Simoss13

Stella Glow has several RPG clichés wrapped up in quite a neat package. The tropes of anime-style characters, having amnesia but destined to save the world are apparent but they are with memorable characters in a distinct setting.Although nothing special, I found the graphics to be fine although have different art styles within the game.With some RPG's they seemed to fall a victim to traditional roots which can be annoying with modern gaming demands. These being:- The game took about 45 hours. in that time there were cut scenes that were too long to get their point across. Spending 30mins reading text instead of playing a game I find tiresome- There is grinding in this game to get to the right level or unlocks. Being quite a full game of content, the grinding aspect feels like unnecessary padding- Difficulty spikes do occur and can cause several attempts in key areas- Being a SRPG, the game starts slow in each battle, taking around 3 turns to engage in combat feeling like a wasted opportunity when playing.- At end game it was really annoying how bosses self heal making the fight harder/longer for no reasonI liked the game but the flaws can't be overlooked. I know this game is pricy and cannot justify it's current price.

Epic Mickey 2 is a very average game. To begin with the story I found it to be so bland and wasn't invested throughout my playthrough. Maybe because you may need knowledge from the first game to get the lore and therefore alienated me from the plot and therefore the game itself. The paintbrush concept seems unique, however, it is not fully used for creative gameplay. I do like the idea of a buddy system, this would be more engaging playing in 2 player. But me playing alone on a weeknight I found the AI was serviceable but slow to perform the task without a way to direct them. While playing I did find the music to be such a let down. Coming from Disney my expectations was far from met. The biggest offence is the gameplay and level design. Both of these (along with the story) was what drags the game down. Perfectly playable but not engaging. Perhaps this game is designed for just young kids, but other games (like Kirby) have so much more to offer. There is a lot of creative concepts but unfortunately seem to be executed quite poorly to make a memorable experience. The game takes about 9 hours to finish but feels longer as feeling like a grind at times.

Sly 3 took inspiration from Sly 2 to expand the game in many ways while learning to improve on it's short comings. The Sly series is a stealth platformer where you perform jobs in various zones. I like to think of it as Mario 64 mixed with GTA5 heists, but for kids. At first, I felt this was the best game of the trilogy as it retains the charm through art style and music. The game did some great improvements including: - Making each world seem larger giving more freedom to roam - Some control features added to give a quality of life improvement - Graphics seem to be improved - Bentley feels far more useful in the game with his gadgets - The story had more depth which engaged me more - More playable characters than the Cooper gang - The mini games in jobs are the most interactive and enjoyable from any Sly Cooper game thus far. The common collectable (bottles) has been removed from this game, which is not a major problem, but gave less incentive to explore the now reduced 6 zones. This was my fav Sly game until I realised that there was too many minigames. The minigames were great for variety, but the end result of such quantity is it took away from the core gameplay of platforming. Lacking platforming, diverted from making each zone recognisable. This is the main reason for dropping the game down a peg. The game took me about 13 hours for the story. There is a challenge mode and can add about 2 or 3 hours extra

3D Dot Game Heroes takes it inspiration on it sleeve from classic top-down Zelda games. The main difference between Zelda has to be the swords that you will need to acquire and upgrade. This gives a light RPG element with also gaining health. There is lots to love in this well polished title from the unique art style, overworld design with its secrets as well as the characters you meet along the way. The story is a little weak but does not lessen the experience in the game (like noone loves Mario games for their story). Although a great title to play and easy to mistake it for a first party Nintendo game, there are a few small items combined that make fall short: - The bosses seem to have a little too much health for my liking - The over world is well designed but seems much larger than the classic Zelda titles. A fast travel point in front of the dudgeons would be nice as trekking can be annoying when you run out of supplies and need to restock to continue in a dudgeon. - The dudgeons are well made but limited to a room of one screen and can feel repetitive and not as creative as a more modern Zelda games. The game has 7 dudgeons and took around 18 hours to finish with exploration which is a perfect length.

**** Dimensions has so much potential with such a great concept. You play as 4 different Spider-Men all containing some gameplay variety. The story was minimal overall. I would of liked a stronger story to make me feel more invested in the game as the finale for the story did tie up well but had paper thin material to work off. The levels are linear and I did find for each Spider-Man to have very similar look and feel (except for Amazing Spider-Man) making the game feel repetitive. There was different objectives within the large levels but with a weak storyline it feels more like a checklist then anything else. The bosses in the game were great, they all had a unique mechanics, different phases along with being well balanced to figure out their attack patterns. But no enemy is as strong as the crazy camera. You seem to wrestle with the camera in some parts of the game, especially in climbing walls. There is alot to say, while doing 18 level but in short the game was very average as it seems to be lacking immersion. The game on normal took me about 12 hours to beat as I was looking for collectable for upgrades. Given the price of this game I would recommend getting the Batman games as they are better and cheaper.

Tandem is a 2D puzzler platformer holding a dark atmosphere for its journey. The presentation of the game is nice and adjusting the settings, my PC can play it without major hiccups. How the game differs from other puzzle platformers is you play as two characters. With the ability to change characters you change perspectives from a top-down to side scroller to work together to solve the level puzzle. You will need to change in order to progress each character and reach the goal. There are about 5 world with 45 levels in total. Each level can take on average 10 mins to finish, with the later levels taking longer and a real head scratcher. Although the game differs from the genre with a shadow mechanic, I did find the game repetitive. When finishing a level, there is no major satisfaction upon progressing. Having no collectables to obtain, no real story to push you forward, or no reward like costume or high score to achieve. Due to this, the game overall feel shallow outside the levels and mechanics it offers therefore obtaining no replay value.

A Crack in Time follows on from the first R&C Future Game Tools of Destruction story having gameplay elements that evolves the franchise. You may want to read up on Quest for Booty to fill in a plot hole between the two major games. The first major change is the space piloting. It is done in an open world setting where you can land on mini planets to complete challenges rewarding you upgrades. This was a huge upgrade from ToD even making the spaceship more manageable. This is a good idea as it makes the whole R&C playable areas far more interactive. The main 'gimmick weapons' to traverse the stages have changed showing real innovation of the franchise. However, there was less focus on platforming and removed gliding, but added hover boots to increase mobility and speed in the larger levels. There are slightly fewer levels but they larger giving more depth to each world. The levels using Clank have been greatly expanded upon with more engaging puzzles which was a nice welcome. The graphics took a small yet noticeable upgrade once again which felt like playing a low budget Pixar short film in the 2000's. I really enjoyed the game but slightly prefer ToD. It could be the charm but also likely due to upgrade system in weapons and weapon variety as A Crack in Time I felt the weapons, although diverse, were limited in how practical they can be. Both are amazing games and worth 20 hours of your time.

