Gaming - Organizer

I’ve spent over 300 hours in Fortnite, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is slowly becoming my favorite way to play the game

10:00 pm | June 17, 2025

Launching alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is quite simply the same game, but better. Bless developer and publisher Epic Games for trying, but Fortnite on the original Nintendo Switch is hardly the most elegant way to play and feels like you’re at a significant disadvantage thanks to the decreased graphical fidelity, framerate, and draw distance. It’s forgivable on handheld, but with TV mode, it looks rough and feels rougher. But I’m glad to say the Nintendo Switch 2 edition is a great way to play, no matter where you are.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2; Non-Switch 2 version available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, PC, Android, iOS (in some regions)
Release date: June 5, 2025

I mean, what can you even say about Fortnite at this point? Epic Games’ 100-person Battle Royale game has taken over the world over the last eight years, and it’s only grown larger in the time since. In the vein of something like Roblox, Fortnite is both a battle royale and a user-generated game platform where you can find an endless amount of custom maps to play with your friends on.

But let's get into why the Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is such a great way to play.

Chug jug with you

Fortnite screenshot — (Image credit: Epic Games)

To really hammer that “you can play Fortnite without even touching its main mode” point home, I don’t like Battle Royale – the marquee mode – thanks to the game's building mechanics. However, when it comes to the Zero Build mode, it’s undoubtedly the best Battle Royale game on the market right now. Over the years, Epic has augmented the core mechanics of the game with a host of new movement options like wall kicking and roll landing that keep things fluid in what used to be the jankiest of movement systems.

Of course, the problem with any ‘evolving game’ is that it’s tough to give a review of the main mode because of how it changes. Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 was peak, while Chapter 4 and Chapter 5’s third seasons were two of the absolute worst seasons of a live service game I’ve played. This means there could be three-month stretches where you just simply don’t like the game. And considering Epic Games has been experimenting with seasons based around media franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and a rumored upcoming Simpsons season, if you don’t like those, that’s all you get for months.

Thanks to the use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s feature set and specs, it's one of the best ways to play the game on console and by far the best handheld version.

Outside of that, there are the Epic Games-created modes. There’s Fortnite OG, which brings back the original Chapter 1 map (which can also be played in Zero Build, thankfully); Reload, which is a faster-paced 40-player battle; and Ballistic, a first-person mode that is a take on Counter-Strike. While none of these stand up to the core mode, they offer different ways to take on the mechanics of Fortnite and are solid games in their own right.

Then there are non-shooting modes like the Minecraft-inspired Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and the best side mode, Fortnite Festival, which is a rhythm game mode and the closest thing we’ll get to a new Rock Band game, considering it was developed by Guitar Hero and Rock Band creator Harmonix. This mode gets constantly updated with songs and artists, with a new singer taking center stage with a skin and big song drop every few months or so (with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Metallica, and Hatsune Miku showing up).

And despite having so many options, the player base for each main mode is really healthy, meaning you’ll never wait too long to find a game of anything, with some custom games even having dedicated player bases. A few of these Epic-made modes have their own seasons and battle passes, too, which does add up if you don’t subscribe to the Fortnite Crew. However, Epic recently changed it so XP earned in any mode goes towards every single pass, which is a massive step up.

Mouse trap

Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is the same game as it is everywhere else; there are no exclusive modes or anything of the sort. However, thanks to the use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s feature set and specs, it's one of the best ways to play the game on console and by far the best handheld version of Fortnite.

Compared to the Nintendo Switch version, which ran at 880p docked and 660p in handheld mode, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition runs at 1224p docked and 900p in handheld, so it still isn’t 4K / 1080p, but it is a significant boost. However, the resolution isn’t where the upgrade matters; the improved textures as well as a far greater draw distance, which was one of the original console’s biggest hindrances – especially with how big the Fortnite map is. Most importantly, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition runs at a solid 60fps as opposed to the 30fps of the Nintendo Switch – which in an online shooter that has cross-play with more powerful platforms – makes a world of difference.

Gyro aiming returns from the Nintendo Switch edition of Fortnite, but new to the Switch 2 version is support for mouse controls via the Joy-Con 2 controllers. Effectively, this allows you to use a mouse setup for aiming with the movement capabilities of an analogue stick, and is a wonderful combination.

Best bit

As I was writing this review, Epic released a Hank Hill skin alongside an emote recreating the King of the Hill intro: my best bit can only be that and even how it looked on the Switch 2, which was excellent.

However, the mouse implementation is a touch awkward. Due to the lack of buttons available, you’ll still need to access the face buttons on your Joy-Con to jump and reload, which creates some uncomfortable moments as you crane your hand. Plus, the mouse controls need to be activated from the in-game menu, as opposed to just sticking the Joy-Con in mouse position like in other games. This isn’t the biggest pain in the world, but it doesn’t revert back once you use a controller that doesn’t support mouse controls (such as attaching your Joy-Con 2 to the Switch 2 itself), which means you’ll need to get the controller off and go through the menu with the mouse to deactivate it.

Fortnite is a phenomenon for a reason; if you let yourself get by the “popular game bad” noise that you often see with this and the likes of Call of Duty, you’ll find what is probably the best Battle Royale game in the genre. And even outside of that, it’s a massive game platform that has an endless supply of whatever you like, from racing, rhythm games, and even custom Fall Guys games.

However, the risks of an ongoing game persist because you’ll occasionally be hit with a season that makes the game bad for months, and there’s not much you can do to help it.

Having said that, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is easily the best way to play on the go or on a handheld device, and while it’s outclassed in power by the PS5 and Xbox versions when it comes to TV mode, it’s still solid to look at, and the mouse controls give it an edge that those consoles don’t have.

Should you play Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition?

Play it if...

You want to play Fortnite on a handheld
Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition outclasses the version on the original Switch in every way, taking what is a means to an end and making it a fantastic way to play in its own right. Plus, the mouse controls make tabletop mode a great way to play, too.

You want something free to play on Switch 2
Fortnite has a seemingly endless amount of modes and content, and is being updated constantly. And unless you want to pick up a skin of John Cena or Raiden from Metal Gear Solid, you don’t have to pay a single penny to play all of the game’s modes.

Don't play it if...

You need the best graphics and performance from Fortnite
While the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Fortnite has a perfectly fine resolution and – in my experience – sticks at a solid 60fps, that’s where you cap out. The current-gen console versions and PC ultimately look better and support higher framerates.

Accessibility

Fortnite has a ton of accessibility options, including multiple color blindness filters, the ability to remap controls however you like, alongside multiple control options like gyro aiming and mouse controls.

A standout feature is the visual sound effects toggle, which displays a ring around your character to indicate the source of sound effects and their corresponding representations (footsteps, loot, gunfire, etc.). This is particularly beneficial for those with hearing difficulties or when playing the game with the sound muted.

How I reviewed Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

I played around eight hours of Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on top of a good 300-400 hours played across PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch. During my time with the Nintendo Switch 2 edition, I tested Zero Build mode, Fortnite Festival and a number of custom games.

I played this in a mixture of handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and on a Samsung Q60D TV and a Samsung HW-T450 soundbar using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Joy-Con 2 controllers when using mouse mode.

First reviewed June 2025

I got stranded on an alien planet, wrote a song, and my clone cut off his own arm on the kitchen counter – The Alters is supremely weird, but fantastic

8:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: Mass Effect | Comments: Off

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from The Alters, the latest game from developer and publisher 11 Bit Studios. From the trailers I'd watched, it seemed almost like parts of several different games were grabbed and hastily cobbled together into something that shouldn't work - and yet, much like my hastily-cobbled-together base in-game, it does.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release date: June 13, 2025

Following Jan Dolski, a construction specialist on a space mission to find the ultra-rare element Unobtaini- sorry, ‘Rapidium’, The Alters meshes together survival, management sim, third-person action adventure, and decision-based narrative elements with apparent grace and ease. There's a well-struck balance here, never tipping too far in any one direction, keeping you constantly engaged and on your toes. Less than two hours in, I was already having a blast.

Predictably, things go wrong almost immediately for poor Jan, and despite finding an abundance of Rapidium, he's left stranded on a hostile planet with an approaching sunrise that will scorch him and his base to an irradiated crisp. Alone, desperate, and running out of options, he follows the highly questionable directions of a crackly voice on the base comms to utilize Rapidium’s mysterious qualities and create a duplicate of himself: an ‘alter’. After all, many hands make light work - and the rest of the original crew are too dead to help out.

Seeing double

Screenshot from The Alters (2025). — Needless to say, this planet is not exactly hospitable. (Image credit: 11 Bit Studios)

The thing is, Jan’s duplicates aren't exactly that. The core premise of The Alters is right there in the name, with each alternate Jan Dolski having a distinct - though familiar - personality and memories of a life that went a different direction at one pivotal moment or another. It's an excellent central conceit for both a story and a game. Need a miner to help gather the resources required to survive on this desolate planet? Good news: in another life, Jan chose to pursue his father’s mining career. Bad news: Miner Jan has a substance abuse problem and crippling self-esteem issues, and you're going to have to deal with that now.

This is where the narrative segment of the game comes in, with a wide variety of both one-on-one chats and group interactions to be had with Jan’s parallel selves. It's reminiscent of chatting to your crew aboard the Normandy between missions in the Mass Effect series; although instead of a sleek spaceship, your base of operations in The Alters is a thin, blocky structure housed on a gyro inside a gigantic tire. It gives the story a sort of twisted road trip vibe, which I loved - check out Overland and Get In The Car, Loser! If you’re interested in some other very weird virtual road trips.

