William Murphy's Reviews
Where Mario Odyssey demanded player skill, Kirby 180’s and demands you just have fun. It won’t challenge most of you reading this, but I bet you’ll be smiling and having a good time regardless.
Hand of Fate 2 was an excellent spin on the ARPG when it came out in late 2017. It's even better now that it's on the Switch. The same issues are still present, namely that combat can be too simplistic, and there are just so many games on the console that Hand of Fate 2 could easily be overlooked. I hope that instead, Defiant's sequel sees a lot of new players, as it's a series I hope to see continue to evolve.
The beauty of Kingdom: New Lands is that while it’s frustrating, like all the best roguelikes, it’s also addictive and you never feel cheated.
Yakuza Kiwami is the first of several planned remakes of the original series, and chances are all of them will wind up on the PC at some point. It's been a long wait for many to see such a revered classic on the PC, but it's one that's worth every bit of that patience.
By the time the first episode is over in The Enemy Within, you’re going to be left wondering just how far Telltale can push Bruce Wayne, and just how dark this series can get. It’s a fantastic example of Telltale at its best, and if you’re a fan of these games, you need to pick The Enemy Within up and get playing. If you’ve yet played the original Telltale Batman series, get it too. This one is made richer by playing its predecessor.
The End is Nigh is one of the premiere indie gems on Nintendo Switch. Difficulty and rewards issues aside, this one's immensely replayable, hilarious, and genuinely well designed in both sound, visuals, and gameplay. It's the kind of game that may drive you nuts with its difficulty, but only because you know that you're the one making the mistakes.
I can plainly see that Antihero would make an excellent game on just about any system it touched – from the tablet and phone to the lovely new portable Switch and even the big boy home consoles. On PC, it’s brilliant, but I can’t help thinking I’d choose to play it more if it were with me on the go. Get on it, Versus Evil! Overall, given my brief time with Antihero, I recommend it for fans of turn-based strategy looking for something new in a tried and true genre. It’s pretty great, my friends.
I can’t imagine anyone beating Giants’ offering when it comes to Farming Simulator 18. If you’re looking to relax and feel the digital earth between your digital hands, this one’s a keeper. Recommended.
This may seem like a short review, but I promise, I just about covered everything. If you like hard roguelikes such as Devil Daggers, The Binding of Isaac, and more, then this is right up your alley. You can find it on Steam, Humble, Green Man Gaming, and more. Head to tormentorxpunisher.com to see a full list of stores.
Each level has its own theme, its own puzzles that teach you what to expect with the final boss, and in the end, I couldn't help but feel satisfied by Kamiko even if I wanted more. Few games these days are up front and honest about their value. Even with its short playtime, I'd have paid more for Kamiko because it's so expertly made. I can only hope we get a sequel or something equally excellent from developer SKIPMORE and soon.
It’s funny that people still argue about games as art. Because when I play The Signal from Tolva, with its Ian McQue inspired landscapes and robotic citizenry, I can’t help but see it as one. From top to bottom, including the lore document that’s not even “part” of the game, such tender care went into every detail of Tolva that it’s clear to me its as much a work of art as any film. Like THX 1138, Metropolis or Blade Runner, The Signal from Tolva is a great example of science fiction as art. It’s not a perfect game, but it’s a wholly unique experience and an adventure well worth exploring for the inquisitive gamer.
If you’re at all a fan of either game, or if you want your family to have something they can play easily together – there’s no doubt you should look into Puyo Puyo Tetris. I’m a little miffed that the physical version on Switch costs $40 when the digital versions are $30, so keep that in mind. Puyo Puyo Tetris is the first Tetris (and Puyo Puyo) game in ages that feels worth a purchase, and it’s recommended for any Switch owner looking to diversify their game catalog.
There’s something innately fun about this brand of Guardians, and TellTale was right to capitalize on both the recent films and the comics lore. There’s a very deft story being told, and one that’s definitely got a few unexpected turns even after one episode. Side note, I also really appreciate the stellar soundtrack and that every episode title is another fantastic song title. The question is whether or not it can carry this momentum and give us as satisfying a conclusion as we received with the Batman series. If so, someone please give TellTale more comics to make games with.
With gorgeously rendered animated visuals, an instrumental recreation of the 8-bit soundtrack, and some truly compelling Metroidvania mechanics, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is just as good a game today as it was decades ago.
People keep saying the Nintendo Switch is light on launch games. I think they mean it’s light on big AAA games, because the Indie titles like Has Been Heroes are a bright shining light for great content on the Switch. Even if you don’t have the console, I’d suggest checking out the other versions of Has Been Heroes. If you like games like FTL, Darkest Dungeon, and other unique roguelikes that focus on strategy you’ll be more than pleased. It’ll be nice if Frozenbyte adds more and more to this game, but even if they don’t it’s a great experience. Recommended.
If you’re looking for a classic top-down Zelda experience on Nintendo’s new console, you really don’t need to look any farther. Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is a pitch-perfect homage to the SNES/Game Boy era Zelda games, and it also manages to stand on its own two feet by the end of the adventure. Would we have liked some more surprises out of Blossom Tales? Surely. And hopefully that’s what’ll come in a sequel. Grandpa has more stories to tell! And the best part? No breaking weapons!
If there was any real complaint about Fast RMX, it’s that it’s missing the modern novelty of RPG progression in its racers. I’d love to upgrade them, tweak them to my liking, and customize them in general. Otherwise, this is a really stellar racer for a mere $20, and one of the best games on the Switch right now. There’s even a great 8-player online component, split screen vs mode too. Highly recommended.
Rather, like the best roguelikes, it begs you to try again. You feel like you failed Ikk when he dies, not that the game was cheap or punishing. For $10, you could do a whole lot worse on the Switch. And if you like hard, side-scrolling action games – this is a no brainer.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition may not be the longest game, but at a nice $15 price for a solid 5-hour experience, it's more than recommended. If you've played it before on other platforms, it may not do much new that begs you to buy it again, but if you're looking for an excellent adventure on the Switch you could do a whole lot worse.
Death Road to Canada is another in a long line of solid indie titles on the Switch. Great fun on the go, loads of replay value, and lots of fun as a 2-player co-op game