Justin Nation's Reviews
While I can't emphasize the level of challenge Rive will present to you enough for people who relish the experience of dying and trying to do better the next time there's no question it delivers...
As with my review of DOOM before it you'll notice that to this point I haven't brought up the Switch itself in regards to the game and that's for good reason...
As with my review of DOOM before it you’ll notice that to this point I haven’t brought up the Switch itself in regards to the game and that’s for good reason. Aside from some unique features it brings to the game in the form of some Amiibo support (which awaits you roughly mid-game in a prominent area), motion controls that you may enjoy or not care for, and the ability to take the game anywhere there’s not a lot to say. The reason for that is in this equation the Switch only seems to have pluses and no discernable minuses. The conversion of Skyrim is, for all practical purposes, a flawless one from the time I’ve spent in the game. The details are crisp, the performance has no signs of hiccups or slowdown, and despite being run on a tablet-sized device with much more modest memory capacity than larger consoles or PCs there seem to be no compromises in sight. The only edge would go to the PC version for its readily-available mod support that can help you alter the game in some substantial ways, but in the case of the Switch the ability to play it anywhere in style more than offsets that sacrifice and even arguably makes it a superior version to the other consoles. Despite its age Skyrim is just as rich and robust a game experience as it ever was, and the fact that it can be played on a portable device is a technical achievement worthy of some praise. Congratulations to the team at Nintendo for making versatile hardware capable of this feat and to Bethesda for having both the vision and expertise to pull this off and to set the bar so high for the other major publishers.
It may just take some tweaks but collisions are inevitable in the game and can royally screw you up, more than I'd expect. This can detract from some of the fun of the tracks that overlap themselves and that's a shame. While there are some positives to be had in the game it's also quirky enough that it's tough to recommend.
The more you stick to the story, though shortening the experience, the more refined and finished Morphite feels. If you stray too far off the path the game makes a fine attempt to make play rewarding but unfortunately the rough edges also tend to take more definition. While it may not be fully realized if you walk in with modest expectations set and a desire for some exploration Morphite is a decent game to give a try.
In the end RiME is a game with lovely massive environments, a very appealing art style, and terrific music that together help build a strong base for an engaging experience. The implementation of the exploration and puzzles I would say is likely to boil down to taste, with some people appreciating the lack of a firm hand guiding you everywhere and others finding some elements needlessly confusing. While I appreciate the story the game set out to tell I’d say that it didn’t quite carry the impact it might have if I’d come to have a stronger connection to the main character, who generally doesn’t have a personality to latch onto. That all then ends up being mired in the game’s technical shortcomings as well. RiME is a game full of ambitions and promise, it just doesn’t quite deliver it all as well on the Switch as it might have. If you’re looking for an ambitious adventure I’d first recommend it on another platform but if you don’t have that option just understand the issues going in and you should still be able to thoroughly enjoy it.
What will likely either attract people to Octodad or scare them away will be its unorthodox control and style of play. If you’re looking for a serious challenge with tight controls and impeccable level design you will very much come away disappointed. If, however, you’re open to the experience and the humor of it all Octodad is an excellent representation of the genre as a whole and plays very well as a handheld game to boot. If you’re looking for a major change of pace on the Switch Octodad will be happy to help you out with that!
Keeping in mind the budget price of admission Rock ‘N Racing Off-Road DX is a tough one to call. It makes fair attempts at providing some variety with multiple track layouts mixed with jumps and uneven terrain but at the same time racing physics being tricky at times can make for unintended challenges. While there is likely an element of personal taste to control in the 5 vehicles I found that the Highlander class (the first you’ll unlock) to be far superior to most everything else in terms of overall performance and handling. It may just take some tweaks but collisions are inevitable in the game and can royally screw you up, more than I’d expect. This can detract from some of the fun of the tracks that overlap themselves and that’s a shame. While there are some positives to be had in the game it’s also quirky enough that it’s tough to recommend.
Thankfully, in the end the elements that don’t work as well are greatly outnumbered by what Itte Dew 2+ gets right. Its dungeons are absolutely a loving answer to the call put out by classic Zelda fans who’ve been itching for some cleverly-constructed puzzles in the classic vein. The length is also worth the price of admission (and if you get it physically it comes with a great classic manual and a map as well), including the base 8 dungeon experience as well as a host of additional dungeons you can complete for collector’s cards in the added Dream World that will push your skills even further. Overall, Ittle Dew 2+ was a very pleasant surprise and is, without a doubt, the best homage to classic Zelda gaming on the Switch!
