Heather Johnson Yu's Reviews
Kraken Academy!! surprised me with its zany humor and delightful time-looping mechanics. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent on campus, making friends with classmates by bringing a goat to a horse race, going in QTE dates, and summoning poop demons (don’t ask). If you enjoy seriously creative — and seriously crazy — games that take outlandish writing to the next level, Kraken Academy!! is now accepting students.
Having previously gobbled up the great Ghost of Tsushima, I was eager to find another love letter to Kurosawa in Trek to Yomi. On an aesthetic level, my expectations were completely blown out of the water — the famed filmmaker has been honored like never before. When it comes to gameplay, I’m completely satisfied, my desire for another Way of the Samurai fulfilled, but I can see someone who skipped this era of gaming less enthused. If samurai games of yesteryear were your thing, Trek to Yomi is absolutely worth side-scroll slicing your way through the belly of the underworld for.
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter is another triumph by Frogwares, who continues to do justice to the world’s most famous detective. If you didn’t pick up this series of sleuthy stories back in 2016, consider this your sign to get it on the Switch in 2022. If you’re ready to really walk a mile in Sherlock’s shoes as you hit Victorian London’s streets for clues, fist fights, and, you know, vibes, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter can totally come with you on handheld mode.
Sokobos may have the premise of a potential Greek tragedy, but this game is anything but tragic. A fantastic, fresh take on the Sokoban formula, Sokobos provides players with plenty of brain-teasing adventures that’ll keep them occupied for the length of an entire odyssey or two. If you’re looking for a puzzle game that will really make you sit and think without giving a god-tier headache, Sokobos only costs a few drachmas for dozens of hours of delightfully difficult gameplay.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is my current contender for GOTY 2022; although it’s only April, I just don’t see this changing. With its wonderfully whimsical aesthetics, glorious soundtrack, blossoming world-building and character development, and delightful turn-based combat combining action and slight brainteasers, it cannot be overstated how phenomenal The Cruel King and the Great Hero truly is. It’s probably the only game I’ve ever consciously desired to give a standing ovation, tears welling up in my eyes as the credits rolled. The sum of a thousand tiny details done correctly, The Cruel King and the Great Hero achieves greatness through the lens of a bold and brave young girl, following her heart and her dreams, with her supportive dragon dad by her side.
No Place Like Home will draw you in with its adorable illustrations and novel premise; for fans of wholesome games, cleaning simulators, and base-building, the allure might actually work like a charm. For everyone else who’s had their eye on this post-apocalyptic farm sim, you may want to give it some time before it’s truly ready for release after a little more polish. I’m confident that, in a few months time, No Place Like Home will be cleaned up and in a much better state to receive players. Until then, keep this on your Wishlist and keep fighting the good fight against climate change to ensure Ellen’s present is as far removed from our future as possible.
A Memoir Blue is like a mother’s love for her daughter — quiet at times, turbulent at others, but all-encompassing and soothing when our hearts are heavy. It is a powerful reminder of how far our mothers will go to keep us whole, to give us more, and to do the best with the cards they’ve been dealt. A Memoir Blue is the best game focusing on mother/daughter relationships ever made, and if you love interactive storybooks and have tissues at the ready, I’m sure you’ll agree. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go call my mom.
Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between is excellent, but it’s not for everyone. If walking simulators aren’t your speed, I don’t know if this is going to be the one that’ll change your mind. But if you’re a huge fan of liminal spaces and esoteric musings, Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between is absolutely for you, but I recommend it in small bursts. If anything, it’s reminded me that sometimes it’s not the answer that matters, but the fact that we’re asking questions is enough. Thanks, disembodied low poly heart particles in the middle of the woods!
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is one of the best Sherlock Holmes games available on the Switch — and maybe even ever released. The sum of many outstanding details working together seamlessly, it has uniquely clever mechanics that really drive home that “wow” factor — the added morality behind choices is a breath of fresh air in a long-standing series that usually relies purely on logic. Although the Switch port performs wonderfully, the game itself is starting to show its age in a few areas; with that being said, there are just too many little details that still keep this 8 year old game competitive against newer releases. If you’re a fan of mystery titles, getting Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is simply elementary!
I have nothing but praise for Wobbledogs. It’s ridiculous yet captivating, its enduring adorability carrying players through the occasional wait times between prayers to the RNG gods (spindly Wobbledog why are you so hard to get??!). If you loved Spore and Viva Pinata and want the perfect blend between the pair, it’d be a doggone shame if you passed up Wobbledogs.
