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The Longest Five Minutes may falter in the lack of difficulty that it poses the player with, but the game will upend your expectation in how absorbed you will become in the story that it unravels. It is the central cast’s squabbles, funny one-liners, and the weight of the mental and emotional burden placed upon them that allows the game to stand out among the increasingly crowded Nintendo Switch library. With unpredictable surprises keeping you second-guessing what will happen next, it delivers an experience worthy of your attention that will linger in your memory for a long time to come.
The Long Reach could easily be considered as one of the better point-and-click games of recent years providing you like your games to be a bit more challenging. If you’re easily frustrated you will probably give up way before the four or so hours it takes to beat the game, which is a shame because it’s a title that has something to give. It has an intriguing story that will make you want to carry on, but the narrative is a little off sometimes, which counteracts what it is trying to achieve. It’s certainly an alienating game, one that has some serious glitches, but those that stick it out and for those who enjoy classic games in this style, there is certainly enjoyment to be had.
If you enjoyed Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, then chances are that you will take to this with a similar embrace. For those that have never played a Shantae game, it’s easy enough to get to grips with without knowledge of the series. On the whole, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a stylish and fun 2D platformer that fits as well, if not better, than it does on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Some of the backtracking may be a bit tedious for some and the save system in particular is less than desirable. These are only small criticisms in the grand scheme of things though because Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse as a whole is an absolute joy to play.
Where The Fall had suspense and relentless urgency, The Fall Part 2: Unbound has none. It still has a compelling story to tell, in choosing to delve into Arid’s internal conflict in being free from the rules and boundaries that once constrained her. But, it’s the flaws that have been carried over from the first chapter that detract from the experience, and prevent you from becoming more captivated by the game’s world.
His lightning-quick powers of deduction and obsession with gulping down coffee blends from High Hat Café aside, the greatest praise that I can throw at Detective Pikachu is how it always felt like you were really working alongside the electric mouse. And, as we cracked our last case, I can only hope that this is only the start of our adventures together.
Spiral Splatter is your typical smartphone port – visually simple, light on content and lacking some features in the move to Switch. While the core idea works, everything else about the game feels uninspired resulting in an experience that’s fine for an hour or two but likely forgotten the moment you move onto greener pastures.
Shadow Bug is a decent, but short little game to kill some spare time with. While I didn’t find it a particularly difficult to play through, the extra challenges in place can raise the bar a little bit higher. Besides the fun but temperamental Joy-Con pointing feature, it is a game best suited to the touch screen in Handheld mode. Although, this does beg the question whether it is actually a game best played on your mobile as opposed to the Nintendo Switch. You will, after all, be paying roughly double the price for the privilege to do so.
I have to say, a game like Hollow has so much potential and it could have been one the best horror games on the Nintendo Switch had some basic aspects had been right, such as the movement and combat. But what it ends up being is a game that doesn’t have many redeeming features or qualities. It’s too slow and lethargic, the display is a little off-putting after a while and it doesn’t run well playing in Handheld mode, which is a major feature of the Switch. If you’re looking to fill your horror gaming needs, put this down towards the bottom of the list.
Clustertruck is a simple idea but a really entertaining one. What it lacks in depth or missing features, it makes up for in sheer laughter – every attempted run a mash-up of drunkenly driven trucks, unexpected situations and death-defying risks. Snappy, exciting and sometimes frustrating, Clustertruck is a welcome addition to the eShop library and has me eager to see what publisher TinyBuild has in store for Switch owners next.
If you’re the type that allows yourself to become lost in the sense of adventure, then you really can’t go wrong with World to the West. There is some laborious puzzle design that leads to inconsistent pacing, but such moments never derail the experience enough – leaving you to become lost in the world’s charm, the witty repartee between its characters, and the story that it wants to tell.
Even though you’re hurtling through the levels, you’ll appreciate the package. Clever levels, obstacles and enemies, all polished with visual splendour and pumping music, ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun is designed to a tee. And if you’re after every Atomix, it’s a hefty challenge that’ll take you some time. You will feel physically and mentally exhausted, but you will not stop playing. We promise you this – your pulse will be raised.
Needless to say, Castle Of Heart isn’t a good game. Its humdrum platforming mixed with shoddy animations and sluggish controls makes for a rather dopey gaming experience. While the game’s main gimmick of keeping your life afloat does have some potential, it’s never quite implemented well enough to stir up anything new or interesting.
A highly recommended game if you grew up with point-and-click adventures of yesteryear and whilst it won’t be for everyone, even if you’ve never experienced one of those types of games before you can do a lot worse than choosing this one as your first. The Darkside Detective was yet another surprising indie title on the Switch in terms of quality. A really funny and quirky adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed playing from start to finish, it just doesn’t last anywhere near as long as I wanted it to. So my advice would be to treasure it and hope this isn’t the last we see of The Darkside Detective as a series, as there is so much potential in any future sequels.
Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition is a decent enough little Metal Slug-esque explorer that does what it can to extend upon the usual left to right progression found in most games of a similar ilk. The crafting system is simple enough, and, despite some repetitive mission objectives, it’s an enjoyable experience overall. I did find the screen orientation a big problem, especially in portable mode, which is a shame really because, as a multiplayer game, it does work rather well.
I have to be honest, I was going to score this game much worse based on performance alone. It really was that bad and at times it was almost like watching a slideshow. But in its now fixed state, it’s hard to pick many issues I had with the game to be brutally honest. It won’t be the most exciting game you’re ever going to play but it is well worth its five-hour playthrough. I’m not fully convinced that the style of game will suit everybody and I think it is quite a divisive game, but I would urge anybody to give this a try, because if it clicks with you it can easily be one of your favourite games of this year. There aren’t many games like this around and that needs to be changed.
Last Day Of June is a short but satisfying tale that uses the Groundhog Day formula to immerse you in a touching and thoughtful way. It’s clear to see that the game’s core inspiration has been taken from Steven Wilson’s haunting but beautifully animated music video “Drive Home,” which is something that constantly looms in the background. Yet while it doesn’t shy away from very serious real-world situations, it also doesn’t tastelessly sink you too deep into its dark depressive undertones either. It has a clever approach, especially considering the choice of medium that it uses, which is all so beautifully and carefully constructed to tell you its story.
Nearly every aspect of Scribblenauts Showdown feels like a missed opportunity. Whether it’s the disappointing mini-games, uninspired sandbox mode or even just the limited amount of content on offer the experience overall feels shallow. Which is a real shame, because we know the series is capable of much more. So while it’s exciting to see the Scribblenauts series alive, it’s far less so in this current state.
Take a step back though, and it’s easy to come to appreciate the long strides forward that Lost Sphear has made toward compared to the previous game. There are far more daring ideas here in comparison, resulting in a game that has plenty of comprehensive systems at play to delve into, even if the story that it looks to impart isn’t as meaningful. Those looking for a classic role-playing game to sink some time into on Nintendo won’t go far wrong in considering it, but remember that it isn’t without its flaws.
It’s a shame because beneath such striking flaws beats a game with bold ambition that never manages to realise its own potential. There are clear lessons to be learned, then, and it could be said that Portal Knights has tried to achieve far too much at once, rather than nailing the basics and iterating on them. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have its own successes, but some poor design decisions result in a game that will require you to work everything out for yourself before you can become lost in it.
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is nothing short of strategic perfection, and a game that I’m glad to have seen board the Nintendo Switch so soon. Those looking for their tactical fix on the portable home console needn’t look any further than this, and it’s the best chance that you’ll have to conquer the stars with your motley steambot crew.