Dogs are the greatest creatures on earth. Okay, maybe that is too editorial from my side of things, but too bad. You know what is even better though? Dogs in the starring role of a video game, because I got a chance to play the delightful PHOGS. This co-op title sees you controlling one end of a two headed good boy that tries to solve tons of puzzles along the way. Simply put, what a smile it left on my face.
One or two players control the ends of a dual headed dog. You will traverse colorful landscapes, all the while using a very stretchy belly. The full game will consist of three worlds: Food, Sleep and Play. So basically, the three favorite things of any dog in existence. For the sake of our demo, we went through one of the sleep sequences, which took about 20 minutes to complete.
The gameplay was mostly puzzle platforming with a very laid back attitude. PHOGS doesn't overly punish you for failure, allowing you to try as many times as you like. You and your buddy will stretch around objects, bite into them or even in rare cases, bounce around. These three tactics are what you will be using, sometimes even combining them for some grand results. PHOGS never feels overly complicated, which is a nice change of pace. Naturally, there will be some back and forth babbling, but nothing that can overly irritate you.
And PHOGS is also fun to toy around with. You can quickly try for the objective and get the game of the way, but why would you? The power of the title is seeing the environments as sandboxes that you can explore. They will lead you in a direction, no doubt, but there is something wonderful about stretching just for the sake of it. In our demo, we couldn't stop bouncing around on any object we could find and the laughs simply kept coming.
PHOGS will release in early 2020, which bums me out just a little. The game is something I heard about a while ago, and at this point, I'm just so ready to go through with a pal. The colorful worlds and PHOGS' mechanics are joyful, and simply left me smiling all the way through the demo. Hopefully, and in time, we get to experience a whole lot more of it.
I would call my memories of the 1982 Jim Henson movie The Dark Crystal a bit hazy. I certainly like the dark tone of the movie as well as the amazing animatronics that gave the world life. While the finer points of the narrative are lost in time, it can't be denied how good of a movie it really is. Making a prequel television show seemed weird, but Netflix made it happen. They believe so much in this show that BonusXP and En Masse Entertainment are making a video game, simply called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics. The result is a strategy game that feels familiar, but relishes in the unique touches of the show.
Unlike the Stranger Things 3 game also based on a Netflix property, Tactics feels like it’s made more with active video game players in mind. Like a Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, players will move over a grid-based board and clear the field of various foes. The character order is decided by the attacks they do, what moves they want to build up and how they move about. The line of who gets to attack is fixed in that sense, forcing you to play your cards right. Age of Resistance Tactics can be extremely tricky, particularly when the moves come into play.
Anything you do, may that be attacking or defending, will be selected from a wheel. Through this manner, you can quickly highlight an ability and see what it does at a glance. Any major attack that you would want to do costs Magic Points, which will drain faster than you think. The Scout class, for example, can use a Momentum Strike. This will double the damage of a move if you moved four spaces and have 4 MP to spare. You have to realize that Scouts, mostly in the beginning, have a limited amount of points. After you do this move, you will be forced to keep it basic or meditate constantly to get your magic options back. There are many little things to consider, which I sincerely like.
In addition to the Scout, which can explore a huge number of spaces at once, there are other classes to choose from. The Bowmaster specializes in marking opponents, allowing you to do more damage. Naturally, they can also shoot from afar and destroy across gaps or from high above. The standard Arrow Shot even does a solid amount of damage, making them a great worker. That being said, the Guardians are likely the best when it comes to physical damage. They will strike hard with basic moves, but if the Bowmaster could have the pleasure of marking them, you will truly get a spectacle. There is plenty more where that came from, including full on magic users that can use fire balls. Characters can swap classes and learn skills that are best for the situation at hand. I got time to make my team the way I wanted, which is absolute insanity.
The environments are beautiful, but they aren't just for show. You will go through the five different worlds of the TV series and see very different land structures along the way. From an early point in the game, you have to climb parts of the environment for success against your foes. By being above them, your abilities a lot more powerful, resulting in their quick demise. The missions I played showcased by how these mechanics make an impact and forced me rethink some strategies along the way. While I'm not sure this will count for all maps, I'm certainly stoked to find out for myself. The world of Thra is sharp looking, but the dangers up ahead are just as sharp.
When speaking to the publisher and developer, it is clear that they are taking their time with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics. With roughly 80 missions and 15 character classes in the game, they are doing a lot of tweaking and balancing at the moment. The characters can each carry unique gear, work on two jobs at the same time and must be constantly upgradable. The developers are also adding a New Game+ mode where all the battles in the campaign get remixed, and become harder versions of themselves. All of this makes me all the more curious for when the title eventually releases.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a unique strategy game in a sea full of them. By using the Jim Henson characters to their fullest, they are trying to make a game that features everything you would want. Besides that, the game was extremely fun to play. The movement and selection of moves felt snappy, and the maps could be completed within a fine time frame. It remains to be seen how the later assignments play out, but the first reaction is solely a positive one.
Shooting among the stars, speeding down highways and racing on motorbikes. Sayonara Wild Hearts is unlike anything I’ve ever played before. A combination of an endless runner, Wario Ware and a rhythm game make the new title from Simogo a journey that has put this game at the top of my most wanted list of games for 2019.
