Veterans of city planning sims won't find anything revolutionary in the gameplay, but what they will find is a pleasant, engaging experience.
The indie surge on the Switch has provided a steady stream of excellent games to play in between the big Nintendo titles. A lot of the recent releases have been in genres that have been oversaturated in recent months so it's nice to get something fresh and fun. Pizza Titan Ultra is a fun and colorful break when you've got the blues from playing too many dark and serious titles in a row.
It feels odd to say that a video game pushed me to my limits, but as a relatively calm personality I experienced some emotions I haven't felt since my teenage years. I haven't broken a controller since an infamous late night with my Nintendo 64, but on a few occasions playing Dark Souls Remastered I came close to crushing my Joy-Con between my fingers. Not everyone is going to find the soul-crushing difficulty as therapeutic, but amidst the rollercoaster of rage, frustration and depression, I learned the importance of perseverance and patience, and just how good it feels to accomplish something that you once thought impossible.
undefined.Frustratingly difficult titles can be rewarding in their own right but need to provide the opportunity to improve without constant defeats to incentivize further attempts. Trying to fight both the bosses of SINNER as well as the controls of the warrior is just an overwhelmingly painful experience. I can only recommend SINNER to those looking for an almost insurmountable challenge, and even then, you're probably better off just sinking those hours into further exploration of Lordran.
The Low Road is a fun, albeit brief point-and-click spy adventure. My playthrough was complete in two sittings over the span of a few hours and left me wanting more. If you're looking for a good title from the genre, I can definitely recommend it, just be prepared to have that same yearning for a sequel that focuses more on interactions with characters and less on the environment.
A lot of hard work and sacrifice likely went into the creation of Soulblight so it's unfortunate that I can't recommend it, even as a niche. None of the mechanics were of interest and the visuals need a major overhaul. With not shortage of dungeon crawling roguelikes available on the Switch, my recommendation is to look elsewhere.
The most interesting segments get interrupted with puzzles that mostly feel like a way of extending the play time. I also ran into a few performance issues like puzzles becoming unresponsive which required a reboot and a chapter restart. I think the developer is on the right track but for this particular game some more polish and better or more relevant puzzles would have gone a long way at creating a more entertaining experience.
I would still recommend Warlock of Firetop Mountain if titles inspired by board games or adventure books is your jam, just be warned that after three or four runs (which is likely about five hours) you may not feel as compelled to steal the Warlock's treasure consecutive times.
Going through the experience today, it's easy to see why Undertale was the talk of the town two years ago. It's not an overly long playthrough, but it's an impactful 7+ hours. A slow burn that starts off cute, but builds up to an absolutely thrilling last couple hours. I'm not sure if the Pope has gotten around to playing it yet, but he would be doing himself a disservice if he hasn't.
A healthy amount of patience and a reasonable amount of stress toleration will be needed but ultimately it will be worth it. If your spirit hasn't been broken by a frustrating camera or delayed inputs then the daily game crash right before you've saved your progress may be the final straw. As frustrated as I may have been at times, the highs certainly outweigh the lows, and came away with the feeling that any version Wasteland 2 is with playing.
Blizzard fans have a terrific opportunity to get accustomed to the style of play on the Switch and will have a fun title to play heading into the fall. For the rest of us, Victor Vran is a terrific option to dip your toes into the genre. The wide range of combat options and the openness that is maintained throughout makes it accessible to a wider range of audience. If you enjoy overpowering dozens of enemies with wanton acts of destruction, you'll have a hell of a good time with Victor Vran.
How you traditionally consume your Monster Hunter is going to determine whether Generations Ultimate is worth your time. The graphics and gameplay are closer to last generation consoles so if you've already graduated to Monster Hunter World, this will feel like a step backwards. If picking up World isn't an option, or if you prefer to take your Monster Hunter with you on the go, then Generations Ultimate is your best bet for the premiere portable experience.
It's a complete package that is hand tailored to be consumed as intended by the developers, and they've delivered a refreshing experience.
But maybe most of your multiplayer experiences are online, well you can just as easily play via your favorite chat app. Since all the communication is verbal, and the manual can be downloaded from any device for free, anyone with earshot can be a bomb expert while anyone with a copy of the game on their Switch can be a bomb defuser. The number of good pure party games on the Switch is short, so it's great to have another title that encourages participation and results in chaotic race-against-the-clock fun.
Don't think that playing offline is a clever way of avoiding big brother, you can't get past the title screen without an internet connection so portable for most is not an option. But wait, what about that opt-out button in the settings, well clicking on that doesn't actually opt you out from data collection, it's just a cruel reminder that if you don't want to be tracked than you can't play. All of this is essentially a reminder that you get what you pay for, and I would probably just save my money.
After a few short tries to get a handle on the combat and learning to traverse the dungeon, I began consistently making multi-level runs. The unfortunate part, is that those runs really weren't increasing in enjoyment the further I ventured. With the ever increasing amount of roguelite titles to choose from, I think I would rather just play one with better combat and a better crafted dungeon.
Yes, I enjoyed ET and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid, but I've become numb to the overuse of catchphrases and plots that are continuously rehashed over and over. I'm at the point now where you either need to use these references sparingly as a complement to an original idea, or really dive deep into ‘80s culture that many probably wish would be forgotten. Unfortunately for Crossing Souls, neither of these ring true.
Guts and Glory isn't the first, and won't be the last title that lost its playability being ported to the Switch (WWE 2K18 comes to mind). It's another example of all ports not being equal as developers still struggle to discover all of the ins and out of the porting process. If getting sliced in half or impaled by a buzzsaw is a can't miss experience, I would recommend looking at another platform to play it on.
It's not difficult to find new games that are designed with the 16-bit era in mind, but it is rare to find ones that develop new and enjoyable game mechanics. While the writing could have benefited from some additional depth, the expansive party and combat options provide hours of entertainment, making Cosmic Star Heroine a worthwhile addition to your Switch library.
Moving forward, any developer looking to create a point-and-click adventure would do well to look at The Journey Down as an example of the genre done right.