Psychonauts takes the 3D platforming genre and puts an innovating twist. You play as Raz, training to take psychic powers and explore peoples minds in a summer camp setting. Due to a turn of events you have to rescue other trainees. The story is simple yet delivered nicely. The stages are mostly linear but are so distinct that you will wonder how they came up with such creativity. Raz's move set is somewhat limited, however, over time you gain special abilities that gives variety as much as the level design. The bosses are great. Forcing you to think of what abilities to use and gives a challenge other than mashing the attack button. But in saying all that, the games does come with some flaws: - The map or objectives of the game seems a little ambiguous on what to do leading to some slight frustration - Some key components to obtain is not overly clear and needed to look up. You can blame me but feel it was more upon the game design - Speaking game design, it does feel messy overall (even the parts I understood on what to do). Not game breaking but doing a playthrough it felt some parts were disjointed Overall I really enjoyed the game with its biggest strength being the lore created and level designs to suit. Taking around 12 hours to beat, you will never feel anything overstays it's welcome.

Firewatch is a visual novel style game in which took a creative perspective as most of the game is voiced acted over a radio to a faceless female boss. You start by making life choices, weather you have kids or you move house etc that will lead you taking serenity on a fire tower over the summer looking for early signs of a bush fire. This is done by first person perspective where you trail the forest for suspicious behaviour though the summer. I loved the idea of a personal story as you choose your options. Although engaged me though the full 4 hour journey there were a few issues; The art style they chose was fine and I like low poly textures, it just seems graphically blank walking to point A to point B The game is very linear, being in a forest, I would of expected certain areas to be more open to explore and discover. Henry (your character) seems to walk a little too show. You can run but keeps turning off. Although you can choose dialogue options though having great remarks, this had little impact for the end game. If they have alternative endings from the choices in the story, the replay value would be great. Overall the biggest issue is the gameplay itself I found to be dull at times as all you mostly do is walk to different parts of the forest. If you want a personal compelling story by all means give it a go but do not feel excited (or even entertained) by the gameplay

I am not overly into metroidvanias but found this one to be well made. The game also has platforming elements akin to Mario 2d games. I enjoyed the art style as well as the music as it captivates a Mexican theme. Most importantly, the level design is fantastic, which is crucial for such a game. The controls are tight and majority of deaths felt is was at fault of my own. Great enemy variety which escalates in difficulty as the game progresses. There are moments at the end game with so many enemies you will get stunned locked which is unfair. I did find some platforming rooms to be tedious but there is a sense of accomplishment in figuring it out and beating the room. The final two bosses were difficult as they move quickly and have an attack range far greater then yours. Although I can admire the mechanics implemented to test the player on their skill sets. Overall it took e 8.5hours for the game with some extra side quests done and recommended for people whom are up for the challenge.

After many years I tried Black Flag as I was interested in the pirate theme. Luckily I was impressed. Coming into the franchise fresh I feel I'm missing some key points in the story that would of been through the games library arc but the main story of Edward was easy to understand and surprisingly interesting. I liked the open world nature of the game. Being so vast at the time would of been novel as only few games achieved this on 7th Gen hardware. The graphics are beautiful, except for the characters face, still hold up today. There are some minor frame drops, it's as bad as other titles with less impressive graphics. Music is fitting. My favourite is being on your ship sailing in the seas hearing your crew sing shanties, really builds the mood of pirate theme. I just find blending assassins/templars with pirates in the Caribbean a little jarring. The upgrade system is fair. However, I did find I had to do some grinding for the resources needed at times. The game is worth your time clocking about 45hours on the main story and extras. There is some critiques I have though: - The platforming can be janky causing some frustration. I did die a few times where the character was climbing instead of running (or vice versa) - The open world is refreshing, I didn't feel the world was exactly "alive" compared to games like GTA. So travelling to islands seem like "copy-paste" and takes some immersion away - Post the 3/4 mark, the games missions tends to repeat themselves too often

Sly 2 is a step up from the last game being a (mostly) stealth 3d platformer. They took what was iconic and created detailed open zones that feels like a perfect fit for the genre. There is plenty to love in this game; the small zones that are dense and plenty to do and explore (the complete opposite in todays gaming world),quirky characters and interactions, and the various gameplay which includes the mini games. The theme and setting for Sly Cooper is iconic and leans more into it I enjoy that you can play as all 3 members in this game, all having unique moves, abilities and ways to setup the heist. For instance Murry can take on 5 enemies no problem while Sly is fantastic in traversing the stage. Sly 2 is not perfect as a few issues I found is: - World 3, is not good. The missions and level design is sub par. Thankfully it was only one world I had issues with. - Although an improvement, the story is fine but is lacking punch and the heists seems too lack sense upon what you are achieving and can hinder motivation. - When going though the zones the game loop barely changes and makes the game repetitive towards the end. The zone areas are similar size and the enemies are the same just a different appearance. - The games difficulty stays constant after the third zone so lacks the feeling of progression for the player The game took about 17 hours to beat and was so rich in content. I played it on PS3 but if you are building a PS3 library, this game is one of the greats to have. Now to wish for a PS5 remake

Crosscode is pixel art RPG that gets a lot of things right with some major caveats. Firstly, I loved the story. The characters and twists made is so compelling. With the story being something very personal and a life experience instead of 'saving the world' cliché, I really wanted to know more. And Emilie is simply the best character The pixel art and animations is amazing also. I think its more of a 32bit style having such detail and expressions. I appreciate that they removed the major grindy issues of this game as some "MMORPG's" tend to have The combat is engaging. There is a some button mashing enemies but you have to plan and find weak points in attacks. However there was some major downfalls on this game for me: - The dudgeons. They should be a high point but they were just so long. With some puzzles requiring perfect timing and with so many rooms, it just broke me as it because such a chore. - The balancing between zones. For instance, in the first zone you fight enemies at level 11 and could be level 12 by the time to move on. But find the enemies in the next zone to be level 16, why the 5 level gap between zones? - I know you can adjust the difficulty in the game at any moment, as I found the game very difficult but the precision needed to shoot key areas to progress is too tight and became very frustrating. - Being a top-down game and lack of depth perception I wonder if the platforming had to be such a regular occurrence due to the amount of falls - Unlike MMO's the opportunity to find great loot is so sparse and you will end up buying gear from vendors. Anyone that play MMO's know that is not what you want to do. It took me 45 hours to get though but feel it could of been a 30 hour experience and suited me better. It's a great game and expected something different then what I got. Recommended for the gaming enthusiasts out there that love huge dudgeons and a challenge.

