I would highly suggest giving this game a try for its story alone.

REANIMAL is definitely one of the best games of the year. Of course, many hits are still to come, but this game is dark, exciting, and cooperative. It will make you cower on the couch in fear and leave you with food for thought. My partner and I, for example, discussed what was happening for a long time and came up with all sorts of theories. Despite a few drawbacks, the Swedish developers have created a genuinely frightening game. They achieved this not with jump scares, but with an oppressive atmosphere and terrifying imagery.

Hand of Fate 2 is vastly superior to the first game, and a great game in its own right. If you’re looking for a highly replayable Action RPG with beautiful visuals and fun combat, look no further. There really isn’t a game quite like Hand of Fate 2, so help foster innovation.

The King is Watching is one of the most addictive roguelite strategies of this year. It has excellent visuals, humor and variability in settlement development. So far the game has problems with randomness and balance, but this only makes the playthrough more interesting.

Who knows, you may even learn Japanese because all the voice acting is in Japanese while the game itself is fully subtitled in English.

N++ is an excellent physics-based platformer that demands you develop your skills to overcome its challenges. The art style may not be for everybody but its hundreds of included levels and countless hours of community content make it an excellent investment.

The negatives aren't that big of a negative for me, however, I do love role-playing games where you actually control your character and can move freely around the map. This game is one of the best tactics rpgs I have played in my life. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to try it out whether you get it for Switch or not.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is an excellent RPG with a South Park skin. If you love the crass fourth graders and their adventures as much as I do, then chances are you're going to have a great time. If you're more of a tangential fan, you'll probably still find a lot to love. But if South Park isn't your bag of tea, then the gameplay alone may not make this one worth your time.

Banner Saga 2 is a game full of despair, heartache, and utter loss, and that’s some of the best parts. There is always some hope as you push forward. You will become intertwined in a huge story based on Viking-type characters and lore and spend hours doing it.

Expeditions: Rome is a masterpiece of a turn-based RPG, featuring an impressive web of interconnected systems and features.

Assessing the prospects of Honkai: Star Rail is quite difficult because it will be possible to compare only with the studio's previous games, or the most popular Genshin. Obviously, it will attract a sizable audience at launch due to miHoYo's general popularity and balanced style, the question is whether there will be enough content in the game to keep that audience, given the superficial combat system.

The End is Nigh is one of the premiere indie gems on Nintendo Switch. Difficulty and rewards issues aside, this one’s immensely replayable, hilarious, and genuinely well designed in both sound, visuals, and gameplay. It’s the kind of game that may drive you nuts with its difficulty, but only because you know that you’re the one making the mistakes.

DOOM Eternal on Nintendo Switch is a mechanically smooth experience to play. Combat feels tight, controls are decent and it runs smoothly. It’s one of the most impressive shooters of this generation and the fact that I can play it on a handheld device is exceptionally impressive. However, all of this comes at the cost of visual fidelity which is both distracting and takes away from the game’s overall appeal.

Wildfrost isn’t going to distract anybody looking for a hardcore high skill play on the genre, but this quest neve presents as that. It’s a joyous and accessible twist on the roguelike deck builder that you definitely want to deal into.

Etrian Odyssey V is a fun and interesting game for anyone who likes a bit of challenge and isn’t put off by having to create your own maps. There’s a good balance between explaining enough to get the player started in figuring things out and leaving a lot to be discovered. The combat system is also deep and allows for a lot of customization and strategic choices.

If you're looking for a game that can challenge you and where you can spend many hours of fun exploding animated driftwood, alien zombies, and elves with muskets while collecting tons of loot - then welcome to Remnant 2.

At the end of the day, Mega Man diehards would be buying this game regardless of the reviews. It comes as a joy, then, that the game is incredible and worth the purchase for more than just the series’ history.

