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Signs of the Sojourner’s creative card-based conversations make for a unique and satisfying mechanic that compliments the very endearing narrative. There’s just something mighty satisfying about seeing a successful conversation play out the way you want it to, whilst the ‘easy to play but difficult to master’ nature of the gameplay ensures it never grows stagnant as you progress. There were a few frustrating moments here and there where I felt at odds with the game and couldn’t succeed in conversations due to the random nature of the deck-building, but it didn’t cause enough issues to deter from what is otherwise a warm-hearted and memorable experience. Signs of the Sojourner really does something different with the genre, but what it does is entertaining throughout.
It’s a little rough around the edges, but We Were Here still offers a genuinely enjoyable co-op puzzling experience that’s very clever in design. Don’t get me wrong, most of the puzzles are simple enough to solve with a bit of team-work and it is guilty of being a little bit short, but We Were Here did more than enough to keep a big smile on mine and my co-op partner’s faces as we unravelled all of its conundrums. It certainly has us excited to see what else the series would bring in its subsequent releases…
Bravely Default II’s epic adventure will keep you glued to your Nintendo Switch thanks to its satisfyingly strategic combat, its beautiful world, and its deep job system. There’s simply so much to invest yourself in within the land of Excillant, and honestly, it was a joy from start to end. Sure, it does have some frustrating moments here and there (especially with the unpredictability of some boss encounters) and the narrative can be guilty of overusing typical RPG tropes in places, but there’s more than enough enjoyment in every other element of the game to make that easy to look past. Bravely Default II is simply another brilliant RPG to add to the Nintendo Switch’s ever-growing collection.
Yupitergrad offers a satisfying sci-fi virtual reality swinging romp that will certainly push players’ skills to their limit. Sometimes, the challenge will come with the slick and hazardous level design, though other times it might be because the controls don’t offer the full precision you need. Thankfully, it’s more of the former, but you can still expect some frustrating moments along the way. Despite this, there’s certainly a good time to be had with the game, whether that’s when blasting through the campaign or challenging yourself with the additional time-trials. It’s far from being perfect as far as its swinging-escapades are concerned, but it’ll still offer plenty of laughs as you plunge- I mean, ‘SWING’ your way to safety across its vibrant adventure.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a must-own package for Switch owners, with each of the games included offering fantastic platforming experiences that players simply won’t want to miss out on. I absolutely adored playing through Super Mario 3D World, whilst Bowser’s Fury brings something unique to the fray that sees Mario face a whole new type of challenge… a Kaiju-like (and very, very angry) Bowser. There’s a ton of variety to be found across both games too, whilst the brilliant multiplayer of Super Mario 3D World will always keep players coming back for more even after they’ve found every collectible. It’s THAT good. There are some imperfections here and there, especially with the performance of Bowser’s Fury when playing handheld, but they don’t stop Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury from being another stand-out release in the Nintendo Switch library.
Ultimately, Lust from Beyond is a pretty enjoyable game. There’s a lot on offer across its seven-hour campaign and between its attention to detail and genuinely interesting setting, I can honestly say that it impressed me more than I initially thought it would. I can imagine that it might not have the widespread appeal for those who don’t associate a survival horror with suggestive or outright sexual themes and it might not have all the pizzaz of some of the heavier contenders in the genre, but Lust from Beyond does showcase a different take on horror that we rarely see and delivers a uniquely enjoyable escapade in the process.
Kill it with Fire is as absurd as it is fun, with the over-the-top methods of taking out the spiders making for a really enjoyable time. Sure, it can get a little repetitive in places, but it’s hard to complain too much when the game allows you to use the likes of flame throwers, RPGs, or even a lawn strimmer to annihilate the eight-legged creepy-crawlies (and maybe even destroy the room they inhabit in the process).
With its charming and well-written tale, creative mix of mini-games, and vibrant world, 3 Out of 10: Season One really makes for an episodic delight. I genuinely enjoyed seeing the tale unfold between episodes, whilst the mini-games add plenty of fun moments of interactivity to remind you that you are actually playing a video game. The short length and the long loading times were a bit of a shame, but they don’t stop 3 Out of 10: Season One from being a must-play (and watch) narrative-driven escapade.
Mail Mole might not necessarily win any awards for originality, but it still offers a fun platforming escapade that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. It absolutely nails all of the basics throughout and even introduces its own ideas with the digging and jumping, whilst the 60fps frame rate keeps the action feeling silky smooth too. The presentation could be a little underwhelming and you won’t see anything that you haven’t seen before in similar titles in the genre, but it doesn’t stop Mail Mole from being an entertaining 3D platformer overall.
The roguelite genre might be a bustling one on the Nintendo Switch, but Curse of the Dead Gods offers enough entertainment and unique ideas to make it worth your while. Sure, it might not necessarily evolve upon the dungeon-crawling roguelite genre in any real way, but ideas such as the curses and the dark-and-light mechanics shows that it isn’t afraid to do things a bit differently (though the fact that it absolutely nails all of the basic elements of the genre helps too). The small innovations pay off in the long run, with Curse of the Dead Gods proving to be an addictive and fun dungeon-crawler that has kept me hooked to my Nintendo Switch for hours on end as of late. It’s a little bit of a shame that it doesn’t have an exciting personality-fuelled narrative to follow, but gamers won’t be disappointed with the perilous yet satisfying escapades they’ll endure when battling through Curse of the Dead Gods’ deadly temples.
