Game Reviews scoring 8/10
Review Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin (Switch) - A Franchise Riding High
An ideal introduction to the series
Monster Hunter is a series with a longstanding tradition of being impenetrable to casual first-time players, with systems layered upon systems and tricky combat. In the mainline series Monster Hunter: World provided a multi-platform mainstream breakthrough, while on Switch the recent Monster Hunter Rise followed...
Review Sky: Children Of The Light (Switch) - An Experience That Soars On Switch
A mobile marvel
When Sky: Children of the Light (or just ‘Sky’ in-game) launched back in 2019 on iOS, it was met with well-deserved critical acclaim. Some were dismayed that the follow-up to the iconic adventure title Journey would be shackled to the mobile world, but after laying eyes on the gorgeous visuals, simplistic gameplay, and inspired...
Review Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (Switch) - A Cute And Absolutely Horrifying Dating Sim
Thus with a kiss I die
You've probably heard of Doki Doki Literature Club. The anime dating simulator achieved massive popularity largely through word of mouth, and the Switch version — which this review is about, obviously — comes almost four years after its debut, which means you've either already played it, or you've heard about it and not...
Review Disgaea 6: Defiance Of Destiny (Switch) - A Series High Point, Just Not For Performance
Zed's dead, dood. Zed's dead.
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny feels like an oddly topical title for Nippon Ichi Software. About two years ago, the company effectively ran out of money following a catastrophic mobile game launch, and it certainly appeared for a while that Nippon Ichi was going to go under. Somehow, the publisher managed to weather the...
Mini Review Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (Switch) - A Relaxing, Off-Rails Pokémon Snap-Alike
A natural beauty
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure started its life as an Apple Arcade exclusive back in 2020 and launched to much critical acclaim. UsTwo's game tells the story of Alba, a curious young girl with a love for animals and nature. Vacationing with her grandparents on an idyllic island full of diverse wildlife, Alba and her best friend suddenly...
Review Winds Of Change (Switch) - A Polished, Absorbing, Animal-Filled Visual Novel
Do you hear that?
Shall we get this out of the way up front? This game features 'furry' characters. If you're already heading to the comments to issue a humorous barb, please re-examine your life. Winds of Change is an accomplished, heartfelt and enjoyable visual novel that does not deserve to be held up against the invented, ludicrous stigma of...
Review Mundaun (Switch) - A Rich, Sepia-Toned First-Person Horror Show
There's evil resident in this village
Take our advice: if you ever receive a suspiciously detail-light missive informing you that a loved one has passed away and urging you not to return to your home village, trust us on this one – just let it lie as advised. Let them lie, we suppose, because no good has ever come from going to a village, as...
Mini Review Astalon: Tears Of The Earth (Switch) - Likeable, High Fantasy Metroidvania Action
The Three Musketeers
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is yet another retro-inspired action platformer on Switch eShop, with a sprinkling of light RPG elements. It tells the tale of an unspecified planet that falls into chaos after an endless battle between its many kingdoms. After decades of surviving in the wasteland, a band of three heroes journey into...
Review Sludge Life (Switch) - A Crude, Delightfully Disposable First-Person Graffiti-'Em-Up
Basic sludgeanomics
Thug life. Slug life. Thudge life. Sludge Life. It’s a pretty simple A-to-B transition when you really look at it. Okay, it’s not. At all. But you try and open a review for a game like this... and what is there to say? Sludge Life is a game where you do stuff. Exist at your own pace. In this game, you — as Marge Simpson...
Mini Review Magical Drop II (SNES) - Fun And Colourful Puzzle Action
Grab, toss, and match three
With five new additions to Nintendo Switch Online's catalogue of NES and SNES games arriving today, we decided to review these new/old releases to help you decide which to play first. Enjoy! Magical Drop is Data East's take on the competitive puzzle game, but with a major twist - instead of fallin
Review Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World (Switch) - A Fine Revival, Faithful To A Fault
No boys allowed
It’s been a beautiful time for Sega revivals as of late, with games like Streets of Rage 4 and Panzer Dragoon: Remake bringing back old classics. One of the most prolific has been Westone’s Wonder Boy/Monster World series, which has seen no less than three entries – first, a remake of the Master System game The Dragon’s Trap...
Review Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (Switch) - This Is The Spooky One
A game about murder, and proper queueing technique
We've already covered a lot about the history and provenance of the Famicom Detective Club remakes in our review for The Missing Heir — the first game in the duology, released solely in Japan in 1988 — so you might want to read that review as well if you want the full picture, or you're...
Review Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Switch) - A Delightful And Silly Mystery
Ace Attorney's grandfather returns triumphant
Famicom Detective Club is brilliant. Famicom Detective Club is also incredibly stupid, sometimes. But it's still brilliant. It's both, at the same time, like a child who's just argued that, if glue is non-toxic, then there's really nothing wrong with them eating a whole cup of it. Sure, sticky child!...
Mini Review Subnautica: Below Zero (Switch) - A Rather Cool Sequel
Deep Blue Sequel
In Subnautica: Below Zero, the sequel to Unknown World's superlative Subnautica, you're once again back on planet 4546B, crash-landing rather spectacularly on the frozen far side of the alien world this time around where you're immediately thrown into a mystery surrounding the fate of your missing sister, Sam. It may have a slightly...
Review Before I Forget (Switch) - A Poignant Portrayal Of Dementia
Full of colour and emotion
It's not often that a game with a high profile tackles a particularly difficult and emotive illness, though when they get it right they're rightly lauded for bringing these topics into the gaming medium. Before I Forget earned attention and headlines - with some notable award nominations - for its portrayal of dementia,...
