Leonardo Faria's Reviews
I think the main question here is: who is Dead or School for? It’s definitely not suited for fans of story-driven experiences because its writing is so bad it almost looks intentional. It’s definitely not suited for otakus because there are way better options on the Switch eShop as of now. It’s not suited for metroidvania enthusiasts because, frankly, the console already has options like Ori and the Blind Forest and Hollow Knight.
Hidden Through Time is best described as “okay”. It’s just a simple pastime that, although somewhat fun and useful as a mental exercise, features some poorly designed hints and not enough levels to last for more than a few hours. Its replayability factor and overall lasting value will depend on how many people end up buying it, on how many of those will bother creating custom puzzles, and how many of those will be well-designed enough for other people to bother downloading and playing.
I don’t remember the last time I liked a game so much even though I really hated its controls. Ironically enough, it must have Castlevania 64, now that I think about it. I really liked almost everything Wallachia: Reign of Dracula had to offer: its visuals, its really good voice acting, its overall gameplay loop, its new take on the whole “Dracula hunting” schtick, and so on. If only its controls weren’t so clunky and the if only the button mapping wasn’t so limited and nonsensical, Wallachia could have ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the year.
There are so many roguelikes being released every single week, it’s no surprise that some of them end up being as forgettable and underwhelming as Roundguard. It’s a game that might have a creative premise, but fails to deliver due to its hideous visuals, disappointing soundtrack, and lack of replayability.
Mystic Pillars is a fun ride, even though it’s a bit too easy. It has a neat concept, beautiful visuals, and a nice background story. While I had fun with it, I don’t think playing it on a PC is the right choice. Its gameplay was designed with touchscreens in mind and its puzzles are best experienced in short bursts.
The main problem with One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is that it just isn’t fun to play. It doesn’t retain the show’s charm because it completely misses the mark when it comes to its tone and setting. One Punch Man is all about how dumb the Hero Association’s bureaucracy is and you’re basically forced to climb the same ladder the show constantly made fun of. It is also a show about how boring Saitama’s life is due to the fact he’s so overpowered and that is visible whenever you’re actually able to play as him for the mere seconds he’s onscreen.
All in all, BE-A Walker is far from being a bad game, but it’s pretty hard to recommend. Its gameplay loop gets tiresome pretty quickly, and being inspired by one of the most generic and uninspired movie plots of the entire century really doesn’t help. You can have a few minutes of fun blowing up tons of natives (or humans, it’s up to you) with a rocket launcher-powered mech, but this won’t be a game that will captivate you for hours on end.
I had so much fun playing Dude, Stop that I was really bummed it ended so quickly. Very few games manage to make me laugh like a stupid hyena like this game did. It’s smart, extremely original, and very self-aware. I just really wanted for the game to be a little bit longer, because you can see everything it has to offer in less than two hours. Those will be two hilarious hours, however, and I still recommend this title to any Switch owner out there. Turns out that being an annoying human being is actually tons of fun. No wonder a lot of people did that back in high school.
I might have a few gripes with the Switch version of Metro 2033 Redux, namely the limitations imposed by the joycons and its insanely long loading times, but I need to commend how impressive it is to have a game of this scope running so beautifully on the Switch’s hardware.
I was worried that Yakuza 4 wouldn’t win me over as Kiryu would have to share his screentime with three other newcomers, but that concern disappeared pretty quickly. I should never doubt those screenwriters, as they have managed to come up not only with brand new characters that were extremely likable, but they have also managed to intertwine their stories in a masterful, quasi-Hollywood way.
This might be the first time in which a fighting game with such a horrendously small roster size hasn’t infuriated me to death. Granblue Fantasy: Versus‘ single player campaign is so lengthy and enjoyable that it made me almost forget that there’s also an arcade mode in it. It felt more like a side-scrolling action RPG first with an arcade fighting mode added as a bonus, and I’m fine with that.
Being able to come up with the most ridiculous of health centers, witnessing the wackiest of diseases the developers could come up with, and draining every single patient’s wallet dry is enough to put a gigantic smile on my face. Now, if only Two Point Studios could come up with a spiritual successor to Sim Theme Park as well…
Kemono Heroes doesn’t innovate, stand out, or provide a memorable experience, but at the same time, it had no single serious flaw I could think of. Its visuals are decent, its soundtrack is great, its controls are very responsive, and I really enjoyed its difficulty curve and progression system. It’s a very safe game that does everything it aimed to do pretty well. When I stop to think about it, I see no reason why I shouldn’t recommend this title to Switch owners. A cute, side-scrolling indie platformer with local co-op is basically what the console was made for.
Those games are far from being gorgeous on a big screen and they make the original Mega Man look fair in comparison, but they are a neat take on the franchise’s core gameplay, with an emphasis on storytelling and light RPG mechanics. And let’s be honest, Zero is by far the single coolest son of a gun this franchise has ever created. A collection featuring six games starring him isn’t a bad deal at all.
This is perfect game for you to play in small sessions, as you will always have a new level to tackle, meaning that it’s a perfect fit for a system like the Switch. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth picking up on the Xbox One, as I’d honestly recommend this to anyone who wants some light-hearted, but ultra-violent arcade fun.