Without a doubt, the best thing about the PS5 version of the game is that it allows for cross-gen progression. The process is fairly straightforward - you essentially save and upload your PS4 version, and then download the file onto your PS5 - but it made me incredibly happy that I was able to bring over my custom character and his stats to the PS5 without hassle.

I came in expecting a pretty big learning curve in figuring out how to not jump in a platforming game, but developer Redstart Interacting did well to squash any of those concerns pretty much immediately upon starting the game. To put it plainly, Get-A-Grip Chip has me hooked.

Black Legend feels and looks like it could be at least ten years older than it is. The environments are all nearly identical, almost every attack has the same animation no matter how it’s actually described in the tooltip, the only tutorial is a 15-page menu you read at the start, and there’s an entire adrenaline system that I’m pretty sure is never explained anywhere. To say the game is unpolished would be generous, but I can’t lie, I really liked it. It apes Bloodborne’s atmosphere all the way down to NPCs you can talk to by knocking on doors that have a light on, and I have to admit I’m a total sucker for it. I loved coming up with ways to build a well-rounded party, even if it felt like I could probably breeze through combat without trying nearly as hard as I did. I’m the same guy that put 40 hours into Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics and loved every second of it, and I know I’m not the only one. If you’ve got the same passion for old-school tactics games, and I mean that in every sense of the word, Black Legend is just as infectious as the classics. It’s not for everyone, but the things it does well, it does really well.

It Takes Two is, without a doubt, the best co-op game you can play right now. It’s much more ambitious and bigger budget than A Way Out, which was still brilliant in its own way. Josef Fares and the team at Hazelight take things to the next level here, and I can only imagine what they’ll do when they’re inevitably given a triple-A budget. Grab a friend by the hand and pull them through an adventure unlike any other as soon as you can - you won’t regret it.

If you liked Immortals, this is basically the same game again, but shorter and with Chinese myths. It’s a shame that a different studio couldn’t, for whatever reason, make its DLC distinct from the base game, but if you want to experience a little bit more of Immortals Fenyx Rising, Myths of the Eastern Realm has you covered. It’s a disappointment, but it’s not a disaster.

It's a great entry point thanks to the Village Quests and helpful dog companion. If you're a fan who already pre-ordered and want to know if it's good, rest assured. You might actually like Rise better than World, as it brings back some of the strategic variety while building on more recent quality-of-life updates. It's a shame that the Switch holds the game back in small ways, but this is a contender for best in the series. If post-launch support is as good as it was for World, this game could easily rise above the rest.

Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on Nintendo Switch is well worth picking up if you liked the version that came out on console earlier this year and want a portable copy. It holds up very well on Nintendo’s system, and springs a few surprises with how well it handles everything. As for newcomers, this is probably as close to Warped as we’re going to get, so classic Crash fans should grab it too, even if it’s not quite Crash with all the trimmings.

It was fun developing my character as a newcomer to the franchise, but, goodness, it's been a lot of work. I’ll probably play Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town for a few more seasons just to see what develops. After that though, I’ll likely be saying, “So long,” to Olive Town for at least a little while.

My favorite part about the game was the animation. I loved the doll art style, and it fit really well with the quirky plot. The gameplay was okay, though it would have benefitted from clearer audio and more locations. Overall, Clea 2 was definitely worth playing through, but I’m unlikely to replay it. I’m hoping for a Clea 3 that expands upon the characters and setting, and a game that further improves upon the mechanics.

Unless you really want to see an ear of walking corn fire machine gun rounds at a zombie dressed as a football player, Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville is far from the best option for a multiplayer shooter on the Switch.

The visuals and audio in combination with the meaningful and positive narrative come together to construct the complete package for a short ride into What Comes After.

Adios is the kind of contemplative experience that will stick with me for a long time. While I think Adios is a much better story than it is a game, I’m fully convinced this is a great proof of concept for bigger stories in the interactive theater genre. Adios could have been a one-dimensional story about a man who has nothing left to live for, but through a series of short, concise conversations, the game does an exceptional job of fleshing out this character, humanizing him, and giving meaning to his death. That’s a lot to do in just an hour, but Adios handles it beautifully.

Frustration aside, if you're a fan of old-school horror in both film and games, Mundaun may be a place that's worth visiting. Just watch out for headless goats.

As far as racing games go on the Switch, WRC 9 takes top honors. The realistic racing sim has been ported to the mobile device near-flawlessly, falling short only due to the hardware capabilities of the Switch. The definitive way to experience WRC 9 is on the PS5 or Xbox Series X. However, the Nintendo Switch version of the game is a solid option for players who are looking to take their races on-the-go.

