Leonardo Faria's Reviews
Kosmokrauts did not wow me at all with its shallow, repetitive, and intentionally clunky physics-based gameplay, but it oozed so much charm with its goofy visuals and superb voice acting, that I decided to keep on playing just to be greeted with some exaggerated Russian accents and dumb puns.
Cthulhu Saves Christmas is an odd case in which the complete package is actually way more enjoyable and entertaining than the sum of its parts. Its visuals, soundtrack, length and simple combat system aren’t exactly special or groundbreaking, but add them all together alongside its hilarious script, and you get a laidback JRPG experience that’s a phenomenal fit for a portable like the Switch.
Rebellion keeps impressing me with how well they’ve been able to port their more hardware demanding games for the Switch. Sniper Elite 4 is, without a doubt, their best title in the platform so far. It features great visuals, a surprisingly stable framerate, and the best level design in the series so far.
Handball 21 is not a good game in any sense of the word. Die-hard handball fans will probably be able to ignore this game’s myriad of issues and enjoy what’s basically the only available simulator in the market. Everyone else, be it a casual sports fan or someone who has never heard of handball before, will quickly become fed up with how lackluster this game’s presentation and gameplay are.
The obvious recommendation is to enjoy Planet Coaster on a PC, the way the game was meant to be played. Mod support and the easier usage of mouse and keyboard on PC make that version way more enjoyable and user-friendly than this PS5 port. But that doesn’t mean Planet Coaster: Console Edition is bad. Far from it. I had a blast with this version.
As it stands, this is a stupidly gorgeous PS4 game receiving a few new buffs due to the PS5’s hardware, but it’s still the same Devil May Cry 5 from 2019, through and through. It’s still one of the, if not the best hack ‘n’ slash games ever made, however. It’s still the same over-the-top madness I fell in love with last year, so it’s still well worth your time. A worthy launch title for the PS5, that’s for certain.
That being said, this is one of the best Tetris multiplayer experiences I’ve played in years. It’s not only catered towards those with a vague notion of how this game works, but also those beautiful lunatics like myself, those who follow the Classic Tetris World Championship to a borderline religious degree. I would love to see Tetris Effect: Connected become an esport staple in the near future.
The first two games might have aged a bit and Serious Sam 3 is nowhere near as entertaining as the other two. But all in all, the Serious Sam Collection is a worthy addition to your Switch library if you’re looking for some FPS action on-the-go. Their arcade-like mentality, insane action, decent performance (SS3 aside, of course) and short levels are actually a perfect fit for a portable system.
As a cynical adult, I obviously find Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay to be one of the most basic gaming experiences I’ve had in years. But I am not its core audience. When you assess it through the eyes of a toddler, this is actually a pretty decent game.
Give it up to Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio for actually making the impossible work like a charm. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is more than just a great transition to a brand new JRPG environment. It might as well be one of the best Yakuza games ever made, and one of the best JRPGs I’ve played in years. Once you get rid of an admittedly slow start, you’ll be greeted a fantastic story, great combat system, relatable characters, and a ludicrous, borderline insane amount of content.
The XIII remake is best described as absolutely incompetent. A game from 2020 shouldn’t look, play, sound, and perform worse than a 2003 title that wasn’t even that hardware demanding back in the day to begin with. I am baffled with how unfinished and unpolished this game is. I may have played worse games this year, but I seriously doubt any of them, be it Fast & Furious or Road Bustle, infuriated me as much as this remake. The more I play it, the more I loathe it.
Sackboy isn’t as big or complex as other Sony exclusives, and that’s great. After playing countless of serious and mature titles, a smaller, less serious, and more family friendly platformer is exactly what I wanted from them. A palate cleanser of sorts in order to get ready for the next generation of consoles.
Dustoff Z is pretty simple and straightforward. It’s a short but fun arcade experience that isn’t going to make a lasting impact, but still manages to be entertaining in short bursts. I don’t exactly think I would have enjoyed this game at all had I played anywhere else but on the Switch, but that portable system ended up being a perfect fit for a title like this.
Is there any silver lining in here? Well, the soundtrack doesn’t fit at with the game’s overall vibe, but it isn’t terrible, and there are some unlockable vehicles in here. But that would mean playing the game for a longer period of time just to get something definitely not worth the hassle. Speed 3: Grand Prix is a disaster. It’s ugly, its controls feel unfinished, it lacks content, and most importantly of all, it’s just not fun.
No More Heroes 2 is definitely much better than its predecessor in pretty much every single conceivable way. It looks nicer, its gameplay is more fluid, its soundtrack is more iconic, its voice acting is nowhere near as irritating as before, and the lack of pointless filler makes the game feel a lot more fluid as a result. I’m finally starting to understand why people love this franchise so much, even if I still think No More Heroes and Travis Strikes Again are massively overrated.
This is a truly impressive 2.5D action platformer that boasts some of the best production values on the entire Switch’s library, with gorgeous visuals and a great soundtrack. Its gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, and its slice of life mechanics, while far from being the best thing about it, are still interesting and not very intrusive.
Foregone is an all-around great game. It’s gorgeous, its combat is slick and entertaining, and its level design is excellent. Besides the aforementioned unfair boss fights, its main issue is the fact that, while competent, it simply does not bring anything new to the table. It pays tribute to tons of previously released games without ever standing out on its own. With that being said, that’s not a dealbreaker by any means.
I don’t think anybody was expecting for Tropico 6‘s Switch port to be superior to any other previously released version of the game, and it shows. It’s clearly the ugliest and clunkiest version of the game released so far. That being said, Tropico 6 is still one hell of a fun game on the Switch. If you can put up with the ugly visuals and initially weird controls, and decide to play it almost exclusively in portable mode, then you can still have a blast creating your totally democratic states on-the-go.
I used to think that I wasn’t getting No More Heroes‘ appeal because my only previous experience with the franchise had been its mediocre spinoff from 2018. Sadly, after playing this remaster of the original game, I have to say that my point stands. No More Heroes is shallow as a puddle, dated in terms of gameplay, and really not funny for a game that’s supposed to be comedic.
DIRT 5 might have some small issues, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. I really liked its arcade-friendly approach and overall goofier vibe. It is loud, colorful, in-your-face, and accessible, without ever forgetting about its skill-focused roots, letting veterans tinker the gameplay to their liking.