Use a Potion
HomepageUse a Potion's Reviews
Genesis Noir is unlike anything that I’ve ever played before, with its enigmatic tale and stunning presentation really making for something a bit special. Don’t get me wrong, it’s guilty of being a little linear and the lack of dialogue can see the narrative feeling a little bit convoluted in places, yet there’s something so utterly engaging about the experience that it’s hard not to find yourself drawn in from start to end. I said it at the start of the review, and I’ll say it again: Genesis Noir is a really weird game. It’s one that I’m glad I got to experience though, and one that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
It Takes Two is a wonderful co-op adventure that features a touching narrative, inventive gameplay mechanics that constantly keep things varied, and a whimsical world that’s packed full of detail… what more could you want? I was genuinely blown away with just how clever the game was, with the focus on teamwork never growing tiresome but remaining intuitive in design from the start to end. It’s absolutely brilliant. I really do think it is one of the best co-op games that I have ever played, and honestly, some of the sequences in the game will remain with me for a long time (especially with that elephant). If you’re looking for a co-op adventure that’ll bedazzle you with charm and fun, look no further than It Takes Two – it’s simply an unmissable experience.
Balan Wonderworld will be divisive, but I actually had a pretty fun time exploring its whimsical levels and using the creative costumes to overcome its platforming challenges. The level design itself is on point too, whilst the wonderful soundtrack and addictive nature of grabbing all of the collectibles kept me coming back for more. Of course, there’s no doubting that it’s VERY simple in design, whilst a lot of elements of the gameplay and its visuals are pretty dated too. There was nothing on show across the game that you wouldn’t have seen done before by plenty of other 3D platformers over the years, with Balan Wonderworld falling very short of the evolution of the genre some gamers might be hoping for in 2021. Still, there’s no doubting that there’s still a good time to be had in the game, especially for younger gamers or those who appreciate the genre. It’s certainly no masterpiece, but Balan Wonderworld still offers a wacky yet wonderful escapade that might pleasantly surprise those who give it a try.
Rebellion have done a wonderful job in breathing life into Evil Genius 2: World Domination, with its satisfyingly villainous gameplay and charming presentation embracing the vibe of the original game perfectly. I always thought that the original was one of the genre’s most unique and fun titles, but the new ideas that have been implemented here don’t only add a modern twist to the established formula but better it too… it’s really good stuff. Ultimately, with plenty of hours of spy killing fun to be had, Evil Genius 2: World Domination will turn players into the delegating and ruthless egomaniac they never knew they wanted to be – and believe me, they’ll have a damn good time in the process.
Bladed Fury’s striking visual style and satisfyingly slick combat come together nicely to make for a really fun action-orientated romp. Sure, it was guilty of being a bit too easy and there were some technical issues here and there, but they didn’t stop me from having a thoroughly good time as I sliced-and-diced my way through countless foes in Ji’s journey for revenge.
We Were Here Together isn’t only the best release in the co-op series so far, but a cleverly crafted and enjoyable puzzler that fans of the genre won’t want to ignore. Sure, it still has the occasional puzzle that’ll make you want to swear a LOT and there are some technical issues, but the ingenious design of the majority of the conundrums and the fantastic presentation certainly makes it stand out as Total Mayhem Games’ best release yet. The emphasis on communication has never been so strong either, with team work very much making the dream work here.
Monster Truck Championship doesn’t take as much advantage of the next-gen consoles as I’d have liked, but it still offers a fun racing experience that fans of monster trucks are sure to enjoy. There’s a satisfying sense of progress to the career, the different race types are fun, whilst there’s online multiplayer on offer for those who want their muddy showdowns to take place against real-life players. It might not have the depth seen in similar titles in the genre, but there’s still plenty here to enjoy as you work to become the BEST monster truck driver around; just expect more style that substance when it comes to the game’s next-gen improvements.
We Were Here Too offers another enjoyable co-op puzzle-filled escapade, but it did have a few more technical issues when compared to the first game. Those communication bugs were particularly frustrating for example, whilst the disappearing items just seemed a little weird. Fortunately, they were issues that could be fixed by simply re-loading the game, so they don’t make We Were Here Too feel unplayable. It’s definitely a lot grander in scope and featured more variety and puzzles than its predecessor too, so it’s clear that the developer have taken the series in a positive direction. Still, it’s hard to ignore some of the issues we faced, even if We Were Here Too did trump the first game in lots of elements of its design. If you’re a fan of the original then you’ll definitely want to play it, but maybe it’d be a good idea to have a party chat set up outside of the game before starting…
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.