Elli is a 3d platformer and puzzle game where you traverse through environments in order to collect crystals. To start with story. I found it unoriginal and frankly, poorly executed. The characters I felt little towards so therefore didn't overly care despite the lack of originality. The game is mostly puzzle solving and some platforming elements. For what they do it is done well. I like the gradual complexity of puzzles and mechanics you need to use to progress. Nearly everything made sense when you think about it. Some might find it too easy but it's not simple. The platforming, Elli feels fine to control and the jump is pretty good. The issue raises where there is some tight platforming and with a fixed camera it may cause falls. The good news is the checkpoints are very well placed to accommodate for this. The game is very linear in progression with no backtracking, so the levels or puzzles wont combine to a large overarching world and hence hinders the story in some way. There is no combat nor enemies, making the game feels empty. With combat and a more open interconnected world this could be amazing! The game is quite relaxing in which I need right now. Having music to keep ambience is fine but don't expect to remember it once you log off. The art style I am into and graphics are... OK but I found the Switch has minor issues in playing the game. For what the game offers is really good if you want platforming and puzzling, but I cannot help but feel if they added a few elements to make this game more complete.

Enslaved is a game that wears many influences on it's sleeve, even on games that have not yet come out when this was released. One of the best features of the game were the story which forces you to save a girl whom cannot survive alone in the harsh post-apocalyptic world and escort her home in which you build a bond over time - not too far of 'The Last of Us'. Not the most complex story, but I enjoyed the execution. The graphics of the game is quite stunning on the console where it displays colours and vistas rarely seen at the time. However, to deliver such a pretty game it came at the cost of screen tearing, stutters and big frame drops which is quite distracting (you are lucky to get 30fps). I enjoyed the enemies and using different tactics for each enemy type. My biggest gripe has to be that the game platforming and combat seems.. clunky and limited. For instance, you cannot jump off one ledge due to not being the way but the same looking ledge can be jumped off. The game holds your hand too much with glowing platforms as well as telling you what to do next without giving yo a chance to think it though. The main story took about 9 hours to beat. But outside the colourful graphics, there is nothing unique or outstanding to replay this game.

Adventure pals is an action side scrolling adventure game with RPG elements leading to a unexpected surprise. The RPG elements being that you level up you character while having a wacky and interesting story to be told. As you level up, you can customise you upgrades. When you traverse each world with a Giraffe and a Rock, you meet some interesting characters that mostly guide you to the next level to collect a story's main item. An example is a farmer wants you to find his wife in a level. When you meet his wife, you will know the wacky nature of the story. The story doesn't end there. You also have a huge overarching story of saving your dad becoming a hotdog. The game is simple having a low to moderate difficulty and contains collectables. Depending on the collectable it can give you new costumes or stickers to add to your book. Each level took on average between 15-20mins (levels get larger as you progress). After a while, I saw each level as an episode from a kids cartoon. From there, I can see the genius of what they were going for; story, adventure, collect, resolution with a nemeses cursing you. You can even see each world as a season to the show. The game has 5 worlds and each world will introduce a new mechanics keeping it fresh and enriched. Enemies are diverse and just as silly as the rest of the game. The lore and the graphics are well suited to the game. Some minor issues I encountered are: - Some performance issues, such as the last area had some stutters, nothing major but was jarring - The level design branches off to different directions and choosing the wrong path to get a collectable, can result in back tracking which is annoying. - The final collectables were annoying to find and unsure what I was missing. - The game feels unfinished as some of the artwork in the conclusion of the game seems rough Being a quarter of the price of a Mario game, it took me about 11 hours to finish, which includes exploring and mucking around which is encouraged. I 100%'ed the game and recommend for kids 5-11 for sure

This game takes a unique twist to the kart racing genre. There's a lot to like here. Being the only solid contender to Mario Kart I cannot help but make some comparisons (to MK8). The announcer has a very arcade type voice and brings me back to 90's arcade machines. The track and vehicles change through the race. Lap 1 you are a car and lap 2 you could be a plane. This gives excitement to the game and I haven't seen used in this way before. The tracks are longer then MK - about twice as long. I personally like this as you change vehicles during mid-race you can be entertained with the extended track length. There are less item variety. Items will appear no matter where you rank in the race. You can get bad items being at the back and good items when coming first. It is all according to change not position. The rubber banding is kinda mild (especially compared to MK8). So the game has more of a skill focus. If you prefer this or not, it is up to you. Career mode gives you a change to earn new characters to race in. The customisation is limited and not cosmetic but that never bothered me as if I want a better handling vehicle, just pick another character. The game is more difficult then MK for sure. I found I mostly did "B Class" to get though and I did struggle. Some courses I have to go on Easy as I had a hard time controlling the vehicles in Drift challenges. The options of race types is creative but the battle mode challenges are nowhere near as good as MK8. It feels very random upon winning due to being in a race track and not an arena. The load times are quite long and can take away from the excitement when you are waiting. I had fun with the game but the vehicle controls are not as tight as MK and having challenges that are higher difficulty takes the casual fun away from the game but if you want a more challenging fun kart racer, you cannot go wrong with this one.

