Contrary to what many thought for a good while, however, Pragmata is finally here, and happily enough, it is somehow worth the wait. It combines the skin of a sci-fi shooter experience that isn’t afraid to have fun with the genre’s tropes with a gameplay core that innovates on staples in brilliant ways, delivering a final product that almost perfectly toes the line between uniqueness and familiarity.

Pragmata sees players playing as Hugh, a spacefaring technical expert who, along with his team, is sent to the moon by his corporate overlords after they lose contact with everyone on Earth. Quickly upon arrival, Hugh finds not only a moon devoid of the human population he expects to find, but also robots and rogue AI functions running amok, and a mass production-scale 3D printing system going haywire in the trippiest ways.

"Though it doesn’t do an awful lot to step outside of genre norms, Pragmata’s story does a solid job of keeping players engaged."

After crossing paths and joining forces with Diana – an android (or a Pragmata) modeled the shape and personality of a little human girl – it falls to Hugh to not only make his way through rogue robotic forces on the moon, but get in contact with Earth and unravel the mystery of wat exactly went wrong in his lunar surroundings.

Though it doesn’t do an awful lot to step outside of genre norms, Pragmata’s story does a solid job of keeping players engaged. On top of doling out bits and pieces of lore and backstory details at a good pace to keep peeling back the layers on its core mysteries, the game also excels with its central duo of protagonists.

Hugh, the human that you play as, is a relatively ordinary protagonist in and of himself, but Diana is an interesting enough character to carry things on her own for the first couple of hours- until the dynamic between the two really starts blossoming.

A leading duo of a lead being accompanied by a young, naïve companion is by no means new to video games, and it wouldn’t entirely be accurate to say that Pragmata does it in a way that it is in any way new- but this is an excellent example of top notch execution making up for a lack of new ideas. Neither Diana nor Hugh as individual characters have much that you can point to as an instantly unique hook, but Diana’s personality and the heartwarming bond that she forms with Hugh remains an inarguable highlight of Pragmata from the game’s beginning until its very end.

Something else that contributes massively to how well its core premise and setting work is how visually arresting the game is. Again, the game doesn’t necessarily do much here that you might not have seen in other sci-fi media before, but the its execution well-trod ideas leaves little to be desired. On a technical level, Pragmata does what top quality games have (mostly) consistently done in recent memory, especially when running on the RE Engine, and delivers a sharp, gorgeous experience that runs with little to no hiccups and pushes the envelope in interesting ways.

"Unlike a regular shooter, most shots you fire at does don’t do a ton of damage- key to all encounters is Diana’s ability to hack enemies."

That is backed up by excellent art design, from the surreal, mind-numbing, eerie, and not-quite-right facsimiles of familiar locations that you find themselves in to the vast variety of robotic enemies that you take on, from the humanoid grunts and flying drones to the way more twisted designs that you face as you get deeper into the game.

Pragmata’s biggest strengths lie not in the story that it tells, but in how it plays. On surface, it may look like just a regular science fiction third person shooter, and sure enough, in a lot of fundamental ways, that is ultimately what it is. At the same time, however, Pragmata blends its core familiar gameplay mechanics with some fascinating twists that lend it quite a unique flavour.

Chief among those twists is Pragmata’s central hacking mechanic. Unlike a regular shooter, most shots you fire at does don’t do a ton of damage- key to all encounters is Diana’s ability to hack enemies. When you take aim at one, a minigame overlay pops up, tasking you with navigating a minigames with your controller’s face buttons, with the aim being to get from the starting point to the finish while passing through as many useful nodes as possible- all in real time, while still dealing with all enemies and their attacks.

On paper, it sounds like it could easily be clunky or overwhelming, but Pragmata handles its hacking and shooting combat perfectly. The two core pillars blend unexpectedly well together. The hacking never feels slow or cumbersome, instead adding not only a unique twist to the otherwise tried and true over the shoulder shooting, but also a palpable sense of urgency to the proceedings every single time whether you’re squaring off against an enemy. When you’re taking on larger groups of enemies or bosses and mini-bosses in particular, Pragmata’s blend of hacking and shooting really, truly shines.

Combat benefits from the game’s strengths in other areas as well. Take, for example, the variety that the game exhibits in the enemies you take on throughout the experience. The bots that fight in Pragmata not only differ greatly from each other in their visual designs, but also in what they’re capable of in combat and the unique threats they pose.

"Solid progression mechanics help keep things interesting as well."

They demand different tactics in everything from how they move about to what weapons and abilities they’re weak to, while things get particularly interesting when you’re faced with groups of multiple types of enemies, and you’re required to juggle everything in your arsenal in real-time in the right way. When encounters in Pragmata get really hectic and explosive, that’s when the game is at its best- and that happens often.

It’s not just the enemies in the game that boast strong variety. There’s a range of weapons to use as well, from defensive kinds that provide tactical support and offensive ones that focus on dealing damage to those that can prove particularly useful in situations that demand crowd control.

Then there’s Diana hacking abilities, which, in addition to making enemies significantly more vulnerable to damage, can freeze them in place, link multiple of them together for group hacks, and much more. Add to that things such as innate and passive abilities and mods, and it doesn’t take long for combat in Pragmata to become a frantic, fast paced, explosive, and thoroughly enjoyable affair.

Solid progression mechanics help keep things interesting as well. Pragmata is a fairly focused experience in more ways than one, which very much applies to the progression as well, but the game still manages to deliver tight and engaging upgrade and customization mechanics. Between different weapons, weapons, mods, abilities, upgrades, and more to unlock, there are a decent number of ways that you can tailor your builds and loadouts to how you want to play, even without a ton of flexibility.

"As mentioned earlier, this is a very focused experience, which is something that it also exhibits in its level design."

In fact, the game’s surprisingly expressive progression mechanics come in quite handy on the occasions you find yourself facing a boss or challenge that might be a bit too strong for you in the moment- returning to an earlier area to grind more resources and come back better equipped to face whatever challenge is trumping you never really feels like a chore, which is always an impressive accomplishment for a game.

Those progression mechanics work particularly well given Pragmata’s structure. As mentioned earlier, this is a very focused experience, which is something that it also exhibits in its level design. Pragmata is a largely linear game that funnels you from one area to the next, while also having you consistently return to a central hub.

Levels are mostly pretty tight and contained, though they do often have plenty of shortcuts, optional areas, and intertwining paths to explore, with checkpoints scattered about that allow you to fast travel to the Cradle, your central hub, in addition to serving as respawn points following deaths.

The game handles its structure well, primarily because of how tight and focused it keeps things. It never feels too expansive, which also means deaths and checkpoint respawns are never too frustrating, even if they can sometimes get a little annoyingly repetitive. Meanwhile, on top of being able to maintain an excellent sense of pacing and forward momentum thanks to its design style, Pragmata also manages to ensure that it doesn’t completely trim off exploration.

"It has been a long time coming, yes, but it’s fair to say that Pragmata is worth the wait."

There’s plenty of room to explore still, and quite a few genuinely useful upgrades and collectibles to find. Newly learned abilities also often make revisiting older areas feel valuable, while ancillary unlocks earned through optional content also allow you to expand the Cradle in fun ways. There is, of course, also the plain and simple fact that the game also boasts enjoyable movement and light platforming mechanics. All said, despite the fact that combat is where Pragmata’s biggest strengths lie, other gameplay aspects around the combat are also quite engaging.

Pragmata is, ultimately, quite an interesting game. In a lot of ways – from its story and setting to many of its gameplay and design pillars – it’s a game that is content to follow along well-trod paths, though even while doing so, it never feels bland or boring, thanks to how immaculately and confidently it executes on those tried and true ideas.

