[Review] Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: July 13, 2023
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Atelier has been around for over twenty five years, and even though it’s only felt like it’s really started to take off in the last five or so, it’s had a rich history with its slice-of-life RPG experience that is as cozy as it is adventurous and riveting. With the success of recent titles like Atelier Ryza and Atelier Sophie 2, the series has grown exponentially in both detail and scope. However, it’s the humble beginnings that really define how and why the franchise is so unique and special. Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg now brings the series’ debut title to the modern day in a gorgeous fashion, and does so in such a grandiose way that it’s a contender for being the best Atelier game in some time and on Switch.
[Review] Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: June 27, 2023
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED / Marvelous
Story of Seasons has had a series of ups and downs as the franchise has tried to find its footing in a genre it once had a monopoly on. It’s true that each new title has offered an exciting prospect of things to come within the series itself. It’s also always seemed to go against the idea of being a market leader once more in favor of keeping things traditional, but much that stubborn thinking may be to its detriment. This rears its head in the series’ new remake, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.
[Review] Loop8: Summer of Gods
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: June 6, 2023
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: Marvelous / XSEED
I’ve said in prior publications that the concept of time travel is a fascinating yet very sensitive one, as the topic tends to lend itself to narratives that ultimately have no idea how to go about ending a topic that can take myriad of forms and paths, leaving a story open-ended and potentially with too many plot holes because of a traditionally endless structure. Even with limitless routes comes limitations, however, Loop8: Summer of Gods, despite all its positives, is yet another victim of a time loop sci-fi snafu that has its heart in the right place, but any potential excellence in a different timeline.
More: highlight, marvelous, top, XSEED Games
[Review] Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: March 22, 2023
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Nintendo
With Bayonetta 3 having just released last October, it was unexpected, to say the least, when a new game in the form of Cereza and the Lost Demon was revealed so soon after. However, it was clear from the get-go that this wouldn’t be the typical experience fans have grown to know and love, and would instead delve into a more relaxed but still engaging tale of the character’s upbringing. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a game that is surprising in more ways than one but is a pleasant gift to longtime fans of the franchise that gives Bayonetta a different, charming perspective with a gorgeous art direction and not once overstays its welcome. In some cases, despite being a spinoff, it could arguably be the best title the series has seen to date, and it’s a perfect place to jump into for those that have been hesitant to get acquainted with the Umbran Witch.
[Review] Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 24, 2023
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
There’s no denying the staying power that the Atelier series has had since the 90s with its charismatic loveable characters and heartwarming stories and worlds. In 2019, however, the debut of Atelier Ryza brought a whole new wave of popularity and love for both the franchise and Ryza, and since then Koei Tecmo and Gust have capitalized on the success of the million seller with two new sequels that have seen just as much love and success. Now in 2023, Atelier Ryza becomes a trilogy with Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key with the biggest adventure yet, and it’s a grand spectacle that builds and refines on the formula once more for a seamless experience in feeling like an alchemist. Unfortunately, each time the game has been built on its successes and ambitions, it becomes a heavier load for the Switch to handle, and this time around the game is just too much of a technical powerhouse that Atelier – despite a perpetual bright future – seems like it may not be at home anymore on the hybrid system.
[Review] Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: March 9, 2023
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
In the realm of horror, the genre has numerous ways to latch onto the viewer, player, or reader in ways that most other genres wouldn’t. That sense of mystery that comes from being unable to discern what it is that haunts piques a level of curiosity that keeps the one consuming the media involved and captivated, and Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo does an incredible job of getting players in an engrossing story that never overstays its welcome and gets to-the-point in a matter of minutes. On Switch, especially the OLED, the game shines despite its dark colors and atmosphere, and Square Enix has done a tremendous job in creating a unique visual novel that can be up there with the genre’s greats.
[Review] Digimon World: Next Order
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 22, 2023
Developer: Hyde
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Six years into the Switch’s lifecycle, it’s still the go-to destination for ports and bringing older, potentially forgotten games into a more modern setting and for a wider audience. Digimon World: Next Order adds itself to that list, giving it another chance to shine following the positive reception to Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Digimon Survive. With the Digimon World brand having been around since 1999 in Japan, Next Order brings the 2017 title from PlayStation 4 and PS Vita to a Nintendo system. Though Digimon has always been a flexible property and taken on almost every genre under the sun, Digimon World stood by as a fond memory for decades for fans, but Next Order in 2017 didn’t necessarily point the series or the property in the right direction. Now in 2022, we’re meant to revisit a game that, while fun, is just too subpar at best to really warrant paying full price all over again.
More: Bandai Namco, Digimon, Digimon World
[Preview] DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Previews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Outright Games has a long history of creating games suitable for all ages that all derive from a beloved property. From Paw Patrol to Transformers, Fast & Furious to Zoids, and Trollhunters to the Dragons franchise of films, chances are the company’s name has worked with and been attached to a popular IP that even you, the reader, are a fan of. As a huge fan of superheroes and DC myself, it was an absolute privilege for Nintendo Everything to be invited to an early look at a new DC-focused game to add to the OG catalog – following up from DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace last summer – in the form of DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos.
[Review] Fire Emblem Engage
Posted on 1 year ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: January 20, 2023
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Fire Emblem Engage comes just three years after the success of Three Houses, and though this seems like a quick turnaround for a series that has been known for its richness and depth, the new game streamlines a lot of mechanics and capabilities to make it much more intuitive and approachable without having to sacrifice any of the quality the franchise has seen with each new entry. It’s certainly a different flavor, tone, and direction, so those new to the series – or even long-time fans – may feel an odd sense of having to “relearn” Fire Emblem this time around. However, it’s yet another fantastic addition to a series that seems immune to any type of mediocrity.
[Review] Bayonetta 3
Posted on 2 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Nintendo
The wait for Bayonetta 3 has been a long one as fans have been waiting since the reveal of its logo at The Game Awards in 2017. Though we’ve had the previous entries ported over to Switch to play, the latest addition to the series is finally here in what feels like a fever dream. Bayonetta has had long gaps in between each game, but each entry of gaming’s most powerful witch has been well worth the wait, with Bayonetta 3 being no different. The excellence in storytelling, gameplay, theatrics, and PlatinumGames’ signature hack-and-slash mastery improves with each, and while Bayonetta 3 is just under what Bayonetta 2 achieved in 2014, it’s still is a masterful title in a league of its own, held back only by the aging hardware it finds itself restricted to.
