Nintendo Enthusiast

If long-form strategy/sim titles are your cup of tea, then Project Highrise was made for you. This is certainly not an everyman’s game, as those without an acquired taste may likely become very bored. In fact, one of my friends watched me play it for a few moments and (seemingly sarcastically) said: “Wow, you must have a lot of patience.” And they had a point: You need patience in this type of game, especially if you plan on going through all the scenarios.

Desert Child is that kid you knew who watched a whole lot of Cowboy Bebop thinking it’d be cool to dress like Spike Spiegel in school. We appreciate the effort, but looking cool is different from actually being cool. This isn’t the poser of video games, but it gets close to it.

If you want a simplified take on a park-builder, then you might enjoy this wholeheartedly. As for me, I’d rather stick with the much more complex Planet Coaster. In fact, I jumped back into that to compare the two experiences, and I actually ended up getting sucked in for over two hours because I find it so much more engaging.

Overall, Gear.Club Unlimited is pretty much a missed opportunity. Eden Games took a second chance, but this may as well be a content update to the first game since virtually no real improvements have been made. This is, absurdly, a $60 title, vastly outclassed by similarly-priced games like Forza Horizon 4. Take a detour and wait for other racers like V-Rally 4 and GRID; this is just a tire blowout.

Beholder: Complete Edition is the kind of game that gets overshadowed by its theme and setting. The dire situations you are placed under with little hope attached gets exhausting and, frankly, depressing. Not all games are meant to represent having a happy-go-lucky time, but the experience of overcoming it should be palpable. That is unfortunately not the case here.

Enemies take fewer hits, and you are offered more lives and credits, but learning what to expect in each level is still key. If you enjoy the old-school nature of Toki and are willing to explore every nook and cranny, then this is a remake very much worth your time. It’s not a long playthrough in one go at less than an hour, but it will take you more than that to master. Give this monkey a spitting chance.

Nidhogg 2‘s setbacks make it an inadvisable purchase for anything but local multiplayer. The local multiplayer is fantastic enough to carry this game. Nidhogg 2 succeeds in making a few very simple concepts wonderfully captivating. By combining intuitive controls with a healthy range of tricks and strategies, Nidhogg 2 is the very definition of “Easy to learn, hard to master.” It is a worthy investment for you and your friends, provided they’re close by.

Overall, Guacamelee! 2 feels like a beefed up version of the original game. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense, as the original Guacamelee! is a masterclass of game design. This sequel offers rock-solid platforming, funny dialogue, and addicting-as-ever Metroidvania mechanics. It’s challenging, rewarding and full of spunk. I recommend it as a must play for anyone who likes platformers, co-op titles, and of course, Metroidvania games.

If you’re a super-serious racing fan, then Horizon Chase Tubro might come off as being a bit too simplistic. But, I think it strikes a good balance between having a fun arcade feel with some challenging aspects also being present in order to keep you coming back again and again. As stated, I find the Switch version to be the best suited for the task. Thus, I’d arguably consider it to be the definitive version of the game just for the sake of being able to play it at any time.

NAIRI: Tower of Shirin is a gorgeous and entertaining puzzle adventure with charming characters. It lasted me, a puzzle novice, 8-10 hours, but mileage will vary. If you can forgive the awful cliffhanger ending, this is a game worth buying. But wait a couple weeks so the developer can fix the serious game-stopping bugs!