Despite falling on the shorter side of indie titles, Expand manages to stand out as a fascinating take on puzzles and mazes. By relying on a mix of patient gameplay and non-stop movement, each puzzle requires as much thought as it does technical skill. Not every puzzle is a hit, with a few standing out as little more than frustrating, but the majority of the experience is very well done thanks in large part to the colour scheme and soundtrack.
Light on story, heavy on gameplay, and more than enough content to wade through, this is one of the finest RPGs available on the 3DS.
The scariest thing about Don't Knock Twice is how poorly it plays on the Nintendo Switch.
With the exception of Fibbage 3, each game in The Jackbox Party Pack 4 requires a minimum of three people but, the pack's potential isn't fully realised without a substantially larger group. This is a party pack that is sincerely meant for a party. Smaller groups will be able to get enjoyment out of Civic Doodle or Fibbage, but Survive the Internet, Monster Seeking Monster, and Bracketeering, especially, are designed with larger get-togethers in mind. Despite an emphasis on playing with a big group, The Jackbox Party Pack 4 stands out as one of the strongest entries in the series with no discernible weak links in the pack's line-up. Along with continuing the trend of swapping out traditional controllers for smart phones, it's entirely possible to host a game over a stream, negating the need to find 8-16 friends for some local Jackbox shenanigans.
To simply label Nioh as "Souls-like" would be to imply that it is in any way derivative of the Dark Souls formula. It shares its similarities, yes, but Team Ninja has crafted a different beast entirely. William's journey to recover Saoirse runs brilliantly parallel to Japan's journey to recover order. Combat is fluid and variable thanks to quick weapon switching and an emphasis on recovering stamina mid-action instead of simply exhausting it in bursts. The overall presentation and aesthetic of Japan is breath-taking and unforgettable. The enemy variety is lacking, but that's easily overlooked by just how engrossing each boss is. With all the DLC present, Nioh: Complete Edition is an excellent way of experiencing Team Ninja's masterpiece for the first time, or just revisiting William Adams for another trek through Japan.
As is, this is an okay way of killing a few hours, but it might be worth holding off until at least Volume 2 is out to get a fuller experience.
While Batman: The Telltale Series pulls off a novel retelling of the titular Bat's origin, it still falls into the same traps that plague much of Telltale's catalogue of games. Low stakes choices, inconsistent storytelling, and short episodes all culminate in a season that squanders all its potential by the finale. This is especially disappointing since there are genuine high points. The relationship between Bruce and Selina is handled excellently, and the concept behind Harvey Dent's downfall is arguably more iconic than ever thanks to the intimate nature of the game. Unfortunately, these moments aren't enough to save the story from unearned twists and a lacklustre conclusion. Batman: The Telltale Series is worthwhile enough for Batman fans looking for an original story sporting a fresh-faced Bruce Wayne, but this is one series that will struggle to win over any Telltale detractors.
Beat the Game is the living embodiment of style over substance. A colourful sandbox with wacky characters and quirky music can only take a game so far when it lacks in every other regard. Gameplay consists entirely of finding sounds for a live concert with little payoff due in large part to the static premise and short play time. Cutscenes are well presented when they occur, but the absurdist approach to storytelling is pure nonsense, devoid of any actual meaning. Beat the Game fails as a video game, as a work of art, and as a demonstration of what can be done in the medium. It's little more than a glorified tech demo for a far better game.
Unlike UNO, there really is no reason to pick Monopoly for Nintendo Switch over its physical counterpart. The multiple boards, pieces, and unlockables are nice in theory, but they're plagued by inadequate load times, a choppy frame rate, and a surprisingly unfriendly UI. The inclusion of online is a good bonus for anyone desperate to play Monopoly on the go, but that's only in the hypothetical situation where someone happens to be online and is willing to throw a few hours into a laggy match. Monopoly should have been an easy adaptation over to the Switch, but it simply isn't worth purchasing when the actual board game can't be bogged down by technical issues and bizarre direction.
UNO for the Nintendo Switch is a mixed deck. On one hand, it offers online play and a new cooperative mode which are more than enough to add a modern spin to the classic card game. On the other hand, there's no way to play a regular match of UNO with just one Switch and buying a deck at any corner store would be more affordable.
Odysseus Kosmos and his Robot Quest isn't the best it could be, but it lays down the foundation for a point and click adventure with a lot of heart and soul.
Witty, charming, and full of personality, Chaos on Deponia is an incredibly endearing point and click adventure that will make audiences forget they have been playing with a controller the entire time. Moving with the analogue stick is incredibly fluid and cycling through hotspots with either the shoulder buttons or the right analogue is an inspired decision that completely negates the need for a mouse. Puzzle solving still feels natural and the new control scheme never gets in the way of the action. With a hilarious script, beautiful animation, and fantastic voice direction, Chaos on Deponia is as enjoyable in 2017 as it was in 2012.
Abstract and downright mesmerising, Embers Of Mirrim is one of the most impressive platformers this generation.
While it may be easy to disregard Blossom Tales as a simple Zelda clone, the amount of charm and effort put into making it wholly unique, while honouring its inspiration, is both admirable and deserving of attention.
Equin: The Lantern certainly isn't a bad roguelike, but it does come across as rather confused in regards to what it's trying to achieve as a videogame. The main Lantern system is totally unexplained and stamina as a concept, while good overall, can lead to moments where it feels like it was implemented for difficulty purposes over gameplay ingenuity. The RPG elements are all fairly standard, inventory management is simple enough, and the five classes do add a degree of replayability, but the randomness of the procedural generation is what really makes or break a run. It's entirely possible to run through several floors with minimal enemies, but all that means is that the player won't be properly levelled or geared for higher floors. More than anything, Equin is stuck in a miasma of genre conventions with unique mechanics that barely scratch the surface of true individuality.
Despite being a piece of downloadable content separate from an already pricey season pass, the Project CARS 2 Japanese Cars Pack is a reasonably priced add-on for the content present. Slightly Mad Studios has done an excellent job bringing some of Japan's most iconic automobiles to life in videogame form. For less than it costs to buy a sandwich, there's no reason fans of Project CARS 2 should pass by this solid piece of DLC.
Against all odds, Energy Invasion manages to take its almost too simple Breakout-inspired premise and spin it into something truly original and engaging. Adding the ability to fire off miniature, bouncing balls from the main ball is an ingenious addition that elevates the gameplay from just a mere homage. While there are only 50 stages between Linear and Invasion mode, the difficulty curve allows progress to feel earned, and Endless offers an unlimited amount of levels to bounce through. Along with Nick R 61's fantastic soundtrack, Energy Invasion is a surreal, and strangely addictive, evolution of the Breakout formula.
Nearly eight years later, Super Meat Boy remains a master class in balancing difficulty into engaging level design.
Far more complex and stressful than it lets on, Nuclien is a delightful tap 'em up that genuinely challenges players to focus like little else on Nintendo Switch. Unlike most games on the console, the gameplay actually takes advantage of the touch screen by removing the use of buttons during stages.
What Bleed lacks in play time, it makes up for with one of the most fluid control schemes to grace a platformer. Wryn's triple jump allows for a flow of movement that encourages dodge heavy, bullet hell style level design. Coupled with a well implemented bullet-time mechanic, stages require quick reflexes to complete, especially when taking rank into consideration. While the main story takes less than two hours to complete, unlockables, Arcade mode, and higher difficulties keep Bleed a highly addictive, and highly replayable, experience.