The European aspects with gallant warriors fighting off the impending doom of dragons is incredibly fun in this game. It's the perfect amount of challenge, and it almost presents the player with a JRPG-Musou hybrid that's rewarding to play. However, music and story are largely lacking in the game, either being convoluted or unimaginative, if not both. Given the overly complex customization and sexist tones, the whole project drops from above average to lackluster. Shining Resonance: Refrain is a learning opportunity in recognizing when parts of a game are overextended or outdated.

All in all, Dark Souls: Remastered on the Switch is a solid port that presents a modern classic to a new audience. While this version is an overall good showing, it falls short in sound quality and lacks any significant improvements over the original. Most will get this for the sake of playing Dark Souls in the restroom, and there is no valid argument I can bring against that.

Overall, SoulCalibur 6 is a solid reboot of the franchise. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but focuses on sanding off the rough edges and returning the gameplay and storyline to the basics. The result is a game that's a distillation of what makes the SoulCalibur franchise fun. There's enough room and depth for people to get into the real -gritty of the gameplay, but there's also a lot of room for enjoyable fighting. It's a bit difficult to justify the purchase just for the single-player portion, but it's excellent for a couch party game — just like SoulCalibur should be.

Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online is a game that fans of the series will enjoy. The dialogue-heavy nature and comedy are well done, and the story doesn't get in the way of it. It does a serviceable job of making the MMO-style gameplay work, but you have to accept the grind in order to not be bothered by it. It isn't a good title for those who are just jumping into the universe, but if you've played anything previously released for the series and fell in love with it, then 4GO isn't a bad addition.

Horizon Chase Turbo is a throwback racer for those who want to race with near-impossible odds at all times. Constantly starting at the back of the pack, the aggressive AI opposition, and the exaggerated physics system require nothing less than pure skill and tremendous luck if players want to get close to first place in any races. At the same time, the generous progression system and easy-to-handle controls mean that you can get quite far before you need to start being perfect. With local multiplayer and an excellent presentation in tow, Horizon Chase Turbo is a must-have for those who dearly miss old racing games.

Awkward is just bad. Its premise is paper-thin, and its questions range from boring to shocking without a counter-balance to turn testy questions into a form of dark humor. The presentation is nonsensical, and the game doesn't seem to have any purpose. Its only saving grace is that the games are short, but it only takes one time before your party chooses to play something more whimsical instead. Unless you want to bring down the mood of the party or instigate arguments, there's no reason to have this game anywhere near your system.

As a sum of its parts, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a big adventure that has its highs and lows but ultimately provides an enjoyable journey through Ancient Greece. The story is great, and the world is breathtaking, which is arguably the most important part of the game. Unfortunately, it is held back from achieving greater honors by repetitive and shallow gameplay that is sometimes forced upon you through level-gating and grinding. There is lots to do if you put your mind to it, but it's also very far from a masterpiece. Maybe some of the post-launch content and updates can improve the game further to make it a better adventure to play through down the line.

All in all, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 is a must-buy, and I'd recommend skipping Collection 2. The first four Mega Man titles are good Mega Man games and remarkably good platformers in their own right. Anyone who remotely enjoys the Blue Bomber will get a lot of fun out of the games. The second half of the collection is, at best, of academic interest or for completionists. Die-hard fans will get a lot of fun out of the X Challenge feature, but for most people, the real value is going to be in the engaging first four games.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a grand old time. Just don't expect anything too out of the ordinary.

In the end, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is a great action-RPG that is a perfect fit for a platform that has yet to be inundated with them. The action is fast and constant, and the amount of available content is enough to keep fans busy for quite some time. While it doesn't have a robust online community, the inclusion of local co-op is nice enough to make this a game to tide you over until the de facto genre representative arrives.

A solid and very enjoyable space-fighter themed take on Ubisoft's traditional open-world formula. It has a good amount of content and is a genuinely fun experience. The only thing dragging it down is the vestigial toy system, which works against the rest of the gameplay. Fortunately, the digital version of the game allows you to entirely side-step that trouble and contains enough content at the regular retail price to make it worthwhile.

NBA 2K19 is still the go-to basketball simulation game out there. Its polish and refinement have only improved since last year, and it's difficult to imagine any improvements for next year. The MyCareer story has definitely improved, and so have the cut scene management and character customization. MyTeam feels like a revolving mode of new updates and content, but players who don't purchase VC may be getting the short end of the stick, since 10 pack boxes are exclusive to VC only. The game is amazing in all regards, but the constant reminder and pressure to purchase VC is wearing thin.

Azure Reflections is a good bullet-hell shooter for genre fans. Despite the short levels, the boss fights are exhilarating, and the new mechanics add a good twist to an otherwise proven formula. The title is able to challenge more experienced players, while also accommodating newcomers without necessarily giving them an easy ride to the end. Although the Switch already has a number of bullet-hell shooters, Azure Reflections is a fine addition to the library.

Overall, Divinity: Original Sin II is still an excellent RPG experience that uses intuitive mechanics and player choice to an incredible degree to make every encounter challenging and interesting. Divinity II is a beast of an RPG that does many different things incredibly well. It's not perfect from a technical standpoint, and fights and leveling can be frustrating at times, but these are minor quibbles when compared to all of the good stuff that's in the game and works well. If you're in the market for a new RPG with interesting storytelling and an appropriate amount of freedom, make Divinity II your next adventure.

