Justin Nation's Reviews
Even without the very prevalent and apparent framerate issues Snow Moto Racing Freedom has on the Switch I think it struggles to be compelling. If you’re really into smowmobiles it’s possible your interest could be higher but treating it merely as an option for a racing game on the platform its novelty doesn’t compensate for the elements it is missing. Then open spaces are generally nice but don’t demand repeated play and the closed courses are technically challenging but not generally very fun either. As a whole these problems make it difficult to recommend.
In the end Serial Cleaner, by its style, won’t be a game for everyone but for the right people I think it will be very engaging. It’s clever in the right places, a bit funny at times to keep things light, and it will challenge your planning as well as your patience. If you enjoy stealth or creative spins on puzzle games it is a refreshing hybrid that delivers a solid challenge for the cost of admission.
In the end I must say that I’m extremely impressed with the level of care and effort that has been put into making Worms W.M.D. worthwhile. With a series like this it seems like it can be easy to get comfortable and to phone in a new iteration with better graphics and sound but Team 17 has really shown an investment in this title that’s inspiring. By adding to the game in pretty well all directions they’ve managed to take an already-fun series and make it compelling for just about anyone to check out!
All said Mantis Burn Racing plays brilliantly on the Switch whether in docked or handheld mode. Control is smooth, the drifting is satisfying, and in general it looks great. You can enjoy playing against the AI but it is far better to play with friends locally or online and in general I didn’t have issues finding people to play against since it is cross-platform to boot. If you’re willing to grind through the Career Mode in order to learn the nuances of the controls and unlock everything the game has to offer it does deliver a satisfying payoff, I just wish tastes of it came sooner.
Even at the very modest price being asked on the Switch eShop for this game right now I can’t recommend it. I like its looks and sounds, and the puzzle mechanic seems novel enough to occupy yourself with for a few hours. Unfortunately the forced touchscreen controls are implemented so wonkily that it gives you nothing but aggravation once nuance is called for pretty early on in the game. If the game is patched and this is changed, with the controls being precise, I hope to give it a more thorough review but for now I’d avoid it.
If you’ve never indulged in the series until now this pack would be an excellent opportunity to do so. They definitely represent a change of pace on the system and have core gameplay unlike just about anything I’ve played. The action is fast and pretty frantic and taking down some of the games’ bosses can take some real effort. If you’ve been craving a platforming shooter the Striker Pack is worth a look!
Overall Dead Synchronicity is a solid point-and-click style adventure. The story is something unique, the setting is certainly unfamiliar, and the imagery and tone aren’t likely to be quickly forgotten. While the voice acting isn’t uniformly excellent for the most part it manages to help pull you into the world rather than being distracted by it and for this sort of game that’s a plus. Unfortunately the warning to people intrigued by the game’s premise cannot be overstated, even though the game is interesting be aware of what you’re buying into and that the story is very much unfinished. If you can overlook that and just want to enjoy the ride credit to the developers it does deliver something unique.
While it won’t win points for its complex and challenging story or trying to push boundaries Crimsonland is a thoroughly satisfying arcade-style twin-stick shooter that I will likely return to periodically for quite some time. While it isn’t graphically very impressive and the sound is relatively limited there’s no denying the power of its gameplay. It is adrenaline-fueled, brutally challenging, over-the-top, and should be considered a must-have for shooter fans!
Ginger: Beyond the Crystal isn’t necessarily a bad game, it just struggles to work very well in most areas. In general it is all light-hearted and fun, it just feels like it needed a bit more time and expertise to help fully realize its potential. If you come in understanding its shortcomings it should be a reasonably enjoyable experience though.
Kid Tripp isn’t a game that will likely stick with you for long but that isn’t to say it can’t be a fun and light distraction for a reasonable price of admission. Its light style and classic gameplay are a welcome departure from much more serious fare on the Switch and yet once you get into the groove it tends to suck you in while it has you with a “I know I can get it on the next run” hook. As long as you understand the game’s limits it is a solid bargain of a budget title on the eShop.
