Latest Reviews
Mini Review Unrailed! - Take To The Tracks With Friends If At All Possible
A light carriage
We’ve seen numerous co-op survival games before, but keeping your train alive is certainly a new one. Having seen an early release last year on PC, Unrailed now jumps to Switch for full release. Developed by Indoor Astronaut, it offers a simple premise and you must stop your train from crashing, guiding it to a nearby station...
Review Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York - One For The Bookworms Out There
Nintendosferatu
There are visual novels, and there are visual novels. Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York joins the likes of Phoenix Wright and the not-yet-on-Switch Danganronpa series in marrying the visual novel form with its second-most prominent genre, that of detective work. What's the most prominent? I'll tell you when you're older...
Review Going Under - This Satrical Dungeon-Crawler Proves Employment Really Is A Grind
We're in the money
We’ve seen plenty of games critique capitalism in recent years and on Switch alone, 2020’s already had The Outer Worlds and Journey To The Savage Planet make the jump. Joining them next is Going Under by Aggro Crab, but rather than take us to a science fiction setting, it brings that satirical humour into an all-too-familiar...
Review SEGA AGES Herzog Zwei - A Seminal RTS And One Of The Best Two-Player Games Ever Made
Duke it out
When it launched on the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis back in the very early days of the system, Techno Soft's Herzog Zwei confounded quite a few people. It came from a studio which – in the west, at least – was most famous for its Thunder Force series of blasters. The top-down perspective looked similar to the free-roaming overhead...
Loop Dreams
Did you know that rollercoasters were originally invented, in their American form at least, as an attempt to rid the country of sin? Apparently LaMarcus Thompson, the "Father of the American Rollercoaster", was so sick of the disgraceful antics of his fellow citizens that he got to work building the Switchback Gravity Railway on Coney...
Review Ori And The Will Of The Wisps - This Xbox Classic Is A Must-Have On Switch
A beautiful sequel that stands on its own merits
Back in September of 2019, one of the most surprising announcements was that Ori and the Blind Forest, an indie game under the ownership of Xbox Game Studios, would be getting a port on the Switch. After the much-anticipated sequel released on Xbox earlier this year, many wondered whether Ori and the...
Review Othercide - A Challenging But Ultimately Rewarding SRPG
Wake me up inside
You know you’re in for a rough time when a game tells you upfront that you’re going to lose a lot. One of the first things you see in Othercide – the latest release from Lightbulb Crew – is one such message, which plainly says, “your Daughters will die, and you will lose, only to rise stronger again.” Indeed, Othercide...
Review Bake 'n Switch - A Fine Multiplayer Adventure Which Needed Longer In The Oven
Baking Bad
When it comes to the simple pleasures in life, few things can ever beat a good meal. We’ve seen cooking factor into various games by now, often as a side mechanic, but increasingly becoming that experience’s core focus. Developed by Streamline Games, we now find Bake ‘n Switch arriving on Switch, described as a “violently cute...
Review WWE 2K Battlegrounds - A Disappointingly Poor Wrestlefest
We've Cena lot better than this
The one-word catchphrase is a mythical achievement in professional wrestling. If you’re so well-loved by the fans that you can get a single word ‘over’ with the crowd – Ric Flair’s “woooooo”, Steve Austin’s “what”, Daniel Bryan’s “yes” – you’ve clearly earned legend status. In trying to...
Mini Review Mini Motor Racing X - A Bite-Sized Appetiser Between Rounds Of Mario Kart
Mini by name, mini by nature
It takes an awful lot for a racing game to stand out from the crowd these days. With so many options available, from realistic sims like GRID Autosport to, well, Mario Kart, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Mini Motor Racing X is a fine arcade racer with smooth gameplay and decent graphics, but it just...
Review Hades - A Heavenly Trip Into Hell That's Utterly Essential For All Switch Owners
The Devil is in the detail
Hell. We're all going there. There's absolutely no two ways about it. What? You really thought you'd get to spend your life on earth mouthing off like that on the internet sans reprisal? Come on now, mate, accept your fate and grow up. However, before we all head off to roast for eternity in the fires of the forever abyss,...
Review Georifters - An Ultimately Unremarkable 2D Platformer
Puzzlingly dull
There’s been no end to 2D platformers on Switch, but only a select few featured that heavier focus on puzzle mechanics. Whether it’s enjoyable first-party efforts like BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! to indie affairs such as Evergate, we’ve seen a great line-up so far, and Georifters is next to the plate. Developed by Busy Toaster,...
Review Giraffe And Annika - A Laid-Back Adventure That Might Be Too Chill For Some
Challenge Annika
We were pretty thrilled by this one before booting it up – I mean, how many games have giraffes in them?! Certainly not enough. The Adventure Pals repped the ruminant but nothing else really springs to mind. Imagine our disappointment, then, when we booted up the game and found nary an actual giraffe in sight, just a sort of weird...
Review Super Punch Patrol - There's Plenty Of Rage On These Streets
Pleasing penny-punching pugilism
Super Punch Patrol sees a return to the signature sketchy style of Gunman Clive from developer Bertil Hörberg, last seen on Switch with really rather brilliant boss-'em-up Mechstermination Force. Here, though, he's turned his hand to the brawler genre with what feels like a homage to Capcom's Final Fight. Well, more...
Review World Of Tanks Blitz - A Decent Port That Offers Hours Of Tank-Blasting Action
Pocket Commanders
If there's one thing we can all agree on during this most confusing of times on planet earth it's that everyone and their granny absolutely loves tanks. It's true. Go out on the street right now and ask anyone, you won't find a single person with a bad word to muffle through their face masks about these glorious war machines...
