Slow, methodical, and deliberate, Happy Birthdays is at times frustrating, but only because it's genuinely engaging premise demands an attention to detail and level of care. Its biggest fault is that much of the experience occurs at the player rather than with the player. With that said, watching evolution occur on a grand scale through one simple action is an impressive and exciting feat. Cubes do require interaction to keep evolution moving smoothly, as well, so it isn't as if everything can be auto-played, just that more interactivity would have benefitted the game overall. At its core, Happy Birthdays is a creation simulator and one that won't resonate with everyone, but those who do end up jiving with the title will certainly find something worthwhile to take away.
Although flawed and at times painfully inconsistent, Vampyr manages to offer relatively engaging gameplay in spite of a lack of overall polish. Combat is stiff and quite mindless, but Jonathan's progression deeper into Vampiredom is handled well and the abilities at his disposal go a long way towards masking some of the more mundane aspects of the battle system. It's more whether or not Jonathan decides to prey on the people of London, and its consequences, that keep the experience fresh. There's a trade off between making Jonathan and keeping districts stable, each one offering their own benefits. There are technical issues, and the performance is lacking on every front, but Vampyr has enough going for it conceptually that it's worth sinking some time into, if only to be a vampire in 20th century London.
Where Disco Dodgeball Remix lacks in creative map design, it more than makes up for in just how engaging its core gameplay is. Lobbing around dodgeballs at the opposition is incredibly addictive as balls fly all around the screen. Matches are encouraged to be fast-paced and respawning occurs relatively quickly. It's easy to jump into any match and have fun while losing thanks to just how quickly everything moves. The alternate game modes do a fantastic job of adding some much needed variety, but the main goal of throwing dodgeballs around is never lost. Disco Dodgeball Remix could have benefitted from some more thoughtful maps, but it's nonetheless an addictive take on the first-person shooter.
While the Enhanced Edition does make for a more tolerable experience, Space Hulk: Deathwing is still held back by an incredibly under-designed campaign, along with clunky mechanics that ooze into the multiplayer. The aesthetic, and overall tone, does shine, but the core gameplay loop feels severely lacking. While it's by no means bad, the combat simply isn't engaging enough to justify long playthroughs and the improved performance does nothing to fix the fundamentally inconsistent level design. Space Hulk: Deathwing might resonate with fans of Warhammer releases, but casual gamers are better off looking elsewhere for co-op first-person shooters.
Arcadey, exciting, and responsive, Rogue Aces is an incredibly smooth take on dogfighting, with plenty of charm to spare. While the procedurally-generated campaign does leave much to be desired in the way of level and mission design, the core gameplay loop is solid and the missions themselves emphasise the action more than anything else, keeping consecutive playthroughs engaging. Controlling the plane is easy to pick up and hard to master, but it all pays off due to just how satisfying the gameplay is. Rogue Aces is a by-the-books arcade experience that offers a fresh take on dogfighting.
Although the gameplay starts out far stiffer than it should and the upgrade system feels more like a grind than anything else, FOX n FORESTS manages to carry itself with particularly strong level design and a unique season shifting mechanic. Being able to switch the season of each stage on the fly leads to dynamic platforming scenarios and Rick's move-set later on turns him into a fluid and enjoyable character to play as. With several secrets to uncover in each stage and a risk versus reward checkpoint system, FOX n FORESTS comes off a creative action platformer with a strong identity of its own.
Already a phenomenal game in its own right, Redux makes Strange Journey all the better with gameplay and narrative additions that only serve to enhance what was already present. Alex's presence in the plot adds an extra layer of tragedy to what was already one of the darkest stories in the franchise, and the Womb of Grief is one of the best dungeons in the series, offering a variety of fantastic new bosses, demons, and side-quests to play around with. The lack of Kaneko's original art is certainly a detriment to the overall aesthetic, but the base gameplay and dungeons have been left untouched, ensuring the core experience doesn't stray from the original's vision. Along with being the definitive way to play Strange Journey, Redux stands out as one of the best games in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise all around.
Although Saturday Morning RPG certainly captures the feelings of playing a Saturday morning cartoon, that quality may very well be its downfall. The episodic format, coupled with the fairly involved battle system, make for a breath of fresh air in the early game, but they quickly become repetitive and rather dull, much like a typical '80s cartoon. The aesthetic is plenty pleasant and the writing has its moments of charm, but Saturday Morning RPG is ultimately a JRPG not meant to be played powered through. In small bursts, its combat and episodic story structure might shine, but they fall apart quite hastily when played all at once. It's best to take each episode a week at a time, like a proper Saturday morning cartoon.
