Right now, the main thing I hope to see is a UI and text scaling option. It is the only major issue with the game on Steam Deck right now. It likely will come as the team has commented on Steam Deck support before, but I want to prepare you for that if you plan on jumping in with the game's early access release. Beyond that, proper controller support would be nice, but the trackpad and combination of face/shoulder buttons works well.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta's Switch release is a lot easier to recommend now via backward compatibility on Switch 2, and is well worth getting if you haven't played it before and want a great portable experience. If you have played Celceta before, the new soundtrack option isn't enough to justify a new purchase unless of course you want to revisit the game on Switch 2. I don't recommend playing it on Switch 1 though if you have other options.

I simply cannot overstate how well the various puzzle pieces of Pragmata click together, how effortlessly its joyful story and gameplay go hand-in-hand to create something that’s more than the sum of its parts. There are certainly minor quibbles you can find here and there, the occasional odd boss battle that feels overwhelming, or a standard main narrative. The core puzzle-shooter idea is rock solid on its own, but it's the little embellishments and advances that the game layers in that make it truly something special.

If, like me, you found yourself interested in how things might evolve with the sequel I can give my endorsement for Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Switch 2. All in all, it's a solid port for a solid game.

While there are a few small missteps with the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, they ultimately pale when compared to the broad, useful features added. The fact that not only can fans and first-timers enjoy the Star Force series, but can also tailor their experiences to their liking without the need for emulators is wonderful, and Capcom's efforts to release much older games in bundles on modern platforms really should be commended. If you're a newcomer interested in quirky action RPGs or a long-time fan looking to re-experience the magic, the Star Force Legacy Collection is an easy recommend from me.

Etrange Overlord is my biggest surprise of the year so far. A perfectly-paced action RPG with a phenomenal cast of characters, and a genuine sense of ironically grim humor.

There are aspects about GreedFall: The Dying World that remain compelling -- the overall world-building remains top-notch, the RPG progression systems are well-designed, and fans of GreedFall's established lore will have plenty to latch onto. However, the narrative doesn't carry the same inventiveness as the original game, the combat changes appear to be courting a more niche playerbase, and multiple gameplay and technical shortcomings compromise the experience entirely. If Spiders and Nacon can manage to support the game after release, it's possible that many of these issues could be addressed, but the state in which this game was released doesn't have me feeling optimistic.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is my favorite in the series, and yet I can't help but admit that I was a little disappointed that the vaunted extra story focus being a bit squandered in practice stings. For most fans or newcomers, I don't think this will be a dealbreaker - and it certainly wasn't for me - but it's a shame that what was already such a fantastic Monster-Battling RPG in terms of gameplay stumbles just enough to prevent it from reaching its full potential. They've perfected the gameplay loop, so hopefully next go around Monster Hunter Stories can finally live up to that moniker.

Code Vein II is a sequel that learned all the wrong lessons from industry trends. I don’t usually like to compare games directly when evaluating them, but games don’t exist in a vacuum, and Code Vein II releasing right next to Nioh 3 puts it at a disadvantageous position because its direct action RPG competitor is superior in almost every way. Nioh 3 allows players to play with each other effortlessly, while Code Vein II removed it entirely. Code Vein II’s open world approach is a lot more dull to wade through, as Nioh 3’s smaller zones allow players to traverse it much more swiftly. The only thing I can muster is that Code Vein II probably should’ve pushed back its release to vastly improve its performance – something that Nioh 3 also has a leg up on.

Towerborne is a game that’s integrally different from Stoic’s previous work in nearly every way, but you can still feel the studio’s unique voice and personality come through in so much of the world-building and writing. It is a rock-solid beat ‘em up that can take you a long way, especially with friends, but ultimately, I hope the studio gets a chance to return to this world again, because there’s truly a spark of something even more special still hidden in the foundation.

Much of what I loved in Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo still applies in Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse. It is a compelling mystery adventure game that tones down the horror aspect of the previous entry in exchange for more involved puzzle-solving segments. I think it is also an extremely tricky game to write about in a pre-release capacity because much of its charm is wrapped up in spoiling surprises. I have a few qualms with how its story comes together in a few spots, but it is a minor blemish in an otherwise extremely great entry in the Paranormasight series again, and I hope they continue to make more in the future.

This is why I love video games. This game doesn’t feel like just another piece of content to check off a list. This is what art should be. Messy, fun, uncomfortable, imperfect, free of corporate meddling, and drenched in the soul of the human beings who made it.

The first Nioh marked a great debut for a long-dormant project that had been considered vaporware at one point, and Nioh 2 refined both the mechanics and the storytelling style. In places, Nioh 3 feels like a manufactured return to the series, changing up the formula and resulting in a more mixed bag, and that's what Nioh 3 turned out to be in my eyes. If you come to Nioh primarily for fights and challenges, you will enjoy this new game because it brings an even more varied action combat system. Overall though, those also hoping to find compelling storytelling and worldbuilding might end up finding those aspects rather lackluster. I sincerely hope Team Ninja can use this lesson should they ever get to make a Wo Long 2.

