Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

Ib is an unsettling, creepy, and incredible experience on Nintendo Switch. It has excellent music, great art, and an amazing narrative through its multiple endings. If you enjoy exploration, horror, and 2D adventure games, you need to play this.

Ib is not a game I would recommend to everyone since enjoying it requires the other party to have an affinity for not only the horror genre but also the pixel-like presentation. Ib’s strengths don’t transcend the bounds of who you’d expect to appreciate it, though, for those who do find themselves impacted, it will likely be an experience you’ll remember for as long as you’re able. The endearingly chilling setting, coupled with the compact well-written cast, creates something genuinely heartfelt that I’m thankful hasn’t been lost to time and has been made more accessible.

Ib does a lot with its limited set of characters and scope. If you enjoyed games like Corpse Party, Ib will fit right in with your tastes. Following its freeware launch back in 2012, it is great to see the game come to a console for the first time. 2023 has been a really amazing year for the Switch, but don’t let Ib slip past in that crowd. It is one of the best adventure games I’ve played in a while, and a joy to play on the go. Even given my general disinterest in horror, I had trouble putting it down until I finished it.

Ib is a truly unsettling horror game, with charming characters and sound design that will send shivers down your spine.

Overall Ib proves that it is considered a classic among its peers for a reason, and for the most part it still holds up today. It may still have the issue many of this type of game have, being that anything and everything can hurt or kill you even if it’s not entirely obvious that it will do that, but this is not only not as prevalent as other games I have experienced and is also made less impactful by the fact that you are constantly finding save points as you go. Between the atmosphere, soundtrack, artwork, and characters, if you enjoy creepy experiences Ib is definitely something you should check out. This adventure through art that may or may not have it out for you managed to still find a way to scare and stress me out over ten years after its original release, and honestly I just find that impressive.

Ib was already a must-have classic for fans of RPG Maker games. However, thanks to this new version for Nintendo Switch it becomes an even better title. The remastering of its graphics to high definition, its new content and the addition of more languages make it a much more accessible gem for the enjoyment of new players. If you enjoy short but scary adventures full of puzzles and charismatic characters, you better give Ib a chance as soon as possible.

Ib is a special little game that horror fans should definitely look into. Fans of adventure games might not find it as complex or amusing as the Monkey Island games, but it certainly has its charms. For anyone who has an image that pops up in their head whenever RPG Maker is mentioned, I’d urge them to take a look at Ib and see what’s possible when an independent developer decides to bend their tools to their whims like a mad artist expressing their delusions. Ib is a short and sweet experience that is well worth the time and money.

Ib Remake is a good entry in Nintendo Switch library: despite being short and not gameplay oriented, its narrative and setting make for a good experience in portable mode.

Ib is a surprising experience people should check out if they want a pixel-art title with an extremely creepy atmosphere. Ib makes you feel uncomfortable around every corner and builds tension whenever you go near any painting. The puzzles, the main “meat and potatoes” of Ib are also quite clever, even if a few of them lose the cleverness for a trial-and-error approach. That said, Ib is an extremely short game that feels like it was made for a specific audience. If you hear pixel-art, horror-like titles and are excited by the sound of Ib, you may enjoy Ib. If those words don’t immediately get you intrigued, then you might be best to look somewhere else for your next game.

While Ib is not as fully fleshed out as many of the other pixel horror games, it’s certainly a strong entry in the genre. Its creepy atmosphere, well-timed and executed jump scares, and a delightfully unique setting make for an engaging, addicting game. There’s a decent amount of replayability as well, with a post-game bonus dungeon, multiple endings, and the True Guertena Exhibit, where you can examine every piece of art you discovered while playing the game. It’s not a perfect game by any stretch; it’s a little too short for my tastes, and it’s not very clear how to select answers to questions posed by the others trapped in the museum with you to get different endings, and I felt it was perhaps a little too easy. Still, Ib is a delight if you’re looking for a couple of hours to get your horror on.