Justin Nation's Reviews
What it all boils down to is that there are 10 very picturesque Japanese landscapes featured for you to make puzzles from...
It’s always a joy to see something new and different arrive to check out and Sling Ming really fits that bill. Not quite like anything else I’ve played to date Ming herself it an entertaining character making her way through a pretty tough collection of levels that really make you work. Mixing basic problem-solving with more physics-based conceptual challenges with momentum it has a style all its own and is entertaining (though sometimes frustrating) throughout.
Though at its core PPP is a top-down brawler what it does differently is introduce a healthy dose of capitalism to the mix...
Overall I’ll say I was pleasantly surprised by this title, and it has far more redeeming qualities than its adult-skewed content. Once I got immersed in this world and met my first bad end I was quick to give it another go, to try to find the combination of actions that would improve my outcome. While I was able to trigger different story elements and I thought I was in the clear on my second run it turned out that, in general, I’d been a very bad boy in the past and that path had it all catching up to me. In general I’m a fan of the noir style so while on its surface some of the content can seem excessive within the context of the story they’re telling it at least seems pretty natural. While there are better puzzle games out there the story is what makes or breaks the game above all else, and it is a fairly satisfying one.
Regardless of the amount of total content in the game the fact is that if it feels like a chore to get to the bulk of it, and the overall play isn’t satisfying, it really drains all enthusiasm out of the process. Spartan has some glimmers of hope here and there but the overall experience simply comes up short through a combination of shortcomings. If you’re out to grind through an experience for the sake of saying you did it you may find some appeal but for the vast majority of people out there the Switch has far better offerings than this in the same price range.
The decision point in this game should heavily factor in how well you believe you can put up with some dated gameplay concepts against your appreciation for a game that is absolutely incredible to look at. A nifty add-on feature allows you to toggle both the graphics and the music to their original versions and play through the game that way. Even though the original look is obviously much simpler I was surprised at the level of care put into its look even way back when. If you get frustrated remember you can always look up old save codes and start out a bit more juiced up, another nice classic touch thrown in for good measure. All said, Wonder Boy is a nostalgic romp accented by a memorable reskinned look worth checking out.
If you love great music and want to have something to simply groove to and enjoy Floor Kids comes pretty highly recommended. The soundtrack is superb, the flow for the most part feels very natural, and it can be very satisfying to play. If you’re more in search of objectives and challenges though, it won’t be a great match as that really doesn’t fall into its style of design. Overall, it’s a solid game that I’d love to see get a more directed sequel, one that could help provide some needed motivation.
That said, the comparison to Super Meat Boy and its ilk shouldn’t quite be taken as an endorsement in Alteric being in the same class of quality and polish, not by a long shot...
As you move through each major world you’ll unlock new Hard and Bonus stages that step up the level of challenge substantially...
When everything is clicking the fun and flow of ShadowBug is quite a rush...
Each time you begin you’ll have the option to start at any of the stages that correspond to a caravan you’ve visited, just consider them to be checkpoints in that regard...
In the game you control a girl, Pi, who is paired with a small robotic cube and is trying to escape a series of mazes to get home...
With multiple skill levels available SteamWorld Heist is a game that anyone, from a tactical strategy newbie to a grizzled veteran, should be able to enjoy. Well-designed, looking fabulous on Switch, and thoroughly engaging it offers a rewarding combination of careful planning and then execution in aiming that I can’t get enough of. Pulling off a tricky ricochet shot from across the room is such a rush, just remember that when you inadvertently end up blowing up a crewmate a little later because you didn’t plan it out well. While battles can be aggravating at times the great news is that every time you try placements and layouts will tend to vary either a little or a lot so you may have just had a bad break. If you haven’t yet checked out SteamWorld Heist you owe it to yourself to give it a shot, it is unquestionably one of the best games on the Switch.
Overall, the hook of The Long Reach, the mystery, the horror elements, and the suspense, needs to be the primary thing you’re looking for in order for it to be a good fit. If you’re invested in that aspect of the experience I think there’s enough meat there to chew on for a few hours if you’re willing to be a bit patient and understanding. If what I’ve described of the story doesn’t sound very appealing unfortunately I’d say that the rest of the elements won’t be able to make it compelling.
All said, Tesla Vs. Lovecraft is probably the best 10 Tons game I’ve played to date from concept to execution. It puts everything they have on the table, looks incredible, plays smoothly, and is simply a hell of a lot of fun. I’m hoping to see just a little more come to the table to make the experience even better but if you’ve got a soft spot for some intense twin-stick shooting action you (and a friend if you’d like) really need to put this at the top of your list.
Put it all together and though there are a lot of ideas and interesting sequences in Castle of Heart, the execution is lacking in polish in key areas and that often makes the game more aggravating than fun unfortunately. It’s not outright broken, but it falls into the trap of getting in its own way with ideas that are actively fighting with the mechanics. Throw in control that’s not very tight and while the game does have a lot of heart, trying to do its best, it’s difficult to recommend heartily.
Starting with the music the game’s soundtrack, featuring tunes from the fighting series BlazBlue, is both varied and uniformly superb...
In the end I had an absolute blast with Slayaway Camp and would heartily recommend it to anyone who is either a fan of great puzzle games or 80s horror movies… if you like both you’re truly in for a treat. The violence in voxel form is utterly comical, the callbacks to horror icons and some of their great kills are wonderful, and the puzzles themselves are thoroughly challenging. Since it also includes every bit of content released for the game to date, all in one, on every level it is a killer deal.
The slow and steady progression in difficulty is managed well and typically new swimmer or obstacle types are introduced in a less threatening manner at first so you understand them before the challenges involving them are dialed up...
I’m sorry if this review is somewhat evasive but I don’t wish to do anything to ruin the outstanding story in the game concerning love, loss, and even sacrifice for the sake of others. There’s no getting around the somewhat repetitive nature of the core gameplay as you relive the same events multiple times and try to affect different outcomes. There were also a few times where I wasn’t 100% sure what I was expected to do but the thing is, if you are a sucker for a great story, Last Day of June will absolutely suck you in and help prove that games have an amazing power to connect you to a meaningful story.