Ni No Kuni 2 has alot to offer, but having alot doesn't mean it is all done well or needs to be included. The game looks amazing (even for a switch port), I love the cell shaded graphics my favourite area was the forest. The issue (which is well known) is performance. There are two areas, the open world and the close encounters. The open world takes a more chibi design is sluggish with a low framerate and minor stutters. The close encounters that is cell shaded does run better. The game has three main gameplay loops, the quests, the skirmishes and the town building. Doing the main story quest is perfectly fine and the story I find very average. The game starts strong with the voice acting but seems to wane off throughout the game. This leads to me the audio. The music is suited to the game. I would prefer some more voice acting as well as when there was voice acting it was poorly balanced. The voice acting is hard to hear as t is too soft and droned out by the background music, even when audio for voice is set to max. My biggest problem with the game is the grinding and side quests. The game does not provide enough xp to move the story more smoothly. As you move to the next zone you will realise you are at least 5 levels too low and you may have to do a 20 side quests to move forward. These side quests are very repetitive being 'collect this item' or 'defeat this monster'. You are forced to do these as you will not have enough experience to move the main story and build your kingdom. If they made the game more focused, half of the side quests and had the city building with fewer buildings to balance the residents joining ,this could be a more pleasurable experience. Sure the game would be about 15 hours shorter but it would feel less grindy. The skirmishes are a fun mini game. There is a minor learning curve and depth. I got into it but it is not necessary. Overall this game is fine but in no means a must own. I put a little over 60 hours into it and would be happier if it was 40-45 hours.

First time playing Ratchet & Clank and haven't had so much fun on a PS console in years. You can tell this is a Sony experience due to the cinematics and quirky humour. Being the first R&C game, I found the story and lore to be very interesting, kinda has a Star Wars theme but with TMNT vibe and attitude. The level design is fantastic, with varied worlds and mechanics to be used. With the mechanics, the various guns, platforming and devices, there is always something new. With so many weapons to use, you choose how to play and beat a section. There is some space combat (although not my fav) which gives variety and adds to the story. The graphics are not the best the console can offer, it had great art style making it unique for the time. The issues I had is having random audio stutters on the cut scenes. There was also one time the audio was 2 seconds behind the visuals which is jarring. The final nail was a bug with crates floating when hitting the ones underneath. If you stand below the floating crate you will clip through the game and die. This happened to me twice. Besides the issues listed above, this would be a 10/10. My 11yo son loves it and being a kid at heart I can see why.

Playing it for the first time and realised the game is very... meh. It's not awful, but nothing is gripping. The combat is a little clunky but solid, has some good weight behind the attacks which is a great core concept. The selection of heroes is great and enjoyed the individual abilities. Swapping heros keeps the fighting fresh. I didn't like the progression system. It seemed a little vague and basic at the same time. Odd to explain. The main reason for my criticism is the presentation. How the story presents is lack luster. The graphics and music is bland, hope you like grey and very linear paths. The game gets too repetitive and starts to be a chore. Sure, the super abilities are awesome, but can get stale over time.

I played the game a few months ago as the demo seemed interesting. But playing the game I have found it very repetitive even though the game is short. The same music, same cars, same NPC's and same objective in each level. The main difference is the level design. In which, at times, will have a gimmick, like springs or launch pads. Despite my grips, it is not all bad. The ragdoll physics suits this game. I don't like ragdoll physics but here it works. The game is too repetitive, but the bonus stages breaks up the cycle. Each bonus stage is unique from each other. I wanted more creative ideas for this game but it does not deliver. It is a fun time in couch co-op but can be annoying in later levels. The game is only 3 hours long so I personally much prefer Overcooked for couch co-op

I have played LM3 a couple of years ago then moved into LM2. I feel this entry was weaker of the two games. On a positive note, I am impressed with the graphics delivered on the 3DS. The animations is great and the detail is great. I like how every room has a little bonus to find in a variety of ways. I also really enjoyed there is a variety of mansions each as diverse as the other. Boss battles are varied and interesting The main objection that makes it the weakest LM game is the gameplay structure. Prof. E Gadd seems to call you too often which is quite annoying. The mission structure takes away the immersion as you can constantly pulled out when you explore. Sure the mission structure helps in the plot but sadly the constant interruption from E Gadd as well as being taken out of the stage/mansion can be annoying as you want to continue. I found the music is good but there is a very limited number of tracks repeatedly played. I enjoyed the mechanics, the controls are tight and the game never overstayed it's welcome taking about 15 hours to finish. I recommend for a different take on the formula of LM1 and 3 even though it is not the strongest entry.

Riverbond is a dudgeon crawler isometric adventure. It's a fun game with some glaring issues that is hard to ignore. Pros: - Graphics. Well use of lighting with a voxel art design. - The game is fun to play choosing a vast variety of weapons and outfits - The level design is pretty good with destructible environments and variety of biomes - 2 player couch co-op which is very fun to play with kids Cons: - The music is fine but is the same track for all worlds - The objectives are not overly different from one another. May have a slight story impact, but I have up hunting the plot after the 2rd world - The bosses have some movements to recall, but no major boss stage or mechanic difference between all bosses - The biggest issue is the gameplay loop is very repetitive, if you have done one world, you have done them all. The last 3 worlds are slightly harder but more of the same. It took me 5 hours to finish the game with little replay value outside getting a high score or higher rank. But if you have done one of the 9 worlds, you have pretty much seen al what is on offer.

I loved the Genesis/Mega Drive art style and gave it a punt on sale. The music and graphics were great. I also enjoyed the enemies and world it offered. The upgrades and new abilities were great to earn. The dudgeons and puzzles has a good challenge and interesting to solve. I did not like no check points near the boss after you die. The bosses were bullet sponges being too hard compared to the rest of the game. I really did not like the map and fast travel coming after 1/2 through the game. Because of this, expect to get lost at times.