Crucially, however, it also elevates those ideas with some novel core concepts of its own, chief among them being its surprisingly well-done blend of hacking and shooting combat, not to mention its spectacular visual design.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

At the same time, many have thoroughly enjoyed Starfield’s expansive sci fi offerings, from its intricate lore and engaging faction quests to its addictive ship-building and more. Personally, I fall in the latter camp. When I reviewed Starfield upon is original launch close to three years ago, I absolutely adored it, so it’s no surprise to me that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with it on the PS5 as well.

"Going into the game expecting Skyrim in space is, in some crucial ways, a mistake, primarily thanks to how its world is structured."

For anyone familiar with the Bethesda RPG template, Starfield is, in many ways, a familiar experience with a new wrapper. Players take on the role of a custom character who gets wrapped up with Constellation, an organization looking to unravel the secrets of space, early on in the game after coming in contact with a mysterious alien artifact.

In typical BGS fashion, along the way, you cross paths with a variety of different factions, each with their own questlines, histories, and characters, all of it allowing you to dive deeper into Starfield’s expansive setting. Player agency is placed above all else, in the specific way that Bethesda RPGs have been known for, prioritizing complete player freedom, even if it does come at the cost of frustratingly inconsequential choice and consequence mechanics.

BGS’ RPG formula has mostly stuck to its roots over the years, and though that doesn’t always work in Starfield’s favour – especially when contrasted with other AAA RPGs who have tried to take that further in interesting ways – the core strengths of the formula, at least to me personally, are still strong enough in the most important ways. A lot of that is down to how strong the Settled Systems are as a setting, especially where lore and backstory are concerned. Learning more about the history and conflicts of the setting never loses its charm, a lot of which is also down to how engaging the faction questlines are.

Of course, you have to acknowledge the fact that Starfield doesn’t completely stick to the Bethesda RPG framework. Going into the game expecting Skyrim in space is, in some crucial ways, a mistake, primarily thanks to how its world is structured. Starfield’s world is far from a seamless open world, instead being split into multiple maps that are separated by loading screens, not to mention large expanses of space that you can pilot your ship through.

Space travel in Starfield is something that has drawn criticism from many since the game’s launch, with many having felt that it’s too uneventful and monotonous, though Starfield does attempt to fix that with its new Free Lanes update, which accompanies the game’s PS5 release.

"Starfield’s space gameplay still doesn’t feel massively different from what it has been since the game launched."

With the addition of Cruise Mode – which lets you freely cruise around in space within a star system while you go about other business in your ship – as well as additional points of interest in space and more combat encounters, with its newest update, Starfield does try to address the issues that many players have had with its space gameplay.

They work to some degree- there’s a noticeable jump in the frequence of dogfights and things to check out, and Cruise Mode is certainly a neat new addition, though it shouldn’t surprise you to know that even with all of the new changes put together, Starfield’s space gameplay still doesn’t feel massively different from what it has been since the game launched. It takes longer for things to get monotonous, yes, but the expanses of space are still not where Starfield’s strengths lie (though ironically, I still find the game’s ship building and customization mechanics among the best that it has to offer).

That’s not all that Starfield’s Free Lanes update adds. The update brings a new layer to the game’s progression systems with the addition of a new currency in the form of X-Tech, which allows for deeper build variety, as well as new late game progression options in the form of new quality tiers, ship customization options, weapons, and more.

"If you enjoyed the base game in its original form, then, the Free Lanes update refines it and polishes it quite a bit."

Then there’s new quests and locations, outpost building improvements, New Game Plus options, and more- all of which is to say that even though the Free Lanes update doesn’t significantly overhaul many core game systems in the way we saw with, say, Cyberpunk 2077’s overhauls, it does still add to the base experience in a meaningful way.

If you enjoyed the base game in its original form, then, the Free Lanes update refines it and polishes it quite a bit, which will, of course, mean a stronger experience right off the bat for those jumping into Starfield for the first time with its PS5 launch. Many will probably be disappointed that the game hasn’t undergone a more comprehensive reworking, but as someone who already enjoyed Starfield’s offerings in its base form, I find the Free Lanes update’s changes and improvements quite solid on the whole.

Along with the base experience, Starfield’s PS5 launch also brings with it all of the updates and DLC the game has received since its Xbox and PC release in 2023. Of course, for starters, that means that, on a technical level, the sci fi RPG is in a much more stable place than it was upon release.

Don’t get me wrong, you’re still going to run into plenty of run of the mill Bethesda RPG glitches – from jerky animations and clipping objects to dead eyed NPCs and more – but in my time with the game on the PS5, I haven’t experienced nearly as many game breaking glitches or hard crashes as I did in my dozens of hours with the game on the Xbox Series X (though it has been a while since I played Starfield on Xbox, admittedly).

"For PS5 players who enjoy the genre or the sci fi aesthetic, Starfield is well worth looking into."

In addition to those updates, Starfield’s PS5 version also has the benefit of launching right out the gate with things such as land vehicles (with one of them being a new addition), Creations, and a long list of quality of life improvements, not to mention two expansions in the form of Shattered Space and the newly released Terran Armada. In short, for those jumping into the game for the first time with its PS5 release, which I imagine many will be doing, Bethesda’s space faring RPG is a more polished and rounded out version of its original self with a substantial amount of content to tackle- which in particular shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with BGS’ formula.

Whether or not Starfield stands toe to toe with Bethesda’s past genre defining offerings is a question that answers will vary to from person to person, but if you’re looking for a massive, engaging sci-fi RPG that lets you loose in a space setting, you’re in luck- that’s exactly what Starfield delivers. Though the game is not without its faults, thanks to a compelling setting, engaging lore, strong faction questlines, and a bevy of content – among other things – Starfield has more than enough going on to keep players occupied for long, long stretches. For PS5 players who enjoy the genre or the sci fi aesthetic, this one is well worth looking into.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

At its core, the second expansion doesn’t deviate from the approach that Bethesda Game Studios took with Starfield’s first DLC, Shattered Space, in that it is very much more of the same- though the content it does deliver has a lot going for it.

Terran Armada focuses on the new titular faction, a breakaway group comprised of former Freestar Collective and United Colonies soldiers who mysteriously disappeared from the Settled Systems during the Colony War. Now, they’ve reappeared with a substantial, robotically enhanced military force, announcing themselves the true children of Earth and humanity as a whole, and in turn declaring everyone in the Settled Systems to be their enemies. Investigating the Terran Armada’s attacks and uncovering their motivations, then, is a central part of the expansion’s storyline- and it works quite well.

One of Starfield’s greatest strengths has always been its intricate, engaging lore and the stories it weaves around it, especially with its faction questlines, and just as it was with the game’s first expansion, that still very much stands true with Terran Armada.

Not only does the new expansion boast a strong central narrative premise, the new faction it all revolves around helps keep things interesting as you progress further. Learning more about the Armada, their robotics, their motivations, and their history since the Colony War remains consistently engaging, even if it’s a little disappointing to see the proceedings being kept largely separate from the base game’s story.

"The expansion does try to inject enemy variety, but there’s only so many different ways you can find robot enemies before it starts wearing thin."

Along the way you’ll also cross paths with Delta, a reprogrammed Terran Armada robot who joins your crew and becomes a squadmate. The morally ambiguous companion is very much cut from the same cloth as similar robotic sci fi allies in sci fi stories, but though he’s not unique in any way, Delta does serve as a solid addition to Starfield’s cast. Conversations with him are always fun, learning more about what makes him tick and where his allegiances truly lie never loses its appeal, and best of all, Delta also serves as a great vehicle for the game to reveal more about the Terran Armada and its robot-heavy military force.

Delta is, however, probably the most interesting element where Terran Armada’s new robots are concerned. That is, on the one hand, a good thing, because that means a solid new companion joining the cast, but where the enemies are concerned, things can sometimes get a little repetitive and you find yourself fighting against robots over and over.

