Reviews

Though Metroidvania games are plentiful on Switch, it’s frankly a rare sight for a truly magnificent one to grace our screens. Billed by publisher Devolver Digital as a “reverse horror” game, Carrion is actually steeped in Metroidvania goodness despite its rather grotesque look on the surface. While there are a […] Read More

For the majority of the Nintendo Switch’s life thus far, cRPGs have not been synonymous with the hybrid system. That said, with more recent releases the likes of Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity, and the Dungeons & Dragons games, the genre is findings its roots on Switch. Enter Tower […] Read More

Note to viewers: most framerate hitches seen in the video are due to my capture/hardware setup and is not a reflection of the game’s performance, though I did experience some slight framerate dips on the Switch version. I apologize for the inconvenience. Minecraft Dungeons is a welcome looter action RPG […] Read More

Metroidvania titles these days are fairly common to see on Switch. There are several good ones, but truly great ones shine through the rest and make a name for themselves, often through tight and purposeful gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and the sense of reward and accomplishment that is often coupled with […] Read More

Trine is back, and it’s arguably better than ever. While the series has evolved over the last three entries—mostly in good ways, others in bad ways, some might say—Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince returns the series to its roots. Gorgeous visuals, a charming soundtrack, and plenty of puzzles to twist […] Read More

The tactical strategy RPG genre is usually a Nintendo system’s bread and butter. Since the inceptions of the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem franchises, Nintendo fans have come to love—and expect—these types of games to grace their screens every few years. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen an entry in the Fire […] Read More

For a series that’s been around for over twenty years, Dynasty Warriors is always iterating on itself with each new entry. While whether that’s usually enough to keep things fresh is another topic entirely, new additions to this rehash of Dynasty Warriors 8 certainly add more things to do to […] Read More

Ten years ago, fishing sim games were a dime a dozen, particularly on the Wii. A re-release of the 2009 Wii game, Bass Pro Shops The Strike: Championship Edition is back on Nintendo Switch, aiming to provide a realistic fishing experience. While the game attempts to live up to the […] Read More

Back in the days of the Nintendo Wii, Cabela’s supported the hit 2006 system with various hunting simulator games that relied on motion input. While I can’t speak to those games, Cabela’s is back on a Nintendo platform with Cabela’s The Hunt: Championship Edition for Nintendo Switch. Though the hunting […] Read More

Hearing the word “moonlighter” conjures up several mental images, some of which venture into the risqué while others are more anti-heroic. In this top-down adventure game from developer Digital Sun, however, the word takes on several different meanings. Not only is the titular Moonlighter the name of the shop in […] Read More

The basic premise of Reigns: Kings & Queens breaks down to you deciding on whether you wish to play as a king or a queen and choosing between one of two options every year of your rule until your death. Once your ruler dies from one various cause or another, […] Read More

The Diablo series, since its inception with the release of the original Diablo back in 1996, remains, to this day, the veritable king of the third-person, loot-based, action RPG. Originally released on PC in 2012, Diablo III has since come to consoles, seen massive updates and expansions, and has now […] Read More

LEGO Harry Potter Collection marks the first time I’ve stepped into Hogwarts in well over a decade, and it feels just like coming home. Having grown up as the books (and later, movies) released, JK Rowling’s magical world has undoubtedly helped shape the person I am today, so to dive […] Read More

If there’s one thing that can be said about the Nintendo Switch’s growing library, it’s that kart racers are becoming a dime a dozen on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Though games like the forthcoming Team Sonic Racing and the recently released Beach Buggy Racing are additions to the space, it is […] Read More

At first blush, seeing the name Crayola Scoot, for some people, might conjure up images of a kid’s coloring game, or otherwise bring to mind many cringe-worthy licensed video games from a mostly bygone era. Don’t be fooled, however—Crayola Scoot is a worthy video game in its own right and […] Read More

Turn-based tactical RPGs were a dime a dozen ten and twenty years ago, and with series like Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics, there was never a shortage of tactical goodness to go around, particularly if you were a Nintendo fan. Among that heyday during the late ‘90s […] Read More