Review Moero Crystal H - A Hilariously Saucy Dungeon-Crawler Which Fans Of The Genre Will Adore
Everyday life with monster girls
Fair warning to those who need it: Moero Crystal H is a game that not only embraces sexuality, it positively revels in it. It is a game that knows and acknowledges that sexuality is fun, ridiculous, silly, and something that we should feel comfortable laughing about. And it is a game in which your party members...
Mini Review Kingdom Rush Origins - You're Probably Better Off Playing This On Your Phone
Taking the ‘rush’ out of Kingdom Rush
The Kingdom Rush series is no stranger to the Switch, though it’s certainly more popular on mobile devices. Kingdom Rush Origins follows the footsteps of its predecessors, delivering straightforward, accessible tower-defence gameplay with pleasant visuals to boot. It’s surprisingly engaging once you get...
Review Road To Guangdong - A Fine Story Ruined By Shoddy Performance And Linearity
A recipe for disappointment
The capacity for indie games to present new experiences never ceases to surprise us. The parameters by which a game can be considered a game are now so broad and eclectic that the hobby is in the enviable position of having at least one thing almost anyone can enjoy. Strangely enough, this has also given rise to a...
Review Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Three Of Mario's Greatest Adventures Come To Switch
Only shooting Star Bits break the mould
Well, that all happened quickly, didn’t it? It was only a fortnight ago that Nintendo was announcing its long-rumoured compilation of 3D Mario games, and now here we are reviewing the ruddy thing already. Some of you will have already made up your mind about
Review Witcheye - A Fun Platformer That Sadly Can't Shake Off Its Smartphone Origins
Magic eye
There's some kind of witchcraft going on with Witcheye, and we're not just talking about the title character. Here's a 2D platformer that doesn't involve any jumping whatsoever. Spooky. At the outset of the game, you take control of a witch who turns herself into a free-flying eyeball – because witches – in order to chase down a...
Review Fight Crab - The First Rule Of Fight Crab Is That It's Fine To Talk About Fight Crab
The best crabs you'll ever get
We are witnessing the birth of a brand new genre, friends. We've had games based on movies, television shows, comics and even literature; here, though, is Fight Crab, the first game ever made based on an animated GIF. Yes! The popular GIF of a crab menacingly wielding a knife has been adapted into a full-scale Switch...
Review Paratopic - A Low-Fi Eldritch Fever Dream That Ends Too Soon
VC-arrrrgh
As a rule of thumb, it's probably best not to watch mysterious VHS tapes. On the plus side, the fact that it's a dead format means that the sheer effort of locating a VCR in order to violate said rule is almost certainly more trouble than it's worth, and if said mysterious tapes were uploaded to YouTube you'd probably have to deal with...
Mini Review Party Hard 2 - This Stripped-Down Hitman Clone Is A Fun Time
Let’s get a party going
Remember parties? Before 2020, these loud, obnoxious gatherings used to happen quite a lot. Back in the day, we loved a good party, but as the years go by, the prospect of sitting under the lampshade with a stiff drink and a good book is much more enticing. Party Hard 2 stars a poor chap who just wants to get a good night's...
Review Spellbreak - A Neat Fortnite Rival Which Ironically Lacks That Magical Touch
A witch's brew of old and new
These days, it’s hard to imagine that there was once a time when the 'battle royale' genre didn’t exist. Fortnite has proven itself to be the poster child, of course, but there are other shooter alternatives like Call of Duty: Warzone or Apex Legends. If you want something a little goofier, you can try for some...
Review Adventures of Pip - An Interesting Social Message Undermind By Bland Action
An average platformer starring an average hero
One of the biggest crimes a game can commit is being perfectly average. While, for the most part, there is nothing technically wrong with some games, there is nothing that makes them stand out from the crowd. This is the unfortunate middle ground where Adventures of Pip lies. While the game is a...
Review RPG Maker MV - A Potent Game Creation Tool, If You Have The Patience Required
As long as you have a dream, anything is possible... within reason
RPG Maker MV on Switch is a bit of a different prospect than its massively popular PC counterpart. This, much like the 3DS version which released back in 2017, is a more console-friendly version that strips away some important aspects which avid users of the software may consider...
Mini Review Minoria - A Short But Sweet Metroidvania With Great Combat
Sister Act
Coming off the back of its previous game, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, Bombservice’s Minoria feels like a natural evolution in many ways. It’s a fast-paced Metroidvania with a sharp focus on aggressive combat, but also contains many staple tropes of the genre, including collectable items, hidden passageways, and unlockable...
Mini Review MO:Astray - A Grim And Gory Game Which Deserves A Look
Please sir, can I have some mo’?
If you’re not familiar with MO:Astray beyond its utterly weird name, then it's high time you start paying attention. Originally released on Steam back in October 2019 to little fanfare, MO:Astray is a 2D puzzle-platformer boasting unique gameplay mechanics, meticulously designed environments, and gorgeous...
Review Inertial Drift - A '90s-Style Racer With A Unique Drift Mechanic
Born Slippy
There are so many racing games out there nowadays that it takes something really out of the ordinary to stand out. Inertial Drift absolutely ticks this box, and while it isn’t an overwhelming success in every regard, its unique control system could result in a cult following nevertheless. Its main hook, as the name suggests, is its...
Review The Last Campfire - A Refreshingly Freeform Puzzle Adventure Packed With Ideas
S'mores the merrier
The Last Campfire is a delightful puzzle-stuffed adventure from the core creative team behind WiiWare favourite LostWinds. Where that game was made at Frontier, home to the universe builders of the Elite series, this new adventure was nurtured at Hello Games, home to the universe builders of No Man’s Sky. There’s something...
