Tag: Reviews - Page 38
Review Kingdom Two Crowns - Calming Strategy Made More Accessible Thanks To Couch Co-op
Get crown on it
Following last year’s Kingdom: New Lands on Switch, side-scrolling resource management game Kingdom Two Crowns (no colon this time) is a conscious effort to streamline the roguelike and make it, well, a little less like Rogue. In this third entry in the series from developer Noio – now partnering with Coatsink – losing your...
The colour of magic
The capture button is one of our favourite things about the Switch. Any time you see something impressive in a game, the ability to snatch that image and freeze it in time forever is sitting right there next to your thumb. In most games, it’s only used every now and then, but by the time we’d finished Gris our screenshot...
Review Katamari Damacy REROLL - A Timely Remaster Of A True Modern Classic
Keep rollin'
Games are often at their best when they embrace the truly weird and wonderful. In an era where so much emphasis is placed on gritty realism, life-like character models and terrifyingly accurate simulations, it’s nice to punctuate that authenticity with oddity or two. Thankfully, the peculiar world of Katamari has returned in the form...
Review Everspace - Stellar Edition - An Entertaining Roguelike Which Fuses FTL With Rogue Squadron
Rogue Dameron
Dropping out of hyperspace, your one-man ship arrives in a new sector. You spot a trader lurking beside a nebula and what looks like an asteroid mining facility off to the right. Half-blinded by lens flare from a distant sun, you make out hostile ships attacking a service station in the distance. Do you harvest resources from the...
Review Gear.Club Unlimited 2 - Sluggish Controls Force This Real-World Racer Off The Track
Back of the grid
Last year’s Gear.Club Unlimited was a decent attempt at bringing a ‘serious’ racing game to the Switch. Based on a mobile game, the ‘Unlimited’ part of the title referred to the scrapping of microtransactions and all the other nonsense you got when playing it on your phone. Although Gear.Club Unlimited was a good start, it...
Park life
Who would have thought way back in the late ’90s – when PC gaming was producing some of its biggest and most beloved hits – that a simulator all about building and maintaining a theme park would prove to be an enduring classic in its own right? And while the RollerCoaster Tycoon games took something of a nosedive once creator and...
Review Guacamelee! 2 - A Fun-Packed And Often Relentless Metroidvania
An action-platformer with real punch
It's a ballsy developer that starts a game with a boss fight, but that's precisely what developer Drinkbox Games has done in Guacamelee! 2. The opening scrap is used as a clever device for recapping the climax of the original game, as well as serving as a catch-up for those of us who either didn't play or finish...
Review Stardust Galaxy Warriors: Stellar Climax - Mech A Date With This Likeably Chaotic Shmup
Shoot for the stars
It is the year 2087, and hostile forces are causing chaos all over the galaxy, but that’s where the Galaxy Warriors come in, a mech-piloting team of five with a variety of weapons at their disposal. The plan? “I would suggest flying to the right and blowing up everything” comments one character. Stardust Galaxy Warriors:...
Real survival horror
One of Switch’s greatest strengths (besides its central ‘homeheld’ gimmick) must be the sheer breadth of available software. Whatever our mood, the menu screen’s glorious spectrum of icons always has something that’ll hit the spot, running the gamut from rainbow escapism to grey, gritty realism – and This War of Mine...
Review Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Absolute Pinnacle Of Nintendo's Fighting Series
Still no playable Waluigi, though
Crossovers happen all the time in games, films, TV shows and just about every other form of media out there, but none of them can really be compared to Super Smash Bros.; no, not even that film that you’re thinking of. So it’s beyond a bold move to name the latest entry in a series ‘Ultimate’, thus raising...
Review Ark: Survival Evolved - An Ambitious Survival Epic That's Borderline Unplayable On Switch
Extinction event
Since this review was originally published, the Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition update launched (in November 2022) and has reportedly addressed or improved one or more of the issues cited. While we unfortunately cannot revisit games on an individual basis, it should still be noted that the updated game may offer an improved...
Review Football Manager 2019 Touch - A Truly Great Sports Sim That Still Feels Awkward On Switch
Still working out the system
Back in April, we likened Football Manager Touch 2018 on Switch to playing Ronaldo at centre back. It was an absolutely brilliant game, but one that was being showcased relatively poorly by the host system. What chance is there, then, that Sports Interactive has managed to make the necessary tactical tweaks in time for...
Review Yo-Kai Watch 3 - The Perfect Swansong For The Series On Nintendo 3DS
A charming addition to the tribe
While it’s never quite reached the levels of superstardom enjoyed by Pokémon and other Japanese-centric monster-collecting RPGs (well, not consistently anyway), the Yo-Kai Watch series has remained one of the best handheld franchises to ever grace the seemingly immortal Nintendo 3DS. Of course, we western fans...