Jackbox games have always had a very specific brand of humor that is just plain weird. I don’t mean that in a bad way; I mean that in the wacky, endearing definition of the word. While it is this off-the-way, non-sequitur humor that drives it, but the accessibility of Jackbox Party Pack 6 has something for everyone across a broad audience.

I found the game to be well worth the $20 price tag given its polished story with voice acting and extreme replay value but you don't have to take my word for it; you can find a free demo on the Steam page and give it a go for yourself. You won't be sorry.

A swede mix of ideas and inspiration from a medley of genres are smothered over a solid rhythm bashing base to make a game so flavorful you won't want to put it down.

Sucker for Love: A Date to Die For has it all: horror, horny, humor, wholesome. Conduct a dark ritual and summon your partner to begin this unholy adventure that will keep you invested for a good 5 to 10 hours.

Galacticare is a very pleasant tycoon that doesn’t force you to pause the game to attend to a million little annoying things. Neither is it a very complex game, where a single mistake might bury your hospital for good and send you to the “Game Over” screen. It is a leisurely, unhurried but enticing overall.

This War of Mine is a slow game. It takes patience, and that’s not a bad thing, but there are stretches of the main game that feel like you’re just going through the motions. Maybe that’s the point, because it’s not glitz and glory and explosions and being the hero… it’s survival.

The visual part of the game is quite delightful. The aesthetics perfectly convey the atmosphere of Bilgewater and the mysterious Shadow Isles. The background art gives the feeling of the scale of what is happening around our heroes as opposed to running through the same old corridor.

You will find yourself fully immersed in your gameplay.

The Red Strings Club is a fascinating exploration of humanity, emotion, ethics, and our own preconceptions of evil. It tackles some huge topics, and while it does not manage to meet all of it’s potential it is worth playing just to visit The Red Strings Club, pull up a chair, and try something different.

The Bookwalker has a huge potential. The developers, playing with the fantasy of the most incredible worlds and stories, aroused a desire to evaluate at least a couple more sequels that I hope will be bigger, with more branching storylines, and additional gameplay features. I hope we will see more of them to again go on adventures to surf the vastness of numerous universes!

The system feels a bit like a Final Fantasy game, with the battle menu on the screen instead of off to the side.

Infinity Nikki is hardly a real competitor to Genshin Impact and others. Yes, the game may make a lot of money, but it will hardly achieve the same fame and popularity - Infinity Nikki has a narrow theme and the gameplay lacks challenge. But it's still a great and fresh game for the gacha genre - very friendly, relaxing and with its own atmosphere. And for once, it may even be able to appeal to the more stern of men - because sometimes they want to relax, look at girls in fancy dresses and drown in fluffy kittens.

Yakuza Kiwami is the first of several planned remakes of the original series, and chances are all of them will wind up on the PC at some point. It’s been a long wait for many to see such a revered classic on the PC, but it’s one that’s worth every bit of that patience.

Those two semi-complaints aside, I definitely think that Tooth and Tail is worth a look. It has a compelling and well-crafted world coupled with beautiful pixel art graphics and a challenging and interesting campaign. It has a unique and fun multiplayer mode that has grown on me despite my quibbles. And more than anything, it shows the power of a studio determined to execute on their vision and the dedication to achieve a design laser-focused on providing a specific experience.

Madden 19 is much like Madden 18 before it.

If you're looking for a classic top-down Zelda experience on Nintendo's new console, you really don't need to look any farther. Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is a pitch-perfect homage to the SNES/Game Boy era Zelda games, and it also manages to stand on its own two feet by the end of the adventure. And the best part? No breaking weapons!

Koira is a melody of friendship, composed by two lone souls on their path to the shared future. This game holds a unique feel, offering to experience a story like many others from a new perspective. By embarking on this emotional journey—sharing every high and low with its endearing characters—no one can emerge from this world unaffected. Beneath Koira's charming exterior lies a poignant exploration of sacrifice: how love may demand everything, and how loss can carve the deepest meaning into our lives. It's a story that lingers, much like the echo of a song you can't quite place.

