Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition is nowhere near as good as it could be, yet it is still enjoyable for short bursts of gameplay. While the core mechanics are sorely lacking in variety and the stages a bit too underdesigned, boss fights stand out as the main justification for the price of admission, to the point where the spear-tossing simulator might have been a legitimate force to be reckoned with had it taken a Shadow of Colossus style approach. Fantastic art and sound direction don't make up for the underwhelming gameplay and lack of online multiplayer, but they do help mask some sore spots. Lichtspeer isn't going to engage on a deep level, nor is it an entirely positive representation of arcade design philosophy, but it can be fun in quick sessions, and there's always something interesting to make note of.
In theory, Songbringer should be excellent. As a procedurally generated take on the original Legend of Zelda, there's plenty of room to innovate with old and new ideas alike. Unfortunately, the old ideas feel derivative of better games and the new ideas are hardly revolutionary. The overall aesthetic and sound design do a great job at creating atmosphere, which makes it all the more disappointing when the level design falls victim to the typical procedurally generated pitfalls. Without attention specifically given to enemy placement, how areas connect, and dungeon design, Songbringer never sustains a consistent level of difficulty or quality. Procedural generation is a handy tool, but not when it's used as a substitute for actual level design.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is everything an action RPG could and should be. Genre conventions and traditions are still in play, but they're handled with a delicacy that elevates what would otherwise be tired clichés into imaginative story beats. The narrative is as rich in thematic substance as it is in genuine human interaction, as every NPC is given ample time to grow, while solidarity is emphasized as humanity's best bet at surviving. Lacrimosa of Dana plays like an ideal marriage between Seven and Memories of Celceta, with an equal balance of character building, fast-paced combat, and exploration. NIS America's localization could have used another draft, but it's offset by the franchise's single best story and a host of content to uncover in the base game, along with New Game Plus. Innovative with just enough familiarity, Ys has never been better.
Chicken Wiggle is a charming platformer that blends simplicity with sophistication into a cohesive whole.
Sudden Strike 4's biggest takeaway is that market saturation means nothing in the face of a good game. Kite Games might not bring anything new to the table, but it does offer a refined RTS experience that sincerely has fun with the World War II premise. Five separate campaigns for a total of 25 missions give the single-player a considerable amount of longevity. The inclusion of the Battle of Dunkirk from both sides is a surprising, but welcome addition. A lack of base building traditionally found in most RTS titles gives each unit weight. Side missions, likewise, create a sense of urgency that feels right at home with Sudden Strike's aesthetic. While multiplayer does admittedly feel scarce, there's more than enough solid content in the single-player to make up for a lack of online material. World War II is far from the most original setting at this point, but that doesn't mean it can't still be fun.
In a generation that has struggled with finding the right balance of pace, it is refreshing to see a developer place a great deal of emphasis on patient gameplay and actually pull it off. Vertical progression and slow movements are valued over everything else, and these are the two elements that allow TumbleSeed to thrive as much as it does. Unfortunately, that same level of importance given to fine tuning the controls and concept is noticeably lacking in the level design, as roguelike randomisation is given priority over traditional, handcrafted stages. Along with too many power-ups and unlockable skills that trivialise most of the difficulty, TumbleSeed fails to live up to all its potential despite the clear amount of creativity put into its premise and a strong first impression.
Namco Museum doesn't have a new hidden gem to offer or gimmicks to reinvent classic titles, but what it does offer is an experience that brings the arcade home. Quality of life features like save states and hints have been added to negate archaic design frustrations, and an option to rotate the screen to look like an arcade cabinet is an ingenious addition bursting with charm. Pac-Man Vs.'s lack of online does stand out as a disappointment, but the collection's roster is strong enough to make up for it. With so many unique ways to interact with the Nintendo Switch, the arcade hasn't felt this alive in years.
Despite what seems like a sincere attempt at trying to stray away from the typical licensed game pitfalls at first, Cars 3: Driven to Win strays off course almost immediately and winds up just another disappointing movie tie-in. The amount of content packaged in almost feels illusory at times, as the presentation gives the impression of a deeper experience. The Hall of Fame mechanic promotes tedium instead of overcoming challenge, and a lack of online multiplayer severely holds the content back. Tracks with no discernible identity and mechanics that feign complexity only serve to make Driven to Win feel even more like a blatant advertisement. With Mario Kart 8 already out for the Switch and better than ever, there's little reason to give Lightning McQueen the time of day.
Due to some rather questionable gameplay decisions and a lack of variety in content, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ends up being a disproportionately beautiful slog to nowhere. The tank controls are outdated without any of the design elements necessary to make them engaging, while the story tries to be an intimate journey of self-discovery without anything to discover. Gemea's lush and vibrant landscape is the one saving grace, and peacefully walking through colourful forests and past bustling rivers almost makes the whole shipwreck worth it - but the world's lack of complete identity, both in gameplay and how it presents itself, is too glaring to ignore. The shame of it all is that Yonder isn't held back by time constraints or a tight budget; it's held back by design.
