Infinite Guitars tries to be a lot of things, and unfortunately doesn't quite succeed at any of them. The rhythm mechanics come the closest, but like the rest of the experience are marred by glitches. Despite the immaculate soundtrack, the rest of the game just isn't finished with a poorly written story and lackluster mechanics.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fantastic spinoff depicting an early adventure of a beloved character. Controlling both Cereza and Cheshire to solve puzzles and defeat faeries is a ton of fun, with a lot still left to discover even after the lengthy main story. This is a delightful start to what will hopefully be a fantastic sub-series.
Vernal Edge is a thrilling character action game mixed with an intricate, connected world that's a joy to explore. The story may not be anything to write home about, but the combat and platforming more than make up for that.
Octopath Traveler II surpasses the original in every way. The additions to combat were greatly needed and spiced up battles, the story, characters, and pacing are leagues better, and somehow the music cranks it up another few notches. There are still a few issues to be ironed out, like grinding, but this is a retro-style RPG you won't want to miss.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure has a lot going for it, but even more holding it back. The story and characters are mostly fantastic, but the game does so much to get in the way of enjoying it both through dialogue and gameplay it becomes hard to recommend to those not already invested in the world.
Scars Above is unfortunately bland, with dull combat and very few puzzles. It has hints at interesting ideas and ambitions, but couldn't execute on those.
Theatrythm Final Bar Line is a good celebration of Final Fantasy's musical history. While a few key songs are behind a paywall or missing entirely, fans will find a lot to like here.
The Pale Beyond is a masterclass in tone and atmosphere informing gameplay. As Captain Robin Shaw, you'll need to make tough decisions constantly, but this stressful journey is well worth seeing through to the end.
Gun Jam fails to capitalize on a novel idea through its unpolished and at odds mechanics. There's not much content here and what is there isn't particularly fun.
Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a great game, but doesn't do much to stand out against other games in the series. The story and setting are novel and interesting, however, the combat lacks any sort of balance. Even so, the excellent melodrama is worth seeing through to the end.
Metroid Prime Remastered is an amazing update to a classic game. Despite some remaining issues like clunky combat and platforming, the new control scheme and visual updates make this a must-play in the Switch's library, even for those who didn't enjoy the original. This is how you update a game for modern audiences.
Hitman: World of Assassination brings together most of the trilogy's content in a convenient package. While what's excluded and the always online requirements are baffling, the game itself is still a ton of fun with the new Freelancer mode bringing you to locations from all three games. This is a great way to dive in for newcomers, though veterans will be confused as to what's not included and why.
Hi-Fi Rush presents some of the best action combat out there and combines it with rhythm game mechanics to make something truly special. This is a game that's firing on all cylinders constantly and bursting with creativity and style.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake doesn't live up to its predecessor, but is still an enjoyable enough romp through the sea. There are a ton of delightful callbacks that can spice up the safe level design and it's fun to see alternate versions of beloved characters. If you're a fan it's worth playing through, but if not you may want to skip this one.
Forspoken is an incredible title. Although the story suffers from being a bit too generic, the gameplay is inventive, magical, and an absolute blast. This is a game I'll come back to again and again just to move around and exist in the fascinating fantasy world. Forspoken is an exciting leap forward for action games, and I can't get enough of it.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is a wonderful game, but this PS5 upgrade doesn't do much to justify its existence. You get the DLC and an obtuse 120 fps mode, sure, but you're basically still getting the exact same experience as if you played the PS4 version on a PS5 or Pro. The game itself is highly recommended, but console upgrades should have more features and this feels like less than the bare minimum.
Colossal Cave is a fascinating game, and this modern remake brings the wonder of a text adventure to life in full 3D. It's streamlined with a few updates, while still keeping the spirit of the original. The game has more than a few issues, but is well worth playing for a magical adventure.
This remaster may be closer to a simple upscale, but Persona 3 Portable is still an incredible game that set the standard for modern Persona. The game looks and runs great no matter what you play it on, with a few caveats. While this probably won't settle the debate about P3's definitive version, it's great to have it easily available.
Chained Echoes is an incredibly uneven RPG heavily inspired by the likes of Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. With bad writing, poorly thought out mechanics, and an overly complex… everything it can be hard to get through. Even so, there is a little fun to be found here, mostly near the beginning.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky concludes the story and character arcs which began in the first chapter in an incredibly satisfying way. While it reuses a bit too much to my liking, the combat is much more engaging, with mechanics being polished and enemies being tougher. It can be a bit too tough in some regards, with ranged characters being almost useless, but it reaches higher highs than the first chapter overall while feeling like a more uneven experience.