Instead of a narrative heavy title, Sayonara tells its story in a more visually abstract way. You play as a girl called The Fool and follow her as you race down an never-ending looping road that feels straight out of a 3D Sonic the Hedgehog title. As you speed by, you try to collect hearts to improve your score and increase your speed. The story is seemingly based on tarot cards, but at first glance it’s definitely the visuals that steal the show.
Sayonara’s unique style sets it apart from many other rhythm games. Using a combination of neon pink colors and short visual effects it almost feels dreamlike to collect hearts while racing down the highway. The creators call Sayonara Wild Hearts a pop album video game. And they couldn’t be more on the nose. Each track is uniquely created for each level and complements the action perfectly. The music made me almost forget I was playing the game at a busy demo booth. Stylistically, the music felt like a combination of the floating vocal tracks from last year’s Tetris Effect, blended with the ambience of The World Ends With You turned up to eleven.
While atmospherically I’m fully on board with Sayonara Wild Hearts, the verdict is still out on how long all these elements will keep me engaged. Collecting hearts for a higher rank is fun, but on longer levels the turns, tricks and jumps do start to merge together. The boss fight in this specific demo, a fight against a rival biker gang called The Dancing Devils, reused a lot of the same moves and level layouts for the battle. Defeating the opponents by chasing them down and defeating them in a simple game where you time your button presses. However, judging by the first trailer, there will be a lot more to the bosses and gameplay in the full release.
Sayonara Wild Hearts captivated me unlike anything else I played at Gamescom this year. Stylish, immersive, and just fun to play, I cannot wait to see the other tricks that this title has up its sleeve.
I have mixed feelings when it comes to the short lived SEGA Saturn era. For the three years I got out of the device, there are some games I still absolutely adore. Many classic arcade games like Daytona USA and Street Fighter Alpha 3 made for an entertaining time. There were many games on offer, which made for a glimpse into what the future of 3D games could entail. One of those games was, without a doubt, Panzer Dragoon. The game, released in 1995, felt special when it first arrived on the scene. Not only because of its weird fantasy setting, but also for the weird gameplay quirks on offer. Now, for the first time I might add, the game is making its way to Nintendo Switch. Forever Entertainment have decided to give Panzer Dragoon a graphical overhaul and introduce it to a whole new generation of gamers. Is it good? Well, sort of.
The demo consisted of the first chapter, allowing us to see the work that Forever Entertainment put into it. Right from the get go, the gameplay was quite similar to how I remember the game feeling. You move the stick to fly around and use the B-button to shoot at anything that comes your way. The player can use lock on attacks by holding down the button, ensuring that every enemy gets hit in a singular blast. Once you get in the zone, there isn't very much to really think about. You will have to use the ZL- and ZR-buttons to look in a different direction sometimes, but mostly it is dodge and shoot. This requires a lot of quick movement and knowing when you should strike. Panzer Dragoon felt nice enough, but nothing too complicated.
The game itself doesn't look too hot. The assets are a bit all over the place and don’t always do the best job of selling you on the remake. While the game is clearly still a work in progress, they did a good job capturing the spirit of Panzer Dragoon. The fantasy world still holds up incredibly well, and deserves to be seen. The same goes for the soundtrack, from which I know some songs completely inside out.
Panzer Dragoon shows that there is still love out there for the Saturn's vast library. While the remake doesn't always look the best, the controls are simple and easy to understand. The simple pleasure of shooting at stuff, homing on specific elements and clearing a path still works well in 2019. How the full game pans out remains to be seen, but it makes me hopeful for perhaps more game out this forgotten era.
When you revive an old series, I always take a cautious step forward. Not because I don't think I can't trust developers making it, but simply because the title might not live up to expectations. Those are the feelings I held as I went into my Gamescom 2019 appointment with smaller publisher DOTEMU for Streets of Rage 4. This SEGA franchise is something near and dear to my heart as these games formed my first experiences with a beat'em up game. Could Guard Crush Games and Lizardcube knock the title out of the park? It has been 15 years since the last game, so will the new entry be one to remember? While I can't give you a complete answer on the latter question, I came away from meeting completely blown away. Not only did they managed to get the feel 100% spot on, they also made a believer out of me.
I want to dive deeper into why I think the feel is what makes Streets of Rage 4 stick in my head. You walk left and right, attack enemies and do special moves that will make you feel awesome. It takes the elements of what made the originals great, but changes the surroundings in ways that are important. Most of enemies I encountered during my demo were completely new. The element of surprise gave me new patterns to learn, and forced me to tread carefully. As you explore new environments, the stakes are raised a little higher too. The foes become more relentless and use devious tactics to pass you by. Streets of Rage 4 never feels cheap, but rather embraces the old arcade nature the Mega Drive classics are known for.
Even when comes to your fighting options, you never fight yourself out of the constant flow Streets of Rage 4 presents. The controls have the right amount of weight to them, and give you solid patterns to move work with. The tricks I used by in the day still seem to work, though more risks have been introduced. The special attacks consistently take away health when you use them. The spirit energy that Blaze uses removes a big chunk of health, so it is wise to pick your moments. By throwing items and making quick dodges, it is possible to win with very little health, but that is such a risky play in more ways than one. In my playing time, I found it is better to leave breathing space until you can pick up an essential item.
New to the Gamescom build was a character named Cherry. The daughter of Adam Hunter reminds me a ton of Skate. That is not really surprising, considering they are technically related, but she has some unique tricks as well. Cherry is an incredibly fast character which is great for any type of dodge move. That being said, she is probably the weakest character of the bunch. I absolutely love her special move though as she pretty much throws a guitar into somebody's face. Wonderful stuff.
