Ultimately, Super Mario 3D World, in this package, is the best that game has ever been, with the increased speed and ease of multiplayer access making it far more enticing than ever before. Bowser’s Fury, meanwhile, is essentially the Super Mario Odyssey DLC that never was. It feels like Odyssey’s level and game design sensibilities, but placed in the Super Mario 3D World game engine, with all of the power-ups and quirks that game has to make something truly unique. Putting both of these games in one package is the best decision that Nintendo has made in a long while, as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is one of the best Mario offerings available on Nintendo Switch, which is lofty praise given the existence of Super Mario Maker 2.

If Persona 5 was about forming bonds with new people and recruiting them for a common cause, Persona 5 Strikers is about taking the Phantom Thieves and proving that the friendship they share is lasting, that it can and will endure any hardship. I think, right now, that message is immeasurably important, and hits harder than a bullet formed from the Seven Deadly Sins.

Little Nightmares 2 is an enthralling, nerve-racking journey into madness. And it's all thanks to the terrifying imaginations of the people over at Tarsier Studios: a group of developers who seem dead set on giving us all childhood trauma even as grown-ass adults.

While I may not be interested in replaying Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood any time soon, the game did increase my intrigue to learn more about the World of Darkness universe. I think maybe I’ll steer clear of werewolves for now, though, and instead see what the WoD’s vampires have to offer.

I wanted to love Destruction AllStars. I still do. There’s just not enough there to make it worth my while right now. A couple of times, I ran into a weird technical issue where I would jump into a brand-new car, but it just wouldn’t move. I think that issues like this can certainly be fixed in a future patch, though. I also know that the development team of Lucid Games has a year’s-worth of content planned for the game. As such, although I can’t recommend playing Destruction AllStars right now, I do have high hopes for the future of the game. Especially since the car combat genre is ripe for the taking with no new Twisted Metal in sight.

As it stands right now, The Captain Is Dead is an interesting take on the strategy genre, but I feel like it boldly goes too far in being a frustrating, teeth-grinding, mind-numbing exercise in futility.

With some godly patchwork, Gods Will Fall could reach new heights. As it stands, though, it falls long before its eponymous gods ever truly have a chance to.

Bonkies is a good enough solo experience that I’ll be more than happy to jump in from time to time whenever I only have a few moments to game, or perhaps as a way to warm up before a night of Warzone or GTA Online. However, you can bet that once I’m able to have people over to my house again, Bonkies will be the first party game of the night that we play. And given its fun factor, possibly the only party game we’ll need.

A stealth game above all else, Disjunction is a fun journey through a dystopian world. Its head-to-head combat woes can be generally overlooked because stealth is such a major component. It’s clear that Ape Tribe Games put a lot of effort into building up the game’s cyberpunk setting, successfully making Disjunction a game that needs to be played by fans of the genre, or even OG Metal Gear Solid fans.

I can't say that Olija is a complete misfire. The way that the characters and enemies are animated in this pixel art style is superb. The world of Terraphage is fantastically bleak and it says a lot that my biggest criticism that I wanted to spend more time there. Unfortunately, the combat mechanics and story lack the depth that I wanted them to have. There are some good ideas here, but Olija is a voyage that ends far too soon.

Heaven’s Vault is a game that was made with love and passion, that much is clear. This is a fascinatingly unique concept for a game, and the Ancient text must have taken a team months upon months of planning and work to put in place, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into a fun or engaging experience when stretched out into hours of vague and unsatisfying puzzling.

The Medium never hits a flat note. I beat the game in two long sittings, and there was never a point during either that I felt like the game dragged, or could’ve used a little more polish, or left too many loose ends hanging. It’s a lean, compelling experience that says what it has to say, then leaves you to grapple with the specifics afterwards. There are images, lines, and ideas from The Medium that I’ll likely take to my grave thanks to this approach, as it puts the onus on the player to piece everything together. You have to wrap your brain around the spirit world’s twisted logic so much that it becomes a part of you, as you live through Marianne’s pain with her and help to navigate her trauma. Much like Marianne’s past, don’t expect The Medium to leave your head any time soon.

