Author: Joel

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition brings Lara Croft’s Survivor trilogy to a close with another dangerous adventure through the jungles, ruins and hidden cities of Latin America. Originally released in 2018, this final chapter builds on the previous two games, putting more emphasis on exploration, environmental puzzles and stealth. The Switch 2 version comes with all seven DLC packs, making this a fairly substantial package. There’s still plenty to enjoy here, although the port itself feels like a modest effort, with a few noticeable limitations. The core gameplay remains the biggest strength. Traversal is particularly enjoyable, whether Lara…

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 marks the series’ first proper return to Nintendo hardware in more than a decade. The last entry to appear on a Nintendo platform was Ghosts on Wii U. This time, however, the Switch 2 version launches alongside the other platforms, with crossplay and cross-progression included. Infinity Ward developed the game, while Digital Legends handled the Switch 2 port. The release includes a single-player Campaign, the extraction-based DMZ mode and a sizeable Multiplayer offering. A game this size was bound to lose something on portable hardware, but more of it made the journey than I…

Culdcept has spent years away from the spotlight, and BEGINS makes a strong case for bringing it back. The mix of board game strategy and collectible card battles is unusual, but once you get to grips with its systems, there’s a lot to enjoy. Luck can get in the way, and the story is largely forgettable, but the gameplay gives you plenty of reasons to keep playing. Each match takes place on a looping board where you roll dice, move around, claim empty spaces by placing creatures, and earn magic points from the territory you control. Your goal is to…

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War remain a strong pair of open-world action games, but their arrival on Nintendo Switch 2 is more notable for what the ports do not change than what they improve. Both games are generally stable and perfectly playable on the new hardware, yet neither receives the kind of technical upgrade that would make them feel properly rebuilt for a modern console. The combat is still the foundation. Shadow of Mordor combines attacks, counters, executions and special abilities with stealth and ranged options, allowing encounters to grow from small skirmishes into large fights without…

Playing Dynasty Warriors 3 again is a useful reminder of how far the musou genre has come. After years of increasingly elaborate sequels, this remaster feels remarkably simple, but that simplicity remains part of its appeal. It preserves the formula that established the series while adding enough modern touches to make the experience more comfortable without losing its identity. Combat is still built around the straightforward combination of light and heavy attacks, with each officer offering a distinct weapon, combo set and special move. The appeal comes from cutting through enormous crowds, sending soldiers flying and gradually improving your equipment.…

Jurassic World Evolution 2: Complete Edition is a remarkably substantial management game, and its arrival on Switch 2 gives players a far more complete version of Frontier’s dinosaur park simulator than the original Switch release could offer. With more than 120 species, every major expansion included, and several different ways to build and manage a park, there is an enormous amount to enjoy here. However, one decision makes the Switch 2 version considerably less impressive than it could have been. At its core, Jurassic World Evolution 2 remains an excellent management simulator. Building a successful park is about considerably more…

Frontier Developments has marked World Conservation Day by releasing a new look at one of Planet Zoo 2’s wildlife reserves, offering players a closer glimpse of the game’s Scottish Highland environment ahead of launch. The newly released video focuses on the Scottish Highland Reserve, showcasing its rugged mountain landscapes, winding waterways, and scenery inspired by the real-world Scottish Highlands. The footage highlights the natural beauty of the reserve while emphasising the importance of protecting wildlife and fragile ecosystems. Among the animals featured are the Red Deer, alongside brief appearances from the Golden Eagle, with both species shown in habitats designed…

Point-and-click adventures have spent years trying to modernise themselves, often by adding complexity where none was needed. The Drifter takes the opposite approach. Rather than reinventing the genre, it focuses on removing the small frustrations that have traditionally slowed it down, and the result is one of the most engaging adventure games I have played in quite some time. The story follows Mick Carter, a drifter returning home for his mother’s funeral, only to find himself caught up in a dangerous conspiracy that quickly spirals beyond his control. From its opening moments, The Drifter moves with remarkable confidence. This is…

The Atelier series has spent decades carving out its own niche within the JRPG genre. While many role-playing games focus on saving the world through grand battles and apocalyptic threats, Atelier has traditionally been more interested in crafting, gathering resources, and building relationships. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land continues that tradition while also pushing the series further towards open-world exploration and action-based combat. On paper, it sounds like a winning combination. In practice, Atelier Yumia delivers some of the most enjoyable combat and crafting systems the series has seen, supported by a surprisingly strong story…

Few games from the mid-2010s have aged quite as gracefully as Rise of the Tomb Raider. Originally released in 2015, Crystal Dynamics’ second entry in the reboot trilogy remains one of the strongest modern action-adventure games, blending exploration, puzzle-solving, platforming, and cinematic spectacle into a consistently enjoyable package. Now arriving on Nintendo Switch 2, the question is less about whether the game itself still holds up and more about how well this version brings Lara Croft’s adventure to Nintendo’s new hardware. The answer is largely positive. While some aspects of the experience show their age, particularly the combat and storytelling,…