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I didn’t expect to enjoy Lost Eidolons nearly as much as I did. I’d assumed it would be just another one-note SRPG set in another generic high fantasy world. The Fire Emblem similarities would be skin deep, and nowhere near as high quality. However, I was delighted to be wrong as this game over delivered on every level. Impressive presentation, simple yet deep combat, and there’s plenty of variety in progression and customization. And while the story’s long in the teeth and the reliance on visual novel style dialogue sequences may not be for everyone, fans of the genre will be right at home.
I cannot believe I was actually excited for Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3. Honestly, I legitimately had high hopes for it. I thought that fan feedback and the resources offered by next-gen machines would let its developers craft a serious competitor to Mario Kart. Man, how disappointed I am. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 is worse than its predecessor in almost every single conceivable way. This game is in dire need of going back to development in order to be properly finished. It is, so far, the worst performing game I’ve played in a next-gen console, and possibly the most disappointing release of 2022.
Unusual Findings is an amusing adventure full of quirky characters, interesting locations, and unexpected moments. The story might tread familiar ground, but it’s so charming and zany that it doesn’t really matter. The puzzles are fun and the characters are endearing. Plus, there are multiple endings and ways to overcome obstacles, so there’s quite a bit of replayability.
I commend Dakar Desert Rally for being a lot more polished and accessible than its predecessor, but it’s still a hard game to sell to a wide audience. Don’t worry, the game itself is actually pretty good, despite its technical issues, but it is a very niche rallying game that pales in comparison to its vast amount of competitors when you put them side by side. Maybe a follow-up will add a quick play mode and fix its technical issues. As it stands, it’s janky and still brutal towards newcomers, but it’s a step in the right direction for the series.
There are elements in We Are OFK that other narrative-driven games should take a look at. At the same time, feeling like your decisions don’t matter is a bit of a turn off. The story in here is great, it’s relatable, all thanks to a great cast of characters. It’s also refreshing to witness a tale of people coping with anxiety and stress, giving us an opportunity, an inside look on how others also struggling with these issues actually feel on the inside. All in all, I feel like it’s an important story to be told, and hopefully it helps people see they’re not alone.
Here’s the weird conclusion to this weird port of a really weird game: I don’t think the Switch version of NieR: Automata is worth your time, despite it being, for all intents and purposes, excellent. Considering the limitations of the hardware it was ported into, it’s a godlike effort, but one that makes it the worst version ever released for this game, by far. You’re not getting the best version of its soundtrack, you’re not getting the best visuals, you’re not getting the best framerate. Even though you could, in theory, play it all on docked mode, why bother? You can get better performing and cheaper versions of it elsewhere.
If you’re into Portal, The Talos Principle, or any other game that forces you to think outside of box or in other creatives manners in order to solve puzzles, Youropa is a decent pickup. The amount of levels and collectibles throughout the game will give you plenty to do, and so much customisation means creating your perfect character. All in all, it’s a solid, if somewhat forgettable experience.
All in all, Atari Mania has a fantastic concept, and could have been a surefire hit, but its poor performance, lack of polish and unfair difficulty ruined my enjoyment with it. The fact that WarioWare: Get It Together somehow managed to be even worse is the only reason I’d call Atari Mania the ideal candidate if you want to have something that even remotely resembles Nintendo’s cult classic series on the Switch, but even so, it’s a massive stretch.
Overall, in spite of needing to retrain my brain on how to interact with the world (it’s easier to travel without also carrying around a mouse and a dongle), Dropsy was a pleasant, interesting, if somewhat short adventure. It had heart, it had some truly gross moments, it had a horrifying cold open, and it was charming, however you can interpret that.
For fans of the franchise, it’s a purchase. Either at launch or the minute it gets to a “too good to pass up” sale. Especially when it’s such a popular series, and in this case a very popular arc that’s been adapted. For people who aren’t already in the know, nothing about the game is designed to bring people in. Little marketing, gameplay trailers unashamedly show off all the flaws, and the Japanese only voice acting is a huge deal-breaker for many in the west. For me personally though, I fall into the former category.
No More Heroes III could have been great. Its visuals, performance, and combat system are all a massive improvement over its predecessors. This game had all the ingredients to become a hack ‘n’ slash classic, but Suda51 had to shove it, nay, drown it with arrogance, self-indulgence, and some of the unfunniest “humor” I’ve witnessed since, well, the original No More Heroes, I suppose. The return of the pointless open world is further proof that player feedback, as well as trend analysis, haven’t been taken into account.
Super Jagger Bomb is just Bomb Jack with an average-at-best polygonal coat of paint. It plays just like a nearly forty year old game, with little to no interesting gameplay elements added to the mix. You might want to grab it if you have some sort of nostalgic feelings towards that Tecmo cult classic, but at the same time, if you do, the original Bomb Jack is available on the Switch eShop. You probably own it already.
I wanted to like The Outbound Ghost, I really did. There’s clearly a ton of love behind its development, especially in the art and sound departments. Unfortunately, its story is completely underdeveloped and ends without much of it being resolved or explained. The combat is fun at first, and encourages creative combinations of Figments and their Aspects, but it does start to feel repetitive after a while.
While things like Amnesia: Later x Crowd aren’t for everyone, it’s a really, really great treat for certain people, and I love that they can access this without needing to import and learn Japanese. I hope this sets a pace and a tone for even more Japan exclusives to finally cross the ocean as the Nintendo Switch juggernauts onward.
Prodeus would have been great if it was only a mere shooter heavily inspired by 2016’s DOOM, but its developers went above and beyond. What an amazing game. It’s both a love letter to old and modern shooters, embracing the best elements from both eras. Its levels are amazing, its gameplay is fast-paced and punchy, its soundtrack is insane… and it’s got a freaking phenomenal level editor that will basically ensure that players will have an endless supply of brand new levels to tackle for the foreseeable future.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is another welcome addition to the drum hero series. With so many different styles of songs to pick from, and not just having to play song after song with no variety, it’s one of the easiest versions of the series to pick up and play.
Even though it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I still highly recommend Little Orpheus. If you go in knowing it’s a laid-back adventure that’s more focused on its story than on providing a challenge, then you won’t be disappointed. Especially if you’re looking for a fun, silly, casual experience to enjoy over a few hours. Much how Lost in Play feels like playing a Saturday morning cartoon, Little Orpheus feels like a playable old school adventure film, like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
If you have a VR headset and are itching for something to play, Red Matter 2 is a must-play. It’s a clever little puzzle adventure game that continued to surprise me throughout, thanks to its intelligent puzzle design that keeps things interesting and varied. Not to mention the occasionally gorgeous visuals that must be pushing the Quest 2 to its limits.
I think Amnesia: Memories is just a tad cold, a bit too mean, and left me feeling restless and unresolved. It hits the notes, but it hits them in the wrong key. A classic, certainly, and I’m glad Switch owners have the option to play it. I just don’t know if it’s one I’d pick up if given the choice.
It’s seriously not as if BPM is a bad game. Since its release, so many other games have come out doing roughly the same thing, but building upon it. It runs well on Switch, but definitely is hindered by the limitations of the system, especially in handheld mode. That definitely doesn’t mean don’t play it, because it is easy to pick up and play for one or two runs, and pick up to play on a daily basis. It’s the perfect style game for the Switch, it just needs a little bit of tweaking in order to be fully enjoyed.