There are pieces of a great game in Ghostrunner, and again, I’m sure it’s a fantastic experience elsewhere, but on the Switch, it’s more an exercise in frustration than anything else.

As far as I’m concerned, the good of Katamari Damacy REROLL far outweighs the bad. No small frustrations can compete with the sheer joy that is seeing arms and legs and cars and wings and dogs flailing around, as the crazy music in the background. Katamari Damacy REROLL doesn’t add much (or anything) to the formula it created 16 years ago, but when it started out this well, it really doesn’t need to.

If you’ve managed to miss out on Dragon Quest XI so far, then this is surely the version of the game you should get. It’s a great RPG, packs a lot of content in to keep you busy throughout the holiday season, and the nifty 2D mode makes for a fun nostalgia trip to boot.

Even though I’m a cat person, spending a couple of hours with your dog in Rainbow Bay is enough to get you invested in its success — and by extension, in the game. The other people were tolerable (okay, a couple tolerable, most were still pretty annoying by the end), but I was really rooting to see my rescue pup become more comfortable around people. That may not mean that Best Friend Forever is a success as a dating game, but if you’re after a pet-raising sim, it’s a nice way to pass a few hours.

If you’re looking for anything like logic in an Earth Defense Force game, you’re missing the point. These games are designed to allow you to blow up as much of the world around you as possible with a minimum of fuss, and, like I said, you get a rocket launcher in the very first level. Earth Defense Force 5 won’t win any awards, but if you want more of the same from this now-venerable series, it’ll deliver everything you could possibly be looking for.

A couple of annoying moments here and there can’t detract from an overall fun experience, so as long as you go into Bug Academy with that mindset, you should be able to enjoy it.

The touch controls are awful. It’s hard to manipulate the camera. It’s hard to move the board/cube around. It’s hard to move the game pieces. Basically, whatever Unlock the King 3 wants you to do, it constantly gets in your way of doing it. And that, more than anything else, is why it’s impossible to recommend it. Even if Unlock the King 3 were the simplest, most straightforward game imaginable, it would still be a constant chore to play it. Couple lousy controls with gameplay that’s not all that interesting or intuitive, and you can see why — whatever the platform — it’s probably not worth playing.

If you’ve ever wondered who would win in a fight between Luffy and Goku, this game will satisfy that itch…but if you’re someone for whom the first half of this sentence is meaningless gibberish, then there’s really nothing here that you’ll find appealing. And honestly, despite the number of Japanese games I play (which is entirely due to my Vita addiction, rather than because of some fondness for anime), I can’t say that I fall into that camp. Which means that all that’s left in Jump Force is an ugly-looking game with extremely repetitive action — and honestly, why waste time or money on that?

Even if it’s the first Bioshock that still stands out as a milestone in gaming, for me the real high of the series is Bioshock Infinite. Just about everything in the game is perfectly done, and despite the fact it came out seven years ago, it feels as fresh and interesting as it did then. Taken together with the other two games in the series, there’s a pretty good argument to be made that Bioshock: The Collection is one of the must-play games on the Switch (and whatever other system you have).

What stays with you afterwards is how incredibly dark this game gets. That may not be what you want from a puzzle game, but if you’re after that, Reflection of Mine might be right up your alley.

Personally, I thought Ary and the Secret of Seasons was worth it, but you’d be well within your rights to figure it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and look elsewhere for your Zelda-like needs.

Pumpkin Jack is an excellent 3D platformer that’s well worth your time, whether you’re playing it at Halloween or any other time of the year.

Obviously, it’s not for everyone. If you want any kind of action whatsoever, you won’t find it here. All you’d find is a cute little game about a prince becoming a better person, in a story via animation that looks hand drawn and a font that looks almost like Comic Sans. That may not sound like much, but it’s pleasant, and that’s more than enough for me.

It’s fine for what it is, but if you want something that’ll really blow you away, this probably isn’t it.

CrossKrush is just the right amount of quirky and challenging to make it well worth an hour or so.

What’s frustrating is that this game could have been really good. Setting aside the freaky true crime aspect of it all, the game creates a deeply unsettling atmosphere, as if you’re walking through a nightmare with a mysterious, unstoppable killer lurking somewhere in the shadows. If that doesn’t frighten you a little, I don’t know what will. But again, none of that matters all that much, since the game here is a buggy mess. Whatever creepiness or unsettling story This is the Zodiac Speaking is trying to convey doesn’t really matter all that much, not when the game is literally falling apart before your very eyes.

You definitely need to be a puzzle game fan to enjoy Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and if these styles of games do not interest you then this one will probably not turn you. Since both franchises are played differently it’s difficult to merge the two into one experience, but how they did it here works great and it’s easy to jump into and play. There is enough offered in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 that even if you are a fan of just one type of puzzler you will probably still find something to like. If you are a puzzle fan and missed the first one then this is a perfect pick up… and if you have experienced the original there’s enough new content to be found in the sequel to keep you entertained.

If you’ve got a group of not-easily-offended friends together and you’re looking for something a little different, it’ll definitely do the trick.

It’s been done better by plenty of games plenty of times over the past couple of decades, and you’d be much better off playing any of the games from which Jet Set Knights draws inspiration than playing it instead.

To be fair, it’s not as if arcade bullet hell shooters lend themselves to all kinds of different gameplay styles, but it still makes the game feel a little lacking in content. Of course, if you just want some retro-y arcade bullet hell action, then that’s not going to bother you too much. Terror Squid may not have variety, but as I said, it does one thing very well — which is one more thing done well than many games can muster.

Genshin Impact is part of a wave of titles from China that is slowly eroding the bad stereotype that Chinese devs are devoid of creativity and skill. While the initial comparisons are there, Genshin Impact does go beyond to distinguish itself…now if only the gacha rates and the free primogem are better I would have no hesitation recommending the title.

Two Parsecs from Earth does have one mechanic that deserves mentioning: when you unlock a new skill, you have to choose between two, rather than simply getting one, and the skill you don’t pick is blocked off for the rest of the game. Consequently, different choices — say, choosing to dash rather than double-jump, or vice versa — will mean means the game plays out a little differently, which is an interesting wrinkle. Or it would be if the rest of Two Parsecs from Earth was that interesting. Unfortunately, it’s pretty dull beyond that, and only people who really like Metroidvanias need apply.

Demon’s Souls is an incredibly faithful and gorgeous remake of one of the greatest games of all time. Bluepoint pulled off something incredible, all while under the pressure of being a launch title for an entirely new generation of hardware. Demon’s Souls feels genuinely Next-Gen and is in no way held back by the bones of the PS3 version. Demon’s Souls is the perfect PS5 launch title and the definite From Software game. For long-time Souls players, Demon’s Souls feels like coming home. For new players, there has never been a better time or a better entry to find your way into the dark fantasy worlds that From Software creates.

A Short Hike really is a perfect experience. It’s easily one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I loved every single moment.

The end result is like a weird take on Cold War spy movies, with a jaunty soundtrack, competing global organizations, and lasers. Obviously, given we’re talking about a subgenre within a subgenre, Blind Men isn’t going to be for everyone…but for those to whom it even sort of sounds appealing, it’s well worth your time.

It’s a pretty joyful take on open-world action, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a late contender for Game of the Year.

It’s one of those games where the journey matters at least as much as, if not more than, the destination — and, thankfully, it makes that journey as smooth and seamless and pleasant as possible.

To me, this is the type of demo I would show off the graphics to a friend that would come over and get them hyped for what the console is capable of. In that department, it does a good job. Due to the length being so short, there isn’t much else to discuss other, make sure you understand what you are paying for before purchasing Bright Memory.