Chucklefish Game Reviews
Review Loco Motive (Switch) - A Stunning Whodunnit With Impeccable LucasArts Vibes
Murder on the Point-and-Click Express
It's a story you've probably heard before: there's a detective, a rich, old heiress with an amended will, and an assembled group of people all hoping to benefit from it. And then, as these stories usually do, it ends in murder. On a train! But don't be fooled by the plentiful Agatha Christie-isms: this work of...
Review Eastward: Octopia (Switch) - A Great Farm Sim Expansion That Edges Out The Base Game
Another great Octo Expansion
A few years ago, a cute new action-adventure game called Eastward released on most platforms, blending some appealing EarthBound-esque visuals with a narrative-driven game loop that’s vaguely reminiscent of the older Zelda games. We really enjoyed it, despite its flaws, and it seems that developer Pixpil had some more...
Review Wargroove 2 (Switch) - A Must-Play Tactical RPG And A Worthy Successor To Advance Wars
Warfare has never been this cozy
2023 has been a good year for tactics games on the Switch. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot marked the return of two classic GBA games while Fire Emblem Engage brought the series's focus to its strategic roots. Chucklefish and Robotality's Wargroove 2 is the next SRPG joining the fray, and while its adorable pixel-art...
Review Eastward (Switch) - A Creative Zelda-Like Adventure With Absolutely Killer Art
East? I thought you said Weast
The line between an homage and a copycat can often be a blurry one, and it feels like all too often that new games borrowing ideas from old games fall on the wrong side of it. Instead of offering creative new takes on favored concepts, these games are more content to prod you with a sharp elbow as they say...
Review Pathway (Switch) - Competent XCOM-Style Combat, But Is That Enough?
It belongs in a museum
Every now and then, you play one of those games that just feels a little bit too late. It’s not that a game in this category is bad or doesn’t have good ideas, but sometimes it’s just a victim of the current gaming landscape. How many Metroidvanias have you played by now? What about roguelites or 2D
Review Inmost (Switch) - A Haunting Tale That Stays With You Long After A Rushed Conclusion
Hope Through Pain
Hidden Layer Games’ Inmost boots up with a discretionary warning regarding the upsetting nature of some of its content and, perhaps more than any other Switch game we’ve played so far this year, it’s a warning that’s absolutely warranted. This beautifully crafted and genuinely heartfelt little pixel art adventure has some...
Review Timespinner (Switch) - Another Superb Metroidvania For Your Nintendo Switch
Timespinphony of the Night
In Timespinner, the player steps into the shoes of Lunais, a young woman in a nomadic society that trains talented magical youth like her as Time Messengers – people prepared to be flung back in time to warn of dangers to the clan. The spacefaring Lachiemi empire has become one such danger, and is obsessed with...
Review Wargroove (Switch) - A Turn-Based Strategy Classic That Intelligent Systems Would Be Proud Of
Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war
Intelligent Systems has always been known for its strategy game IP, with Fire Emblem naturally being the most popular, but that esteemed series might never have made it West were it not for the more colourful and militaristic antics of the Advance Wars franchise. Unfortunately – despite its similarities to...
Review Pocket Rumble (Switch eShop)
Fun fighting action for all
In 1998, eight years after bringing authentic but expensive arcade thrills to the home with its Neo Geo AES, SNK entered the handheld market with the release of the Neo Geo Pocket. It was monochrome, but the Neo Geo Pocket Color quickly arrived the following year. Competing with the Game Boy line, the NGPC featured...
