Unless I’m missing something integral, I can only say that Plague Road became boring and repetitive. I wouldn’t mind so much if I was grinding mobs to level up or mapping areas, but after so many deaths I found I just didn’t want to play any longer. Which is annoying because the game has a great aesthetic appeal, some interesting options and when it flows, it does so with verve. If I did miss anything, I can only lay blame with the tutorial system, because it doesn’t really do enough to paint a full picture for players.
Ultimately, we’re left with a game that doesn’t appear to know exactly what it wants to be. Without the platforming, Blue Fire might have been a Souls-like adventure game. Without the combat, it would excel at precision platforming. But with both aspects in the mix, it doesn’t quite stick the landing of either.
The saccharine visuals and bold colours will easily attract the eye and when new species appear you'll be begging for a photo mode. But that's only if you aren't looking at the endless lists or stats, or charging the ever-depleting energy banks. Interesting, educational and pretty, but ultimately soulless and a little boring.
Yesterday's Origins doesn't attempt to change the formula of the point and click adventure and that's okay. The story is delightfully bonkers and it looks pretty, but if you dig deep there's some repetition, some odd stylistic choices and you might not recall it in years to come, but it's nice to see such a game on Nintendo Switch.
It’s a one-time play, there are no unlocks to grab, no need to hunt down collectibles and the game is better for it. Things are kept simple, stylish and for a lot of the time, funny. It’s worth playing for the puzzles, it’s worth playing for the style and mostly, the animations.
All of this makes Horizon Chase Turbo a bit of a frustrating experience. Where it excels is in ideas and concepts, yet it falters on the basic function of exciting racing. It looks and sounds good but lacks any memorable locations or tracks and it straddles an odd balance between pure arcade racer and pseudo-simulation, with its use of refuelling and permanent upgrades.
Toki Tori is a charming little character who, when left idle, expresses himself in a number of ways that add another level to his personality. The whole game is a saccharine little gem, which has been said many times before, but is always worth saying repeatedly.
A part of me wishes there was more to sink my teeth into with InnerSpace – a proper narrative, maybe, but that takes away from what a lovely experience it is. It takes away from how it looks, sounds and moves. Most of all, it would make the game something very different and that would be a real shame because this is a very charming concept fleshed out with a great eye for detail.
It’s an ideal game to dip in and out of through handheld as races don’t take long and you won’t lose any skill from taking a brief break. With a little patience, Road Redemption is a hell of a ride.
Within these images, we see the steps of life being laid out. A man meeting a girl. Surprising her with a boat trip. Nothing in these images is interactive, but they each encapsulate a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They reward exploration and intrigue in the scenes. Small mannerisms and gestures from the central character, before and after these images are shown, add a wealth of personality to his two-dimensional form and go a long way to creating a rounded persona, and experience, that is entirely endearing.
There’s no doubting the enjoyment that’s possible in Crawl. I would love to have seen a proper story mode that allows the unlocking of items, etc, because the universe the devs have created is intriguing. There’s a lot here to love, but a lot that can lower the experience. It doesn’t have the draw of an Isaac or Gungeon and it won’t beat out ARMS or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when you have friends round, but it’s worthy of time because it does so many things differently.
Even the game knows how crazy this is stating the mode is “totally unbalanced – just for fun.” I think that sums much of the game, although the balance elsewhere is on point, Bleed 2 is simple, unadulterated fun.
On all points, Batman: The Telltale Series is a must have for fans of Telltale, Batman and narrative-driven games. But, it needs to be more accessible. I can’t help but feel that Telltale is pricing themselves out of the market by charging so much for a game that is much cheaper elsewhere. Yes, it’s a great game and it shows what can be done with the Switch in terms of showing off narrative in a portable experience, but the naïve pricing is a sore point.
Moon Hunters is easily summed up by saying it's akin to a Dungeons and Dragons-style "choose your own adventure". Some choices you make can play out very differently with your third, sixth, or twentieth playthrough. Every tale has the same start and end, but the middle can be incredibly varied. It's a sumptuous title in both story and presentation; with visuals that could stand up next to Hyper Light Drifter and sound design that sweeps through orchestral themes and folk songs. It's a shame that the fighting mechanics feel a little too similar because the story itself is a real treat.
There’s variation in the areas as winding paths and multiple lines of marbles are introduced. There’s an extra hard difficulty if you want a challenge or to grind your teeth into dust with frustration. It’s not a bad game at all, it just does what it says on the tin and while that’s fine, it doesn’t stand up above other games – many of which flood the Nintendo eShop each week – to steal your attention away.
It’s okay that Red Ronin doesn’t feature a killer story, because the actual gameplay does exactly what it needs to, and it does it well.
This is where SOLAS 128 falls down: it doesn’t ever really feel intuitive. It fails to point you in the right direction in the opening moments – a brief explanation of what each button does would go a long way. The vague ‘story’ also lets the whole experience down somewhat; had it been more fleshed out, it would elevate the mechanics.
Lonely Mountains is far from lonely, it rekindles a feeling of childhood. Of meeting with friends and exploring the woods, daring each other to take jumps or freewheel through water. It’s a game about being alone, by being at one with nature and the bike beneath you.
Small flaws like the lack of customisation and differing styles in enemies can be overlooked if you treat the game as it comes. Bad North is a game that manages to balance the fine line between puzzle game and simulation delivering a tactical roguelike which constantly feels refreshing.
Regardless of these issues, Semblance is a breath of fresh air to the platforming genre and one that is entirely welcome. Puzzle lovers will enjoy the idea of working around a problem, casual players can find enjoyment in every aspect and speedrunners are going to have a blast working out movement tech to beat the game swiftly.