Scourgebringer is a challenging rogue lite with fun gameplay. The mix of sword play and air dashing makes for an entertaining mix of gameplay to be enjoyed by rogue lite fans. If you’ve ever been scared away by the difficulty of these games the accessibility options available here may just help you get started. A nice treat for Switch that I can easily see myself revisiting again and again until a giant monolith descends from the heavens and starts the apocalypse… Wait what?
Reflection of Mine is something for the puzzle fan looking for an intense challenge. This is an experience that requires careful thought and patience to conquer its tricky puzzles. I loved the soundtrack but I mostly walked away from this game feeling more stupid than entertained which is more on me than the game. Some will love this, some will hate it so I’ll be a pain and just say……
Alwa’s Legacy is a lovely little metroidvania game well worth sinking time into. The developers clearly took lots of time crafting this world, making the enemy encounters and puzzles count. They made a game that feels wholesome and Zoe is a memorable character. Colourful, charming and a delight to play this is not a gem to let slip away whether your old or young.
Two Parsecs from Earth feels more like a blueprint to the start of something bigger. Maybe it was budget restrictions who knows. All it really ends up being is a simple find the collectibles title with clunky controls. I know for myself how hard game development is but it’s hard not to point out that there are other Metroidvania games out there that feel more rewarding to play and cost less. It’s not bad by any stretch but it does easily sit in the realm of mediocre.
Foregone is brilliant looter action game worth sinking time into to. The graphics are gorgeous the combat fluid and rewarding. I enjoyed exploring the world and experimenting with various weapons. It may look like certain games but Foregone easily stands on its own. A real treat on the Switch.
Dead Z Meat is a fun silly zombie shooter with some glaring control issues. Its not as good as shooter games seen on the Wii or older consoles but if you’re hungry like a Zombie this is a decent but flawed attempt on Switch. For me it was the right amount of silly I needed right now. I hope the developers get another crack at this formula and return with a more polished experience next time.
Unrailed is just the ticket for simple pick up and play gaming fun. The experience becomes more alive if your able to share it with others but with the addition of a good AI companion and decent online functions you never have to build the railroad alone. A nice wholesome game with simple controls that might just be the spark of gaming your looking for right now.
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? has a very retro feel to me. It’s a game that will be very tough to play through the first time but once you master it’s patterns and gameplay style you can replay this to look for the various secrets or rack up a better score or rating. The hard difficulty will put some off but if you have the time to spare there’s something special to discover in Prinny. Plus it’s not often you play as a demon penguin that explodes. Dood.
If you liked the first game this is definitely worth playing. The small improvements to the gameplay are welcome and I slightly enjoyed Prinny: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! a little more than the original. If you can only choose between the two I would say go for this sequel over the original. It feels like a more refined experience overall. Still the hard difficulty will not appeal to everyone and if you don’t like the idea of dying over and over there are probably better uses of your time.
If you’re a total beginner, the barrier to entry will seem quite steep and I suggest searching online for helpful guides to assist you with the creation purpose. You are confined to the games art style and tools so don’t buy this expecting to make a platformer. You will also need a lot of time free as game development is a long process requiring a lot of patience and persistence. The tools here are not quite as pick up and play as say Mario Maker but there is enough depth and complexity that, provided you have the creative mind, you can develop something pretty awesome. Who knows maybe it’ll lead you on the long journey of game development as a whole. Overall my rating comes from my gut instinct and that is …..I Like It
Hades is a brutal but highly entertaining trip through the Greek underworld. Although I got knocked down again and again much like the stubborn prince himself I couldn’t help but get back up and try just one more time. With so much content on offer, this will easily be a game I’ll have in regular rotation for a long time to come. Definitely a title worthy of the Gods!
Warsaw ripped out my soul for several play sessions and made me feel empty and depressed. Within all that pain though I was driven by this feeling of hope and determination to continue the fight in an effort for a better tomorrow. While this feeling can not compare to what real people felt back then and the suffering they went through. Warsaw is a stark reminder of why we should remember those we lost to war and do all we can to prevent this happening again.
If you like your old-style arcade games from the ’80s Tamiku is well worth picking up. Simple but challenging gameplay and a crazy cute character with a weird fetish for popping balloons makes this an arcade game worth sinking some time into. Though I will say I won’t be looking at balloons the same way for a while.
Breakpoint, while small in content, has a single focused but entertaining game mode that I ended up playing over and over again. I ended up being totally on board with the idea of a space ship having a giant axe. If you love your retro style space shooters this is a coffee game worth checking out.
While the graphics and sound are something to behold. Kholat ends up being more of a frustrating walk in the wilderness than a memorable horror experience. If you love your horror and you don’t mind the slow pace of a walking simulator this is worth experiencing. I will say though the game really did make me miss taking long walks in the mountains. Haven’t done that in a while.
Golf Zero was a nice little surprise. Brutal hard platforming with an enjoyable golf twist that was great fun to enjoy in short gaming bursts. If you’re not a fan of platformers the golf is probably not enough to win you over. A few niggles with the controls hold it back from true greatness but if the developers decide to make a follow-up I would be up for another round of golf with them.
Just like the original Snake on the old mobile phones The Snake King offers some novelty fun in small gaming bursts. But lots of repetitive levels and lack of gameplay variation make this a hard one to recommend. A shame really as there was a lot of room here to build on the gameplay. Instead we have a rather hollow experience that’s feels like the original game its based on but with a new lick of paint and nothing more.
Mini Motor Racing X was a pleasant surprise. It took me back to the days of playing Micro Machines on my Mega Drive. Fun, simple arcade gameplay that does the trick for gamers with not a lot of time to spare. Tons of tracks as well as fun extra modes make this a great racing package worth playing alone or with a friend in split screen. I didn’t think I would ever be won over by a racing game again to this degree but here we are. Good job developers!
Tank Mechanic Simulator is a surprisingly fun game and a nice relaxing surprise I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. Is the game perfect, no? The learning curve to get into this game is quite complex, the graphics are a bit bland and the performance on Switch a bit muddled. But, despite its issues, I still had fun restoring some tanks. I never expected to enjoy a game with simulator in the title as much as I did. If you have the time to spare and have an interest in tanks this might be something you want to check out too.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Even the Ocean. I liked the flow and feel of the puzzle platform segments but sometimes the heavy emphasis on story slowed things down too much for me. If you are looking for a casual puzzle platformer with a deep story you most certainly should check out Even the Ocean.