If you’re looking for something very different to just dive into for a great time and some laughs for several hours there’s nothing on the platform that delivers quite like Stick it to the Man. Full of quirky charm, unexpected situations, and truly bizarre characters it’s just a breath of fresh air and not quite like anything I’ve played in quite some time. While the puzzles generally aren’t very complex they do show a great deal of creativity and can have you chuckling along the way, it is definitely a game far more about the experience than the solutions and accomplishes what it set out to do superbly.
With all of this in mind I’m pleased to say that Letter Quest Remastered does a pretty fine job of carving out a place for itself in the lineup of Switch gamers looking for something more casual. If you like to get out your thesaurus and flex your vocabulary while having to contend with the obstacles your enemies love to throw in your path it does a fine job. What helps distinguish it is the level of strategy you’ll be able to employ while doing so.
While I had high hopes for Battle Chef Brigade what stands out for me is how much they’ve exceeded my expectations on pretty well every level. I came in hoping for something in a true indie spirit that was fresh, quirky, and utterly unique. What I got was a lengthy and well-made story complete with some great characters, challenging and varied gameplay, and a strategic component that forces you to make some tough decisions in how you want to approach your battles. If you either have any affinity at all for great Match-3 play or have an open mind to trying something completely odd but that works very very well in execution I have few reservations with recommending it.
Overall I really have enjoyed my time with Cat Quest and am impressed that the humor and theming is simply icing on the cake and not a replacement for solid gameplay. While it isn’t a hardcore game by any means I think its light action is pretty compelling and very well-suited to the portability of the Switch. If you’re in search of a very light action RPG that has a plentiful amount of charm Cat Quest is quite satisfying.
I am absolutely in love with this game even though until I reviewed it I had heard almost nothing about it and that’s simply criminal. While I’ve played quite a number of modern arcade-style shooters I don’t think as a total package any of them have impressed me as much as Squadron has. Every aspect of the game feels like it was put in place with both skill and love and I’d say if you have ever enjoyed arcade shooters at all Aces of the Luftwaffe Squadron is well worth picking up! I think it has earned its place at the top of the genre and serves as the bar other arcade-style shooters will be measured by.
For me the proposition in Rive is pretty straight-forward, you either enjoy being challenged and wanting to throw your controller or you don’t. With repetition, experience, and some luck you can absolutely master the levels the game throws at you, it just isn’t a game you’ll be conquering too quickly as there are many sections that required some trial and error to understand and the action simply doesn’t often let up. Fortunately the checkpoints seem to be well placed and spaced, though in a few cases the way the checkpoints are essentially a snapshot of what was happening at the time you passed through it didn’t work out so well. All in all it’s very much a game with its own rules and style though and if you just haven’t been feeling pushed with your shooters it will happily fill that role for you.
If you're in it for the action or actual horror you'll very likely walk away disappointed. But if you like a slow burn of suspense, periodic things that will make you jump, and some stories that will reveal themselves to you slowly and through a variety of means as you wander an ever-changing house, it will offer several hours of enjoyment. I've never played a game quite like it, and there's something to be said for a title working earnestly to challenge gamers with something new, even if it may not have hit all of the marks it was likely aiming for.
Overall I have to say that I’m incredibly impressed with the total package Ben 10 brings to the table and I’m not even remotely a fan of the cartoon series. It has managed to do the best thing possible with a known license and that’s to pair it with a well-suited genre and then make full use of its potential to deliver a quality gaming experience. While it may not be the best beat-em-up on the market if you’re looking for something fun with a bit of variety Ben 10 is a solid choice!
I like Xenoraid and appreciate what it has set out to do, but at the same time I'm not blown away by it...
All said, VVVVVV is a very good game experience for the most part targeted at a very specific segment of the market...