LadiesGamers.com's Reviews
I expect promising things in the future from Provodnik Games based on Dull Grey‘s writing and interesting gameplay premise. But I also hope to see better translation and editing as this can make or break impressions, especially for a visual novel of this brevity. There were jarring moments when the quality of translation dropped significantly. I appreciate that there are many possible endings, but the most interesting ones ended up more confusing than satisfying. For these reasons, I hovered between rating the game “I Like It” and “Not Sure.” Overall, though, the game holds together well enough.
If you have someone else to play with I can not recommend this game enough. Heck this is a game I would go as far as to say it’s worth getting a console or PC for. The game pushes video games forward in the right direction and it’s a darn shame others haven’t taken note of this. A wholesome co-op experience that is guaranteed to entertain. No DLC, no microtransactions, no exp, no bugs and utter gaming rubbish we so often see in games these days, just a good video game. It Takes Two is not just one of the best games I’ve played this year. It’s one of the best video game experiences I have ever had, period.
I think The Colonists could have done a little more as far as a tutorial was concerned. The game teaches you the basics and then just leaves you to figure out the rest on your own. That may be fine for veterans of the strategy building genre, but newcomers to the genre will need a little more help. The cute robots may make The Colonists look like a very simplistic game, but beneath the surface lies an in-depth strategy game that is a blast to play!
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion will likely attract an audience thanks to its cute graphical style and bizarre yet humorous premise. It does feel like it could have done with a little more content and the meme humour is likely to be hit or miss for some people. But if you’re looking for something short and sweet this is a good title to pass the time with before your next intensive gaming project. Just don’t expect it to teach you anything about Taxes.
Overall if you’re a fan of the series it’s worth picking up Shantae to discover its roots. If you’re new to the series I would actually suggest you pick up one of the newer games first before diving into this one. Some of Shante’s retro mechanics will not have aged well for some audiences. But if you’re old like me there is a certain fascinating curiosity around how developers were able to make good games on the little handheld that could, the Game Boy Color. Great for its time. Nice to see it re-released. Just a shame not more was done to make the game accessible for new audiences.
I found the plot meaningful, and it drove the game forward despite being doled out in tiny pieces and told in so few words. If you think of regular RPGs as epic novels, I’d say A Dark Room is a short story, one of those 100-words-only “short shorts.” It’s about humanity, sort of. It’s about discovery and survival. The Switch is a great way to play this game, with either Joy-Cons or touchscreen as options. I much preferred the touchscreen for speed. I enjoyed lying in bed with A Dark Room as much as with any title with fancy graphics. If you’re looking for an indie title that’s different, give this a go. Light the fire.
The original game was released in 2018 and it was the first ever Atelier game to make it to the Switch. Back then I felt that it was a pity that this would be the one to serve to Nintendo gamers as a first experience. Protagonists that are not the most lovable girls I’ve met in the Atelier series and no English voices. I must say though that some of the chats the girls have are quite funny. But, replaying it now in the order of the Atelier Mysterious trilogy I feel more kindly inclined. I can see how Gust tried for an open world approach in Atelier Firis and though they abandoned that in this game, they made up for it using the Mysterious Paintings. Even though I liked the two earlier games, Atelier Sophie and Atelier Firis, just a little bit more, Atelier Lydie & Suelle: the Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is still a lovely game in an amazing series.
I found that the motion controls work surprisingly well, far better and more intuitive than I thought they would. So Kudo’s to Northplay for getting motion controls to work so well. My preferred method of controlling the game is the touchscreen, in single-player mode. Fly TOGETHER! is a very entertaining game, I would imagine with a group of friends playing the game it would be a right laugh for all involved. I’ve enjoyed my playthrough of the game and the challenge of the game in the later levels.
Castaway Paradise is a great time sink, it is very easy to spend an hour or two just mulling around the islands. Catching a few fish, pulling out some weeds or just tending to your crops. Gameplay that will appeal to most gamers, especially those that have played Animal Crossing. The Switch is a good home for the game as the portability of the switch would be great for checking in for the daily rewards in Castaway Paradise on a commute to work.
By bringing Death end re;Quest to the Nintendo Switch with all DLC included I’m pretty sure this is the ultimate package. The game, in my opinion, is foremost a Visual Novel with an intriguing storyline and many hours of gameplay. Be prepared for lots of reading and some interesting ideas when it comes to battle but also, you’ll have to stomach the violence. To me, that’s where the game failed. Yes, good stories come with horrible plots and they can still engage. But I don’t want to be witness to blood spattering, crunching bones and prolonged suffering. Though the story kept me hooked, I can’t overlook that.