Streets of Rage 4 just looks great. Not only in screenshots, but very much in motion. The hand-drawn art looks fantastic as you move character across the screen, and explore what the levels have on offer. The backgrounds in particular are genuinely impressive. You can see people going about their daily lives, and see the cherry blossoms falling everywhere. The player really doesn't get to soak all the details in, but please do look at the various gameplay clips online. You will sort of see what I mean!
All in all, Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best things I've seen at Gamescom this year. Not only did the developers nail the feel of a beat'em up game, they littered it with lovely details. There is a solid balance of difficulty and options, allowing you to stay just ahead of the curve. The road to completion certainly won't be an easy one, but together with a friend, I'm already to see all through to the end.
Few things are as incredibly cool as flying around in a mech. You will explore big areas, fight anything that moves and see it all come together in a very organic way. One of the pillars of the mech battle genre is Armored Core, an original PlayStation oddity. It’s a fun romp, though a little bit bland if you ask me. Kenichiro Tsukada, the producer of the game, previously worked on the series and wanted to relive the magic from all those years back. Did it succeed? Well, if I'm being very honest, I don't think so.
From everything I’ve played so far, the story is the thing I'm the least sure about. The story revolves around the tale of an apocalyptic event, known as the Moonfall. A moon, hovering above the planet, broke off and crashed into the surface. The red light turned most artificial intelligence driven entities against humans. At the same time, a subset of people were touched by the energy as well, gaining special powers in the process. The story in Daemon X Machina sees you fighting against Immortals, and experience the complications of war. The player steps in the shoes of a new Outer mech pilot, tasked with help guiding mercenaries into battle. Along the way, some weird twists and turns are thrown into the mix including: ''can we trust the AI that is giving us missions?'' or ''is this mercenary group actually willing to help?'.' Add to that factions on the desolate earth itself, and the whole politics behind it is a bit lost on me.
What doesn't help matters is the way Daemon X Machina tells its story. For starters, there are small yet stiff cutscenes in which the characters interact with each other. They all stand in a distance from each other, and don't really have any particular interactions. Furthermore, the cutscenes will only last less than a minute. For the remainder, you will have to do with spoken text boxes that fill up the entirety of the screen. The voices aren't half bad, even funny at moments, but the context given feels so flimsy and minimal. The dialogue doesn't make me pumped for the next mission, but rather makes want to get on with it.
The structure of Daemon X Machina is just ok. It reminds me a lot of the old Monster Hunter games, but at its most hooky. You choose a mission from a list, get an information dump and start going through the motions. Each mission offers side objectives to complete, but as long as you do the basics, the game won't overly complain. Daemon X Machina will get grumpy for using too many resources, but this rarely is a problem throughout my experience. There is base you can stroll around a little, but that really doesn't result in much. You will mostly hit up item and upgrade shops to prep for the next mission on the list.
The missions are two fold. After completing the D-Rank, I got equal parts frustrated and entertained by the proceedings, like when it took 35 minutes and multiple tries to take down a single boss. The patterns are interesting and require some unique maneuvers, but Daemon X Machina explains very little. You are mostly up to your own devices, which is incredibly frustrating, simply because you don't know if you're doing it right or wrong. On the other hand, the sheer amount of surprising mission objectives are a delight. From fighting other mercs to defending a specific point, there is some fun to be had.
Controlling your mech is the best part about the game in all honesty. While the options are limited in the early goings, you quickly learn to equip all sides with weaponry. You have three options always at the ready with two more weapons waiting in standby, allowing you to swap between. The sheer amount of weapon options is staggering, and it isn't just limited to some guns. There are cannons, swords and even sniper rifles that can be attached to your almighty machine. It makes destroying other Arsenal mechs so rewarding, as you will be able to scrap them for brand new parts.
The fun of combat doesn't stop there however. The standard features that the Arsenal comes with are exciting as well. On the ground, your mech can glide like there is no tomorrow. This is outstanding for fighting enemies up close and slicing them in half with a blade. Naturally, you can also keep distance that way and fire away at enemy mechs that are trying to hide. When it is time to glide through the air, however, this is when the gloves are off. It is highly entertaining to glide through the air, and position yourself to fight your opponents wisely. In those circumstances, I do wish that there was an actual lock on button, but once you get close enough the game does that automatically.
The player can also leave the mech and move closer by foot, but I didn't think there was much usage for this feature. Daemon X Machina is made with Arsenal play in mind, forcing you to use your best attacks. While the player avatar can slide under giant fortresses and go for the weak spots, the whole process is a massive risk that you're taking. You are leaving yourself open for attacks, unless you're in a later stage of the title. An element that I used slightly more in that sense is the Femto energy. By collecting enough, you can enhance certain abilities or even make a Mirage clone of yourself. Using a Mirage makes crowd control possible, allowing you to consider your options at a glance.
Daemon X Machina looks quite good in battle. The mechs move very freely and with tons of flair to boot. The landscapes are quite colorful, though they feel very empty. Outside of some fluff, nothing found in the environments serves a greater purpose. This isn't bad once you are in the midst of battle, but in the slower moments, my eyes wanted just a bit more. The music is fine, more or less. There are rocking tunes in there, but the majority I didn't remember after playing the levels they were in. The only song I actively remember is the one found in the Ice Cream Parlor as it is so different from anything else found in Daemon X Machina.