Best bit

Jan's rolling base is certainly unique - just don't question the physical logistics of how such a vehicle would remain upright.

The ‘mobile base’ is just one part of the fantastic and occasionally goofy world-building on display here. True to 11 Bit Studios’ Polish heritage, the life Jan left behind to join this mission is a corporate sci-fi dystopia with a distinctly Eastern European flavor. Janky Europop plays from a jukebox in the social room you can build for the Alters to relax in; Jan’s childhood home is a nondescript mining town with brutalist concrete architecture; two Jan Dolskis bond over their shared love of pierogi. While the planetary backdrop of Jan’s current predicament might be a bit more par for the course, the injection of a little cultural identity helps massively in creating a more unique, interesting setting. The soundtrack is pretty good too, an appropriate blend of synthy overtures and foreboding background music.

I won’t delve too much into the plot to avoid spoilers (this is a story best experienced as blind as possible), but I will say as a lifelong sci-fi lover that the story is solid. The writing and voice acting are both excellent, with some interesting supporting characters and plenty of dialogue that serves to flesh out the characters and move the story along. Particular props go to Alex Jordan, who voices not just Jan but also all of his titular alters - and make no mistake, despite sharing the same origins, this is a greatly varied group of characters who don't always get along. Listen up, Geoff Keighley, because I fully expect to see him nominated for Best Performance at the next Game Awards.

Too many cooks

Speaking of not getting along, though: we're all going to need to get along, or we're all going to die.

Befriending Jan’s alters isn't enough to survive with the radioactive sunrise mere days away. You need to put them to work, whether that's producing food or equipment aboard the mobile base or gathering resources in the dangerous environment outside.

This is mostly done through a series of menu screens, which have clean, well-designed UIs, and managing your alters takes up a decent portion of your time in-game. They're quite proactive; for example, if an alter in the workshop finishes building all the tools you've queued up for manufacturing, they'll suggest moving to a different assignment, prioritizing stations aboard the base with unfinished workflows and no assigned staff.

It's not the deepest management sim system I've ever seen - 11 Bit Studios previously developed Frostpunk and Frostpunk 2, which offers great complexity for hardcore fans of the genre - but it works well as one component of a broader story-driven survival game and keeps the focus on the micro rather than the macro. You can only have a maximum of six alters out of a possible nine (although two of them, Technician Jan and Scientist Jan, are mandatory for the plot - so it's more like picking four out of seven).

You're also responsible for the base itself, meaning that you'll need an alter - or yourself - on hand to carry out repair work when needed, and you'll need to modify and expand the base to match the evolving demands of your journey across the planet's surface to a promised rescue rendezvous. Thanks to the two-dimensional nature of your base-in-a-giant-tire, rooms are laid out in a grid and can be moved and slotted together Tetris-style to make the most of your available space.

This is another balancing act; everything needs to be correctly connected to function, and every new room added increases the total weight of your base and thus the amount of resources you'll need to travel to the next area. There's always a tradeoff; should you build the alters private cabins to help improve their mood, or make them bunk together in a far more space-efficient dorm room? Do you really need that greenhouse for manually producing proper food, when you could all survive perfectly well on processed organic mush?

Venturing forth

Of course, even with your alters hard at work, this is a team effort. Real boy Jan doesn't get to sit on his hands while his clones do all the heavy lifting, no, sir. You need to make use of every precious hour before sunrise comes, because every single job your alters can do is also something you could also be doing yourself.

This is where the third-person exploration and action elements of the game come into play - though I use the word ‘action’ quite generously here, since The Alters doesn't really have traditional combat. When I said ‘hostile planet’ earlier on, I wasn't talking about angry local megafauna or marauding aliens. The areas outside the base are populated by strange, pulsating anomalies, which can deliver a potentially lethal dose of radiation on contact. Luckily, you can research and build the Luminator: a magic UV flashlight that can be used to target the floating cores of the anomalies and shrink them into a stable ball of useful resources with an admittedly rather satisfying vwoosh.

It's perhaps the weakest component in The Alters’ otherwise flawless assembly of disparate parts, but it's far from a deal-breaker. The anomalies just aren't a particularly engaging threat, although later on, some more interesting variants do show up. One variety has two cores and rhythmically grows and shrinks in size; another warps spacetime in close proximity, causing you to lose hours in seconds while you remain within its radius.

The rest of the off-base gameplay is a bit more appealing; you explore, gather resources, and map out locations for fixed mining stations, which must then be connected to the base by setting up pylons before being operated by yourself or one of the alters. Your rolling base only makes pit stops at a handful of locations throughout the game, and the maps aren't that large, but they do feel densely populated and hand-crafted - no sprawling procedurally-generated wilderness here. Sometimes, you'll stumble across wreckage from your original crashed ship, and can recover personal effects that certain alters might appreciate, improving their mood.

Brothers in arms

Keeping those alters happy is no laughing matter, however. They can go hungry or become depressed, get injured on the job, or fall sick from radiation poisoning if you force them to work outside for too long. Sometimes you'll find two or more of them in disagreement, at which point you'll need to find a solution - and it's not always possible to stay on everyone’s good side.

Some of these disputes are key to the overarching plot, while others are merely for character development and establishing personal conflicts - but I really appreciate how The Alters makes you stand on your decisions, even the smaller ones. A lesser game would have you pick a side and mete out judgment, with corresponding mood shifts based on your choice, but here you have to back up your words with actions or deal with the consequences. When one alter argues that we need more protection from radiation, while another insists that we should stop gathering irradiated metals altogether, you're expected to follow through on your decision. Fail to build that radiation shield quickly enough after choosing to support that plan? Tough, now both alters have lost some respect for you.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to boost your alters' mental states. Assigning them to work that fits their specialism is a good start, but you can also prepare better food, play beer pong (which has its own minigame), build a gym or a therapy room, or even settle in for a movie night with all of your alternate selves. Hilariously, the ‘movies’ you can uncover from the ship’s scattered wreckage are all live-action shorts made by YouTube comedy duo Chris & Jack, which can be viewed in their entirety while the Jans provide occasional commentary. It's weird, but great. Hell, the only thing you can't do is exactly what I would do in this situation, which is a sloppy make-out session with my clones.

Whatever your methods, ensuring that your self-made crew is healthy in body and mind is of paramount importance. An unhappy or rebellious alter will work fewer hours; an injured one can't work at all. It all plays into the core idea that Jan - perhaps every version of him, in fact - simply wasn't cut out for this job, and you're constantly flying from one near-catastrophe to another. I opted to pick Doctor Jan as my final alter quite late in the game, and I'm glad I did: Miner Jan decided to overwork himself not long after, and kept coming back to base with increasingly severe radiation sickness.

The human touch

In short, The Alters is nothing short of an artistic triumph. It's a cheerfully strange game with a lot of heart, using its premise to ask genuine philosophical questions about the nature of memories and identity, but also managing to remain grounded in a story about people just trying to survive a terrible situation. At one point, Jan leads the alters in a (shockingly good) impromptu musical number. It's silly, but it's hard not to like how downright earnest it all is. It feels like something that was created with genuine love and care, an increasing rarity in today’s game industry landscape.

I wouldn't call it an extremely challenging game overall, so if you're expecting a gritty, difficult survival experience, you might be disappointed - although I've been a fan of management sims for a while, so players less familiar with the genre may find it a bit tougher to stay on top of each new crisis. There are separate difficulty settings for the anomaly combat and the resource economy, which is a nice touch.

Lastly, as a PC game, I found it ran well both on my RTX 4080 gaming PC and an older RTX 3060 gaming laptop, at 1440p and 1080p, respectively.

The game isn't particularly long, either - my first playthrough clocked in at just shy of 20 hours, and I felt was taking my time with it - but there's certainly some room for replayability based on the different available alters and multiple endings. After getting what I'd like to call a ‘good’ ending, I'm already itching to start over and say all the mean things I avoided saying the first time around. Watch out, space: here comes Asshole Jan.

Should I buy The Alters?

Buy it if...

You want a meaningful story
The Alters delivers emotional beat after beat across its whole plot, taking the time to muse on human nature while keeping its focus on Jan's struggle for survival.

You like base-building
From fitting together rooms in your mobile base to laying out connected pylons and power lines to support your fast-travel mining outposts, The Alters has a little something for everyone who likes to build stuff.

Don't buy it if...

You want an intense survival experience
Simply put, the various elements of The Alters all work to serve the central narrative - if you want a game that's all hardcore survival or management sim, look elsewhere.

You want fast-paced action
This isn't exactly a slow-paced game - seeing 'SUNRISE IN 3 DAYS' will certainly get you galvanized - but the infrequent combat sections are fairly basic.

Accessibility

There are a small number of accessibility features available in The Alters, primarily focused on reducing some intrusive visual effects (like those caused by certain anomalies, or when Jan is drunk after too much beer pong). There's also the option to adjust the font size of the subtitles and change the entire HUD scale - potentially useful for anyone who struggles to read small text.

A notable omission is a colorblind mode, although this might be a game where it wouldn't actually make much difference; most of the management menu screens are fairly monochrome, and the game broadly manages to avoid overlapping UI elements.

How I reviewed Mario Kart World

I played through the majority of The Alters on a gaming PC equipped with an RTX 4080 GPU and Ryzen 9 5950X CPU, at 1440p resolution, and got a consistent 60+ fps at max settings. I also played a short segment of the game on my laptop, which has an RTX 3060, and found similarly reliable performance at 1080p once I'd tweaked the graphical settings a little.