All in all, Zone of the Enders 2: MARS is a noteworthy port of an excellent game. It has flaws, but almost all of them are also part of the original game. There is more they could have done (including a retranslation and redub), but the visual updates and silky-smooth frame rate alone make it a far better port than the lamentable PS3 Zone of the Enders Collection. Fans of giant robots or fast-paced action should consider Zone of the Enders 2: MARS as a must-buy, and those who loved the original can consider this to be the definitive version.

In the end, Lost in Harmony just doesn't deliver. The dual stories can be hit-and-miss for some players, but the music is good in both tales. However, the poor gameplay implementation sinks the experience, and the lackluster presentation doesn't help, either. The game is inexpensive at $6.99, but it can only be recommended if you've exhausted all other options and still want something to play that isn't terrible.

2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL is a charming and captivating visual novel. It's a title that fits seamlessly with the Switch and makes clever use of the console's functions. The added touch of HD Rumble and touch functionality offer deeper gameplay options exclusively for the console. Additional exclusive content makes this the best version of ROM for first-timers or veteran fans of the title. While the core game is untouched with its gameplay flaws, it still brings a lot of love and attention to detail to the visual novel genre.

Although it's a short experience, Donut County is enjoyable. The base desire to see everything destroyed by a simple, ever-expanding hole overtakes the lack of complicated mechanics, and the story is fun, whether you want something with or without some meaning attached. At the very least, Donut County is an experience that will stick with you for some time.

Phantom Doctrine's biggest issue is that it compares unfavorably to X-COM. That doesn't make it a bad game, but it emphasizes X-COM's tight design. With Phantom Doctrine, you end up feeling like everything's a touch too unfocused. The metagame is interesting but messy. The combat is filled with interesting ideas but weaker execution. A lot of this may sound really negative, but I had fun with Phantom Doctrine. Fans of X-COM-style games will absolutely find it to be worth playing; it just has so much potential that it's easy to zero in on the little things that it does wrong.

Mega Man 11 is a solid entry in the franchise, but it's not an exceptional one. It's a well-made and enjoyable Mega Man game with a great variety of robot masters, fun levels, and interesting weapons. It suffers from some odd difficulty spikes and a disappointing finale, but nothing drags down the game too far. If anything, the game's biggest flaw is that it's too safe and too traditional, but after nearly a decade without a new Mega Man title, perhaps safer is better. All in all, Mega Man 11 is a safe and fun title that's a pleasant experience for fans and newcomers alike.

Despite Secret of Mana's technical blunders, this new version is a faithful re-creation with a lot of reverence for its source material. For those who may have missed out on Secret of Mana the first time around, it also serves as a solid introduction to a classic from the Golden Age. At a time when local co-op is difficult to find on most current-gen consoles, it gives a fresh option for those wanting to play with others. Secret of Mana's remaster offers a magical, vivid tale for the current-gen library.

This is the kind of game where you could wipe out days of time paying attention to one piece of the greater story, with the true joy coming when you get to take a step back and see the story you've built.

NHL 19 is vastly better than its predecessors in terms of value and pushing the franchise forward, but it still falls short of a significant upgrade in many areas. If you haven't purchased an NHL title in a while, this is a good year to jump back in and experience one of the better NHL games in recent memory.

Firewall Zero Hour needs more support from a pretty large community of PSVR owners. It's understandable that it may not be everyone's choice of gameplay. With dozens of small quirky titles and some fully fledged AAA games that don't rely on interpersonal competitiveness, some players may choose to pass on this shooter. It's way too early to tell if the game will take off and garner the praise and community that it arguably deserves. Firewall Zero Hour is a dream for any shooter fan.

Strange Brigade is a flawed but ultimately fun experience. The combat is good if you can get over some of the quirks, like being forced to aim when you want to take a shot and no ability to automatically sprint without a decent amount of running room. The campaign length is fine, but the immediate knowledge that more levels are coming in via DLC gives you the perception that the game could have been much longer instead. If you don't mind having to gather friends to play online, then the experience is good since you barely have a shot of getting random online strangers to help out.

Dark Souls Remastered doesn't make any dramatic changes to its original release several years ago. The struggle to progress is constant, but just as every moment could be another death, it could also be a moment of great triumph and self-accomplishment. Playing at 60fps makes me wonder how I ever managed to play at half of that rate several years ago. It's a beautiful remaster, even if it isn't a complete overhaul. It's a great entry for newcomers or a great walk down memory lane for fans of its original release.

The Council: Episode 4 - Burning Bridges is the penultimate episode of the game, and it does a good job of making things interesting again, but it does so with quite a number of flaws intact. The unrealistic reactions to big events are the episode's biggest flaw, as all of those shocking things lose their impact when everyone else fails to make a big deal out of it. At the same time, those new revelations open up things just enough to make the final episode more intriguing. Here's hoping that the finale makes the journey worthwhile.

The addition of seasons adds variety to the racing conditions to greatly expand the functionality of the already-large map.