Adam Riley's Reviews
Thimbleweed Park had so much going for it, and still delivers in many ways, with a delightful retro appearance, some really impressive puzzles throughout, and great voice acting. However, it also drags itself down with filler content, extra characters that do not really serve much purpose, a rather average story that tries to be a bit too clever for its own good, forced humour that more often than not misses the mark, and that old verb gameplay mechanic that should have been left in its grave. Give it a go, but head in with realistic expectations rather than expecting the classic some were banking on.
Without a doubt this is one of the most enjoyable arcade experiences on Nintendo Switch right now. Sure, it may be a classic and shunned by some purely on that basis, but the core gameplay of ACA NeoGeo: Metal Slug 3 has held strong over time, and proves to be just as addictive and challenging as it ever was...plus, it still looks mighty fine indeed. With the added benefit of other versions of the game included right from the off, a selection of control options, special extra challenge modes, and online leaderboards, the only thing that could top this is an anthology collection, similar to the one found on Wii years ago.
Nothing has changed here - this is still the same fantastic World of Goo that was so loved back on WiiWare, and now comes with the handy feature of including not only motion controls from the Wii version, but touch input from the mobile edition, as well as a great two-player feature and instant access to the atmospheric soundtrack. The core puzzles are as dastardly as ever, and feel just as fresh as they ever did, with numerous ways to solve them…and numerous ways to epically fail! Highly challenging, highly addictive, and, more than ever, leaving a thirst for a true sequel, World of Goo is a must for any Nintendo Switch owner.
Four Last Things takes a really unique approach to its visual and audio presentation, relying solely on old paintings for backdrops and carefully crafted character animations, and public domain classic music to add even more class to this already classy point-and-click adventure. Those fearing that this is a case of 'style over substance,' though, should worry not as one-man-band Joe Richardson has delivered a witty and comical script, complete with some very smart logic conundrums for players to crack on their road to redemption.
Activision and Toys for Bob have once more delivered a highly entertaining adventure, filled with hidden goodies galore, and an amusing script, on top of an extremely solid platforming escapade. Newcomers may grow frustrated at the amount of content locked behind 'pay walls' ('toy' walls?) but the core story has enough meat to keep early Nintendo Switch adopters satiated; as for long-term fans with a large toy collection, this is superb.
The Secret Monster Society - Chapter 2: Time, Dreams and Underwater Travel picks up where the first chapter left off, improving in almost every way, including funnier quips, smarter (and tougher) puzzles, along with the same gorgeous visual style, superb voice acting, and amazing Banjo-Kazooie-esque soundtrack. It cuts off a bit quicker than expected, but for its low price there is definitely a fantastic ride here to get you through until Chapter 3 rolls around. There are still some quirks that linger from the first chapter, but hopefully they will be fixed ahead of the release of Chapter 3.
This year's edition of the Just Dance series lifts the game beyond its former releases thanks to its focus on treating players to various extras the more they play, as well as integrating the online component so smoothly. There will always be a tendency to jiggle the Joy-Con randomly - as with the Wii Remote in the past - in the hopes of cheating to get a decent score, but some of the fun factor is removed by doing that. Just Dance 2017 on Nintendo Switch is as close to perfection in the genre as possible, even if this version has lost some of the features included in the already released Wii U edition.
What a hidden gem! Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together is a definite must-buy on Nintendo Switch, showing off not just a fantastic idea with great puzzles, but driving home the team-work element that works so well on Switch thanks to its 'play anywhere, anytime' ethos. Sit with a friend, get family members involved, or even go it alone, play it in tabletop mode, portable, or even on the big screen - whatever the case, it all works perfectly. This is going to eat away at the hours, without a doubt. SFB Games and Nintendo have struck gold with this one.
Both Maniac Mansion and its sequel, Day of the Tentacle, are highly regarded even after all this time, and with good reason. This remastered edition of the second title is a welcome return for a highly enjoyable - and comical - point-and-click romp that would otherwise be completely overlooked in today's modern gaming world. Even in this form it might well be shunned just because of its genre, but that would be a mistake. It may no longer be King of the Hill, but it is still a mighty fine adventure, filled with smart quips, amusing one-liners, and some crafty puzzles.
Do not let the ending put you off Firewatch, nor let the talk of 'Walking Simulator' give any sort of preconceived notion of this being boring. What has been delivered is one of the most engaging narrative experiences in recent times, draped beautifully over a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, with plenty of scope for going back to uncover more details, finding new conversation avenues, and stumbling upon all manner of intriguing information not seen the first time round.
Nintendo has outdone itself with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - absolutely sublime work.