As I mostly played in single-player, I have to point out how terrible your computer controlled allies are. Long story short, let me take you back to the boss that took 35 minutes to complete. During the mission, I thought that two well skilled mercenaries would no problem getting the job done. Boy, how wrong I was. During the course of the battle, I had to revive each AI ally at least four times. For a little while, I was so fed up with it that I refused to do anything. In the end, I had to take my losses and realize that the health bar would diminish quicker. I could have grinded on smaller enemies and gotten a bunch of ammo packs, but that would have made the battle easily last an hour.
As far as local and online multiplayer are concerned, it seems to work pretty well. The few matches I played had very little lag and performed as they should. Interestingly enough, the missions are completely different from those found in the main campaign. They are made with multiple players in mind and offer quite different objectives than those found in the main game. For example, you will take on the various mercenaries groups in head-to-head competition. Other missions focus on giving each team member a task, and sticking with those as much as you can. They will prove challenging and make for a solid co-op job.
The opening hours of Daemon X Machina left me feeling kind of flat. The action is entertaining and I certainly didn’t dislike the gameplay, but everything else surrounding it is like an empty husk. You think there is a bigger meaning to everything created, but there really isn't. The environments, story and the help given by the AI are just things that I can't simply ignore. The weapon and mission variety are saving Daemon X Machina so far, and it remains to be seen if those elements can hold water.
Despite the weirdly-structured plot, I quite enjoyed Layton's Mystery Journey. The characters were quite charming, the puzzles were great to unwind with, and there is a lot of content to uncover. Now, the game is heading to Nintendo Switch in a brand Deluxe Edition form. What’s been changed? Well, quite a lot actually.
The demo of Layton's Mystery Dungeon introduced some brand new puzzles to replace the ones made for Nintendo 3DS and mobile. The game has decided to take TV Mode into account, something unique for this version. Every puzzle can be played with the buttons or motion controls, ensuring a smooth introduction to the series. During my time with the game, Nintendo focused solely on showcasing the game on a docked Switch.
I have to say that the button controls actually worked pretty well. You can easily move the cursor across the screen, press the button where needed, and solve a puzzle that way. For puzzles where you have to give an answer, Layton's Mystery Dungeon deploys an internal keyboard, keeping up with stylistic choices in the game. I honestly thought that this wouldn’t feel great when contrasted with the investigation portions, but you barely notice it after a while.
The look of the game is sharp as well. The cutscenes and backgrounds translate masterfully to the bigger screen. Layton's Mystery Journey looks crisp and clean, with the biggest surprise being the character models. Level-5 clearly updated them for the Nintendo Switch's bigger display options, and the results are quite nice. It took a little getting used to, as someone familiar with the previous versions, but I didn’t mind that. What I dug even more is how clean the UI for a singular screen is. Level-5 took time adjusting it and ensuring that everything is perfectly readable.
Layton's Mystery Journey on Nintendo Switch presents a risk for Level-5. It is strange to see a Layton game being played on a television, and yet I'm not against in any way. For the most part, it was just nice to move the cursor around and see the puzzles play out. That is likely why I'm excited to play through the game again and see the new puzzles on display. Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy releases for Switch on November 8.
Shin'en are the masters of crafting unique experiences for a Nintendo system. From the early WiiWare days, they made Nintendo's download services their own with quality entertainment. FAST, Jett Rocket, and Art of Balance immediately come to mind when discussing the company's diverse background. It has been a while since Shin'en made a new leap in design, but The Touryst easily qualifies as one. With a sharp voxel style and a love for the concept, The Touryst presents an ambitious experience that simply goes unmatched.
Compared with everything I played at Gamescom, The Touryst instantly knew how to make an impression. Naturally it isn't going for a hyper realistic look, but instead one that excels in sheer detail. The water physics, the lighting, and other trinkets are designed to perfection. It isn't hard to see why the developers spent three years working on this and are now polishing it up for the final stretch. Together with some pretty nifty backing tracks, The Touryst presents something that is inherently unique.
The gameplay is no slouch either. The Touryst sees you exploring various islands with a variety of objectives to complete. There are missions to partake in, money to nab, and various NPCs to interact with. The ultimate goal on every island is to reach the bigger island next door. You will backtrack somewhat, and the game gives you tons of room to explore, but The Touryst wants to keep giving you new stuff.
That new stuff comes in the form of abilities, which allow you to enter tiny dungeons on the islands. In the beginning, we purchased the climbing book, which allowed the player to scale a wall. By completing a pattern on top of the wall, you would fall down below where you have to clear a number of puzzles. By doing that correctly, you will escape from a series of narrow passageways. At that point, you will have enough coinage to move on and see greener pastures.
There is a ton we haven't seen, but Shin'en is set on not spoiling too much. The game is done, and the team is currently polishing it to a shine. When it releases in November, the developers are intent on giving the player an experience that is fully featured. From tiny arcade games to lengthy quests, everything needs to fit the ''go big or go home'' mindset. Can you hardly blame them?
The Tourist pushes the Nintendo Switch in unique ways. The voxel style is incredibly sharp and tries to coax high fidelity visuals out of the system. The little touches across the world are wonderful, and most things can be interacted with. Even if you just want to sit on a bench, you can do that and much more. This certainly is one of Shin'en’s most ambitious titles to date, and that is one thing that makes me even more excited while writing it.
