More Dark may be based in hell but this experience ends up being a simple puzzle game that will keep you busy for a few gaming sessions before moving on to something else. Short and sweet with a few arcade games to break up the puzzles. A decent coffee game at a cheap price.
The Alto Collection is a lovely set of Zen games with simple controls and beautiful music and graphics to enjoy as you adventure down the mountains again and again. Grinding issues aside this is easily a game to return to if you just want that quick gaming fix. Plus this is one of the few games I can think of that gives a bit of love to Lamas so its all good.
The Cherry Orchard is an interesting attempt to bring the theatre experience to video games. Audio issues, graphical glitches and art design that just didn’t seem to come together as well as it should make this hard to recommend to anyone but the most die hard of theatre lovers. The credit I will give the title is it did remind me of the good times I had going to the theatre when I was younger. But in those moments of reminiscing I was reminded how much I would rather just watch the theatre production of the title this is based on. I actually feel one day the theatre experience will come to video games effectively. But as the Cherry Orchard shows we’re not quite there yet.
Micetopia is a fun simple Metroidvania that plays everything very safe. Good controls, graphics and a short campaign that feels over a little too soon. The definition of what I have come to call a coffee game. But by playing it safe Micetopia doesn’t have that special something that makes it stand out from the crowd. If you’re looking for a nice short title at a nice price, this will keep you distracted for a few play sessions.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back is a great package for fans of the old days as well as introducing a new audience to the cuteness of Bub and Bob. Bubble Bobble 4 is a feel-good arcade game that offers a balance of casual and challenging modes that are sure to please a wide audience of gamers. It’s good to have this dinosaur duo back on top form.
In its current state, it has decent rogue-lite elements. Not so much fun alone but the experience really comes alive when playing co-op locally or online. With patching, Metaverse Keeper would make a welcome addition to fans of the rogue-lite genre. But in its current state, I would advise approaching this with caution.
Star Slides is a short title to play alone or have some unintentional laughs with a second player. It’s silly fun that would have been easy to recommend at a cheaper price point. But since that’s not that case here, I would say save your money and slide on to something else worth your time. At least it doesn’t have microtransactions, so that’s good.
Linelight is quite a shining light in the sea of Switch releases this November. If you’re looking for a nice casual puzzler with great music this is an easy one to recommend for all ages. Linelight is like an adult colouring book. Simple in concept but provides some mindfulness that feels both good for the soul and fun to play.
While not as strong as some of Orange Pixels other works. Gunslugs is still a simple to the point run and gun rogue like that’s perfect if you only have small amounts of gaming time to spare, plus you can throw a joy con at someone on the bus and play together which is always awesome. Gunslugs may be 5 years old but like that old CD from that band you like, it still holds up today.
Lunch a Palooza has all the ingredients for a fun party game but the order we are given ends up being more of a food related disaster. Awkward controls, confusing gameplay and a level that causes motion sickness. This is a lunch that needs a lot more time in the oven before it’s ready for consumption.
Oceanhorn 2 is an ambitious step up from the first game in the series. While many will compare the game to Nintendo’s hallmark series. Oceanhorn 2 bravely throws it’s hat into the ring to enter the fray. While there are rough edges to its combat it was the small little things about this game that overall kept me engaged. Exploration is fun and the world is beautiful, it’s a title filled with many surprises. A delightful adventure that I hope gamers will enjoy as much as I did.
Clea is an eerie stealth based game that will certainly appeal to horror fans and gamers that want the horror setting but without those jump scares. The use of sound is top notch, this is definitely one to plug the headphones in for handheld mode. The game is short and to the point if your looking for a quick horror fix for Halloween or any other time of the year.
Toolboy looks great graphically the mechanical world is interesting. But when it comes to playing, I spent more time being frustrated with the clunky controls. In its current state I can’t recommend Toolboy but maybe with some polish it could be quite the robotic gem. For now though approach with caution.
Pumpkin Jack is not just a good platformer for Halloween, its a treat for any day of the year. If you miss the platformers of old or just fancy a platformer that doesn’t star a blue plumber for a change, Pumpkin Jack is well worth your time.
I ended up liking Space Grunts more than I expected. I wasn’t too sure how I initially felt about the turn-based design but it ended up working really well here. New to the genre? This might be a great entry point to start. A fun, fast rogue-like game that is well worth playing on and off whether you have hours to spare or mere minutes. Plus, it might make you chuckle at times, which is always nice. Great work!
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.