The Banner Saga 2 expands on the series' existing foundations with more of the same. There's no drastic overhaul to the text-based elements or battle segments, and similar systems are in place when it comes to managing your caravan party, fighting enemies, and talking your way out of a tight spot. If you've played the original, you'll know exactly what to expect. Subtle refinements make this a sequel that truly lives up to the standards of the first entry, however, paving the way for the final chapter.
From the beginning, this series has very much been about the journey to the destination in both a literal and figurative sense, and now we've arrived at the end, it's clear that this was the strongest point all along. The development of characters and the gradual progression of the story naturally have less emphasis this time around, as this is the end of the saga, but what you do get is multiple endings with fitting outcomes. Now all that's left is for you to decide whether or not this game and series are for you, much like the many choices present within the games themselves.
Even though Ultra Space Battle Brawl has no extensive move-sets or combos, it still has plenty of appeal.
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! isn't anything we haven't already seen before. Forging and selling weapons is fun once you get into the rhythm of it, and there's plenty within the potato world to work towards. This is a game that can be played for a few minutes or hours per day, depending on how much you enjoy the genre. What's frustrating is how this title has been adapted to the Switch. It's got a clunky user interface that doesn't really feel compatible with the Joy-Cons and even if you opt with the screen by itself as a touchpad it still feels difficult to complete the most basic of tasks. All up, this makes it the hardest version of the game to play. Overlooking these problems, it's still worth checking out if you're looking for a game of this type and one with plenty of humour - it's just far from spud-tacular.
There's nothing particularly revolutionary about Bomb Chicken, it's enjoyable predominantly because of its classic approach and how refined each aspect of the game is including the core bomb-laying mechanic. Each level is intelligently designed and has a great sense of flow. The puzzles and enemies are fair but challenging and the controls are precise and responsive. Unlike fast food, this isn't a cheap, quick and nasty solution that will leave you regretting your purchase - this is a blast.
SpiritSphere DX is possibly the closest we may ever get to a tennis game based on The Legend of Zelda series. In fact, in contrast to similar offerings currently available on the Switch eShop, this is a good budget pick. It's got a small but challenging campaign mode with three difficulties, an adequate amount of local multiplayer content for up to four players and does a sound job channeling the spirit of retro games.
Replace the blood and brutality of Super Meat Boy with paint, add invisible levels and marginally tone down the difficulty, and what you have is INK. The practical use of the featured art style is a novel idea, but somehow the title still lacks a distinctive sense of character - even with all the vivid colours on display. What's left is a streamlined but more basic fast-paced platform game that does a competent job recreating the same types of experiences we've seen in the past, requiring twitch-like reflexes and pinpoint accuracy.
Super Sportmatchen deserves some praise for including online leaderboards to help prolong the replay value of the individual experience. A lot of games of this calibre fail to add this feature. Competing against the A.I. will definitely get old, fast, so this is a great way to sustain interest. For some, this still might not be enough. The main contest here is the local multiplayer. Provided you have friends or family around, this is another one of those titles that is fun for brief sessions in between more prominent multiplayer titles.
Given its simplicity and bright presentation, it's best recommended for a younger audience.
White Night does serve up some scares and a few twists along the way, however, there's nothing particularly different about what this title has to offer over only a handful of hours, even with consideration of the black and white film noir aesthetics including the special mechanics built around it. Despite its eagerness to run with clichés, it at least sticks with its style through to the end and does everything competently enough to make it a satisfactory experience for anyone looking for a colourless curio.
If you happen to love Norse mythology or epic fantasy stories full of consequence and deft storytelling, then look no further than The Banner Saga. This is a beautifully crafted game that uses its intriguing cast, gripping tale and absolutely stunning artwork and soundtrack to transport you to a world filled with plenty of danger and surprises. The turn-based strategic battles might not be equally as thrilling to everyone who plays this, and the interface in this part of the game can be a bit clunky at times, but this doesn't detract too much from the collective offering.
The Adventures of Elena Temple does a solid job recreating a certain era of platform gaming, despite minor problems linked to level design. What's unfortunate is how more time, effort and focus seems to have gone into the fictional history of the game and the machines it can be played on for the sake of nostalgia, rather than the gameplay. It's nice there is reasoning behind the visual filters, but this and the silly story comes across as overbearing when the actual gameplay perfectly captures the feeling of nostalgia. It's a pity the developer didn't just release the game in its rawest form, cutting out the excess trimmings and adding in more playable content.
Wizard of Legend has some novel concepts. Being able to swap and mix spells to create a seemingly unlimited amount of combinations keeps the action fresh and encourages you to experiment on each run. What's also likable about this game is how polished the entire package appears to be. It's these aspects that make it more favourable than the average offerings that frequently pop up on the Switch. If you are looking for yet another dungeon crawler with rogue-like elements, Wizard of Legend is a step above the competition.
The comparisons to Nintendo's much-loved Metroid franchise might seem excessive, but A Robot Named Fight makes little effort to differentiate itself from the source material it has been inspired by. What it does manage to do is provide endless replay value with its procedural generated platform action, unique items and large variety of enemies. The co-op mode is also a welcomed inclusion. The trade-off here, as mentioned, is no real story or character development beyond the basics to motivate you to save the day and the repetitive nature associated with permadeath. If you can look past this, what's on offer is a satisfying alternative to the space adventures of Samus.
The trailer for Timberman VS describes it as 'the most intense multiplayer rage game ever' which is a pretty accurate summary. As infuriating as it may be at times, it's mysteriously satisfying when you are victorious against friends and family. By yourself, there's less reason to get excited when there's no online play or leaderboards to spur you on. In saying this, by yourself Timberman VS still offers the same frustratingly addictive gameplay and with 50 humourous characters to unlock, there's at least some incentive to keep playing. Ultimately, whether you play within the company of others or not, what's on offer is a well-presented but simple and highly repetitive package.
Death Road To Canada allows fans of the zombie genre to live out their ultimate survival fantasies again and again. Technically, there are a limitless amount of scenarios to experience thanks to the compact yet well designed gameplay, but after a while the patterns and outcomes may become a little too predictable for the average player. If you do happen to be a long-time enthusiast of zombies, this may be worth sinking your teeth into.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs - Royal Edition is a 30-40 hour adventure, with plenty of replay value when considering the additional in-game DLC, that does a convincing job capturing the spirit and charm of the JRPG formula while providing competent turn-based battles at the same time. The developer has achieved its goal, but doesn't really make an effort to go above and beyond multiple other (and technically more authentic) offerings already available. There are a few notable shortcomings; however, being able to adjust gameplay settings on the fly makes this a game that can be enjoyed by veterans and newcomers alike.
Brakes Are For Losers has some interesting ideas, but the entire package simply does not match the quality of certain other recent releases on the Switch eShop under this same genre.
Octocopter: Double or Squids is still just as enjoyable as it was when it was originally released on the Wii U. With a number of updates that improve the overall experience and the inclusion of multiplayer, original owners who did enjoy it the first time round have a great excuse to buy it again.
ClusterPuck 99 is certainly worth considering if you plan on hosting an eight-person party any time soon for a night of local multiplayer action. It won't be the star attraction, but it'll entertain friends and family for more brief periods. Where the game falls short is its lack of online multiplayer. It would have been great to be able to team up with the same number of people online. Additional modes could have then been included such as a competitive mode. Without online, what's left is a game that just isn't anywhere near as entertaining for solo players and is very hard to recommend. If you are interested in this, ideally you'll at least a few people around to play this game with.