Justin Nation's Reviews
Aside from the pacing and lack of things like active combat that may not be for everyone the up and down of being at the mercy of the RNG gods would probably be the most frustrating aspect of the experience. While you can get on a hot streak one critical skill roll missed can also snowball into disaster. You will have the opportunity to resurrect your character 3 times at least, spawning at the last bench you sat and rested at, though in the latter half of the game you’ll find their frequency gets to be pretty limited. If you’re down for a challenge, and find the prospect of exploring the many branching paths the mountain offers across various characters, each altering the experience a bit, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain delivers an authentic digital tabletop experience.
If you’re looking for something full of thrills and excitement that you can play for hours upon end REIGNS will disappoint you. If, however, you’re looking for something pretty light and fun with an average play session lasting less than 10 minutes (sometimes much less) REIGNS is absolutely a terrific option. With enough humor, variety, and surprises to last you some time it may not have the appearance of a game with great depth but after just a few runthroughs you’ll likely see the brilliance that helps make it interesting and unique on Switch.
If you’re looking for something that has a clever base premise and some pretty engaging dialogue to work through Stay is a fresh experience. If, however, you’re not much of a fan of philosophical discussion and exploring someone’s regrets it may end up instead feeling tedious. While Stay is hardly perfect it seems well-suited to playing on the Switch and dares to be different among much more familiar and safe titles in the eShop.
What it comes down to in the end is that Wasteland 2 is an excellent RPG that plays completely differently than anything else on the system. The degree of control you have over dictating the skills and perks tied to each of your squad members goes far beyond what can be done in other titles and though this can be overwhelming it also guarantees that nobody is likely to experience the game in quite the same way. Just understand that this is a bit of a compromised experience, and while the developers have done an admirable job of trying to make it as viable as possible on the Switch the interface can be cumbersome at times and even aggravating. However, if you thirst to explore a post-Apocalyptic world and all of the challenges and violence that can entail it’s still well worth checking out.
Overall, while I can appreciate some aspects of what the developers set out to do Defunct seems to be rushed or possibly just given up on. When everything clicks, you get your speed up, and you’re jumping around it has its moments of fun. Unfortunately, those are few and far between with the bulk of your time spent trying to slowly get around, cursing the weird movement and jumping physics, and hitting performance hitches. Perhaps with more work Defunct could have been a better game but in its current state the title can practically double as a one word review.
Putting these two halves together The Spectrum Retreat is a surprising treat, with both elements of the gameplay motivating me to get further so I could understand or solve more. While I wish there were more room for discovery in the hotel sequences I suppose the deliberate and slow doling out of clues keeps the revelations around what’s happening at a specific pace. I will say that some of the backtracking through the hotel got tedious when there wasn’t anything of value to do along the way, but it usually didn’t waste too much time. Right through the game’s conclusion I was pretty satisfied with the experience and would love to see more titles with this pairing of gameplay styles in the future.
At the end of the day this is an electronic version of a game you could already play anywhere at any time with just a deck of cards handy. That said, the pre-made nature of the game’s 100 sets removes the randomness and when combined with an ability to undo your moves the game takes on a feel of a puzzle game at times as well. A lack of touch support is disappointing but not necessarily crippling, the result is a title that’s nice as an option but not obviously something most gamers are likely to be thrilled to check out.
Taking a crack at improving a classic can always be a tough business but finding a smart way to combine two takes some creativity. For the most part I’d consider that effort a success and for the right crowd Doughlings: Arcade should be a fun and even somewhat challenging ride. A mix of skill and strategy is necessary, especially as you get on in levels, and small but smart touches like the level coming to an end once you’ve cleared the majority of pieces remove the classic frustration of trying to get rid of the last 2 or 3 bricks on the screen. If you’ve been looking for a fresh take on some classics it’s a solid choice.
While it seems like the developers behind Senran Kagura Reflexions have met their goals for the experience they’ve delivered it’s hard as someone who isn’t already familiar with the series to take in. With only the most bare amount of actual gameplay it’s more of an odd virtual girlfriend simulator than anything else but even then there’s not much variety here. The hook to continued play really just ends up being a chance to unlock more costumes and accessories but that’s about it. If this sounds like your cup of tea, more power to you, but for anyone who isn’t already on board it’s probably not something you’ll want to just randomly pick up.