You’ll notice that over the course of the review thus far the focus hasn’t been on how the game performs on the Switch, and moreso just generally on what it offers, and there’s a good reason for that. DOOM has done something I think most people would have considered impossible a year ago, bringing a full-featured AAA gaming experience to a device that you can take anywhere. That isn’t to say that it didn’t need to make compromises to work on the hardware and to avoid filling your SD card, but having played this on a high-end PC I am in awe of how few concessions you are able to perceive on the Switch. Visually it isn’t quite as jaw-dropping but the flow of the game is as smooth and solid as it is anywhere aside from a very limited number of hitches I ran into over hours of play. DOOM has come to the Switch not as a hamstrung and watered-down port but as a top-of-the-line experience that can be taken anywhere, and it is worthy of your attention.
The question will be whether you'll want to stick out the ride long enough to enjoy it all. That will ultimately come down to tastes, what you're looking for, and how you're planning to play the game. Using it to fill gaps in your day 15 minutes at a time would probably be great, playing for hours at a time probably not so much.
DOOM has done something I think most people would have considered impossible a year ago, bringing a full-featured AAA gaming experience to a device that you can take anywhere...
Overall I’m actually very impressed with Tallowmere and would recommend it strongly to any roguelike fans out there looking for a great way to spend some time on something a bit light but still challenging. In many regards, though the style of play is very different, it reminds me of Quest of Dungeons, a sort of gem of a title hidden in an unassuming package. If you like your opponents and your loot drops random, your average run to end in utter disaster, and to constantly feel like you’re on top only to have the rug pulled out from under you Tallowmere delivers a high-quality challenge at a budget price.
Overall, Spellspire is a nice game to knock around casually while you’re either in-between things or possibly doing something else like watch TV. It is challenging, will keep your brain firing to figure out all of the possible words your set of letters has to offer, and provides you with some opportunities for strategy as well. While lefties and the vocabulary or spelling-challenged may want to think twice about it 10 Tons has brought over yet another quality casual title to fill out the Switch line-up.
It almost goes without saying that Farm Simulator is a pretty heavily niche title that isn’t likely for everyone. If you have a real appreciation for sandbox games that free you to generally do things your own way and you don’t mind the often limited pace there’s some enjoyment to be had. If you have a real itch for the farming life, and gaining an understanding of some of the everyday work involved, you may find it interesting.
I think the game’s title of Perception works out to have a double meaning, obviously concerning your main character’s lack of sight, but it also applies well to whether you’re likely to enjoy the game as a whole. 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.
While this is very much a genre game there’s very little, overall, I can say that’s negative about it. The gameplay is challenging and though from song to song the level of complexity can change significantly at times you can’t accuse it of not setting the bar high. With some repetition and practice, just like with classic games like Guitar Hero in the past, even the most insane-looking songs can be conquered. It’s possible people could balk at the asking price, which is pretty high, but I’d argue that the load of 68 generally diverse tracks you’re getting in the game are what that brings to the table and it’s just a practical reality when you want to have great music as part of the experience. If you’re a big music and rhythm game fan, and don’t completely abhor J-Pop tunes, I have few hesitations to recommending it.
Morphite is a game with high ambitions and while you can see many of the elements needed to meet them not everything gels fully almost across the board. The low-poly environments can certainly lack detail and textures but that shouldn’t mean that so much of the space you explore is barren. While some of the larger creatures are impressive they also have a tendency to clip through walls and have some other complications. Boss fights are interspersed and a nice challenge but patience mixed with even your pea shooter is usually the solution to all problems so strategic combat never really comes into play. The more you stick to the story, though shortening the experience, the more refined and finished Morphite feels. If you stray too far off the path the game makes a fine attempt to make play rewarding but unfortunately the rough edges also tend to take more definition. While it may not be fully realized if you walk in with modest expectations set and a desire for some exploration Morphite is a decent game to give a try.
Keeping in mind price, presentation, and the amount of content in Maria the Witch is appropriate and even pretty compelling. What it will likely come down to to the individual player will be the control and the pretty unforgiving big picture level design. Controlling Maria’s thrust and momentum, in particular, when needing to pause or maneuver can be a bit maddening, especially when paired with her pretty wide turn radius when looping. It just never feels very tight, though I’d imagine that’s the idea. Pairing that with a checkpoint system that can be hit and miss in sections you’ll either enjoy and embrace the challenge Maria the Witch presents or just move on and find something else to play since that’s all there is to the game.
Overall Monster Jam: Crush It is a hot mess of a game that is coming to eShop in a state that’s simply baffling. While on paper the license mixed with the various modes sounds like a lot of fun the execution of not just the graphics but the overall gameplay makes it feel more like a game from a previous generation… and I’m not only talking about the previous one. It’s really hard not to believe that this has been slapped together and is being sent out to market to simply ride on the assumption that Monster Truck fans, and more likely their parents, will buy it on sight. That’s a shame and especially when you throw the $40 asking price onto the package Crush It is a disappointment.