Platinum Games is one of my favorite developers, full stop. The love and care they put into their own creations is staggering. These include action games like Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, and NieR: Automata, all of which I simply can't stop playing. Each of these titles has its flaws, but that doesn't stop me from smiling all the way through. The larger than life cutscenes and bonkers gameplay ideas mostly gel with me. From the get-go, though, Astral Chain seemed complicated. Far from making it a bad game, but something that would muddy the water by bringing too many ideas into a singular system. Had I reason to worry? Not exactly. It is true that new things are constantly introduced, but none take away from the actual experience.
Astral Chain takes place in the futuristic year of 2078. The human race is falling apart after an apocalyptic event took place 40 years prior. Horrible beings, known as Chimeras, have polluted the land and made large parts of the Earth uninhabitable. The survivors created the ARK, a beacon to keep the fragments of humanity together. Even there, however, humans aren't safe from the threat of Chimeras and the Red Matter they spread like decay. A special task force, known as Neuron, steps up to the plate with modified Chimeras known as Legions. You, the player avatar in the story, can take control of all Legions and quickly become the person who is destined to save those who are still alive.
From the opening moments, Astral Chain knows how to make a strong first impression. The game intentionally keeps you in the dark about characters, story progression, and gameplay bites until you absolutely need them. There is always an intrigue about what is lurking around the corner, which entices you to keep going. The story is split into chapters, known as Files in the game, and always leaves you with a cliffhanger. What helps is that the characters are well written, making you want to see story arcs being played out. The Neuron squad mates initially seem kind of walled off, but they open up as you assist them. The only thing that distracts from all of this is that the English lip syncing really isn't any good. It is clear that the syncing is based on the Japanese audio track, which bums me out really badly.
As the game is split into chapters, don't expect an environment with a lot of space to move around. While the pieces of the world are wonderful, they aren't as deep as you might think. That being said, there is enough to do if you want to 100% a chapter. Missions see you starting in an exploration phase, where you are trying to collect clues about what is going on. The player will follow Chimera tracks, talk to various NPCs, and partake in a variety of side missions. These can range from capturing thieves to finding certain objects. It is even possible to find secret Chimera hiding spots, where you partake in some fast-paced battles. Ultimately, once you collect the information you need, you will have a wrap-up talk where you select the key phrases. For some additional experience, it is a good idea to be a sound listener and piece things together.
The wonderful thing about Astral Chain is the gameplay diversity. It hits the key elements in every chapter but always manages to incorporate a twist. Sometimes you will head into a Chimera dimension warp (called a Gate) early on, and find a risky encounter. Once you return to the ARK, however, the situation worsens and forces you to up your game even further. Another chapter employs a long investigation and minimizes the stuff you do beyond the Gates. Regardless of that, the player will always talk, interact, and fight. I feel compelled to do exhaust all of my options because it is simply a joy. If you are lost for a moment, the onboard computer tells you spots of interest to keep you going.
The Legion are the driving force in keeping all the proceedings entertaining. They are companions that help you in all kinds of situations. These evil looking friends can listen in to conversations, bind criminals by circling around them, and find the track of any Chimera in a nearby radius. The individual Legions each have their own abilities as well. Take the Beast Legion, for example: by letting them smell an item, they will follow the scent for more items of those in that particular family. My personal favourite, however, is the Arm Legion. By pressing the L-button, you can wear this beefy beast as a suit of armor and fly over any dangerous looking terrain. It creates some fairly entertaining field puzzles that you have to deal with before continuing ahead.
The Legions also tie into the combat of Astral Chain. The game features a synergistic system that allows you to control both the main character and your Legion. To begin, the player can attack with special X-Baton weapons that you can upgrade over the course of the game. In the beginning, you will freely switch between a gun and two types of swords. The player character is fast and can dodge at the very last second. By getting the timing down, you can learn to instantly strike back and do more damage. This is particularly handy if can move behind your foe as that dishes out some serious pain.
Each Legion also features its own combat style that is fairly fun to experiment with. The Sword Legion strikes hard and with a certain finesse. If you can upgrade the right abilities on its skill tree, you will get an unstoppable force of power. While you can control the Legion's every move, they mostly attack on their own, but even that has a few exceptions. For example, you can use the chain to bounce your opponents back or wrap them in chains. With the Arm Legion, you can hop in the same suit as before and pummel hard as a singular unit. Combining your attacks does take a toll on your synchronization meter, which depletes the longer a Legion is out on the field. After a bit, it needs to recover before helping out again. By striking a few times as the main character, the bar refills in no time flat. This is a different approach to say Xenoblade, where it feels like you are more of an observer. You are actively encouraged to attack together in Astral Chain.
The thing I didn't look forward to with Astral Chain were the controls. With a game like The Wonderful 101, there was a learning curve present that I couldn't ignore. Astral Chain does introduce a lot of elements, and there is no denying that fact. Fortunately, it builds everything up in a very natural way. You will start with no Legion, learning the ropes of moving and X-Baton combat. After that, you will take your first baby steps with the Legion and learn the moves of combat with your partner over the next couple of chapters. It gives weight to the new moves and options, which is the hallmark of a strong game. Before I knew it, I was bringing my character into position, all the while shooting the Legion out in a completely different direction. All of the actions are so incredibly rewarding to pull off, and it makes you appreciate the amount of stuff you can do. Primarily, I am pleased that I got to learn what every Legion had in its arsenal, which Astral Chain takes into account as well. The title gelled a lot better with me than I had ever hoped for.
