The killing can become repetitive, but the large variety of weapons helps keep some of the stagnant game play fresh.

The Guided Fate Paradox isn't a bad game, but it's not as good as its spiritual predecessor.

Zombie Vikings is an experience that would've been better if the bugs had been cleaned up and there were more meat to the gameplay.

Sora is an experience worth checking out if you're grown bored of the standard bullet hell formula.

The game has unique mechanics that are genuinely fun to put into action, but it's still a generic monetary title. Developer PlayFusion plans to continue updating the game by adding new content. Champions has more longevity to it than other CCGs out there. It's an entertaining title for a time-sink for when you're waiting at the doctor's office, but it falls short of being a good console game.

For eFootball PES 2021, all of this adds up to a soccer game that feels great to play, even if it is slightly lacking in other areas. The $40 price tag makes that pill easier to swallow, though. Depending on what you're looking for on the virtual pitch, that will determine whether PES is the right option for you. If you're like me and enjoy playing through a season with some random teams that you've never heard of, then PES may be exactly what you're looking for. With solid controls and decent AI, PES 2021 is a competent alternative to FIFA from a gameplay perspective, but those who get excited about seeing their favorite teams succeed against their biggest rivals may want to pass on PES.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a better sequel in just about every way. While the actual fighting mechanics remain unchanged due to the absence of new additions, more characters from the start and expansions to a few modes give the game some real legs, whether you're playing solo or with friends and rivals. While this still doesn't reach the heights of the developer's previous Naruto titles, this is easily the best of the Demon Slayer titles so far, and it's an easy purchase for fans of the series and anime fighting games in general.

Having previously tried and enjoyed Katamari in earlier incarnations, you'll probably be more than satisfied with this PS3 version.

If you're looking for the kind of style a more traditional MMo offers, you'll not find it here. I, however, love D&D Online: Stormreach, and I have no qualms whatsoever recommending it to anyone who loves an entertaining action-RPG experience.

The soundscape may be imperfect, but the sheer sense of writing quality makes up the difference.

A solid title with a lot of shine on the core gameplay. Anyone looking for something new in the genre should give this a test run.

The gameplay remains faithful to the Metroidvania formula, warts and all, while the addition of partial 3-D fighting makes it feel fresh compared to its contemporaries.

All in all, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an exploration-based, open-world collect-a-thon with crafting and quests that are both beautiful and fun when played in small bursts. Ultimately, it doesn't provide any substantial challenges and doesn't run too well on the Switch's hardware. Unless you're a die-hard fan of relaxing games that you can play for the sake of playing, Yonder may not be your cup of tea.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is a remarkably fun entry in the franchise and easily the best One Piece game on any system. It has some flaws, many of which are common to the Warriors franchise, but it's just fun to play.

In essence, Castlevania Requiem is a mediocre port of two extremely good games. Fans will enjoy the chance to play them again — if they haven't already purchased copies for other consoles — but it's far from the definitive version of the games. This collection offers two excellent games for $20, which isn't a bad deal as long as players only expect what it says on the package: two Castlevania titles that they've probably played before.

There are a few flaws here and there, such as poor mic support, sluggish controls, and poor camera angles, but once you get past them, the game is quite fun and definitely worth more than its value.

Dying Light is easy to write off as a Dead Island knockoff, but it is anything but. It has a completely different feel, with intense mobility and speed mixing with far more deadly enemies. It's also more tightly designed and more fun to play and is an overall improvement over Dead Island in almost every way.

SingStar: Queen is the type of track pack that you want other music games to follow. It takes the songs from one band, puts it in a compilation for fans to enjoy, and retains features from the series' previous titles.

Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada works best as a companion piece to the main game that released a few years ago. The focus on one family of fighters is perfect, since it gives the team time to develop a real story instead of using a larger cast for broader tales. The core action remains just as good as before, but the new minigames and exploration sections fail to elicit the same type of excitement, especially with some of the caveats in play for the secondary characters you pick up along the way. For fans of the series looking for more story, Spirit of Sanada works, but only if you play it after an entry in the main series.

Journey to the Savage Planet does exactly what it sets out to do, and the end result is a perfectly enjoyable exploration game. It doesn't break new ground, but it executed what it does well, and I found it extremely relaxing to run around and search every nook and cranny for secrets aplenty. If you're looking for something to scratch the 3D Metroid itch, Journey to the Savage Planet does a wonderful job. The $30 price tag might seem a touch high, but if you're a fan of this game style, Journey to the Savage Planet is genuinely worth the money.

Overall, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition succeeds on several levels. It's an excellent update to a surprise indie hit that is still mighty enjoyable for anyone interested in the Soulslike genre. While difficulty and pacing get in the way, Mortal Shell is a short, sweet, and most importantly, challenging game to tide you over to the next main Souls offering.

Yet another capable classics contraption, but it falls just short of being a must-own for the average gamer.

The omnipresent difficulty and "nothing new" feel might turn off some gamers, but let it be known that for fans and gamers alike, Ultimate Spider-Man is a treat.

As long as you're one of the franchise's faithful, there's a lot to like here among the plethora of unlockables, an in-depth story mode, and solid online play.

Graphics are average, but the game is just too much fun to not like.

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a pleasantly surprising homage to a classic adventure series.

For most racing fans, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is a game that's still worth playing. The dual campaign between playing as cops and racers remains intriguing and exciting, since they both play so differently. While the presentation is a touch better than the original, it is the cross-platform play that is the big selling point of the remastered edition. If you're new to this title, it is an excellent racer. If you already own the original game on the PC, the unchanged campaign means that you'd only want this iteration if you're interested in the larger pool of multiplayer companions.

As a port, Shantae delivers. Minor issues like button remapping aside, once you get over a few things like the lack of a map and a more brutal life system, you'll find this to be a classic platformer that shows off just how good WayForward and this series was from the beginning. Fans of both the series and of old-school gaming would do well to add this title to their Switch libraries.