The expansion does try to inject enemy variety, but there’s only so many different ways you can find robot enemies before it starts wearing thin. Thankfully, the core combat mechanics in Starfield remain enjoyable, so firefights (should you choose a more aggressive approach) are at least consistently fun on a fundamental level.

Another major new addition in Terran Armada is the Incursions system, which sees the titular Armada randomly attacking different spots across the Settled Systems. Spanning varying objectives across both land and space and being tied to both story related quests and optional activities, Incursions encompass feel like they encompass the entire game- which can be both a good and a bad thing.

"It’s also a little disappointing that the Terran Armada DLC makes Incursions its centerpiece rather than introducing another major new location to the Settled Systems."

When they work, Incursions work really well, combining exploration and combat, throwing in unique new hurdles, and rewarding players with solid new gear. Story related Incursions in particular are often really well crafted, and experiencing them tends to feel like going through well stitched together set piece sequences. At the same time, Incursions also serve as solid repeatable late game content for players looking to farm valuable loot- especially X-Tech, a currency newly added by the Free Lanes update that expands progression and customization options.

However, Incursions can also quickly overstay their welcome. It doesn’t take long for them to start feeling repetitive, and often, the restrictions they place on players – such as not being able to fast travel within a star system until you’ve dealt with all present Terran Armada threats – can often feel more like an annoyance than anything else. Thankfully, the game does allow you to set the frequency with which optional Incursions show up, so if they do start to wear you down, you can at least address that directly.

It’s also a little disappointing that the Terran Armada DLC makes Incursions its centerpiece rather than introducing another major new location to the Settled Systems the way the Shattered Space expansion did. Sure, there’s Anchorpoint Station, a new location that does have plenty of new things to see and do, but though there’s a lot here that is directly tied to the Terran Armada storyline, Anchorpoint Station isn’t necessarily just a DLC location.

It does sort of scratch the itch of a brand new area to explore and get familiar with, but if you were hoping for a massive new map serving as the centerpiece of a major new story arch, that’s not what you’ll find here. The threat of the Terran Armada in this expansion is spread out throughout the Settled Systems rather than being concentrated in a single new map. That doesn’t mean there aren’t new locations to explore, of course, but you shouldn’t go in expecting something on the same scale as Shattered Space’s Dazra city.

"All told, with the new story content, side quests, and what have you, there’s a healthy chunk of new gameplay content on offer here."

There are, however, new weapons, ship customization and building options, gear, and more brought to the table by the Terran Armada DLC. For players who have already invested a substantial amount of time into Starfield and are looking to further optimize and min-max their builds, the new content on offer here opens up plenty of room for further progression and build refinement, especially with the repeatable content and late game options available with Incursions and the new Free Lanes update additions. All told, with the new story content, side quests, and what have you, there’s a healthy chunk of new gameplay content on offer here.

Since Starfield launched in 2023, many have hoped for significant overhauls to allow the game to fulfil its potential and make good on all of its lofty pre launch promises, and though Terran Armada is definitely not that (even with all of the improvements that come with the Free Lanes update), it is, at the very least, a solid additional chunk of more of the same.

That means that it’s unlikely to capture those who weren’t enamoured by Starfield’s base or post launch offerings, but if you are like me and have found plenty of enjoyment in the space faring RPG’s vast expanses, it’s safe to say that you’ll find enough to like about the Terran Armada expansion, even if it doesn’t fully stick the landing with all of the things that it tries.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Developed by Koei Tecmo studio Omega Force, Pokopia is, in a nutshell, a blend of Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest Builders, and, of course, Pokemon. Viewed individually, none of its core disparate pillars are particularly unique at this point, but this game concocts them together in an almost perfect way, delivering an experience that is bursting to the seams with personality, and has the sort of deceptive mechanical depth that will keep you hooked for dozens – if not hundreds – of hours.

"There’s a vast variety of habitats that you can make in the game, and though they start out as simple patches of grass, they gradually grow in complexity."

In Pokemon Pokopia, you play as a Ditto that has taken on the (uncanny-but-almost-accurate) form of your former human trainer. You find yourself in what you quickly piece together is a desolate, abandoned version of the Kanto region- most of the landscapes are a wasteland, structures lie in ruin, and there are almost no Pokemon and no humans to be seen anywhere. With the help of a Tangrowth – a self-dubbed Pokemon Professor – you set out to rebuild the land block by block to bring life – both Pokemon and human – back to the region, and unravel the mystery of how exactly things came to be this way.

It serves as a great premise for Pokopia’s life sim and building loop. Central to the experience are, of course, the Pokemon, each of whom has unique personalities and useful, varied abilities, not to mention unique requirements. Different kinds of Pokemon are attracted back to live in the region if they find a habitat that they find suitable, which means a crucial aspect of Pokopia’s core loop is building habitats.

There’s a vast variety of habitats that you can make in the game, and though they start out as simple patches of grass, they gradually grow in complexity. Experimenting with different items and environmental features to create new habitats, or procuring specific things to build the habitat you need for that next Pokemon you want to add to your neighbourhood, truly never loses its charm- there’s that many possible combinations to play around with.

What also helps massively is the ridiculous amounts of charm and personality that the Pokemon – and the game in general – are overflowing with. Each Pokemon is their own person (or, well, Pokemon, but you know), and it’s delightful to watch each of them exhibit their diverse personalities and quirks in unique ways- Charmeleon is a hothead, while Hitmonchan generally just likes to train with a punching bag a lot. Squirtle is charmingly energetic, while Slowpoke, true to form, just likes to takes things slow.

"Pokopia not only cleverly uses Pokemon elements to bring personality into its world, it also weaves them into its gameplay in ingenious ways."

There’s a large cast of Pokemon represented in Pokopia, and you can tell that a lot of care and love for the franchise has been poured into each of the creatures. From the things they say and the idle interactions they have with each other to the way they animate and interact with the environment and much more, simply watching them exist in the world is one of the game’s highlights. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent just watching Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee train together, or taking pictures of different Pokemon just doing their thing and interacting with the environment, or even playing jump-rope with Bulbasaur.

It’s safe to say that fans in particular will absolutely love meeting and befriending new Pokemon. Beyond that, there’s plenty more in the game for longtime Pokemon fans to look out for as well. Exploration has many benefits (beyond items, crafting recipes, and, you know, just being fun), one of which is notes scattered throughout the maps, which often drop little pieces of lore. From backstory tidbits that make the story surprisingly interesting to little nuggets and easter eggs, there’s a lot to find. Series fans will also love the many secrets – including chance and optional encounters with a variety of Legendaries – to be found in all the maps, not to mention the many excellently composed, nostalgia-fueled remixes of instantly recognizable Pokemon tracks that Pokopia has up its sleeve.

Pokopia not only cleverly uses Pokemon elements to bring personality into its world, it also weaves them into its gameplay in ingenious ways. As a Ditto, you also have transformational abilities that allow you to learn different moves from the many Pokemon you befriend, each of which allows you to engage with the environment in different ways. Bulbasaur teaches you Leafage, with which you can grow patches of grass; Squirtle teaches you Water Gun, which lets you bring moisture back to dry and barren soil; Scyther teaches you Cut and Hitmonchan teaches you Rock Smash, which allow you to deal with obstacles or break up blocks; Magikarp, hilariously, teaches you Splash, which turns out to be surprisingly useful, because it lets you jump.

Meanwhile, Pokemon also have their own abilities that you cannot imitate, but they can use to assist you in various ways. Scyther can turn logs into lumber, Charmander can light things on fire, Slowpoke can make it rain, Vespiqueen offers items in exchange for honey- the list goes on. The Pokemon that you meet and befriend truly do end up feeling like valued neighbours and little virtual friends- which is exactly what you want from a Pokemon life sim.

"Together, Pokopia’s Animal Crossing-inspired life sim elements and Dragon Quest Builders-inspired elements come together in surprisingly cohesive fashion."