It took me about 20 hours to complete a full playthrough of the game, which I spread out over the course of a week. I played with a mouse and keyboard, but you can use a controller too if that's your preference. The game is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

First reviewed June 2025

I’ve spent 150 hours with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the Switch 2 Edition is an incredible upgrade

1:40 pm | June 16, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Comments: Off

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 05, 2025

Nintendo is bringing enhanced versions of Nintendo Switch games to the Nintendo Switch 2 and has decided to introduce the new system with the original console’s most iconic launch game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

I was unsure how it would feel going back to this game after playing the vastly expanded sequel Tears of the Kingdom (which also got a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release), but even without the mechanical depth of its sequel, Breath of the Wild is still one of the finest games ever made.

Free bird

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Despite being the series’ first time tackling a true 3D open world format, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is nonetheless exceptionally impressive. Outside of a very brief introduction, the player is given complete freedom to explore Hyrule at their own pace and leisure. You’re able to go have a scrap with Ganon right away after making it out of the starting area, or you can explore every inch of the world, befriending the various people of Hyrule.

This freedom extends to the game mechanics, too. Right away you’re given a set of tools, and from there you can do as you please. It’s the type of game where you have a really daft idea – like cutting down a tree to have it roll down and take out the enemy camp, throwing your metal sword at an enemy during a thunderstorm to have lightning strike them down, or picking up a laser turret to use as a makeshift weapon of your own – and it’ll (usually) work.

One of the game’s most derided mechanics is weapon durability, which means every single item you use can - and eventually will - break on you. But in many ways it’s a perfect encapsulation of what makes Breath of the Wild so brilliant, as that spark of experimentation is forced out of you as you have to think on your feet once your best weapon breaks. Even eight years on, there aren’t many open-world games that can stand up to this.

Switch it up

Of course, this is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Unlike other Nintendo Switch 2 editions of games, like the upcoming Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, there’s not actually any new content being added to the game this time around. You don’t even get the pre-existing DLC for Breath of the Wild by buying the full version of the game. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are purely technical upgrades on Switch 2, which is somewhat remedied by the fact they are included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription tier.

Best bit

For anyone who played the game on Switch or Wii U, you’ll know just how choppy the framerate in Korok Forest was. Going there and seeing it stick at a solid 60fps was the moment I knew there was no turning back.

However, even if there’s nothing new, Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is well worth the upgrade. The game now runs at 1080p in handheld mode and supports 4K in docked mode, paired with HDR that makes the already wonderfully colorful game pop even more. Both modes run at a solid 60fps throughout too. Booting up Breath of the Wild and seeing it run at double the framerate almost felt wrong because of how used to it I am, but it's an incredibly welcome upgrade.

And of course, the first thing I did as soon as I went into my old save (there are two whole save slots now, which is both a godsend and underwhelming) was go to the infamous Korok Forest – which would absolutely tank the framerate in the original release. Lo and behold, it ran perfectly. Sure, that's the type of thing you might expect on more powerful hardware, but when you’ve suffered through that original Korok Forest on Wii U or Switch, it really puts things into perspective.

Note it down

I said that Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doesn’t have anything new in-game, but that’s not the case for the Nintendo Switch Online app, which has added the Zelda Notes feature. This is a companion app that allows you to do a bunch of stuff in-game, such as finding the locations of remaining shrines with a GPS navigation voice telling you where to go and a daily bonus wheel that will give you a roulette wheel that includes prizes like free meals, full health, or even the ability to repair your weapons.

However, the most impactful part of Zelda Notes are the ‘Voice Memories’. These are scattered all across the map, and when you walk in the vicinity of one (of which there are over 100), you’ll hear a voice memo from Princess Zelda set 100 years before the events of the game while preparing for the first calamity. These are wonderful little lore dumps that made the experience of exploring Hyrule again a total joy. It goes without saying that actually having these added to the game as opposed to needing to keep my phone on would be a far more preferable option.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a great – if barebones – update to what was already one of the greatest games of all time. However, the framerate and resolution updates alone make this one worth checking out, especially if you’ve never played it before. Though, if the technical side of things isn't a priority for you, you’ll probably be let down by the lack of new content – unless you fancy having your phone out the whole time for that Zelda Notes functionality.

Should you buy The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition?

Buy it if...

You’ve never played Breath of the Wild before or are looking to replay it
There is literally no reason to go back to the original Nintendo Switch or Wii U version of Breath of the Wild if you have access to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The enhanced framerate and visuals make this the number one version of the game easily.

You’re into Zelda lore
I can’t believe it either, but the Zelda Notes mobile app is actually a fantastic addition. The Voice Memories are a great addition to the game that give you narrated lore dumps as you explore the map and hear Zelda talk about areas of the map from before Link was put into a slumber.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have a Switch 2
While it is the definitive version of the game, it’s not so transformative an experience that you need to rush out and buy a Nintendo Switch 2 right away to play it.

Accessibility

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doesn’t have much going on with it accessibility wise. While you still have access to gyro aiming and the ability to rebind your controls from the Switch 2 menu (which won’t translate to the correct button prompts in-game), there’s nothing much to write home about.

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

I played 10 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on top of the 140 hours I played of the game on the original Nintendo Switch. During this time I first played the opening hours of the game again on a fresh save, got myself off the great plateau and explored the world. I then jumped into my old save to test out the Zelda Notes app by finding Shrines I missed the first time around and Voice Memories.

I played this in a mixture of handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and on a Samsung Q60D TV and a Samsung HW-T450 soundbar using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

First reviewed June 2025

I’ve spent 20 hours in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2, and not much has changed, but that’s okay

4:00 pm | June 15, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: Final Fantasy, Nintendo Switch | Comments: Off

Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a weird Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, something of a time capsule in every manner the phrase could imply. As a game, it’s stubbornly unchanged, and yet by being so familiar, it remains just as enjoyable as it was on its initial Nintendo 3DS release.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

As the game’s producer Tomoya Asano noted ahead of this remaster’s release, Bravely Default was designed as a throwback to the classic 2D and 16-bit era of RPGs.

Its success both at home and abroad inspired the company to develop its HD-2D titles, such as Octopath Traveler and the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. It emulates classic Final Fantasy with a grand globe-trotting adventure to save the world, wonderfully representative of the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System eras of the storied franchise.

One day, a great chasm suddenly opens in the earth underneath the village of Norende, with Tiz the sole survivor. The four crystals driving the natural balance of the world have been plunged into darkness. When he runs into one of the Vestals (priestesses of the crystals), Agnes Oblige, he is inspired to protect her and seek a way to reawaken them. Over time, you are joined in your travels by Edea Lee and Ringabel, and these four warriors of light set out to rejuvenate the world.

This is a turn-based RPG, enhanced by a deep job system and much more. The result evolves this basic framework into something highly engaging and, even all these years later, wholly unique. The titular Brave and Default mechanics bring a fascinating risk-reward thrill to difficult combat: you begin with 0 BP in each battle, with any action consuming one point. You can act multiple times in a single term by using Brave, consuming extra BP, but you’ll be unable to act again until you recover to at least zero.

Default is this game’s term for defending: you won’t act, but you’ll gain an extra BP and take less damage, allowing you to act twice next time without skipping a turn. By building up BP across multiple characters and tying it to special moves it allows for some intense all-out attacks if you strategize correctly.

Fairy-ly Strategic

Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster — (Image credit: Square Enix)

And strategize you must. Success against bosses hinges on correctly utilizing this system, as well as the jobs. These are the various classes you may already be familiar with, such as mages, thieves, and knights, alongside more exotic jobs like merchants.

Mastery of these classes allows you to inherit some of their abilities to other classes, essentially allowing a character to embody the best of two jobs at once. Battles require not just good strategy but knowing your limits, all while taking advantage of this job system to craft a mage with the speed of a thief, and so on.

One typical frustration when it comes to turn-based RPGs is that combat can soon feel slow or repetitive. These systems combine to avoid that. If you do feel the need to grind to increase your level, earn money, or improve a character’s class proficiency, you can assign actions for characters to take in auto-battles or change encounter rates and battle speed.

Best bit

After first struggling to beat a boss, stepping back to adjust your jobs and equipment before tackling it with the right balance of offense and defense takes advantage of every aspect of the battle system, and makes victory feel oh-so sweet.

It’s hard to find much to complain about when it comes to Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. It was praised in its time for being one of the best RPGs, and that remains true today. The script and characters charm, the battles thrill, just as they did before. Next to nothing has changed.

The character models and world are the same low-polygon 3D models as the 3DS release, bar a few upgraded textures, a fact only more apparent in the models for minor characters or the stiff, limited animations in cutscenes. It’s a testament to the timeless art style of the original game that the towns and select areas remain at times stunning and never feel garish when blown up on a larger screen.

A lingering legacy

The only real differences in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster are more of a necessity than anything else: the old game made heavy use of the network features of the 3DS, encouraging players to send combat support to other players while walking out in the world via StreetPass, or linking the abilities of your party with friends. These have been adapted to the Nintendo Switch Online ecosystem somewhat awkwardly, the joy of encountering strangers while walking outside replaced with much less interesting ghosts in towns.

There are two new minigames, but these feel like they exist primarily as an excuse to justify Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity. They each use mouse controls, but not very effectively. Luxencheer Rhythm Catch is a rhythm game timed to a few iconic songs from the game’s soundtrack while a character of your choice dances along. It’s serviceable, but doesn't feel as natural as a proper rhythm game should.

Ringabel’s Panic Cruise is easily the more involved and interesting of the pair, putting you behind the controls of an airship as you steer around a course and react to commands by pulling switches and knobs or blowing whistles. I could imagine myself enjoying a full game with this concept and controls, but here it feels like little more than a tech demo. With both hidden in submenus, these will be forgotten almost immediately.