Review New Pokémon Snap (Switch) - The Best-Looking Pokémon Game Yet, And A Joyous Revival
Lental clarity
It's been 22 years since the original Pokémon Snap and with each passing console generation fans had never given up hope for a possible sequel. Why is that? It wasn't a long game, it didn't have that many levels, only had a small pool of Pokémon and the base gameplay was simply about taking pictures. On paper, Pokémon Snap sounds...
Best in class
Much like Koei’s Atelier series, Nihon Falcom’s Legend of Heroes games are some of the best RPGs that you’ve never played. Engrossing storytelling is one of the cornerstones of the RPG genre, and no other series exemplifies this as well as the Legend of Heroes. The story began with Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes way back in...
Mini Review Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Switch) - Witty Zelda-Inspired Top-Down Tax Avoidance
Vegan-friendly
No one likes paying taxes. Unfortunately, it’s something we all have to do and wilfully committing tax evasion is not something we would ever encourage anyone to do. Isn’t it wonderful, then, that you can evade as much tax as you like in Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, an action-RPG from developer Snoozy Kazoo. It may well be one...
Review The Darkside Detective: A Fumble In The Dark (Switch) - A Welcome Return To Twin Lakes
It is happening again
Sequels generally need to accomplish two things: they need to be bigger and better than their predecessors. Okay, if we’re being picky, they don’t necessarily need to be bigger, as such, but certainly better. Released back in 2017, The Darkside Detective was a surprise hit, boasting gorgeous pixelated visuals, a stellar...
Review Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack (Switch) - A Nicely Crafted RPG Marathon
Baby, you've got a stew going!
Practically speaking, the Atelier series is probably among the best collection of RPGs that you’ve never played. This low-key and generally bubbly franchise seems like it hasn’t quite managed to shatter that ‘glass ceiling’ into mainstream appeal, but that hasn’t stopped Gust from lovingly improving upon the...
Review Smelter (Switch) - Strong Mega Man X-Style Platforming Forged With Extract Of ActRaiser
Would you Adam and Eve it!?
Now you’re talking. Indie games have been imitating classics of the past for years and years now, and it’s about time that one of them had the cajones to take a run at the seminal ActRaiser, Quintet’s 1990 genre-melding masterpiece. To be fair, SolSeraph had a crack at combining top-down elements with platforming,...
Mini Review Toree 3D (Switch) - Low Poly, Pint-Sized Platforming For Pennies
Nostalgic 3D platforming? Balan Wonderworld, take note
Say what you like about fancy level design and clever mechanics that turn everything you know about the genre on its head, but when it comes to 3D platformers there's really only one reason we return to our favourites again and again: throwing Mario around a course feels fun on an instinctual,...
Review TY The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue HD (Switch) - An Enjoyably Old-School Aussie Romp
Da doo rang rang rang, da doo rang rang
We have to admit, it’s been something of a surprise to us that Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, of all franchises, has sustained the limelight for so very long. That the series made it to six (six!!) games was a shock in the first place – three main GameCube entries, a fourth game for PC and two excellent GBA...
Mini Review Densha de Go! Hashiro Yamanote Line (Switch) - Yes, You Just Drive A Train
Come on, baby, do the locomotion
The eShop trailer for Densha de Go!! Hashirou Yamanote Sen (“Go by train! Drive the Yamanote line”) is just a guy singing “Densha de Go!” repeatedly while trains drive. For series fans, nothing else need be said. But let’s fill in the blanks. Densha de Go! is a Japanese train driving series that started in...
Review Doshin The Giant (GameCube) - A Chilled-Out Cult Classic That's Still Fresh
Sorry America
God simulators were a big deal back in the day, but it has to be said that in recent years they’ve not been as prevalent. That's not about to change with this game either, because Doshin the Giant is a GameCube game from the space year 2002 exclusively released everywhere except the US. As this rare and oft-forgotten game reaches its...
Review Narita Boy (Switch) - Pay Homage To The '80s In This Marvellous Metroidvania
A digital utopia
It’s 2021, yet it somehow still feels like we’re in the 1980s. We’re at a point in time where those who were born or grew up in the ‘80s are now expressing their love for the decade through the arts, resulting in cultural behemoths like Stranger Things and Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Unfortunately, nostalgia has often...
Review Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol.1 (Switch) - SNK's Handheld Classics Come To Switch
Bigger, Badder, Better
You’ve got to wonder what on earth SNK is thinking, sometimes. Releasing six individual Neo Geo Pocket Color titles on the Switch eShop was a fine idea, and Samurai Shodown! 2, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, SNK Gals' Fighters, SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium,
Mini Review Later Alligator (Switch) - A Big Goof Of A Game That'll Make You Smile Like A Crocodile
Snappy comedy in a bite-sized package
What do you get when you mix Professor Layton with Adventure Time? The comparison doesn't even begin to do it justice, but that's vaguely what to expect from the brilliant Later Alligator, brought to you by the brains and pens that made Baman Piderman (as well as a couple of episodes of the aforementioned
We didn't "sea" this coming
In case you haven't noticed over the past few years, the Switch has become home to a wide variety of karting games, and the vast majority of them are a bit rubbish. For every Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, there’s a Hello Kitty Kruisers, Garfield Kart Furious Racing or
Review Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (Switch) - Better Late Than Never
Worth taking for a spin
In one sense, it should come as no surprise that Crash Bandicoot 4 has eventually made its way to the Switch, albeit five months after it came to other consoles. When the N. Sane Trilogy came to the Switch a full year after launching on the PS4, it was hugely successful despite that 12-month gap – both critically and...