Fez to this day still remains quite a unique and original puzzle platformer with a charming graphical style to boot. This is a nice fit if you’re looking for a casual experience away from the dexterity and quick reflexes of other platformers. But if you are someone that likes to 100% you may need a guide to discover all the secrets. The Switch version of Fez offers nothing new to the experience so there’s no reason to double dip if you’ve already had your Fez fill on a previous system. But if this is your first venture into the game or you want to introduce a friend to it, then have at it.
Needless to say, I haven’t finished The Longing in the two weeks I’ve had with the game, how could I when it is 400 days long! We explored the hand-drawn, large kingdom, and listened to the atmospheric soundtrack that accompanies Shade on his slow shuffle. It began as a strange game that, after I spent 20 minutes with it waiting for Shade to climb the stairs, I was ready to pack it in and never look at again. Shade and I have bonded, now I check in with him and go for a slow saunter along an undiscovered corridor, and make sure he is sitting comfortably in his chair when I leave the game. He sits in his chair reading a book, with me pressing A to turn his pages while I myself play a video game on my PC. Nothing says comfortable bonding then sitting like this side by side, no words needed. Who knows what the next few hundred days have in store for Shade and me but I think I’ll be sticking around to find out….eventually!
Buildings Have Feelings Too! is a game that is great craic to play. At times I wanted to say houl yer whisht as the buildings let their feelings be known on my placement of buildings. I thought I was doing well in my choice of the placement of buildings, the buildings thought otherwise! I have enjoyed the challenge of the game and learning what each building likes and dislikes and where it likes to be placed. A challenge that isn’t frustrating but gives just the right amount of satisfaction when you complete a task. When I next go for a saunter around the city I’m not sure I will never look up at the buildings in the same way ever again, I’ll be disappointed when they don’t say “Bout Ye Mucker” to me.
It’s fun to follow the journey Gust is making with their Atelier games from the Arland trilogy to the Dusk trilogy and now the Mysterious trilogy. And what’s more: all these games are now available on the Nintendo Switch in their definite edition. Atelier Sophie: the Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX starts the series off in the direction of more sim-like elements, and presents us with a lovely “slice of life” story. No wars or terrible happenings, but a good interesting storyline following a girl who wants to learn how to be a great Alchemist.
No matter how I try, these reviews of Atelier games always end up being long….so if you read all the way through, then thank you for sticking with me. Atelier Firis: the Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey ticks all the boxes of a great coming of age story with good synthesis and turn-based battles. This game has a great sense of exploration in this open-world and makes for interesting and extended gameplay. The prologue is too long (3 hours!) and Firis is a bit of an airhead, but overall: I like it a lot
Is Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Fire Rescue HD better than the original? Well, it’s different. Some folk might miss the collectable gameplay but equally, some may welcome the new open-world formula. Personally, I like games that try new things and even though Ty’s voice gave me headaches, I had a lot of fun exploring the world and competing in the karting mini-games. The real success story behind Ty 2 is this is a game clearly loved by fans. The fact that the game came to Switch thanks to the supporters on Kickstarter shows that this series clearly has a fan base that is alive and well and ready to accept Ty onto new systems. I hope they enjoyed this product as much as I did. Let’s hope we see Ty 3 someday.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the game particularly explores themes of ageing and dementia in any clear or substantial way. At least, not other than creating a quiet, lonely atmosphere punctuated by moments of fear. The music mostly rests in gentle, bittersweet melancholia, but occasionally drops a tingling sense of danger. It’s got a lovely main soundtrack, and the visual style is muted but pleasant to the eye. So at least Heal has the mood, if not the words. While disappointed that there wasn’t much in the way of a story, I think Heal holds up well enough as a puzzle game. The art, music and Switch touchscreen controls get a thumbs up.
With 101 levels to complete, Graviter has lots to offer puzzle fans. It’s a game you can do in stages and would be great to occupy your mind with for an hour or so a day. Graviter has a clean art look, well-explained mechanics, and interesting puzzles. If playing with rockets, gravity and saving a kitty is your idea of a fun puzzle game then look no further than Graviter.
Astro Aqua Kitty is another brilliant game from developer Tikipod. An excellent blend of space shooter and RPG mechanics mixed together creating an experience that will surely not sour with time. If you’re looking for a fresh take on the space shooter formula or you’re just looking for something a little different to dip into now and then Astro Aqua Kitty is the Purrfect addition to your Nintendo Switch.
I love Synergia. It is a wonderful addition to my personal collection of noir and Yuri tales. If either of these are your style, then I suggest you check it out as well. You just may need some reading glasses to make it work.