I have not played a Pokémon game since Red and Blue. Since watching the cartoons in 1998, I had an expectation of exploring vast lands, fast turned based combat and collecting quirky pocket monsters. After a long wait, I got to play the game I envisioned and wanted. The gameplay heavily relies on exploration and research which compliments the main story progression. There are 5 large areas to explore and have much to return to when acquiring new mounts. Although I prefer more track variety, the music is great and fitting to the game. The main issues I have (likely said by many) is, the graphics. The pop-in does take away from the immersion as it's so constant. But the game overall looks... passable (not ugly but there is better looking games for sure). The other issue is the control scheme, they seem to make the game clunky and the buttons don't make sense. For instance, press "+" (or start) to ride a mount and 'up' on the D-pad to use a menu, why? The story has an interesting concept, but felt it was executed in a weak way. It was a whole bunch of fluff in dialogue which I struggled to get invested in after the second zone. There is a minor challenge (but not difficult), accessible for all ages. I am excited the direction they have taken. I am intrigued to see what Gen 9 will offer

Got an opportunity to play 3d World. When getting the Switch game you get the base game and the DLC which is a difference experience I will outline at the bottom. Starting with 3D world base game, it was an absolute treat. I had much more fun then expected! The levels are well designed and the collectables are MOSTLY obtainable. Basically the game rewards you for exploring. The diversity of the levels create variety of gameplay which is always welcomed. When exploring the hub world, there are bonus areas (such as timed challenges and Captain Toad levels) that made it exciting to progress. Occasionally you get bonus rooms to gain some extra lives or power-ups. Speaking of power-ups, although only 5 power-ups, they were diverse, displaying classic power-ups such as the fire flower and original power-ups such as the cat suit. The new power-ups I found to be the most unique throughout. I like how you can choose your characters along with the ability to have multiplayer where as many as 4 players at the same time can cause chaos. The only issues I had with the game were some collectables were cryptic to find and had on a rare occasion look them up as I wanted to play the final Captain Toad level. I also found about 10 levels had a high difficulty spike and can easily frustrate due to being unexpected. There was a level in World 4 that was more challenging then any level in World 5 (World 5 is my fav World). Despite the levels listed, there was quite a few levels that were too easy and lacked a serious challenge even in areas like World 6, hence the difficulty imbalance. There are special power-up to aid players if they get stuck and die several times. Even with it's flaws I highly recommend for a seriously fun time, 86% The addition to Bowers Fury was a smart choice. This seriously adds value to the Wii U port making it worthwhile. Think of it as a hybrid to Mario 64 and Mario 3d World. In summary, I loved Bower's Fury! Dare I say, more than Mario Odyssey. Reason being is each main collectable (shrine), had a task to complete to get it and were consistent in challenge and difficulty. There was one shrine I can curse and hate getting, it wasn't hard but super annoying and costs me many attempts. Otherwise my main complaint is, I wanted more and hope they expand on this concept. It took me about 10 hours to 100% Bowsers Fury and would encourage all to do try it out. 97%

Oxenfree delivers a thrilling experience which delves into the supernatural. You start as a teenager (Alex about 17) and she is accompanied by some friends to have a good time on a remote island. Things suddenly go pear shape as you awaken an ancient spirit that can possess and disorientates you and your friends. The theme and interaction of characters is top notch, I am always wanting to know more about these characters lives and situations to lead them to being who and why they are. These spirits leech onto Alex's insecurities through the game and provoking unresolved issues. At this point I should add the voice acting and character interaction is what really executed the plot and brought the game together as a whole. If it wasn't for voice acting and characters, I cannot see how this game would of panned out. I really like thrillers that also develop characters and showing a 'coming of age' undertone. Movies such as 'IT' is a prime example of this. Although a different plot, it has that common theme. I scare easily so having an emotional personal plot really brings depth making it tolerable. The art style and visual effects in the game are also breathtaking as it really immerse you in the games theme making me disorientated. The major complaint I have on this game is the actual gameplay itself. It felt like a visual novel and walking sim, therefore the game play and skill is minimal. You have dialect choices constantly in the game which is great. I just wished they allowed me to select an option after a character has spoken, as the game seems to force me to choose and interrupt another characters dialogue. This can distract on the brilliant voice acting and plot which bothered me. The game is priced well for a 4 hour adventure and if you want to see alternative endings (like me) you will give a second try to see how you choice matter in the end credits

Little Nightmares is a atmospheric puzzle platformer. The graphics, music and tone on offer is amazing and can see the cult following on this game. I like the ability to traverse and use your environment with the ever looming fear it offers. The variety of gameplay is also interesting as it delivers puzzle solving, stealth and escapes from danger. Surprisingly there are also boss battle moments also. The game works in what it has to achieve and displays your character evolving over time with no spoken words. A downfall (for me at least) is a lack of plot. You are just dumped into this zone and you leave. Unsure the underlying purpose of the truly artful game. Yes I got this game for free on Steam, but to pay full retail I would wonder if I got my money's worth with just 4 hours of gameplay. I definitely recommend when a sale appears to try this thriller.

Had a good sale and heard it was a classic arcade racer so gave a shot for some gameplay variety. As mentioned, Horizon Chase Turbo is an Arcade racer. The high speed nature is adrenalin pumping. What made this game great is the AI difficulty is on point. Sure there is some rubber banding but it's nothing too noticeable and is overall fair in gameplay. There were moment you want them to 'get out of the way' but is very achievable to come first if you choose the right car for the track. And this is the part where it is strategic, you need to figure out the right car for the track you are racing. Such as, you are running a long track, its important to choose a car with good fuel economy over a car that goes fast. There is further strategy in selecting which upgrades you need for your vehicles to your driving style and cars you prefer. I found some tracks to be better then others, the most annoying part is the narrow roads in some areas and having so many cars bunched up, it can be frustrating when you cannot overtake. The music is suited for the game, but is definitely forgettable with the lack of music track variety. The game runs at 60fps, however, I did encounter some minor stutters. The game did crash on me one while playing.

Metroidvanias are not really my type of genre, but there was something that clicked with me in this game that made it amazing. The graphic style was really captivating. Having a dark moody atmosphere but also had a variety of colours and differing environments made the the game so engaging. I loved, loved, loved the combat! You basically can take a parry melee hit when an enemy is attacking and can blast them when they are stunned. It never got old. The metroids vary in size and skills and have a decent variety of attack pattern. My favorate part is when you parry, climb on top of them and give a metroid a good dose of missiles down their throat, gives that, 'take this!' feeling when you fist pump. The levels are well made and the upgrades are relevant and honestly, pretty cool. The main issues I have (although minor) is the levels can be long and doesn't it make it clear if you need to break a block to progress. I don't want a huge display, but a signal on what is destructible and what is not as I did get lost or spend awhile stuck looking for one block to progress which can be frustrating, a slightly different colour of texture is all. The story is kinda paper thin, if there was more to explain the purpose of the mission would give a higher motivation t the cause of the game. Another issue I had was it can be a difficult game. The challenge for me was kinda tough but rewarding. This if Shovel Knight difficulty. I bought this for my 10 year old son and he struggled past Zone 3. If there was a more accessible mode it would be great. Otherwise i can see how this was the best game for 2017 on the 3DS that pays respects to the classic Metroid games in the past. I got lost a couple of times and therefore took me about 13 hours to finish due to being not the most hardened veterians of the genre. if you like a challenge and the genre you must go and scout this game out.