Much like last year’s port of DOOM, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus on Switch sees an ambitious first-person shooter dialed down and ported to Nintendo’s hybrid console. Many of the things that were true of DOOM’s Switch version, such as muddy textures and a lower frame rate, are also true […] Read More

If I’ve learned anything over the course of the Switch’s life cycle, it’s that retro-style indie darlings are aplenty on the platform. The next challenger in that arena is Devolver Digital’s and Sabotage’s The Messenger. A clear cut from the same cloth as Ninja Gaiden, perhaps the most interesting aspect […] Read More

In all my years of playing and experiencing video games, dungeon crawlers and hack-n-slashes have become some of my favorite genres ever since the days of Diablo 2 and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. With the exception of Nine Parchments, this style of game has been severely lacking on Switch in the near year and […] Read More

Playing through the cult classic Another World is, today, mostly an exercise in archaism; many of the gameplay mechanics that were relevant and groundbreaking back in 1991 feel out of place in 2018. Though it seemingly has inspired more modern titles, such as Limbo, and many of its puzzles still […] Read More

With recent releases like Ultra Street Fighter II and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection on Switch, it’s unequivocally clear that 2D fighters are being celebrated and are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence. The next title to enter the fray is Cardboard Robot Games’ Pocket Rumble. A callback to the classic […] Read More

It’s still rather odd to see the first-person-shooter genre alive and well on Switch, but as last year’s DOOM and this month’s upcoming Wolfenstein II have confirmed, hardcore first-person shooters have a home on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Code Avarice’s Paranautical Activity aims to shake up the genre by combining the […] Read More

Loading up Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’d never played the meme-worthy original, so I didn’t know where to set my expectation bar. After playing through the game on Nintendo Switch, however, I’ve concluded that bar should be set extraordinarily low. Not only […] Read More

Although I’m usually not a fan of space fighting or sci-fi games, Manticore – Galaxy on Fire is as unique an experience as any I’ve had on Nintendo Switch. While the game is visually breathtaking and its moment-to-moment gameplay is fun, its disjointed narrative and one-note gameplay loop keeps Manticore […] Read More

While 2D platformers and shoot-‘em-ups tend to be the indie bread-and-butter on Nintendo Switch, Bleed 2 combines these genres in a way that feels fresh and unique. Despite its main story feeling criminally short and leaving something to be desired, Bleed 2 is a fun, action-packed, arcade-style platformer that makes […] Read More

Much like a real-life bank heist, Payday 2 on Nintendo Switch is dependent upon many variables. Are your fellow criminals worth their salt? Is each member of your team properly equipped for the job? Is proper communication being utilized? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then […] Read More

The longer I spent with Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf, the more I learned to appreciate its elegance in both presentation and execution. Putting a unique spin on the traditional choose-your-own-adventure genre of books popularized in the 1970s, Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf blends a beautifully written, branching micro-narrative based on the […] Read More

The further I got into its intriguing level design and increasingly difficult twists, turns, and obstacles, ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun felt more and more like its own game rather than a mash-up of other precision platformers and endless runners. Taking the best of cues from titles such as Super Meat Boy and […] Read More

As an increasing number of party games hit Nintendo Switch, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up. Though aimed at only one or two players, two new games from developer Vile Monarch, Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator and Oh…Sir! The Hollywood Roast are out now on the Switch eShop. Originally developed for […] Read More

Brawlout for Nintendo Switch is an interesting case. While it has the distinction of being the first platform party fighting game to hit Nintendo’s hybrid console, there’s no denying the game was heavily influenced by—and uses some direct features and tropes from—Nintendo’s own Super Smash Brothers series. While comparison between […] Read More

It isn’t often that a video game comes around that changes the way I think about the medium. On the surface, The Sexy Brutale is a murder-mystery game with a unique Gothic art style. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll find that The Sexy Brutale is a mechanically deep and narratively […] Read More

