Witcheye is a fun game that will no doubt bring a smile to most gamer’s faces. The controls are a little loose at times but the graphics are gorgeous, the soundtrack is memorable and it made me chuckle with its tongue in cheek humour throughout the experience. I could not help but still be drawn into it. Also, the game is incredibly good value. I highly recommend it, if you’re looking for a coffee game to dip in and out of or you just need something to lift your spirits.
Things started off pretty stable in terms of performance when playing Collapsed. But every now and then my character fell through the floor or an enemy would get stuck behind a barrier. This would of course happen when I was on a successful run. Unfortunately my only option would be to restart the game and since the game doesn’t save your progress between runs it was a bit of a let down. Hopefully these bugs will be ironed out in future patches. Collapsed is a entertaining rogue lite looter shooter. A fun mix of shooting and melee combat that kept me wanting to grind away at the game again and again. While it has a few bugs it makes up for it with solid controls and an enjoyable gameplay loop. It’s certainly a fun way to enjoy the apocalypse I’ll give it that.
Evergate is a beautiful and clever platformer. Once you get your head round the mechanics there is something quite special here to enjoy for the puzzle-platforming fan. If you need to take a break away from this world for a while, Evergate will take you to an afterlife with great music, rewarding challenges, and a moving story that may just speak to those who share a special bond with someone.
Once you are done with the campaign there are plenty of characters to unlock. The real replay value comes from playing the games unlock-able ‘endless mode’. Essentially the core game goes on forever until you die. So if your a fan of high scores this is the mode you may want to sink your extra time into. Serious Scamblers is a highly addictive arcade style game at a super cheap price. Simple controls and nice pixel graphics make this an easy title to recommend for the busy gamer. Quick and to the point fun just as video games should be.
There was a time I remember vividly that games just like MazezaM were enough. But I don’t think everyone will feel that way when playing this title. Somewhere though I like to picture there’s a gamer, possibly elderly, enjoying this title on their sofa. And they are smiling. Underneath the simple graphics and questionable design decisions is a decent puzzle game. But there is little to make this stand out from the crowd and draw in your attention. Only the die hard puzzle fans may want to seek this one out.
Prehistoric Dude is short, easy but has a charm to it that I couldn’t help but enjoy. Sometimes there are those games that make you smile and forget the stress that’s going on around you. While this won’t be for everyone, it won me over and I could see myself picking this up again for a replay when I want to enjoy some prehistoric entertainment.
RogueCube is a cheap, fun, coffee game. The games are quick and a lot of fun. I don’t quite know why but I really dug the cube like design. Simple yet effective. The glaring issue being that it is far too similar to other games in the genre that you may already have on your Switch. If your new to the genre though, RogueCube is a good way to test the water at a low price.
The time stop mechanic is used in clever ways to solve environmental puzzles and it feels a shame this just isn’t utilized a bit more. The Ambassador Fractured Timelines is a game that kinda grew on me the more I played it. I liked the strategic gameplay where every hit counts. It’s just a shame there’s not more variety in the level design bar kill all the enemies. Still an entertaining experience from a small development team. I look forward to seeing what tinyDino Games works on next.
Sports games absolutely have a home on the Switch and there’s a sizeable audience hungry to get off their sofas and enjoy some active games. Graphical limitations can be easily overlooked but controls are essential and sadly Instant Sports Summer Games doesn’t quite hit the mark. What could have been a fun game to enjoy with the family feels more like a mixed assortment of okay and not so. Fun to be had? Sure. But it’s hard to ignore this concept has been done better on older systems.
Heroes of Hammerwatch is a game that grows on you. While definitely more fun with others I still had a lot of fun alone. It may have minor faults but I loved how I kept discovering something new about the game whether it was discovering a new mechanic or mastering the games traps. This is easily a title I’ll return to for years to come.
Terrorarium deserves praise for it’s originality but it still feels like a game that needs a little more polish in places. Frustrating level design and awkward mechanics keep this from being something I was able to really enjoy. Hopefully the game will continue to receive patches following its full release. But in its current form I would say to approach this garden with caution.
Steam Tactics nicely fits into the hidden gem category with some rough edges. Brilliant design with memorable characters and surprising depth to the gameplay. Frustrating difficulty spikes and repetitive grinding to level up broke the experience for me. However, if your a fan of the genre and looking for a pick up and play experience this is an easy one to recommend. Also if I get a dog I’m totally naming it Benedictus Maximus.