Ghoulboy is a great example of nostalgia trip in gaming. The platforming and level design I actually think was well made. The difficulty was a little tough but fair. Takes about 5 hits to meet your demise and not spammed with enemies, unlike some scary themes games that kill you in two hits with a tonne of either ghouls, ghosts, or goblins. I like the idea of upgrading your weapons with in game currency and the currency stays with you regardless of dying. So if you are having difficulty in the game you can earn and spend in the game shops. The bosses are different from one another and have a solid attack pattern to figure out. However, the main positives may as well end here. The issues I had with the game are: - The sound is poorly balanced, the sound effects are way to high compared to the music. You cannot adjust the wound effect volume, so had to max out the music volume and turn my TV speakers down to balance this. The sound is also broken. It chops and stutters at times, especially when you die. - Enemy placement I find questionable as the level is made harder then it should due to placement of enemies in key areas. - The challenge option of the game is broken. You cannot select all the chapters in any order when the menu gives you that chance. I had fun for what it's worth but sadly not much replay value due to the broken chapters. I could feel my skill level increase as I progress, which is the best factor of challenge in any game making it fun. I got this game as it was over 90% off on the eshop (paid about 78cents USD). It took me about 3.5 hours to beat it. I definitely feel at this discount price it was worth it and kudos to only 3 people working on the entire project.

Lenna's Inception was an interesting game to play. I enjoyed the overworld how it was directing you to a path as certain wats to proceed will require items. The writing I liked also, a smaller yet satirical story about you being the teacher saving your students against 'the glitch'. The items they offer are very practical and function well within the game. The best part of the game for me was the boss battles. They were creative and well balanced with the mechanics. My only gripe is they can be easy once knowing the pattern and adding an extra hit on the final phase would be a good balance. The music and graphics were of much higher quality then expected. I tried both 8bit and 32bit and both were a joy to play on. My concern was the procedurally generated dudgeons. I am not a fan of random made challenges and this was no exemption as my taste is for a hard crafted approach. There are some rooms with just hit bad-guys or move some blocks. Some room you can just walk over to the next room with no challenge at all making it feel like filler. Just focusing on having a decent puzzle element would really lift the game There is also no real 'trick' to enter the dudgeon also which is an interesting choice. The game had an OG Zelda feel but the overworld has a more Links Awakening progress system. The game took me about 6 hours to finish with some extras The overworld was fine with the procedural generation, but the happy medium would be to have deliberately made dudgeons for a more focused challenge. If that was achieved it would be a 9/10.

The nostalgia!!! This is Sonic in it's truest form, welcome back! Everything you expect in a Sonic game, the music, the speed, the panic inducing water levels (nightmares resurfacing) all packaged together with that edgy attitude. I feel the Sonic formula has had some fine tuning by quality of life improvements making this a game for the classic yet modern gamers alike. The game is an ideal length and difficultly not leading players too frustrated. The main campaign (with some extras) took about 15 hours. Completionists will devote more time (maybe 25hours). Encore mode felt a little like deja vu from the main mode and only did the first few zones to try other character mechanics. Couple of issues I had is about level speed/flow. There are not so often moments you the level will suddenly halt you for some tedious platforming and a badly placed spike or enemy. Luckily these are not too common. The other factors is, although the level design is ingenious, I found the levels to be far too long and can time out or get close to timing out due to the levels length. It needs to be slightly smaller or free-flowing to speed though. Loved the game and may come back to it in a few years or when there is a flat patch in gaming.

When I heard that you are a castaway on a mysterious island, it had me intrigued. The plot had a 'Lost' TV show vibe, along with being an ARPG I had to get it. I found the music to be stellar and only judging by the music I would award a 10/10. Not my favourite type of music but enjoyed it as the guitarist seemed to have a blast jamming at times. Without going through details, the plot is well illustrated and makes you invested in every character. There is some plot twists and interesting ideas to keep you motivated. However, I feel the plot later sways to the JRPG cliché which loses a unique identity. The combat is deep yet straight forward and changing characters within the team add variety as they each have different moves and attributes. The button mapping is unsatisfactory, however you can customise this in the menu options. The upgrade system is easy to understand making it less of a chore to get into the action. A few issues I encountered on the Switch version I played are: - Enemies in the far background have a terrible framerate (like single digits) and is comical in a way. When approaching the enemy, the frame rate increases. I am not a FPS snob but something to notice if you are. - Graphics look strongly like an early PS3 game. Great attempt on their first 3D game but did disappoint me given the framerate issue above. - Some scenes seem to stretch too for and the characters seems to blurt out the obvious. There are moment I am not playing the game at for for over 20minutes and get me impatient to play the game - Some scenes jump from full voice audio to just text boxes and seem to be quite random when this happens. Wasn't a major complaint as file size and cost of voice actors, but was it was the inconsistent nature that was jarring. - The game is riddled with invisible walls that break immersion for me. The game seems more open-world in the images then what is actually happening also. The game is not fully linear but could be more open to explore this wonderful island. The game took me around 70 hours to finish on hard mode and I got the true ending. Some parts could be streamlined to make it a 60hour experience for me. I recommend playing but cannot say I will play again due to the investment made and long cut scenes in certain areas.

