Rise of the Third Power succeeds in both presenting a combat system that’s worth exploring, and a group of characters worth getting emotionally invested in.
Backbone sells itself as a new kind of point-and-click adventure that includes dialogue choices and some light stealth mechanics. It does technically have these, but whether they help Backbone stand out over traditional games in the genre is a matter of debate. The main attraction here is definitely the masterful pixel art design that is head and shoulders above the crowd.
As recommendations go, Steel Assault is certainly fun for an hour or so, but the price at launch seems high for the amount of content provided. If money isn’t a factor and you’re simply looking for a short and sweet side-scroller with fun combat and nice graphics, then this may be up your alley.
Normally my competitive nature would compel me to work towards becoming first in as many levels as possible, but the lack of variety of level design left me feeling like I had played enough. The mechanics of movement driving the platforming and the lovely pixel graphics deserve praise, but the short shelf life of speedrunning left me wanting something more.
Between the seamless mechanics, delightful graphics, and enjoyable humour in the writing, Toodee and Topdee is a whole lot of fun for folks of all ages.
With its beautiful visuals and solid combat mechanics, Star Renegades provides a solid strategic combat focused roguelite experience. With any roguelite, mileage will depend on the satisfaction gained from restarting each new loop. With story progression being minimal at best, figuring out how best to stagger an opponent is the main fuel that determines whether it’s worth sending that robot back in time, or just taking the first win and letting the rest of the multiverse deal with the Imperium threat on their own.
Gnosia on Nintendo Switch successfully creates a single player experience from the elements of the Werewolf style, social deduction genre that typically requires a group of people to play. The need for other human beings is made irrelevant by utilizing layers of randomly generated mechanics to control the actions of each individual character. A focus on an overall narrative and character development helps to keep the experience fresh during each subsequent playthrough, so long as the minimal variety of responses don’t grate on your nerves.
Enjoyment of Fallen Legion largely comes down to whether fighting battle after battle continues to feel fresh and if the prospect of panic inducing boss fights elevates your heart rate in a good way. The story is interesting and learning the fate of both Rowena and Lucien provides a degree of motivation to continue but certainly isn’t enough if combat becomes to feel like a slog.
In the case of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, this joy originates from the complete freedom of exploring the beautiful and fascinating city of Balduq, and from the never ending optimism and sense of wonderment from the main protagonist, Adol Christin. Mix in a well paced story filled with twists and turns and a combat system that perfectly straddles the line between precision and chaos, and you have an experience as carefully crafted as the seemingly endless prison that is the focal point of the story.
Most fall short of this lofty goal, but every so often a game like Cyber Shadow manages to capture that special feeling of 8-bit gaming so perfectly. Made by a single developer, Aarne Hunziker, and with the help of a publisher who also managed to capture the NES magic in a bottle in Yacht Club Games, Cyber Shadow is just as enjoyable as any of the legendary titles in two-button gaming.
Unfortunately the timing of its release couldn’t be worse. With the runaway success of Hades still fresh on the minds of Switch owners, the classic mystery dungeon crawling of Shiren comes off feeling much more older than it actually is.
Enjoyment of Cloudpunk is really going to boil down to whether or not you enjoy the story. As well developed as the characters are, the story doesn’t necessarily provide anything revolutionary or unique. The back and forth between Raina and her AI dog are often entertaining, and a few interesting personalities are met along the way, but unfortunately Cloudpunk just doesn’t quite do enough to maintain my interest.
Few titles exist that feature one of the best combat systems ever created with a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Trails of Cold Steel IV is quite frankly one of the best RPGs I have ever played, and I cannot wait to see what the future of the franchise has in store.
The beautiful artwork and sprites are complemented by terrific sound design that gets the heart pumping in a good way. Those looking for a challenge and have the patience to withstand countless deaths, all in the name of incremental improvement have another title worth putting in many hours of roguelike joy.
The Long Dark is not only one of the best survival games available, it also features a thrilling story with twists and turns at every corner. Thanks to the multiple play modes that provide many many hours of entertainment, The Long Dark is truly the type of game to want if ever stranded on a deserted island, or stuck in a lone cabin in the middle of the Canadian Arctic.
Robots Under Attack! may not be bringing any terribly new ideas to the genre but what it does, it does well. The clean and clear aesthetic along with clever level design accomplishes what it sets out to do: provide a short and thoughtful experience. Whether you’re looking to kill a few minutes on the bus or wanting a brain workout before bedtime, figuring out how to blow up a bunch of robots is a satisfying use of time.
A few minor complaints aside, Atom RPG does a wonderful job of bringing the classic feel of CRPGs to the Nintendo Switch. It would be reasonable to expect a number of bugs to be present in such a complicated title from a group of indie developers, but the team did an exceptional job putting everything together.
Giraffe and Annika is a title that feels right for 2020. The evolution of the story as you meet fun and interesting characters overshadows much of the shortcomings, like the lack of challenge and somewhat disappointing dungeon sequences. Normally, a game with little difficulty that relies on its charm as entertainment isn’t really up my alley. But in a time where most people are stuck at home and surrounded by negativity, getting lost in an overly positive and relaxing island environment is a pleasant escape.
Locomotion may not be reinventing the wheel, but does serve as a wonderful addition to the current catalogue of puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch. The calm background music adds to the pleasant and serene vibes that radiate from the screen, providing a decent escape if you’ve had a particularly frustrating day.
the complexity of the dungeon crawling and the challenge of trying to make it out alive overshadow its shortcomings. Each turn within a dungeon feels meaningful, and nothing feels as good as becoming overpowered on a particularly good run. With no shortage of roguelikes and dungeon crawlers available on Switch, Void Terrarium still manages to provide an experience that stands out from the crowd.