Of course, the different Pokemon and their unique requirements also shape gameplay in other ways. Once they’ve moved into habitats that they find appropriate, Pokemon will often come to you with requests for everything from food to different items – like lights or decorations or furniture – or even new homes. Seeing to the overall contentment of your Pokemon neighbours is an important part of Pokopia, because doing so raises your Environment Level, which in turn unlocks new items for purchase at the Pokemon Center. It’s a very well though-out loop, not just because of the satisfying progression, but also because of the impressive variety and surprising strategy it adds to the process of slowly building the land back to life, and seeing it flourish bit by bit.

Beyond the delightful life sim mechanics, Pokopia has a whole other construction aspect to it, where it borrows heavily from the likes of Minecraft and Dragon Quest Builders- which makes sense, given that developer Omega Force worked on Dragon Quest Builders 2. Everything is made of individual blocks – wood, sand, grass, soil, stone, and so on – and you can break up these blocks, suck them up with a Kirby-like (and very Ditto-appropriate) suction ability, and then use them to alter the environment however you see fit, and construct whatever you can conjure up.

Personally, I’ve always been incredibly quick to succumb to the addictive charms of exactly the sort of gameplay loop that Pokemon Pokopia offers up, and it’s no surprise to me that I’m completely eating it up here. The building mechanics are an absolute blast- their Minecraft-like simplicity and Dragon Quest Builders-inspired interface allows them to strike a perfect balance between complexity and accessibility. There’s also a solid range of variety on offer in the items, furniture, decorations, building options, and more. Everything generally works the way as intended, and elements and objects can interact with each other in fun and surprising ways, allowing for an impressive level of freedom, flexibility, and creativity.

Though the main campaign is structured a lot like the Dragon Quest Builders games, with players moving from one map to the next, eventually, Pokopia also lets players let loose in a massive map, which is where its freeform, sandbox construction mechanics really flourish. I imagine there will be many players – like myself – who will be spending inordinate amounts of time in this particular map.

Together, Pokopia’s Animal Crossing-inspired life sim elements and Dragon Quest Builders-inspired elements come together in surprisingly cohesive fashion. There are some minor foibles – like frustrating storage restrictions, and long wait times as you wait for construction on buildings to finish, especially in the early hours of the game – but by and large, Pokopia keeps finding ways to keep you engaged in its charmful mundanity. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is among the best Pokemon games I’ve played in recent memory- and maybe even ever.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

Now, five years on from its original release, the developer has brought Resident Evil Village over to the Nintendo Switch 2, to go along with the Switch 2 release of Resident Evil 7 and Requiem, and unsurprisingly, the game hasn’t lost any of its charm. Village’s Switch 2 port is an impressive one that does justice to the excellent game that it is.

"When Ethan awakens, he finds himself in a village of shadows of nightmares, where he will have to take on everything from werewolf-like lycans and vampiric monstrosities to zombies and much more."

Resident Evil Village, the eighth mainline entry in the long-running horror series, is set a handful of years after the events of RE7. Ethan, Mia, and their infant daughter Rose now live under BSAA’s protective custody in a remote village in Eastern Europe, and though the Winters are trying to put their past behind them and start fresh, understandably, the horrors that they witnessed and experienced in the Baker residence still cling on like a corruption.

In the game’s opening moments, things get disastrously and abruptly worse when a squad of soldiers led by none other than Chris Redfield breaks into the Winters’ home, executes Mia in front of Ethan, kidnaps Rose, and knocks out Ethan and takes him captive. When Ethan awakens, he finds himself in a village of shadows of nightmares, where he will have to take on everything from werewolf-like lycans and vampiric monstrosities to zombies and much more.

Resident Evil Village’s story is far from perfect, as even its staunchest fans will tell you, but to its credit, it remains consistently enjoyable. I won’t be getting into spoilers here, but some late-game narrative reveals retroactively hurt several elements of the plot (especially where Chris is concerned), but by and large, there’s a lot to like here. Village boasts plenty of strong characters (some of the villains and the Duke being particular highlights), has plenty of ties to the larger Resident Evil story that veteran fans will find fascinating, and of course, serves as a satisfying conclusion to the Winters storyline, especially with how it recontextualizes a lot of Resident Evil 7 with some of its reveals.

"Of course, where Village truly shines is not with its storytelling, but with its gameplay and design."

Of course, where Village truly shines is not with its storytelling, but with its gameplay and design. As opposed to the pure and unrelenting horror of Resident Evil 7, Village dials things slightly back with the scares, while cranking things up a notch where the action is concerned. Of course, when the game is trying to be frightening – which it often is – it does so very effectively, but a large share of the experience is also focused on intense, grueling action that clearly takes heavy cues from Resident Evil 5. Thankfully, Village is excellent at both, and also maintains a great balance between its horror and action sides for the majority of the experience.

Add to that impressive enemy variety (and design), excellent boss fights, and spectacular encounter design, and what you get is a game that knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat in more ways than one.

Of particular note are RE8’s level design strengths, and how well they encourage exploration. Not only is the titular village itself a great hub location that remains a joy to explore throughout the experience, other sections of the game also stand out. Castle Dimitrescu is obviously a particular highlight, and though I know that the late-game Heisenberg’s Factory is a bit divisive among fans, I personally happen to absolutely love it (though the haunted dollhouse does seem like a bit of a drag on playthroughs, to be fair). Regardless, it’s fair to say that on no few occasions, Village exhibits top-notch level design that is multilayered, interconnected, and engaging and rewarding to explore in all the ways that you would want from a Resident Evil title.

The action is also expanded on through meaningful, well thought out progression mechanics. The aforementioned Duke serves as a Merchant that Ethan routinely purchases weapons, resources, and upgrades from, while you can also scour your surroundings for different treasures that can also be sold, further encouraging players to properly explore.

Each upgrade or purchase you make feels valuable, not least because of the tight economy, and Village manages to maintain a strong sense of satisfying progression for the majority of the experience.  There’s also items to find around the village, allowing further progression. That, of course, makes exploring every nook and cranny of the village and the areas in its vicinity consistently rewarding, with plenty of optional quests, rewards, secrets, and more to be found.

There’s also plenty for players to dive into outside of the meaty 10-12 hour campaign. For starters, there are plenty of unlocks, like the Village of Shadows difficulty, while players can also dive into the Mercenaries mode, which is an absolute blast and boasts surprising replay value. Meanwhile, this being a Gold Edition re-release, on the Nintendo Switch 2, Resident Evil Village also comes with its post-launch expansion, Shadows of Rose, which focuses on Ethan’s daughter Rose several years after the base game’s events.

Shadows of Rose is quite experimental, and more than a bit clunky at times, but though it doesn’t match up to Village’s quality, it is still mostly worth the roughly three hours it demands from players. Meanwhile, the game also offers players the option to play the RE Village base game from a third person perspective- though I personally would not recommend it. Though it’s great that the developer chose to release a free third person mode for Village for those who might wish to play it that way, it’s no secret that the mode is more than a clunky, and definitely not the best way to play the game- which isn’t surprising, given that the game was designed entirely around first person.

"Visually, Resident Evil Village is, in no uncertain terms, a beast. That much was true when the game launched in 2021, and it is still very much true today."

Visually, Resident Evil Village is, in no uncertain terms, a beast. That much was true when the game launched in 2021, and it is still very much true today. Of course, you shouldn’t go into its Switch 2 port expecting it to look as good as, say, the PS5 version, but though it’s a little rougher around the edges, it is still an absolute looker.

The game does admittedly suffer from some slight performance issues on the Switch 2, however- though it maintains a solid 60 FPS in most of the indoor environments, when you’re in an outdoor location (like the main village itself) or in particularly hectic and busy combat situations with a lot of enemies and explosives involved, you will start to notice some frame rate dips. Thankfully, they’re not major drops, and the game still remains perfectly playable even at the worst of times, but the action isn’t as smooth as it is on other platforms.

