Digimon Survive is one of the best visual novels to come out so far this year, with plenty of heart and tension to carry you through to the final act. Fans looking for an engaging story with well-written and presented characters that deal with life-and-death situations will enjoy the ride, while players focused on the combat will probably find that the game comes up short. Despite its sluggish, padded start, Digimon Survive is well worth the long wait.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the strangest thing you'll play from Nintendo, bringing with it laughs and creativity in abundance. But even with improvements over the 3DS game, it follows a familiar structure that isn't always enthralling or hilarious.Tomodachi fans will certainly be living the dream with this new entry, but I'm not desperate to keep coming back to my island. A little more variety would've been welcome, but the customisation, and the thought of my cat being best friends with DMC's Dante, will have me peep in every so often for a little pick-me-up.
While not as feature-rich as some collections, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars proves that these RPGs have largely stood the test of time. While the issues with this remaster don't take away too much from the original games' brilliance, we think these classics deserve the very best. Boasting ambition, narrative stakes, and heart that few other RPGs of the time can muster, Suikoden burns bright in its origins, and we hope Konami sees just how important this series is to many and makes a handful of tweaks.
We'd suggest you add Everhood 2 to your library at some point; the experience is certainly well worth it, although it's best approached with an open mind.
Omega 6: The Triangle Stars is a small game from a big talent. It's a bit too simplistic at times, lacking any taxing challenges beyond having enough credits and finding the right screen at the right time. However, the comedy is light, the action is breezy, and the combat system is deliberately accessible. Old-fashioned but frequently nodding to newer genre entries, it's a well-designed passion project from an industry legend.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection stays true to its sources and brings a little piece of history into the modern age. Unfortunately, dull mechanics and often unwieldy UI plague many of the games in the collection just as they did on first release, although amidst 14 titles, it would be impossible not to have a couple of winners.For us, Monster Capsule and the two World Championship Tournament titles shone through beautifully. Although the included games are certainly imperfect, we recognise the intentionality behind the collection's curation and feel that it's an excellent time capsule of the origins of the iconic Yu-Gi-Oh! Series.
There's an outstanding game in Sid Meier's Civilization VII just waiting to burst free, but it's trapped under a wet, slimy coating of bugs and a mostly-finished interface. What we have on Switch is a phenomenal game that could be one of the absolute finest in its genre, a true monolith of game design and a delight for all fans of turn-based shenanigans, but its laundry list of launch-day bugs and issues pulls it from the peak it could have reached. It's great as it stands, but with more development time could have been utterly seminal.
Warriors: Abyss is a decent low-budget spinoff in the long-running hack 'n' slash series, but isn't particularly inspiring. There's tons of replayability, loads of unlockables, and a thrilling combat system that help to keep this one interesting for a while, but its paper-thin plot, repetitive gameplay, and poor visuals very much hold it back from being anything exceptional. We'd give this one a modest recommendation to fans of either roguelites, Musou games, or both, but with the caveat that you may want to wait to pick this one up on a deep sale sometime later on.
Afterlove EP definitely fits with the cosy set: slow tempo, heartwarming narrative, and sad story (yes). The themes of grief, mental health and their impacts on our lives are explored in a way that feels gentle, much like Fahmi's earlier releases. There were a few wrinkles as things unfolded, and the dating sim aspect was unexpected, but still there's easygoing fun to be had. If you're looking for a light touch on serious issues, this one could be worth a play, and a replay. If you want a heavy-hitting game to wreck you emotionally, you might want to hit 'skip'.
Trails Through Daybreak II doesn't feel nearly as refreshing as its predecessor, but it's still a solid entry in the long-running series that ticks the necessary boxes (legible text aside). Though its story isn't all that exceptional, the combat is as rewarding as ever and new gameplay features like the Marchen Garten help to make this feel distinct and worthwhile. And while we wouldn't necessarily suggest that this is a great starting point for newcomers, series fans will find lots to love here, even if it won't be topping many lists as a series favourite.
Turbo Overkill is one of our favourite boomer shooters, modern or otherwise. Johnny Turbo's chainsaw-sliding, wall-running and grappling combine with slo-mo silliness to provide a whole lot of punchy murderizing that's a joy to get down and dirty with. Paradise is a glorious playground, a combat puzzle box packed full of amazingly explodey mutants, and the whole thing looks and sounds fantastic in both docked and handheld. If it wasn't for that 30fps cap and a current lack of gyro support, we'd call this the best boomer shooter on Switch so fast you'd think we'd just activated our very own version of Turbo Time.
This isn’t a game that necessarily attempts to do anything new in what is undoubtedly a crowded genre, but everything it does, it does very well. It’s a slick experience with gorgeous visuals, engaging combat, and challenging, yet fair boss encounters. The soundtrack has also been noticeably improved over the previous game, making this a must-play for fans of the series and, indeed, Metroidvanias in general.
Where helicopter gunship-themed video games are concerned, Under Defeat is one of the best ever. It signifies a point in time when the shoot 'em up was being propelled by a new area of creativity, and young development studios like G.Rev were leading the charge. Love it or loathe it, its lock-shot strafe and creeping bullet patterns work terrifically once you get a feel for them, and there's a cinematic scale to it all that feels somehow poignant. It's not the longest game, nor the most visually diverse, but it does what it sets out to do exceptionally well.
For all its sins, there's the makings of a stealth-tactics classic in The Stone of Madness. Its grisly sensibility, rock-hard difficulty, and inconvenient bugs at launch mean it's not a game for the weak-hearted, but 20+ hours with its rich, system-driven drama produced many delightful escapades worth admiring - even if a good number ended with us back in our cell miserably plotting our next attempt.
Now that the Switch version Laika: Aged Through Blood has finally arrived, it can finally join Hollow Knight, Animal Well, and Blasphemous II as a true modern classic in the Metroidvania genre. The premise and gameplay are like no other, seamlessly combining motocross gameplay with badass bullet-time shootouts that constantly feels satisfying. Chuck in one of the best soundtracks we've heard in years and maybe iron out the remaining performance hiccups, and Laika could well be an early contender for Switch GOTY 2025.
Citizen Sleeper 2 is an excellent example of a polished sequel, continuing all the things that made its predecessor a beloved indie darling while building upon and expanding those systems with some new and interesting ideas of its own. The decision-driven narrative, tense RPG systems, and incredible soundtrack all come together to make for a game that is almost impossible to put down once you get pulled in. Newcomers who want to see what all the fuss is about will enjoy this as much as players who loved the first game - Citizen Sleeper 2 stands tall as a worthy follow-up.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure proves an innovative entry into the social sim genre. While borrowing from multiple powerhouse games, it brings a fresh experience that is likely to subvert the expectations of any Animal Crossing expats looking for their next cosy fix.