Take these minimal bonus features away, and this is almost exactly the same game as it was before. Excluding a few quality of life changes and an adaptation from a two-screen handheld to a single-screen hybrid console, this is identical to the original release. Often, titles like Bravely Default may receive a new translation ahead of a new release, but even that remains unchanged here.

This, at least for me, is fine. In retaining as much of this 3DS experience as possible, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster stands apart from its contemporaries as something unlike other RPGs on the market right now, faithfully making a classic of the genre accessible to a new generation.

While it’s a tough sell to those who played the original game upon its release due to the unchanged nature of this story and gameplay, I’ve personally enjoyed the excuse to revisit it, exactly as I remember.

For all it isn’t pushing the new hardware to the limits while the limited new features are more of an excuse and obligation to test new hardware than enhance the experience, it’s hard to complain when you have one of the best RPGs of the last 15 years on the largest or smallest screen you could desire.

Should I play Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster?

Play it if...

You never tried the original game
An adventure inspired by the classics but updated into something singular, Bravely Default is still not only timeless, it’s one of the best RPGs of the past 15 years

You love to strategize
No matter your level or job, an overly offensive or poorly strategized boss fight can leave you vulnerable to defeat in any fight. You’re always on your toes in your journey to save the world.

Characters and story drive your play
Bravely Default has such a charming core cast of characters whose chemistry will leave you laughing from the moment you meet. Their jokes and spirit alone can keep the adventure going.

Don't play it if...

You’re a returning player wanting something new
There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before if you played the original game. While Bravely Default is an enjoyable enough experience worth replaying, don’t come expecting a new perspective on this classic.

You want to push your new Switch 2 to the limits
This is a Nintendo 3DS game at its core, and the title has been given minimal visual upgrades. New content is limited to two minigames. This won’t test the power of the device or push all the new features of Nintendo Switch 2.

Accessibility features

While it’s possible to adjust language and subtitle options in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, and there is hardware-level limited button remapping for those using the Switch 2 Charging Grip or Pro Controller, there are no other accessibility features for those needing features such as colorblind mode.

How I reviewed Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster

I played 20 hours of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster and tried all features, including town rebuilding and bonus minigames.

This brought me partway into the second chapter of the game, although I did complete the game upon its initial release on Nintendo 3DS and compared the experience between the two titles.

Much of the game was played on a Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld or tabletop mode, as well as on an ASUS VG27AQL1A gaming monitor. Audio was utilized in a mix of the system’s internal speakers, Apple AirPods Max connected wirelessly to the device, as well as Denon speakers connected to the monitor via a Yamaha A-S301 Amplifier.

First reviewed June 2025

After more than 12 hours with Survival Kids on Switch 2, I’ve found it to be a kid-friendly puzzle platformer that’s equal parts simple and satisfying

6:00 pm | June 14, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey | Comments: Off

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived, and along with it, so have a handful of launch games. Some old, some new, and some, well, they land somewhere between those two categories.

Meet Survival Kids, a cooperative platformer, built on the bones of the 1999 Konami Game Boy Color game of the same name, and developed by the minds behind the wildly popular game engine Unity. Its inception is a mouthful, and yet when it comes to the reality of the game itself, it’s very simple – perhaps too simple.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 6th, 2025

In Survival Kids, you play as a (you guessed it) kid who, after being capsized in a mythic storm, must craft their way across an ancient archipelago in the hopes of escape.

The twist on this classic survival set-up is that the islands themselves aren’t static and are, in fact, living turtles that can cause the islands to flood. While it’s an interesting premise, Survival Kids commits to a more casual play style, and the submerging occurs only when the player is ready. It’s a reasonable choice for a game built for a younger demographic — I only wish there were multiple game modes for players of all ages, or those who may be more adept.

As you progress, you’ll uncover new biomes and take on chaotic environmental hazards like purple-goo firing turrets and body-barrelling wind tunnels, using earnable tools like fishing rods, trampolines, and comically large leaf fans to best them. Much like the premise, the levels are similarly straightforward and offer an occasionally moreish workload of mindless tasks to complete with friends or by yourself.

Rinse and repeat

Every level in Survival Kids begins with a capsizing, and players wash up on the shore of a new island. From this point on, the aim of the game is to consolidate resources and move your base camp to the highest point, where you’ll construct a raft and start the cycle all over again.

The parts you need to complete this objective range from easily-accessible vines and stones (which can be harnessed by chopping down trees or mining rocks) to hidden aeroplane wings and half-buried propeller parts. It’s not as complex as something like Astro Bot by any means, but the diversity of islands and the platforming challenges embedded in them were varied enough to keep me entertained as I continued to explore.

In place of any towering challenges or punishing mechanics, the biggest antagonist you’ll face here is your stamina, which dictates how far you can climb on a climbing net and whether you can unearth objects. To increase your stamina, you need to find and cook food, making sure not to burn your precious meal in your camp’s cooking pot by leaving it on the castaway-hob too long. The more food you load into the pot, the better the quality of the meal, providing you with extra precious stamina.

Beyond staying fed, there aren’t really any stakes to speak of. Sure, you can fall off a cliff and lose your items or fail to wrangle a fish. But you can simply go back and pick them up again or just cast your line at the same fish a second time.

You’re never really punished for your mistakes in any meaningful way, which has its pros and cons. By keeping the workload accessible and forgiving, Survival Kids feels like a great introductory game for kids who may not be familiar with the Survival genre. Still, at times, it feels as though it’s underestimating what younger players are capable of, especially when you consider the alternatives on the market like Nintendo’s own appropriately challenging Super Mario Odyssey.

Upon completing a level, you’ll earn stars depending on how quickly you escaped the island or how many collectables — called Treasure Stones — you found in the process. Early on, these stars mean very little, and you can breeze through the game - no questions asked. However, as you near the end, there’s a good chance you’ll need to revisit an island to collect a few more to surpass some star-based progress gates.

With little else to latch onto, Survival Kids often feels a bit dry and lacks the personality to really make its mark. It says something that not even a quirky British narrator can lift the tone. In fact, their chatter quickly started to grate.

Play nice

Between island hopping, you’ll also get a chance to customise your cartoon avatar with a selection of kitschy castaway garb. There isn’t a great deal of diversity at first, but it’s plenty to set you apart from your co-op collaborators, and it’s good fun to tweak your hair colour, skin tone, and ocular scenario before hopping into a level. Thankfully, this small pool of outfits is just a jumping-off point, and you can unlock more by completing challenges layered throughout the game.

Alongside meeting the essential crafting criteria, you can complete optional tasks like fishing ten times in a row or cooking with a certain number of ingredients in your pot. By achieving these optional objectives, you can unlock themed outfits to jazz up your mini-me. Many will be achieved automatically as you play, but at the very least, I was pleased to have something else to shoot for outside the confines of the repetitive campaign.

Best bit

Survival Kids is at its best when played with friends. Between the simple control scheme and the plethora of comfortably mindless processes to complete, I could chat to my heart's content without needing to maintain an intense back-and-forth to complete objectives.

Survival Kids can be played in single-player mode, however, it’s just not nearly as much fun as it is when you’re playing with friends. Aside from helping collect loot, the most fun I had was antagonising, and subsequently being antagonised by, my co-op partner. On one occasion, I led my fellow-survivor into a wind tunnel where they were gust into oblivion.

The repercussion was that after spending ages fishing and cooking up a delicious meal, they threw it off the edge and out of my reach. When playing solo, these kinds of light-hearted interactions aren't possible, and instead, you’re just left with the workload.

It’s clear there’s been an effort to scale things back in solo mode and make the levels more approachable, like reducing the stamina needed to pull up objects. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t make up for the tedious nature of completing the same tasks alone.

When playing through the later levels in the game, I found myself frustrated, not by the turrets shooting me off the map, but rather the boring nature of carting materials back and forth with no help. It’s admirable that the team at Unity wanted to give solo players a chance, but it doesn’t do justice to the obviously communal aspects at the core of Survival Kids' gameplay loop.

Should you play Survival Kids?

Play it if...

You want a silly co-op game to play with friends
The simple nature of Survival Kids makes it a great backdrop for chatting with friends and cracking jokes, as you don’t need to focus too hard when solving puzzles. View Deal

You want Nintendo Switch 2 features like GameChat and GameShare
Survival Kids makes great use of both GameChat and GameShare, so it's a good game to pick if you want something that uses those console features.View Deal

Don't play it if…

You want a complex platformer
Survival Kids does offer a decent variety of platforming puzzles, though many repeat over time. View Deal

Accessibility features

In Survival Kids, you can access the settings menu from the main menu or anytime in-game by pressing the pause button and selecting the Options button.

From here, you can toggle on and off subtitles and a level timer, as well as level objective arrows and banners. In the Controls submenu, you can toggle between two layout options. Where audio is concerned, you can use incremental notches to tweak Music, SFX and Narration Volume.

How I reviewed Survival Kids

I played Survival Kids' main campaign over twelve hours in a mixture of single-player, local co-op, and online co-op.

I used a Switch 2 console in both handheld and docked modes. When docked, I used an LG OLED C2 55-inch TV, with no additional soundbar or external speaker system.

First reviewed June 2025

Mario Kart World just about makes the podium, but some strange design decisions have left me scratching my head

2:28 pm | June 13, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: Final Fantasy, Mario Kart | Comments: Off

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

Mario Kart World has launched alongside the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. And with it, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe curse has finally been broken. Of course, it’s reasonable to expect Nintendo to have supported its 68 million+ selling Switch game for as long as it did, but the time certainly felt right for something new.

