Russell Archey


171 games reviewed
82.6 average score
85 median score
80.1% of games recommended
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Sep 13, 2019

Torchlight II is as fun on the Switch as it was back when it launched on PCs seven years ago.  The controls on the Switch feel pretty good and eased my worries about transitioning from PC to console.  While a lot of the game is basically fighting enemies, collecting loot, and repeat, if you're into games like the Diablo series you should enjoy Torchlight II, and at a third of the price of Diablo III (at least on the Switch), Torchlight II is a great alternative.

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9 / 10.0 -
Feb 11, 2020

Sega Ages: Shinobi is still a great game more than 30 years after its initial release

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Feb 19, 2020

If you're looking for a fun simple shooter that has a nice difficulty curve and a bit of strategy in how you play (namely in how you spend your coins), Fantasy Zone is worth checking out.

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9 / 10.0 - Gears Tactics
Apr 27, 2020

Gears Tactics is definitely different than what Gears fans are accustomed to, being a tactical-style game, but I think it fits the genre pretty well. If you've ever wondered what Gears would be like outside of the main series, Gears Tactics shows that it does pretty well in a tactical-style.

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Jun 10, 2020

Borderlands Legendary Collection is a great way to experience the first three games in the series on the Nintendo Switch.

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Aug 11, 2021

A fantastic Metroidvania. The graphics and animation are great and the music is nice and relaxing, provided the occasional difficulty spike isn't stressing you out. There are performance stutters on the Switch version, and a couple of trial-and-error areas that can get annoying, but overall they didn't really sway my overall opinion on the game. If you're a fan of Metroidvania-style games, definitely give Unbound: Worlds Apart a shot.

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Mar 15, 2022

What Lies in the Multiverse is one of the most fun indie games I've played in quite some time.  The puzzle-aspect of it is rather on the easy side for most of the game with nothing too complex, but where the game really shines is the story.  If you have a few hours and about fifteen dollars to spare, definitely take a look and see What Lies in the Multiverse

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9 / 10.0 - Wunderling
Mar 28, 2022

Wunderling DX is an interesting take on the "villain becomes a hero" concept in that you're basically a minion setting out to stop the hero.  While I can see some players may be turned off by the simplicity of the game and the easiness of the early-going, there's enough content and collectables to keep things fresh throughout your journey as an underling setting out to stop a hero.  As backwards as that concept may seem, I thoroughly enjoyed my time through Wunderling DX.

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Nov 21, 2022

Astlibra Revision can be a bit grindy at times and has a lot of dialogue, even for an action RPG, but I'd be remiss if didn't say this is one of my favorite games I've played recently.  The game looks and feels like you're playing an anime (complete with intro sequence at the start of each chapter) and the music is really hard not to rock out to.  If you're into action RPGs or just want to give this a shot, you can check out the demo before hand to get an idea how mostly everything works.  Once you're ready to dive into the full game, there's not much more to say but enjoy.

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9 / 10.0 - Astral Ascent
Nov 27, 2023

I enjoyed Astral Ascent when it was in Early Access and I still enjoy it after it's official release.  Multiple characters, spells, and abilities along with procedurally generated areas and some fun and interesting boss fights against the Zodiacs give Astral Ascent plenty of replayability.  If these kinds of games are up your alley, you'll get plenty of gameplay out of Astral Ascent.

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8.8 / 10.0 - MouseCraft
Jul 11, 2014

MouseCraft is a fun game, but the difficulty seems to skew a bit on the easy side with the ability to pause mid-level and undo any action. Still, unlocking new obstacles every few stages keeps things fresh, and going for perfect levels will force you to stop and think about how to do things--as opposed to just laying a few blocks and calling it a day. Give Mousecraft a shot.

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Despite the Wii U or 3DS not getting the original game, Noitu Love: Devolution is a fun game, though the difficulty range can be pretty big between Normal and Hard.  However, that adds to the replayability and once you get through Normal difficulty, you should be ready to tackle Hard.  It took a while to grow on me but for five dollars it’s definitely worth it.

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8.8 / 10.0 - Pirate Pop Plus
Oct 21, 2016

Pirate Pop Plus is a game where fans of the classics will likely enjoy it, especially fans of Pang and Buster Bros.  If you’re not normally fan of arcade-style games, you might want to check out Pang first, then decide if five dollars is worth spending on a game that resembles Pang with a couple of other mechanics thrown in.

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May 4, 2017

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a pretty solid compilation of six classic Disney NES games.  The extras included are a nice touch, even if some of the gallery pictures are skewed more toward Ducktales. But the time trial and boss rush features are great for veterans to see how they stack up to the rest of the world, while the rewind feature is great for younger players.  Plus you can play two rare NES games without shelling out hundreds of dollars for the original carts.

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Apr 18, 2017

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a fun and challenging game that I'm glad to see got a remake complete with optional retro assets.  For those who, like me, never had a Sega Master System back in the day, this is a great opportunity to check out the game as well as the series in general.  Plus if you have your old passwords from the SMS version and never finished the game, now's your chance.

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8.8 / 10.0 - Necrosphere
Sep 25, 2017

Necrosphere shows that a simple game can be complex when it needs to be without being overly difficult, for the most part.  The later areas of the game do require a near mastery of the controls. But overall, Necrosphere is enjoyable, and for a budget-minded Metroidvania, it's definitely worth a look.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Titan Souls
May 15, 2015

Titan Souls is a pretty solid game, but I can see where it may not gel with some players.  There is quite a bit of difficulty to it as you have to learn each titan's patterns and figure out how to expose and attack their weak points, and others may just see this as a rip-off of Shadow of the Colossus.  If you can get past that, Titan Souls provides quite a bit of challenge, but admittedly could have gone on a bit longer for a $15 price point.

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While not quite as good as Tales From the Borderlands was, Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1 is a pretty solid start to the series.  The story is off to a pretty good start, the characters interact with each other nicely, and the voice acting is quite good as well.  There aren't many puzzle interactions in the episode and the ones that are there are rather easy to solve, but hopefully that and the combat will improve in later episodes.

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Sep 29, 2015

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a fun and enjoyable take on the shooter genre, focusing on exploration of each area instead of vertical or horizontal scrolling.  While the game seems better suited for two players working together, playing alone with an AI companion brings a bit more challenge to the game.  With the ability to change difficulties on the fly, this is a game that can be enjoyed alone or with a friend.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Pokken Tournament
Mar 15, 2016

For trainers wanting a true one-on-one real time Pokemon experience, Pokken Tournament delivers rather well.  There are a few things here and there that could use some improvement, most notably some online features and how ranking up works with the Ferrum League, but overall a rather enjoyable game for Pokemon and fighting game fans alike.

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