" It does a phenomenal job as a strategy game by making you live through the hardships of the winemaking process. The game provides you with all the tools you need to create a great wine, but also teaches you how hard this actually is, and how little control you do have over it. This gameplay loop of figuring out how to improve your wines, and fighting against the overwhelming odds makes Hundred Days an absolutely unique experience on the Switch. I do hope that the game will be updated with additional controller options over time, because I can see myself playing Hundred Days for far longer than that title suggests.
The soundtrack is stellar and completes the package on display here. It's a game that can be enjoyed for all ages and if you decide to pursue all the sidequests, complete the decorating minigames, and find all of the collectibles, you can certainly spend a lot of time in the world of Chicory. My only gripe is a personal one-that I didn't play this game last year-because without a doubt it makes for a wonderful late addition to the best of what 2021 had to offer. I cannot wait to see what Greg, Lena, Em, Alexis and Madeline will make next, because Chicory can't be described as anything other than a piece of modern art.
RDBR locks you into a system that doesn't seem to understand what has made YGO so diverse and fun to play. If anything, I'm glad we got Rush Duels out of the way since next year will see the release of a proper YGO card simulator in the form of Master Duel. If this is all we hear of Rush Duel in the West, that will be fine by me. With this Battle Royale, everyone ends up being the loser.
The humor is probably the best writing I've experienced all year, but in true European fashion, it's dark, dry, and very self-referential at times. While it does have a few shortcomings, including the way in which the game has been translated to Switch and its slow movement speed, The Procession to Calvary was a delight the entire time I played it. If you are a fan of point-and-click games or just want a short and funny experience, I'd recommend this game over any Renaissance art gallery.
Yes, the sheer hilarity of seeing Patrick Star beat up CatDog is still funny, but I don't think the lifespan of this game will increase over time. Watching all these fighters silently duke it out makes it feel like we're watching storyboards for a singular crossover episode. While that may entice you into watching the commercials, the final product just leaves all these popular properties feel compromised.
DUSK's arrival on Switch has been a long time coming. But I'm honestly relieved that the creator took his time sanding down and sharpening every little corner of DUSK for its Switch debut. It feels like a game that was meant to be played on Nintendo's console and uses its retro inspirations to pump new life into this particular genre of games. If you ask me, it's the beginning of a new dawn.
There's really nothing else quite like it. If you think this is just another game of Tetris, I urge you especially to give this game a try. Who knows? It may even change your life.
Its narrative driven focus gives it time to breathe and even during combat segments I never felt like I was playing anything less than a full game that was looking exceptionally pretty on my Switch's screen. I have no problem recommending the Cloud-version of The Forgotten City, but as with any streaming version your mileage may vary. What will probably not vary is your enjoyment of this game, because as far as narrative driven adventures are considered, The Forgotten City absolutely deserves to be remembered for a very long time.
Each time you make some good progress, the game throws in a combat scenario that just takes all the wind out of your sails. It made me actively want to play the game in slower chunks, just not to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of these combat segments. Lost in Random definitely can hold its own against other titles and feels like a premium experience, but on it's way there the balance between randomness and thought out design may have gotten a bit lost.
Still, in some cases I'd argue that the journey is the destination. When it comes to TOEM the journey can be a little tedious and sometimes even a bit repetitive. But if you're looking for a slow paced game to relax over a weekend there's still a lot of charm and enjoyment to be found here.
But as the Switch has no internal achievement system, I don't think players here will derive much enjoyment from Alveole's core gameplay. However, if you're looking for something to drift away with and maybe get some of your thoughts in order, I think Alveole could be a meditative experience that may present you with some new insights or relief. That particular wheel may keep on spinning long after the experience is over.
I wish the controls were a bit more refined and that some buildings came with a few more tips on where to place them. But for this small package, it has quite a lot of content that kept me satisfied. If you were to send me off to a deserted island and I could only bring one game, this one would certainly be on my list of choices.
Its free form but open level-design makes exploration fun and gives me such a satisfying feeling after completing each level to sometimes retry them again and again to optimize my route and get that three-star rating. If you want a game that is easy to learn, emphasizes arcade-like replayability and just feels great to play on Switch, Cyber Hook should definitely be on your radar. I can't say anything else except that I'm completely hooked on this one.
If this was a free-to-play title, I may even be a bit more lenient with it, but at half the price of a full retail game, I honestly can't even recommend it for a laugh. I'm calling it. It's time to abandon ship.
I can't describe Beasts of Maravilla Island as anything less than a disappointment on the Nintendo Switch. While performance on the console absolutely breaks the experience, what little is there to begin with feels lackluster and basic. The creatures and its world are without a doubt the highlight of the game, but even so interaction and creativity in your photography is limited from every angle. I've been a huge proponent of photography video games, but with its surge over the recent years I've realized that I've also become more critical of games wanting to evoke that feeling of photography, but don't seem to fully understand how it can be both a tool for gameplay and creativity. If you're looking for a creative photographic experience I'd recommend titles like Umurangi Generation and (New) Pokémon Snap. Heck even other games that have non-essential photo-modes like Blue Fire, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate allow you more creativity than Beasts of Maravilla Island. This unfortunately makes Beast of Maravilla Island an Island I don't ever plan on revisiting.
It's still enjoyable to play on Switch, but you do have to deal with compromises in both handheld and docked mode. However, look past these issues and you'll find a unique indie photography game that stands on its own and tackles a story that goes beyond the basic photographer-experience. It's definitely a game that should be preserved for future generations.
The levels are pretty repetitive and lack a lot of player agency. While the style, atmosphere, themes and story are very good I don't think I will return to Say No! More in the future. Not because I think I shouldn't say no more, if anything this game made me realize that I do say yes too many times in my life, but because like a good self-help book, the real change begins when you're finished reading the story.
But combined with the frustrating controls and repetitive music, Root Film becomes a drag to play through. I sincerely hope that this story will be adapted into other forms, because there is a lot of potential here. A video game simply shouldn't have made the cut.
This metroidvania-like approach really clicked for me and made this 3D platformer feel special, which few others have over the past decade. While performance on Switch is definitely not fantastic, with constant suffering through crashes, I still wanted to go back every time to discover what else was hidden in this world. I certainly cannot wait to see what these developers have in store next, because Blue Fire has definitely awoken a burning passion in me to see what lies ahead.
Something that isn't there to satisfy people that ship in-game characters or gives them additional stats, but two characters that live together and struggle together. They each have a complete personality and to see that flourish, to see them flourish together, is something I have rarely if ever experienced in a game. Haven is not perfect, certainly not on Switch, but I would follow these characters to the edge of space and beyond.