It all adds up to a beautiful experience in Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. There’s a bit of a learning curve with the game’s synthesis and battle systems, but Atelier Ryza 2 is a game that is easy going enough to allow you to take your time to truly get a handle on everything it has to offer (which is a lot). I was already eyeing the 1:7 Scale PVC Ryza statue that’s available next month. After playing Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, I can say with complete confidence that I’ll be pulling the trigger on that purchase. Not too many games can boast having that sort of impact on me.

With its interesting story, mechanics that are easy to pick up but difficult to master, and its overall fun factor, Cyber Shadow is a retro platformer that is easy to recommend.

Giant mech battles are nothing new to the gaming scene. Unfortunately, also not new is that the genre has few examples of quality mech-battling gameplay. Override 2: Super Mech League recently added its name to the fray, bringing hectic arena combat to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Although fun at times, it’s ultimately hard to recommend this particular arena fighter over other fighting games that are also available right now, unless you REALLY like mechs. After saving the planet from an intergalactic threat, giant mechs battle it out in arenas for the pleasure of the people they saved. These giant robots - controlled by a human pilot - vary in size and stature, ranging in everything from beefy and strong to smaller and elusive. You’re the newbie on the mech-fighting circuit, seeking to make a name for yourself as you rise through the ranks and gain influence and rewards in various Mech Leagues. via Modus Override 2’s career campaign has everything you need to experience the game’s various game modes. 1v1, 2v2, 4v4 free-for-all… even a King of the Hill mode is available to you as you duke it out as one of the game’s 20 different robots. Each mech has a handful of different moves while having a special Ultimate ability available to them once their special meter bar is full. Of course, just because your Ultimate is ready, it doesn’t mean an automatic hit. Therein lies part of the game’s frustrations: the controls. Related: Hitman 3 Review - Slick, Stylish, Smooth I never expect a mech game to have the tightest of controls. They are giant mechanical robots, after all. However, I feel like Override 2: Super Mech League just isn’t sure what kind of game it’s trying to be. I’d love to say that this game feels like a legitimate, heavy-geared robot fighting game, but it just doesn’t. There are times when controlling your robot feels great - like you’re behind the wheel, levers, or whatever it is that you use to control a giant mech. Then, there are times when the hand-to-hand combat - which rewards combo attacks - is fun and exciting. But there’s never a good mix of the two mechanics. Often, this results in you attempting to make some sort of offensive attack, but the wonkiness of the robot’s controls causing your robot to veer off in the wrong direction. As such, there is a lot of button-mashing that takes place, which really doesn’t work well from a strategy standpoint. via Modus Battles also include weapons that randomly drop around the arena, such as laser blasters and giant melee weapons. Weapons are limited-use items that eventually disappear. That said, some of the melee weapons well outstay their welcome. I have won multiple matches from trapping my opponent in a loop of being hit with my melee weapon, with them being unable to escape. For some reason, the weapon’s limited usage is greatly extended, allowing me to take full advantage. It’s an incredibly cheap way to win, and an even worse way to lose (speaking from experience). Not a great mechanic for any fighting game to have. This extends into the game’s online multiplayer component, which features the same game modes that are available offline. Online matches can be fun and more challenging than single-player mode, but actually connecting to an online match can take a very long time, that is if you’re even able to connect. There just aren’t enough players playing the game, leaving much to be desired in terms of replayability. https://youtu.be/cIWzzAzmUxU The main selling point of Override 2: Super Mech League is its playable robots. If you’re a fan of kaiju or large-scale mech battles, you’ll likely enjoy this game. This is especially true with the game’s DLC character of Ultraman. Override 2 offers plenty of fun characters to play as in the base game, but Ultraman shines as one of the most enjoyable characters to play as. It’s a shame that Ultraman is locked behind a paywall (in the form of coming with the Deluxe Edition of the game), as he should really be a major selling point for the game. Ultimately, your Override 2: Super Mech League experience will boil down to one simple factor: if you’re playing the game for its take on giant mecha/kaiju arena combat, you’re probably going to enjoy Override 2. Unfortunately, with its control woes and small online player base, Override 2: Super Mech League just doesn’t really have anything else to offer for fans of the fighting genre in general.

