Justin Nation's Reviews
All told a game like Volgarr the Viking will either immediately appeal to your gaming sensibilities and desire to be challenged or it won't...
No matter how you may choose to play it I think Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime has a lot going for it both in terms of challenges and fun. Whether you need to exercise your ability to maintain strong team dynamics or to figure out the best strategies for you and your AI pet to be the most successful there are opportunities for both success and failure everywhere. Whether it is trying to get things right the first time by the seat of your pants or failing, regrouping, and coming back with an even better plan of attack there aren’t pressing stakes to worry about. You’re just trying to have fun with the situation being presented to you and to make the most of it. I think it is the light-hearted nature of Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime I like the most and though it probably better realizes its potential the more people you have to play it with there’s still a satisfying experience to be had alone if that’s how you roll as well. Recommended!
Overall I’m not trying to be negative about Golf Story so much as trying to clearly point out for people where the stumbling blocks are so they can see them coming and not let their high expectations get the best of them. This is an excellent golfing RPG with much more working in its favor than against it. It is full of humor, strange and quirky missions, and a lot of above-average though not perfect golf. When it is at its best it is an absolute joy to play but unfortunately when those moments fade it can make you reflect a little more on the moments where it begins to feel more ordinary. I would gladly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great games, enthusiastically if they enjoy classic 3-click golf. Just it is also important not to come into the game expecting a revolution, perhaps we can hope for it to get to that level in a sequel.
Pankapu does seem to try to compensate with carrots to go with that stick in the form of the gorgeous artwork, glimpses of some greater story that you’ll want to fully reveal, and a pretty abundant amount of lore. Unfortunately those are mere baby carrots against practically a redwood tree full of aggravation. In many regards even though it has a very modern look its gameplay execution reminds me most of old 8-bit action / platformers with awkward and stilted controls mixing with level design that is in desperate need of tuning and rebalancing. I think it’s the irregular damage amounts you take that compound my irritation. Rather simply having you take damage of 1 from all threats they’ve gone back in and made variable tweaks so that your health gauge doesn’t mean very much at a quick glance, to know what you can survive from where you are in the level you’d need to pull out a conversion chart. None of this is to say that the game is impossible to beat, just that the process of doing so too often feels like a manufactured ordeal where your tools for being effective are deliberately compromised.
Overall as long as you buy into the core gameplay being offered INVERSUS Deluxe delivers a great deal of value for the price of admission. With ample single-player content in the form of Arcade and Versus mode map unlocks as well as cosmetic things like special trails, emoticons, or color schemes if you enjoy playing the game overall you have plenty here to make your way through. If you have a friend available either locally or online there are also plenty of ways to enjoy playing together. Even if you don’t have anyone to play with locally as long as there are people actively playing online when you’re out looking for someone to match up with you’re covered on that level as well. If you like a challenging mix of strategy and action packaged up in an attractive package INVERSUS Deluxe is a full-featured option.
If you’re down for some great action filled with pixelated blood and gore Butcher should be right up your alley. What it lacks in sexy graphics it makes up for in grit and intensity, so you shouldn’t necessarily discount it based only on how it looks in screenshots. Once you get on a killing spree and you’ve got some mechanized monstrosity moving around at the same time you’ll want to avoid it clicks… and there’s no other experience on the Switch right now that’s anything like it. Butcher won’t be a game for everyone but I’d imagine it will attract a cult following of people who took a number and and ready to be served something fresh and a bit bloody.
For fans of the series the fact that there are no glaring issues with his new edition for the Switch will probably make it an easy game to pick up, unless your heart was set on being able to play the game in touchscreen mode. For people new to this series who are interested in a very cerebral type of puzzle experience it is an excellent entry in an already terrific series and should provide a substantial amount of content for most people at its reasonable price point. While not everything about this edition is what I’d hoped it is still one of the premier puzzle games on the market and it is well-represented in its first outing on the Switch!
If the main attraction Party mode in Astro Bears appeals to you, then you’re in luck as it at least does a reasonably good job of providing the means to play some matches with your friends. My kids were slightly more enthused with it than my wife or I were so there’s a chance that with a less hardcore gaming audience it could make a connection. Unfortunately the lack of any real options or alternative modes to change things up makes it an all or nothing proposition. If you really love Snake and games like it with every fiber of your being there may be a good match here for you. If not, I can’t recommend it.
All in all while there’s nothing changing the fact that this is “just a casual game” there’s quite a lot of content to be played if you are a fan of the genre. Over the course of the main story campaign you’ll unlock new power-ups but you’ll also unlock 3 additional modes that provide more replay opportunities. They all will be variations on the same ideas, with only minor tweaks to the formula but they will throw challenges at you in slightly different ways and the unlocking of new levels at least provides you with continued challenges even after the pretty lengthy main campaign is completed. As a big fan of many classic PopCap casual games, and Zuma Deluxe in particular, I’d say that among its descendents Sparkle 2 is the most impressive and enjoyable by a fair degree. If you’re in search of something a little lighter than can be enjoyed in quick sessions between tasks it in an excellent choice!