It feels a little funny to review .hack//G.U. Last Recode for the Switch. Diehard .hack// fans like myself just needed to be told when and where to buy it with no questions asked, and those who have never dipped their toes into the title (or franchise as a whole) have three current platforms to choose from with a basic understanding of what one can reasonably expect from any of them. To that end, I’d like to close the review on this note: .hack//G.U. Last Recode is worth the money no matter which platform you buy it on, but if you want to support some of the most creative and dedicated developers out there, pick up .hack//G.U. Last Recode on the Switch — don’t let Cyberconnect2’s blood, sweat, and tears go to waste.
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon doesn’t feel like it adds anything new to the side-scrolling roguelike genre; for some, that’s just fine. Not everything needs to be high-octane-melt-your-brain gameplay, right? GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon instead feels like playing a beautifully painted Japanese wall scroll come to life, its colors slowly meandering across the screen as they melt into one graceful bloodpit at the bottom. If you prefer form over function or are just curious about this Eastern franchise finally coming West, GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is ready to slash up a good time.
Prose & Codes receives only one complaint from me — 350 puzzles spanning 7 literary genres simply isn’t enough content for such a charming and relaxing game. Call me selfish, but I simply couldn’t get enough of Prose & Codes’ challenges and could easily see myself playing this off and on again for the rest of my life. You don’t need a cipher to decode my stance on this lovely literature game: Prose & Codes unequivocally belongs in every bookworm’s library.
At a time when trading sweat pants for slacks in a bid to return to the office is a dreaded drag, The Company Man reminds us exactly of what we hoped to leave back in the “before times.” With that being said, it’s handled in such a clever and fun way that brawling with colleagues becomes almost cathartic. If you’re tired of being a cog in the corporate machine and want to stick it to the man, The Company Man offers that pick-up-and-platforming-play that’ll surely bring joy to your lunch hour.
Beat Souls is easy to learn but hard to master; it’s also easy to like but hard to love. A lot of promise upfront unfortunately doesn’t carry through the rest of the game, which is a shame considering how finely tuned the entire experience is. I wish I could remember a single song or recall a fun beat pattern where I really connected with the game; instead, I’m left with the feeling that I would have put up with Beat Souls if either music or mechanics had been better. Still, if you’re wondering about how jazz or vaporwave-inspired tracks would work in a genre flooded with higher energy tunes, Beat Souls won’t break the bank for curious minds with disposable income to spare.
The Hundred Year Kingdom is as hard to describe as it is hard to put down. Never did I ever think I’d become addicted to a waifu city-builder, but I also didn’t ever think such a game would ever exist. Simultaneously simple yet complicated, The Hundred Year Kingdom is charming, chill, and chuckle-inducing. If you want a novel, peaceful experience that slowly unfolds over time, The Hundred Year Kingdom is worth spending a century with.
Dread Hunger is marketed as far more… well, dreadful… than it actually is; instead of being forced into a psychologically tense situation with 7 other strangers, I found myself laughing at the ridiculous situations we consistently ended up in. White the Northwest Passage may be frigid, players can slowly warm up to Dread Hunger and all it has to offer with addicting gameplay that’ll make it hard to stop even after playing the day away. No longer do Frostpunk and Among Us pass silently through the night; Dread Hunger mixes elements of both together that’ll have even the pickiest of players come aboard.
Kardboard Kings may have a short story, but its gameplay easily extends into the 20 – 30 hour mark and beyond. If you loved collecting Pokémon cards in real life and searched high and low for a shiny Charizard or others, you need this game. With coffee-shop casual music, a fun visual style, and dozens of cards to add to your personal collection, Kardboard Kings oozes that “one more turn” gameplay that’ll turn casual players into complete addicts. Can you collect them all?
Although About an Elf is only a 3 – 4 hour romp that ends in an unexpected-yet-should-have-expected way, it’s an elf-tastic epic worth playing. The writing is guffaw-inducing, the music toe-tappingly addictive, and the visual style unlike any other I’ve seen in gaming before. If you’re looking for a story-telling experience more entertaining than the actual story itself, lots of laughs, and plenty of opportunities to take screenshot after screenshot of glorious models and colors, About an Elf is a must-buy.
We should forever remain impressed with One Hand Clapping. It’s fresh and unique in a way that makes you hit your forehead and wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner. But in my heart, I know that One Hand Clapping could have become something so much better had it been a truly solid platformer in its own right, or swung hard into teaching singing, or created deeper, more impactful melodies to really convey a more coherent story. I’m grateful for a game like this to exist, but I can’t deny that the feeling is slightly overshadowed by my eagerness for another title to learn from this one and refine the concept further. Regardless, One Hand Clapping is good now, priced fairly, and definitely deserves your attention… as long as you have a microphone.