Taking into account the stuttering, low resolution textures, and downgraded 3D models, this is still an incredible game. When I started playing, the game was a bit harder to look at, but as I continued and got back into the flow of its platforming I stopped caring about the visuals. While the glitches are still bothersome, it’s a testament to just how good A Hat in Time is that I still adored the game in this compromised state.

I Expect You To Die 3: Cog in the Machine is a great VR experience. It’s incredibly tactile while still remaining convenient and easy to play. However, having to repeat the same parts of levels over and over to progress can get very frustrating.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 feels less like a simple rerelease and something closer to a remaster, especially when played on Switch 2. While not as polished and fully featured as they could be for the price tag, these are still phenomenal games and absolutely worth blasting off in again and again.

Unfortunately, it really is just more of the same but with an impressive visual bump.

What value you get out of Skylanders Giants is tied directly to how much you'll be willing to spend on it and while it's definitely pricey, the added value of a physical product that is actually a pretty well made and exciting piece of tech softens the blow a bit. The game itself is way more fun than it has any right being, and while it doesn't pull off its concepts perfectly, it does manage to stay interesting throughout, with tons of clever little ideas and nods to other games.

With beautiful music and a heart-wrenching story, the final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm provides mostly interesting gameplay and big decisions to mull over in spite of over-dramatic themes and a lack of resolution for some plot lines.

Mortal Kombat’s “new era” takes more from the old ones than the reboot implies. While this allows Mortal Kombat 1 to bring the best elements of the series to the forefront, it also distracts from what should be a bold new beginning.

A slick sniping title in name, but one that also encourages creativity, delivers action, and demands adaptation, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is one hell of a ride. Although it has a lackluster story and a handful of minor issues, it’s still an immensely enjoyable separatist kill fest set in the gorgeous open-world landscapes of former Soviet Georgia.

Monster Jam Showdown is the definitive Monster Jam experience of this generation. With sleek gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and amazing sound design, you won’t want to miss this game.

Blood Bowl II is a unique tactical turn-based game with an amusing setting and a lot of personality.

Do you like competitive multiplayer games with an emphasis on giant maps, team play, and vehicles? Then grab the demo. Tell your friends to grab it too. It definitely warrants a look, and if the community grows and stays active this can easily be a game to go back to again and again to get your online FPS slaughter fix.

Hue is a unique platforming experience that marries a charming art style with an original gameplay mechanic that differentiates it from most other platformers. Focus is required to make it through the interesting puzzles, and without this you are bound to be punished which can be frustrating.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a highly familiar, yet fresh take on 2D platforming, and the results are a game I can easily imagine scaled down to 16-bit on a Sega Genesis. A nostalgia hound for the 90s will find a lot to love with this game, from the gameplay down to the look, feel, and story it presents. Far from perfect, but charming beyond its expectations, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is wonderfully fun.

The move to a cloud-focused game has caused some turbulence on takeoff, and it would be good to be able to decouple from that decision with an “install-all” option, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 elevates the game in just about every other way. It'd just be nice if it did it more cleanly. That said, if you have even a passing interest in flight, this simulator is still the best out there.

In some ways falling short, but in many ways vastly exceeding the original, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is everything we wanted in a sequel to one of the best evildoer simulators ever made. It recaptures the spirit of the original, brings it up to modern standards, and lets us play in an evil sandbox of our own making.

There are several areas in which the individual games of this collection could be improved, but Sportsfriends achieves what it set out to do, and for that it is to be commended.

Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a great game, but doesn’t do much to stand out against other games in the series. The story and setting are novel and interesting, however, the combat lacks any sort of balance. Even so, the excellent melodrama is worth seeing through to the end.

METAL EDEN is a satisfyingly fast paced slaughter as you glide through the air and tear out the hearts of your enemies. With the varied weaponry at the Hyper Unit’s disposal, you’ll certainly have a blast rescuing the citizens of Moebius from the cryptic engineers, even if the conclusion comes quickly.

Magic Duels: Origins breaks very little new ground, but the formula has been polished to a beautiful finish over the last several years. The micro-transaction model may hamper the enjoyment of those players looking for a more straightforward gaming experience.

Developed with genuine Sega Genesis tools, Tanglewood is the epitome of retro throwbacks. Outside of that novelty, Tanglewood succeeds through its intuitive puzzle design, constant drip of new mechanics, and varied locations. While the general lack of music and slow introduction do detract from the game, the sum of its parts is a genuinely great 2D platformer worthy of your time.

Guacamelee 2 recaptures everything that made the original great and adds a few new tricks for good measure. It’s a joy to look at and it feels great to play, especially when it focuses on challenging platforming. The game feels a little padded out with lots of backtracking and locked-room combat sequences, but it’s still an absolute blast to play.

A beautifully animated walking simulator. I recommend that you give it a play, because it really is quite a different experience from most mainstream, fast driven, AAA games. It reminded me of a form of meditation because it was simply that immersive.

Combined, these four games carry over 400 hours of some of the most well written RPG storylines I’ve ever played. The Enhanced Editions provide a wealth of quality of life improvements that make them bearable for new platforms. While there is bafflingly no touchscreen support for Switch, and the multiplayer is AWOL, there is simply no better way to take these wonderful RPGs on the road than the Nintendo Switch.

The Surge: A Walk in the Park is an over-the-top, hilarious expansion to a great game that sadly ends far too quickly.

GORN 2, at its core, is pure bloody gladiator fun. Outrageous doesn’t begin to describe the experience of its humor, gore, and cartoonish brutality. This is absolutely one that VR owners need to check out.

GalCiv3 is a brilliant game that delivers seamless graphics with a tremendous engine that delivers as small or as large an empire-experience as you could possibly hope for. While some were nervous after Stardock stumbled with the poorly-received Elemental, they have used the time to take a running start and put themselves back in the pack, though one wishes that they included a bit more hand-holding.

Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle is a clever twist on the traditional dungeon crawler, with a focus on the split-team function. Learning to work with separate teams can be tough at first, but it's well worth the effort. The combat is otherwise simplistic and easy to pick up, making it easy to jump in for hours at a time.

Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker is an attempt to make the stars of the base game actual characters, and while it fails at that the effort is appreciated. Still, the game itself is a ton of fun, with great combat, gorgeous visuals, fantastic music, and fun puzzles.