Justin Nation's Reviews
While Earth Wars isn’t a high concept title the level of quality it manages at its price point still makes it well worth checking out. If you don’t mind grinding away a bit to improve your gear to then take on some slightly tougher enemies and slowly make your way through missions and bosses it can be pretty satisfying. As long as you keep your expectation in check and fair it’s a pretty decent game to kill some time with in handheld mode while doing something else, and I can generally get behind that.
Overall there’s nothing outright wrong with Aperion Cyberstorm but it also isn’t terribly inspiring, despite the obvious effort put into the game’s multiple modes. It is a serviceable shooter and can provide a fair test of your ability, but for veterans looking to be challenged there are better options available on the console. If you have friends you’d like to play with and against the game’s value rises a bit, though again depending on your collective tastes and experience it may not provide much longevity. However, if you’re a bit more of a novice when it comes to twin-stick shooters and are looking for an opportunity to progressively learn the ropes of the genre it may be a great fit.
All said Atomik isn’t a very complicated game, it simply sets the stage for its mechanics and then explores them to their fullest. For it being so simple an idea on paper it is actually remarkable how much is done with it, and in general on each world new wrinkles and variations are added to the mix to differentiate them. Depending on how many spheres you’re determined to collect you can essentially control the difficulty yourself and if you find you’re in need of more spheres you can always choose to go back for more later. Set up very well for quick pick up and play game sessions it’s a great fit for the Switch.
While Mercenary Kings admirably takes some risks to try and create a different kind of experience, and blend together the traditional with the more contemporary, unfortunately the result is a bit muddled. The good news is that for people searching for something different in their shooters, and who are willing to invest the time to get things going, the further you get into the game the more fun it gets to be. If, however, you’re looking for a quick fix of any kind or thirst for an arcade-like experience you’ll be sorely disappointed. If you’re interested in it be sure to read up and look around to be sure it will suit you.
Where the warning signs begin to crop up is that Mercenary Kings demands that you make an investment of time and effort, with a fair amount of grinding, before it will really get rolling...
Possibly the most aggravating aspect of the game, especially when you pair it with the relative difficulty of dealing with the controls, is the way the save system works out...
I think the decision point with a game like Night in the Woods revolves around how much reality you want in your games. If you’re looking purely for an escape, to turn your mind off and simply enjoy yourself, Night in the Woods very much won’t be for you… at all. If, instead, you view games through the lens of entertainment that can also have something to say or to reveal to you about people who may be living very different lives than you I would absolutely say you should check it out. I don’t know that I’ve ever played a game with characters that remind me so much of my own children, some of their struggles, and how sometimes people’s traits being positives or negatives can be very heavily driven by perspective and context. I can’t think of any game I’ve played in quite some time that made me reflect on as many things as Night in the Woods has, and if you’re open to the experience I’d highly recommend it.
Ultimately, even getting on in years a bit, Steamworld Dig still works very well and is almost immediately as addictive as it ever was once you get the ball rolling. The “just one more run” feeling doesn’t have quite as strong a drive as with its sequel, where there are far more things you’re hoping to unlock, but it is still a highly satisfying experience that is well-implemented. Ultimately priced as a budget title it offers a great time for a reasonable investment.
In the end Brawl isn't necessarily a bad game, it's just a hodge podge of ideas that individually may work but somehow when they're mashed together it doesn't seem to congeal.
Overall Her Majesty's SPIFFING was a pleasant surprise, full of cracking humor and some suitably absurd puzzle-solving. It may feel a bit on the short side but given its price the length is fair and I would prefer it over too soon rather than overstaying its welcome. For people searching for a game that is light, not terribly demanding, and can just be enjoyed for quite a few hours it's pretty easy to recommend.
While the road to the best challenges were a bit tedious, my brain found the rapid pattern recognition and rule application of Nuclien very satisfying over the course of the few hours it took to complete everything. This is in no way a high-concept game; it is simply the full exploration of a relatively simple idea. If you're looking for something a bit different that will test your ability to quickly recognize numbers and patterns it can be quite an engrossing activity while it lasts.
Two pretty standard tactical considerations in strategy games, that I suppose don’t jibe with a game where you’re driving vehicles, are angle of attack and use of cover...
At the end of the day Sky Force Reloaded is a gorgeous and challenging arcade shooter, and is among the most impressive on the Switch. Its looks are top-notch, it offers a significant degree of challenge for shmup fans, and its controls are buttery-smooth. Just be prepared to invest in the game for the long-term if you really want to see all it has to offer, which doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I just feel like the game could and should perhaps ease up the throttle, at least early on, to give people a few unlocks to better see what’s possible earlier on so they don’t necessarily give up before seeing much of what the game has to offer.
In terms of some issues there are some rough edges worth being aware of...
Overall Her Majesty’s SPIFFING was a pleasant surprise, full of cracking humor and some suitably absurd puzzle-solving. It may feel a bit on the short side but given its price the length is fair and I would prefer it over too soon rather than overstaying its welcome. For people searching for a game that is light, not terribly demanding, and can just be enjoyed for quite a few hours it’s pretty easy to recommend.
If you’re unfamiliar this style of puzzle game centers on filling in a pixel grid with a variety of colors to create a low-res picture of sorts...
Overall I think the style of play will either be something that appeals to you and sounds fun or may not be quite what you’re looking for. The more familiarity you have with classic games like Choplifter and some others the more nostalgia will likely help keep your interest, but without that kind of pull I could see the missions getting a bit repetitive after a while. Among the many shooters now on the Switch it has a play style all its own, you’ll just need to determine if it is a good fit for you.
What it boils down to is whether you're looking for something light, silly, and generally pressure-free to enjoy for a reasonably low price. If this all looks and sounds like something of interest I'd say it is wonderfully varied and probably has more content than you'll complete anytime soon. If you like applied geometry and physics, some tricky puzzle scenarios, and a dose of silliness, Tennis in the Face isn't a grand slam but it plays a respectable game nonetheless.
In the end it’s the difficulty and unpredictability at the core of the game that will either make it incredibly appealing to you or rightfully scare you away. There’s no glory without challenge and sacrifice and when you manage even small victories in Darkest Dungeon they can feel terrific. Sadly, even when you carefully manage your resources and try to keep your accumulated rotation of characters in good shape you’ll need to accept that any happy thoughts and feelings are often fleeting. One particularly bad mission can cripple even your AAA team if enough manages to go wrong and while you can pay to remedy afflictions the cost will make you think it over very carefully. It’s both thrilling and depressing and captures the essence of what makes roguelikes so interesting all at once. If you’re a fan of this style of play it is an easy recommendation but if you’ve not dipped your toe in the pool yet this may be a bit deeper an end to jump into than most so you’ve been warned.
In the end Nightmare Boy offers up something thoroughly different from a visual standpoint and it can be quite challenging, just not always for the right reasons either. If you give it some time it does pick up momentum and you can get into a groove but when you hit the spots where you’re not sure where you’re going things understandably drag quite a bit. Probably only recommended for the most die-hard Metroidvania fans who have blown through what’s already available on the system, show patience with Nightmare Boy and some fun can be had with it.