David Temple
Demolish & Build Classic takes you on a tour of the "exciting" world of construction contracting. The big problem is that the world of construction and contracting is more of a mundane job with a lot of hard work and very little excitement. Performance issues and a disheartening beginning lead to lots of work and little fun. But if you can get past that, you do get to drive bulldozers, cranes, and the like.
As an action/adventure game, Helvetii falls just a bit short on some elements of gameplay and storytelling. However, it's still a solid entry with very appealing looks, sounds, and mechanics.
Akka Arrh is a great arcade throwback with some cool, vintage vibes. The cost of the game at the time this review was published is a bit more than I might jump at, but the action and trippy visuals will keep you busy testing your arcade skills for a while.
The jump-scares in the WWI-themed survival horror sim Trenches are enough to elicit a little adrenaline, even though you know they are coming. There's also a little replay value because the clues will be scattered randomly at the start of a new game. Even so, the theme and objective can be limiting; there is not really much to do beyond finding things, and there's not much to experience except tension.
Considering the visuals, gameplay, replayability, and online options, Toy Soldiers HD is very well done and fun to play. Figuring out how to best use your units is almost as much fun as enacting a campaign in your childhood sandbox.
Taking all the elements of visuals, variety of characters (with more available via DLC), attacks, environments, replayability, single and multiplayer modes, and overall challenge, Rumble Fish 2 is a good 2D fighter to have ready to go.
The platform and theme are simple, but Swordship is not easy. Its take on shmups is unique, its visuals are interesting and its story is just enough to inspire the whole "be the hero" ethos. If you like dodge-em games this one is a good addition to your game library.
As a whole, the Nintendo Switch version of Sifu is very good. The action fighting game has a reliable theme, good visual elements, interesting combat with smooth mechanics, a decent challenge level with a multitude of controls/moves, and a solid story.
Trifox is a fun action platformer that allows you to choose the type of character you play as. Although there are a couple of concerns with floaty physics and a rigid camera, but they are outweighed by fun fights, clever puzzles, and vibrant visuals.
The retro point-and-click adventure game, Unusual Findings, is full of puzzles, colorful characters, sometimes odd conversation, and aliens-what more could you ask for? Our heroes share some witty banter, get into all sorts of trouble, and get to save the world, if they are successful.
No Place for Bravery-an action/adventure RPG from Ysbryd Games and Glitch Factory-does have some issues; the retro graphics aren't the best, and they still produce some frame rate problems. The intriguing (mature) story and interesting environments, however, result in a good title worth checking out.
If you are really into the Blade Runner franchise and can put up with the shortcomings, I suppose you can get some enjoyment from Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition. Everyone else should take a pass on this remastered adventure game. Maybe if the studio comes out with a "More Enhanced" edition, with plenty more fixes in place, it may be worth another look.
At the current asking price of $9.99, Atari's arcade action game Yars: Recharged is an easy recommendation for your Nintendo Switch library. This is a fun game with enough challenge to keep you playing for hours.
On arrival, I had a sense of hope and promise for the twin-stick shooter, Aniquilation, but was left with an "oh well" experience. With a little refinement, it has the potential to be a really fun game with some interesting aspects. As it is, the game leaves too much to be desired.
Like many of the adventure puzzle games after which it's patterned, Lamplight City comes across as a bit lackluster in both story and presentation. Retro adventure gamers may enjoy working their way through it, but I wouldn't bank on it.
Samurai Riot is a decent 2D action arcade game, it just needs some refinement. It looks good, it (mostly) plays well, and it satisfies the old arcade beat-'em-up desire. If the developers fix a couple annoying glitches, it'll be a solid options for genre fans.
Cotton Fantasy: Superlative Night Dreams is a bit pricey for the time it takes to get to the end. However, it's a shoot-em-up. It's not about getting through a story, it's about shooting baddies and getting a high score. Fans of shmups (and of the recently revitalized Cotton in particular) will have some fun with this one.
Watcher Chronicles offers enough of an RPG action platforming challenge to make you work for it, and provides enough satisfaction to keep you coming back for more (especially in local multiplayer). It doesn't take itself too seriously, it just lets the player(s) get on with enjoying the game.
If you enjoy platformers, Flat Kingdom Paper's Cut Edition is a good addition. It doesn't rank the highest on my list because of sensitive jump points which can oftentimes be frustrating. But when taken for what it is-a unique platformer with fun narrative and visual twists-it's worth the purchase.
Defend the Rook is a rogue-like tactics game that's challenging enough to make you earn your victories while keeping you ready to try again when it beats you. If you like strategy games, this entry is worth adding to your Switch library.