Dreamscaper is a deep, thought-provoking journey packed with some truly enjoyable combat and realistic characters. If you’ve been hesitating to give it a try-don’t.

Dragon's Crown was one of the best Action RPGs for the PS3, and to no one's surprise it's aged well and brought to new life here on the PS4 Pro. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a solid side-scrolling RPG.

I didn’t have the pleasure of playing Alwa’s Legacy’s title before this (Alwa’s Awakening), but I can say with confidence and un-tinted goggles, Alwa’s Legacy is a fantastic game that can be picked up regardless of your experience with the series. It has an exciting, challenging, and rewarding playstyle that’s accentuated by a beautifully crafted and nostalgic world. What more could you ask for? There’s just so much obvious love and care that has been poured into this game from its developers, and it really gives Alwa’s Legacy a glossy polish that is unfortunately missing from a lot of other metroidvania indie titles we see today. Would I recommend Alwa’s Legacy? Yes, a hundred times over, yes. It is fun from the very beginning to end, and invites you to explore the contents of its world without hand-holding or a curfew to pull you down.

Blacktail is one of the most unexpected, original and atmospheric games not only of December, but of the entire outgoing year. Of course, the authors still lack experience and skill, but they approached the concept of an adventure about the young Baba Yaga with soul and scope.

INDIKA is a distinctive and stylish game that does not pull any punches. It asks very interesting questions, but the answer to them depends solely on you.

Dry Drowning is a dark, interactive murder mystery novel with a compelling story that is represented well on the Nintendo Switch. The otherwise gripping story is marred slightly by some poor user interface design choices but otherwise delivers everything you'd look for in a top-notch visual novel!

When the dice settle, Armello’s quality shines through. This is a lovingly crafted game that manages to reconstruct the joy of a great board game.

Heave Ho is still a raucous good time when you are playing with others in local co-op, and for the price, it’s worth a couple of nights with friends on the couch.

Overall, WRC 9 is one of the most realistic racers that I have had the fortune of playing recently. It is full of great graphics and a level of realism I would want for many of my other games. Be careful as you drive down these back roads and paths as you race against the time of other drivers and have fun with it.

Potionomics will blow you away with its intertwined mechanics, wonderfully made features, thoughtful gameplay and charming characters. There are certain weaknesses and a regretful lack of freeplay mode, but the time spent in the game is well worth it.

Though Trover Saves The Universe is a short playthrough, clocking in around six hours, it's still worth taking a stab at it. The 3D control aspect is refreshing and the dialogue is hilarious (assuming you're not easily offended). Gameplay was fun and finding all those Power Babies is a reward in itself. Trover Saves The Universe is definitely a comedy adventure game that is fit to sit on the shelf with those other iconic titles in the genre.

It doesn’t look like the developers had to sacrifice anything in the game to bring it to the Switch. However, it doesn’t look like they added much either. That being the case unless you absolutely must play this game on the go I’d recommend sticking to Steam, PS4, or the XBox One where you can get Battle Chasers for under $20 instead of paying $40 for this port.

VVVVVV is a retro-styled platformer packed with difficulty, but the challenge makes you want to continue playing and get the sense of accomplishment for overcoming so many challenges. The game is deceptively simple, which will help draw you in and the closely spaced checkpoints will keep you addicted to keep trying to get to the next one.

Oblivion Remastered is undoubtedly a beautiful visual update of the classic. At the same time, the game hasn't got rid of its old flaws. NPCs still act like they're caught in a time trap, frozen in the time of the original. Bugs and technical issues are still a part of this world, which certainly detracts from the overall impression of the update.

