Destructoid

Backbone is stylish but not exceptional. It’s a good time with an enjoyable story, but otherwise it’s just kind of routine. The visual style is great, but it’s offset by uneven audio design. There’s definitely a lot to love about Backbone, I just don’t feel it sticks the landing quite well. It will be worthwhile playing for most, but I’m more interested in what comes next from EggNut.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart isn’t afraid to revel in its mascot-platformer roots, but it manages to knock so many of its competitors completely out of the water. The secret sauce? Insomniac knows that a strong presentation goes a long way, and they’ve stretched this formula about as far as it can go with plenty of customization and a compelling world to play around in. While it’s uneven at times, it’ll suck you into the universe of Ratchet & Clank all over again.

15 years on, Ultimate Showdown finds Virtua Fighter 5 just as engaging as it ever was, maintaining its long-held reputation as one of the genre’s classiest and most enduring fighters. Woeful single-player content and receding features prevent the package from achieving its full potential but, despite its flaws, Ultimate Showdown costs little, looks good, and plays great. A welcome return to one of gaming’s most distinguished rings. Now… about that sequel…

Miitopia is mostly the same on Switch, to a fault. If you weren't crazy about this one on 3DS it won't change your mind, and the same flaws are intact here. Still, if you're an incredibly creative person that loves to spend their days endlessly perfecting Miis, you'll find a lot to love here. While its shortcomings are laid bare, its core strength, personality, is at the forefront.

It can be a little too sanitized on some stages, but overall, it’s an effective style. Character outfits are another story as they often clash with the environment. But the longer I played and the more fashion I was exposed to, the more everything started to jell.

I also have to stress that Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World isn’t a bad game. Some of the backtracking got annoying, but mostly it’s just monotonous. The mechanics are tight enough, I just can’t help but shrug at the final product. I’m always happy when an old title is given new life, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to end up loving it.

I honestly think that Biomutant’s potential isn’t going to be fully realized until a sequel, spiritual or otherwise, but what’s here is perfectly entertaining.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster could have used more technical improvements. The subtle mechanical changes make it a better game without fundamentally changing it — which is a great thing because Nocturne never needed to be changed. I just wish the “remaster” part had a little more oomph to sway people who might find it dated.

Wrath of the Druids is simply more Assassin's Creed Valhalla, with a few added twists and some of the same baggage. The benefit of not swinging for the fences is that you're getting more AC comfort food, even if it falls far short of a home run. For 25 bucks, you might need something a little more than that.

Even if there are a lot of shared elements between the two games and the ground-based traversal isn't everything it's cracked up to be, Below Zero's greater focus on character-driven storytelling lands well and this standalone adventure captures the unrivaled magic of underwater exploration all over again.