When it comes to Astral Chain's looks, it is quite lovely. The game offers striking visual set pieces that bring the ARK to life very well. I do feel that the Chimera set pieces look very similar to each other, but it works as a grim world without any sort of hope. That being said, you will spend a lot of time around them, so it counts for something I reckon. Beyond that though, the character models and overall presentation is just very lively and colorful, which makes it a great fit for Nintendo Switch. There are some frame rate hiccups, but most of the time you really won't notice them much. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is absolutely fantastic. I adore the theme you hear while walking through the Neuron command rooms. There is a strong focus on the beat that is just really appealing.
Overall, Astral Chain has been interesting to say the very least. The action set pieces and gameplay are really stellar, and they showcase some of Platinum's finest work to date. The Legions in particular are a far bigger deal than I imagined, and steal the thunder above all else. The Arm Legion is my personal favorite, both from a field and battle perspective. There are some missteps so far, like the bad lip syncing and some frame rate dips, but those can be overlooked. The flow of Astral Chain is just so thoroughly engrossing that it’s all I can think about. Astral Chain releases in just a few short weeks on the 30th of August.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of the biggest steps in series history. From open areas to a more dynamic battle system, the franchise’s return to home console contains a lot to admire. When I last spoke about the title, I was over the moon with every aspect. Interacting with the characters was charming and the missions provided a back-to-form attitude that I sorely missed. In comparison, the second half of the game sticks the landing with most of these elements, but also creates brand new problems along the way. Three Houses is a highly entertaining game that showcases its biggest faults only in the second half or in a secondary playthrough.
Three Houses sees you traveling all across the continent of Fódlan. In the first half, you will be mostly stuck in Garreg Mach Monastery. At the holy space, students train at the Officer's Academy to figure out the rest of their lives. You see the children of nobles, kings, or highly gifted commoners. The breadth and depth of the individuals is staggering, and showcases the major thing this Fire Emblem gets right: character building. Every student and professor has their own story arc that you can partake in, if you so desire. They are completely voiced, offer unique interactions, and give you information that is only hinted at otherwise. What I love about support conversations is that they have context and keep the point of the story in mind. Sadly the most important support conversation, normally reserved for true friendship and marriage, has a far lessened role as only the player character can achieve S-rank relationships.
At the beginning, you choose the group that you will lead at the Monastery. Does it really matter if you pick the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer? For the first half of the journey, your choice really doesn't play that big of a role. Outside of the different students, the monthly missions from the Church are the same. There are a couple of different paralogues, depending on what you pick, but the plot lines don't really change. You see the same cutscenes, meet the same people, and head towards the same endpoint. That makes a secondary playthrough go a bit slower than anticipated. While the playthrough can still be enjoyed, I did wish that the branching off point would be a bit later. Even on New Game+, you have to go through the same tutorials and slow build up as before.
Towards the end of the first half, the story takes a turn and branches off in specific ways. A war is on the brink of starting, and depending on the route you picked, you may have to pick yet again. In either case, the events throw you into a time skip, kicking off the second half of Three Houses. While the strong character building continues, the stories can leave you feeling a flat by the end. Not every final act is bad or disappointing, but I was left confused mostly. In one of the routes, the story just ends after a rather short second part. As that was the first route I ever picked, it left me with a sour taste. To complicate all that, certain story beats are only told in one line and not another.
Despite those setbacks and disappointments, I continued playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses like there was no tomorrow. The gameplay in Three Houses has been refined to form a highly entertaining experience. I really enjoyed exploring the grounds of Garreg Mach Monastery, where you can freely explore as you see fit. The space is massive with a variety of facilities and characters to meet up with. You can build up relationships with different characters, even if they’re not in your house, and maybe even convince them that they should join your side. You can go fishing, try your hand at gardening, or just interact with every single thing in the world. It is so refreshing to go off and do something new every in-game Sunday.
Battling is boosted by a number of improvements. It is still the strategy experience that Fire Emblem fans know and love. You make moves on a grid-based board, making those decisions carefully and forcing friend and foe alike to the frontlines. A lot of the basics still apply, but a lot has changed under the hood. A strong example is the return of Weapon Durability, allowing for a system with greater checks and balances. Unlike previous entries where you were left defenseless though, the weapon still works with reduced statistics. In general, Three Houses allows you to think more outside the box, which I appreciated.
Another welcome element is Combat Arts, where you learn special abilities by becoming proficient with a weapon type. Unlike in the Shadows of Valentia, where these attacks would drain your HP, they now take up more of a weapon's durability. The player is free to mix and match weapons and arts as long as they are in the same category, which makes battling more engaging. They are more effective with more expensive weaponry, which creates another matter that you have to keep in mind. The funds that you receive from battles and the church isn't unlimited, but you can always fish or grow fruit in the monastery for added money. That offers more of a choice between building your relationships with students or raising funds for their weaponry.
Once I had the money, I adored making usage of the Gambit option. By heading over to the Battalion Guild, you can hire some men that can help you out in battle. By finishing quests or paralogues, you earn brand new battalions to hire. Every group can only be used by one unit, coming with one ability that can help out with offense or defense. A bunch of mages restore the health of multiple units, warriors attack with a vicious stampede, and archers shoot arrows in a large group. If you are successful, you can stun an opponent and force them to stay promptly in place. In addition, it is incredibly helpful to destroy beasts as you can stun them for a limited time. The beasts have multiple health bars, vicious attacks, and specific weak spots.
