Leonardo Faria's Reviews
You’ll be greeted with some really smart puzzles, a great difficulty curve that will constantly add new mechanics and features for you to deal with, a deep (but flawed) level creator, and that typical “so bad it’s good” pun-infested sense of humor I can’t help but love.
No, Neon Abyss is definitely not a bad game. In fact, even in its current state, it’s actually quite good and I’d easily recommend it to Switch owners. But this is a perfect case of wasted potential. It could have been so much better if it wasn’t for the infuriating framerate issues that ruined way more runs than I can possibly remember.
Total Tank Simulator won’t exactly please hardcore strategy fans, but there’s a lot more to it than being just a toy soldier war game with silly graphics. It knows how to please both newcomers and veterans with its gameplay which, albeit simple, is a lot deeper than I could have ever expected from a game with such an unremarkable name, giving you equal chances to defeat your enemies either by sheer force or by being thoughtful and strategic.
Void Terrarium is very flawed and riddled with very questionable difficulty spike decisions, but it also features some strong redeeming qualities. For every dungeon crawling run that results in an unfair death, you will be sent back to the main hub, interact with that poor little girl, and feel a near-maternal urge to try your luck yet again in order to find items that will help her survive in this beautiful yet hostile world.
In a year where F1 is doomed to be reduced to a mere husk of what it used to be back in the day, F1 2020 is here to remind us of how exciting this sport can actually be. This is Codemasters’ most impressive game to date and I have no idea of how they’ll be able to surpass my expectations in 2021.
Remaking Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town for another portable system ended up being a really smart idea. Everything that made the game work so well on-the-go all those years ago is still here, but with better graphics, music, performance, and some additional content.
Yes, the framerate is stupidly janky, killing whatever sensation of speed the game was trying to offer to players. Still, I had way more fun with this game than I could have ever expected. It aims to please a specific niche of racing fans and succeeds, mostly due to its unbelievably deep and addictive career mode.
This is a good collection if you’re interested in owning the entirety of the Samurai Shodown catalogue originally released for the NeoGeo for a more affordable pricetag, but I feel like Digital Eclipse could (and should) have added some extra games and quality of life improvements in order to make this collection a true must-have for retro enthusiasts.
This isn’t just one of the most entertaining VR games I’ve played in years, but one of the most entertaining games in general I have played in a very long time. It is hindered by the limited horsepower provided by the PS4 and the PSVR, but what the people at Camouflaj have managed to achieve with so many limitations is absolutely impressive.
Pilots of Darsalon is an occasionally fun love letter to games like Solar Jetman, but there’s not a lot in here besides that same gameplay loop from more than thirty years ago. Just like Dr. Kucho’s previous outing, this is something you will only truly enjoy if you are a big fan of its sources of inspiration, and if you can put up with the game’s somewhat annoying “back in my day” sense of humor.
There are some great ideas in Wildfire, such as the way you can handle the elements to interact with the environment around you, but what we ended up getting instead was a shallow cinematic platformer with some janky controls, repetitive level design, and lots of framerate issues.
Be advised that The Bard’s Tale has aged in more ways than one, especially in the visual department, but it’s still quite unique due to its fourth wall-breaking premise and hilarious performances by Cary Elwes and Tony Jay. It’s a simple action RPG with a straightforward gameplay loop that is a perfect fit for a portable system like the Switch.
The Innsmouth Case is a game that did an honorable attempt at trying to shake up the cliché nature of Lovecraftian adaptations by offering players a story in modern times with a lot of sarcastic humor. Sadly, it ended up falling flat due to its limited gameplay and the sad fact that its jokes just weren’t funny at all.
In a console full of amazing tactical and turn-based strategy experiences, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia still manages to carve a small niche with its overwhelming, but rewarding gameplay. Not to mention the sheer amount of content it offers.
Burnout Paradise might be a bit too expensive on the eShop, but you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. A huge open world to explore, tons of cars to unlock and collect, a fantastic soundtrack comprised of some of the greatest bands of all time, and most importantly, that good old Burnout gameplay that will never get old.
Assetto Corsa Competizione is in a much better state in terms of content now than when it was first released in 2019. There are more tracks and teams to choose from, and playing it with a controller is nowhere near as nightmare inducing as the console port of Assetto Corsa is. With that being said, you need to understand that this is primarily a multiplayer-centered game.
This might be one of the least impressive visual remasters I have ever seen, but considering how well Star Wars Episode I: Racer‘s gameplay has aged over the decades, I still have to recommend the Switch version of this game to racing fans and Star Wars fans alike.
This is a title that challenges the overall conception of a game having to be joyful to be enjoyable. It knows when to make you feel miserable with its depressing yet fantastic story. However, unlike many pretentious art games that failed at doing the same, it knows it’s a video game and knows how to entertain you with its pristine combat and excellent exploration sections.
Being able to finally play a proper port of Duke Nukem 3D on-the-go, with revamped visuals, functional motion controls, and even some extra levels, makes this Switch version stand out from all other previously released versions of the remaster. Not to mention the novelty factor of playing an uncensored version of this game on a Nintendo platform, much to Howard Lincoln’s dismay.
I can only recommend the Switch version of RUINER to die-hard twin-stick shooter fans. It’s still a stupidly challenging but entertaining title, and its chaotic, arcade-like nature is a good fit for a portable system, but the Switch’s controller options just don’t offer the precision a game like this needs in order to become truly enjoyable.