[Review] Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Posted on 6 years ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 30, 2019
Developer: Square Enix / Virtuos
Publisher: Square Enix
If you’ve ever watched the Star Wars prequel trilogy and thought “Man, this would be so much better if it were a Japanese role playing game,” then Final Fantasy XII is the game for you. With its fusion of medieval and sci-fi ideas in its setting and its heavy political overtones, it easily draws plenty of comparisons to George Lucas’s iconic space operas – it even comes complete with an evil Senate-led Empire and a plucky young orphan destined to take it down. Also like the prequel trilogy, Final Fantasy XII has been a point of contention for its series’ fans ever since its first release on the PS2 in 2006. Its unconventional real-time combat was a far cry from the classic turn-based battles that had defined the franchise up to that point, and the entire core structure of its politically charged storytelling and combat management felt like a dramatic change from traditional Final Fantasy experiences.
[Review] Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package
Posted on 6 years ago by Jakob Vujovic(@jakovujo) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 10, 2019
Developer: Volition / Deep Silver
Publisher: Deep Silver
There are certain genres that Nintendo consoles have historically missed out on. During the Wii generation, the Call of Duty style shooter was sorely missed – if not for an actual lack of ports (and well-forgotten games like The Conduit), then at least for the Wii’s inability to impressively render HD set piece spectacles. Open world games in the vein of Grand Theft Auto found similar enough success to spawn countless formulaic imitations, but the open world genre saw almost no representation on the Wii, and a handful of really bad ports on the Wii U. Perhaps the Wii’s greatest legacy was the perception that Nintendo consoles are bound to miss out on those “hardcore” blockbuster experiences.
[Review] Duck Game
Posted on 6 years ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: May 2, 2019
Developer: Landon Podbielski
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Duck Game has definitely taken its time finding its nest on Switch. First developed as an Ouya exclusive all the way back in 2014, it’s seen numerous upgrades and re-releases over the years, including the announcement of a version for Nintendo’s hybrid console in 2017. After a two years’ incubation, this chaotic brawler has finally hatched onto the Switch. But after all this time, is Duck Game still all it’s quacked up to be?
More: Adult Swim Games, Duck ame, highlight, top
[Review] Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster
Posted on 6 years 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 6 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@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 6 years 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 6 years 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 6 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@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.
More: Cuphead, highlight, Studio MDHR, top
[Review] Katana Zero
Posted on 6 years 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.
More: Askiisoft, Devolver Digital, highlight, Katana Zero, top
[Review] Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
Posted on 6 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@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.
