While this game isn’t great by modern standards at all, it’s hard to imagine that speedrunners won’t fall in love with completely breaking the game.

The Church in the Darkness is marred by several technical shortcomings that draw players out of the experience and kill the pacing.

From beginning to end, Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers an engrossing story that rarely ever loses steam. In more ways than one, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the most refined entry in the series to date when it comes to the systems that matter most. Whether you’re a newcomer or got your start with Fire Emblem in Super Smash Bros. Melee, this is an exceptionally great title and one of the best strategy RPGs ever made.

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.

Will hardcore Maddenites have a blast with all the new gameplay toys they have at their disposal? Absolutely. Do I think casual Madden fans need to rush out and buy this edition? Probably not. Madden 20 is a fine game, but it’s definitely an iterative version that doesn’t do enough to stand out from last year’s game.

The concept is great, but it’s not executed properly. The prologue is fantastic, but it’s not the representative of the whole game. The multiplayer is present, but it’s not great. Because of this potential and given the fact that it’s an only-online game, right now, I view it as a disappointment. I really hope that Question updates the game and improves it as time goes on.

It’s tough to recommend Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle for fans of the Attack on Titan story. It’s too samey for fans who already know it and too emotionally stunted for newcomers who would be best served experiencing it through the manga or anime. The character episode mode is an improvement, but it’s too short. The gameplay is genuinely fun, but repetitive and sometimes held back by performance issues. Overall, it’s best suited for Attack on Titan fans who simply want to subjugate titans for an hour or two at a time.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is one of the most cathartic and fan service heavy Marvel games ever.

Night Call is, at its best, a story with engaging characters that make you want to learn their secrets.

Red Faction: Guerrilla is still the wacky, high octane dose of fun that I remember sinking many hours into last-gen, and the Switch version (mostly) plays to its strengths.

Blazing Chrome is a top-of-the-line appetizer to what could be a masterpiece of a five-course meal.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a masterfully built game with a multitude of shiny new features that are just a joy every second you get to tinker with them. I could play this game for a very long time and never get bored with it. There’s something included here for fans of multiple genres and titles. Whether you’re a fan of the Dragon Quest series or not, this is a game you can jump into. While it’s certainly a spin-off from the mainline series, Dragon Quest Builders 2 may very well be one of the best game in the entire franchise.

Super Mario Maker 2 may make a weaker impression than the game-changing original, but it breaks out the gate with far fewer problems and with much more skill level appeal. Though it misses the mark in some highly-requested QoL improvements, it adds much more in value, diversity, and replayability. Super Mario Maker 2 is the game that keeps on giving, while leaving enough room to build in the future.

The gameplay of Crash Team Racing has more layers to it—whether it makes the game more ‘fun’ is up to someone’s playstyle, but I’ll always appreciate manual over automatic.

Sea of Solitude has the heart to pull through and guide players to the end, where its messages really start taking shape.

Shadowbringers has set quite a standard in quality of content delivered and how Yoshi P and his team respond positively to community feedback for further updates. While there are some flaws to be addressed still, many of these are due to how ambitious in nature Shadowbringers is in every category. With an outline of future content roll-outs that includes a Nier: Automata YoRHa series of raids, more notoriously difficult Savage difficulty trials, housing updates, and an ever-expanding story, there’s even more to look forward to down the road with Shadowbringers.

There are elements here that could make an interesting spiritual sequel to ActRaiser, but they never realize the potential.

Quotation forthcoming.

Muse Dash is a fun game that is very simplistic in design. For having not listened to really any Japanese music outside of anime, I ran into a fair amount of tracks that I really enjoyed that I could see myself going back to playing just to give it another listen. At $29.99, I personally think that Muse Dash is a bit steep in price but there is a decent sized catalog of songs to keep you preoccupied and master. Muse Dash has a nice art style with great colors but it also likely isn’t a game for everyone. For those that are into this genre of gaming and music, Muse Dash might be one to look into.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is filled to the brim with tons of content and story details that makes it more than worth the reasonable price tag. Fans of the Sword Art Online franchise have a lot to do and tons of easter eggs to uncover with allies from across the anime, and will undoubtedly enjoy this new foray into Ainground.

F1 2019 isn’t really all that spectacular. The gameplay is mostly what you’d expect with the potential of an exhilarating moment here and there, but it wouldn’t be the first game I’d look to for a racing simulation experience. That being said, it is enjoyable and there is plenty to do, especially for those looking for a new racing game to pick up.

Collection of Mana will easily give you a hefty amount of gameplay for the asking price.

When living vicariously through your Sims, Island Living is definitely worth it if you choose to move them to the island itself, even without choosing the mermaid life. However, off of the island, the expansion will have much less of an impact on your regular Sims’ daily life, unlike that of the previous Seasons expansion. If there was the option to schedule a vacation, like in Outdoor Retreat, in addition to brief visits, I think it would have more of an impact on the overall game. In the end though, Island Living is a solid expansion that is definitely worth the time of both the casual and avid Sims player.

In The Sinking City, combat has no depth or character. You essentially just shoot something a bunch until it dies.

Samurai Shodown is one of the best and most unique fighting games this generation, hands down.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an excellent Metroidvania game that encourages exploration and experimentation. It’s incredibly fun to solve its many puzzles and finding that perfect shard combination feels fantastic. Fans of the genre will be very happy with this release. That said, I also think it’s a solid entry point if you’re wanting to see what all the hubbub is about. Igavania is back, and the video game world is better for it.

I feel that the developers and designers are making a strange effort to make the solutions for Baba is You even more perplexing, and possibly less accessible to players.

With slick gameplay mechanics and buttery smooth controls, My Friend Pedro will keep you coming back time and time again in the pursuit of that perfect run.