And Mario Kart World absolutely feels new. Not in the literal sense, of course - that’s a given. Rather, it genuinely takes Mario Kart to fresh new heights with utterly stunning visuals and transformative racing techniques that feel so much more tactile than the underwater or anti-gravity gimmicks of the series' past.

The big draw to Mario Kart World? Well, the clue’s in the name. The game offers a gigantic open world for players to explore in Free Roam mode - either solo or in local or online multiplayer. The game’s circuits are also integrated into this map, as are hundreds of mini-challenges and collectibles.

World also introduces Knockout Tour, a non-stop endurance race from one end of the map to another, in which the goal is to remain above a constantly dwindling placement threshold to avoid being eliminated. It’s hands down the best mode in the game and really comes to life online, where races are almost impossibly chaotic.

While Mario Kart World does offer the most exceptionally satisfying driving model the series has ever seen, I can’t quite bring myself to say it beats out the excellence of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just yet. Its main Grand Prix mode actually does the game’s otherwise wonderful circuits a bit of a disservice, and there’s a pile of frustrating design decisions that all add up to muddy the overall experience to a degree.

Namely, Nintendo has fumbled the bag somewhat with its open world here. While the act of simply driving about and unlocking outfits for your favorite characters can be a lot of fun in and of itself, there’s little in the way of actual content here outside of short challenge missions. Even the main form of collectible here - stickers you can place on your kart - falls flat. But more on that in the review proper.

Overall, Mario Kart World has moments where it’s easily the best game in the series. The handling of the karts here is sublime, and learning courses and routes with the new rail grind and wall ride techniques is endlessly fulfilling. There aren’t even any major issues with online play, which, for Nintendo, is an accomplishment. It’s just such a shame that certain design decisions lead to a game that feels lacking in some crucial areas.

There’s a whole world out there, but is it worth seeing?

The big draw to Mario Kart World is, as mentioned, its Free Roam mode. For the first time ever, Nintendo has created a fully explorable Mushroom Kingdom without any load times. Even pressing the ‘+’ button from the main menu will seamlessly transition you into Free Roam, which is super impressive and is a strong indicator of how much more powerful the Switch 2 is compared to its predecessor.

The only load times you’ll experience in Free Roam come from switching characters or fast traveling to a named location on the map, and even these are extremely brisk. Pair this with impressive draw distance, rock-solid 60fps performance, and simply stunning visual fidelity, and you have a mode that acts as a real showcase of the console’s hardware chops.

It’s a massive open space, dotted with the game’s many circuits and plenty of scenic routes to travel between them. It’s also exceptionally varied, featuring everything from lush forests and arid dunes to a haunted swamp and an industrial space port. There’s a great amount of fun to be had in simply driving around, taking in some breathtaking sights, and vibing to World’s eclectic soundtrack.

That said, Free Roam leaves a lot on the table. Don’t get me wrong, going on a drive with your friends (Free Roam is also playable in multiplayer) is joyous, and I can see it being a wonderful experience for groups of friends and families. But once the novelty wears off, there actually isn’t all that much to do here.

Best bit

Mario Kart World’s driving is sublime. Drifting feels more fine-tuned than ever, while new techniques like wall riding and rail grinding offer an incredibly high skill ceiling and avenues for creativity during any given moment out on track.

Aside from character costumes, which you can unlock by picking up Dash Food items at various drive-thrus dotted throughout the map, your main collectible in Free Roam is stickers. This irks me on so many levels.

The stickers themselves are inoffensive, and many have very cool and eye-catching designs. It’s their implementation that’ll leave you wanting more. You can choose a single sticker, which will be placed on your kart of choice, and they also act as a miniature icon during online play. However, the stickers simply don’t show up on half the karts in the roster, and on most, they’re far too tiny to be noticeable.

Furthermore, stickers are pretty much the main form of collectible in this game. Completing one of many P-Switch challenges dotted around the Free Roam map? While these are fun little distractions, all you’re getting for your troubles is a sticker. Running over a hidden Question Block panel found tucked away in the map’s circuits? Sticker. Collecting Peach Medallions? For that, you’ll at least get a cool alternate kart livery! Nope, I’m joking, it’s stickers.

As a result, the joy of driving around in Free Roam can quickly diminish if you’re not racing about with friends. It does feel like what we have now, at least, is a foundation on which Nintendo can build upon with more activities and potentially new areas. We’ll have to see how things pan out in the future, but for now, don’t be surprised if Free Roam starts to feel a little vacuous for you over time.

Catch my drift

So the open world in Mario Kart World leaves a lot to be desired, but I’d be a fool to completely write the game off because of it. What saves World for me, and why I still consider it to be my new favorite game in the series, is that its driving and racing feel so, so good.

Previous Mario Kart games had gimmicks like gliding, underwater, and anti-gravity racing. All of which were cute and fun, but little more than fluff that was broadly used for set-piece purposes. There’s nothing wrong with that at face value, but World’s additions do genuinely feel transformative.

World introduces charge jumping, rail grinding, and wall riding to the karting mix, and all work in tandem with one another to actively raise this game’s skill ceiling compared to previous entries. By themselves, these individual mechanics don’t necessarily make you faster, but when chained together to take advantage of a circuit’s level design and shortcuts, they’ll make you feel like Nintendo injected some of that Neversoft Tony Hawk game goodness into Mario Kart World.

It helps that Mario Kart World rewards skillful driving a good deal more. Drifting has also been fine-tuned, feeling more precise and satisfying than ever. Drafting a kart in front of you for a quick slipstream boost has also been greatly enhanced, feeling much faster and a more viable tactic for getting ahead.

The whole thing feels very carefully balanced, which is where items come in. The iconic Spiny Shell - which makes a beeline for the player in first and explodes on contact with them - is still devastating, but you maintain some forward momentum after getting hit, making the punishment slightly less severe. Common ‘last to first’ items like the Bullet Bill and Lightning have been considerably nerfed, with their benefits and debuffs having less of an effect on the overall race.

There’s a smattering of new items to help keep things fresh, too. The Coin Shell follows a set path down the track, dropping coins for other players to pick up, thus increasing their top speeds. Kamek can be summoned to transform players into other characters and place random obstacles at the front of the pack. There’s also the Ice Flower, which is a bit of a dud, being practically identical to the Fire Flower in effect.

Then there’s the Feather, which hasn’t been seen in the series (outside of Battle modes) since the SNES original - so long as you’re not counting Mario Kart Tour. The Feather simply makes your kart jump into the air, which seems underwhelming, but write it off at your peril. In truth, the Feather can be extremely useful for accessing loftier parts of a track or initiating a grind or wall ride without needing to take a few seconds to rev up a charge jump. They’re also great for accessing various shortcuts on any given circuit.

At the races

Let’s talk about modes, then. Outside of Free Roam, you’ve got the expected appearance of Grand Prix mode, which comprises eight cups - all featuring four races each. It’s joined by other mainstays, including Time Trial and Battle modes.

Grand Prix is something I have pretty mixed feelings on in Mario Kart World. That’s because the bulk of each event is made up of intermission segments where you race along a portion of the open world map, with your destination being a single lap of the featured circuit.

Needing to drive from one circuit to the next is something Nintendo made a big deal of in World’s marketing. I do like their inclusion, and they lead to some interesting and unique racing. However, they’re far better suited to the excellent Knockout Tour mode, where the whole point is driving a route from A to B across the entire map, OutRun style.

In Grand Prix, while you’ll get to do a three-lap race of the first track on the docket, you actually end up doing very little racing on the tracks themselves. This makes it harder to learn each circuit at first, and also means they don’t live very long in the memory.

And that’s a huge shame, because again, track design is some of the best the series has ever seen. The winding alleyways and shortcuts of Shy Guy Bazaar. The spectacle of being transported into a movie world in Boo Cinema. And the sheer moment-to-moment set piece that is Bowser’s Castle. They all have the wind taken out of their sails somewhat, as we simply don’t get much racing time on them.

There does exist a workaround here, though. By selecting VS Race from the menu, you can set up custom race rules. By setting the track selection rule to ‘open’, only then can you do a full-length race on each circuit. The absence of a traditional Grand Prix setup, then, is baffling. Especially as those intermission routes really shine in the Knockout Tour mode.

Speaking of Knockout Tour, it’s another highlight in Mario Kart World, and easily the best way to play the game, especially in an online 24-player race. Each of the eight Knockout Tour events smartly blends open roads with segments of circuits, going from ascending steep mountains to weaving through busy traffic in a matter of minutes.

The goal of Knockout Tour is in its name. Each checkpoint will eliminate the racers in the back four places, eventually whittling the grid down to just four for the final stretch. It’s constantly thrilling and rewards skillful driving, clever usage of shortcuts, and an understanding of rail grinds and wall rides for quick bursts of speed.

Needs a few upgrades

While I have greatly enjoyed my time with Mario Kart World so far - in both solo and multiplayer environments - it still can feel rushed or incomplete in certain areas. I’ve already spoken about my frustrations with the Grand Prix format and lack of meaningful activities in Free Roam, but those, unfortunately, aren’t my only issues.

It’s not the end of the world, but the character selection screen is objectively a total mess. Things aren’t too bad at first, but you’ll soon realize that each unlocked costume acts as its own slot on the roster. There’s no dropdown list here, letting you choose an outfit after selecting a character. It’s all just one large jumble with only rudimentary organization.

This is actually something Nintendo has gone backwards on since its last game in the series. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, certain characters like Yoshi, Inkling, and Shy Guy let you choose an alternate look or color after picking them. There’s nothing like that in Mario Kart World, so I seriously hope this gets patched in soon.

