The new Starfox is a potential GOTY for me

 My favourite new release so far this year has to be the new Starfox on Switch 2. I played that game as soon as it came out and I thoroughly enjoyed every second I spent with it. 
When this game first got announced it was met with a lot of criticism online (a lot of which seemed very disingenuous I might add). But I thought that this was the best thing they could've done. Because what better way to reboot a series than by making a definitive version of its best entry?
Of course there was a lot of discourse about how this was "the same game for the sixth time", but this felt a bit like moving the goal posts to me. Sure, there are multiple games that tell the Lylat Wars story, but that doesn't mean that they are the exact same game. And it's not like there have been multiple remakes already as well, because as far as I can tell this is the first proper remake in the franchise.
In any case, with all that malarkey out of the way let's get into the game itself now. Because I have plenty to say!

Obviously the level design is going to be the same as it is in Lylat Wars (or Starfox 64 if you're not on the same side of the pond as me). But that's really the only thing that's the exact same. 
In terms of the gameplay itself, it feels a lot more polished and modern this time around. The movement feels very smooth and I found myself adapting to it very quickly even though I haven't played a game like this in years. The controls are largely the same, yet it somehow feels a lot more natural. I was surprised at how different it feels to play this game in comparison to the original, even though the core gameplay is essentially the same.
The visual upgrade we've gone through here is massive. This game looks exactly like a proper modern Starfox game should. You get to see a lot of beautiful sights as you play through all the stages. Even the asteroid field levels look impressive. And that says a lot if you ask me. I'm typically not someone who cares about graphics too much but I've definitely noticed myself simply looking out into the distance a few times in this game. 
The story is obviously just the Lylat Wars story, but it's never been as fleshed out as it is now. You get a lot of fully animated cutscenes that add a ton of context to what exactly was going on in the original game. I also have to appreciate how the characters are given a lot more personality through these interactions. Especially Falco will always be a personal favourite of mine.
Of course a big elephant in the room is the length of the game. If you want to just rush through and reach the credits, you can do that in about 90 minutes if you want to. This is massively underselling the game though. You're encouraged to play through it multiple times if you want to unlock all the different stages (and the true ending). And once you've done that each stage will have a challenge mode where you will want to meet certain achievements within each run through. So the game definitely gives you a lot of incentive to keep going even once you've reached the credits for the first time.
There's also the online multiplayer mode, which I personally haven't played a ton of but it was still fun. It's essentially a 4v4 battle mode where you have to either take down your opponents or do little missions to score points for your team. And the most points after a set amount of time wins. It does add a lot of replayability to the game if you enjoy multiplayer games, but I'm more of a single player guy so I didn't get into it too much.
One last thing I want to mention is the character design. A lot of people were critical on how the main cast looks and to be honest, I do get it. Do I agree though? No. I like these designs. I find them unique and I like that they match the look of the puppets used in the marketing of the original Starwing (or Starfox if you're an NTSC player). 

Some final thoughts, like I mentioned before I think this is my favourite game of the year so far. I've played it a ton and I will probably play it again soon. I really hope that this will lead to a proper sequel with a new story in the future. I almost expect it to, because they made a whole custom engine which seems like a lot of work to do just for a single remake. 

With that I'm going to call it a post. I'm going to be enjoying this game for a long time to come and I can't wait to see what is next for Starfox!

Bring 'em to the pit!