GamePitt's Reviews
Destroy All Humans! is yet another game to add to THQ Nordic‘s pile of brilliant remakes and remasters. The humour may be crude but the presentation is very polished, with a number of mechanics and abilities upgraded and expanded upon rather than simply being a 1:1 remake. If you’re not having fun shoving your probe in everyone’s bottom, you’ll be letting out a maniacal laugh as you tear cities and country buildings to the ground. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the challenges but there’s enough content in this faithful remake to keep you entertained for at least 15+ hours. Great for both fans of the original (with its new content) and newcomers to the franchise.
Radio Squid is a game with conflicting ideas that makes it partially enjoyable but equally just as frustrating. The bomb power is useful and a feature that feels fair and challenging whereas the ability to hurt yourself just feels the opposite. The claustrophobic arenas make the trek to reach the note to start your attack all the more pointlessly dangerous, meaning you will likely take cheap hits before you even start attacking yourself. Then, the wall wraps mean you have way too many things to keep track of, including your own projectiles. It all adds up to an experience that feels unfair and a bit bland.
Röki is a lovely game that revolves around rather dark fairy tales. While I got stuck here and there, which frustrated me, I loved the overall presentation of the game. Exploring the world of this game was a delight to me and I never wanted it to end. Each time I managed to figure out what I was supposed to do or solve a puzzle, it felt rewarding to me, especially when the story continued so I finally manage to find out more about Tove and the villain. I absolutely appreciate the theme of this game, that no one is bad per se but they still have their own demons they have to face. That being said, Röki offers a splendid narrative and was hard for me to put down.
Bug Fables may be hailed as the spiritual successor to Paper Mario, but Bug Fables has rightfully usurped the throne and stands proudly as its own reigning title! Just as many have come to relish their love of Paper Mario entries, with the wide array of availability on all consoles, music score, battle system, content, and so much more, Bug Fables will be a title this generation will surely remember as ours did with The Thousand-Year Door. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Bug Fables has ‘sprouted’ a deep-seated love within me as a gamer, a title I yearn everyone to try!
Starlit Adventures: Golden Stars is just as addictive as the Free-to-Play version, only much easier and less stressful. Paying a premium price grants you access to all of the suits, including the three golden ones, and all premium currency has been removed, making the game much more accessible for people of all ages and skill levels as you no longer have to worry about unlocking things and paying to continue. I personally feel the lack of progression in this regard is a bad thing, but it means you’ll rarely get stuck or hit a level progression block. If you want a challenge, I’d recommend the Free-to-Play version, but if you just want casual fun with no restrictions, this is the version for you.
Tokyo School Life accomplished what it set out to do, teach you about Japan whilst romancing three adorable girls. This one simple feature, the dual subtitles, left me wanting this to become the norm in all Visual Novels – it’s such an interesting mechanic which almost educates you whilst providing entertainment. However, what Tokyo School Life could take from others is how to portray the protagonist and dial back on stating the obvious so often. Despite the few flaws and annoyances, the game offers multiple relationship routes, accessible gameplay, and stunning aesthetics, it is a beautiful and endearing Visual Novel which I honestly recommend to fans of the genre.
The Darius Cozmic Collection: Console edition is a collection of great games yet sadly lacks presentation and substance. If you’re a fan of the genre and/or the franchise then you’ll love the games on offer and the multiple bonus modes. However, if you’re not invested in the series though any form of nostalgia or fond memories, I don’t believe there’s enough here to justify the recommended retail price. I personally think they should have doubled up the Arcade and Console collections to create a single content-rich package, rather than two diluted experiences. Technically, the games are great, but I can’t really recommend the overall ‘collection’ to anyone but the biggest of Darius fans.
Help Will Come Tomorrow may as well be called ‘Enjoyment Has Come Today’. Not only did I find myself playing it constantly, but I also found, dare I say, an addiction to it? It has a lot to offer the survival genre, engrossing character stories with a strong narrative, and a challenging difficulty that’ll give a great sense of progression. Whether you’re a fan of this genre or not, Help Will Come Tomorrow is sure to convert you (if not) and keep you captivated by the Siberian tundra.
Despite the short playtime, The Great Perhaps is an interesting and cryptic puzzle game with a unique mechanic, the magical lantern. The story is well told through the various interactions you have within both timelines, solving puzzles as you go by utilising objects from the alternative point in time. Although we learn a lot about the events which happened both to our protagonist and the world, the game left me with a lot of questions regarding the lantern, its powers, what happens at the end of the game, and what became of certain characters. This is a game which makes you think and fill-in-the-blanks, something I wasn’t expecting for a short puzzle title.
The Gods are unforgiving, punishing, and sometimes frustrating, but this is about you pleasing them and not vice versa. You will purse your lips, grit your teeth, and furrow your brow in your journey to restore the Legendary Sampo by pleasing these Pagan Lords. Miracles are called so for a reason though, they are hard to come by and not easy to find but leave you elated when they happen. Please the Gods succeeds in relating that elation to the player, no matter the path nor hardships I encountered with this game, I always felt like next time will be the time I finally succeed.