Emotional, alluring, and compelling from start to finish, A Normal Lost Phone is a phenomenal visual novel that takes full advantage of Nintendo Switch in a creative way, while telling a story with a genuinely powerful message. The investigative elements are gripping and require a sincere attention to detail, and the soundtrack is appropriately atmospheric for mobile phone sleuthing. The short length might be off-putting for some, but it does lend itself to a well-paced experience and the title is cheap enough to justify the time spent playing. A Normal Lost Phone is a wonderful story with heart, and an excellent example of interactivity within the medium.
Although not as narratively ambitious as A Normal Lost Phone, Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story nonetheless tells a compelling a tale with a great set of twists that recontextualise the entire experience with a grander scope than its predecessor. The deliberate lack of a traditional control is a bit of an odd one, but the Joy-Con's gyroscopic pointing is serviceable and using the undocked Switch to emulate a proper mobile phone remains the best way to play the game. The interactivity present isn't as extensive as in A Normal Lost Phone, but the puzzles themselves are far more engaging and require deeper levels of analysation to solve. Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story is a strong and consistent sequel that plays to the strengths of its medium, creating an original experience with an important message.
Megadimension Neptunia VIIR isn't a bad RPG, but a slow battle system and a focus on grinding hardly make it a great one.
Despite some truly obtrusive load times and a script littered with grammatical errors, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs manages to carry itself relatively well thanks to a unique approach to turn-based strategy and a relatively charming cast. Battles are engaging and thought-provoking, as combat has its fair share of rules not present in other SRPGs; kingdom management is a great way of connecting players with the world while accurately conveying Kay's struggle to be a good king; and splitting dungeon crawling into three major sections is an inspired way of keeping the gameplay well paced. The story is far from perfect, and the voice cast is hit or miss, but Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs overcomes its flaws to offer a genuinely fresh strategy experience.
Dark, whimsical, and genuinely challenging, with a rewarding difficulty curve, Don't Starve is a worthy addition to the Nintendo Switch's library.
Nightmare Boy, while stylistically interesting and unique, amounts to little more than a frustrating take on the Metroidvania genre in the long run.
Once again, Fabraz has taken Slime-san and given it a reinvigoration it didn't necessarily need, but has still benefited from. Sheeple's Sequel is a creative take on the base game that prevents it from becoming formulaic.
Despite gameplay better suited for a mouse and keyboard, Darkest Dungeon transitions rather well from PC to Switch. The controls were always going to be convoluted when adapted to a controller, but it doesn't take too long to adjust, and the core gameplay loop is strong enough where overlooking that initial awkwardness is more than doable. The sheer challenge of the title will certainly overwhelm some, but there a plenty of workarounds between Radiant mode and the ability to toggle certain difficulty features off. The atmosphere, aesthetic, and music all lend themselves to an incredibly tense experience where every battle matters and constant management is necessary for survival. Darkest Dungeon is by no means for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the stress.
Despite a reliance on gimmicks and an, at times, overwhelming difficulty curve, Masters of Anima manages to overcome its shortcomings to deliver a wildly addictive action-RTS experience. Battles are genuinely demanding, but never impossible, requiring an understanding of the mechanics to survive, especially during the second half. The ranking system encourages clever play that would otherwise be lost in the inherent chaos of combat, and the puzzle-solving segments make for wonderful respites where Otto can play around with his Guardians and accrue Anima for any upcoming bouts. The script does suffer from an emphasis on exposition, but, like the rest of Masters of Anima, it carries with it an endearing amount of charm.
Despite a compelling performance from Adam Brown, The Bunker fails to capture that same talent in regards to its writing and direction, leading to a messy pseudo-film filled with pacing issues and a lack of commitment to either of the two mediums it's trying to merge.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is a surprisingly enjoyable third-person shooter that's unfortunately bogged down by poor level design and an intrusive story. Cut-scenes occur far too frequently, and for too long, while the core design stays relatively static from start to finish. It's especially disappointing because the actual gunplay is quite enjoyable and the controls are some of the smoothest in the genre. With a trimmed down narrative, a better gameplay to story ratio, and more complex level design, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet could have stood out as a particularly impressive licensed game. As is, however, it's a decent attempt held back by some unfortunate design elements.
With a fast-paced approach to platforming, and a gimmick that allows for unique movement without running thin, Shadow Bug establishes itself as one of the more creative approaches to the genre.