A gritty, cyberpunk action-RPG that doles out punishment and interesting story-telling in equal measure.
Although there is a fair amount of freedom to play the game as you see fit, it's difficult to recommend the latest Story of Seasons entry over something like Stardew Valley or even the two 3DS games. In-game achievements, hidden items to collect, and an easy mode are all welcome features; ultimately, though they don't contribute enough to make for a compelling experience. Those who want to enjoy the nostalgia of Harvest Moon on SNES and GBA will like coming back to something familiar, but Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town isn't necessarily worth throwing in the shipping box.
Some of the games have online rankings, which adds to the replay factor, but there are no historical materials on offer, and the game balancing options are incredibly sparse. There are some decent screen options, and being able to remap all of the buttons is nice, but it's hard not to see this package of Darius games as being light on firepower. We've seen much more robust compilations come to Switch, so I can really only recommend these games to true Darius diehards.
If you've never played a Trails game, this release has everything you need to catch up and dive right in, and stay tuned for the finale of the tetralogy, Trails of Cold Steel 4, coming to Switch in 2021. If two roads diverge in a yellow wood, you better take the trail of cold steel. That will make all the difference.
Sakura Wars represents a great starting point for newcomers, and veterans of the series are sure to enjoy the throwbacks to prior entries, even if the shift to musuo-style combat is a drastic departure from what they are used to.
Bioshock: The Collection is an excellent way to experience some of the finest first-person shooters of the last 15 years. Admittedly, it's hard to ignore the fact that this compilation is regularly available at a deep discount on other platforms, but if the Switch is your only option, you really aren't sacrificing much in the way of graphics and performance. For those who may have only experienced the initial release of these three titles, the added DLC and visual improvements make a return trip to Rapture and Columbia worth the price of admission.
Adding to the replay value are a map editor, an AI Skirmish mode, and even online multiplayer, so there is a sizeable amount of content on offer here. Ultimately, the experience feels rote and played out; even though there is some fun to be had, it doesn't last long enough to make the whole campaign worth fighting through. Fans of the genre should consider picking this one up, but it's true what they say: Warborn never changes.
The monolith puzzles are enjoyable, but the narrative surrounding them doesn't serve as a worthwhile reward for their completion. If you're looking for a light puzzle-platformer with mostly attractive pixel art, Evan's Remains might be worth considering. If you want a more thrilling or satisfying narrative experience, keep searching.
Unfortunately, the design of the stages does no favors for the game's controls either, and so you're likely to spend a fair amount of time waiting to respawn or waiting for your teammates to slowly wind their way around obstacles. Cannibal Cuisine is worth a pick up if you're looking for more Overcooked but with a twist. Just be prepared to pick a few human hairs out of this soup.
The final boss is a bit of a letdown, but the leaderboards and unlockable ships add decent replay value. The accessibility options are robust, too, as we've come to expect from these classic SEGA re-releases. Although Thunder Force IV, which released as Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar is the better game, its predecessor still manages to bring a healthy dose of shoot-'em-up goodness.
Resolutiion ultimately provides more frustration than fun, and its efforts to stand out make it hard to decipher and at times too much of a chore to play.
The best way to describe Arrest of a stone Buddha is to think of it as a dream in video game form, and I mean the kind you wake up from and wonder: “What the hell was that?” The lack of control, direction, and agency that one experiences while dreaming are the closest approximation I can come up with. However, there is some wisdom to be gleaned from the hundreds of bodies this professional killer leaves lying in his wake.
Imagine playing a Zelda game where Link can only swing his sword once every two seconds! There are dozens of cards to unlock that can let you customize the characters, environments, and even music of a given Mash, but these are mostly single use and still don't make for a very fun time. There may very well be countless Mashes you can produce with the tools on offer, but they aren't different enough from one another. If you're curious and don't mind a variety of fairly shallow experiences, you might consider SuperMash-ing the eShop purchase button. Otherwise, maybe stick to the Monster Mash.
Enjoyable from start to finish and very hard to put down.
Ultimately, the dialogue and points system just wasn't engaging enough to keep me fully invested in the narrative, and its comedy leanings prevented the romance elements from feeling genuine. It doesn't help that the writing is littered with far too many pop culture and gaming references. Those who devour visual novels like Gauntlet would devour quarters might find Arcade Spirits worth playing through, but everyone else should probably cash in their prize tickets for something else.
If anything, the floppiness and bounciness of the characters make them more funny and charming. In addition, the colorful and light-hearted art style pairs well with the simple gameplay. The single-player experience probably isn't enough to justify a purchase, but if you can get multiple people together, Moving Out is another excellent local co-op title that you'll want to bring out again and again.
I found the quick and eye-catching combat to be both satisfying and exciting; you can even earn bonuses depending on how fast you defeat enemies and whether or not you take damage in the process. The character endings I saw felt a little lackluster, but I'm compelled enough by the presentation and the simplicity of the gameplay to run through the adventure again. It might not be the drastic departure that some remakes are, but the Trials of Mana remake is a wonderful RPG palette cleanser for Mana newcomers and veterans alike.
Seeing their health meters drop both galvanizes your resolve and heightens your dread; yes, you're edging closer to victory, but your opponent is about to ramp their attack up to 11. The 18 total bosses each present a unique and satisfying challenge, and if you find any of them too daunting, you can increase your damage by 2x or even turn on invulnerability. Fans of tough, bullet-hell style action sequences will be able to slake their thirst here, but don't go into it expecting much more than a solid boss rush.
This isn’t the next great shoot-’em-up, but it’s competent and playable and accessible. Galaxy Warfighter would be a great game to introduce a new player to the genre, but it’s just as good at being a background activity. Even though seasoned pilots should probably steer clear, there’s room in the galaxy for new or laid back cadets to take this one for a spin.
Its 10-12 hour runtime can provide some tense moments against challenging bosses, and four difficulty modes allow you to customize the experience to your liking. If you're looking for the next gripping narrative or memorable character moments, this is where Ara Fell trips up. If you just want a simple and recognizable JRPG experience to add to your Switch library, you could certainly do worse.