As a full package Sine Mora EX fills in a gap in the Switch line-up unless you’ve been indulging in the NeoGeo shooter ports, which are hit and miss overall. As a showcase of the visuals the Switch is very capable of producing, particularly in handheld mode, the game looks incredibly good. For people who aren’t big shooter fans it could be hard to call, especially given the asking price. Though the difficulty level has been tweaked to make it more friendly I’m not positive what the longevity on the game will be unless you’re looking to spend time becoming better at shooters as a whole. For more experienced genre fans it’s an easier sell as not only will you be able to get rolling and enjoy getting to know the game initially but you’ll then have a meaty amount of content to revisit, refine, and work to max out your scores with. While it may have some issues Sine Mora EX is still an impressive shooter and a welcome addition to the Switch line-up.
In the end Tower of Babel isn’t that bad of a game for the price of entry. If you enjoy the endless runner style the game does do a fair job of iterating on the same overall formula with a variety of traps and looks to keep it fresh. With a patch hopefully the issue with the limited nature of the leaderboards could be addressed and people could feel a bit more compelled to compete on them with their friends and others, understanding where they currently rank and how much harder they’ll need to try to climb higher in the ranks would really help sell the replay angle a game like this needs. As implemented it is just hard to recommend for more than fans of the genre though.
As long as you buy into the core gameplay being offered INVERSUS Deluxe delivers a great deal of value for the price of admission...
Regardless of the extended features and modes what will ultimately drive whether or not you’ll get your value out of Conga Master Party is how much you buy into the core experience. If you enjoy the somewhat relaxed pace, the quirky scenes and characters, and the silliness of it all as you work to unlock more dancers then it could be a worthwhile purchase. Just be warned that the novelty factor can probably only hold you for so long before you’ll be looking for something a little more involved and diverse.
While the point-and-click adventure genre flagged and faltered a while back I think it coming back more “lean and mean” in indie form is probably the best way for it to find success again. Thimbleweed Park is simply an excellent game and puts the genre’s best foot forward to help find a new generation of fans. With so many great games on the Switch that ramp up the challenge and tension it is a great move in the opposite direction, providing an experience that you can take your time to walk through and savor… while giggling along the way.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a fantastic game that demonstrates the full potential of the seeds the original had planted. At every phase it is clear that the team behind it has grown in terms of both concepts and skill in implementation. For me playing it and writing this review has also made me reflect on the amazing rate that the indie development scene has matured and turned into the collective juggernaut we are seeing today. Not only are we seeing good games at lower prices, we are often seeing AAA quality and ambition as well. This excites me greatly and I’m looking forward to seeing what these team members, as well as their ambitious contemporaries, have in store for us next!
I would have a difficult time recommending it for the majority of gamers out there.
Quest of Dungeons has consistently surprised me with its adherence to the core roguelike formula, with all of its randomness, while also maintaining a consistent degree of challenge.
Quest of Dungeons, for many people, will initially live or die upon its looks unfortunately and if you enjoy a challenge that plays very well in handheld mode I encourage you to give the gameplay a look. Underneath the old school pixel graphics is a rewarding and challenging roguelike experience, one that will probably bring you closer to the original Rogue than anything else you'll play. The RNG (Random Number Generator) Gods are strong with this title, and though they are often quite cruel when things roll on your side it can be a great feeling. What's great is there is ample room for strategy and success (as well as humiliating failure, granted) as you encounter the biggest challenges in the game. Why settle for your fate when you have an opportunity to change it by being a tricky bastard? Quest of Dungeons has consistently surprised me with its adherence to the core roguelike formula, with all of its randomness, while also maintaining a consistent degree of challenge.
Soldam has really surprised me over the time I’ve played it for review. While I’d started out somewhat skeptical of its very different mechanics once I passed a certain point (assisted by the Challenge mode) I began to more clearly see what it was doing and am fairly impressed by the way it all works. Old puzzle gaming habits are difficult to break and in order to be successful in Soldam you’ll need to develop an entirely new set of tactics for how best to contend with things like garbage pieces specifically. The high-pressure moments as your stacks get closer to the top are where the game shines, and you’ll need to think quickly, adapt, and perhaps have a little luck on your side to get out of it. The good news is that with the color-changing mechanic it is very possible you’ll be able to complete many lines in quick succession with only a few pieces, meaning that you’re never truly sunk unless you just give up. With its very different approach, terrific Versus mode, and fresh strategic challenges Soldam is a worthy contender for puzzle fans!
Summing things up Robonauts has a ton of things going for it in terms of presentation but when it comes to the control and the big picture of content it falls down pretty hard. Perhaps if there had been an advanced control option where I could take on the task of aiming myself I wouldn’t be as disillusioned and I’d spend more time being frustrated with myself not being up to the challenge rather than cursing where the game is choosing to aim at any given time. While the first few levels work and feel great once things get more crowded and chaotic it falls apart. I can appreciate a game that is difficult, challenging you to come back and perform better. When it is asking you to do so with one hand tied behind your back I find it much harder to find my enthusiasm.