With three more episodes to come, it wasn't a surprise to discover that The Council: Episode 2 - Hide and Seek was more transitionary by design. It has its fair share of minor revelations to make, but, continuing to be hampered by the same technical issues, it's important the next episode needs to up the ante and correct some missteps before my interest in the whole spectacle falls apart.
More than enough new ideas have been thrown at The Council to make it stand out from the crowd, and, while flaws are clearly evident in the three hours that you will spend with this first episode, it makes for a promising start for what is left to come.
Shelter Generations is a mixed bag, then. Shelter 2 is burdened with many flaws, the linearity to Paws helps it to become a more meaningful adventure, and the content that accompanies them lends charm to the whole collection. Taken as a whole it disappoints, which is a shame as, beneath the adorable exterior, the concept has far more potential than what has been achieved.
Who knew that cardboard could be so incredible? The Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit may have been created with a more singular vision than its Variety Kit counterpart, but it clearly demonstrates how Nintendo has found a new direction in which to continue to rekindle its innovative spirit.
The story that OPUS: Rocket of Whispers has to tell is a meaningful one, that touches on mental health issues such as loneliness, dealing with grief and low self-esteem. It is clear to see that it is a game that has been created from the heart, and, while much of it will be spent scavenging for rocket parts, it is the message that it imparts that will linger in your memory for a long time to come.
Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings readily enchants with a charming story and some fantastical worlds to explore. But, while the game’s greatest strength lies in the depths of its alchemy system, Gust has failed to have thrown enough new ingredients into their murky cauldron to innovate on the experience as much as has been seen in what came before. What we’re left with is a rather average concoction.
It is in the thrill of space combat that Manticore: Galaxy on Fire comes alive, as you get an enemy in your sights and mercilessly hunt them down. It’s not without its imperfections, but genre fans will get more than enough from the spectacle of it all.
Beneath the hue of its pulsating neon glow, Neonwall constructs itself around an interesting concept but struggles to find a way to make it as engaging as it needs to be. It will boggle your mind in ways unlike any other Nintendo eShop release, but lacks the staying power to maintain your attention for long beyond completion.
You won’t lose your soul to Coffin Dodgers, mainly because there’s little reason to linger for long in Sunny Pines. The premise to this race for your soul does more than enough to catch your interest, but the game lacks enough content to keep it alive.
Woodle Tree Adventures has potential but fails to ever realise any of it. The paint-by-numbers approach that has been taken to make this 3D platformer results in a game that feels more like a proof of concept or prototype rather than something that you would happily pay for. The greatest insult is that it had promised to “take you back to the good old days” when we were running around collecting Jigsaw Pieces in Banjo-Kazooie and Power Stars in Super Mario 64. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There really isn’t anything quite like Masters of Anima on the Nintendo eShop at the moment, or, for that matter, on Nintendo Switch. The developer may have too much enthusiasm for throwing you into combat and could have done with exploring ways to lend a change of pace – that more often than not comes in the puzzles that momentarily boggle your mind. But, when you have a steadfast legion of Guardians at your command, it’s hard not to marvel at the thrill of it all in the thick of battle, and how the many systems that are at play are masterfully woven together.
I don’t mean to downplay the message that A Normal Lost Phone carries, and I can’t understate how important it is that this game exists and the awareness that it will raise. But, it also shows that there is a continued need to experiment with how we explore the power of storytelling in video games, with room for improvement in whatever the developer has planned next.
If you are sat looking at your Nintendo Switch with a sense of longing, wondering when you will be able to take turns moving your characters around battlefields in an effort to slaughter your enemies one-by-one, then Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is for you. If that doesn’t sound like your kind of game, then you probably haven’t reached this paragraph. It may not be as daring as it needs to be in design, but Mercenaries Saga Chronicles will help to scratch that strategy itch until something else comes along.
Mulaka’s strength as a game comes from the painstaking effort that has been made to sufficiently portray the culture of the Tarahumara people, and, as such, there is much joy to be found in exploring the sun-baked region and learning from those that inhabit it. Endure the opening tutorial area, and, once the game starts to open up, it’s easy to become lost in its world, even with the flaws that its combat system carries. That’s not problematic enough to derail the whole experience, especially for those that will see value in the chance to learn about another culture.
The Longest Five Minutes may falter in the lack of difficulty that it poses the player with, but the game will upend your expectation in how absorbed you will become in the story that it unravels. It is the central cast’s squabbles, funny one-liners, and the weight of the mental and emotional burden placed upon them that allows the game to stand out among the increasingly crowded Nintendo Switch library. With unpredictable surprises keeping you second-guessing what will happen next, it delivers an experience worthy of your attention that will linger in your memory for a long time to come.
Where The Fall had suspense and relentless urgency, The Fall Part 2: Unbound has none. It still has a compelling story to tell, in choosing to delve into Arid’s internal conflict in being free from the rules and boundaries that once constrained her. But, it’s the flaws that have been carried over from the first chapter that detract from the experience, and prevent you from becoming more captivated by the game’s world.
His lightning-quick powers of deduction and obsession with gulping down coffee blends from High Hat Café aside, the greatest praise that I can throw at Detective Pikachu is how it always felt like you were really working alongside the electric mouse. And, as we cracked our last case, I can only hope that this is only the start of our adventures together.
If you’re the type that allows yourself to become lost in the sense of adventure, then you really can’t go wrong with World to the West. There is some laborious puzzle design that leads to inconsistent pacing, but such moments never derail the experience enough – leaving you to become lost in the world’s charm, the witty repartee between its characters, and the story that it wants to tell.
Take a step back though, and it’s easy to come to appreciate the long strides forward that Lost Sphear has made toward compared to the previous game. There are far more daring ideas here in comparison, resulting in a game that has plenty of comprehensive systems at play to delve into, even if the story that it looks to impart isn’t as meaningful. Those looking for a classic role-playing game to sink some time into on Nintendo won’t go far wrong in considering it, but remember that it isn’t without its flaws.
It’s a shame because beneath such striking flaws beats a game with bold ambition that never manages to realise its own potential. There are clear lessons to be learned, then, and it could be said that Portal Knights has tried to achieve far too much at once, rather than nailing the basics and iterating on them. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have its own successes, but some poor design decisions result in a game that will require you to work everything out for yourself before you can become lost in it.