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Reviews

System: Switch
Release date: August 20, 2019
Developer: Other Ocean Interactive
Publisher: Konami


Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution gives fan of all ages and all eras a chance to have the experience of card gaming – from its collective nature, strategic building, and more – at home or on the go. While it doesn’t have the grab it once did, the franchise is alive and well and now has an incredibly high amount of cards. Yu-Gi-Oh! has always held a special place in my heart having grown up with it, despite me having fallen off around the time 5Ds was in circulation, so jumping back and learning so much of the new elements like pendulum and XYZ cards had a sort of thrill behind it, allowing me to catch up on all that I’ve missed. With Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution, it is exactly what it sounds like – the legacy of Yu-Gi-Oh! as a property, and the adventures of Yugi Muto throughout the history of the illustrious series.

System: Switch
Release date: August 22, 2019
Developer: Tokyo RPG Factory
Publisher: Square Enix


Tokyo RPG Factory’s offerings have been nothing short of fascinating, releasing the likes of I Am Setsuna as its debut title in 2016 and following it up with Lost Sphere in 2017. While those may have been hit or miss for a lot of people due to gameplay elements that didn’t feel fully realized or mechanically sound, their stories intrigued and impacted those that played them, giving players a much more somber narrative that hit specific themes of family and sacrifice that connected with many around the world. Oninaki continues Tokyo RPG Factory’s trend of melancholic storytelling by taking on much heavier topics surrounding life and death, making it easily one of the most depressing games I’ve played in years. However, the way it’s all presented from the art direction, music score, lands, cities, characters, and gameplay is all done so tastefully and with such finesse, Oninaki serves to be a message of growth not only through grief, but for Tokyo RPG Factory as a development studio.

System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: August 1, 2019
Developer: Matrix Corporation
Publisher: D3Publisher


Dungeon crawlers have hit a variety of different styles, licenses, and worlds that typically take the player into the underbelly of terrain. These titles set a tone filled with monsters, corridors, and surprises. Some can be totally random with procedural generation techniques that make for a unique playthrough while others can be meticulously crafted to be experienced with an intended sequence of events. Omega Labyrinth Life is in a league of its own due to its relentless onslaught of difficult gameplay while simultaneously lowering the guard of the player through visual stimulation – almost overwhelmingly so. It’s made known right away that Omega Labyrinth Life will be filled from top to bottom with plenty of skin, monsters, dungeons, cup sizes and the like. You’ll have to balance out a healthy education throughout your time as an exchange student while dealing with a horrible evil causing the beautiful flora around to wither and die. Unfortunately, the experience withers along with it because of barebones progression and lack of polish.

System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: August 6, 2019
Developer: Daybreak Game Company
Publisher: Daybreak Game Company


I would confidently place a meaty bet on the proposal that you, the reader, have definitely envisioned your own ideal superhero at some stage of your life. It’s one of those things we all do, and it’s always been a solid proposal for a video game. Daybreak, developers of Everquest and H1Z1, saw the potential of this idea, and in partnership with DC they crafted an MMO that brings this concept to fruition. As an opening statement to DC Universe Online, its character creator is an absolute treat. I used the bevy of available options, powers and weapons to create a flying, fire-wielding Neo knock-off named “Ultra-Dad”, but I could have made anything, really. A quick search of YouTube will offer up guides on how to create all manner of Marvel and DC heroes within the toolset, and just about the only thing that has to differ from existing properties is your character’s name (for some reason I couldn’t pick “The Incredible Father” for instance).

System: Switch
Release date: July 26, 2019
Developer: MachineGames / Arkane Studios / Panic Button
Publisher: Bethesda


If you’ve already had the pleasure of experiencing Wolfenstein: The New Colossus on Switch then you’re familiar with how the series has managed to distill the FPS formula down to perfection. In an era dominated by damp fetch quests and morally ambiguous “makes you think” villains, both MachineGames’ Wolfenstein and id Software’s Doom reboot have felt like a breath of fresh air for those of us who get misty-eyed over 90’s shooters. For the uninitiated, here’s a brief rundown: Entrench your mind in a Tetris-like zen state, and skittishly zip around maps that are designed less like real places and more like skateparks. You have two goals: Use gun and give death. Despite the immense praise both Wolfenstein and Doom have garnered over the course of this console generation, there may be a feeling over at Bethesda that change is now needed to differentiate these two franchises going forward, and this is exactly the impression I get from playing Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

God Eater 3

System: Switch
Release date: July 12, 2019
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: Bandai Namco


God Eater has had a long and fruitful history since debuting close to a decade ago. The latest entry, God Eater 3, still stays true to the series’ roots with a deep customization system, mission output, and reasonable hubs. But what make it really stand out this time around is the overall tone, structure, and feel since it’s been developed by an entirely different team this time around, moving from Shift over to Marvelous. God Eater 3 takes the best portions of each of its predecessors to give a game that feels whole and connected, with seamless field traversal, new types of God Eaters known as AGEs – or Adaptive God Eaters – as well as fast-paced fighting and action to give a larger sense of fluidity that’s usually missing in games of this nature.

System: Switch
Release date: July 26, 2019
Developer: Aplus Games
Publisher: Arc System Works / PQube


Not many anime are as equally popular and controversial as Kill la Kill. Since its debut back in 2013, the show has been lauded for its unparalleled sense of style, humor, and intense action. On the other hand, it has also been criticized for its depiction of female characters and its inconsistent storytelling. Such factors should make adapting it into a video game an intimidating process. Yet famed publisher Arc System Works has stepped up to the plate, collaborating with developer Aplus to bring the anime to life in a new fighting game, entitled Kill la Kill: IF. Better yet, the show’s original creators, Studio Trigger, have overseen the game’s creation. Now the question remains: with such pedigree behind its creation, can the game keep from losing its way?

System: Switch
Release date: July 9, 2019
Developer: Honey Parade Games
Publisher: XSEED Games


Senran Kagura Peach Ball takes the voluptuous and equally as athletic shinobi into the crazy world of arcades with pinball. While it’s unfortunately not a mainline title filled with hack-and-slash goodness the series is known for, this new game one-ups the series’ previous Switch release, Reflexions, by not only having the crew back in action, but somehow delivering one of the best pinball experiences I’ve had arguably ever. Though this isn’t the first pinball title to make its way to Switch (and certainly won’t be the last), Senran Kagura: Peach Ball stands out thanks to its great cast and being on the more provocative side of things.

Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered

System: Switch
Release date: June 24, 2019
Developer: Kaiko / Volition
Publisher: THQ Nordic


Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered is the latest re-release of a last generation game from THQ Nordic, if the stunningly awful pun didn’t reveal that much. Saints Row The Third held up as a fine example of last generation open world design, even as its particular irreverent sensibilities often felt like a relic – the game showed its age but it was nonetheless fun to play.

System: Switch
Release date: June 25, 2019
Developer: Artisan Studios / Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory


Have you ever wanted Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and SEGA to be personified as anime girls? If for some bizarre reason you answer “yes,” then the Neptunia franchise should be right up your alley. Since the release of the first Neptunia game in 2010, this Japanese RPG series has presented fanciful takes on the age-old console wars. With Super Neptunia RPG, the franchise finally makes its debut on a Nintendo system, as well as its first foray into 2D game design. While this latest entry features all the charm and fast-paced gameplay that make the series so endearing, the larger package feels so rough around the edges that it can be hard to recommend.


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