Justin Nation's Reviews
Even with as many twin-stick shooters there already are on the Switch Tachyon Project manages to distinguish itself both with its story mode structure and its level of challenge. For the most part this is a great thing for shooter fans but if you tend to only dabble perhaps you may find yourself in over your head after a few levels. Throw in the many upgrade combinations you can choose to play with to refine your ship’s style to suit your preferences and it is a great addition to any shooting fans’ Switch library.
If the only issue was the game’s generally lackluster combat a case could be made that everything comes down to tastes but unfortunately the problems don’t really stop there...
While in the early going the game will feel almost painfully simple for each new group of levels you unlock new concepts will be introduced and the degree of challenge will typically make a considerable jump...
Sporting a very retro 8-bit art kind of vibe and a synthesized voice that shot me through a time warp to simpler times of playing classic games like Track and Field (really, that voice makes me want to cry it is so perfect) the style of play is very eclectic...
While not a game I formally reviewed for the system this is one of those titles that can't be omitted since it is both terrifically challenging and very accessible with loads of options to make the difficulty more within your reach...
In the end ChromaGun is an interesting perspective (quite literally) on a puzzle game and offers a series of clever challenges that will test your planning and patience. If you’re able to appreciate the details of presentation for what they are rather than perhaps what they were aimed to be that will also help greatly. While it isn’t quite on target, for puzzle fans looking for some variety it delivers something unique on the Switch.
While it doesn’t take too long before your choices begin to feel like repeats the highly affordable price tag makes it feel like a pretty square deal. Running about the same price as a movie rental an expectation of depth could be unfair, instead it is just a satisfying bite of fun for a while, especially if you have some friends who are game to join in on the experience. Prompting some giggles and demonstrating a bit more strategy than I initially gave it credit for it’s a very niche game that does a good job of providing a very different experience.
The theming and phrases having a more entertainment-oriented vibe does differentiate the two games a bit and adds personality to the proceedings but there’s still no getting around that, like the original, this isn’t likely a long-term game. What’s great is that it is priced accordingly so if you keep your play sessions from getting too long and space out play a little bit you can probably keep it from feeling quite so repetitive longer. The fact that this is a pretty unique game experience also helps to add to the giggles and low price to make it worth considering for some budget-friendly entertainment.
All said Shu is an absolutely gorgeous game that can likely be enjoyed by gamers of all skill levels as long as they’re ready to challenge themselves. The darkness phases can all be beaten if you’re patient and work out how to cut corners to save time, so even if you feel a little overwhelmed at first some commitment should get you through in the end. I do wish the challenge were more evenly distributed and there were tangible rewards for bothering to collect everything but overall Shu is a solid platforming experience.
If you’ve not played Tennis in the Face and this sounds like it could be fun for the most part the choice between the two would boil down to taste and theming preferences, they’re both fun and challenging, and most people wouldn’t likely notice many differences. That’s not to say they aren’t fun, they’re both great time-wasters when you’re just looking for a distraction for a little while. If you’ve generally enjoyed simple physics games on your mobile phone like Angry Bird and others it is certainly worth checking out.
Ultimately Revised has its merits and can work but it sort of shoots itself in the foot in places in terms of engaging and hooking new players in for the ride. If you take your time, show patience, and stick with the system you’ll begin to expand and improve your vehicle, add to your crew, and see a number of more interesting things as you progress. Just be warned that the game isn’t so much outright hard in terms of difficulty as it can be a bit tedious in stretches as you try to accumulate what you need to progress, and you’ll always need to keep an eye on your food and fuel or you’ll meet with a nasty fate.
InnerSpace absolutely won’t be a game that everyone will enjoy. People seeking action and intensity will be sorely disappointed by this relatively “boring” experience that reveals itself with a slow and deliberate pace. If you are someone who feels a need for a constant beacon guiding you to your next task you will also likely find the freedom the game affords aggravating. If you’re someone who expects perfect performance it is worth noting that at times these large open spaces and details can make the framerate drag a bit. If, however, you are looking for something completely different, gorgeous, and full of a certain sense of calm and serenity there’s absolutely nothing like it on the platform.
Overall while its pacing can and excitement can wane at times World to the West is an engaging and creative take on the top-down adventure. There are some very unique and inventive puzzles to solve, light combat sequences peppered about, and plain satisfying gameplay when it all comes together. If you’ve been looking for your next adventure fix World to the West is a trip worth taking.
While the road to the game becoming more challenging was 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.
As someone who originally played Super Meat Boy years ago, and has played games that have iterated on it since, I can say there’s still nothing that quite captures everything it does right. It feels fabulous on the Switch, it’s still as tough as ever, and the rewarding feeling when you conquer a tough-as-balls level never fails to put a smile on my face. If you’ve never indulged this may be the best platform to play it on as you can take it anywhere, and if you’ve played it before it’s well worth taking a return trip to Paintown, population: You.
Taking in the big pixelated picture Puzzle Box Maker is a niche title that’s important to have available as an option in the Switch library. There’s absolutely nothing quite like it on the system and that makes it both a major risk and refreshing to see. Conceivably there’s a never-ending amount of content possible with it, you just need to be very aware of the limits of what is capable of. If you’d like to explore your creative side and be able to experience your art in a unique way, or particularly if you’re raising a younger gamer who still isn’t quite ready for prime time, this could be a great title to explore.
Overall I’ve found it difficult to score Gunhouse. One the one hand I really like its unusual art style and appreciate the fact that it is doing something very different. On the other though I do enjoy playing it I don’t personally quite find it as addictive as I would have hoped either. I’m not positive what about the game isn’t clicking for me but having spoken to other people giving it a shot it seems there’s a mix of folks who adore it and those like me who can’t find fault but also aren’t sucked in by it. All games have an element of an acquired taste to them and in this case I find myself roughly in the middle of the road. It offers a unique challenge and its implemented quite well, but at the same time the price may be a tad high and the puzzle mechanic will have to click for you to ultimately be successful. If you’re a puzzle game fan looking for something different I’d say give a variety of reviews and videos of the game a look and try to size up the situation for yourself.
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. There’s obviously been effort to inject some personality into things but at the same time what makes each character distinct ends up detracting a bit from the ease of handing someone a controller and having some fun. With the voice work it’s also obvious that the single-player story mode had some investment but the glorified tutorials with somewhat bland play and wonky AI failed to leave a very positive impression. Just from top to bottom the overall effort plays out as pretty average, though its stuttering periodic performance issues make it more difficult to redeem.
If you’re a fan of this style of gameplay since it has a very affordable asking price it may not be a bad match. Simply understand it is what it is, nothing less and nothing more. If this type of puzzle isn’t your thing it absolutely will do nothing to change your mind. It works, but it is a pretty dull affair all around… just at a budget price.
All said Furi could have easily coasted with its looks while delivering far less. Its presentation is outstanding and its combat is much more challenging, and yet generally fair, than anything I’ve played in a long while. If you’ve been feeling that games are too easy and repetitive Furi does an admirable job of breaking the typical mold, and it is an experience quite unlike anything else available on the Switch. Just be ready for some frustration, it doesn’t hold back.