ITTA may have released last year, but there’s a reason why ITTA has hit the mark on Metacritic with both fans and critics alike. There’s also a reason why Super Rare Games decided to release the indie title in physical form. The game does have some forgettable bits of quirky dialogue, but ITTA is overall a fun and challenging journey through a mysterious world with accessibility features that make the game a must-play, especially for fans of the bullet-hell and boss-rush genres.

It's a cute little runner that has the aesthetic and feel of a children's TV show, which could make it ideal for younger audiences or people looking for a game that won't stress them out. Aside from that, Tadpole Treble Encore is a tad too shallow of a title to fully recommend.

In an alternate universe, Hitman became one of the best-selling series of all time, its influence akin to something like PUBG. In this better world, where the pandemic never even happened, Hitman spawned a genre of its own - the Hitmanlike, where developers put level design and systemic play right at the top of their priority list. Alas, we can’t break through the skin of the world and reach that universe. We’re stuck here. In our world, Hitman stands alone. There’s nothing like it, and Hitman 3 is an outstanding refinement of that unique 21-year-old recipe. Just watch out for that secret ingredient. (It’s poison).

I will say that Ubisoft’s rerelease of Scott Pilgrim is relying a lot more on nostalgia than other recent beat ‘em ups. I’d still think something like Streets of Rage 4 is a fine game on its own even in the absence of Streets of Rage 1 through 3, while Scott Pilgrim might not have the same appeal to someone who’s never read the comics, seen the movie, or played the game back in 2010.

Otherwise, Tanuki Justice is an absolute delight. The 8-bit graphics are about as detailed as you can get, with backdrops and background animations that are brought to life, thanks to the game’s vibrant colors and smooth animations. There were moments when I forgot I was playing a Switch game, since Tanuki Justice does a great job of providing a NES feel while playing, with a shoot ‘em up factor that brings the gameplay into the modern era.

If the Switch is the only choice you have, it's not the worst option. This is perfectly playable and works fine. But if you can somehow play this in person with your small group of socially distanced friends or on your PC while talking through Discord, then that would be the optimal way to experience this lovely little game.

The game does deliver what it promises: magic girls, animals, cute furniture, a relaxed pace, and the chance to bend the rules with magic and ride a giant cat. However, it also has some glitches, a few quirks in its gameplay, and some slightly iffy controls. How much you get out of Calico will truly depend on how much you love its themes as well as your tolerance for glitches. It will also matter if you were looking for a game that lets you actually run a café, since this aspect of gameplay is surprisingly passive.

Picklock isn’t a bad game, and - despite some localization woes - is actually packed with some great ideas. They just don’t quite make the connection for me, at least not on Nintendo Switch.

Recommending Doom Eternal on Nintendo Switch ultimately boils down to two factors: the Switch is the only gaming system you own, and/or you plan on playing the game near-exclusively while on-the-go. Honestly, for a Nintendo Switch title, Doom Eternal is solid. It just feels like a game that benefits from being played on a more powerful platform.

There is a lot to be uncovered in Airborne Kingdom - far more than I've mentioned here. From the slow and steady movement of the city to the various interactions that can take place around the delightfully designed open-world, Airborne Kingdom lets me build and explore at my own pace, never making me feel like I need to rush. That’s exactly the kind of thing that I need in my life right now.

The game is utterly addicting thanks to its well-executed VR gunplay and bullet-hell mechanics, along with its overall fun-factor.

My short time with Morkredd was unsettling, frustrating, and – ultimately – enjoyable. It does an excellent job of slowly ramping up the action, culminating in a final level that is both challenging and thrilling, even though it's drastically different from the rest of the game. The early levels were a bit of a slog, as you need to wrap your head around the controls before diving into the meat of the experience, but once it clicks there's a lot of fun to be had. As chilling as the story is, I wish there was more for me to experience after the credits roll. Morkredd left me with a lot of questions, but there's not a lot of replay value beyond discovering a few paintings you missed on your first go-round.

I think I’ve sunk about 250 hours into Ace Combat 7. Most of that was spent just endlessly replaying the campaign with as many different aircraft as were available. I’m not sure yet if I’m going to play Project Wingman for quite as long, but given how I’ve lost sleep all week just so I could play one more mission, I suspect I might come close.