Furthermore, the unlocking process for some characters is frustratingly random. A handful are tied to beating cups in Grand Prix mode, which is completely fine. The rest, though, are tied to the Kamek item transforming you into a random character, meaning you genuinely might not complete the roster for weeks if not months, based on how much you play.

These gripes aside, I still really do love Mario Kart World. Its driving is sublime, Knockout Tour is a fantastically chaotic new mode, and I’m so serious when I say the game’s massive soundtrack is worth the price of admission alone. Outside of Final Fantasy 14 Online, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a soundtrack this varied and of this quality. It covers everything from jazz and techno to rock and ska, classical, big band, and everything in between. Even after 30 or so hours, I don’t believe I’ve come close to hearing the entire track list. There’s just so much here, especially if you’re nostalgic for the wider Super Mario franchise.

Should I buy Mario Kart World?

Buy it if...

You want a kart racer that’s as fun as it is chaotic
The best driving in the series, paired with hilarious items and the new Knockout Tour mode, makes Mario Kart World a chaotic blast in both single and multiplayer.

You’re playing with family and friends regularly
Mario Kart World’s Free Roam mode is excellent for parents who want some simple racing fun with their kids, or even as a casual pick-up-and-play mode with friends.

Don't buy it if...

You were hoping for more meaningful unlocks
Aside from characters and costumes, the main form of unlockables is stickers. When you realize this is much of what Free Roam has to offer, it may be enough to turn you away.

You’re not keen on randomness or items
The Kamek item tied to unlocking some characters aside, getting three red shells up your rear end on the final corner of a race remains uniquely infuriating.

Accessibility

While there are no accessibility options in the traditional sense, such as colorblind filters, Mario Kart World does offer some driving options to make things easier in some regards. These include smart steering, which veers you away from track edges, as well as auto-accelerate and auto-item use options.

It's also quite strange and frustrating that there are no dedicated volume control options - nothing for either music, voices or sound effects. This isn't uncommon for Nintendo games, but the omission of such audio options continues to be utterly baffling.

How I reviewed Mario Kart World

I played Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2 for around 30 hours for this review. I tested more or less everything the game has to offer, including Grand Prix, Knockout Tour, Free Roam, VS Battles, and online play. During that time, I also unlocked the majority of characters and outfits and completed close to 100 P-Switch challenges in Free Roam.

During my playtime, I primarily used the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV which allowed me to enjoy Mario Kart World at its native 1440p resolution, transitioning to the Joy-Con 2 during handheld play on the Switch 2’s 1080p vivid LCD display.

First reviewed June 2025

Deltarune is brilliantly bizarre, and a must-play on Nintendo Switch 2

6:26 pm | June 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Nintendo Switch | Comments: Off

Deltarune fans have been waiting over five years for the release of the third chapter in developer Toby Fox's role-playing game, but the wait is finally over. To coincide with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Fox has released not one but two more (of the seven total) chapters of the indie gem, with the four chapters releasing as a launch title for Nintendo's long-awaited console.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, PC
Release date: June 4, 2025 (June 5, 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2)

Both were well worth the wait. Fox's charming adventure is the perfect companion for the new console, offering a surreal, personable world (well, worlds) filled to the brim with memorable, chaotic characters, brilliant writing, and tons of heart. Undertale fans will find a lot of familiarity here.

But, thanks to the overhauled battle system, the addition of party members, and a cast of bizarre new (and returning) characters, Deltarune is as welcoming for new players as it is for long-time Fox fans.

After over 15 hours with Deltarune, I'm itching for more – to return to its bewitching world and the characters I've grown to love across its four chapters. The wait for the last three chapters, likely to be released one to two years apart, is going to be excruciating.

Wake up

Straight off the bat, Deltarune lets you know this is not a story you have much control over. You begin Chapter 1, creating your "vessel," choosing their arms, head, legs, and... uh... favorite blood type.

It feels a bit fishy, but hey, if it's anything like Undertale, I knew to be prepared for weirdness. And I was right. Upon finishing your character, it's discarded: "No one chooses who they are in this world," a mysterious voice tells you.

Best bit

Those who played Undertale will find a lot of references to its universe in Deltarune. From characters like Toriel and Alphys to in-game item references (the sign in Kris' hallways says: "It's you") and even the name "Deltrarune" (an anagram of Undertale), there's a clear connection between the two worlds.

Instead, you're Kris, child of Undertale's Toriel, except the Undertale and Deltarune universes are not directly connected. They're parallel, with characters and references to Undertale appearing throughout Deltarune, but this Toriel is not the same as the one we knew.

This Toriel is Kris' doting mother, ushering him to school, where he's late. The punishment? Being teamed up for a group project with Susie, the class bully/badass monster. Sent on a mission by their teacher, Alphys, to find chalk (Susie ate it), the pair stumble across a closet that leads to the Dark World, where they meet adorable dork (and prince) Ralsei, who tells them they're part of a prophecy. Kris, Susie, and Ralsei are the Lightners, the heroes that will seal the Dark Fountains prophesied to destroy the world (both light and dark).

Across the three chapters, Susie, Ralsei, and Kris make their way through unique Dark Worlds to seal the fountains, meeting peculiar (and often hilarious) characters on their way and uncovering more about the link between the Dark and Light worlds.

Friend or foe?

The juxtaposition between Deltarune's Light and Dark Worlds is palpable. The Light World is an idyllic town with a diner, hospital, school, library, and friendly animal-like inhabitants (some of which will be familiar faces to Undertale fans.) Once Kris and Susie enter the Dark World, however, things get much weirder.

Chapter one sees Kris, Susie, and now Ralsei facing off against perhaps the worst bad guy in history – and I don't mean that in a ‘he's so fearsome’ way. Lancer, the young son of a tyrant king, tries his best to intimidate the heroes but spectacularly fails again and again, eventually having to get help from Susie. The writing throughout Deltarune is laugh-out-loud funny, with each character bubbling with personality and acting in unpredictable, unique ways.

For example, grumpy Susie initially hates being a hero and tries to pummel any characters you encounter – regardless of whether you want her to. But, as Ralsei warns you early on, acts of kindness are the most profitable in this game. You're actively encouraged to show mercy to the weird and wonderful ‘enemies’ you encounter. "Nah," says Susie.

But, throughout the four chapters, you grow to love Susie as she gradually lowers her walls, learns to be a ‘good’ hero, and awkwardly courts her crush, school nerd Noelle. Likewise, all the returning characters develop through the four chapters, opening up about their backgrounds, insecurities, and more. So, by the end of chapter four, I felt I knew these characters. These bizarre animal-like creatures were friends, I knew how they'd likely respond to something, what they'd say, or how they were feeling in a situation. They felt like real friends – a feeling I've not had with a game before.

So much of that is down to the writing. While there's a lot of it, and an auto-play feature would be helpful rather than clicking a button after each paragraph, the writing manages to capture and present the personalities of every character you meet seamlessly – both friends and foes. It never feels shoehorned, either.

You want to know more about each and every character because they're so interesting and unique, and you know the unveiling will likely have you laughing out loud. That's why you're so taken off guard when an emotional beat hits, like Susie's realization that her Darkner friends, Ralsei and Lancer, can't just go to school with her in the Light World. A tough pill to swallow when her Light World reality is much lonelier.

Alongside the writing, it's the design of Deltarune's characters and world that brings this adventure to life. Across the chapters, you'll go toe-to-toe with water coolers, mice, flamboyant weather people, and a three-headed cat that loves trees, boys, and sports as you traverse various Dark Worlds. In the first chapter, you work through a forest-like setting, the second sees you navigating a cyber world, the third takes you to a TV World (where you're a contestant on a deadly game show), and the fourth sees you working through a church-like setting. These pixelated worlds are stunning, with their atmospheres further boosted by unique, chiptune soundtracks. I dare you not to feel good listening to the Cyber City World tune.

Each of these worlds has its own, eccentric boss that you can't help but love. The bosses in chapters one to three are all pretty bad at their jobs and encounters with them result in some of the game's funniest moments, like chapter two's Queen who is obsessed with her "Sweetie Honey Darling Gravy" Noelle, but continually hides from her adoring peon Berdly. It's absurd, and utterly brilliant.

Acts of kindness

Ralsei's emphasis on acts of kindness is pivotal in Deltarune, because, unlike other RPGs, you are encouraged not to fight your opponents. This was a large part of Undertale's unique battle mechanics but is much more apparent here.

While Deltarune's encounters look similar to Undertale's and focus on turn-based combat, the battle system has been overhauled. Now, rather than fighting alone, you fight alongside your party members: Ralsei and Susie.

When you encounter an enemy, you're given several options: Fight, Act, Item, Spare, or Defend. While you can fight enemies, you ideally shouldn't. Not only is that because it's not quite in line with the game's ethos, but also because the foes you are kind to, and ultimately spare, can be recruited (officially in chapters two to four), with recruited allies helping you out in some way in the chapter's endgame. The recruited allies also move to Castle Town, your Dark World town base, with some building new shops you can take advantage of.

So, how do you win? Well, you kill them with kindness. By that, I mean, you use your turn to make each of your party members Act, which can involve flirting, talking, or complimenting your opponent, and increasing the Mercy meter of the enemy until they reach 100, allowing you to Spare and recruit them. Alternatively, you can tire them out and use Ralsei’s Pacify magic ability to spare them.