Do not be fooled by this one. All the Delicate Duplicates merely attempts to disguise a run-of-the-mill storyline by wrapping it up in pretty a first-person exploration dressing that has clearly been designed for future VR support. Sadly, the lack of interaction with the actual surroundings hurts it badly, luring players in with the promise of more to come, only to end succinctly without any effort required on the player's part, and then expecting them to do lots of background reading to get the full picture. On paper, the initial concept may have seemed like an intriguing new way to deliver a story. In reality, though, it proves to be an overly short and mundane chore of an experience that misses so many opportunities to be so much more than it actually is. An experience it may be, but it is an empty and lacklustre one, overall.
Bear with Me: Episode 2 is a definite step in the right direction, with the world opening up more and a great selection of new characters and puzzles being introduced, accompanying the already impressive dark atmosphere. Sometimes it leans towards being slightly too easy, but there is more challenge than before, and it ends on the perfect cliff-hanger, ready for Episode 3. Hopefully the wait between episodes is not quite as long this time.
Mixing the best adventure elements of Myst with modern day Hidden Object puzzles, an intriguing story, and lovely presentation throughout, The Frostrune is an absolute pleasure to play through from start to finish. Whilst it may not play exactly like traditional point-and-click titles, relying more on outside-the-box thinking, it takes the core concept and mixes it up to keep things fresh. The attention to detail is apparent in this labour of love and it deserves to be truly appreciated.
Memoranda had so much going for it, but in the end it misses the mark on too many occasions and lacks that gripping nature that the best point-and-click adventures have. From the story that really does not make much sense or give any real sense of satisfaction at the end, to the awkward voice acting of the lead character, and the disappointing nature of most puzzles, what seemed like a great concept fades away from the memory quite soon after completion.
Whilst not on the same shaky ground as Final Fantasy XV by any means, despite Tales of Berseria bringing with it a great story, wonderful animation scenes, a sublime soundtrack and voice cast, it lets the side down with its dull environments, lack of engaging puzzles and quests, overly-wordy interactions that go off on pointless tangents, as well as a battle system that is quite hit and miss, resigning many gamers to mere button-bashing to get through most of the adventure. Bandai Namco has managed to deliver yet another solid Tales entry, but not one that will be remembered anywhere near as fondly as past classics, unfortunately.
One of the best just got even better! RIVE: Wreck, Hack, Die, Retry! was an exhilarating ride for fans of all styles of space shooters to start with, but now even more genre enthusiasts can enjoy this stunning effort thanks to the extra difficulty mode offered. As for those who signed up for the initial release, they also have some fantastic reasons to come back and enjoy the excellence that Two Tribes has delivered. Will this superb shooter be transferred to Nintendo Switch now, rather than staying on the near enough finished Wii U? Given how amazing this update was, the only thing that could possibly better it would be the promise of further tweaks, and maybe even a multiplayer element, all in time for a Switch release! For now, PC and PlayStation 4 gamers are in for a massive treat with this sublime update…
1954 Alcatraz has its own level of charm that helps it to just about keep its head above water. However, it also lacks any punch throughout. None of the characters are particularly beguiling, the puzzles faced are not especially memorable or even taxing, and the story itself only just holds the attention long enough to finish the approximately eight-hour journey. Thankfully, there are multiple junctures during the tale that are just about intriguing enough to warrant keeping multiple saves to see how things play out differently - but only the most perseverant will likely do so, with the majority just switching off post-credits. Those sticking around to see the ending variations, though, will find that 1954 will forever be resigned to the past, with no strong memories remaining at all, neither negative, nor positive.
There are not enough adjectives to describe what a pleasure it is to experience Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure. From the smart acting and intriguing story, to the clever puzzles included and great locations to explore, everything in Big Finish Games' project is a resounding success. Adventure fans have been waiting a long time for this, and it is pleasing to see that the wait was indeed more than worth it. Tex Murphy is back, and hopefully there is much more to come, especially with the officially-supported fan remake of Overseer, The Poisoned Pawn well underway.
Despite a soft start through the first half of the adventure, the thoroughly impressive time-switching mechanic used for puzzles, as well as the engrossing story and stellar final run to the end credits, all help to make The Silent Age something very special indeed. Given how impressive the journey develops, it can only be hoped that more is on the way. The time-jumping aspect for puzzle solving is fantastic, but starts to wear thin slightly, at which point the developer, thankfully, eases off to a degree, and brings in more traditional style point-and-click adventuring that spices up matters considerably. The Silent Age has a good start, then has a really strong race to the finish line, and leaves with massive potential for the future.