Ethan Winters’ final chapter (so far) is one of Resident Evil’s highlights, especially in recent years, and a must-play for Switch 2 owners who enjoy good survival horror and thrilling action.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

To no one’s surprise, the game very much holds up nine years on from its original launch. Since it came out, Resident Evil 7 has been frequently called one of the best entries in the franchise, and going back to it on the Switch 2, it’s easy to remember why. RE7 still delivers the same intensely horrifying and immaculately designed classic horror experience that won hearts in 2017, while managing to largely maintain its visual and technical heights with its Switch 2 ports, barring some rough edges here and there.

"Combat is, as is usually the case with Resident Evil, another one of the game’s strengths."

Taking a clean break from the larger story that its predecessors had collectively told, Resident Evil 7 places players in the shoes of everyman Ethan Winters, who travels the dilapidated Baker residence in the bayous of Louisiana after receiving a message from his wife, who has supposedly been dead for three years.

When he arrives at the mansion, it quickly becomes clear that things have gone horrifically wrong, and are only going to get worse. And so begins Ethan Winters’ night of terrors, which sees him navigating the haunting corridors of the Baker residence, dealing with the crazed inhabitants of the estate, and having to fight monstrous creatures known as the Molded.

After the disappointingly high-octane, globe-trotting, action-driven experience that Resident Evil 6 delivered (in the process nearly killing the franchise), Resident Evil 7 was envisioned as a return to form for the series- a back to the basics venture that would take the series back to its survival horror core. RE7 excels at that, delivering a near-perfect survival horror experience in all the ways that genre fans would expect. The Baker residence remains one of the best settings in a horror game ever, and slowly unlocking its secrets and getting past its obstacles feels as satisfying as ever.

A lot of that is down to incredibly layered, interconnected level design, which evokes all the heights of the Resident Evil franchise (and in particular, the original Resident Evil’s Spencer Mansion) in all the best ways.

"Though the Bakers and the boss fights do throw some much needed variety into the mix, the fact remains that, for the majority of the game, Ethan is going up against very few kinds of the Molded, which can get pretty monotonous."

Puzzles are also smartly designed, making exploration feel that much more engaging, while also exhibiting impressive variety, as is often true of Resident Evil games. Meanwhile, just as crucial to making the Baker residence such a compelling setting is the game’s strong sense of atmosphere- the wind whistling beyond the grimy windows, wood creaking under unknown footsteps in the distance, the suffocating darkness that Ethan often finds himself in- in more ways than one, Resident Evil 7 expertly immerses players in its world.

Combat is, as is usually the case with Resident Evil, another one of the game’s strengths. The game boasts unforgettable boss fights, excellent weapon feel, and meaningful upgrades and progression, with every encounter that Ethan finds himself in feeling suitably tense, especially given the near constant lack of ammo and resources that Ethan has to contend with.

Of course, Resident Evil 7 is not flawless in this department- a lack of enemy variety was one of the game’s few prominent issues highlighted by players when it first launched, and that obviously remains true. Though the Bakers and the boss fights do throw some much needed variety into the mix, the fact remains that, for the majority of the game, Ethan is going up against very few kinds of the Molded, which can get pretty monotonous.

On the technical front, Resident Evil 7 on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a solid port. Roughly, you can expect the game to be on the same technical level as its original PS4 release, especially in terms of things such as visual quality, texture quality, lighting, and shadows. Impressively, the game also maintains a consistent 60 FPS frame rate, which is a significant boost to the gameplay experience.

"Resident Evil 7’s Switch 2 release also comes pack with content, as you’d expect from a Gold Edition launch from the developer."

There are, of course, some rough edges here and there, just as there were in the original release, from occasionally bland textures to some wonky animations and more, but by and large, this is still a good looking game- even if it doesn’t quite compare to, say, Resident Evil 7 running on a PS5 or a powerful PC.

Resident Evil 7’s Switch 2 release also comes pack with content, as you’d expect from a Gold Edition launch from the developer. In addition to the 10 hour long main story, it also includes all of the game’s post launch content, including, notable, End of Zoe, Not a Hero, and Banned Footage, all of which collectively add another 6-8 hours of additional content (or more, depending on how deeply you engage with the optional stuff).

For the most part, the DLCs don’t quite reach the incredible highs of the base game (with some sequences and moments that prove to be notable exceptions), but all in all, RE7’s Switch 2 Gold Edition launch offers plenty of bang for your buck.

Whether you’re someone who is looking to re-experience Resident Evil 7 on the Nintendo Switch 2, or someone who is looking to jump into the game for the first time ever, its latest re-release on Nintendo’s current-gen platform is an excellent excuse to do just that.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

Having wrapped up the Winters family saga with Village, Resident Evil returns to franchise’s main, overarching story with Requim for the first time since Resident Evil 6 (or Revelations 2, if you want to get into the semantics), and does so to great effect. It shines the spotlight on two protagonists- Grace Ashcroft, a young, nervous technical analyst working for the FBI, and returning fan-favourite Leon S. Kennedy, who is still working for the DSO and is more adept at kicking zombies and dropping corny one-liners than he has ever been. Swapping and weaving between the two, RE9 tells a captivating story that simultaneously serves as an excelling jumping-in point for newcomers through Grace, and as a satisfying and long overdue return to the series’ main story through Leon.

"The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center is easily among the franchise’s best ever settings, and this is where the game delivers the classic survival horror experience that Resident Evil has been synonymous with since its inception."

Grace, the daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak protagonist Alyssa Ashcroft, is thrown into the fray when she is dispatched to investigate a grisly murder at the Wrenwood Hotel, which also happens to be where her mother was killed eight years ago. It’s not long before she has a horrifying run-in with Victor Gideon, a man with ties to the long-defunct Umbrella Corporation, who kidnaps her and takes her to the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center.

Leon, on his own investigation surrounding a mystery disease blowing through Raccoon City survivors – which he happens to have as well – arrives at the Care Center on Gideon’s tail, and the story that follows may very well be one of Resident Evil’s best ever.

The game expertly balances being welcoming and accessible to newcomers and being a proper follow-up to past entries. Beloved and iconic players and plotlines return, from Umbrella and the bombing of Raccoon City to the t-Virus and more that are best left unspoiled, and push the overarching narrative forward in meaningful ways.

Not only does Requiem pull in familiar elements from a number of past entries that longtime fans will be ecstatic to see, it also builds on them with surprising revelations and bold turns, taking things forward in significant ways, so that it almost never feels like just vapid fan service. Also at the core of the game’s narrative strengths is an excellent cast of characters, each of whom are smartly written and well-performed, with the likes of Leon, Grace, and Gideon being particular highlights. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Gideon one of Resident Evil’s most compelling antagonists.

But as strong as Resident Evil Requiem’s story and storytelling are, that is predictably not where the game’s biggest strengths lie. The latest entry in the long-running franchise expertly combines the pure horror gameplay of the likes of Resident Evil 2 and 7 with the more action-fueled design of Resident Evil Village, and delivers an impressive final product on both fronts, with some minor stumbles here and there. The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center is easily among the franchise’s best ever settings, and this is where the game delivers the classic survival horror experience that Resident Evil has been synonymous with since its inception.

The Care Center boasts classic lock-and-key design, laden with puzzles and notes, maze-like paths and shortcuts to unlock, and of course, an overwhelming boatload of terrifying enemies. With the bulk of this section being played from Grace’s perspective, Requiem is at its most horrifying best here, delivering tense atmosphere and scream-inducing horror. A lot of that is thanks to the extremely limited combat capabilities of Grace, with gameplay relying primarily on stealth and other ways of avoiding combat, and ammo, weapons, resources, upgrades, and even inventory space constantly being in short supply.