I’d consider this to be very much a love or hate kind of title with very little room in the middle. Either you’ll embrace the lack of direction and wonky controls, enjoying the ridiculousness this inevitably prompts, or you’ll get turned off by it all very quickly. The control implementation on Switch I don’t think does anything to help matters as none of the schemes are quite imprecisely precisely enough to keep it further on the wacky fun side rather than the head-bangingly aggravating side. If you’re inclined to give it a go be sure to come in with an open mind and a fair amount of patience.
While people with access to other systems may well have played Bastion before since it's been around for a number of years, it still is absolutely a great title that doesn't feel at all dated on the Switch...
Overall Planet Alpha is an interesting adventure that takes you across (and under) a visually diverse and interesting planet. It can be hard to appreciate as you dash by it, sometimes while being fired at, but it's obvious a lot of care was put into making this feel like a real place complete with ecosystems and a variety of life forms both benign and aggressive. While it isn't a terribly long experience I'd say it stays just ahead of the curve for exhausting its ideas completely, making it a generally well-paced and simply different experience.
Aside from the consistently silly characters and overall sense of light humor there’s not much more to tell than this about Ninjin: A Clash of Carrots. It is a game that is very clear in what it is shooting for and it not only does a fine job of getting there, I’d say it crushes it out of the park. While there are certainly more weighty and brutal beat-em-ups on the system the quick and charming gameplay of Ninjin absolutely stands alone on the system. Especially if you have a friend to party up with, this is a great title to simply enjoy.
Given the pace of the combat, the length of the many cutscenes, a meaty campaign, expanded additional content, and myriad options for managing your party this is a massive game. That said, the volume is only a positive if it can keep your interest and given the plodding nature of things I can’t see it appealing to everyone. Certainly in the AAA arena something like Kingdom Battle is more fun and engaging, and now on the indie side you’ve got quicker and tighter titles like Into the Breach now closing in from the other side. However, if you’re a bit fan of this style of strategic RPG combat and are into its great art and while not minding its somewhat boilerplate characters and dialogue there’s plenty for you to enjoy.
All in all Moonfall Ultimate just isn’t a lot of fun as its most critical feature, its combat, is too dull and uninspired to solicit many thrills at all. Contrasting with the classic Golden Axe, which it set its sights on, there isn’t a flow to your attacks and the action simply isn’t dynamic enough. Engaging in an armored slap fight of sorts where you can’t feel the impact of your mighty blows really sucks the life out of the experience. Paired with a solo experience that is more frustrating than ultimately rewarding and it’s tough to recommend, though at least if you can play with a friend there’s greater hope of it being a better experience simply because then you could enjoy some mildly tactical play.
By no means is Sigi a perfect or even great platformer, but given its humble aspirations (and price) it’s a pretty decent experience from start to finish. There’s some weapon variety, surprises, and the elements it borrows from a few different series are smart but never derivative. If you’re feeling in the mood for a quick and satisfying bite of greasy video game fast food Sigi is a decent guilty pleasure.
If you’re not a major tactical strategy fan you’ll probably feel a bit overwhelmed by the challenge Into the Breach poses, but if this is your wheelhouse it should absolutely satisfy. While less elaborate than the likes of Kingdom Battle the pacing and style are also probably better suited to play on the go or enjoyment in quick bursts since most maps are about surviving a set number of turns rather than having to eliminate all threats. While it isn’t likely appropriate for a mainstream audience with its steep learning curve fans of strategy games will likely enjoy this addition to the Switch library.
For the most part I’d consider this a novelty title whose biggest draw is its classic SF2-esque presentation. The thing is, it doesn’t take very long to burn out that being interesting, so unless you’re really looking for a one-game gambling title for the Switch there’s likely not much here to explore and enjoy. For serious Blackjack or Street Fighter II fans only, and perhaps even then only if you’re both.
What I think the game gets absolutely right is the balanced combination of speed sections, more traditional platforming and exploration, and some great boss battles. Rather than simply being derivative the result feels more like the game I’d always wished Sonic could be. If you’re a big Sonic fan it’s absolutely worth checking out, and even if you’re not you may find it surprising.
As a whole my problem with Fall of Light is that there’s such an abundance of titles on the Switch of all kinds that are simply implemented better, making it tough to recommend with any enthusiasm. If you’re thirsty for a challenge there are plenty of options, and ones where you’ll feel like you have far more control over your outcome. I suppose there will be an audience based on the fact that this is meant to appeal to the Dark Souls crowd while they wait for its arrival on Switch but too often the challenge I had in the game was tied to its poor mechanics rather than by design.