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Emio - The Smiling Man has been hyped up a little too much in terms of how dark in tone the whole thing is. This is still silly, kooky stuff, just like its predecessors. The sometimes frustrating core mechanics also haven't seen any refinement this time around, which is a shame. And so it's left to some top-notch writing to save the day, which it just about does. Once this troubling and intriguing story has its hooks in you (remember there are three demos to try if you're unsure), it's hard to put down. And that, at the end of the day, is all Tantei Club fans will be looking for.
Overall, Crypt Custodian is a pretty traditional Metroidvania elevated by its fantastic world, aesthetic, characters, and soundtrack, with solid combat and a lot of build flexibility. These aspects all help alleviate some visual clutter issues and frame rate hiccups, ensuring that Crypt Custodian shouldn't end up lost in the eShop bargain bin like so many other Metroidvanias.
Gori: Cuddly Carnage's hyper-violent, comic book spin on the character platformer is fun and easy to get to grips with. It's an entertaining ride, though the sheer volume of comedic banter will overwhelm as much as it entertains, and performance issues plague the experience throughout. Otherwise, it just about holds everything together and will no doubt appeal to some. Others may tire of the scattershot humour long before Gori has defeated the Adorable Army.
If you're willing to look past a handful of typos and some fairly significant visual issues, WitchSpring R is a great example of turn-based combat with a strong story to back it up. It's whimsical and enchanting, and you won't be able to predict how it all ends. On top of this, the NG+ option gives it an extra splash of replayability for players who like a challenge. That being said, the visual quirks do take a toll on the score here. While they weren't game-breaking, having the main character pop out of existence during crucial cutscenes was frustrating, and it did affect our overall experience.
Bakeru is a sweet, snappy, and satisfying linear 3D platformer that feels like a wonderful callback to a genre that doesn't get a ton of representation these days. It's really easy (although the Western version ups the difficulty slightly) and has some performance problems, but the gameplay variety, snappy combat, oodles of collectibles, and gorgeous art style all come together to make for an adventure that you won't want to miss out on.
Overall, Bring Them Home is a decent puzzler that manages to get the mind going and provides a decently chilled atmosphere. You'll likely find it repetitive, though, with its simple gameplay only going so far.
To sum up, Mech Rage is a self-aware and amusing shoot 'em up that seems to relish parodying space marine tropes. It isn’t the best shmup out there — not by a long shot — but you might still find some fun with it.
Overall, Rain World is highly recommended as a piece of art, even just to check out its gorgeous visuals. Its gameplay is unforgiving, but not to the extent where it becomes unplayable. It certainly will take some devotion and time to get good at it, but with a world this beautiful, is that such a bad thing?
Overall, Solar Flux is good verging on great; it does have a bit of a visual vacuum, but the gameplay — though difficult to get a handle on at first — makes up for this, with potentially addictive action.
Viviette is excellent at providing something different that takes the best elements of many different games to craft something fairly unique. Despite some minor gripes, it’s a brilliant single-player experience.
All in all, OkunoKA isn’t recommended if you’re new to the platforming genre, or if you’re looking for a game to breeze through in an afternoon; instead, it provides a genuine challenge that is better suited to experienced players. Its addictive nature and smart physics make it a great compliment to your indie collection... if you think you’re hard enough.
The visuals are equally child-friendly and colourful, though nothing groundbreaking. If you’re looking for a puzzler to keep you entertained sporadically, and just so happen to like trains, you’ll find Conduct Together! an enjoyable, if fleeting, experience, whether you choose to conduct together, or alone.
Overall, though, the blend of genres works nicely and the sheer array of variables will provide you with a good time testing out what works best for you.
If you can get over the short length and are looking for a unique puzzler with great style, then Starman — waiting not in the sky, but on the eShop — is your man.
When everything comes together, Mika and the Witch's Mountain is definitely far from the worst witch – the premise is pleasant, the visuals and art are cute, and short runtime means there's no fat that needs trimming. But it's almost completely unmemorable at every turn. Delivering parcels as a witch should be fun, but lacklustre characters and too much back-and-forth make this delivery service simply adequate.
We didn't hate Elrentaros Wanderings' grindy dungeon-crawling gameplay. There are things to like, even if those moments are interspersed with long stretches of boring, repetitive enemy-bashing. There are hints of the trademark Rune Factory charm here and there, and the art is genuinely lovely, but this sparse action RPG feels like a new skin stretched far too thinly over the skeleton of a much better game.
Steamworld Heist II expands upon its predecessor's solid foundation, offering a more complex and ambitious experience that rewards patience and careful planning. While the increased difficulty and expanded mechanics may deter some players, those willing to invest time and tweak things to suit their preferences will find a deeply satisfying tactical adventure.
Playing through The Lullaby of Life was a joy, with plenty of challenging moments without feeling frustrating, and it feels perfectly at home on the Switch. Each chapter has its own distinct personality and the music adds a lot of soul to each new planet. If you enjoy quirky, unique puzzle titles with cute characters and interesting mechanics, this is a gem that needs to be in your library - one that's especially suited to handheld players with headphones, as the music really is beautiful.
Its stability issues are minor qualms compared to everything Trinity Fusion does right. It looks good, plays well, has a great combat system, and nails the little things you need to get right to make a good, modern roguelite. And it runs well on the Switch, something nobody should take for granted given how old this hardware is, in this or any multiverse. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got to get back to it. Those enemies aren't going to air combo themselves.
Bare Butt Boxing delivers short bursts of frantic and accessible fun with some clear room for improvement. Playing against real people will certainly elevate the experience, seeing how rudderless the game's CPU fighters are. But given how simplistically it controls and the sparse game modes on offer, we can't see it having the staying power to be anything more than a game night palate cleanser between rounds of more established, better party games.