I very much enjoyed Death Stranding on the PS4, and that hasn't changed after playing through Death Stranding: Director's Cut on the PS5. It's not perfect in its overall story and gameplay execution, and it isn't a game that everyone will enjoy. If you can get past that, it's still is a uniquely rewarding experience that looks and plays better on a PS5, and it's one of the few PS5 titles that doesn't demand a fortune to upgrade for existent owners. At the same time, the content additions are a bit thin and don't add a lot to the experience, so the upgrades in visuals and performance are likely the main reason to upgrade your version.

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.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an important entry for a series that's trying to redefine itself without losing what makes it Yakuza. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, even though its pacing was inconsistent. A lot of the enjoyment is due to the new protagonist Ichiban, his memorable companions, and their relationships, which are engaging to explore. Most of the adventure is set in the Yokohama region, which is a joy to interact with, and so are its shops and engaging side stories. While the introduction of RPG mechanics was a daring move, it ultimately paid off, and I prefer the full-on RPG approach over the old brawler gameplay. Most of its RPG systems are simplistic to the point of almost being repetitive, but it lays a solid and fun foundation upon which future titles can build.

Rustler can be a fun enough game if you're willing to forgive some of its flaws. The missions may not be that different from other genre titles, but seeing it all play out from a top-down viewpoint can trigger nostalgia for those who have dabbled in the older titles. The humor is subjective enough, and the overall length feels just right, but some can attribute this to bugs and design decisions that may feel archaic nowadays. Rustler may not be for everyone, but it's good enough for those who aren't too fussy about their games.

In many regards, I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is a good continuation of what made the first game special: great level design, a funny spy story, and great pick-up-and-play gameplay. It doesn't do much to evolve in any meaningful way, but it doesn't need to. The great, albeit short, stages are a lot of fun to solve, but they can be frustrating to repeat as you trial-and-error your way through to the final credits. If you loved the first game, this one is sure to please.

Lost Judgment can best be described as The Yakuza Game With The High School. It's familiar and comfortable, and it's likely to please fans of the franchise who weren't thrilled with the JRPG style of the last game. The storyline is sometimes too grim even for a Yakuza title, and it plays things a bit safe, but it's still a darn fun experience. If this really is the Judgment spin-off's last entry, then it's a fitting send-off to the sub-franchise.

Skatebird is a charming but flawed game. The cute characters and strong environments are coupled with a camera system that acts haywire anytime you're near an object. The forgiving respawn system becomes brutal when you return to a spot where you're near an object that is difficult to navigate around. The sometimes-dodgy collision detection can make some quests go on longer than they should. It's still a game worth checking out, but here's hoping that some patches can elevate it into something special.

With a ton of content and a massive variety of ways to play, WarioWare: Get It Together! is a solid purchase for any Switch owner looking for a blissful and somewhat manic distraction from day-to-day life.

Green Phoenix aims to serve two distinct audiences but succeeds at pleasing neither. Shooter fans will hate almost everything about it, from the lack of proper aiming to the lack of enemies. Fans of deep narratives will find the story to be derivative and uninspiring and will hate that it is told so poorly. It may look pretty, but there's no real reason to give this a shot.

Deathloop is an engaging and enjoyable game that manages to capture the feel of Dishonored in a more fast-paced adventure. The unique setting and engaging concept carry the game through the repetitive nature of the gameplay. The multiplayer at the center of the story is more of a mixed bag but still intriguing enough to be memorable. Some annoying bugs drag down the experience. If you liked Dishonored but wished it were less about stealth and more about blowing things up, then Deathloop is the game for you. Just be prepared to die again and again.

WarDogs: Red's Return is enjoyable but messy. The fighting is fine, but the little things, like the delayed indication that an enemy has died, the unnecessary slow-motion sequences, and the instances of getting stuck in a juggle combo make it feel unpolished. The upgrade system would be fine if it worked, while the short campaign and lack of modes make WarDogs a disposable title that's good for an afternoon. Thanks to the price, WarDogs is still worth checking out if you want to build up the list of games that you've completed over your lifetime.

Stitchy in Tooki Trouble isn't going to be fun for experienced platform players, but there are also several design decisions that prevent it from being a good choice for younger players who want to get into the genre. From an unremarkable character and story to a lack of urgency in most parts, the excitement of a platformer just isn't present here. Combine that with some flaky minecart segments, a too-sticky vertical camera, and overly long boss fights, and you have a title that conjures up more frustration than fun. Despite the nice overall presentation in Stitchy, you can easily skip this one in favor of other platformers that do a better job of catering to both kids and adults.

Life is Strange: True Colors is a fun entry in the franchise. It doesn't really break any rules or do anything shocking, but it's a comfortable game to play. The time I spent in Haven Springs put me in a shockingly good mood for a game revolving around a murder, and I welcomed the entire experience. Unfortunately, the tacked-on murder mystery drags down the story somewhat and keeps it from reaching the highest highs that it can. If you're a fan of the franchise, you're sure to like this latest entry.

Tales of Arise is a Tales game through and through. It's polished and consistently enjoyable, and it features an excellent combat system. The story and characters are not particularly ambitious or distinct, but they give you a fun world to explore for the 40+ hour runtime. In an era where "safe" JRPGs are uncommon, it's nice to have one that does exactly what it promises. It's not the best or worst of the series, but it is a darn fun Tales title that lives up to the franchise's name.

