Away: Journey to the Unexpected is a thoroughly abnormal game that triumphs when its oddities all click. When you're rolling out there switching between your little boy, robot bounty hunter, and drunk wizard and blazing through battles against colorful foes, it's excellent, but when the repetitive areas and roguelite malaise starts to creep in, it falters. If all works out, by the time you hit that point, you'll be rolling the credits.
undefined.We have multiple reviews of Swords & Soldiers, all positive, including Chuck Jose's take on the WiiWare release in 2009 and Zach Miller's equally charmed screed on the HD release on Wii U in 2014. I don't have much more to add that Chuck and Zach haven't already covered aside from I think Swords & Soldiers shows its age more. The spirit of it is wonderful, but if you want to check the series out, I'd more recommend you wait for the sequel to come out in March.
The references don't hinder the fun and this game stands on its own strongly. Etrian Odyssey Nexus is an elegant farewell to a series and a system. If this is the last we see of the Etrian series, this is a high note to go out on.
Some elements of these mystery dungeon-type games will always be inscrutable, but Tangledeep does the best job I've seen at making it playable for everyone. The Switch version might not be ideal thanks to the clumsy interface, but it's worth figuring it out because underneath the difficulty and few crusty layers lies a beautiful game with a ton of enjoyable RPG variety.
After years of hearing how cool Downwell is, it's great to see just how fantastic it really is. It's a straightforward, no-nonsense masterclass in design where it's super easy to sit down with the intention of playing for five minutes and walk away a dozen runs and more than an hour later. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some gun boots to fire off so I can get to the bottom of this well.
Gabbuchi has its issues, primarily due to the character’s floaty jump and frustrating hitbox, but the puzzles nearly break through the problems thanks to their thoughtful challenge and clever design. It falls short of the engrossing majesty of similar puzzlers, but I hope h.a.n.d. makes more interesting games such as this. It’d be nice to see what they’ve learned after years of working with other company’s creations.
It captured me for a while though, as I tried to go through many runs to learn the ins and outs of these villagers as I planned out my sacrifices strategically to keep them all in the dark of the true machinations of my charlatan cult leader's goals. That is, if the cult leader is lying. I mean, the Chernabog isn't real, right? Right?.
FutureGrind is a brilliantly simple 2D application of extreme sports game concepts that offers a lot of variety packed in a relatively lean package. Surprise was at every corner of this game and the engaging trick system and enjoyable campaign made for an awesome time.
The experience might be muddied by a few rougher edges, like the consistently grating load times and some of the discomforting battle quirks, but more often than not, I came away impressed by how well everything came together in spite of some issues. The ambition and scope of this lengthy indie epic is impressive, taking big swings and, despite the numerous inspirations, carving its own distinct path. If you want your Japanese-style RPG to do to New Jersey what Shin Megami Tensei does to Tokyo, then YIIK is the closest you'll ever get.
Thankfully, even if it's a little weird and limited in some respects, Travis Strikes Again is a fun game that makes me excited for the future of the series. Spending time in the punk rock hellscape of No More Heroes isn't something I thought I'd get to do again. That trip might be through the lens of a bunch of fake video games, but all that does is add a welcome twist to Travis' escapades and add another quirk to Suda's legacy.
Snowboarding The Next Phase looks and plays fine, but it all fuses together to make a mundane and humdrum snowboarding experience. I wish more moment-to-moment creativity was in this game, as so much of it just feels like a boilerplate sketch of the snowboarding game legends like SSX and 1080 that it follows.
U DX is far less essential. The package is totally fine, and outside of Peachette leading to one of the most disturbing memes in recent Nintendo memory, the new character's addition is welcome. Aside from that, the only benefits of this release is that it can be truly played portably and it's on a console a lot more people own.
I had a good couple of hours of Pang Adventures, mostly because I find the concept enjoyable. It's a quick romp that only has legs if you get really into the co-op or leaderboards. If you miss Buster Bros. or just want a quick hit of arcade action, this Switch release is worth popping through. Just don't expect anything more than a good old-fashioned Pang time.
Donut County is incredibly endearing, but it ends too soon. While the amusing tale wraps up nicely, I wished I could have had more reason to toy around with putting trash into holes and see concepts limited to a level or two be further expanded. Donut County is worth experiencing for what it is, but it's disappointing because it could have been so much more.
This version of Clue is a perfectly fine recreation of the board game in video game form; however, the lack of single-system multiplayer kills a lot of the utility of the Switch version. The mobile version offers a far better deal and is also way easier to get a bunch of friends together to play Clue digitally.
World of Light maybe overstays its welcome, but it's an enjoyable ride through an array of matches. The oodles of extra modes are great alternative ways to mess with the characters and history. But the core of what matters with Smash Bros. is the local multiplayer, and it is still one of the best party games out there, bar none. Ultimate's inclusion of all the playable characters from the series history—as well as several dynamic new characters—along with most of the stages and music makes it a must-have multiplayer game for the Switch.
Conduct Together is an overall low-key affair but the puzzling chops here are solid and well crafted. The solo experience is the draw to me, as it's the kind of serene game with demanding puzzles that sucks me in. Multiplayer is a bit more goofy and frantic, but it has a fun feeling, especially if you can find some conductor compatriots to ride or die with.
series, except with much better art and music. Some warts do show up, mostly stemming from a steep early difficulty curve and occasionally hard-to-judge hitboxes and jumps, but on the whole, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a fabulous entry in a relatively dormant series. My future-gazing hope is that this team can have another go and make it more of a bolder, modern game than a warm, loving throwback to a series clearly near and dear to them.
Overall, Nidhogg 2 is a successful follow-up to the dynamite original, instantly making this one of the must-have local multiplayer games on Switch. Not much is there for the solo player, though the online multiplayer is nice. The ideal setup is a slew of friends passing off controllers in the tournament mode, but even in less than ideal multiplayer scenarios, it's still a chaotic and wacky blast.
This is really Stardew Valley but with cats, and that's an adorable and cute experience. It might not have the longevity of that and other farming games, but it has more heart than the majority of those games. This is a chill romp through a relaxing world that is best experienced by someone who just wants to take their time and smell the catnip.