Neversong, the video game formally known as Once Upon a Coma, is a gorgeous journey through a twisted and deranged mind of a silently suffering coma patient. Although the puzzles aren’t too cryptic, and the combat is rather straight-forward once you’ve learnt the patterns, I couldn’t help but return to the world Thomas Brush created numerous times – it absorbed me and I didn’t want to leave its strangely grotesque beauty. The story is delivered through incredible voice acting and stunning cutscenes, although I will admit that I was a little confused in regards to the conclusion. But, that just gives me another reason to replay the game and once again become a prisoner to its charm.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer may not be the prettiest game when you’re static, but you’ll be moving too fast to even notice! Presented as a hybrid of the original PC version but with the N64 local multiplayer and a boost in clarity with the HUD, this is the definitive way to play the 1999 classic racing game right now. Although not a very difficult game, you’ll easily sink around six to eight hours into the game as you tackle the four tournaments and strive to collect all of the additional racers by coming first in every race. If you’ve not played this game before, you’re in for a treat; if you have played it, time to get out those nostalgia goggles and take your Pod Racer for a spin!
Death Come True is an interesting interactive cinematic FMV experience which fans of the genre will love. Running at around three hours per-playthrough, it’s much longer than similar games whilst offering you a reason to replay the entire game in order to unlock the other pathways and the second ‘ending’ (as you can’t reload once you’ve made your choice). The acting is of a very high standard with customary moments of sheer madness and wacky interactions based upon the options you choose, once again enticing you to explore every option you’re given – even if some are there merely for show and don’t alter anything.
The Nintendo Switch is really becoming the console of choice for visual novels/Adult-themed narratives and Catherine: Full Body is definitely one of the most engaging and enjoyable I’ve played on the console. Vincent’s journey questions the morality of relationships in a very interesting and often humorous manner, while the game also offers some of the best written and entertaining cast of characters in the medium. While the visual novel aspect of the game was perfectly handled, the block puzzle stages might not appeal to all. These did very much grow on me over time as I found myself becoming a traversal wizard, offering unique gameplay like no other on the market.
In summary, Beyond Blue captures the sense of adventure via exploring the depths of the ocean better than any marine themed game that I’ve played. The sense of scale, detail and realism is such an incredible feat. Other than the exploration, I also enjoyed the aspects of the game spent with Mirai within her submarine, but I wished that this part of the game had been expanded further to help pad the game out a little more. E-Line Media has accomplished their goal of creating a beautifully engaging game, whilst also acting as an educational tool with the compelling Ocean Insight documentaries. If you have any interest in nature, in particular marine wildlife, then there is no better game than Beyond Blue.
I had high expectations for the Final Fantasy VII Remake due to the hype around the game when it was first revealed. I’m happy to say that my expectations were met and then some. I loved every second I had with this game (niggles aside) and was engrossed in its world and its story. The characters are a joy to spend time with and I was with them every step of the way. There were twists I didn’t expect and moments that just had me smiling more than I had in a game for years. As someone who hasn’t played the original, I’m not sure how the Final Fantasy VII fans will feel about its changed story, or how different it plays, but to anyone who is looking for a great JRPG to play then look no further than this.
There’s very little to complain about with The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III on the Switch, it’s an incredible port of a fantastic game. If you don’t mind the odd fuzzy visuals due to a lower-than-native resolution of the display it’s being played on, the Switch port is the perfect place to play this fascinating JRPG, a game which will easily occupy you for over 100 hours if you’re going for a full 100% completion and around 50 if you just care for the story. Despite having no switch-specific features or extras, you do get a bunch of cosmetic DLCs to dress up all the protagonists – making the cutscenes much more entertaining and surreal.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia breathes life into a genre that still struggles to be noticed. The revitalisation of this genre is by bringing the tried and true perfected tactical RPG magic from the ’90s into a new and shapely 2020 title. With its replayability, huge depths of strategy, and vast mechanics, Brigandine is not a Switch title you want to pass up.
The Last of Us Part II combines a brilliant overall narrative with the best visuals and physics we’ve seen this entire generation. Despite what you may think about the actual story and the events which occur, the entire experience is GOTY material thanks to the emotional and distressing storytelling. I personally enjoyed it more the second time around, due to picking up on all the references and seeing how the two portions of the game intertwine with one another. Each location you explore has been created with tonnes of care and attention and the combat is very realistic, both mechanically and visually, so certain scenes are quite graphic and disturbing. If you enjoyed the first game, or like survival games in general, you should pick up this game today.
Night Call is an original take on the narrative-driven investigation genre, playing almost like a visual novel with lots of choices. Also, no two playthroughs will be the same thanks to the abundance of passengers which you can interact with and the evidence you’ll collect to help you come to your final conclusion. Despite my issues with the case board (mainly revolving around how confusing, unintuitive, and not very user-friendly it is), I still thoroughly enjoyed talking to the passengers, learning more about the case, investigating the suspects, and coming to my own conclusions around who I think is the serial killer. This is a game which makes you think without giving you the answer on a plate – certainly a recommendation from me for the passenger interactions alone!