SwitchRPG's Reviews
Developer Flight School Studio has found a way to combine exploration, fast paced hack-and-slash, pinball, and dungeon crawling all into one neat package that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
While it, without a doubt, improves on almost every aspect of its predecessor, it also manages to do a “two steps forward; one step back” shuffle. That particular jig is what makes it difficult to suggest, especially for the asking price ($50USD as of this review). Despite the hefty story and gear progression issues, I think this game would definitely be worth a purchase on a sale. It may even be worth the dive for some at full price, but you should be aware of its shortcomings before making that decision. Ultimately, it is hard to recommend Lost Sphear when there are games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 near the same price point that arguably offer a much more riveting experience.
The Dragon Quest / Minecraft hodgepodge is something you’d probably never dream of asking for, or even expect to work. But I am so glad that it is a thing.
I realize that I have been very (and maybe a bit overly) critical of Mercenaries Saga Chronicles, and I do stand by my statements. However, it’s hard to deny the fact that series does offer a lot of content for the price. While many of the systems were too flawed to be of long-term enjoyment for myself, others may be able to overlook them and get hours upon hours of enjoyment. Are the games worth the price tag? Absolutely. Are they worth your time? If you are okay with a trio of tactical RPGs at a bargain price that are almost identical, have solid combat but lack the visual flair and storytelling of bigger tactical RPGs, then this game may be for you. Otherwise, you may want to stick to Disgaea until more games in this genre show up on the platform. Here’s to hoping Final Fantasy Tactics comes to the Switch sooner rather than later. Hey, I can dream, right?
Revenant Saga is an RPG that attempts to present many interesting concepts but struggles to get out of its own way to accomplish them in majorly successful ways.
Earthlock does, for the most part, succeed in going beyond its nostalgically-inspired roots.
Amnesia is among the most common RPG tropes today. In that aspect alone, The Longest Five Minutes is highly successful, putting a fresh spin on an otherwise overused plot point.
Through its fun, witty writing and its grounded, sometimes challenging gameplay, Blossom Tales offers an adventure you honestly don’t want to miss out on.
If you are a fan of cash and bribery mixed with chaotic battles against hordes of enemies, traps and maze-like dungeons, then keep reading.
Despite its flaws, I actually found Devious Dungeon to, for the most part, be enjoyable. Its mechanics and overarching gameplay loop are nothing special, but it is a nice enough package that complements the pick-up-and-go style of the Switch well. Devious Dungeon currently sits at $6.79USD until April 9th, when it will go up to an undisclosed price (I’m guessing $9.99). Either price may be hard to digest given the mobile version is only $1.99 on Android and $2.99 on iOS, but both of those versions had in-game purchases as well (I don’t think they exist in the Switch version). Devious Dungeon isn’t going to offer a ton of content and definitely not any of the truly engaging nature, but it is a fun enough title to pick up on a sale and play for a short while. If it wasn’t for the slight input lag while docked and the short gameplay lifespan, I would have considered rating it a little higher. Given its current iteration, however, I feel like it may be expecting just a little too much from your wallet.
Super Daryl Deluxe succeeds on a multitude of levels and in many ways, could change how many indies approach RPG passion projects in the future.
Coming into Asdivine Hearts, I was cautiously optimistic due to my experiences with Antiquia Lost and Revenant Saga. I can honestly say that this game trumps both of them in all aspects, and is certainly worth the time of those individuals looking for an old-school JRPG that won’t take 50 hours to complete. It won’t be as memorable of a ride as the classic RPG titles we all know and love, but is a good enough experience to recommend at the price given you temper your expectations a bit.
Eternal Edge is a new action adventure RPG from indie developer Righteous Weasel Games that presents lofty concepts mixed with a heavy dose of familiar genre conventions.
FHUL is not a good game, but I don’t have regrets about trying it. Sometimes you can find hidden gems regardless of what mainstream reviewers say. This time, however, it amounted to nothing but a shiny turd. I’m more disappointed than anything because FHUL does have some interesting mechanics. But the logic behind those systems must make sense in order for them to come to fruition, and thus, make you as a player actually desire to play it. I can easily recommend a “skip” here, even if you like action RPGs.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar does turn-based combat with a level of finesse that isn’t seen enough anymore.
All in all, Saturday Morning RPG provides a memorable jaunt down RPG paths with solid role-playing mechanics that are as effective as they are zany.
Knights of Pen and Paper is a game oozing with tabletop RPG-inspired nostalgia. Those that love customizing and building their own teams while blasting through a ton of turn-based battles will immediately fall in love with this game. You will gravely disappointed if you’re looking for anything beyond that though (ie. a story with depth, or varied forms of content). All in all, it does a pretty good job simulating a night around a game table with friends, minus the pile of Cheeto crumbs and half-consumed mountain dew cans.
The Banner Saga offers an expertly crafted narrative buffered by fun combat and addictively painful player decisions that could not be more worth your time.
In my opinion, Ys VIII falls just short of being a masterpiece, but is still an amazing game despite its shortcomings. I found the island of Seiren to be an absolute blast to explore, as it is chocked full of action, adventures, wonders to explore and mysteries to uncover. Ys VIII is my favorite Switch RPG to date, and has made me a fan of the series to boot. While it may not have the same performance quality as its PS4 counterpart, it is still an excellent version all around. Be right back while I install Ys Seven on Steam.
I wish that there were more for me to discuss regarding Fallen Legion, but that is more of a fault of the game’s content than my review. Outside of town sections and battles, there is nothing else to do except browse the glossary and mess around with your (limited) equipment options. The most damning criticism I can give of the game is that, at its core, its content feels akin to a mobile game, despite my confidence that its battle system would never be executable on a system lacking buttons. Even so, the difficulty spikes in the game force the player to practice stringent Perfect Blocking or return to earlier stages in order to grind out Exemplar tributes, which kills any sort of narrative momentum established up to that point. When your game is all grind and no side-content, it tends to grate on the nerves, which is exactly what Fallen Legion ended up doing. While the idea of having two full-blown narratives may sound enticing, outside of the decisions made, both characters end up facing the same enemy types and using the same group of Exemplars. If you are looking to test the limits of your ability to enjoy new and creative combat systems, I might halfheartedly recommend Fallen Legion. With the ability to replay scenarios there’s no shortage of combat to be had, but you’ll only get so far before the flaws in its execution start to wear you down.