These enemies won't go easy on you during the encounter, however. They attack using the Bullet Board seen in Undertale. While in the Bullet Board, you must move around your soul (a heart icon) to avoid the enemy's bullet hell attacks. If you can Graze the bullets, and get close to them without getting hit, a white heart icon appears, and you gain TP (Tension Points) that allow you to use more powerful Acts and Magic.

The Bullet Board can be hard to get to grips with. While you're encouraged to move bit by bit, avoiding the bullets can be near impossible at times – potentially because the Switch 2’s controls are less accurate than a mouse and keyboard. It's a frustrating mechanic that I disliked in Undertale, too, but a critical aspect of all encounters.

What I do like is the extra mini-games that can crop up in encounters, like an ability that requires you to catch the mouse to increase the mercy bar, or to "knock the socks" off an enemy by shooting its... socks.

In between turns, your opponent will likely say and do ridiculous things, which makes these encounters much more entertaining as, especially in chapter one, they can feel a bit repetitive. Fortunately, unlike Undertale, Deltarune doesn't have random encounters, but chapter one's battles definitely get repetitive after a while. This issue eases up a bit in the following chapters, though, with fewer of the same enemy types and the recruit feature offering an incentive to work toward.

It feels like Deltarune finds its footing in chapters two to four and addresses any concerns about repetition we may have had in chapter one. As you progress through chapters, you come across new tools to use, Magic to utilize, and different obstacles and mini-games to complete, making each chapter feel unique but familiar.

Dark vs. Light

I can't sing Deltarune's praises loud enough. Toby Fox has created a refreshing witty, charming adventure that isn't afraid to be tongue-in-cheek and weird. At the same time, Deltarune's full of heart. Its emphasis is on the power of kindness and empathy for others, but its benevolent message is wrapped in a bizarre, coming-of-age RPG that is a joy to play.

There's no denying Undertale is the foundation upon which Deltarune is built, and the memorable pixelated gem Fox is building on that foundation is a stroke of genius. Keeping up that momentum across the next three chapters, however, will be the real challenge. And for fans like me, the years of waiting between them will be just as difficult.

Should I play Deltarune?

Play it if…

You love narrative-driven games with interesting characters
Deltarune has some of the best character development I've seen in a game. From the heroes themselves to the random enemy encounters, and bosses, every character is memorable and brimming with personality. If you want to sink your teeth into a story where the characters are the heart of the adventure, you can't go wrong here.

You want a lot of variety
Deltarune's four chapters offer unique characters, bosses, worlds, music, and mechanics, so if you want one game that almost feels like four different ones in a single package, it's well worth picking this up.

Don’t play it if…

You hate bullet hell games
As explained, the Bullet Board mechanic in Deltarune's encounters is tough to navigate. This is a bullet hell game, even if you take the path of kindness, so if you don't like that genre, or prefer unchallenging games, this may not be for you.

You don't want to wait for the whole story
Deltarune is an episodic RPG, consisting of seven chapters. Right now, only chapters one to four are available, with chapter five due to release in 2026 and the remaining chapters' release date TBC. If you want to play the entire thing at once, maybe hold off until every chapter has been released – though you'll be waiting a while.View Deal

Accessibility

Deltarune offers a few simple (but welcome) accessibility options. In the Config menu, you can select 'Controls' to remap the controls to a configuration best suited to your needs.

The Config menu also offers the ability to enable Auto-Run, which I advise for everyone. By default, Auto Run is toggled off, requiring you to hold the run button (B on Switch 2) to run. Kris moves slowly, but this can also prove tricky for those with dexterity issues. Enabling Auto Run means Kris runs everywhere without the need to hold the button.

I would have loved to see more accessibility options, especially for encounters. Some moves during encounters require you to quickly move the left toggle back and forth of the button bash, which proved especially challenging for me due to a recent wrist/thumb injury. The ability to hold a button or auto-complete these actions would be ideal.

How I reviewed Deltarune

I played Deltarune for 15 hours, with each of the four chapters taking around three to four hours to complete.

While I focused on the main story, I made sure to take the time to explore the game's various side routes where possible. Having previously completed Undertale, I was able to compare this game to Toby Fox's previous offering to give insight into the key similarities and differences between Deltarune and Undertale.

I reviewed Deltarune Chapters 1-4 on Nintendo Switch 2 with a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller, primarily playing in the console's TV mode with my Samsung Q80T QLED TV. I occasionally switched between the Pro and the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip but found the Pro controller to be much more comfortable to use.

First reviewed June 2025

Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition brings one of my favorite games ever to Nintendo Switch 2, and I just can’t put it down

4:55 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: New York, Nintendo Switch | Comments: Off

It’s hard to overstate just how much there is to do in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition. This Nintendo Switch 2 port of the latest entries in the legendary stealth series comes crammed with everything from 2016’s Hitman, its follow-up Hitman 2, and the most recent instalment Hitman 3 plus heaps of downloadable content (DLC).

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

You get a total of three main story campaigns, tied together by a servicable overarching plot. Storytelling has never been the main appeal of Hitman, however, which lies instead in its highly replayable, richly detailed global locations.

There are 21 here (or 25 if you count the more limited tutorial and Sniper Assassin stages) ranging all the way from a high-profile Paris fashion show to the annual meeting of a sinister secret society on a remote North Atlantic island, the top of a skyscraper in sun-drenched Dubai, and the high-tech rain-swept streets of Chongqing.

Each of these is an expansive open-world sandbox that is designed to be replayed over and over again. As Agent 47, the world’s greatest assassin, your objective is always the elimination of a highly guarded target - but how you approach that is entirely up to you.

Feedback loop

Hiding with a pistol in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition — (Image credit: IO Interactive)

You could sprint through a stage and shoot your target in the face, before mowing down legions of guards on the way to an extraction point like a bald John Wick, but careful stealth is always more effective and rewarding. The likes of Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher might rely on futuristic tech to remain undetected, but Agent 47 just needs a simple change of clothes to get by. Knock out a guard and you can steal their outfit, exploring otherwise restricted areas and getting close to your target without the fear of being stopped.

Dress up as a member of a maintenance crew, and you might be allowed to tamper with dangerous equipment - setting up the perfect, undetectable accident kill. Agent 47 can become almost anyone, anywhere, and the possibilities that this opens up are practically endless. You’re always free to experiment, but those who prefer a more guided experience can follow dedicated mission stories - elaborate, showstopping eliminations that require multiple steps to pull off.

Every playthrough contributes to a location’s overall mastery level that unlocks new weapons, tools, starting locations, and so on. You might go in for the first time armed with just a silenced pistol and your trusty fibrewire, but before you know it you have access to compact sniper rifles, undetectable poison syringes, lockpicks, explosive rubber ducks, throwable decoys, flash grenades, and so much more. You can even start armed with a floppy fish to slap enemies over the head.

Best bit

Every location in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition is superb, though the New York bank of the Golden Handshake mission remains a firm favorite. It’s a wholly indoor environment, but that doesn’t mean that it’s small. There are multiple floors to explore and some great Mission Stories including a full-on bank heist to pull off.

Even when you’ve finished the main story, this Signature Edition comes with the fantastic Patient Zero side campaign on top of heaps of bonus missions to master. You also have Escalations (bite-size challenges that layer-on absurd conditions to often hilarious results), live-service Elusive Target contracts that can only be attempted once, seasonal challenges and stages, the Sniper Elite-esque Sniper Assassin levels, and a roguelike Freelancer mode.

For the $59.99 / £54.99 asking price the value is undeniable, though it is a shame that a small amount of content is gated behind further paywalls. Some cosmetic packs, for example, and, more significantly, the extra Sarajevo Six campaign are locked behind additional $4.99 / £4.49 purchases.

There’s so much here already that most players likely wouldn’t even notice, but for die-hard Hitman fans like me who have already paid for such extras on multiple other platforms, it’s a shame that this Nintendo Switch 2 version isn’t truly 100 percent complete.

Missed shot

Pretending to be a bartender in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition — (Image credit: IO Interactive)

With gigantic crowds of NPCs and complex AI interactions, Hitman World of Assassination is a very technically demanding game. The Nintendo Switch 2 port runs at a level that I would consider just about good enough, provided that you don’t intend to play a lot with the system docked. In handheld mode, texture quality and resolution takes an obvious hit compared to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions, though this isn’t hugely noticeable on the smaller screen unless you compare the images side by side.

The render distance has also been reduced by a fair amount, and there’s more pop-in than other platforms - even the Xbox Series S. When the image is static, it looks about on par with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game to my eyes - which is not the worst result when you consider the battery life and cooling limitations of a handheld console. The frame rate is stable in most situations too, averaging between 40 and 50 fps, but is prone to dips in certain areas of specific stages.

The streets of the leafy Vermont suburb Whittleton Creek, for example, are noticeably more jittery, as is the dense rainforest of Ambrose Island. Signature Edition also seems buggier than other versions with small visual issues, like floating objects and doors sometimes vanishing when opened, decreasing immersion. Neither of these complaints amount to anything that renders the game unplayable, but I am hopeful that things will be smoothed out in future patches.

Getting a pat down in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition. — (Image credit: IO Interactive)

As for the docked experience, this is unfortunately where it all falls apart a little bit. Blowing the picture up on a big screen allows you to appreciate some of the complex lighting, weather, and reflection effects at play, but makes the cutbacks much more apparent. Again, the experience is never horrifically bad, but if you want Hitman World of Assassination on a big screen you will unavoidably be much better served by the PS5 or Xbox Series X and Series S editions.