Insurmountable is beautiful, engaging, clever, and a delight to play — even when I was halfway dead on the side of an icy peak and slowly dying of frostbite. It sounds like it would be tough to make that fun, but Insurmountable pulls it off.

Things That Bounce and Explode is one of those games that serves its purpose as a quick distraction or a nice title between bigger experiences. It's simple to understand, but the timed nature of each level and the chaos brought forth by other elements keeps it exciting. The fact that you're always earning XP leads to less frustration, since you're always progressing toward something, and while the lack of a solid narrative or steady stream of levels might throw off some people, it enforces the idea that this is meant to be played in short bursts. With a relatively low $4 price tag, Things That Bounce and Explode is worth adding to the library if you crave something akin to the arcades of yore.

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is a pleasant surprise for fans of arcade-style boxing games. It might not overflow with modes, and the lack of online play hurts, but the Arcade mode offers some well done, if ridiculous stories. The mechanics are simple to understand but deep, allowing for some technically smart fights to occur. In the end, the game won't go down as a classic, but it provides a fun experience and would be a good addition to your local versus game lineup.

Bloober Team is no stranger to making games that feature concepts with immense potential, like Blair Witch or Observer. The Medium is probably my favorite of theirs to date. It's got a couple of warts, but it's easy to get lost in its world (both of them), even with its pitch-black narrative overtones. It makes it feel important, though perhaps not something you'll feel compelled to play on repeat.

In the end, Lake delivers on producing a "slice of life" experience but with some issues that keep it from being excellent. The characters are interesting to talk to, even if only a few of them break out from being one-dimensional. The vocal performances are good, but the stiff facial and body animations and rushed story don't give it a chance to connect with players. If you can forgive these shortcomings and don't find the mail delivery mechanic to be tedious, Lake is relaxing and different enough from other offerings to warrant a glance.

For those who miss the feeling of a long tabletop campaign or have been craving a new isometric RPG, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is the game for you. It's not perfect, but it has most of the best parts of playing a game with pen and paper while ironing out some of the fiddly and boring parts so you don't have to deal with them. Owlcat Games has taken what it learned from Kingmaker and improved upon it to give us something new and fun — no dice required.

In many ways, Sonic Colors: Ultimate represents the unhindered high points of the 3D Sonic games. It's Sonic as a single playable character, so there are no werehogs, gameplay changes, or an adorable pudgy younger version of himself. It's the "run incredibly fast through loops" gameplay boiled down to its essentials, and it works really well. Even a decade out from its initial release, it's still a darn fun game, and Colors Ultimate definitely captures the feel. It won't change your mind if you never liked the 3D style of gameplay, but if you did, Colors is arguably the best of the lot. It might not have the highs of Unleashed or Generations, but it also is a far more focused affair.

The TakeOver is an absolutely solid beat-'em-up experience. Get past some of the shortcomings, like constant load times and bad cut scene art, and you have a title that uses a solid base with additions that feel just right for the genre without going overboard. It's fun either solo or with a friend, and while online play would've been nice, fans of the genre will enjoy every minute with the game.

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.

No More Heroes III feels like a sequel to the first two games in every way, for all the good and bad that entails. It's creative, clever, charming, and delightfully weird. The combat system is simple but fun, and it doesn't overstay its welcome thanks to a wide variety of creative boss fights. However, everything outside of those elements feels a bit dull. Thankfully, like the first two games, No More Heroes III has enough interesting stuff going on to overshadow the flaws. Newcomers would probably be better off trying the cheaper No More Heroes titles on the Switch to see if Suda 51's specific eccentricities are to your taste.

By no means is Ashwalkers an action-packed survival adventure sim, but the story and importance of the journey was compelling enough to have me on the edge of my seat through my playthrough. I cared about Squad Three and wanted them to succeed, and for a narrative-driven game such as this, isn't that all you can ask for? If postapocalyptic survival games are your jam, Ashwalkers is worth its very reasonable $12 price tag and offers a different spin on the genre that you know and love.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel stars anthropomorphic children as they confront the horrors of war in a tank armed with a soul-sucking Super Cannon. It feels like something I never could have anticipated playing, but it works. The characters are likeable, the gameplay is engaging, and I felt genuinely awful when something terrible happened to one of my charges. It's the rare game that comes out of left field and does most things right, and if you're a fan of JRPGs, you'll find a whole lot to enjoy with Fuga. Just … don't use the Soul Cannon, please.

In pretty much every possible way, Psychonauts 2 is a direct sequel to the first game. It's perhaps prettier and more polished than it would have been if it had come out a decade ago, but the feel and tone are spot-on. It probably won't change your mind if the original Psychonauts didn't capture your heart. If it did, though, Psychonauts 2 is a charming, funny and incredibly welcome visit with some old friends. The gameplay is sometimes too straightforward for its own good, but everything else more than makes up for it. If you're looking for a charming platformer with its own style and sense of humor, Psychonauts 2 delivers in spades. Here's hoping it won't be another decade before we see another entry in the series.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is tricky to judge. The gameplay loop is repetitive and retreads a lot of the tropes found in similar co-op shooter experiences. Its presentation is good but inconsistent. What it does well is capturing the visuals and sound of the movies and distilling them into a well-established formula. There's a good variety of combat classes and engaging ways to customize and improve builds, so players are incentivized to continue playing and get better as the difficulty ratchets up to add a thrilling survival component. I am concerned about the title's online matchmaking, which we were unable to test. Since the title does not support crossplay, the game's longevity and player base will depend on early adopters and future content releases to prove that this online shooter is here to stay.