Avicii Invector is a high intensity rhythmic game centered around the largely praised electronic musician Avicii. The tap-to-the-beat game play coincides with many of Avicii's greatest works, joyfully playing against an illuminated theme park track, that is reminiscent of the EDM scene as a whole. Although the story in Avicii Invector leaves much to be desired, and some higher difficulties will prove too challenging for the fledgling rhythmic gamer, Avicii Invector is a faithful tribute to the late musician and his work.

The region of Mt. Komorebi itself is a gorgeous addition to the world of The Sims 4, a miniature Japanese Winter Wonderland getaway for everyone stuck at home. Snowy Escape provides players with a way to forget about everyday worries and enjoy being social and carefree. And, with the addition of Sentiments and Lifestyles, it has never been more interesting and important to be social than it is in Mt. Komorebi.

I would recommend JYDGE (and Neon Chrome) to anyone that wants a good, small twin-stick shooter experience.

Layers of Fear: Legacy is a brilliant horror story for (almost) all ages and levels of terror stamina. The artwork takes your breath away and the content in it keeps you guessing. Even though the controls for this game on Nintendo Switch are a little clunky I am confident making Layers of Fear: Legacy a priority on your gaming menu would be a very favourable decision.

Monster Energy Supercross 2 is quite possibly the best Supercross game that’s out right now. The stellar, true to feel motorcycle racing, and hard charging soundtrack keeps the adrenaline high.

And while I found the story to be sluggish and in its own way at times, it’s excellent combat and unique detective mechanics kept me engaged in my more than 20+ hour playthrough.

Autonauts is a fantastic little base-builder that gives players the chance to build and program their own robots. As players progress, the hands off approach may not appeal to everyone, but the ability to make your robots as simple or as complex as you want opens up the game for many hours of fun.

The game combines a good combat system, an extensive deep storyline, and nice graphics. The interactions between the protagonists and the world look believable, and you can tell that developers have a lot of love for characters and the world of Scarlet Nexus.

The story has especially pulled me in.

A fantastically charming mix of genres that, put together, produce a Metroidvania RPG that is utterly engaging. Even when Indivisible manages to misstep, the gorgeous aesthetic and oddball characters bring this adventure to life in a way that makes it an utter joy hold in your hands. If you can, take some time and grab Indivisible on Nintendo's handheld console.

Wandersong is a charming, heart-filled musical-adventure. For fans of the puzzle-adventure genre, there is a lot to be had here but where Wandersong really shines, lies in its spirited, charismatic characters and unique story line. Wandersong isn't afraid to make fun of the usual heroic tropes found in many games on the market, but still finds a way to make the player stay connected to what is going on. Come for the adventure, but stay for a song.

With all of that consider Squadrons handles the Star Wars intellectual property was handled extremely well and the gameplay is pretty accessible. It is visually stunning and immerses players in the universe by putting exceptional control into their hands, launching them immediately into the fantasy. Even if you are not the greatest at flight combat, the single-player experience, and AI battles can provide a great experience in a galaxy far, far away.

Time Loader features a beautifully created complex world with a variety of well-constructed paths, puzzles and riddles presented to players from the point of view of a tiny robotic car. Even seemingly mundane things take on new interesting forms during the game. Seemingly trivial things can be used in creative ways during the playthrough and even force you to reconsider your attitude towards the surroundings and the story at large.

The main complexity of Terra Nil comes from wasteful use of currency and poor planning during the building process, and it might force you to restart the stage or even the entire map at some point. But once you are done, the biomes have been restored, the animals have been repopulated and your equipment is all gone, you will get to see it. The map, restored to its former glory, inhabited and alive, created by your hands and mind.

Ninja Saviors - Return of the Warrior is a precious walk down memory lane. For players that did not play the original Ninja Warriors title on SNES, the nostalgia effect may not garner the same interest as with others that remember the original title. Still, The Ninja Saviors - Return of the Warrior still applies some present day additions that may keep beat'em up fans interested for many nun-chuck swinging hours.

