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Digimon Survive took a risk in its gameplay, presentation and narrative, and for me, it paid off. It genuinely feels like a new era of Digimon is upon us. A more mature, dark, and ferocious Digimon that could see the start of a truly great visual novel RPG hybrid series. This won't be for everyone, and I completely understand if you pass on it, however, if Digimon is your jam or visual novels are, and you have plenty of time to sit and soak in this wonderfully written narrative - you're likely to strike gold with Digimon Survive.
The sprite work and sound design is still as on point as we always remembered. Outside of waxing nostalgic, we also get a previously unreleased in America entry with Red Earth, plus a rarer find in Gem Fighter for those wanting to dig deeper into the Capcom catalog. The sheer amount of Darkstalkers does bloat the collection to a degree and the poor online puts a damper but otherwise it's a good amount of games that show why Capcom were kings in the first place and hope they can return to the throne again one day.
Ultimately, Renata and her Frog-shaped gun make for a goofy but capable pair, and I ended up being surprised by how much I liked their adventure and how it kept pushing me to finish just one more stage. You can unlock a two-player duel mode, but there's more than enough reason to return to every level solo to perfect your performance. I agree that what the world needs now is love, but a little Frogun wouldn't hurt either.
MADiSON is a genuinely terrifying psychological horror game and does its job very well, making it stand out in the genre on Nintendo's hybrid platform. Unfortunately, this is dragged down by the poor inventory system and unclear puzzle direction, causing far too much backtracking. Aside from these gripes, MADiSON expertly uses every tool at its disposal to unsettle you and create a horrifying experience I am keen to return to again.
Train Valley is a fun train-routing puzzle game with a dash of strategy thrown in courtesy of the ability to construct your own rail network. It feels like a mashup of Conduct Together with the train routing of something like Mini Metro, where you are constantly connecting stations together and finding the optimal routes. The addition of the pause mechanic makes the game much more relaxing and less hectic, and is great to get a short train-puzzle fix. The more in-depth economic railroad simulations might be my ideal speed, but this was a fun break from them and I enjoyed my ride through Train Valley.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 represents another step forward for Inti Creates and their retro-inspired flavor of jump-and-shoot, slash-and dash action games. Even if the emphasis on story won't land for everyone, the lightning-fast gameplay is filled with lasers, explosions, and that fun brand of chaos that just seems to hit right. The third Gunvolt entry is an easy recommendation for fans of the series or its spinoffs, and even if the amount of content and challenge aren't that robust, the visual spectacle certainly helps make up for it.
Regardless of how you came to Xenoblade, either through one of many incarnations of the original, or through its sequel, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 strives to satiate all audiences and it is largely successful in this endeavor while also presenting something entirely new. This is not just Xenoblade meets Xenoblade 2. In many ways it is greater than the sum of its parts and those parts already added up to quite a bit.
It's enjoyable, quirky, awkward, and frustrating: sometimes the price of being unique is alienation. If it was Live A Live that allowed Takashi Tokita and his work on Chrono Trigger to soar, then of course it was worth it. In this present day chapter, for my money, I'm looking ahead to the next Square remake.
I have not been able to finish Coromon since I received the review code. But from what I've played so far, I've been very impressed. From these 8 hours, I think that the world and creatures feel distinct from the games that inspired and it left me with an excitement that I haven't felt since Pokémon Black and White. Not only the unique designs of the Coromon themselves, but mechanics like the potential-system and the way typings and skills work together sets Coromon apart from a simple ROM hack. There's also a large selection of difficulty options that can be adjusted to make the game play more like a Nuzlocke or an easy mode; you can even actually catch opponents' Coromon. The variety on display here is fantastic, so if you've been disappointed with recent Pokémon generations and are looking for a game that's similar but has its own identity, Coromon is absolutely worth checking out.
The issue is that this is not enough to get around a general clunky feeling to gameplay and a story that doesn't feel all that unique or memorable in the end. If you enjoy a slower paced, more text-based approach to horror, or just want to feel some nostalgia for DOS era games, it may be worth giving Mothmen 1966 a look. However, without these very specific desires, I find myself struggling to enthusiastically recommend it to anybody else.
Despite the few technical and graphical issues, the action, controls, and epic, high-octane combos make for a truly enjoyable, yet frustrating short experience. If you are craving a solid FPS action game on your Nintendo Switch, you can't go wrong with Bright Memory: Infinite for the time being. Just make sure you're here for a good time, not a long time.
XEL has little character to enjoy, there's no story to keep you fully engaged, and gameplay feels contrived and repetitive. And that's before we get to the frankly abysmal state that this game was released in. I was holding off this review to see if the game would be updated before its release, but quite frankly it seems that updating and fine tuning XEL will be an effort that I personally don't think is worth it.
Endling - Extinction is Forever tells a sad story that is guaranteed to suck you in and trigger any maternal/paternal instincts you may have. Herobeat Studios has done a great job conveying an environmentally conscious story through the eyes of the lives affected most, and seriously delivers a brutally honest view of how humankind is harming the environment and natural ecosystem. Despite the repetitive nature of the gameplay, Endling is a powerful tale with a lasting, dare I say "forever," effect.
All in all, Cloud Gardens is definitely a title that leans more towards experience than game, but its classification matters much less than how it feels to play around with its tools or the positive message it espouses. By focusing on creating and elevating green spaces, we can return our world to one where nature is in harmony and a balance is struck between humanity's footprint and mother nature's embrace. Spending a few minutes or even a few hours experimenting with Cloud Gardens feels like a worthwhile endeavor.
For the Contra diehards among you, Spidersaurs is a great game. The difficulty can be brutal at times, but I'm sure I'll power through the higher tiers eventually.
When something beloved has been lost for so long, it's hard to not cling to any and every bit you can get in fear that it will be torn away from you yet again. Ultimately I'm just thankful for the chance that we have now to wipe the decades-old dust from these hidden gems. Maybe, if only for a moment, not so hidden anymore.
Here's the full list of Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium games:
is a fun ride. Contrary to the aforementioned buzz, though, truth be told, it isn't quite at the same level of Metroid Dread (but what is?). This team is clearly onto something, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if their next effort in this space gives Samus a real run for her money.
The OlliOlli World VOID Riders DLC is a welcome addition to a fantastic game. If you have already exhausted OlliOlli World, this will give you more reason to return for new score challenges, cosmetics and mechanics. The music adds new catchy lo-fi beats and the writing remains wholesome throughout. One of the most positive things to be said about VOID Riders is that it reminds you of how great OlliOlli World is and continues to be.
While they have been offered on multiple platforms, it's great to finally have both Portal games on a Nintendo console. The ports run flawlessly on Switch and make for an excellent overall experience. If you've played them countless times before or are jumping through a portal for the very first time, Portal 1 and 2 make a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Switch line-up.