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"Don't Sink" is a short-lived, beautiful game. Unless you create your own handicap, you'll be finishing the game in a few hours.
Just with a few key conversations, Banner Saga 3 managed to remind people of the trilogy as a whole instead of individually. Banner Saga 3 is not only beautiful, but it’s also cunning. What a fitting way to end the saga.
Banner Saga 2 is here to show us how things are progressing and how dire things are becoming. It acts as a thankless bridge that’s often ignored yet fundamentally necessary. It may not have the glitz and glamour of being a beginning or an end, but it’s the workhorse that keeps everything together.
Normally if a story started in the middle I’d be confused, and if it ended with a lot of loose ends I’d be mad. The first entry in The Banner Saga did just that but I wasn’t mad. Instead, I was invested and intrigued. I felt a fraction of what each character was feeling, and then some. And most importantly: I sympathized.
If one were to spend time at an amusement center, playing nothing but Skee-ball to earn 10,000 tickets for a prize, it would feel a lot like Skee-Ball on the Nintendo Switch. The games might be quick but the sheer amount of tickets needed is monumentally staggering. Though if you can get through the ticket and progress slog, this version of Skee-Ball is actually a clean experience.
Light Fall might not be reinventing anything but it definitely succeeds in what it aims to be. Exhilarating speed combined with a very reliable personal block can make even the most casual player feel like a champion. Its gorgeous aesthetic ensures that you never tire of it, and instead keeps you mystified enough to keep playing. And its most important mechanic, the Shadow Core, perfectly balances its role as a lifesaver and a stepping stone.
Each battle in every mission is equal parts challenging and annoying, which ends up being a surprisingly potent mix to keep you coming back. Penny-Punching Princess may have its quirks but it won’t waver in keeping your attention.
Overall, Toki Tori 2+ is a strong puzzler that’s great for burst sessions instead of long marathons. Two Tribes’ creativity with just two buttons, combined with your own, makes for a game that sneakily compels you to keep solving.
Treat this game like you would a rich, decadent dessert: savor each small bite slowly and let each ingredient sing. You’ll be glad you did.
The technical problems that plague the game can make even the most casual player a bit leery. Even if we give the benefit of the doubt and assume that the bugs from previous versions are fixed, the problems that do exist in the Switch version are enough to make someone think twice about spending time and money in the game. And that's unfortunate because this debilitating blemish prevents The Deer God from realizing its true potential.