I am catching up on my backlog and excited to try this as being a fan of 3d platformers. Firstly, the camera may of been awful at launch but what I have played it seems solid. The way it works seems like its from the GameCube era. The camera may freeze or move around objects but moves very well which is important. How Yooka-Layee moves: although not as tight as Mario, isn't as floaty as Hat Girl. It's somewhere in between being more floaty then tight but easy to get used to. Your character has a great move set and like the idea that new moves are taught gradually. The interaction of the vendor in buying the moves is querky and fun to say the least. In fact all the diverse and qwerky characters add alot of charm to the game. I found Pagies (the main collectible) to be a fair challenge. Not just lying around and not a chore to obtain. They are very well placed. The graphical style and performance runs really well on the Switch. There is pop-in if you pay attention. Nothing game breaking when running around having a good time. A few things that irritated me; There is no map to explore and see the overworld. Sometimes you don't know where to go as the worlds are quite large Speaking of worlds. They can be a little too big with not alot to do. Nothing too bad but with more and can done with a few more enemies and enemy types. There are only like 4 enemy types reskinned in the game. My second biggest issues with these large world is no checkpoints and fast travel. if you fall or die its back to the last door you walked in which means some travel in the large world. This game is recommended in my books if you enjoy 3d platformers. You can tell there is alot of love in making this game. The music has a strong Mario and Rabbids vibe, wonder if it's the same composer. If there is a some quality of life improvements made this could move from a very good game to a great game.

After playing the main campaign and hearing this was a meaty DLC I took the plunge and gave it a go immediately after. I noticed when playing they have kept true with the charm and graphics of the main game despite the different environment which I loved. You play as Donkey Kong and Rabbid Cranky which were very unique in play styles and added a tactical play which is familiar yet fresh. The level design and leveling up seem to be more diverse yet more focused then ever. Downsides I would say is, you cannot choose which party members to bring to a battle. I did not expect a choice of 8, but having Diddy Kong or Rabbid Dixie would of been a perfect inclusion. For the DLC you get about 50% more QUALITY content to the main campaign. Being about 1/3 of the price makes it a great deal, better still, try to get the Gold Edition if you can

This game totally surprised me... I am not a big fan of turned based games, but seeing characters move around to cover and a slightly goofy spin peaked my interest. I gave it a go, and played a few maps. After awhile I was slowly getting hooked in without realising. Then all of a sudden it hits me, "I am dedicating waaaay too much on rabbids". You know why? Because this is a thinking game and its done super well. Don't let the rabbids discourage you. They are sprinked in to keep it light hearted not moronic nonsense. It is more like 3/4 Mario if that give a rough idea. The music is world class and probably the 3rd best OST I've played on Switch so far. Difficulty curve is steady and fair. I enjoyed the skill tree and item upgrades to add depth to the gameplay. Choosing the right characters in later stages is important and gets you really planning your battles, choose wisely. The game is a good lenth, anylonger it would of been tedious. The game was good enough that I actually bought the DLC and had a great time with that also, shame you can't choose a team on the DLC. Some issues I had: I feel the game is a little buggy at times,especially when on an action shot angle The AI seem kinda predicable When backtracking to collect prizes the fast travel points did not match the campaign battle arenas and can be disorientating to know where you were at times

My son wanted a game and at the time not much has been released so here we are. The game has a cute aesthetic and jingles that put a smile on your face. I like how you can choose which colour Yoshi can go adventuring with. The game is very easy. I hardly died and that was due to experimenting instead of the challenge. Due to ease of the game, it does make it a little boring to run through. However, the level variety and varying/unique mechanics on some levels can redeem the some of the boredom. The main issue is the repetition of the stages. To get all the flowers in the level you will need to get special items. Instead of giving you a list of the special items in one level in one shot, you will have to get the item, return the item and go through the stage AGAIN to get the next item. Worst part is some items are unfairly hidden and a chore to find.

A tribute ti 2d Zelda games. It lacks some polish (explained later) but feel this was fun to play. The storyline was simple yet satirical. For not being serious, I enjoyed it. The dudgeon's and caves were great if doing the main storyline. They have also mini dudgeon's - bigger then caves - called 'portals' which was a nice bonus to receive upgrades. The puzzles were fantastic, artstyle was spot on and the over-world was fun. The main issues I had were: - The bosses (especially in the bonus dudgeon's) were waaaay too difficult for me. The puzzles and enemies are well balanced, but the bosses were so tough it broke emersion for me. If they had 20% less health it would be balanced to the core game - The dream world, I did not like! It was less about puzzles solving and more on frame perfect moves, not what I consider fair In stating my issues, I loved the final boss in the main storyline. One of the best boss battles I have played period! If you 'git gud' and can beat the bosses onslaught in the main campaign you can have great fun adventuring

Talk about cute and charming. If you are introducing your kids to the Zelda franchise, this is a great starting point. I also had fun with this game. The world, although seems a little cramped in today's standards was a character within itself. Story was original and Mirin was someone you grow fond of you do not dwell that a Zelda game is missing, well, Zelda. Working out the end with the Windfish was quite cryptic and only by accident I found the bonus dudgeon. At the end the dudgeon's were long and exhausting and would prefer a dozen smaller dudgeon's. I understand this is a remake and cannot stray from the original formula.

I saw a review and since the publishers are Devolver Digital I thought it would be great to try out. The art style and music I found had a childlike charm and really suits a theme they were going for. I also like the idea that you can play 2 player couch co-op at any moment. Great to help kids though it as the boss battles are unbalanced compared to the rest of the game. the controls are mapped well and the characters move as expected. Not great but nothing notably bad. There are a few issues I had to give such an average score. First was the procedural generated world. Amazingly, I haven't played a game that procedurally generated. After this game I may never again. It lacks a polish and structure to the world and the dudgeon are weak because of the procedural generation. In fact there was two times I could not access treasures as they were completely surrounded by walls. The combat is very basic, basically mashing one button. You can do a roll and use "toys" (gizmos or items) but found these toys to be far weaker in combat compared to the sword. Finally the load times. These and not awful but it is twice as long as what they should be and breaks immersion. Especially in a dudgeon full of small rooms waiting 3/4 seconds in transition. The potential and what it could of been was laid out. It didn't need to be a Zelda clone, just a Zelda-like (if that makes sense) and would be leagues better. The game took about 12 hours to beat which includes most bonus caves and exploring the below average procedurally generated over-world. Sadly won and done, may not play it again.