If you aren’t a fan of rogue-likes or your not a fan of turn-based combat I still urge you to give For the King a shot. I avidly loath just about every turn-based game I’ve ever played (yes, even Civ games – go ahead and hate), and found For The King a refreshing gaming experience that tickled the nostalgia of playing Dungeons and Dragons back in the day.

Immortals: Fenyx Rising takes Ubisoft in a new direction, different from that of Assassin’s Creed. The game still utilizes an open-world, the way it goes about it is very different. While it doesn’t bring anything new or innovative to the table of action-adventures, Immortals is a short and charming colorful journey into Greek mythology.

And I think that what really hinders South Park: The Fractured But Whole more than anything is the story does not take things to the epic scale the first one did. The gravitas and imperativeness of saving the entire world are not there like it was in Stick of Truth. Which is a bummer because these superhero characters were so great and this could’ve gone for a way larger scale.

Yoshi’s Crafted World is hours of fun for you and your whole family. Being able to step into a world with Yoshi as your main character will bring glee to any fans heart. He acts just as you remember from Super Mario World with all new tricks up his sleeve. For $59.99 USD you can own a copy of Yoshi’s Crafted World and you will not regret it.

Hozy is a laid-back and cozy game that’s a great way to pass the time. It strikes the perfect balance between freedom of self-expression and thoughtful, unobtrusive guidance, making it an excellent digital sanctuary in which to recharge your batteries.

While not an excellent game it is a solid fighter filed with some interesting Pokemon.

Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms combines a classic isometric RPG gameplay and Souls-like style battles, where one mistake can end your entire career as a Champion. The game features deep sprawling lore, interesting build options, living world - all yours for the taking, if you manage to defeat the combat system first.

Death Road to Canada is another in a long line of solid indie titles on the Switch. Great fun on the go, loads of replay value, and lots of fun as a 2-player co-op game give this one the legs that'll make the cheap $15 worth the spend.

Pikachu Yellow was my favorite version of the games and Let’s Go Pikachu is one game I will be playing for hours on end. It is a great installment into the Pokemon World, and makes me excited for the Switch's next big installment of the series.

It is a faithful recreation of the classic genre while telling a fresh story. The characters within have a fun sense of humor that will keep you entertained in the midst of the action. Even though the controls are not perfect, after a few hours of play, I found them less frustrating.

When a game can bring about those kinds of emotions but also stay fun and enjoyable, that’s how you know it’s really good in my book. You never want to give up and only want to keep trying til you beat it.

Ace Combat 7 has hit the skies and it has been a smooth flight with little turbulence. Available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $59.99 USD and in February for PC. If you like games where flight is the main type of play then this game is for you. I love games like Elite Dangerous for its space combat and now I have Ace Combat 7 for my Air Combat.

Knights and Bikes tells the tale of Demelza and Nessa as they uncover a story, battle a curse, and deal with the almost inevitable closure of Demelza's fathers business. Luckily for adventure game fans, there is a lot to love in this charming game that pays a substantial homage to some of the best coming of age adventure films of the 80s. Knights and Bikes delivers on an extraordinary experience that is hard to find these days.

Now, getting to the main question that you would probably ask: “Is Hell Let Loose worth the price?” Well, it depends. If you are a patient gamer against minor bugs and issues, and you love hardcore games, then you should get it. On the other hand, if you think you might not like the realism of the game or you don’t have any squads, then you’d better wait for a free weekend opportunity or a discount on the price.

Dying Light: The Beast is a ghost of a great franchise, competently executed but lacking the spark that once made it special. The game lacks the pioneering audacity of the original, and lacks the narrative ambition of the sequel. It's a grind that, despite its apparent dynamism, leads nowhere. On top of all this, the game was extremely rough at release, and some of its bugs remain unfixed.

