Jamie Ward
DYING: Reborn had the potential to be a decent game. Nevertheless, with its lack of real horror elements, bad translation issues and nowhere near enough good puzzles, all of the things you would want, it is hard to recommend.
Considering Nintendo fans don’t have Hotline Miami to fire-up on their Switch, 12 Is Better Than 6 cocks its gun and shoots its way up towards the top as one of the best in its genre. You don’t want to miss out.
If you’re a fan of platformers, adventure games or Metroidvania style games, then this will be a great title for you. With a lengthy playtime, plenty of variety in its gameplay and has so much about it to enjoy, it is a title that does very little wrong and outdoes the game that it set out to emulate. It wasn’t on my radar in the build-up to release, but I love it now. It comes highly recommended.
Bendy and the Ink Machine is a very intriguing game. It has an incredible visual style that is unique and certainly has some good horror elements going for it, but it, unfortunately, lets itself down in other areas. Straightforward puzzles, unwanted fetch quests and a clunky combat system really hurt the enjoyment in a big way. However, it is an interesting take on the horror genre and can still be thoroughly enjoyable in the right hands. I do think little more time in the oven was needed.
Football Manager 2019 Touch on the Switch is a bit of a weird one. On one hand, you have what will be considered the best management sim to ever grace a console. On the other hand, it could have taken much greater strides than it has done to be a truly fantastic experience.
Chasm doesn’t quite have its own identity, as it borrows so much from other games. And, while it does that decently, it’s not best in class. The randomly generated level layout, which is the game’s one unique feature, actually ends up being its biggest weakness. Maybe I am being a little too unkind, as I did have fun playing, but I just feel like it could have been so much more and that’s what bothers me the most.
Pinstripe is a game that isn’t without its problems. For me, what kept me going was the story and the characters. It feels like it’s a game that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do and doesn’t try to be anything more. Its simple gameplay might put some off, as will some of the dodgy design flaws such as the backtracking that takes place, but stick with it and you will find an adventure that will stay with you for a long time to come.
It isn’t often that I would recommend a port of a mobile game, but The Room is an exception. It is a game that simply works on the Nintendo Switch, regardless of whether you play it in Handheld mode or on the TV. The puzzles are clever, unique and engaging. Once you start, you will not want to put your Switch down. Its only real problem is I simply want more.
Luigi’s Mansion has received a decent port to the Nintendo 3DS. Nothing more, nothing less. It isn’t the Nintendo Switch port that I’m sure most of us would have preferred, but that does not deter from the fact that this is still a very good game.
The Escapists: Complete Edition is not a game that everyone will enjoy and I doubt it will be on anyone’s must-buy list. It suffers, to begin with, and you may think it’s a very one-dimensional sandbox game. But, give it time and it will show you just how much fun you can have planning a prison escape in an 8-bit world.
Last year, FIFA 18 was given a free pass in certain aspects as it was the first FIFA game on a Nintendo console for years and the core gameplay was as good as I wanted it to be. This year, I am not letting FIFA 19 off as easily. Don’t get me wrong, I still have endless amounts of fun playing matches online and my most wanted feature, being able to play online against friends, has been added.
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse doesn’t do anything special for the point-and-click genre, but that’s perfectly fine as it does exactly what it sets out to do. As a fan of the first two games, this was what I wanted. Not everything is perfect, such as the animations and some inconsistent voice acting. However, if you’re a fan, you will find a lot more to love than the average player.
I am not going to mask it, the only real reason you would actually buy Senran Kagura Reflexions is so that you can look at scantily clad women and see them in seductive positions. However, let us be completely honest here, if that really is your sole reason to play, there are many better and cheaper ways of doing such things.
If you enjoy a slower game with a brilliant and touching story or stories in which, to get the most out of it, you have to give it your full attention, then The Lion’s Song may very well be a game that you will love and think about for months to come.
Games have certainly moved on. You don’t find many games that are this punishing, and I can certainly see why a lot of people would be put off by the trial and error style gameplay. You have no doubt played many titles over the years that were inspired and influenced by Another World. Sure, it may have lost its magic over the last 27 years but that is only to be expected. For what it did for gaming in the early 90’s, it deserves to be experienced nonetheless.
If you loved Limbo then do not hesitate, just grab your Switch and buy Inside. For such a simple game, it is remarkable how much variation there is. Puzzles are expertly thought-out, the atmosphere is top-notch and its crammed full of memorable moments. It’s a stunning but desolate adventure that I urge you to try out. Even though it’s a short experience, it makes you consider what you have just gone through long after completion. It is one of the standout games in the Switch’s ever-growing library.
WarioWare Gold is a culmination of all the wacky and wonderful Wario titles we have had over the last 15 years. Although it is missing, for obvious reasons, some content from the other games, you are getting the definitive version of WarioWare.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana is a title that takes a while to get going, maybe too long, which may be enough to put some people off early and the story is rather sub-par. Those that stick with it will see where the game truly shines.
You can’t really go wrong with N++. The floaty controls will put some off to start with, but given time, you get used to them and they don’t really become much of a problem.
Smoke and Sacrifice is yet another worthy entry in the survival genre. While it isn’t the best one, it certainly has a lot going for it and is a still a cracking little title. It has an impressive overarching story which is rare in the genre.