In a world with fewer and fewer Diablo-esque action RPGs, the idea of Nine Parchments sounds like a breath of fresh air on Nintendo Switch. In practice, the game world is illustrious and gameplay fun, but odd mechanical and systematic decisions hold Nine Parchments back from being the Switch’s next […] Read More

Nintendo Switch has seen a number of games in its first year, but the racing genre seems to be the one with the least representation. With Fast RMX, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Gear.Club Unlimited being among the few of the racing genre’s only exemplars on Switch thus far, one could […] Read More

Rocket League was one of the year’s surprise hits when it launched as a free PlayStation Plus title back in 2015. Since then, the game has surpassed $110 million in revenue and, as of last year, had over 15 million players across three platforms—not to mention Rocket League is currently […] Read More

I’m traversing across the plains of Skyrim, on my way to my next objective. Lydia, my Housecarl, is behind me, ready to aid me at a moment’s notice. As I crest a particularly tall hill, I see a dragon soaring in the sky. Knowing what I must do, I begin […] Read More

When I first loaded up DOOM for Nintendo Switch, I expected a dialed-down version of the hit game we saw on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC last year. While it’s true that some graphical and performance sacrifices had to be made for the Switch version, I’m happy to report […] Read More

Traditionally, I’m not a huge fan of combat-less adventure games; I like to run around and smack things, or at least have a more meaningful way of interacting with a game’s world or environment. So, when first booting up The Count Lucanor, I was apprehensive of how much I would […] Read More

I bring my Nintendo Switch with me nearly everywhere I go: to work, to friends’ houses, and to social gatherings. Many of the social circles I frequent comprise of who I probably wouldn’t consider the “traditional” gamer; most people might have their particular game of choice, but by and large, […] Read More

There seems to be an inundation of top-down shooters coming to Switch these days, and JYDGE (pronounced “judge”) is the next in line. Billed by developer and publisher 10tons as both a prequel to and spinoff of Neon Chrome, JYDGE takes the basic formula of Neon Chrome and eschews the […] Read More

In a current ecosystem where pixel-art rogue-likes, 2D platformers, and side-scrolling adventure games are surging onto Switch, there isn’t much in the way of 3D platformers on the system (pre-Super Mario Odyssey, anyway). With the hype of the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey and the want for games like Yooka-Laylee, there […] Read More

Neon Chrome is yet another top-down, twin-stick shooting adventure with little in the way of story, but it’s a fun time nonetheless. What the game lacks in any kind of narrative motivation to see it through to the end is mitigated by procedurally generated content, in both level design and […] Read More

NeuroVoider is a fun, fast-paced shoot-‘em-up that offers virtually endless replayability and customization options. Billed by developer Flying Oak Games as a “futuristic twin-stick shooter RPG,” NeuroVoider offers procedurally generated levels and enemies alongside an innumerable set of weapons and armor with which to deck out your player character. The […] Read More

It’s a tough call to make when a game that focuses so heavily on gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its own self expectation. Cue Phantom Trigger, a self-described “hardcore neon slasher with RPG elements.” Developer Bread Team starts the player character, Stan, at home with his wife discussing dinner […] Read More

Never before have I played a game quite like Minecraft. In my first couple hours of play, I was struggling to find my purpose or objective; I would start up Survival mode, begin crafting shelter and items, and endlessly run into monsters which would bring about my demise. It wasn’t until […] Read More

Little do we see a gaming headset in the sub-$50 price range which delivers such great flexibility and performance. The HyperX Cloud Stinger gaming headset, from Kingston Technology, delivers great-quality audio for the price and has some neat features. While it isn’t perfect and still lacks in some areas, the bottom […] Read More

It’s not often we see a game that so unabashedly borrows from other games and franchises yet creates a niche all its own—and does it well. Called by its own developer at Team Shifty “Hotline Miami meets Nightcrawler,” Mr. Shifty borrows heavily from the Hotline Miami series, utilizing its isometric […] Read More