Review Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom - The Best Wonder Boy Game Yet, Even If It Lacks The Name
Is it any Wonder?
The hand-drawn 2D platformer has become such a common occurrence over the past couple of years that it might as well be a genre of its own. Since its launch, the Switch has seen its fair share of these, from Hollow Knight to Toki (the latter of which was released this week). One of the most notable examples of this was last...
Review Toki - Gorgeous Arcade Platforming That's Over All Too Quickly
Chimpin’ ain’t easy
Of all the ‘80s and ‘90s retro games getting modern remakes these days, it’s probably fair to say that Toki wasn’t exactly on most gamers’ wishlists. While it was an entertaining action platformer back in the day, it’s one of those titles that very much remained in the 20th century and is rarely brought up in...
Review Toast Time: Smash Up! - A Tasty Brawler That Needs Just A Little More Time In The Oven
A bit underdone
In the modern age of gaming, one must wonder if there’s still a place for the ‘okay’ games in a marketplace that becomes ever more crowded with quality content. The rise of indie game development and the production values of AAA game development have resulted in a world where players have neither the time nor the money to play...
Review Rival Megagun - A Unique Competitive Shmup That Is Perfectly At Home On Switch
Head-to-head bullet hell
The shmup genre has long struggled to elegantly accommodate multiplayer gaming. At least, that's the case with 2D shooters that adopt or lean towards the pure arcade form. Shmups are designed primarily as solitary experiences, and to play them with leaderboard position in mind demands a great deal of nuance. There are...
Review NAIRI: Tower Of Shirin - A Lovingly-Made Point-And-Click Adventure
Point, click and chill
Of all the genres out there in the wonderful world of video games, very few games showcase the heart and soul of their creators quite like the point-and-click adventure. Perhaps it’s the slower pace or the need for memorable characters and an engrossing story, but everything from background art to dialogue becomes a canvas...
Review Super Hydorah - New Ideas Meet Old-School Gameplay In This Superb Indie Effort
Much more than a tribute act
Dedicated 2D shoot 'em up fans might represent a small subset of Switch owners, but they've been pretty well catered for. There's a growing roster of brilliant Neo Geo shmups like Aero Fighters 2 for them to call upon, and just recently they were given the rather splendid R-Type Dimensions EX. It's to the latter series,...
A messy business
One look at the name Spintires: MudRunner - American Wilds Edition and we wouldn’t blame you for assuming this was just another off-road racer. Something in the vein MXGP 3 or Monster Jam: Crush It!, perhaps. But you’d be wrong. This is no speed-obsessed demon, but rather an unusual take on the classic driving simulator more...
Review Harvest Life - An Unpolished Farm Sim That Lacks The Charm Of Its Influences
Nature’s fertiliser
We were brought up (as were the majority of you lovely people, we’re sure) to keep schtum when you’ve got nothing nice to say. Unfortunately, this review would be over almost as soon as it had begun, so we’re going to dig deep to find some drops of positivity in farm sim Harvest Life. It’s not egregiously terrible –...
Review Rock Boshers DX: Director's Cut - England's Dreaming With This Old-School Blaster
We are most certainly amused
Steampunk wasn’t really a 'thing' back in the heydey of 8-bit video game development, but if it had been, there’s a good chance something like Rock Boshers DX: Director’s Cut would have appeared in glorious cassette or cartridge form. With its Victorian dandies on a space-age adventure for gold and glory, developer...
Review Bendy And The Ink Machine - Filled With Cartoon Scares That Eventually Lose Their Power
Screamboat Willie
Conjure thoughts of the animation’s early years in the 20th century – the black and white era of the 1920s and ’30s that gave us everything from Steamboat Mickey to Felix the Cat – and it’s unlikely you’ll feel particularly unsettled as a result. Enchanted perhaps, maybe even a little nonplussed, but scared? It’s...
Review Abzu - A Gorgeous And Thought-Provoking Journey That All Switch Owners Should Embark On
Breathtaking
Journey changed the game when it released back in 2012, bringing a distinctly serene experience to PlayStation owners that championed the experience of play, rather than the goal of conquering challenges. Journey generated all sorts of acclaim for its atmosphere and pace, so it comes as no surprise that Matt Nava – Journey’s art...
Review Cattails - A Heart-Warming Feline Adventure With Bloodthirsty Turf Wars
When you’re a cat, you’re a cat all the way
Almost a year to the day after launching on Steam, Cattails – an RPG from husband-and-wife team Falcon Development – now lands elegantly on Switch. Upon christening your mog, you’re abandoned by the roadside until a friendly stray named Coco takes pity and enlists you in one of three colonies...
