Starbit

EA Sports FC 27 on the Nintendo Switch 2 does a lot of things right, and with its balanced gameplay, myriad of game modes, teams, players and possibilities, it's a wealth of resources for football fans to enjoy, whether at a more competitive level or as a way to relax. This makes it harder to understand why, with all those improvements, the performance remains at 30 frames per second, when the Switch 2 is capable of doing more, while the lack of cross-play with other versions and a separate Ultimate Team mode don't help with integrating the experience across contemporary platforms.

Moros Protocol ties the action of a first person shooter with the structure of a roguelite game and adds resource management to the mix. The result is an interesting proposal with slick combat action and a successfully implemented cooperative mode, where trial and error are key for going forward. At the same time, the action and the spaces can feel too repetitive too soon, and the sense of progression can make little difference for the time and effort expended. Moros Protocol does a good job when it comes to the combat action, but it could use more variety towards creating a richer experience.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings Capcom's acclaimed series back to the forefront, and what a return this is. By combining the essence of the series with a modern, dynamic take on combat, Way of the Sword is the new game that Onimusha needed. On top of that, the audiovisual environment and design are fantastic, achieving a perfect blend between historical depictions and dark fantasy, while the bosses are masterful and demanding, and very rewarding to beat. With this skilful and competent Switch 2 version, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one of the great action games of our day and age.

Fountains features good ideas when it comes to exploration, the very interesting interconnected game world and the water mechanic. It falls short of fully implementing its potential to a point where it could stand out among its peers. The boss fights are engaging and the best part of the game's combat, but they can also get very repetitive and make players go through long repeated attempts, which make the experience cumbersome.

Sniper Dan delivers an absurd but loveable idea where we use a sniper rifle to help people with their predicaments, and it works. The objectives are genuinely fun, and while some of them can be frustrating to find, they are challenging in a fair way, and the controls are precise enough for us not to mess up too much, especially on the Switch 2. The additional jobs, as well as the time trial and ammo hunt modes are welcome additions, even if the minigames and collectibles feel less relevant after a while. Good for short sessions and with a decent replay value, Sniper Dan doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's the way we like it.

CloverPit takes the cruelty of games of chance, adds a roguelite approach, and tops it off with deck building, and then we die again and again until we start getting things right. Set in an oppressive and filthy environment, CloverPit knows which buttons to push to get the player to have just one more go until we learn how to manage our lucky charms and rule-bending devices towards reaching the next round. Addictive, but also frustrating and unfair, CloverPit can go a bit too far on the psychological dimension behind games of chance and its progress can get too cryptic, only for the game to tell us that we should know better.

The amount of weapons and gear, as well as the customisation options for characters and materials and the variety of enemies that we encounter all contribute to make this a very addictive experience, and it only becomes more enthralling as we go on and unlock more possibilities and a more demanding difficulty level. Truly a marvellous adaptation of the Splatoon name and experience.

Lies of P: Complete Edition lands on the Nintendo Switch 2 with the best possible way to play the game, thanks to the Overture expansion and to several additional options that make it more enjoyable and accessible. The precise and demanding combat system, the weapons customisation options, as well as the exploration of the city of Krat and the game's art style all contribute to make this a thorough and captivating experience that goes well beyond the premise of a game based on the story of Pinocchio.

Orbitals stands out right away thanks to a very captivating retrofuturistic art style that resembles a 1980s anime movie with a sci-fi theme, but the gameplay experience too is a remarkable feat beyond all doubt. This two-player cooperative adventure with puzzle-solving and platforming elements will see the protagonists coordinating closely to approach each challenge in a slick, smart and pragmatic way that keeps players with their wits on at all times. The controller implementation and the satisfaction resulting from every solved challenge all but leaves the question in the air: why couldn't Orbitals be longer?

Rhythm Paradise Groove is a fun and accessible new game of the Rhythm Paradise series and it delivers a pack of rhythm-based minigames dressed in cute and clean graphics to the tune of upbeat music. With that said, the game is inevitably more fun on multiplayer than single player, where it can get repetitive too quickly. The RPG-lite Beatspell mode is an interesting addition and a good side fun from the main objectives, though it too runs the risk of feeling that some instances last too long. Rhythm Paradise Groove is therefore a better option as a party game than as a solo experience.