This has to be the best 2D Zelda clone I have played to date! Loved the over-world, Loved the dudgeon and like the child telling story. Secrets lying around and the items are most handy. I guess my concern is the music is fantastic and memorable, but is on a short loop and repeats itself frequently. But the biggest conern is I want MORE! An extra one or two dudgeons and maybe some side quests would make this as good as a 2D Zelda itself! A minor gripe also is I wish the pixel art style was a little more detailed. Regardless, the game was great value also and hope a slightly more polished sequel is in the works for me to grab

I am not one for sport games, but seeing it was a Switch exclusive and an RPG, it got me intrigued and bought it. Boy, I am glad I did. It was one of the most charming games I have ever played. The story is fairly basic but the characters were quirky to keep the plot interesting. The controls are super tight which is important in this type of game. I wasn't fond of the disc golf, I found the control and momentum kinda odd. The courses were diverse and difficulty was steadily increased. The over-world ending was a very nice surprise in the end and made me smile. Comes highly recommended as something different to RPG players

This was the first indie I played on the Switch and playing the demo bought a smile on my face I could not wipe off so I had to have this game. In saying that, I have played though the game twice, the second time was not as great as I recall. The levels were abit long and kind of all over the place in the end. I did not enjoy back tracking for like 5/6 minutes to previous stages just to progress to the next level. But don't let that scare you. I had a great time playing this game The secret caves with the top down view invented variety I enjoyed. The pixel art was bang on looking like a SNES title. The music and story both very very good. I enjoyed the upgrades given and a trial on how to use them. Also to mention the boss battles had variety and fun as heck, especially with the build up cut scene. This is a retro game remake done right.

This was my first Shantae game and I think this will be my last. The reasons this was not a game for me is because: - The pacing on the game was so slow in the beginning - The level design I feel was above average at best - The back tracking is awful (I know its a metroidvania) but how it was done, turned my off the genre for over a year - How Shantae was portrayed, feminist would have a field day with this if they knew... In saying this, I feel the jump and attack mechanics works really well and was satisfying. I liked the ability to morph to different animals (shame how it was implemented via the control scheme) and the graphics was REALLY nice. I was interested due to the morphs and graphics, but don't let pretty visuals fool you. I see the effort made to the game. I tried to like the game but couldn't. I rolled my eyes or sighed through half of the play through. There are much better metroidvanias out there. This on the other hand, was the only game I have actually deleted from my Switch

This game defines the adventure genre. I loved exploring, the mechanics and the art style. The tutorial was handled well and hands on. They respected me like I actually played a video game. Some shrines were too ambiguous and frustrating as I needed to look up on how to solve them.

This game is a system seller! How Mario moves, the level design, the music and the capture mechanic is world class. It was fantastic how you can have a second player as cappy. The issue I have is forced motion controls. There are plenty of buttons, can't the player choose between motion or button pressing? I also have an issue that some moves cannot be done done in two player mode and some movements ONLY can be done in two players. The moons are the main collectible and is highly motivating to go exploring. I find about 50 moons far too easy to obtain and about 100 too tedious or difficult. Do I really need to bounce a ball 100 times for a moon? This game will make you feel like an excited child, guaranteed!

This is the first Luigi's Mansion game I have ever played. Starting with the graphics. I have to say this is within the top 5 games graphically on the Nintendo Switch. Best way to describe the graphics, is a Pixar movie from 10-15 years ago. It's very easy on the eye. The physics and music/sound is top tier also. If I was only commenting on these elements, coming from a tablet, I would give 10/10. But as always there are some issues; The controls are funny at times and annoying to control Luigi in some situations. The bosses were creative and the levels even more so. I was a little disappointed some levels were not fully fleshed out on the theme they portray. This might be a spoiler so skip to the next paragraph is you don not want to read about the end game. After beating the final boss. You get nothing. I would of wanted to go back and collect items I missed in the campaign, but you cant. Quite frustrating. I enjoyed the classic Nintendo charm of the game with some lovable characters. The length is just about right as they were so creative in how to do tasks to move through each level.

This game has taken too many hours of my life! I may as well review after the final major patch update and I won't be renewing my online account which expires soon. I was really looking forward to this game once announced and excited to design and play. With each update the game has grown to something wonderful. I enjoyed making levels and proud on showing the world my hours of work in designing. However the game has some issues that mildly annoy me: - The main menu interface I feel is not over intuitive. Why my maker profile and my costume selections in completely different areas of the game? Me checking and customizing my profile should be in one spot. - I cannot search levels using words like "Bowser" and getting Bowser named levels as a filter option - I cannot copy and re-upload my levels if I want to make a change. Have to delete and re-upload the same level with a change instead of having two levels uploaded, really don't like that. -No 100 lives challenge. Having endless mode you don't get a finale and your progress seems empty. I had fun playing the game but my passion faded as I feel 90% of user levels were... less desirable, but that has little to do with the game itself. I recommend buying, playing and learning some mechanics. This game at least upskills you in gaming in general

I played Kindergarten on Steam (2017) release. I have to say, the story is funny and crazy, its kind of watch a South Park episode. The writing in this game was the shining element in the game. Unfortunately, for me personally, it was the gameplay and controls that let it down. The gameplay, oh boy! It's not awful, I just personally found it somewhat tedious and annoying. The game plays and replays the same day at school where if you select different narrative paths you will get some unpredictable and shocking different outcomes. At this point I will need to say, THIS GAME IS NOT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN! Reading new branch text was the highpoint of this game. The main problem is you will have to go though storylines again and again to see a different path and sometimes the different narrative option you choose will lead to the same outcomes or resetting the day over again. In taking this path in making the game to be repetitive and grindy to seek new outcomes. My biggest frustration is if the last action you make may not be what you expect, you will go to the next scene and left to restart the entire day for one choice you made that wasn't favorable. When playing the game with a controller, the character moves quite abruptly and uncontrollably fast at times. which wasn't game breaking, was distracting to say the least. When playing with a keyboard and mouse, I find the twitchiness has improved, but you cannot position yourself correctly at times due to moving slightly too fast. I did prefer the controller as all functions are mapped to the face buttons making it easier to navigate in game menu options. In summary, this game had a plot that was simple but engaging. In doing all story paths took about 6 hours to do. I just would of like to see this broken into a week instead of repeating the same day. If you like story/narrative type games it comes as recommended especially since I spent about $2USD on the game. If you like to see more progress and expecting more action gameplay, I cannot say this is a game for you.