Although Carpathian Night is certainly basic in some respects – for instance, the breakable candles contain small restorative hearts, and that’s it, while a few enemy designs look a bit lacklustre – it really nails the classic Castlevania feel with its gameplay, and we were impressed with the length of the stages themselves. Granted, skilled players could get through the game in as little as an hour or two, but the variety along with the surprising level of depth from the unlockable abilities makes this an experience begging to be replayed. Heck, we'd start over just to listen to the excellent music.
Clocking in at a fairly short six-to-eight hours, Lego Horizon Adventures offers up frequent, brief bursts of fun with its excellent combat encounters. However, this is wrapped up in an experience that feels way too shallow and repetitive to recommend to anyone other than the most enthusiastic Horizon and Lego fans. It's clear that the intention is to woo new, younger gamers to Sony's flagship franchise, but if you already own Zero Dawn and Forbidden West on PlayStation, we can't see any reason why you'd want to check this one out. Mind you, if all you've got is a Switch, then this endearingly light-hearted introduction will have to do for now. It could have been so much more, though.
Tetris Forever might not be the final word on the complete history of Tetris, but it's certainly the best breakdown of the franchise's creation and evolution so far. Digital Eclipse has truly mastered the art of the interactive documentary, and this one is absolutely filled to the brim with interesting videos, interviews, and archival material. The playable games don't necessarily represent the most varied selection across the Tetris franchise, but it's a comprehensive bunch of titles, nonetheless, and newcomer Tetris Time Warp is a fantastic new addition to a back catalogue that seemingly just won't stop growing.
Several of the 19 new games — specifically those not found on the 2600 — are sadly not included in the new timeline and will need to be located within Atari 50’s game library. It’s no dealbreaker, but it would’ve been nice to get a bit of background information on their creation. We also feel like the exclusion of the original games created for the Intellivison to be a bit of a missed opportunity, but understandable given that this is Atari 50, not Intellivision 50. Fingers crossed Digital Eclipse will create something specific to that console's history now that the brand and associated IP are in Atari's hands.
Clock Tower: Rewind is an odd game that we feel comfortable recommending to survival horror enthusiasts who wish to experience absolutely everything the genre has to offer. Its visuals and gameplay are undeniably archaic, but there's nevertheless something quaint about its combat-free, point-and-click mechanics. The short experience is elevated greatly by the added extras included for this new release, and we'd fully recommend perusing all of it to help give context and aid appreciation of this pre-RE horror game. Not a must-play re-release, then, but one we would urge horror fans to experience at least once.
In what can only be described as a monumental return to form for both hedgehogs, Sonic X Shadow Generations combines two excellent campaigns to create what is likely the very best 3D Sonic game so far. The remastered Generations content remains a delight, taking you through some of the series' most iconic stages, but Shadow's new chapter represents the franchise's 3D gameplay at its very best. It introduces a bunch of awesome new abilities while showcasing some of the most creative stages we've ever seen, and we're keen to keep replaying to nail those crucial S-ranks. Alas, there's still no Chao Garden, but we'll keep hoping and praying for its inclusion in the future. The future of 3D Sonic looks bright.
Fear the Spotlight is an excellent narrative horror experience that proves to be the perfect companion for Halloween season. It's a game loaded with atmosphere and dread throughout, with immersive, tactile puzzles and an overarching storyline that is engaging and tragic in equal measure. Encounters with the main enemy won't prove particularly challenging, but they're always nerve-wracking thanks to its creepy design and accompanying spooky audio. Rare, minor performance hiccups aside, this is a must-play for horror fans and an approachable entry point for newcomers.
These aren't the largest of games, coming in at roughly three hours each, but they deliver the goods when it comes to gory, 16-bit-styled slasher fare and, for us, Ash's game is the better of the two.