The look of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is incredible for the most part. The world and character models have a unique design philosophy that I've never seen in a Fire Emblem game before. It was clearly the right call to change the character design, just for the sake of creating something unique. With that being said, you can clearly see that Koei Tecmo made this video game. Characters clipped through the environments a few times, taking liberties where they could and should walk. In addition, while exploring the monastery, not every movement seemed smooth. While the battle animations were quite lovely, weird lighting make them look awkward now and again. That being said, all these small things don't take away from the overall grandeur of the graphics. On the other hand, the music left me more puzzled.The songs themselves are absolutely fantastic, bringing some wonderful tunes to the world of Three Houses. That being said, battle music repeats a lot while event scenes usually get a unique piece. It seemed unbalanced.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is great in a lot of respects. The game flies by with its various mechanics, making for a highly entertaining adventure. That being said, I can't shake off the feeling that the final acts in the various routes could've been better. When I spent 60 hours on singular route, only to be greeted with a bummer of an ending, it stung a lot. Combining the crapshoot of your ending with a few technical problems drags the whole game down. The actual character arcs, complete with fully voiced interactions, do a great job of accounting for the limitations, thankfully. Three Houses is certainly worth seeing through, but it is way more about the journey than the end.
The situation surrounding Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is unquestionably weird. Announced out of the blue last December, the return of the long-forgotten series made me jump out of my seat. While I wouldn't call the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games the pinnacle of video game design, I always enjoyed them in a popcorn-esque manner. They are very enjoyable games that don't downplay the audience they are meant for: video game-loving Marvel fanatics. Luckily, I'm such a fanatic and willing to play the Team Ninja-developed third entry non-stop. The end result of the collaboration between Nintendo and Marvel is an isometric brawler that still works in 2019, even if some issues hold it back.
The story in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order can be best described as totally fine. The Guardians of the Galaxy come in contact with the Infinity Stones. After a battle with the evil forces of Thanos, the stones spread all across the Earth. The Guardians join up with an ever-evolving cast of Marvel heroes to find the Infinity Stones before Thanos does. What impresses me the most are the locales that you visit throughout the adventure. The player starts on an abandoned spaceship, only to be followed by The Raft prison in New York City. It is here that you meet Spider-Man and start building up your collection of heroes. This collection sure is a rowdy bunch as they are mostly voiced in a way that showcases their personalities in full force.
As far as the gameplay is concerned, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 knows how to make a sound first impression. Every hero offers a selection of attacks, manners of moving about, and an array of one-liners. The controls are easy to adjust to, with two standard attack buttons, a jump, dodging, and a bunch of special moves that you learn as you move along. The action is understandable and snappy, making it fantastic to play through. Alone or with friends, you can destroy everything in your path, solve little puzzles, and completely destroy all sorts of Marvel-ous bosses. Ultimate Alliance 3 gives you plenty of checkpoints so that you can heal up and change your characters as you see fit, encouraging you to experiment with the large roster. It is just really pleasant.
While the levels are entertaining, measured expectations are important to a degree. The locations are amazing, but don't expect much exploration. A few collectibles are strewn about, but mostly, the path forward involves going from corridor to corridor. The combat has a consistent pace so it’s easy to just romp from point to point, but the straightforward design is something more noticeable in the slower moments of the adventure. In addition, the camera placement really isn't all that good. The camera seems to shift between various angles for no particular reason. Sometimes you can freely look around, while in other spots the camera is locked at a weird angle. You can learn to deal with it over time, but the problem never fully goes away.
I spent 12 hour with the adventure, seeing my way to the end of the story as well as some of the extra content. The first batch of heroes are available early on, allowing you to mix and match with combinations. It’s easy to roll with a consistent four-character team or have a revolving door of heroes. Complementing the story are the Infinity Trials. These are harder version of sections you previously finished, but with tweaks and limitations that make for a harsher challenge. Not only will you get your usual array of power-ups to deck out your various skill trees, but some hidden costumes and characters can be found as well. With everything on offer, the Infinity Trials make for a great place to build out a character or two.
For the most part, I played through Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 all by myself in front of a television. As a single-player game, it absolutely works and is a nice fit for the system's handheld mode. However, the beauty of the co-op here is it’s very easy to drop in and out. All you have to do is hand a newcomer a controller and they can press a button to join the fight. In addition to local play, online multiplayer is available.I was able to get some sound match-ups going with others in my playtime. You can make rooms and ensure that only certain people can join you. Mostly I stuck with people in my region, and it went off without a hitch. That being said, during my singular North American match, I did notice that two players were sort of floating across the stage.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 runs nicely on Nintendo Switch, no matter the amount of enemies of screen. The various superheroes have a style that comes straight out of the comics, and it works for the overall presentation. The models could have been a teensy bit sharper though as the details don’t go further than skin deep. Slowdown pops up now and again, which is a bummer, but it’s tolerable. The music and voices make the comic book feel come full circle, and really helps to elevate the experience.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is like a B-movie. You know that it isn't the best in areas, but you still enjoy it with all your heart. The characters are well crafted, which makes the game such a joy. The environments, voices, and the general feel is strong. Obviously, the camera issues and endless corridors can drag down moments of the fun, but the action keeps everything flowing and enjoyable. The action never stops, which is the ultimate strength of the title.
