This Switch version was my first time playing Crysis. I think as a piece of gaming history, and it’s interesting to see what the standards for visuals and design were back in 2007. That said, it feels dated and the campaign struggled to keep my attention due to the weak storytelling, problematic controls and drawn-out firefights. Still, for those who are interested in visiting (or revisiting) this landmark title, this Switch port might be their best bet.

Rooftops & Alleys, in part, is victim to its own ambition. With its extraordinary mechanical strength, the majority of the content simply doesn’t measure up and found myself tiring of the experience prematurely due to a lack of variety and aesthetic interest. While this was leavened by the online modes, I still came away wishing for a more robust foundation to support its staggering mechanical heights.

For players who've never had the chance to partake of Metal Slug's particular brand of madness or for those hopelessly devoted to the series, Metal Slug XX will certainly be worth the time invested. For those (like myself) who may still have feelings for the Slugs but can't deny having been there and done that, there's not much reason to sign up for another tour of duty.

I may not have agreed— or even enjoyed—many of the choices that were made and implemented in the final product, but I have to admit that I'd usually take a flawed, unusual experience like Lost in Blue over most of the inspiration-free stuff clogging shelves today.

Overall, the Namco Museum Archives collection offers a bunch of great games in versions that some players might not have seen before, but the whole package is missing some personality. Sure, that doesn’t detract from the titles themselves, but it’s shame to see these historical artifacts treated in such a slapdash way.

Overall, the Namco Museum Archives collection offers a bunch of great games in versions that some players might not have seen before, but the whole package is missing some personality. Sure, that doesn’t detract from the titles themselves, but it’s shame to see these historical artifacts treated in such a slapdash way.

Those looking for existential ponderings, heavy characterization, or even minimal variety in gameplay should leave it alone, but people who want lighter fare might appreciate kill.switch as a small, zesty snack. After all, we all need a bit of comfort food once in a while.

When I’m up against players at a similar skill level and we’re all using the default characters, Soulcalibur VI can be a beautiful dance between players who are one with their weapons. This is a rare occasion, though. More often, I’m stuck trying to fend off oversized custom characters spamming Reversal Edge. With so many people killing what could be a good time online, I think I’ll stick to Tekken to get my fighting game fix.

For a supposed chill-out game, Shape of the World just doesn’t hit the right balance. Its dynamics and artwork aren’t interesting enough to justify standing still, and moving forward feels too much like work. Rather than being relaxing, it’s more of a bore.

While Armature definitely made a few bad calls when putting Blackgate together, I greatly enjoyed this new style of Batman, and didn't have too much heartburn over the rough patches.

The production values are pretty abysmal, and it's far too unforgiving for anyone new to the genre, but Neverland Card Battles occupies a unique space as far as digital card games go.

Street Power Football is a good start at recreating an arcadey style of sports that hasn’t been common for a while, but this package needs further polish and a little more depth.

Here at the end, as The Council reveals all of its cards, it becomes clear that the developers clearly and fundamentally understood the importance of player impact on interactive movies. While the skeleton of the game is rigid – certain characters will always make it to the final chapter, and others are clearly less vital to the proceedings – the interactions with them are satisfying and consequential. Whatever ending players end up earning, The Council always makes it easy for players to feel like part of the story, and more importantly, it had a good story to tell them.

Developer Vatra clearly has a fondness for the material and they've tried to address some of the series' more nagging issues with varying degrees of success. There are moments in Downpour that genuinely work and showcase what this franchise could be with a little more TLC. Unfortunately, there are still rough patches to be smoothed over and kinks to be worked out in subsequent sequels-but here's to hoping Vatra gets another crack at it.

Eastern Exorcist is brisk and engaging. Despite a few rough points, the combat is solid, the world is beautifully rendered, and the extremely depressing story is was interesting enough to carry me through to the end. After the credits (which are entirely in Chinese, just FYI) there’s footage promising DLC or a sequel that’s is already in production, and I’m absolutely interested to see how this franchise moves forward.

When Pyre shines, it shines immensely. I haven’t been this invested in the lore of a game for a long time, and was left craving more. What’s the process that connects the Downside to the Commonwealth? What history do the two mysterious minerals share? How on earth is communication between these two worlds possible? I have countless questions about Pyre‘s setting. However, considering where the game’s strengths lie, the structure they chose to couch it in feels uncharacteristically off-target. Pyre could have been a great text game, or even a fantastic TV series or Netflix show, but as a sports game? It’s a misfire.

Fate/Extella is a solidly-built Warriors-style brawler with a unique sense of speed and a sweet, engaging story. It would’ve been more impressive if it took about half as long to finish, though. Its distinctiveness is spread far too thin, battered into oblivion by endless repetition. Fans of Fate seeking a worthy coda to the story of Fate/Extra will find it here, but it’d be best to engage with the game in short bursts, rather than have it wear out its welcome over long sessions.

While Omensight‘s combat is only iffy at best, I found the story compelling enough to play all the way through and get to the ultimate conclusion of the storyline. While I didn’t find the ending completely satisfying, the characters had great depth and I’ve rarely found a game that handled the replay the day mechanic this well.

Being a text-based political game, Shape of America probably has fairly limited appeal at best, but it’s great to see developers taking risks on unique ideas like this and delivering them in a package of solid design and storytelling. I’m looking forward to episode two.

In all fairness, Ratchet: Deadlocked should have been put out at a bargain price (around $20 sounds right) and labeled as an add-on or mission pack instead of positioned as a full-priced title.

As with other NIS America games, I'm certain there's a strategy roadmap to increased success and battle progress, but I've yet to discover it. In its stead lies careful plodding through dungeons in hopes of surviving just one more battle...

Catherine: Full Body does an excellent job of updating and refining a surprisingly good puzzler that oozes style, yet still has too many issues in the narrative to overlook. It’s a shame — there’s some great dialogue on topics rarely discussed in big-budget games hidden under piles of nonsense and occasional insensitivity. Still, Catherine does have its fans, and they’ll be thrilled with the gameplay enhancements, new content, and the graphical bump.

Despite how fabulous the extra stuff is, though, Double Dragon IV just isn’t a good game. It is, however, a compelling and fascinating oddity. For franchise fans it’s a must-purchase, since it’s as much a historical trip as it is a new entry. While I can’t recommend it based on gameplay, the fact that it’s such a straight-faced resurrection of a long-dead style alone makes it worth a look.

While the future of the game is anyone’s guess, at present Diablo IV is a solid, but strangely unambitious take that fails to bring much new to the table. By the end of my travels, I was more than willing to put it down and take a break — somewhere amongst all the grinding, Diablo IV had unfortunately ground me down as well.

Tomb Raider is a fine game, but something essential feels like it has been left out. Lara seems to have found the map, but missed the treasure.

I definitely like the ideas that Crystal Dynamics are flirting with here, it just seems disingenuous to ask players to pay so much for this small taste.

Blade Assault is kind of like its protagonists at the beginning of the game in that they’re both unwelcoming and it’s a bit of a chore to find the good stuff buried within. Those willing to put in the time and practice may find a rewarding experience, but there are plenty of other games out there that provide far more memorable action than this.

A technically accomplished, but thoroughly unpleasant gaming experience. I'm sure there's a market for this; I'm just not part of it.