Well, we can't reach them all as they drop, that's for sure. With so many games releasing at any given time, sometimes things that should and do appeal to our Nintendo sensibilities get lost in the mix. And so has been the case — until now! — with Sleepy Castle Studios and Wing It! Creative's Escape from Ever After.
This colourful turn-based RPG launched on Switch back on 23rd January, and it's inspired by none other than the Paper Mario games. Hold on a minute. Mario? We know that guy!
Of course, this is far from the first RPG to attempt to emulate the glorious good times of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (the best one), but it does seem, judging by the reception so far at least, that this might be a bit of a belter.
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Assuming the role of Flynt Buckler, players here are charged with setting off for the HQ (that's a big imposing castle made out to look like corporate offices) of arch nemesis, Tinder. Now that's a scary big baddie name, innit. Here's some more from the game's official blurb:
It turns out that storybooks are an untapped market ripe with valuable resources, cheap labor, and profit to be had—so naturally, real-world conglomerate Ever After Inc.™ found a way to intervene! With Tinder’s Castle as their new corporate headquarters, Ever After Inc. is hellbent on taking over every storybook they can. With no choice but to get a job, Flynt Buckler must team up with his former nemesis Tinder in order to climb the corporate ladder and take down Ever After Inc. from the inside!
Fight in a fun, fast-paced battle system that rewards experimentation and strategy
Build and customize your party—every character has unique skills that can be equipped and upgraded throughout your journey
Engage in office banter, help your storybook coworkers, and decorate your office as you climb the corporate ladder
Explore vast storybook worlds brimming with sidequests, treasures, and secret
Stories within stories: experience a charming and lively narrative where the rules are constantly changing
A jazzy, big-band soundtrack that keeps the energy pumping throughout
Judging by the trailer up top, this looks like it nails the graphical style of the Paper Mario games just about right, and then proceeds to do its own thing (thankfully) with plenty of silly references to modern corporate life and other fun to boot.
It's currently sitting on an 82 on Metacritic, and an "Overwhelmingly Positive" response on Steam with over 500 user reviews at the time of writing. Colour us very interested, indeed!
Have you played Escape from Ever After yet? Thinking of picking it up? Think we should circle back on it? Let us know!