Incredibly, Requiem also manages to make zombies legitimately scary again. The undead roaming the halls of the Care Center are not the typical mindless, shambling zombies that we have been used to across Resident Evil (and so much else beyond). The zombies that Grace encounters retain vestiges of their past, human selves, and that reflects in their behaviour. Some are sensitive to light, so they roam the halls turning off any switches they can find.

There’s a big, hulking brute who was formerly the Care Center’s chef, so he thumps around with a cleaver in his hands, looking for the next thing he’s going to butcher on his bloody table. A former singer dressed in a flowing, white dress shambles around while singing a haunting, ululating melody, while a former cleaning lady still obsessively cleans a bathroom while madly talking to herself about how filthy everything is.

"In fact, enemy variety is easily one of Requiem’s brightest highlights."

Not only do the zombies add massively to Requiem’s incredible atmosphere-building, they also have gameplay ramifications. Those that are sensitive to light can be dealt with by messing with the switches you find (when they work, that is). The spine-chilling singer has the ability to stun you with ear-piercing shrieks, so maintaining distance is best.

The butcher is massive and can take a lot of punishment, but he likes to walk a specific path, so planning your routes is vital. In later sections played through Leon’s perspective, some undead still wield and use machine guns. Through its reinvention of a concept as time-worn as zombies, Requiem not only adds immensely to the potency of its horror, it also throws an interesting wrench into the gameplay, bringing in variety and encouraging players to fully immerse themselves in their terrifying environment.

In fact, enemy variety is easily one of Requiem’s brightest highlights. Not only are the zombies themselves varied in unique ways, beyond zombies, there’s so much more that players have to deal with- a giant, howling baby who thrashes through corridors in pursuit of Grace; Blister Heads, who, much like Crimson Heads from the Resident Evil 1 remake, are dead zombies who can unpredictably come back to life, unless you deal with their corpses before that; and, of course, in true Resident Evil fashion, a variety of bosses.

There’s also a nightmarish new stalker enemy who pursues Grace for a large portion of the game, and is perhaps one of the series’ most petrifying stalker foes to date- maybe even more so than Resident Evil 2’s Mr. X. With the visage of a horribly mutated so-called Shadow Ghost, she is highly sensitive to any sound Grace makes and can get the jump on her through holes in the ceiling, but also happens to be sensitive to certain lights.

"One of the game’s most terrifying sequences sees Grace navigating the Care Center’s basement, where she has to find a way out through darkened, claustrophobic corridors by slowly bringing the power back on."

As you can probably tell, Requiem significantly enhances its horror with incredible use of light and darkness. More often than not, Grace finds herself in poorly lit areas where she has nothing but the dim glow from her flashlight or lighter. Walking through the oppressive darkness always keeps you on the edge of your seat, not only because of how atmospheric it feels, but also thanks to the actual gameplay significance that light and dark mechanics have in Requiem.

One of the game’s most terrifying sequences sees Grace navigating the Care Center’s basement, where she has to find a way out through darkened, claustrophobic corridors by slowly bringing the power back on. It feels like a proper ordeal, with zombies and the aforementioned Shadow Ghost often seeming like unsurmountable obstacles, and probably stands as some of the best and most memorable content in the entire game.

When Requiem switches to Leon – who has intermittent sequences through the game’s first half, before taking over as the primary protagonist in the second – the gameplay takes on a much more action-oriented style, echoing Resident Evil 5 in more ways than one. Leon carries his attaché case, which means he has access to a much larger inventory.

He also carries, of course, a variety of powerful weapons, which can be upgraded, and also usually has access to much more ammo and resources, while also being able to acquire new weapons to add to his arsenal. He has far greater melee capabilities, from vicious attacks and parries with his hatchet to skull-smashing punches, roundhouse kicks, and more. He can pick up weapons dropped by zombies (as can the zombies themselves), allowing him to slaughter foes with pipes, cleavers, and even chainsaws.

"If there’s one issue I have with Leon’s sections in Resident Evil Requiem, it’s that they focus a little too much on action elements."

Sure enough, gameplay as Leon is significantly more action-driven than it is as Grace, where it evokes Resident Evil’s greatest horror highs. Thankfully, it is almost just as effective. If you enjoyed the action gameplay of the likes of Resident Evil 5, and most of Village, Requiem’s Leon sections will very much be to your taste. Combat feels brutal and satisfying, with tight and punchy mechanics and movement, making every kill feel visceral and impactful.

Each weapon feels excellent to shoot, while different secondary ways to deal with enemies, impressive enemy variety, and their unpredictable behaviour and attacks keep the action flowing and varied. It evokes all the tense adrenaline-fueled highs of past action-heavy RE titles, which is cranked up to eleven in many of the boss fights, and high-octane set piece sequences later in the game, when Leon is at the forefront.

Raccoon City is another one of Requiem’s highlights- Leon returns to the bombed-out remains of the city nearly thirty years after it was destroyed, exploring its streets, ruins, and more. Exploring Raccoon City is an absolute delight, with interconnected paths and plenty of locked doors and obstacles lending themselves perfectly to the classic level design that the series is known for. Leon’s return to Raccoon City also sees him coming across plenty of familiar sights and locations, including what’s left of the RPD building, all of which goes hand-in-hand with plenty of surprises related to both narrative and gameplay that longtime fans in particular will appreciate, but also compelling nuances for the grizzled and battle-hardened Leon’s characterization.

If there’s one issue I have with Leon’s sections in Resident Evil Requiem, it’s that they focus a little too much on action elements. At this point, it goes without saying that the winner in Resident Evil’s long-running push-and-pull between action and horror will always be subjective, based on each player’s individual tastes. I happen to fall in the camp that prefers the series’ horror side, so as much as I did greatly enjoy Requiem’s latter half – especially the time you spend in Raccoon City – from a gameplay and design perspective, I found Grace’s sections more engaging.

"Back to the game’s strengths- the camera perspectives you choose while playing as Grace and Leon also have an impact on your gameplay experience."

In fact, I’d say RE9’s final hour (or thereabouts) as a whole is relatively weaker compared to the spectacular highs of the rest of the game. Gameplay becomes a little too action-oriented for the majority of this section, the level design largely loses the layered and intricate feel of the Care Center or Raccoon City, and progression becomes significantly less important, with gameplay feeling much more limited and prescribed than in the rest of the game.

There are also some narrative stumbles that do leave some slight dents in the overall experience- though I obviously can’t go into more detail there. Don’t get me wrong, Requiem is still a lot of fun to play even when it is at its weakest, and all told, its story is still one of Resident Evil’s strongest, but its final section does feel like a step down compared to the majority of the experience- then again, that is something that the series has often struggled with in the past.

Back to the game’s strengths- the camera perspectives you choose while playing as Grace and Leon also have an impact on your gameplay experience. Combining Resident Evil’s first- and third-person halves, Requiem allows you to switch between the two freely, so you can play from both perspectives as both Leon and Grace.

The developer recommends sticking to first-person as Grace and third-person as Leon, and after my fifteen-hour playthrough, I fully agree with that recommendation, given how well those perspectives enhance Grace and Leon’s horror and action vibes respectively. It’s also impressive just how much time and effort the developer has poured into making RE9 a game that you can legitimately play, from beginning to end, either in first- or third-person, without compromising the experience in any way.

This isn’t like the clunky, post-launch addition that was Resident Evil Village’s third-person mode- regardless of whether you’re playing Requiem in first- or third-person, the game boasts immaculate polish, tight UI design, impressive animations, engaging gameplay, and breathtaking visuals.

"Combined with spectacular audio design, RE9 stands as another impressive visual, artistic, and technical notch on the genre’s belt."

Yes, unsurprisingly, Requiem is an unequivocal visual showpiece. The developer has been known to show off the technical and visual prowess of the RE Engine with Resident Evil titles, and Requiem feels like another jaw-dropping step forward on that front.