Thanks to a mix of the accessibility of the 3DS and the small level lengths, Runbow Pocket manages to be a fun way to kill a few hours without feeling derivative of its Wii U and Steam counterparts. Unlockables don't hold much weight in the grand scheme of things, but they occur frequently enough to ensure that just about every success is a rewarding one. Stages are designed to be completed in under a minute, incentivising quick, satisfying bursts of gameplay over longer and more traditional platforming. The lack of elaborate set pieces and sophisticated design does hold back the overall experience, but the great use of colour at the core of each stage makes for a vibrant world worth jumping in and out of, even for just a few minutes at time.
While De Mambo might not be the most friendly platformer or accessible party fighter, its frantic play-style and unsettling atmosphere make it one of the most unique titles available for the Nintendo Switch.
While the difficulty might put off newcomers who never played Slime-san, Fabraz has gone above and beyond to make Blackbird's Kraken one of the most accessible and polished pieces of DLC this year. Being free for owners of the original and available for purchase otherwise, Slime-san's kraken intestine adventure maintains a strong precedent for affordable, quality DLC not too dissimilar to Yacht Club Games' recent practices. With 25 brand-new stages, at least 100 unique platforming scenarios, and a host of unlockables to discover, Blackbird's Kraken is gushing with hours of new content.
Valkyria Revolution has the confidence of a much better game. The story is presented in a historical lense meant to pull at the player's heartstrings, the gameplay combines action RPG elements with strategy features, and the cast is depicted so as to highlight the realities of war. While that all looks nice in concept, Media Vision's execution is seriously lacking. The plot simultaneously needs to let scenes breathe more, instead of dragging them out for minutes on end. What should be thought-provoking combat turns into mindless button mashing. The depiction of war, as poignant as it can be sometimes, never manages to hold onto its brilliance for longer than a minute. There are genuinely great ideas present, both from its narrative and gameplay, but Valkyria Revolution fails to live up to the potential of either.
As creative as First Strike: Final Hour is, it suffers from a lack of necessary strategy, barebones content, and high price tag compared to its iOS counterpart.
While 13 years is certainly a long time to put a series on hold, perhaps another 13 could have been used to help Syberia 3 ready itself for release.
Cave Story+ isn't just a good game in 2017; it's downright impressive.
In its rush to amp up the drama, A New Frontier forgets to offer gameplay to compliment the story. Javi and Clem are balanced quite well now that they have a common enemy through Richmond, but most of the episode is spent taking a backseat to the plot. The first half is almost entirely on-rails, with the occasional dialogue choice acting as the only source of interaction, while the second half tries to add more in the way of combat through quicktime events. The Walking Dead has been a story driven franchise since season one, but it's always tried to balance cutscenes with puzzles and action until now. At the very least, the growing relationship between the two protagonists and Telltale's emphasis on moving the story forward set up a strong, if a bit plot heavy, fourth episode.
Dynasty Feud has everything it needs to be one of the most original takes on the arena fighter genre yet, which makes it all the more disappointing when it somehow manages to drop the ball in nearly every regard. The roster is whimsical and each team of five is fleshed out with their own quirks, but the combat itself feels wholly unbalanced. A slight delay to characters' actions and a lack of fluid mobility makes battles stiff and unnatural, combined with too many stage hazards to count. Deciding exactly where the next combatant in the roster spawns after a death is simply too easy to take advantage of and too difficult to counter. There's a fantastic game hiding inside of Dynasty Feud, but it's going to take a lot of digging before it fully comes out.
Ditching the series' ensemble cast in favour of a more personal family drama is one of the best decisions Koei Tecmo has made, and the key feature that elevates Spirit of Sanada to more than just a new entry in the Warriors franchise. The roster is still massive and everyone is playable during free mode, but the story locks down characters by the mission, personalizing the Sanada family over the course of roughly fifty years of Sengoku period history. Multi-stage battles emphasize just how war-torn the Sengoku era was, while offering a breath a fresh air to the traditional series stage format. The combat is as refined as ever and the focus on Masayuki and Yukimura makes for an incredibly intimate story. Spirit of Sanada is, plain and simple, one of best precedents Koei Tecmo has set.
Oozing charm, Slime-san manages to capture that retro platformer feel while simultaneously adding its own touches to the genre. The high speed, low risk design allows for Super Meat Boy levels of difficulty, where death is frequent, but seldom frustrating, and the countdown for when the worm's stomach acid will begin to rise adds a level of tension few platformers ever have. With an incredible soundtrack, stellar art design, and plenty of unlockables to wade through, Slime-san is easily one of the strongest platformers to come out this generation.