Review SEGA Mega Drive Classics - A Welcome Stroll Down Memory Lane
Sonic! Golden Axe! Phantasy Star! Streets of Rage!
The Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis, if you're in North America) is a console that needs no introduction, even on a site devoted to Nintendo. During the early '90s, Sega and Nintendo were mortal enemies and their respective 16-bit systems were locked in an epic struggle which has since gone down as one...
Review Mother Russia Bleeds - A Tepid Beat 'Em Up That's Big On Gore But Low On Gratification
Wince and repeat
Like most things from the late '80s and early '90s, the 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up is no longer particularly cool or relevant. Sure, a certain type of ageing nostalgist (guilty as charged) will get excited about Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle or Streets of Rage 4, but the kids have long since moved on to something else. And let's face...
Review Horizon Chase Turbo - A Worthy Successor To Sega's Out Run
Blue sky thinking
There are many gamers out there – this writer included – who would kill for a modern-day version of Out Run. Not literally, mind you, but we could probably stretch to petty crime if need be. While fans of Sega’s definitive arcade racer will be pleased to hear it’s coming to the Switch soon as part of the Sega AGES series,...
Review R-Type Dimensions EX - Two Arcade Classics For The Price Of One
Irem-emember you
The shoot 'em up genre is the very definition of ‘easy to learn, hard to master’. At its core it's probably easier to explain than any other type of game: move around and shoot things, job done. Despite this, most shoot 'em ups tend to be extremely difficult. Whether it's because their roots are based in the arcades – where...
Review Nidhogg 2 - Crazy Couch-Play Combat Slightly Sullied By Poor Solo And Online Features
Absurdity at its finest
Fighting games have historically had a high barrier to entry, with new players having to face hours of getting their butt kicked before finally getting the muscle memory required to master the complex controls and inputs. Nidhogg – if it can even be considered a fighting game – changed that when it launched in 2014, with...
Review Warframe - A Technical Marvel That Pushes The Boundaries Of Free-To-Play Action On Switch
A remarkable technical feat that defies all logic
Had you come to us earlier in the year and asked us which game Panic Button should port to Nintendo Switch next, Warframe would not have featured anywhere near the top. Not that the game itself isn’t a worthy candidate - on the contrary, it’s become of the most improved and noticeably enhanced...
Review Brawlhalla - A Free-To-Play Smash Bros. Rival That Just Might Surprise You
Put 'em up
It’s rather surprising when you get right down to it that more games haven’t aimed to mimic Super Smash Bros. in how it approaches the fighting genre. Traditionally, fighting games are deeply enjoyable once you get to grips with them, but truly engaging when the game requires dozens (if not hundreds) of hours of studying frames,...
Review Ms. Splosion Man - This Indie Darling Remains Explosive On Switch
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
As bizarre a notion it might seem now, once upon a time Microsoft was the home of burgeoning indie talent. Xbox Live Arcade brought countless hits and GOTY contenders, and helped the Big M foster some remarkable partnerships and exclusives as a result. Twisted Pixel was one such studio and one of its biggest hits, 2009’s...
Review Astebreed - A Fast-Paced Blaster Which Survives The Transition To Switch Mostly Intact
The old breed
By now, we’ve learned to accept that fact a good proportion of the ports on Nintendo Switch are games that released elsewhere years ago. Sure, it often feels like a late-to-the-party cash-in at times, but there are plenty of Switch owners who have likely never played these games previously, having only owned Nintendo-made hardware...
Review Collidalot - Top-Down Melee Combat That Deserves A Place In Your Couch-Play Rotation
Bump and grind
Collidalot is one of those games that screenshots rarely do justice. Not because it’s particularly striking to look at, but because still images simply fail to capture the sheer chaos and intensity of its vehicular showdowns. Even a trailer fails to do the job. This is a game you really need to play with friends, bunched up in front...
Review Sid Meier's Civilization VI - Conquer The World On The Move In This Superb Port
Civ on the streets, Civ in the sheets
The world’s premiere 4X strategy game has finally landed on Switch! It promises the real deal – the full Civilization VI experience – distilled to handheld form, and it’s a relief to report that Aspyr has done a fine job squeezing Firaxis’ game onto the hybrid console. Beyond a few small issues, it...
Review Sky Force Anniversary - A Fun Shooter That's Perhaps Surplus To Requirements On Switch
Grind 'em up
The Sky Force series began on mobile before moving on to more traditional games machines, with Sky Force Anniversary arriving on a number of systems (including the Wii U) not so long ago. Now it comes to Switch, providing its blend of fun and grinding as you blast through a number of levels, replaying them many times over to meet the...
