Chelsea Beardsmore's Reviews
There are many RPGs to choose from on the Nintendo Switch. With the likes of Octopath Traveller, Dragon Quest XI and Divinity: Original Sin 2, why should you play Operencia: The Stolen Sun? I’m here to tell you.
Originally released back in 2012, Kingdoms of Amalur was a game loved by many, but one that caused much controversy. This game was originally seen as a failure, and due to this the original publisher, 38 Studios, was forced to close. Nonetheless, I adored this game. So, as you can imagine I was very excited to hear it would be remastered for the latest consoles. I’ve waited a long time for this day. But, is it as good as I remember?
Let me start by saying, there are not nearly enough monster-catching games around, and it’s no real surprise with the likes of the Pokemon series, I guess it can be a little intimidating. That’s why I was so glad to hear about Nexomon: Extinction. But does it stand up against the best? Let’s see. Nexomon: Extinction is an adventure RPG game that almost mimics Pokemon exactly. The gameplay, battle system, creature types – it’s almost uncanny. But, there are areas that Nexomon takes and then excels on such as its storyline. It has some depth to it, you’re not just wanting to be the best tamer (Nexomons version of a trainer), this is a story of destruction.
Röki is, at heart, an adventure game heavily inspired by Scandinavian folklore that also includes elements of point & click games and a heck of a narrative. A tale of journey, loss and family, Röki is a totally non-violent, emotional experience – and what an experience it is. Players assume the role of Tove, a young girl living out in the wilderness with her father and younger brother, Lars. Lars has a great imagination and loves his tales of monsters. But, it seems they aren’t just tales anymore. One cold night, a huge, dark creature destroys the family home and leaves Tove and Lars running for their lives. Sadly, this monster captures Lars and drags him through a mystical portal – leaving Tove with only one option – jump into that portal and rescue Lars. This is where your magical journey truly begins.
We Should Talk is a linear narrative game that centres around the philosophy ‘It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’. The game allows players to communicate with characters in the game by creating their very own sentences from a variety of options. But what’s the point? We Should Talk follows an unnamed character and the interactions they have with certain people throughout a night – and ultimately, what relationships you will (or won’t) continue with. The game begins with you seemingly entering a bar and talking to the bartender, ordering a drink. You are able to choose your combination of drink and also how you speak to the bartender – do you want to be flirty or straight to the point? The choice is yours.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall offers players an in-depth turn-based strategy experience like no other. If you can get passed the heavy tutorial and dialogue there is a real treat of a story to be heard here,
The Sinking City is an intriguing game that is sadly let down by its many glitches and lifeless combat.
Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is a great virtual pet simulator for children but I feel sadly it doesn't cater for much more than that. It's adorable and there's nothing better than some doggo's in a game but my play-time felt shortened by some of the restrictions. It has a lot of potential but with no real originality I just felt something was missing whilst I was playing it.
The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse may have some room for improvement but provides a lot of a joy and endless hours of gameplay. It's fun and darn right adorable and that's enough for me!
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen still looks and feels just as good as it did way back in 2012 and I love it just as much now as I did then. It's a solid RPG that offers you that little bit extra and you will easily get hundreds of hours out of it if you're willing to put it the graft, which you can do a hell of a lot easier now you can take it on the go.
Katana Zero was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on. It ticks all the boxes; great soundtrack, great gameplay, a well told story. I don't think there are enough words to explain how much I enjoyed this one. It is easily my favorite game of the year so far and I suggest you play it.
The Padre has so much potential but sadly it fails to deliver on most of the aspects I was really looking forward to. With uninteresting gameplay and clunky controls it's fairly difficult for me to recommend this game as a survival horror. If you go into this expecting a witty adventure, you may enjoy it more.
The Adventure Pals may not have been a big release but it has now became one of my favourite games I’ve played this year. It’s completely my type of game. Cute characters, funny wording and breath-taking art style. I love it all. It’s a simple game that doesn’t require an expert gamer to master and allows you to purely enjoy the masterpiece you’re pulled into. All whilst being able to share this with someone else using local co-op. It is ram packed with content lasting a lot longer than I had originally thought, usually indie games can be short-lived. Not this one, please play it. I promise you will thoroughly enjoy yourself. This charming platformer needs to be shouted about.
Guilt Battle Arena is an entertaining, fun filled bundle of joy. It is the perfect game when you have friends around and you want to prove once and for all who is the boss. I would’ve really liked to have had more solo options and for that reason I would say if you very rarely have friends around or you prefer to play games alone, then it may be wise to give this one a miss. However, if you’re a fan of the party game genre then you oughta give this a go. It will not disappoint.
It’s hard to believe that this hasn’t been made into a physical card game or that Dead Exit wasn’t inspired by a real card game. For £7.99 you cannot go wrong. Although it is a little overwhelming at first it is incredibly satisfying when you defeat your first opponent or escape the city for the first time, and it continues to be satisfying and exciting. With 3 different single player modes and a multiplayer mode (when it works) you have plenty of ways to mix it up. Each time you play through a mode you will have a different experience than the last. Although I would have liked there to be a deck builder of some kind in there so I could take on opponents in my own way I still thoroughly enjoyed this unique table-top card game and if you’re a fan of strategy card games then you will too.
If you’re looking for a unnerving game to play this Halloween, Oxenfree is the game for you. Although, easily completed in a night, Oxenfree doesn’t overstay its welcome. When you finish the story, I urge you to try not to press that ‘Start Game’ button all over again just to get a different ending. It will fill you with joy, sorrow and spine-chilling moments; Oxenfree absolutely nails every aspect of what a ‘good’ game should entail. The story is spot on, the graphics are beautiful and the music is alluring. This is only a brief look into the World of Oxenfree, for only £15.99 it’s totally worth picking up to experience it for yourself and find out what is happening.