Incredible lighting, an obsessive level of attention to detail, gleefully disgusting blood, gore, and dismemberment mechanics, and impressive animations and performance capture come together to craft a visually stunning experience unlike any other this franchise has delivered to date- which is really saying something. Combined with spectacular audio design, RE9 stands as another impressive visual, artistic, and technical notch on the genre’s belt.

Resident Evil Requiem is an important entry in the franchise, and when all is said and done, it stands tall to the herculean task it undertakes. Releasing alongside the series’ 30^th anniversary, it serves as a worthy follow-up to the overarching Resident Evil story, which had been dormant for some time now, while also being both, a meaningful step forward and a great introduction point for newcomers.

We’ll see with time where it ranks among the series’ best outings, but for now, I can confidently say that Resident Evil Requiem is yet another impressive high for the horror franchise.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

What stands out instantly about Remake’s Switch 2 port is just how drop dead gorgeous it looks. The game has, of course, always been a technical showcase, even back when it first launched on the PS4, and on the Switch 2, it looks similarly breathtaking, to the point where it really has to be seen to be believed.

"During my time with this port, I also noticed some brief frame rate drops during cutscenes, but thankfully, they were far from major and didn’t really get in the way of the experience."

From the slums of Sector 7 to the dense, bustling metropolis of Midgar’s hubs of civilization, from the proudly over the top action sequences to the magnificent views of sweeping landscapes, Final Fantasy 7 Remake never stops flexing its technical and artistic muscles on the Switch 2. Whether you’re playing in handheld mode or in console mode, it genuinely does look good enough to go toe to toe with Intergrade’s PS5 release (for the most part).

There are, of course, some minor visual and technical issues here and there, as you would expect. Characters’ hair frequently has an uncanny translucent quality, while some textures (especially those off in the distance) can occasionally look muddy or take a second to properly load in. In terms of performance, the game is locked at 30 FPS, and especially for a game like this one, that’s a bit disappointing- FF7 Remake’s high octane, pedal to the metal, blistering action is obviously best suited to 60 FPS, and it’s disappointing that that isn’t at least an option in the Switch 2 version. During my time with this port, I also noticed some brief frame rate drops during cutscenes, but thankfully, they were far from major and didn’t really get in the way of the experience.

Barring those few minor technical hiccups – most of which are rather easy to ignore – Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is a visual and technical marvel on the Nintendo Switch 2. On the gameplay front, meanwhile, it’s exactly as compelling of an experience as it always has been. The 2020 action RPG’s greatest strength has always been its combat, and that continues to shine through still.

"Every location you visit in Midgar feels unique, alive, and dense, and exploring every nook and cranny never loses its charm."

Each playable character is a joy to control, the ATB system perfectly balances turn based systems with real time action, and combining all the different mechanics – from Limit Breaks to the simple but effective progression and customization systems and more – to wreak havoc on enemies feels immensely satisfying. A particular highlight are the boss fights, which combine cinematic action with mechanical strength perfectly almost every single time.

Those who’ve played Final Fantasy 7 Remake before will, of course, tell you that outside of the combat, the game suffers from some design issues, such as linear and uninteresting level design, or unimaginative side quests that mostly feel like filler content. But while those issues do obviously persist (there’s little to no gameplay changes in this port, as you would expect, barring a new streamlined progression option to minimize grinding), personally, I continue to find them easy to forgive, given just how much the game does in other areas.

Every location you visit in Midgar feels unique, alive, and dense, and exploring every nook and cranny never loses its charm. Of course, the exploration is nowhere near as engaging as it is in Remake’s spectacular 2024 sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but in and of itself, FF7 Remake does more than enough to ensure that players can lose themselves in its wondrous, grimy, cyberpunk-esque setting.

The game is also a narrative tour de force. That’s not to say it doesn’t have flaws – it has pretty noticeable ones, in fact, from the excessive anime grunts in pretty much every cutscene in the game to long stretches that feel like they’re being dragged out more than they should – but just as it was when Final Fantasy 7 Remake first launched in 2020, it’s still incredible to witness it not only recreate the legendary original title’s story and its most iconic moments (in part, at least), but also add to them and twist and remix them in unexpected ways.

Especially after having played Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and knowing where the story is going, it’s a ton of fun to go back to Remake and see what seeds its planting and what future events it is cleverly foreshadowing- and it can be really clever about how it does all of it.

"If you choose to play it on the Switch 2, you’re absolutely not going to go wrong."

Prior knowledge of the original FF7 or of what happens next in Rebirth is by no means required to be able to enjoy Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but if that is how you choose to experience the game, you’re going to have a much fuller, more engaging experience. Even now, years on from its original launch, it’s impressive to see Final Fantasy 7 Remake simultaneously trying to be a remake and a sequel (of sorts) as well as it does.

For the last few years, it has seemed inevitable that Final Fantasy 7 Remake won’t be bound to PlayStation exclusivity for long, and now that it is finally making its way to other consoles, I can confidently say that it’s been worth the wait. The ambitious action RPG was a must play for new and returning fans alike back when it first released, and half a decade later, its Nintendo Switch 2 version is just as impressive.

Some minor technical concessions might hold it back from being the game’s definitive version – I’d say Intergrade’s PS5 release still holds that crown – but even if you choose to play it on the Switch 2, you’re absolutely not going to go wrong. This is an excellent port of an excellent game, and I cannot wait to see Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth inevitably following suit.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Kirby Air Riders is ridiculously packed with content. You can, if you are completely unfamiliar with the GameCube original and its gameplay style, hop straight into a multi-stage tutorial that, bit by bit, which takes you through the basics and some of the more advanced mechanics, which is where the game’s genius instantly shines through. Like its predecessor – which a significant portion of the game’s audience will obviously be unfamiliar with, given the gap between the series’ two entries – Kirby Air Riders is extremely easy to grasp, with a control scheme that’s extremely easy to grasp. You accelerate automatically, steering is easy, and nearly all actions that are necessary to compete and win and straightforward and easy to understand.

"Starting with the basics, there’s a good amount of different tracks, characters, riders, power ups, and items on offer here, each of which spices up and injects healthy doses of chaos into the gameplay in different ways."

The game’s two button control scheme, however, is both a strength and a weakness. As much as it makes Kirby Air Riders an immensely accessible game that’s easy to pick up and play, some might also find it a little too simplistic. When most actions in the game work as intended with the simplest of inputs, it makes things feel a bit too straightforward at times, which means there is obviously going to be plenty of scope for victories based exclusively (or almost exclusively) on button mashing- you know, like any other party game.

But getting the balance right between skill and accessibility is something that the developer tends to be quite good at, and they do not disappoint with Kirby Air Riders, when all is said and done. The skill ceiling here is high, primarily because the game hides a lot of mechanical depth at its core in spite of its deceptively simple controls, but also because, almost equally importantly, there’s a shocking amount of gameplay variety on offer here- which maybe shouldn’t necessarily be shocking¸ given the talent responsible for this game.

That variety takes several different forms. Starting with the basics, there’s a good amount of different tracks, characters, riders, power ups, and items on offer here, each of which spices up and injects healthy doses of chaos into the gameplay in different ways. Different rides control in entirely unique ways, changing the way you move about and speed through courses on even a moment-to-moment level, which in and of itself is enough to change your approach to any given race. The character that you are controlling is another major factor, primarily because each of them offers a different ultimately ability that can hand you varying advantages during races. On top of your ultimate abilities, you can gain power ups by smashing boxes and, of course, in true Kirby fashion, by sucking up both enemies on the track and direct rivals in races and copying their abilities, from shooting out fireballs to stabbing enemies with spikes that explode outward from your body and more.

"When you’re not casually racing through the individual races on offer, you can check out the Top Ride mode, which is a fun (if an even more simplistic) way of experiencing bite-sized races."

