There really is something undeniably charming about Pokémon Sword and Shield. While the plot itself is rather short, these games do a decent job of shaking up some of the tried-and-true mechanics in all the right ways. Max Raid battles, the open-world Wild Area, and improved social features make them surprisingly and subtly unique titles that are everything you'd expect from a Pokémon game, and occasionally, just a little bit more than you thought they would be.
Despite the deceptively silly name, Necrobarista is a surprisingly deep and moving narrative about loss, kindness, guilt, and the family you choose. Quirky, complex characters combined with an incredibly unique, unforgettable style and a killer soundtrack create a layered, captivating world full of secrets, spirits, robots, an underground fight club, and more than a few cups of really great coffee.
Albion Online is taking some new, innovative approaches to some of the tired, established traditions of the MMO genre. Top-down and low poly, Albion Online can be played on computers and mobile devices. With a player-driven economy and a focus on PVP and risk vs reward gameplay, the world of Albion is incredibly fluid. A unique gear focused, class-free system encourages unique and surprising equipment combinations. Dungeons may be boring, but there are plenty of other ways make your mark and either earn or steal a fortune in the world of Albion Online.
Civilization VI is the most strategic installment of the Civilization series to date. With upgrades to everything from city planning and management to an entirely revamped social policy system, the are lots of new and improved features to dive into. Diverse maps, unique leader abilities and plenty of interesting rival empires to befriend and fight, Civ VI has a lot to explore and great replay value.
2064: Read Only Memories is a free expansion to the original game, available on Steam for $19.99. With a cyber-punk setting and a retro vibe, Read Only Memories is filled with a host of interesting and colorful characters to get to know, a complex and escalating mystery to navigate, puzzles to solve, and a sinister plot or two to overthrow, making it a great investment for fans of the point-and-click adventure genre.
Bear With Me Episode 2 takes everything great about Episode 1 and improves upon it. Amber, Ted, and their straining relationship hit the streets of Paper City, diving deeper into the tangled web of deceptions and hidden motivations surrounding Flint's disappearance and the mysterious Red Man. With two to five hours of gameplay, more places to explore, a diverse and interesting cast of characters, a strong infusion of humor, and a diverging story which encourages replays, this point-and-click noir puzzle game brings a lot of enjoyment to bear.
Ever Oasis offers a surprising amount of content in a fun, accessible game. Challenging yet forgiving battle mechanics mean that beginners can hack and slash away, while masters can focus on strategy and speed running. A diverse cast of characters with numerous abilities encourages playing with diverse parties, and the warp system enables lots exploration, creating replayability while making long slogs across maps a thing of the past. Easy to pick up, hard to put down, and overflowing with features, Ever Oasis really is a diamond in the desert.
All in all, the Jackbox Party Pack 4 is a great party game bundle with far more hits than misses.
Crossing Souls is a delightfully nostalgic romp, balancing original content and nods to the past. Featuring diverse gameplay levels which touch on most every aspect of 80's retro gaming, enough challenge to be rewarding, and a surprisingly touching story, this is a must have for anyone who grew up shouting "Goonies never say die!"
Detective Pikachu is a surprisingly charming Telltale-like game filled with humor, twists, and a sassy electric rodent. More than a mish-mash of minigames, it's a shockingly solid title with first-class voice acting.
Shape of the World is a feast of color, sound, and design. It manages to be both serene and occasionally challenging, wondrous and abstract, and has surprising depth, considering that your only goals are to wander around and collect natural trinkets as you go. It's a perfect game for those who want to get lost in a minimalist wonderland of imagination.
Octopath Traveler is an all around enjoyable, nostalgic romp with some nice modern touches. While enjoyment of the storytelling will likely vary from character to character and from player to player, this retro-modern title is filled with sidequests, great music, slightly-hidden team banter, and a gorgeous new approach to pixel art, and is a must-play for any lover of old school JRPGs.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix is a great port, so long as you keep it in handheld mode. Combining RPG storytelling with frantic cell phone game tapping, this funky, high-fashion game is still a surprisingly unique experience, but the Joy-con controls are simply not up to par. With a killer sound track, a surprisingly complex plot, and a whole lot to do after the credits roll, this DS title has more than stood the test of time.
The First Tree tells an incredibly personal and melancholy story about the loss of a loved through the eyes of a fox within a dream world. Wandering through beautiful, abstract worlds, you learn the narrator's story as the fox searches for her missing kits. It has a surprising number of platformer elements, given the nature of the game, but doesn't distract from the beautiful story within this short exploration game.
My Time at Portia is a visually beautiful, charming game rich in story, lore, and personality; everything about it is made better by the jump to a portable console. While this version lacks voice acting and rumble integration, the portability and surprisingly decent load times make this a great way to discover all that Portia has to offer.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a solid, no-frills, no-additions port of the original PS3 game of the same title. The first video game by Studio Ghibli has not only aged very well, but it also runs smoothly and quickly on the Switch, making it an ideal way to experience the whimsy, charm, and wonder of this fantastical world with Oliver, his friends, and his fearsome foes.
Armello is a great addition to the Switch library, delivering a tabletop experience on the go. Beautiful to look at, this title boasts deep, engrossing mechanics for those who are willing to stick it out through the rather steep learning curve. While you won't be able to hop onto the couch and engage in local multiplayer with your friends, Armello helps make up for this with solid AI and an online multiplayer option.
A beautiful game which features a host of challenging boss battles require tactical thinking, useful characters, and a big world to explore, Earthlock delivers a solid experience which scratches the turn-based RPG itch. Its fourteen hours of game play swells thanks to a ton of side quests, hidden bosses, and lots of things to craft and collect, and is a true indie delight for any fan of the genre.
1-2 Switch defied my expectations, providing an entertainment experience above and beyond that of what I thought was its closest counterpart, Wii Sports. It has a huge variety of games, some better than others, which appeal to both gamers and non-gamers alike. Although artificial restrictions placed on some games and game modes keep it from being as much fun as it could be, this is an excellent party game, and it's just as much fun to watch as it is to play.
Shooty Fruity is a strange, delightful VR game which combines the stress of simulation with the catharsis of a shooter. Rounds are short, frantic five-minute affairs which will test your ability to multitask, identify a threat, prioritize, and your aim. A hilariously fun and challenging title, Shooty Fruity is just as much fun for the VR fanatic as it is for the casual player.