Justin Nation's Reviews
The more indie titles I play and review for Switch the more I find it requires some effort to throw something at me I don't feel I've seen in some way before...
There's something refreshing about a title summarizing what it is succinctly in its' name, though perhaps it would be better if there were more meat on its bones...
While the survival genre has never necessarily been a favorite of mine I've found it quite fascinating to see the variety of what's possible for it on the Switch...
With indies I always find it so thoroughly satisfying when games manage to take me by surprise...
OK, so here we get down to the bare bones basics...
In terms of its characters and overall construction there are some things to appreciate with Potata...
While indie devs may think that releasing a game with some variety can broaden the appeal and return on the gamer's investment it can be a problem when things don't come together well...
When it comes to shmups on Switch the tendency is to see either games that tap firmly into nostalgia, adopting classic looks and play styles, or those that innovate and do things their own way...
Before fully getting into why I think this is an excellent title, and a breath of fresh air I’ve been needing on Switch, we’ll get to the elephant in the room...
I’ll just put it right out there, while I love the spirit of the movement to bring back local co-op games and the part the Switch has to play in it reviewing the average title in the space can be brutal...
Metroidvania games have really been in style for a while now, and their representation on Switch, which was once a bit scarce, has now filled in nicely...
OK, so I'm still not quite sure how I feel about visual novel experiences on dedicated gaming hardware and Strawberry Vinegar, though certainly having a novel premise, is further down that path than most...
Up until this year while the beat-em-up was pretty well-represented on Switch there wasn’t a clear front-runner in the genre...
Given that I'm a fan of X-Com-style tactical strategy and the variety that making things into roguelikes tends to bring I was excited to check this title out...
This is a title that easily caught my eye the first time I saw footage of it, the black-and-white comic book style and cinematic qualities of its action are absolutely eye-catching...
If you've been following me for a while you'll know I'm a big fan and cheerleader for weird games...
If there's one thing I love about checking out indie games it's the out-of-the-blue surprises, games I've never heard of that look unassuming but deliver far more than I'd ever expect...
In terms of overall look, bleak theme, and the humor in its many odd random events complete with pop culture references and other unexpected surprises Despotism 3k comes out of the gate feeling like it has promise...
I can appreciate pretty simplistic budget platformers that have a more classic retro feel but to be competitive in the Switch eShop you really need to throw people a bone, some glimmer of inspiration that helps make the experience at least a little bit special...
Moreso than most games I've played on the Switch I see Indiecalypse as a love/hate proposition...