Review World of Final Fantasy Maxima - A Gentle Introduction To The Legendary RPG Series
Pretty honking good
Final Fantasy is a name that’s become synonymous with the JRPG genre; over the decades there have been dozens of mainline releases and spinoffs that iterate on the tried-and-true formula in unique ways. The latest entry in the numbered franchise—Final Fantasy XV—was a bit of a departure for the series, marking the first...
Review Grim Fandango Remastered - Still One Of The Greatest Point-And-Click Adventures Ever Made
Dead and loving it
Somehow, somehow, Grim Fandango is 20 years-old this year. Twenty years! For some of you reading this review, the following game might look just like any other title from the transformative PC gaming days of the ’90s. A relic of an era where polygons were blocky, textures lacked detail and aspect ratios were square at best. But...
Review Saboteur! - A Well-Intentioned Nostalgia Trip That Fails To Get Pulses Racing
Re-enter The Dragon
Remakes and re-releases of retro console games are ten a penny these days; there are countless old-school titles from the likes of Nintendo, Sega, SNK and Namco available for newer audiences to discover on modern platforms like the Switch. It’s uncommon, though, for home computer games – specifically those from the ZX...
By the numbers
Early this year, when the three Mercenaries Saga games were brought together in the Chronicles collection on Switch, it offered impressive value for money if you were hungry for some Final Fantasy Tactics/Tactics Ogre-esque gameplay – although there were already other options. An absolute deluge of software in the intervening...
Review Valiant Hearts: The Great War - An Aptly-Timed Switch Port If Ever There Was One
Somme achievement
For all the games out there that are ostensibly about war, precious few of them handle the subject with any real depth or elegance. Such games tend to be all about the brutal mechanics of war rather than the exacting toll it takes on people and places. Valiant Hearts: The Great War, by contrast, is one of the most humane war games...
Review Crashlands - A Neat Survival RPG Which Can't Quite Keep Repetition At Bay
Fat of the lands
Back in 2016, Butterscotch Shenanigans brought Crashlands and its top-down mix of RPG questing and crafting to PC and mobile, but its simplified approach to both proved to be a far more suitable experience for smartphones and tablets than it was for the world of keyboards and mice. Question is, almost three years on, will Nintendo...
Girl power
Cellar Door Games put itself on the map with the release of Rogue Legacy, a critically lauded roguelike sidescroller that in some ways set a trend still being followed by indies today, but the studio later went on to release a new game, Full Metal Furies, to much less fanfare. There were plenty of factors that resulted in the studio's...
Revisiting Kanto 20 years on
With the Switch gearing up for its second holiday season on the market, the time has finally come for the hybrid machine to get its first taste of core series Pokémon action. Acting as a reimagining of Pokémon Yellow – an already enhanced version of the series’ first titles Pokémon Red and Blue – Pokémon: Let's...
Review Carnival Games - Perfect Family Fun And Another Solid Switch Couch-Play Option
Fair play
Looking back, Nintendo Wii ended up with a huge library of games to its name, including some much-loved classics (and quite a few duds, if we’re honest). But who would have thought a third-party multiplayer title about carnival mini-games would have proved to be one of the system’s biggest sellers? For all its faults, Carnival Funfair...
Review Road Redemption - A Rough But Riveting Road Rash Revival
Looks like your Rash is back
In this era of reboots, remasters and re-releases, it’s surprising that a number of EA’s classic 16-bit games have never been given the modern treatment: Desert Strike, Road Rash, FIFA… all remain trapped in the ‘90s, never to be resurrected (Okay, maybe not FIFA). Nine years ago, developer Ian Fisch decided it...
Forgive and forget
A video game which genuinely looks and feels like an interactive cartoon is a long-held dream for many gamers and we’ve seen some impressive attempts over the years. As far back as the 16-bit era, pixel art classics like Yoshi’s Island showcased beautiful art that nodded at the medium of traditional animation, but modern tech...
Review Battlezone Gold Edition - A Great Switch Port That Proves There's Life After VR
Tanked up
It can be quite the challenge bringing a game from the normal ‘static’ experience of playing on a TV to the immersion of virtual reality, and we’ve seen plenty of successes and abject failures as a result. But what about when a title that’s specifically been built for VR makes the jump back to a more traditional visual setup? Can...
Review Machinarium - A Captivating Point-And-Click Adventure, Despite The Passage Of The Years
Mechanical mysteries
The point-and-click adventure was once the king of PC gaming, with everything from classic instalments in the Broken Sword series to timeless classics from LucasArts defining cursor-based play in the ‘90s. However, it has taken a long time for the genre to finally make a comeback in the last few years thanks to the likes of...