The first Nioh marked a great debut for a long-dormant project that had been considered vaporware at one point, and Nioh 2 refined both the mechanics and the storytelling style. In places, Nioh 3 feels like a manufactured return to the series, changing up the formula and resulting in a more mixed bag, and that's what Nioh 3 turned out to be in my eyes. If you come to Nioh primarily for fights and challenges, you will enjoy this new game because it brings an even more varied action combat system. Overall though, those also hoping to find compelling storytelling and worldbuilding might end up finding those aspects rather lackluster.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined still encapsulates much of what makes Dragon Quest VII resonant, but with every possible edge sanded off. It succeeds at streamlining a lengthy adventure at the expense of player discovery and friction. Besides being able to reach the credits more quickly, I find it difficult to declare this version as an improvement on what came before.

Steel Century Groove is a feel good indie RPG, and the type of project that reminds you of just how much creativity can be found outside of the AAA industry. I can't wait to see what project they decide to work on next.

I like a lot of what I've seen in Endfield. The combat system seems really engaging and the visuals are some of the best I have seen for a gacha game. While the story does seem quite promising so far, I am not sure if I want to fully commit to the game with a gacha system this predatory as someone who enjoys a lot of gacha games. I've always hated the gacha system that HoYoverse games have popularized, but with so many games copying the system and Endfield's own spin on it somehow feeling even worse, it is hard for me to want to get inviested here. [Impressions]

Dynasty Warriors: Origins, one of 2025's best games, has gotten a great handheld conversion for Nintendo Switch 2. While it is unfortunate that this late port doesn't include the new Visions of Four Heroes DLC in its base release, this is easily one of the better Switch 2 ports and a massive step up over the Warriors games on Switch 1 in just about every way. If you skipped it on other platforms or just want a great portable experience, Dynasty Warriors: Origins on Switch 2 is an easy recommendation.

The Visions of Four Heroes story DLC for Dynasty Warriors: Origins capitalizes on what made the game great. It constantly throws players into battles against overwhelming odds, and they have to find a way to lead their allies to victory. Grand army versus army confrontations never got old in Origins, and this DLC serves them up regularly. The constrained and isolated nature of each DLC campaign does make its fanfiction story beats inherently hollow, though its skewed perspective on alternative “what-if” scenarios does provide some amusing moments for those tapped into the Romance of the Three Kingdoms narrative.

Right now, I don't recommend System Shock remake on Switch 2 if you want to play handheld. If you want to play docked, it is better than last month, but not as stable as it should be. This is definitely one to play on PS5 or Steam Deck if you have access to those platforms. I hope the Switch 2 version improves before the physical cartridge release because I was excited to buy that for my collection. I don't think I will bother if it ships with this current build though.

In its current state, I don't recommend buying Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on Switch 2. While the first big update brought in some improvements and mouse controls, it was very much a one step forward two steps back patch. Not only was it disappointing that Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader hit Switch 2 with no DLC available or included, but this is by far the worst port I've played on Switch 2 since the console's debut last June.

I don’t know what is coming next for our friends in Zemuria, or when we will get to see it, but The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon has still been the most fun I’ve had in Calvard yet. Yeah, it still plays, looks, and feels like Daybreak 1 and 2 for the most part, but with the exception of the time skip and engine change between Cold Steel 2 and 3, games of an arc tend to do that, so it was expected.

There's plenty of fun to be had with Mega Dimension; the new sidequests are neat, the new Mega Evolutions are fun to play with, and even if I didn't gel with the story as much as the basegame I still had a good time with it. Yet, if you were already feeling burnt out by the time the original credits rolled - or are even just unsure if you're ready for more of the same - I can't exactly say if this DLC is worth the price of admission.

In its current state after the first major post-launch update, Assassin's Creed Shadows is worth your time handheld on Switch 2 all things considered. If you already own it on another platform, I recommend it on Switch 2 to play on the go and complement the TV experience you get elsewhere. I hope to see some of the performance issues when playing docked addressed and will be revisiting this for the Claws of Awaji expansion in the future.

The gameplay is a mix of Let It Die and Deathverse, but honestly, I don't even care to get into the specifics of it. Yeah, it has a somewhat interesting-if-simple roguelite/survival gameplay loop, and yeah, competing with other reviewers on the scoreboard was kinda interesting for a few nights, but I refuse to give any more of my energy to a game that uses generative AI to undermine the good work the other developers spent on this. I don't know if Supertrick leadership or Gungho leadership mandated the AI usage, but they need to get thrown out with the trash. I am beyond disappointed, not just as a game reviewer, but as a Let It Die superfan.

Octopath Traveler 0 is the type of game that sneaks up on you. Maybe it isn't immediately obvious what makes it great, even if the deficiencies are impossible to ignore; every now and then something will stick out like a sore thumb that betrays what the game originally was, even if that's not necessarily what the game is now, in its current form. When taken on its own merits, Octopath Traveler 0 is the type of RPG you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else - and a fascinating case study in how, much like Final Fantasy prior, Octopath Traveler can reinvent its core elements while still maintaining an identity as a franchise.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian is a decent game that is good for short bursts of gameplay. If you're a longtime Atelier fan, this likely has more meaning for you, seeing your favourite characters come together for another adventure. For people not familiar with the series, there's not a lot here to hook you.

Quartet might not find itself on the highest pedestal alongside its most obvious influences, but against contemporaries attempting similar throwback experiences, it holds its own thanks to a vibrant soundtrack, lush environments, and an immensely satisfying combat system. It might not be something classic, but it's absolutely something worth experiencing, especially if you have a fondness for the mid-'90s golden age of console RPGs.