[Review] Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster
Posted on 1 month ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 23, 2019
Developer: Square Enix / Virtuos
Publisher: Square Enix
It’s just another ordinary day: Hell has frozen over, pigs are soaring across the skies, and you’re playing Final Fantasy X on a Nintendo console. What was once thought impossible has become a delightful role playing reality. The series infamous for its break with Nintendo has come back home with plenty of classic games in tow, and this remarkable trend continues with the release of Final Fantasy X and its direct sequel on Switch. So many years after these games defined a generation of RPGs, they continue to hold up in fine form on Nintendo’s newest system, retaining every bit of their strategic and storytelling brilliance with a few modern enhancements thrown in to sweeten the deal.
[Review] Cytus Alpha
Posted on 1 month ago by Dennis(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 25, 2019
Developer: Rayark
Publisher: Flyhigh Works
Music has always been essential in games since the beginning of time, spanning from chiptune to various forms of electronic based music with MIDIs, synths, and beyond, to the more contemporary live orchestrations. It’s no shock then that rhythm games – where the core focus is music itself – would gain popularity and only continue to grow thanks to the likes of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. Recent hits help remind us about what makes the rhythm genre so great, not only giving us tons of great songs to play through, but introducing clever and inventive ways to play. That trend continues on Switch with Cytus Alpha – a re-imagining of one of mobile’s most enjoyable and highest grossing games.
More: Acttil, Cytus Alpha, Flyhigh Works, highlight, PM Studios, Rayark, top
[Review] SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
Posted on 2 months ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: April 25, 2019
Developer: Image & Form
Publisher: Thunderful
The SteamWorld franchise has to be one of the most ambitious and varied IPs in indie gaming today. Since its inception on DSiWare in 2010, the series has stretched from Metroidvania platformers to tower defense games to real-time strategy, and with SteamWorld Quest, the latest entry on Switch, they’ve made the natural progression to the card-based RPG genre. But of course, we have to wonder: does Image & Form have another ace up its sleeve with SteamWorld Quest? Let’s shuffle our deck and see what hand the game has dealt us.
[Review] Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Posted on 2 months ago by Edan(@@Virtualboi92) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 23, 2019
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Imagine waking up, going down to your kitchen and seeing every utensil you own now suddenly has a different color and function. Your whisk? Slice your bread with it. Potato peeler? No, pizza cutter. That’s Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen, a game that somehow manages to feel totally familiar and utterly unrecognizable all at the exact same time. There are flashes of familiarity to its design – Dark Souls, Skyrim, Monster Hunter and many others – but they all manage to exist as just that, flashes. Underneath the welcoming facade of these similarities there’s a game that will stick in your memory for the foreseeable future, for better and (sometimes) for worse. Originally released in 2012 for the PS3 and 360, Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen was Capcom’s offering to the action RPG pantheon. Now, in 2019, it has made the jump to the Switch in a move almost as peculiar as the game itself – and remarkably, it works.
More: Capcom, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, highlight, top
[Review] Cuphead
Posted on 2 months ago by Dennis(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 18, 2019
Developer: Studio MDHR
Publisher: Studio MDHR
Back in 2014, the world was first introduced to a peculiar game known as Cuphead that had an aesthetic thought to be long forgotten, but presented itself with such panache that it was as compelling as it was unique and eye-catching. Its 1930s art direction oddly made you excited to watch the next episode to a show that didn’t exist, and the game was able to hit the right notes with so many people from so many generations. Now Cuphead has been given a chance to shine once again thanks to its new release on Switch.
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[Review] Katana Zero
Posted on 2 months ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews | 0 comments
System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: April 18, 2019
Developer: Askiisoft
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Maybe Katana Zero didn’t immediately stand out to you on the eShop. Perhaps it’s because it’s seemingly just one more pixelated indie game, or because you’ve already preloaded a certain other stylish indie action game releasing on April 18. Or maybe it’s because you’re like me, and expected Katana Zero to be yet another pretty, but ultimately forgettable indie experience. And you know what, these are all reasonable expectations to have.
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[Review] Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
Posted on 2 months ago by Dennis(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 9, 2019
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Very few properties can say they have a long running series that have delivered such a wide array of genres for decades much like Dragon Ball has. Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus spans countless generations throughout a multitude of mediums, each with their own twist and flavor to appeal to just about anyone out there with an interest in Dragon Ball. From fighting games, to RPGs, to strategy games and beyond, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission now builds upon that roster of titles by introducing Japan’s number one digital card game for years to the western market at last and makes it accessible at the comfort of your own home and on the go.
[Review] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Posted on 2 months ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 9, 2019
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
It’s not often that a game can make a debate over the date on a receipt into a matter of life and death, but that’s exactly the kind of storytelling that characterizes the Ace Attorney franchise. Making their first appearance in court all the way back in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance in Japan, the series of visual novel adventure games has made a name for itself for its iconic lines, twisting narratives, and memorable characters. Capcom has now seen fit to bundle the first three entries into the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, marking the franchise’s debut on HD home consoles with a small handful of modern changes. Of course, this begs the question: so many years after their initial releases, can the original Ace Attorney games still make a convincing case for themselves? Let’s commence our investigation and find out.
[Review] Yoshi’s Crafted World
Posted on 2 months ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 29, 2019
Developer: Good Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Few games have put a smile on my face as much as Yoshi’s Crafted World. From its gorgeously “crafted” graphics to its adorable, friendly characters, the game is a distillation of simple joy. Even though it doesn’t do very much that’s completely new or innovative, it excels at providing an excellently-presented game that’s bursting at the seams with gameplay that anyone can enjoy.
More: Good Feel, highlight, top, Yoshi's Crafted World
[Review] Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World
Posted on 2 months ago by Dennis(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 26, 2019
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists celebrates twenty years of the prolific RPG series bringing together protagonists for every Atelier title up until Lydie & Suelle for a crossover event that sees them coming together to help Nelke expand a new town and helping them thrive once again. It’s really great to be able to see all of these fantastic characters over two decades join up and utilize all of their special skills in alchemy and craftsmanship – as well as monster slaying – as they simultaneously get to know each other and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses while figuring out the best way to go about goods distribution and town replenishment. This is something we’ve seen in plenty of Atelier titles before as we go from city to city meeting new characters and friends along the way while having an overall goal to help those around you. Altruism has always been a big charm with it, and Nelke is no different. However, this is mostly where the similarities end as the game itself has been turned on its head and goes from an RPG the series is known for, to a banal menu management experience where you’ll ultimately just watch plants grow in between massive visual novel-like segments. Everything introduced in Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists is stuff we’ve seen millions of times in the mobile gaming spectrum, and it doesn’t do it any favors here. Even as a spinoff title it doesn’t warrant paying a premium for something that only resembles Atelier by name and art.