If video games had an equivalent of Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Uncertain: Light At The End would be a worthy candidate to appear on it. Everything from the story to the acting to the gameplay to the constant onslaught of bugs makes it a title deserving of mockery. Its only saving graces are its passable graphics and the puzzles that made me temporarily forget that I was playing a horrendous Telltale clone. I may be uncertain about a lot of things in life, but I'm 100% certain that you should stay away from this.

The difficulty is the only other thing that may be offputting to some. I'm a play-on-easy mode person for various reasons, but even then, I had to restart several scenarios because it took a few tries to get the resources and military balance correct. There are different difficulty levels but if you are new to the franchise or take a while to get your head around how new units and mechanics work the learning curve may feel steep. However, if you stick it out then you'll find it's all worth it. Also, if it all gets too much just hit up free build mode and explore the new troops, defenses, and mechanics in a far more relaxing environment.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a surreal experience, simply put. I think that it has the ability to make its players try and find the deeper meaning of the game, even if there’s not necessarily one to be found. One other nice thing about the game is that you don’t have to have played the first Anodyne to know what’s going on in Anodyne 2, this note coming directly from the developer. The game certainly doesn’t appeal to everyone, especially with its grandiose nature. But if you’re looking for a unique gaming experience this weekend, look no further than Anodyne 2: Return to Dust.

Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut will be an indie game I'll remember for years to come, just like Celeste and What Remains of Edith Finch. Its powerful storytelling, excellent performances, and stunning world will eventually invite me back to play it once again.

I would highly recommend checking this out if you're looking for an original indie experience. I tend to criticize games when they make me run around in circles, but I'm more than willing to make an exception for Loop Hero.

3 out of 10’s move to Nintendo Switch is a successful port that makes sense on the portable device. Taking in the game’s 30(ish)-minute episodes one at a time is a great format that works well on Switch, since you can watch it from wherever you may be in your house. Season two is slated to release on the Epic Games Store on Thursday, April 8 for free, so now is the perfect time to get caught up on all of the shenanigans from season one.

I was really hoping to be wowed by Maquette, but my time spent with it was not the magical, romantic experience I was hoping for. The bugs, overall wonkiness, and lame puzzle design annoyed me to no end. Especially when it would punish me by making me start a chapter over because it had broken itself. As a result, my already low tolerance of the love story between Michael and Kenzie grew to the point where I couldn't stand the couple. I would actively cheer when things went wrong because I didn't like them. The game seemingly wants you to feel like their relationship is one for the ages, but it just felt like a couple who had issues after the honeymoon period was over. It's a tale as old as time, but not one worth basing a game on.

The multiplayer component is the key selling point here as quick multiplayer strategy matches sound fun, yet even that is hurt by the apparent lack of an active online player base. All of these issues leave The Battle Of Polytopia as a title that doesn't have enough options and content to make it worth going to war for.

For anyone who’s never heard of Crazy Taxi, Taxi Chaos will be a good enough racing title that’s fine for a quick pick-up-and-play experience. For everyone else, this near-duplicate ride likely won’t be worth the cab fare.

Encodya doesn’t bring anything new to the point-and-click genre, but that’s not really what it’s going for. It’s a coming-of-age tale set in a dystopian world that, honestly, doesn’t seem too far off from where we as a society might be headed. Chaosmonger Studio does well to ground Tina in reality, despite living in a world full of superficial facades and virtual dangers - all with the help of her lumbering, lovable companion SAM-53. (Great name, by the way.)

Despite having spent plenty of time in Littlewood (yes, I kept the default name for my town), I still often find myself wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. When will I be thrust back into a life of combat to defend the town and community that I have spent hours upon hours rebuilding? There’s been nothing to indicate that that is going to happen, and I hope nothing ever will. I have every intention of continuing my journey in Littlewood for a long time - whether that comes in the form of extended hour-long playthroughs or five to ten minutes at a time.

I’ve grown to enjoy it more and more as I’ve played. But despite how much I can enjoy it, I can’t get away from those minor frustrations, as much as I’d like to. Bravely Default 2 makes a compelling case for itself as a modern JRPG that evokes the classic era, but it doesn’t do as much with the concept as modern contemporaries, and it never quite reaches the soaring highs of those classics, either. This is a game in between a rock and a hard place, and while it will definitely find its audience, it won’t make it onto any list of essential RPGs as its predecessor did.

Had the gameplay been tuned up a bit more I could see myself recommending this, but unfortunately, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is one game that feels like it came back from the dead a little too soon.

Its visuals can be striking, but that's about all I can remember about my time with it. At this point, I've played plenty of Soulslikes. The ones that I did enjoy tried to play around with the formula in some way. But Shattered doesn't reinvent the wheel or even try to gussy it up. It's just a so-so Soulslike that tries to stand out by having the same aesthetic as The Corpse Bride. And that's simply not enough.