I’m pretty impressed with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. It has a great storyline, excellent voice acting, lots and lots of areas to explore and gather items in. The monsties are a delight to see going about their business in the open world. Combat is interesting and a lot of fun to take part in. If you are a fan of the Monster Hunter series then this is a very entertaining adventure RPG that is extremely enjoyable to play. But even if you aren’t into the main Monster Hunter series then you will find Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin to be different. This is an excellent game to sink your teeth in!
Skyward Sword HD’s quality of life improvements made to the game are a step up from the Wii version of the game. No more constant interruptions while you are playing, from Fi the spirit of the sword, that’s a blessing. The controls are better. However, I think it will boil down to how well you gel with the updated control system. I do recommend giving the game a go for those that are on their journey through The Legend of Zelda series of games. As while it isn’t the best of the best in the series it shouldn’t be overlooked completely.
BeeFense BeeMastered is a pretty enjoyable and entertaining game. I like the different twists on the genre that the game provides. As well as that the bees make a pleasant change from all the usual Orcs and Goblins that are seen in TD games. If you like the genre and fancy a buzzing good time then BeeFense BeeMastered could be just for you!
Connect Bricks is a simplistic puzzle game. There sure are plenty of puzzles to complete in it, enough to keep you busy for a while. Priced as it is on the eShop is very steep for a game that is free on mobile. I understand there are costs included in the porting of such games from mobile to Switch. But I do think that is a very high price for a game that is basically the same in all 2000 levels. While I do like the gameplay for a quick pick up and play session I wouldn’t be rushing to download it at that price point, my advice would be to maybe wait for a sale to purchase the game on the Switch!
Cube Blast Match is a nice take on the 3-match genre. While Match-3 games are not my favourite style of games I do like the ones that try to do something different from the norm. Cube Blast Match is one such game. While it won’t blow your socks off for having overly inventive gameplay, it is a fun little game to pick up and play.
Lost Ember has lovely visuals, simple gameplay mechanics and a heartfelt story. The calm and peaceful vibe of the gameplay is perfect for players looking for a laid-back game to play. It is not overly long, coming in at around five hours. If you like games with a strong narrative, animals and a little exploring the environment then Lost Ember might certainly be worth a look.
Minute of Islands is a decent adventure game. Visually it is good to look at, minus the gorier scenes, which I could have done without. The gameplay, while good, gets a little repetitive going in a loop off: travel to an island, activate the purifier, find the giant, activate the giant. If you’re a fan of the aesthetics and enjoy relaxed gameplay then Minute of Islands could be just what you are looking for.
Beasts of Maravilla Island is an entertaining romp through a magical island. Taking photos of the wildlife is fun. It is a game that any age group from the youngest to the oldest would enjoy playing, though for now I would advise playing the game on PC. At least until the kinks are ironed out of the Nintendo Switch version of Maravilla Island. This is also reflected in my score which would have been I Like It A Lot, had the game performed better on my Switch.
It took me at least the first ten levels of Piczle Cells to get my head around how the game works. Then along came the levels with walls and obstacles and I was lost again. Having the ability to rewind your moves cuts down the frustration that a wrong move may cause. It also stopped me from doing damage to my Switch. Piczle Cells offers puzzlers an enjoyable and challenging goopy experience.
Farm for your Life is an interesting take on the farming simulation genre. It is slow to start, so don’t expect to go rushing through the roughly six-hour story mode in the game. If you like farming simulation games with added zombies, fruit ninja mini-games or just looking for a game that is different to mix things up a bit in your gaming then check out Farm for your Life.
StarScraper in my opinion needs more work before it is worthy of the $19.99 price tag it has. I do think that some more development of the game will improve it and maybe added some scenarios would help too. The game currently feels unfinished and the camera likes to float off into the clouds. At it is now I can’t recommend StarScraper, and the price tag just isn’t justified.
Summer Paws is a lovely, chill-out kind of game. A game to play with a cup of coffee instead of the crossword in the local newspaper. Play it on a commute into work as it is an easy game to pop in and out of too. I can see the game being a big hit with younger members of the family as they hunt for the cute kitties.
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective is a fantastic game that perfectly represents the books it is based on. An amazing and delightful game to play with young children with the family gathered around the computer screen. In saying that, it is not exclusive as a family game, I played the game on my own and had a blast with it, so it is suitable for all ages to play and enjoy. I highly recommend becoming Pierre the detective and join the hunt for Mr X.
LEGO Builder’s Journey is a well thought out puzzle game, with a wonderful art style. It is an absolute delight to play. It is aimed at all fans of LEGO but it has a really grown up puzzle feel to it too. I hope we see more of this style of game from the LEGO brand in future. Also with the LEGO in the game and not all over the floor (no, I didn’t do that as a child) you can’t step on those Lego pieces and leave a brick imprint on your foot.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a heartwarming tale of being kind and looking out for others and the world around you. A game that isn’t afraid to challenge our perceptions, with its message of conservation and how we can impact the world for the better. All of that is wrapped up in a sweet and cute style with a strong and enjoyable memorable story and relaxing music that you will lose yourself in. It makes it a perfect family-oriented game that everyone from the youngest to the oldest will enjoy and discover that small actions can make a huge difference in the world around us!
Geometry Bricks is a good entertaining puzzle game, with some devilish hard puzzles to complete in the later levels. The challenge in the game is set just right, even with the harder puzzles you will eventually succeed in completing them.
Weaving Tides is a charming single-player adventure set in a world of magic, textile and dragons. The weaving and embroidery angle is fantastic, it feels like a fresh and smart way to create an adventure game. Repairing the world by stitching down enemies or floating woolly sheep and dashing through piles of cushions is very satisfying! And best of all, you can pet the dragons!
Tiny Lands is a fun and enjoyable puzzle game, nice to sit down with for a coffee break and a few minutes of play. This would be a great game for parents to play with their children. I can picture them sitting around the TV, playing the game and the children shouting out the differences they had found in the puzzles. It would be a good help to fine-tune a child’s observation skills too. Adults will enjoy the game too, which leaves me only one thing to say.
The Wild at Heart is a very enjoyable game. The story of Wake and Kirby is interesting and helps to give them a reason to be where they are in the Deep Woods. With well-crafted puzzles, beautiful artwork, and music that is relaxing and you can really tell a lot of imagination and love went into the making of the game as well as the music.
Motif is pretty reasonably priced in the eShop, though the game is cheaper on the Apple App Store. I guess it depends on what size of screen you want to play on. The game is perfectly suited to the smaller screen of the Switch. As it is Motif is an acceptable puzzle game for a few hours of puzzling.