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Player choice has a profound effect on the narrative in Hindsight 20/20 – Wrath of the Raakshasa. Even the choice of weapon can have unexpected consequences later down the line. The game occasionally struggles to wrangle all of this in a coherent way and there are some rough edges but for those that like a game that gets better the more you replay it, this is certainly worth your time.
A post-apocalyptic action-adventure framed as a train journey through a cute heartfelt story of discovery, loyalty, and the bonds we form with others, Eastward shines like a diamond on the Switch. It’s wholesome, it's original, it's quirky, and it's full of that special ingredient that turns a little indie into a must-play. Eastward's graphics, narrative, and characters draw you in almost effortlessly and keep a tight hold until this train has come to a complete stop.
It has the occasional wrinkle of age, but don’t let that put you off. El Shaddai is a mad, colourful and beautiful adventure that, whilst not quite Devil May Cry levels of greatness, is still very entertaining. Don’t overthink it, go in and enjoy the pseudo-silliness of this over-the-top brawler.
Bus Simulator 21 allows you to experience the day in the life of a bus driver managing their own company. Create routes, receive pay days, scold ticket dodgers and be on time. The game comes with a clunky and overwhelming interface and little tutorial, but if you shift past this, Bus Simulator 21 could invite a satisfying ride.
Clid the Snail is a passable twin-stick shooter with plenty of basic plot to keep you on your slimy path. But it is very rough round the edges. Simplistic combat, dated level design and a grimdark colour palette make it a little hard to see, let alone care what’s going on.
Despite a short run time and relatively straightforward golf mechanics, Golf Club Wasteland wows with its world, vibrant graphical direction and amusingly sarcastic and critical story notes. I haven’t played anything quite like it this year, but I’m absolutely thrilled that I gave it a go as it’s cemented its place as one of my favourite little titles. If the idea of a beautifully desolate round of golf on a decimated Earth appeals to you, grab your 9-iron and get hitting, you won’t regret it.
Super Animal Royale treads on the Royale genre with a twist on the formula, a top-down twin stick shooter with cute animals shooting the heck outta each other. Go in gently and with patience as it’s brutal for beginners, but those brave enough to stick it out will find an awful lot to enjoy. And we ain’t lion.
Curious Expedition 2 is more of an interactive board game of level one D&D. A game that balances roguelike tactics, RPG, and procedural storytelling well. A delightful top down surprise with a great depth to explore, do and encounter, that’s if RNG is on your side! If not, it’s into the lion’s den you go. Although slightly repetitive visually, you will likely not get the same story twice.
The Medium surprised me with its psychologically twisted, complex and intricate story that had me enthralled from the moment the intrigue turned into something more sinister and personable. Even with its simplistic gameplay design and clunky encounter mechanics, the atmosphere of the world and enjoyable tale should carry you through even its darkest corners. In the real world, The Medium would be basic, but in the spirit realm, it comes to life and will show you the disturbing but enchanting fabric of its reality.
Star Hunter DX won’t win any awards for originality, Shoot ‘em ups like this are one of the oldest genres known to man. But it has a little originality in the strategy department, with lots of options to tailor the experience to your own personal style.
Lake is a narrative-driven postal simulator quite unlike any other. With a rich story, wonderful characters a beautiful town to explore, if you’re looking for something to ease your mind, you can’t go wrong.
Despite its earnest attempts to deliver Rocky and Creed fans a fun and arcade-like fighting experience, Big Rumble Boxing sadly cannot stand up to the heavyweights or even middleweights of the fighting game genre. Suffering from repetitive mechanics, a shallow content offering and an art style that has great character models but lifeless fight presentation, Creed Champions falters under the softest of hooks.
An homage to the original GTA games, Rustler is a fun medieval twist on what made those 90’s smash hit games so enjoyable. Unfortunately, many aspects of GTA 1 & 2 that have aged poorly also rear their ugly head here which makes Rustler feel dated and clunky in comparison to its modern day peers.
Don’t be fooled by its cute visuals and simple looks, art of rally is deceptively challenging. But it’s the fun kind of challenge, that simple plug-and-play style of racing that will have players wanting to unlock the faster cars. Paradoxically paired with one of those most serene game modes, there’s a lot in here to keep gamers occupied for many an hour. Just watch out for the occasional tree popping in.
I’d still love to know what conversations took place that led to “hey, we should remaster Zool”, but Zool Redimensioned does a pretty decent job of applying a fresh coat of paint, but in a way that remains very reverent to the source material. An excellent achievement from a group that only started programming 12 months ago. Unfortunately, the source material itself is the ultimate problem here – Zool was an average game back in 1992 and it’s little more than average here in 2021. A pleasant nostalgia trip, yes, but sadly it’s offers nothing to compete with the best modern platformers.
With a bit more time and budget, King’s Bounty II could have been one of the pinnacles of the fantasy medieval genre. The turn-based combat is deep, rewarding and challenging (though sometimes unfairly balanced), while the world of Nostria is artistically interesting and well-realised. If only the developers had been afforded the time and money to actually get the title running properly to overcome all the technical problems. The story is lacklustre with shamefully bad dialogue and voice acting, with everything other than the core combat system feeling under-developed and lacking the quality of life elements that have become the norm. King’s Bounty II ends up a decent prize, but a rather hollow haul of treasure that had so much more potential – a bounty more fit for a nobleman than a king.
A few niggles aside, Lawn Mowing Simulator is another game in the blossoming sim genre that takes workaday tasks and manages to create a zen, ASMR-esque experience that transcends boredom. This game certainly has a niche and won’t be for everyone but if might surprise you with how equally innocuous and engaging it is at the same time. Even for someone who hates mowing their lawn, I found this title to be enjoyable. If you’re looking for a new simulator in the same vein as Farming Simulator, House Flipper or Euro Truck, this certainly could be it.
If you can get through the crashes and technical hitches, Necrobarista: Final Pour suits the Switch well. It is a beautiful appealing visual novel about one last night before death takes you to pass on. You don’t play the game, you watch the story unfold. The characters are individual with clear meaning within the story. The story has an interesting concept that could be taken in any direction.
A good first lap for a racing series debut, RiMS Racing is a game designed for bikers. It adds an element of maintenance and customisation to the racing formula which makes for a compelling career experience. With great action on track and a unique system off it, RiMS is certainly worth your time but has room for improvement in a sequel.
Whilst it may seem like a no thrills arcade entry, SkyDrift Infinity carries itself well with its gameplay. A kart-game-with-aeroplanes, it hits that nostalgic, high speed level of fun that we haven’t had since the early 2000’s, before everything became all boring and serious.