The main critique of Aeolis Tournament is that it lacks some depth to its content. All 6 modes feel quite solid but some could do with fleshing out a bit more than others. It’s a shame that each session only has a single map. It feels like some could benefit from different arena designs with the exception of the Football and Hockey maps. These two seem absolutely fine as they are. While the experience is fun this will probably only be a game I pull out to play with friends which will hopefully be sometime in the future. Other than that I only see myself and the bots. Of all the party games I have covered Aeolis does a lot of things right. Simple controls suitable for everyone and the game modes on offer are a lot of fun. It’s just a shame the content is a little light. But who knows maybe that will come later down the road. What is present is a solid party game well worth playing with friends and family a like when you get the chance of course.
I really didn’t warm to the music of this game. Happy over the top beats that felt like they belonged in some cheesy cartoon. It just didn’t really fit the experience. So that got turned down and the podcasts got turned on. The sound effects of the gerrrms were fine though. There’s also an impressive use of the joy con vibrations as your bouncing around the levels. I certainly had some issues with Gerrrms but much like a weird gaming virus I couldn’t help but come back for another round. Despite my difficulty with the controls I was drawn in and had a lot of fun playing with bots. If I was having a sick day I certainly wouldn’t mind firing this up although I’d rather not catch any of the weird gerrrms featured in this game.
I think the only drawback to this twin-stick shooter is that if you haven’t been sold on this type of game in the past, this one probably won’t win you over. This is a quick to the point piece of arcade action that attempts its own little spin on the twin-stick space shooter formula and it pays off. Great music, bright visuals. I can’t deny it, this game is absolutely a #Funtime. The game goes beyond its own hashtag, it’s a game I can easily say……
Starlit Adventures Golden Stars is a great game for the whole family. It’s a casual adventure with very little stress and some guaranteed laughs. The addition of co-op for up to 4 players is most welcome and the enormous amount of content on offer easily justifies the game’s jump to consoles. Plus, it’s not often that you play a game where you ride a giant mole who kills enemies by farting fireballs at them (provided you’re wearing the right suit). I think that in itself sells me on this charming title… but that’s just me.
If Panzer Paladin was an episode of Voltron, I would re-watch it every week. Since it’s not, I’ll just settle for keeping this additive retro-inspired title on a regular gaming cycle. Panzer Paladin has won me over with its soundtrack, its sci-fi demons design, and general retro quirkiness. It’s the sort of game that makes me want to be a paladin every single time!
Essentially the more you play, the more you unlock and the more the game opens up. It’s just a little slow getting to that point. Neon Abyss has got the right roguelite moves, while it feels like a bit of a grind to unlock new things in the game. Those that decide to stick with it will be rewarded with a fun and addictive shooter that will have you returning run after run. Grab your glow sticks, get your best 90s outfit, and prepare to dance. Once you’ve worn yourself out though, you can still play another few rounds of Neon Abyss.
I originally played this game on PC because you could get a copy of the soundtrack. A music score that I have to say is brilliant in that funky retro way. Unfortunately not a lot has really been done to upgrade the game to Switch. I guess they added some art to the border which you can see in the screenshots. The controls have also been mapped better on Switch whereas the PC seemed to favour keyboard controls over a controller. Other than that its a pretty plain port. Clash Force is a fun simple coffee game that has the nostalgia of the ‘80s but won’t do anything to particularly surprise you. If you’re looking for a simple fun, run and gun platformer this will scratch that itch at a nice price to boot. But if you’re looking for something with more depth you can give this one a miss. Much like an episode of He – Man it won’t cause any harm if you miss one episode. There’s always next Saturday!
The game may not have a lot of replay value but I think I can see myself revisiting in when I want to play something casual and nice. I never felt stressed playing the game. It felt like just the right balance of challenge for a relaxing gaming session. Sometimes you just need a game that’s casual, simple and makes you smile. Ultra Hat Dimension easily fits that bill. The cute graphics and sounds are a very original concept for a puzzle game. The lesson I learned is no matter how many times I got punched, I could still make it through. Maybe a life lesson we all need sometimes.