There are also some areas where I feel as though developer Io Interactive has really missed the opportunity to make some simple changes to really take advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware. Foremost is the game’s control scheme, which is effectively identical to other console versions. There’s no Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming here, or even basic gyroscope support which is disappointing given how much it would improve precision aiming with long-range weaponry.

Hitman World of Assassination is also still limited by the lack of a proper offline mode. Sure, you can technically play the game without an internet connection - but you have to sacrifice access to literally all your progression. Unless you’re keen to run around with default loadouts, you have to be online. While I like to play at home, this could be a dealbreaker for those looking for a new favorite to play on the go.

With all that said, is Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition worth picking up? I would say yes as, despite this version’s flaws, you’re still getting a fully playable version of one of the greatest stealth games ever made. There’s plenty here to keep you busy and, with a few updates under its belt, we could be looking at a must-have Nintendo Switch 2 release.

Should I play Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition?

Play it if…

You want a top quality stealth game
Hitman World of Assassination is still one of the greatest stealth games ever made. If you love sneaking around, then this Nintendo Switch 2 release is the perfect excuse to pick it up.

You after a game with heaps of content
I’ve already spent hours in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition and barely scratched the surface of what’s on offer. Pick this up if you want a content-rich game that will keep you occupied for hundreds of hours.

Don’t play it if…

You’re keen to play docked
Graphically, Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition is solid in handheld mode but lacking when the Nintendo Switch 2 is docked. If you mainly play on a TV, you’ll be better off with one of the other console versions of the game instead.

Accessibility

There are unfortunately no dedicated accessibility settings in Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition. The game features subtitles, which are enabled by default, and some basic assist settings including an aim assist.

How I reviewed Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition

I played Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition for more than 10 hours on Nintendo Switch 2, experiencing every location in the game at least once.

I’m a die-hard Hitman fan, and have spent more than 900 hours in Hitman, Hitman 2 and Hitman 3 on Xbox One and Xbox Series S, in addition to roughly 200 hours in Hitman World of Assassination on PC and PlayStation 5 so I compared my experience closely to that.

First reviewed June 2025

Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition brings one of my favorite games ever to Nintendo Switch 2, and I just can’t put it down

4:55 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: New York, Nintendo Switch | Comments: Off

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

Feedback loop

Best bit

Missed shot

Should I play Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

How I reviewed Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition

I played Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition for more than 10 hours on Nintendo Switch 2, experiencing every location in the game at least once.

First reviewed June 2025

Lies of P: Overture is so good it makes me want to do countless New Game Plus runs to experience it over and over again

2:00 am | June 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Comments: Off

After two long years of waiting, Lies of P: Overture has finally arrived.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: June 6, 2025

A full-sized expansion to the 2023 base game (a title that was my game of the year for 2023), Overture is a masterful example of taking an already complete-feeling game and showing that its best content was actually yet to come. Indeed, if Lies of P wasn’t already one of the best soulslike games out there, it certainly is now.

Overture is a prequel set some years before the events of Lies of P. The protagonist and his companion Gemini somehow find themselves transported back in time, right on the cusp of the Puppet Frenzy outbreak and the spread of the Petrification Disease. You’ll visit locations that have since been burned to the ground or decommissioned, and meet a handful of characters whose fates are only discussed in passing in the base game.

If you’re a lore head, then you’ll be pretty pleased with Overture, as it fills in the gaps left by plenty of unanswered questions - and sheds even further light on the twisted experiments and excursions of the villainous Alchemist faction.

You can also expect to visit plenty of gorgeous locations, including the opening level of Krat Zoo and its massive greenhouse and carnival. There are a handful of underground interiors that can start to feel a little samey, and there are some instances of very questionable enemy placement (those guys dual-wielding massive shields can absolutely do one) but the good news is that level design is as strong here as it is in the main campaign.

Naturally, Overture also sets the stage for plenty of new boss fights, and these are by far the best and most challenging encounters the whole game has to offer. Paired with the brand new Battle Memories mode - which lets you replay all bosses across five difficulty levels - and there’s plenty to keep fans busy here for months if not years to come.

At around 20-25 hours, I estimate Overture to be roughly half as long as the base game on a first playthrough on the Legendary Stalker difficulty (that’s the game’s standard difficulty option, joined by two easier modes in the accompanying free update). Though it is possible you may run the clock a bit longer than that if you’re stuck on some of these boss fights or going through the new lore with a fine-toothed comb.

Overall, though, if you liked Lies of P, you’ll adore the Overture expansion. Developer Round8 Studio seems to have already perfected its approach to the soulslike formula, and I’m beyond excited to see what the team has in store for the future.

Pasts unwritten

Lies of P: Overture — (Image credit: Neowiz)

Firstly, I’d just like to note how simple it is to unlock and play the Overture DLC. So long as you’ve beaten Chapter 9 of the main story, you’ll get an item and a prompt telling you exactly where to go to begin the expansion. There’s no FromSoftware-esque obscurity here; just head to said location and you’re underway in seconds, which is very welcome.

If you’re curious about how the Overture journey begins, you can read my preview where I talk about Krat Zoo at length. Otherwise, I won’t get into a talk about the expansion’s individual levels for the sake of avoiding spoilers. But in general, you can expect the same compact, expertly crafted level design for the most part. Overture still follows the fairly linear level structure of the main game, but there are plenty of avenues of exploration and instances of revisiting earlier levels during side quests.

You’ll absolutely want to be exploring these locations top to bottom, too. Overture has no shortage of new weapons, costumes, consumables, scraps of lore, sidequests, and even a couple of new Legion Arms (your trusty left arm-mounted utility) for you to discover.

Best bit

I won’t go into spoilers here, but the closing hour of Overture is its crowning achievement. Mixing climactic combat, deeply emotional moments, and a showstopping final boss fight, this whirlwind expansion definitely ends with a bang.

The new weapons are pretty excellent across the board, and you can expect armaments obtained from each boss, as well as ones you’ll find tucked away in treasure chests that let you swap blade and hilt, just like in the base game. Better yet, these are compatible with the base game’s weapons, opening up even more opportunities for customization.

I went into Overture with a Technique (dexterity) build, so I quickly warmed to the new Death’s Talons weapon. These Wolverine-like claws slash foes quickly, and its unique Fable Art (special moves you can perform by filling the accompanying gauge) attack can perform a devastating multi-stage combo which quickly builds an enemy’s Stagger bar, allowing you to go in for a massive critical hit.

Pale Knight is another big winner; essentially a Squall Leonhart-esque gunblade with explosive rounds, it packs a serious punch for Motivity (strength) builds, and it’s one I can see becoming a favorite among the playerbase if only for its coolness factor.

Those two new Legion Arms are also a vast improvement over many of the main game’s roster. In Lies of P, most Legion Arms had very situational usages, making it tough to commit to a single one. Overture’s are far more practical, one producing a devastating shotgun blast, with the other firing out spinning discs that stay in place, damaging enemies over a short period of time.

Both are vastly more useful, and I find myself sticking with the latter in particular for my current New Game Plus run.

Writ in blood

It wouldn’t be a soulslike experience without a few bosses for you to bash your head against for hours on end, and Lies of P: Overture certainly doesn’t disappoint in this department. While there aren’t too many new boss encounters, the ones that are here are absolutely a quality over quantity affair.

I’ve already spoken at length about three of them in my previous boss impressions piece - and I certainly won’t be spoiling the remainder here - but you can rest assured that if you’re seeking a challenge, Overture’s bosses are indisputably the hardest fights in the entire game.

Hard, but certainly not unfair. And if you’re tired of those Elden Ring-style bosses that have seemingly endless combo strings, there’s actually very little of that here. Like the main game, it’s all about pattern recognition and how effectively you can Perfect Guard the attacks you’re confident about, and dodging through the ones you’re not. Most of the bosses are a good deal speedier, too, so picking the right moments to strike is more crucial than ever here.

Should I play Lies of P: Overture?

Play it if...

You want more of 2023’s best soulslike
Simple. If you loved Lies of P, you’ll adore what Round8 Studio has brought to the table with its Overture DLC.

You’re pining for new weapons and builds
Overture’s lineup of new weapons, amulet accessories, and Legion Arms add even more variety to Lies of P’s build scope. Want to deal more damage after a perfect dodge? Or decimate a group of foes with a powerful shotgun blast? You can expect all this and more.

You’re looking for a new challenge
Between the new bosses and the excellent Battle Memories boss rematch mode, Lies of P: Overture will test your soulslike skills to their limits.

Don't buy it if...

You haven’t played Lies of P yet
This one’s a bit obvious, sure, but Overture requires that you own the base game first. Be sure to get a playthrough of that under your belt before deciding whether or not the DLC is right for you.

You’re easily frustrated by soulslikes
Even on its new easier difficulty options, Lies of P: Overture can provide a staunch challenge. If you’re not a fan of grinding boss attempts for potentially hours, this might be one to miss.

Accessibility

Lies of P: Overture has launched alongside a new free update for the game. This adds two easier difficulty options, perfect for players less versed in the soulslike experience. There are also new colorblind mode options (protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia), as well as a colorblind mode intensity slider.

How I reviewed Lies of P: Overture

My playthrough of Lies of P: Overture took me around 20-25 hours to complete on the default Legendary Stalker difficulty. That time was spent combing through most of each level’s optional secrets and side quests, as well as a good deal of time up against the incredibly tough new boss encounters. While I’m not sure I achieved a 100% complete run, I am confident that I got to experience the vast majority of what Overture has to offer.

I played the expansion on PC (via Steam) with my controller of choice being the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. I also made use of my RIG 900 Max HS gaming headset to experience the game’s immaculate soundtrack and impressive audio design.

First reviewed June 2025

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