It’s tough to say whether Halloween is a lesser experience than Ash vs. Evil Dead since the two are so remarkably similar in style and structure; think of them as two DLC packs serving the larger ‘RetroRealms’ hub experience. Yet we can’t deny that controlling Michael Myers isn’t quite as exhilarating as Ash Williams, nor are the enemies quite as interesting. If forced to choose, we’d probably go with Ash vs. Evil Dead.
Killing Time: Remastered is yet another success for Nightdive Studios, with the team unearthing a forgotten cult classic and bringing it right up to date for modern consoles with revamped visuals and updated controls. Like PO'ed: Definitive Edition, however, it's not a game that's going to appeal to everyone thanks to its bizarre cast of characters and unorthodox method of storytelling. That said, if you're curious to experience one of the more unique games in the FPS genre, this is without a doubt the best way to do so.
Crow Country is a great retro-flavoured survival horror that manages to pay homage to the '90s classics while providing a bunch of modern conveniences that make the game feel fresh and, more importantly, fun. Exploring the creepy yet charming titular amusement park is a joy thanks to its wealth of intriguing secrets and nasty creatures. There are a few annoyances that keep it from being a masterpiece, like the slightly delayed screen transitions and the infuriating traps, but like Signalis before it, Crow Country is well worth investigating if you're after a retro-style horror game that, miraculously, doesn't feel dated right out of the gate.
All in all, while the new timeline jumps around and doesn’t boast the same natural sense of progression as the main game, what you’re getting here is still well worth perusing if you’re interested in discovering more about this formative company and its games. We suspect that once the second DLC pack launches in November, the overall Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition package will stand as the final word on interactive documentaries in the video game space.
Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition is another slam dunk for Digital Eclipse and its ongoing mission of game preservation and historical documentation. The team hasn't gone mad with any new additions or tweaks to the core experience, but when the original game remains such a bonafide classic more than 20 years after its release, it really doesn't need much tinkering with. The added bonus of the Game Boy Color version alongside a wealth of interesting interviews and archive footage make this release a perfect entry point for newcomers as well as a warm, nostalgic cuddle for veterans.
Elsie has few original ideas to call its own, instead relying on tried-and-tested roguelike mechanics as a foundation for its excellent Mega Man X-inspired gameplay. This is a fast and fluid experience bolstered by wonderful visuals and a killer soundtrack. A few minor performance issues do dampen the experience slightly, while we found the parry mechanic to be a bit, well, off, but these issues aside, Elsie is a remarkable achievement that will get its claws into you quickly and won't let go.
Yars Rising is an ambitious interpretation of a classic Atari 2600 game that resoundingly succeeds in appealing to both newcomers and veterans alike. The Metroidvania structure is good enough on its own, but when combined with the awesome Yars' Revenge-inspired hacking minigames, you've got an experience that feels wholly unique while being great fun from start to finish. Some of the characters may prove to be a bit irritating, and the final boss is a massive letdown for us, but overall this is a great effort from WayForward.
Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s. Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can't compete with the very best 'classic' games in the franchise, it's the closest we've gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.
Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense difficulty.
We commend Mars 2120 for what it does do well. It gets a few things right: the general aesthetic is on point, the ambient music is pleasant, and some of the upgrades you’ll pick up in your journey are pretty cool. But failing to nail the basic traits that make a Metroidvania means that we can't recommend this one.
A mixed bag, then, but certainly not unenjoyable.
Nintendo has been getting heat for the pricing of its recent Switch remasters, so to see Ubisoft's Beyond Good & Evil so lovingly restored for a reasonable price is a true joy. The 20th Anniversary Edition boasts some lovely visual and auditory upgrades, an excellent gallery feature, and a whole bunch of meaningful extras that make this journey back into Hillys well worth taking. Granted, the 30fps performance on Switch is a bit of a bummer compared to other platforms, and there's no denying that the experience has aged considerably in certain areas, but the gameplay is so varied, and the world so unique, that you'd be remiss not to at least give it a shot. Welcome back, 'Yade'.