If you’re looking for a hard knocks challenge then Murder By Numbers is probably not for you, and that is no real surprise. Murder By Numbers comes from the same team that released Hatoful Boyfriend into the wild and it relies on some fantastic writing. Filled with quirky 90s cheese, engaging characters, and some fantastic animation, Murder by numbers is the sort of case file that goes above and beyond the line of duty.

If you are looking for a game to blow up demons and add a solid FPS to your Nintendo library, look no further than Doom. It packs the entire campaign and much of the multiplayer onto a portable console, meaning that you don’t need to stop fragging just because you need to leave the house. The game’s eye candy has been reduced to match the console’s processing power, as well as feels a bit awkward using the console’s portable joy-cons rather than the pro controller. Even so, the game is worth a playthrough and hopefully a good sign of what is to come.

If you like collecting, leveling up and breeding cute animals, then Temtem is a game is worth your attention. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but the creature-collecting part of the game shines brightly.

The further you progress in Nobody Saves the World, the more absurdity you encounter, and it’s wonderful.

Matching pixel stylings with the ambient soundscapes of Jim Guthrie makes Swordbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP a wonderfully weird journey with a good balance of action and puzzle-puzzle-solving.

It’s lighthearted tone and lovable art style works in tandem with clever puzzles to create an experience that any gamer can enjoy. Every new item had me either laughing at the ridiculousness of it or the sheer absurdity of how many items I had.

8-Bit Armies is a game that deserves your attention.

Fate/EXTELLA LINK improves on the first game with more characters, more things to unlock and solid combat. The story was great although I wish there was more of it. The cutscenes this time are done with hand-drawn 2D characters that remind more of a visual novel type game with some great voice acting.

Atelier Lulua is a fun game to play in small spurts. It combines crafting/gathering with a decent JRPG combat system. While crafting and gathering can be tedious at times, the general concept is pretty fun.

Has all the ingredients to keep a player engaged but seems stuck in the past with game mechanics not just story-line.

Overall, 3 out of 10 Season Two, is a fun-filled title with mini-games to keep you busy in between story scenes that are full of laughs from beginning to end. Finding out what is going to happen to this company as they work on their game is what pushes everything forward.

Overall, Super Robot Wars 30 is a good addition to the series for fans of the previous titles. While it may not be the type of game I would play that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the hard work that has been put into it. From the graphics to the audio and the story, it plays like an anime story that you play through.

If, like me, you missed out in 2011 when LA Noire first launched, I highly recommend trying it now on Switch (or on PC, PS4, and XB1 where it was recently released. The Switch version feels right at home and has me clamoring that somehow Rockstar will bring more of its catalog to the console.

Despite its shortcomings, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is a great playthrough.

It's a great game for Final Fantasy fans, and fans of JRPGs, though unlike Pokemon Let's Go, it's not going to be super easy for younger kids to get the most out of a complex battle and leveling system.

Frostpunk – The Last Autumn is the new expansion for the amazing city building survival game Frostpunk that was originally released in 2018. In this DLC you race against the oncoming apocalypse to build a generator necessary to support the survivors from London should the worst come to pass. If you enjoyed the original game or are not turned off by a somewhat dark narrative, then you will be happy to know 11 Bit Studios has done a great job with this expansion.

A stealth game lovers dream disguised as a charming adventure game.

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with my time spent in The Division 2 Warlords of New York. The story delivers and gave me some of the closure I needed from the first Division, but showed me there’s still more to the story. The item changes are great and make everything just that little bit easier. I still have issues with some mechanics, especially bullet sponge bosses. I’m also concerned with Season passes and whether they will be worth the price of admission.

The graphics are similar to games from that time period and the backgrounds, the bots, the players all look and feel really good.

Golf Story is like Stardew Valley and Caddyshack had a baby. And that baby is the best baby, you guys. It’s out now on the Switch eshop, and there’s no wonder it’s currently sitting atop the best sellers. One can only hope we get a Badminton Story, a Croquet Story, and perhaps a Water Polo Story next. Let’s keep this thing going.