On top of that, how well you can master the base mechanics also obviously affects gameplay. On paper, Kirby Air Riders uses a two-button control scheme, and for those that don’t want to invest too much time and energy into the game, that’s going to be more than enough to get to grips with the goings-on. However, for those who’re looking for greater depth, there’s plenty on offer. From boosts and jumps to gliding, perfect landings, drifting, and more, there’s a lot going on here that requires a certain level of practice and precision.

Making your way through a perfect lap (or even a perfect race) can, as such, be immensely enjoyable. That is make more enjoyable still by the incredible track design. The solid selection of courses on offer strikes an even split between new introductions and returning locations, but each is an absolute delight in its own way. From striking visual design to delightful attention to detail to an unabashed love for controlled chaos that somehow still makes you feel like you’re (only just) in constant control, making your way through each track is an absolute delight, time and time again, no matter how often you do it.

And there’s plenty of content on offer to hone all of those skills in a variety of different ways. When you’re not casually racing through the individual races on offer, you can check out the Top Ride mode, which is a fun (if an even more simplistic) way of experiencing bite-sized races.  Reduced mechanics, shorter courses, and a (literally) top-down view make Top Ride races a fun distraction, though it wouldn’t surprise you to know that, given their very nature, they usually are little more than just that.

Then there’s the City Trial mode, which is, in many ways, the central attraction of the show, given how much it puts the sheer chaos of the core gameplay loop front and center. The inherent variety of the gameplay styles available in Kirby Air Riders really shines through here, with players cycling between races, drag races, challenges, time trials, battles, and more on each run. For those looking to maximize replay value, this is likely going to be Kirby Air Riders’ meat and potatoes.

"A sequel to Kirby Air Ride was definitely not something that most of us expected, but Nintendo and Bandai Namco have banded together to bring back the GameCube cult classic with flying colours."

Of course, all of that content would probably not feel quite as engaging as it does if not for how rewarding it feels in the game’s current state, which, of course, is down to the inordinate amount of unlocks on offer here- which, again, should not be a surprise. Tracks, characters, rides, customization options, music tracks, and so much more- there’s a long, long list of things that you will be unlocking as you play the game, and chances are that no matter which mode you’re tackling, you will be unlocking stuff at a regular clip one way or another, making an already addictive experience that much easier to invest in.

A sequel to Kirby Air Ride was definitely not something that most of us expected, but Nintendo and Bandai Namco have banded together to bring back the GameCube cult classic with flying colours, in a way that very few would have expected.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Built on the Unity engine for the first time in the series’ history, one of Football Manager 26’s headlining changes is a completely overhauled matchday experience. This has never been the series’ strong suit – which, of course, has always been understandable given its absolute focus on the actual management and tactics side of things – but FM 26 makes some big upgrades. There’s a handful of swanky new camera angles and cutscenes to build up the excitement before matches, stadiums and crowds look better and more detailed, and most importantly, significantly better and more realistic animations and physics make matches much more enjoyable to witness.

"In a nutshell, in addition to having an overarching scheme of tactics that you train your team in, you now also set tactics for both, when your team is in and out of possession.."

Don’t get me wrong- the on-pitch visuals still very much look behind the times when compared to something like the EA Sports FC series- but then again, that has never quite been the point as far as Football Manager is concerned. In spite of the marked improvement in the matchday experience, FM 26 is still first and foremost about everything that goes on off the pitch, so with that in mind, the new matchday engine comes across as an impressive upgrade over past years. You’ll still see some frustrating physics and animation glitches that’ll be familiar to anyone who has put considerable time into Football Manager over the years, but given the fact that FM 26 is still built on Sports Interactive’s long-standing codebase in spite of switching to a new engine, that doesn’t necessarily come as a massive surprise.

And what about the aforementioned aspects of the Football Manager experience that the series has always been known for first and foremost- the tactics and management simulation? On those fronts, Football Manager 26 is an unaspiringly engaging, true to the series’ reputation- though interestingly enough, it goes about achieving those results in a number of new ways that shake up the series’ familiar formula quite meaningfully.

The biggest of those changes is Football Manager 26’s shift in focus to tactics that are largely formation-driven, rather than positioning-driven. In a nutshell, in addition to having an overarching scheme of tactics that you train your team in, you now also set tactics for both, when your team is in and out of possession. FM 26 tasks managers with choosing separate formations, roles, and directions for each scenario, and it’s something that you’ll find yourself constantly fiddling with during games.

"The other department where Football Manager 26 makes radical changes is the user interface- which might be the area where the game stumbles most prominently."

It’s essentially a different avenue to the same destination, allowing players to micromanage and get really zoomed in with their mid-game tactical switches and strategies. That also means experimenting with different playing styles and philosophies in preparation of specific matches (or, say, during pre season training camps) feels somewhat more viable than it has in the past- though of course, ultimately, you’re going to want to stick with a specific vision if you really want to become successful with your team.

Outside of the switch in the core tactics system, Football Manager 26 also introduces a variety of smaller tweaks and changes to everything from transfers and recruitment to training and more, though in those areas, the experience won’t feel as significantly changed to past players from past years. That, of course, means that the same brand of addictive, detail driven management sim experience that Football Manager games have always been known for has been carried over successfully in this reinvention- though so, too, have some of the series’ more enduring flaws, like frequently ineffectual player interactions and media interviews that quickly become repetitive and end up not contributing much to the gameplay experience (besides turning into busywork).

The other department where Football Manager 26 makes radical changes is the user interface- which might be the area where the game stumbles most prominently. In the lead up to its release, FM 26 has drawn plenty of not so positive attention during its beta period due to its new UI and the many issues that it comes with- and it does unfortunately come with plenty of those. For a game like Football Manager, some of those issues aren’t particularly easy to overlook.

There is, of course, the fact that for anyone coming off of prolonged exposure to past Football Manager games, the new UI is going to take some getting used to. That has certainly been my experience. FM games have obviously made UI adjustments here and there in the past, but after having stuck to largely the same core interface, FM 26’s complete UI overhaul is a bit disorienting at first. For new players, it’s not going to be an issue, but if you’re coming in as a series veteran, you’re going to have to rewire your brain on more than a few occasions.

"At its core, Football Manager 26 is another solid management sim experience that football fanatics are going to have no trouble pouring dozens (if not hundreds) of hours into."

Beyond that, however, the UI does also have plenty of maddening issues. From basic quality of life features being missing to some of past games’ legitimately useful tools having been done away with and more, several issues come together to make navigating FM 26’s menus quite a  frustrating experience from time to time. Given how much time you spend scrolling and sifting through menus, submenus, graphs, lists, charts, and what have you in a Football Manager game, such flaws feel doubly troublesome. My hope, of course, is that with time and updates, Sports Interactive will be able to iron out at least the most significant of these wrinkles, because beyond the problematic UI, there really is quite a lot to love in Football Manager 26.

Speaking of much needed updates, FM 26 is also going to need at least a handful of those to address some of its more prevalent technical issues. From buttons and links randomly not functioning and instances of unreadable text to frequent frame rate drops during matches and a startling amount of jarring freezes, the game has a number of technical issues that mar the experience somewhat. In isolation, they’re rarely game-breaking, but put together – especially with the aforementioned UI issues also taken into account – they could easily detract from the experience.

At its core, Football Manager 26 is another solid management sim experience that football fanatics are going to have no trouble pouring dozens (if not hundreds) of hours into. It comes with some notable issues, some of which are to be expected from an engine change and a gameplay reinvention- though the more significantly of those should ideally be tackled with updates at the earliest to bring those aspects of the experience up to the same level of quality as the rest of the game. Even as it stands, however, FM 26 is a predictably engaging and addictive experience that lays down exciting foundations for the series’ next era.

This game was reviewed on the PC.