Okinawa Rush attracted me the moment I played it and dragged me in with its visceral, fast paced powerful battles. You won't find a developed story or a stellar soundtrack, but sound design in combat is top tier, with each hit feeling like it's forceful enough to crush skulls. If a dark, gruesome brawler that empowers you to be a badass is what you're itching for, then Okinawa Rush is just the right scratch for you.
It's actually pretty disappointing that Thea 2: The Shattering shoots itself in the foot on Switch. The world is unique and mysterious to me. There's a ton of things to tinker with in the overworld sections, and the combat is engaging enough to mix things up. But this game proved to me what I didn't want to hear - to me the inherent sluggishness of Thea 2 was enough to sink it.
The Great American Circus' strengths lie first and foremost in its family friendly premise and presentation. That smart lure roped me in to a well fleshed out card match game with a leveling system that doesn't quite grab me. If that and an uphill climb for making a comeback in a performance doesn't deter you, then there's a lot of fun to be had in this upcoming attraction.
There needs to be a clear logic to the puzzles throughout that acts as a foundation for each sequential one to build off of. What elevates it even further is world building and music design that sews it up into a tight, cohesive experience. A Monster's Expedition's quick hits of small puzzles passes all of those criteria with flying colors, and you owe it to yourself to give it a look.
In essence, Arietta of Spirits plays out like a pleasant introduction and first chapter of a larger story yet untold. It has a protagonist who is easy to root for and the framework for development into a larger scope story, broader cast of characters, and a larger variety of combat tools that this game currently lacks. Arietta of Spirits keeps those issues from becoming more glaring thanks to a brisk game length, but I hope her next adventure is a tad more, well, adventurous.
Despite its hair-pulling moments, Induction really is a stellar example of taking a simple concept, building upon it incrementally through each level, and pumping your fist in the air or jumping for joy with each tall hurdle you're able to leap over. Coupled with that minimalist style, you'll find that the juice is worth the squeeze. If you are a fan of puzzle games and have patience, Induction has plenty to offer.
Boomerang X is a textbook example of short and sweet. It's a bite-sized experience that rewards persistence with a vague, mysterious narrative, dynamic combat, challenging enemies, and so much satisfaction when you squeeze out a victory in the last wave. I had to test my mettle and tolerate a bit of slowdown, but Boomerang X is one of the best indies I've played this year.
The world is vibrant and colorful, and the characters have distinct personalities and relationships that feel genuine. Dipping up and down to close those weave gaps is one of the most meditative experiences I've had this year, and it's only one small piece of the gameplay pie that's chock full of delicious combat filling. Weaving Tides is a treat, one to share with friends and make room for seconds.
The core battle system is too thin, and the activities and charming character interactions aren't enough to paper over that problem. This is the most robust mii maker, but it's all at a price that's downright terrible. I wanted to like Miitopia more than I did, but it's more like a Mii-nopia.
None of that could dull my enthusiasm though. Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a beautiful application of a roguelike system with a 2D dungeon crawler format married perfectly to a town-building system and overworld that invites exploration and grinding gems to uncover more things to do outside of combat. This is a no-brainer for classic Zelda fans or anyone looking for co-op fun, and it's absolutely been the best gaming experience so far for me in 2021.
A decent sense of speed with maniacal track design and near flawless drivers. Visually inconsistent style that just highlights the problem areas. Music that is in the right genre but is somewhere between lacking and outright horrifying. I had high hopes for Future Aero Racing S Ultra, but instead i'll be playing more Fast RMX.
This is a system where crowns make the world go round and everything is replaceable, for a price. The breadth of dialogue, world-building paragraphs, and light agency in storytelling let you build the world according to what you hear. It's a world I want to dive into again and again, even if I know this incarnation will be just as taxing.
Whether this is for you depends on how much fondness you have for games of this era. This is no remaster or remake; it's a direct port. For me, the pieces come together just enough to find fun in spite of itself.
The addition of rewind and save states lets newcomers experience them without having to beat their heads against the wall. Even better, the tome of special features and developer interviews shows a devotion from Blizzard to make this collection a true historical document that too many classic game collections lack. Even for those who haven't played the originals, this is a package I'm happy to recommend to anyone.
Curse of the Dead Gods could have easily been an also-ran to solely capitalize on an upcoming release that has a lot of buzz (think Antz to A Bug's Life). Instead, I've been greeted with a roguelike that, while definitely sharing DNA with other dungeon crawlers, has enough interesting backdrops with a few neat combat ideas to make it its own. Curse of the Dead Gods' unique features don't all hit dead-on, but what's here is a game that while not as refined is still plenty of fun in its own right.
It won't win any awards for its visuals and could certainly do well by limiting battling. That said, it hit the mark with tranquil digging, incentivizing crafting with small goals in its missions, and gradually pushing you along to explore the wider world around your starting grounds. If you like your crafting but want a guiding hand for your experience, Aground is a good place to start.
Colossus Down features a grating protagonist going on a childish, fury-fuelled rampage, one with a wide set of levels that don't have any throughline other than her being inconvenienced. The neat aesthetic can't cover for shoddy-feeling combat and ill-instructed puzzle segments that sadly are further bogged-down by an endless stream of blathering by Nika, who has an infinite store of smugness. With so many great brawlers on Switch old and new that include sound fighting, killer soundtracks, and charming characters and worlds, Colossus Down should stay in the scrap pile.
Its systems are light enough to not be overwhelming, and even if they become too much for you, a well-defined tutorial does a good job of holding your hand as you get a grasp of things. The core problem and one that brings this down from a great game to simply fine is just how little control you get over actual launches. If there was more agency in that side of things, then this would be a no-brainer recommendation.
Grindstone is an example of a game which hits all the right notes and keeps up a quality in gameplay throughout that many struggle to maintain. The divine gameplay mechanics give a wonderful sense of control in spite of the randomness of how enemies fall, and the inputs of buying equipment or using currency to give temporary boosts gives ample opportunity for improvisation if things don't go quite your way. I only wish there were more to play.
I like Monster Sanctuary for what it tries to accomplish, I just wish I liked the execution as much as the concept. I could see the threads of its attempt weaving into a better cohesive whole, but instead each different ingredient feels incomplete or misses the mark of what makes each genre it pulls from so compelling. There's still fun to be had if setting expectations right and wanting a unique twist that is no muss, no fuss, but I was hoping for more that Monster Sanctuary wasn't quite there to give.