without overwhelming you with a boatload of recurring side activities. It’s a love letter to revenge tale media rather than the traditional samurai cinema and players who still adore the gameplay-focused prowess of Sucker Punch—moreover, it's also a reminder that sometimes, a safe sequel can still be satisfying to play.

JETRUNNER is a game that proudly sets out to be a worthwhile blend of Neon White, Ghostrunner, & Titanfall's FPS parkour action, and against all odds, this plucky indie pulls it off with aplomb. While the story is a little lukewarm and forgettable, the stunning cel-shaded visuals and smooth, fluid gameplay more than make up for this, allowing players to enter a state of flow and achieve feats of acrobatic skill that are beyond comprehension. The main shortcomings of the game are that some mechanics could use tiny tweaks to avoid players adding fractions of a second to their time through no fault of their own, and the game isn't difficult or deep enough to get the most out of the limited number of courses. But, all in all, if you're looking for a new FPS-focused parkour game, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than JETRUNNER.

NBA 2K18 is the biggest departure that the series has had in recent years, which is both good and bad. Elements such as MyPlayer feel like they have the potential to be fantastic, but are still too mired by microtransactions and bugs in its current form to truly be the experience that I was hoping for.

Combat is easily the strongest part of Metal Max Xeno. It’s quite awesome seeing different developers take on the turn-based combat fans of the genre know and love, and modernize it in different ways.

The ultimate frustration is that I was left wanting to play more of the game and get wrapped up in the story again, but the choices around skipping text and saving made that an unexciting experience. That coupled with the voice audio issues and narrative still being on a mostly locked path means that I probably will never unlock all the mysteries of Cypress Knee.

A solid addition to the long-running MMORPG.

Undoubtedly the best thing to happen to the Blair Witch since the 1999 film.

IDUN – Frontline Survival definitely has its moments, with smart twists on classic tower defense mechanics and a fresh take on progression. The ability to move towers on the fly and the unique vermin enemy types keep things interesting, but the game falls short in a few key areas. Sound design issues and a lack of real replayability make it hard to stay fully engaged. The visuals, while functional, have a mobile game feel that doesn’t quite match up to the experience. It’s a promising effort, though, and with some fine-tuning, IDUN could really hit its stride. For now, it’s a fun but flawed ride.

Arise: A Simple Story mixes its narrative-driven adventure with puzzle-platforming in some ways that can be deemed successful. The time-altering mechanic gives the game some variety throughout its four to six-hour runtime, never overstaying its welcome. Paired with its beautiful art direction and well-told story, there is definitely a reason to pick up Piccolo Studio’s new game. However, there isn’t any facet of Arise: A Simple Story that strikes deeper emotional chords; it just lacks any personality. In turn, it does make it very approachable with themes that are easy to understand. You may not need any tissues as you endure the old man’s tale, but if you’re into narrative-driven adventures, Arise: A Simple Story might be for you.

All in all, Cubic Odyssey is a good game that gets a little bogged down by its own complexities, like character abilities and battery power. It's a solid game thanks to all the quality-of-life changes it brings to the genre, along with the strong atmosphere and interesting visuals. While it probably isn't a game that I'll add to my repertoire, I think it will certainly make a name for itself in the industry. If you really enjoy survival exploration games, then this will be a game you can sink countless hours into. Cubic Odyssey is a solid game that simply gets dragged down by some odd design choices that clearly serve to add difficulty, but that difficulty ends up becoming inconsequential at a certain point. Still, it is enjoyable, and all the things the game does right make it a meaningful addition to the genre as a whole.

While I think I’d prefer the next Wolfenstein game to be more traditional, it was refreshing to see some new ideas here with Youngblood.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are a lot of fun, even if the series is experiencing growing pains with the transition to home consoles.

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is a solid 3DS port that both builds upon and takes away from the original Wii title's charm.