Author: Joel

Nioh 3 marks Team Ninja’s return to the action RPG series, which has now grown into a full trilogy. Each entry has introduced meaningful changes while preserving the core gameplay, allowing what was once labeled a soulslike to establish its own identity over time. The story of Nioh 3 is set in an alternate version of Japan, centered on the rise of monsters known as the Yokai. Players step into the role of a custom-created avatar, similar to Dynasty Warriors Origin, though this time the protagonist is fully voiced. The narrative revolves around a supernatural plague called the Crucible. As…

Dynasty Warriors Origins serves as a fresh reboot for the series. The franchise had begun to stagnate, especially after recent entries failed to win over fans with their open-world approach. In response, Koei Tecmo has effectively reset the series, introducing a new starting point while keeping the familiar gameplay systems intact. The story once again draws from the well-known Romance of the Three Kingdoms setting. Instead of taking control of established heroes, players step into the role of a nameless wanderer, a created avatar who is pulled into the middle of political conflict and large-scale warfare. This approach gives the…

Tomb Raider Definitive Edition is a surprise port that recently arrived on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Since it was released quietly, many of us expected it to be a mess. Instead, it turned out to be a competent port with solid performance. Even so, there are a few drawbacks worth pointing out. While Tomb Raider Definitive Edition runs fine on the Switch 1 because it is an older game, more than a decade old, originally released on PS3 and Xbox 360, it does not get much benefit from the jump to Switch 2. The developers upgraded the visuals…

Demonschool is a stylish tactics game that pulls inspiration from several different titles while still forming its own identity. It feels like a mix of Into the Breach and Persona, with touches of Shin Megami Tensei and light horror elements. Even at first glance, before you know anything about it, the game’s art style and overall design stand out and immediately grab your attention. The story follows a college student named Faye, who travels to a strange island to continue her studies. The setup is intriguing, drawing the player into the mystery surrounding both the island and the university she…

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is a new platformer from THQ Nordic. It features SpongeBob and his friends on a fresh adventure. Like other recent platformers, it focuses on simple 3D collectathon gameplay, with character swapping playing a key role. The two main playable characters are SpongeBob and Patrick. They can be switched instantly through a system called the BFF Ring. To make switching worthwhile, both characters have their own abilities that help you get past different obstacles. SpongeBob can use his karate moves and bubbles, while Patrick can dig underground and use a whip to swing across platforms.…

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 marks the quick return of the series to the Black Ops line. It continues directly from Black Ops 6, which launched to record numbers. While the game delivers strong multiplayer features, including one of the best versions of Zombies to date, it falls short in a few key areas that hold it back from surpassing its predecessor. Most fans will not spend much time with the campaign, but this year’s campaign is easily one of the weakest in the franchise since Call of Duty: Ghosts. It is messy both in its story and in…

Dispatch is an impressive piece of interactive storytelling that feels like it is shaping its own genre. I went in with no expectations and came out genuinely surprised by how strong it was. Even with its episodic format, the game draws you in and keeps your attention with a story that tests every moral line, mixing human emotion with larger than life ideas. I would even say that Dispatch may be remembered the way the first The Walking Dead game was, steering the genre in a fresh direction. It also makes sense that Dispatch comes from Ad Hoc Studios, a…

Jurassic World Evolution 3 continues the construction and management simulation experience set in the Jurassic World universe. Each installment in the series has aimed to bring something new while maintaining connections to the film franchise, and this latest entry is no different. Frontier Developments has introduced a wide range of new features unique to this game, along with improved creation tools that make park management smoother and the overall experience more immersive. The story of Jurassic World Evolution 3 takes place after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, though it does not seem to directly tie into the recently released…

Nintendo’s hybrid console has achieved another major milestone in its home market. Total lifetime sales of the Nintendo Switch in Japan have now exceeded 36 million units, cementing the system as one of the most successful platforms in the country’s history. According to the latest figures, the Switch family of systems—including the standard model, Switch Lite, and OLED model—reached a combined total of 36,005,504 units sold. This accomplishment comes even as attention begins to shift toward its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched in June 2025 and has already sold over 2 million units in Japan. Weekly sales indicate…

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a brand-new side-scrolling action platformer from the team behind Blasphemous. While the Ninja Gaiden series has been dormant for quite some time, fans are being treated to not just one but two new entries in a single year. Ragebound arrives first as a spin-off, with a proper mainline entry, Ninja Gaiden 4, set to release later. Ragebound serves more as a side story to the main series, following Kenji, a young ninja trained by the legendary Ryu Hayabusa. The story itself is fairly straightforward, with Kenji completing his training only to be thrown into a desperate…