Cathedral’s adventure is certainly an enjoyable one thanks to its solid level design and fun boss battles, but it is lacking in the innovation required to really help it stand out. The Nintendo Switch library is packed to the brim with Metroidvania-style adventures after all, and honestly, it doesn’t really offer anything that would make you want to choose to play it over the multitude of other titles available. Fortunately, Cathedral does offer enough quality across almost all facets of its design that it still manages to stand out as a worthwhile release in the genre. Sure, it might not do anything you wouldn’t have seen before and it does have a few flaws here and there, but the solid level design, the expansive world, and the fun boss battles ensures that it offers more than enough to pique the interest of Metroidvania-loving gamers.
Whilst it has its fair share of frustrating moments, it didn’t take me long to find myself addicted to Summer Catchers’ charming endless-runner style gameplay. There was enough variety to be found across its quests and mini-games to ensure that the overall gameplay never grew stale, whilst the delightful world and its characters were always a treat to encounter. Sure, it has its share of flaws and the random nature of the gameplay (and dependence on luck) could cause some irritating moments here and there, but the addictive nature of Summer Catchers kept me coming back for more each time. It won’t be for everyone, but those looking for a quick and satisfying title to enjoy on their Nintendo Switch in short bursts really ought to give it a try.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising – A New God offers an enjoyable way to continue Fenyx’s adventure thanks to its clever puzzle design and charming new world. It’ll really test both your puzzling and platforming skills too, with the challenges here easily surpassing those found in the main game as far as difficulty is concerned. Thankfully, none are ever frustrating in design, with the innovative ideas each one brings offering a satisfying sense of triumph upon completion. It’s worth noting that puzzle-solving and platforming is very much at the forefront here though, so those hoping for some challenging combat or deep exploration might be disappointed. There were a few niggles here and there with the physics during some puzzles too, whilst the fact that unlockables don’t carry over to the main game felt like a bit of a missed opportunity. Still, there’s a heck of a lot of content to enjoy in Immortals: Fenyx Rising – A New God and its puzzling-focused romp will certainly be an entertaining one for player to dive into. It might not always hit the satisfying highs of the main game, but it’s still a worthy addition to the world of Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
Blue Fire features some great platforming antics and solid level design, but the mediocre combat-mechanics see it falling short of the titles that inspired it. The camera could be a little bit guilty of feeling clumsy in places too, though the instances of it are few and far enough between that it never feels like too big of an issue. There’s no doubting that nothing ever feels awful in Blue Fire and if you’re looking for a game that really excels with its platforming, then it will definitely be for you. If you were hoping for an adventure that offered a bit more depth and nuance in its design though, you might find that it doesn’t always hit the same highs across the board.
UnderMine offers a rogue-like experience that’s both entertaining and addictive, with each run through the titular dungeon making for an exciting (and dangerous) romp. There’s a satisfying sense of progress to be found with the collection of gold and improving your character between runs, whilst the solid level design ensures there’s always something new to overcome or discover during each run. It can be a little bit guilty of lacking originality in places and it didn’t do anything I hadn’t seen done in the genre before, but its great sense of exploration and competent design across the board ensures that UnderMine stands out as a must-play rogue-like.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood offers some brutally satisfying combat, but everything else in-between feels a little half-baked. It’s not that any of it is bad, but the stealth mechanics are inconsistently utilised, the level design can lack variety, whilst the visuals feel very dated – especially by PlayStation 5 standards. Despite this, I did enjoy my time playing through the game with the murderous rampages offered in Cahal’s werewolf form offering enough to make the ten-hour adventure worthwhile. Players might just want to keep their expectations in check if they were hoping for an adventure that really embraced a blend of stealthily sneaking around and all-out action fruitfully.
Wildfire’s clever use of elemental powers and intuitive level design come together nicely to make for a satisfying stealth-escapade that emphasises player creativity. I loved tinkering around with my abilities and seeing how they could be best utilised to evade my foes, whilst the fact that you genuinely have to think your actions through carefully and strategize adds a satisfying sense of tension to each scenario you face. It’s just a whole lot of fun. It is guilty of seeing the frame rate stutter in busier sections which could be annoying, whilst fans of the genre might argue that the stealth mechanics could be a little bit simple in places too. If you can look past those flaws though, you’ll quickly find that Wildfire offers a genuinely enthralling adventure that certainly adds a unique (and often destructive) sense of flair to sneaking around.
Destruction AllStars’ chaotic vehicular-based combat makes for an exhilarating (and surprisingly strategic) experience that I’ve had a blast playing – I just hope that it gets enough post-launch content and support to keep players coming back for more. As it stands though, it’s certainly a heck of a lot of fun to play. Sure, there’s some inconsistencies in its scoring here and there and the arenas themselves lack imaginative flair, but between its colourful cast, it’s satisfyingly destructive driving, and its slick visuals, there really is a whole lot to like about Destruction AllStars frantic showdowns.
NUTS offers a unique and memorable experience that kept me completely hooked in from the get-go – who would have thought that tracking squirrels would be so fun? Whilst I have no doubt that its peculiar gameplay premise and slow pace probably won’t be for everyone, those who like to play something a little DIFFERENT really ought to give it a try. With its intriguing story, impressive visuals, and cute squirrel-tracking antics, it’s clear that NUTS is a special little game.
The Medium is another thoroughly enjoyable psychological horror romp from the experts at Bloober Team, even if it could have done with a little bit of tweaking here and there. Exploration could be a little cumbersome thanks to the fixed camera angles for example, whilst the stealth sections felt like they broke the pace of the game as opposed to adding to the excitement. Everything else though? It was of the same high quality you’d expect from Bloober Team. With its harrowing yet engaging narrative, fantastic visuals, and great sound design, The Medium really has all of the most important pieces in place to offer a memorable horror experience.