Justin Nation's Reviews
The greatest strength the game has is the diversity of variations it throws at you, with new wrinkles and variations in almost every level...
I think one of the keys to enjoying The Escapists 2 is understanding both what it is and isn’t. If you approach it like a sandbox game you’ll be able to have some fun for a while simply going through the daily prison routine, and it can be interesting for a while, but that won’t generally advance you towards escape. It all revolves around looking for anything unusual in the circumstances you find yourself in that will provide an opportunity, scanning your crafting list for anything that stands out, and then putting together your means of escape through trial and error. If the game would organically provide tips on what you’ll want or need to do through the grapevine, or as a reward for turning in favors (or even money) it may not have always been quite as aggravating. Without a doubt it is a unique title and for people who enjoy challenging themselves with something different it should deliver, you just may want to look at a strategy guide if you’re feeling lost.
Unfortunately, there’s just so much going on that is actively wrong with the game I would end up calling my time with it excruciating...
In general, as you progress through levels and try to gain stars for completing them quickly, none of this is terribly difficult and roughly plays out to a formula...
All said, for the price of admission, Red Game Without a Great Name has more to offer than its lacking title would imply. With the likely frustration factor as you get further in it seems mostly suited to playing in shorter bursts, the levels are generally very quick to either complete or fail at before it takes you right back into the action again. If you enjoy some challenge and undoubtedly some aggravation in your gaming, it's not a bad budget title to check out.
Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that's also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you're looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.
Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that's also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you're looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.
As you may have gathered I’m not at all a fan of Rock ‘N Racing Grand Prix and I absolutely cannot recommend it to anyone as it gets the fundamentals of a racing game so wrong. On pretty well every critical level the game is lacking, provoking more frustration than anything else when trying to play it. This is a game that probably wouldn’t even be fit to be scrapped for parts.
Bloody Zombies will represent a few hours of moderate fun for people who enjoy the classic beat-em-up style. Certainly playing with some friends would likely help to enhance the experience but if you’re up for a challenge you can go it alone as well. Just be warned that its controls don’t quite feel as if they’re ready for prime time and once you adapt to how things work you should be able to have some fun with it.
What it will all boil down to with Pic-a-Pix Deluxe is whether you’re a big fan of this style of puzzle game or not. If you’ve consistently enjoyed the Picross series, or games like it, there’s seemingly nothing here to hold you back. If nothing else the variety of having both traditional black and white puzzles mixed with multi-color puzzles really changes up the challenge and makes for some great variety. If you love a good puzzle game the planned continued support for the this on top of the already-substantial base of 300 puzzles to start should make it a good investment.
For its few hours of playtime Guns, Gore and Cannoli delivers precisely what its title suggests, though not much more. It’s a bit more of a challenge taking it all on by yourself, and certainly with some friends the carnage can be more fun as a group experience. While its memory probably won’t linger with you for a long time it’s still a fun diversion if you’re looking for some arcade-style shooting action… and ZOMBIES!
Overall, Stikbold is an engaging multiplayer game that has some wild action and distinguishes itself with a great idea in the form of the Wheel of Rumpus mode. While the Story Mode isn’t terribly long it is quite a lot of fun and it’s great that you have the option to either tackle it alone or with a friend. Results will vary depending on your group but if you like chaotic and raucous fun to get people laughing it sets the table for a good time.
As a whole Blossom Tales really shines on the Nintendo Switch and easily inspires nostalgia for Nintendo’s classic franchise. Carefully doing just enough to be different but not deviating too far from the games that inspired it somehow manages to carefully walk the tightrope effectively. Ultimately I see both it and Ittle Dew 2+ being two equal sides of the same reverent coin, offering their own takes on Link to the Past. I’d consider both to be worth your time, in the case of Blossom Tales it is just far more direct a copy of the formula rather than merely being inspired by it, but the quality of the execution makes it stand on its own regardless.
All in all if you’re a casual gaming fan Sparkle Unleashed is an affordable title that is well-executed and offers quite a lot of content for the price of admission. While it is a variant on games already out there on other platforms as always 10 Tons has managed to ensure they put their own stamp on it and it and it is one of the few casual games of this kind on the Switch. If you’re looking for something to help you unwind with on the couch it is an excellent choice.
Despite a reasonably strong sense of style in the art and audio departments The Coma: Recut simply doesn’t do enough over its few hours of play time to clearly make it worth your time. There will, no doubt, be people who find that it delivers that little dose of adrenaline they need, and that the characters and story are just interesting enough to redeem the generally mundane exploration, but for me it mostly it bordered on being tedious. If you can become invested quickly in the characters and limited story it may keep your attention but otherwise Recut simply fails to inspire.
Overall while Heart & Slash has some issues, the most concerning being that it is currently a bit crash-prone, it does a fairly good job of applying roguelike concepts to a brawler. While permadeath is obviously a guarantee the fact that you can carry over upgrades between games is a great benefit and since you’re consistently rewarded with new gear unlocks you’re heavily encouraged to continue to take on fights that are tough. If you love a stiff challenge and are willing to be patient with it Heart & Slash does pay off with some hard-won fun.
Overall I found that Max’s mix of play styles and moderate level of challenge made for an enjoyable romp. Puzzle-solving generally is of the kind that makes you feel pretty smart when you work out what you need to do and there generally seems to be a little room for variation on how you may approach things at times. Overall if you’re looking for a solid adventure with a blend of things to do it is easy to recommend.
In the end The Deer God plays out as an odd collection of concepts that just aren’t working together in harmony. Blend this with a spiritual theme that generally seems to be discarded quickly aside from things like when you die with bad karma you can come back as something like a porcupine and it is hard to really put a finger on what the design goals and final messages for the game are. Perhaps it is meant to be profound and leave you to ponder the question yourself further? For me I just decided to move onto something else.
As a whole The Next Penelope looks like a racer but plays out in a way that blends in elements of adventure and relies on strategy in a variety of ways. If you’re struggling in a particular level the issue will usually revolve around over-use of your powers and running too low on energy so judicious use of both should always be on your mind. While it may not be an experience for everyone if you’ve been looking for something different to throw several hours of unexpected challenges at you The Next Penelope delivers.
In the end Troopers offers a fair amount of content that will likely have its fans, it’s just that those people are probably not the same ones who enjoy the more intense examples of the genre already on the Switch. There’s fun to be had here and across the multiple campaigns in the game you’ll be asked to survive a fair variety of mission types even if most are just asking you to shoot things ultimately. If you’re down for a slower-paced and enjoy getting a chance to blow some stuff up, and don’t mind doing a bit of grinding along the way, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops XL may be a good fit for you.