Nicolicious

I will say from the start, I did enjoy this game. But it doesn't take too long to realise how repetitive it is. And that's ok if you're all about the farming, collecting, cooking process . . . over and over and over again. But it does try to progress you through a story, and over time your dragon grows up. This is the hook, but it's not strong enough to outweigh the grinding away you feel at the last few chapters (80% of the way through) which induces cheating the game with acts like going to bed at 7 am just to force through the next event or chapter. That saying, it's a beautiful game, and the exploring is enjoyable. Discovering recipes, going on missions to find someone, making your way up the mountain etc are all things that keep you coming back and wanting more. It's just that it's a little too long to sustain the game format. If this is your type of game (and there are plenty of video reviews to show you if it is) then wait for a sale and get it. It's not bad. It's just long, repetitive and tedious.

While this game is reminiscent of A Short Hike, it is probably more like its poor cousin. Both on an island. Both birds (although here you don't get to fly). Both involve roaming around and collecting things so as to give you more power/skills whilst learning about your environment. But while ASH is constantly lifting you higher and inspiring you to the top (figuratively and literally), Haven Park is more of a meander. There is a goal but it is not as satisfying when you reach it. Sadly, the controls are not quite as good, and I don't know why you wouldn't enable camera on the right stick since it's pretty much a standard on most games, so your exploration is a little challenging and mono-dimensional at times. But even though they're a little clumsy, and the game is a little rusty compared to ASH, it is still a lovely, pretty, and fun game to work through. A satisfying set of quests, as well as the main one (restore the holiday park) will keep you entertained for quite a while. It is easy to pick up and drop and not taxing on your brain cells too much. And much like ASH, that cathartic quality is one of its strong points. This is a place to go to chill, have a little fun, and explore. Just like a real holiday.

This is a beautiful game with an interesting, no story dialogue, gameplay. The Nordic setting and mythology sit beautifully with the game, as does the music. Somewhat challenging to play, it is really a combination of puzzle-solving and wilderness wondering. Pre-set & far apart, save points are a bit annoying if you want to pick up and drop the game during the day as you'll be pulled back to the last save. That aside, it's still a fun, fascinating and enjoyable game to play.

Oh, I remember hours of fun trying to spell out words like 'boobs' on this game (HINT: 58008). The challenge from creating simple addition/subtraction equations that would result in that magic number you wanted was palpable. And the joy that comes from the moment you turn your calculator screen upside down and discover you managed to spell the words 'shell oil' beats any Boss action fight in today's games. Frankly, I'm surprised it took so long for this great retro game to hit the switch!

There is no doubt that the patch added has had a tremendous impact on both handheld and docked gameplay. This is a wonderful experience of exploring a smallish world (technically and island) full of puzzles to complete. The music/sound is relaxing and really sets to the tone as a calm, peaceful experience. Some of the puzzles can actually be quite challenging, especially as there is no guidance in this game. You'll need to work out everything yourself. It is, however, enjoyable and rewarding and well worth it. If you pulled out the reviews that were made pre-patch, you would see a score closer to 7.

At face value this is a beautiful farming game with a bit of an alien/space flavour. The music is lovely, the characters are too. The pocket planet idea is innovative and quite fun with a challenging perspective that takes a little to get used to, but for me, a refreshing approach. As farming, building and collecting go within the game, it's probably a little repetitive and lacking dynamic challenge. If you look at this game as a meditative experience, then it might make a little more sense, but if you're looking for fun building and growing and changing, then this game can be a little tedious. There are NPCs that visit to give you jobs to do, and periodically meteorites hit the planet (this can be good) or alien monsters that you will need to hunt down and kill. On this front, the fighting mechanics are very average. And I soon realised, this is not about getting a thrill from defeating an enemy, or the fun of innovative fighting and weapon use. No, it is merely another way for you to collect items you'll need within the game. This seems like a bit of a lost opportunity for varying the tone for the game. That challenges need not just be plugging away at the ‘A’ key collecting something, but that it can be something that requires skill or thought to defeat. There is an overall feel of simplicity that is reminiscent of it’s mobile OS roots. But that aside, it is still a nice game to play that many will enjoy because of it’s chilled, relaxed approach.

At face value, this game can be quite frustrating. The seemingly endless deaths after relatively short escape attempts bely the cleverness of this game. And because of this, many may well give up early and decry this game as rubbish. But it's not. Here's a hint. Every time you restart, talk to the NPCs. They all have tips & tricks to share to help guide you. In doing so, you will soon learn that this isn't a pointless game. Each run means you're getting stronger. And as you get stronger, you learn more about this world, reach furher into the world and discover more about the all the wonderful characters and stories. Playing and controls are relatively easy to learn and perfect and the nature of starting an escape attempt and pushing as far as you can until you die, makes it easier to pick up and put down this game. So if you're after bite sized gaming. This game will work for you. In so saying, as you progress it becomes more and more addictive. So don't be surprised if you lose hours in it at a time.

The developers really should not have released this game yet. It has all the promise of being a great 'witcher, /elders scrolls or breath of the wild. On the other platforms, it was even better. But not for Switch. To me, it seems like a lazy port riddled with technical issues. I had stuttering, bad image rendering, freezing in the middle of battles and even an issue when my camera would spin and drag me back to my starting point. And what is with the 30 sec load times pretty much every step of the way. The visuals and story seem like they could be great, but after arguing and fighting with my console, I'm ready to delete the game altogether and give it a miss. Ports can always be a challenge for developers, but you know the switch as a number or really good ports that prove that it can be done. So shame on you developers.

This is a wonderful experience and a rewarding game to play. The visuals and sound of this serene, explorer, puzzle solver are sublime and add to the whole experience. The narrator's voice is magic, with a young, naive girl's tone full of wonder that accompanies you on your journey. My only complaint is that I did not quite feel I understand what had gone on by the time I reached the end. But that says more about me than the game. The puzzles are satisfyingly challenging without being too hard. The controls are simple and make sense. The journey is partially linear (you move from campfire to campfire) partially exploratory (free to move around in each of the lands to find lost souls). Probably about 10 hours of gameplay.