Outside of the server issues, I’ve certainly enjoyed my time spent with Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. It’s a solid follow-up to a unique shooter series that I don’t think gets enough attention, and if you haven’t given this series a shot yet, this would certainly be a good jumping on point. It’s a nice alternative to the more serious multiplayer shooters out there and even serves up a solid alternative to more like-minded games like Overwatch. You may want to give it a little time to iron out some flaws here and there, but definitely check it out when you get a chance.

Given its absurdity, it would be easy to look at Untitled Goose Game and simply dismiss it as a joke taken way too far. But the reality is far different. This is one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year, and it’s well worth checking out.

To be sure, Legend of the Skyfish isn’t going to make anyone forget The Legend of Zelda, or even many of its imitators and copycats. What it will do, however, is offer a fun couple of hours at a pretty decent price, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s enough to make it well worth your time.

The Witcher 3 on the Switch is a marvel in more ways than one, and if you want a game that you can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into without ever feeling like you’re doing the same things over and over again, then look no further because it’s right here.

$29.99 is a great price for this level of digital pinball perfection. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking this collection up. I’m looking forward to what Zen Studios is cooking up next!

If you’ve never played the original games, or you’re just a fan of beat ‘em ups in general, I’d absolutely suggest picking up The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors on the platform of your choice. I played through on the Nintendo Switch, which has been an excellent platform for the game, but I’d imagine you’d be fine from a performance perspective on PS4 too. It’s a real gem of a game that’s long been overlooked and is certainly worth your time.

Basically, there’s absolutely no reason why you should check out Radiation City. It’s a broken, buggy mess that doesn’t do anything right, and it’s a massive waste of your time, money, and memory card space.

It’s far less insidious than any of the myriad match-3 games that clog up Apple and Google’s respective storefronts, but it’s also not all that fun unless you really love grinding your way through match-3 puzzles. It could be a lot worse, and kudos to the game’s developers for resisting the allure of monetization, but Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns’ appeal will definitely be limited.

I enjoyed my time with The Impossible Lair. Even with it’s minor issues, I still managed to keep having fun, and that’s really what it’s all about. Yooka-Laylee works much better as a 2D platformer and I hope Team 17 will continue to develop these characters in this style. This game is a great starting point for the new direction and I hope we see more sequels like this in the future.

Great visuals and a solid racing feel might not be enough to divert your attention from an already busy holiday line-up. There have been so many excellent racers in the past few years, that GRID just doesn’t do enough to justify its purchase price in my mind. It’s a fun game, sure, but I don’t think you’ll find it to be all that memorable in the long run.

If you’re a less cynical person than me, then, I’ll say that there may be something here you’ll enjoy — but even if there is, the camera-work may be terrible enough that not even the most optimistic person will want to give up on this game and admit defeat.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age performs really well on the Switch. I’ve played almost exclusively on a Nintendo Switch Lite, and even in 3D mode it holds up really well. Performance is solid, I never really noticed severe framerate issues, and load times feel in line with the PS4 version of the game if not better.

Humour is extremely subjective, so I’m sure that some people out there will think that Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse is absolutely hilarious, and if they do, I won’t judge them too much for it. Personally, though, I like funny games that are, you know, actually funny, which is why it’s hard to get too enthusiastic for this one.

A weak story and uninteresting side-quests and characters keep The Surge 2 from reaching true greatness beyond the original, but it is clear that the developers ARE learning and improving. Although it may not be a better game overall, the combat improvements go to show just how good a future title could be.

While nothing here is outright painful, there’s nothing in Furwind that will make you want to keep playing. All in all, it’s a platformer whose cute facade masks a wholly forgettable experience.

Tropico 6 is fantastically addictive, and worth checking out regardless of whether you’re into the minute details of urban planning, or if you’re more a big picture kind of person. Whichever it is, you’ll find plenty to love here.

I’ve really had a blast with Valfaris. It looks and performs really well on Switch, and I’d imagine that’ll be the case for the other platforms it’s available on too. The metal soundtrack is fantastic, and the overall visual design is unlike anything I’ve played this year. With the recent announcement that Doom Eternal is delayed into next year, I think Valfaris will easily be the most metal game you’ll play this year. It’s absolutely worth checking out when it launches on Switch and PC on October 10th.

Code Vein is the perfect starting point for that friend that always wanted to try Dark Souls but couldn’t get into it because it was “too hard”. It is also a great choice for Souls veterans to whet your appetite while you eagerly await the next genuine From Software offering. There are so many unique and fun changes here that, although there is a definite difficulty decrease, you will really enjoy yourself.

I think the brevity works to the game’s advantage. If it were a dozen or more hours of drawing the same designs over and over again, it’d start getting a little tiresome. Instead, you get a few hours to bask in one of the prettiest games of the generation, and it leaves before it wears out its welcome.

As it stands, I’d absolutely suggest checking out Dauntless if you haven’t done so already. It’s an easy access free-to-play title with crossplay built-in for all platforms and doesn’t immediately try to nickel-and-dime you to death with add-ons and other items. The stuff you can buy is purely cosmetic, and there are plenty of earnable options available without needing to spend anything upfront. Also, it’s really fun to play, and as a big Monster Hunter fan, it’s nice to have a viable alternative to spend time with.

At best, it feels like a well-made rehashing of much of what’s come before it, with a slightly harder difficulty level. There’s nothing wrong with that, to be sure, but it makes it hard to recommend The Sojourn unless you’ve exhausted most other possibilities of the genre already.

Even if it’s not deep, it’s still very fun. The music is catchy and the gameplay is addictive, and it all adds up to make Conga Master Go one of the more enjoyable games I’ve played in awhile.

Admittedly, at just $2, it’s hard to be that worked up about Mr. Blaster. But plenty of mobile games have shown that $2 can still give you a lot of content — and content is one thing Mr. Blaster clearly doesn’t have, which is why you should feel no concern about skipping it.

Ultimately Sayonara Wild Hearts will be a permanent fixture on my Switch console (as well as my iPhone, as this title is one of the launch titles for Apple’s Apple Arcade service). While the Fool’s journey is a relatively short one, it will be extremely revisitable as one can strive to get the gold rank scores as well as collect all the diamonds strewn across the levels. Why wouldn’t you, with an excellent soundtrack and superb visual design, I couldn’t find a better way to pass the time.

Performance-wise, the Vasara Collection is as solid as they come, even on the Vita. But really, that performance will only be impressive if, again, you’re really into shmups. If you’re not, it’ll all seem like a headache-inducing riot of noise and colour, but for fans of the genre, the Vasara Collection is probably a must-play.

In fact, nothing about Pikuniku bothers me. It’s a happy, fun little game that needs to be enjoyed by everyone who owns a Switch, and the world is a better place with games like this in it.

Himno clearly aspires to be much more than a simple platformer, but its execution falls well short of any greater goals it may have.

As it stands, the old tried and true “fans of the series will like this game too” is honestly pretty accurate in regards to Borderlands 3. I’d say it’s a better game overall than The Pre-Sequel, and roughly on par with Borderlands 2. The post-game/end-game content is sufficient to keep you entertained well past the story, and the overall feel of the gunplay and looting is improved enough to make a difference. But if you’ve never enjoyed the series, Borderlands 3 won’t change your mind. Personally, I’ve really enjoyed my time with the game outside of the aforementioned technical issues and menu problems, and certainly suggest checking out Borderlands 3 if you haven’t done so already.