Fire Emblem is one of my favorite Nintendo franchises ever. While the strategy genre is filled with other classics, I have always appreciated the stories told in Fire Emblem's quite expansive universe. However, the 2016 3DS trio Fire Emblem Fates overcomplicated the storytelling and lost some of the series magic in the process. That’s likely why I was a bit skeptical when it came to Fire Emblem: Three Houses, due out on July 26 on Nintendo Switch. In trailers, I thought it looked fun while also seeming much bigger and grander than recent entries. As soon I started playing it, Fire Emblem: Three Houses soothed my concerns over the course of more than 20 hours with the final game.
Three Houses takes place in the continent of Fódlan. Three regions are in constant struggle with each other: the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance. After many wars and conflicts, the Garreg Mach Monastery wants to bring young students of importance together and help to raise them in their image. The three houses, based on respective regions, are in friendly competition with each other and aim for the top spot in the Officer's Academy. The academy happens to be short a professor, and through a string of circumstances, the main character (default name Byleth) scores that job. Immediately, you choose the house that you want to lead and teach in your design.
For my first playthrough, I went for the Black Eagles from the Adrestian Empire. The first thing that struck a chord with me is how well the characters are written. Every personality oozes charm and are a joy from the moment they enter the screen. My personal favorite in the Black Eagles route is Bernadetta, a shy girl who knows how to use a bow and arrow. She prefers not to leave her room and is uncomfortable in direct conversation. There are underlying reasons why she acts that way, but figuring out the why is just part of the intrigue. The house leader, Edelgard, is a strong character as well. She can be blunt and rather direct, but immediately questions a decision after making her mind up. She is a conflicted soul who knows that she will be forced to carry a burden some day. The next kin of the Empire might not be an open person at first, but you learn quickly how she chose her path. It is stellar character building that was lacking a tiny bit with Fire Emblem Fates sometimes.
What helps to sell these conversations are the spoken dialogue. Shadows of Valentia experimented with voice acting in new key areas, but Three Houses has fully embraced the idea. Every word said by the characters, may they be important or nothing of value, is all available in American English and Japanese. It is a huge step in making the characters feel more alive, making them part of a bigger and breathing world. You can easily spend an hour talking to every NPC in monastery and find a surprising amount of care in every phrase said. Some characters annoyed me, but that came down to their personality and not because of poor characterization. To be completely fair towards the game, there are very few characters I actively dislike, but opinions might change as I try different routes.
While I dabbled a little bit with the other two houses, I’m currently unsure whether or not the playthroughs for each of the three houses will be significantly different. It absolutely looks that way as certain perspectives can completely change, and each route gives you a different set of students. In addition, and without giving anything away, important, potentially game-changing decisions are frequent. One of them drove me absolutely mad, because I simply didn't know what chain of events would unfold. Now I’m obviously hoping these choices will appear in my other playthroughs, but only time will tell. What I'm encouraged by is how much everything is intertwined, as everyone is linked together through current events and actions. An urgency is constantly present, which encouraged me to keep pushing harder. Even now, as I’m writing this, I am just stoked for what could potentially come up next.
When it comes to gameplay, this might be the most versatile the Fire Emblem games have felt in a while. The standard principles of moving your units across a grid-based board still apply, but under the hood a lot of things have changed. For starters, there is a separation between normal weaponry and magic. In fact, magic users don't have to purchase any of their books as the usage gets replenished after every match. Weapon durability returns in full force with Three Houses. That being said, even when weapons deplete, they can still be used with reduced statistics. Then, when you go to the marketplace, you can forge or repair your gear wherever you find that needed. While the game adds rules to have checks and balances, it doesn't punish you for overstaying your welcome. Three Houses lets you think more freely to an endlessly satisfying degree.
The battle options don't end there, however. Combat Arts, introduced as Weapon Arts in the Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, make an exciting return as well. Unlike in the previous game where these attacks would drain your HP, they now take up more of a weapon's durability. In addition, you no longer learn attacks from individual weapons, but rather from becoming proficient with a weapon type. The player is free to mix and match weapons and arts as long as they are in the same category, which makes for excellent experimentation. Another return from Echoes is Divine Pulse. If you made a mistake or did something you didn't like during battle, you can move back the hands of time for a limited amount of turns. There isn't necessarily a negative point to the option, but I found myself using it sparsely throughout my playtime so far. Even at that, it was to fix minor things like the placement of characters or moving someone quicker out of harm's way.
The final big inclusion is the Gambit option. While shopping for weapons and items, you can head over to the Battalion Guild and hire some men to back your unit up in battle. The amount of battalion options I got through in part one of the adventure is staggering, and a solid chunk came with a unique ability that was helpful amidst all the chaos. A bunch of mages can restore the health of multiple units, attack with a vicious stampede or lower certain statistics. By having more units around you, the effectiveness of a Gambit is significantly increased. In addition, it is incredibly helpful to destroy beasts as you can stun them for a limited time. The beasts have multiple health bars, vicious attacks, and specific weak spots. Multiple well-timed Gambits can be enough to shut the evil wolves and birds for good. With all of these possibilities, plus a number of smaller changes, you can find your way to play.
That way to play extends to the Garreg Mach Monastery, where you freely roam around as a professor. The monastery runs on a calendar, which you only have slight control over. Sunday's are the point that you get the freedom to do whatever you desire. Obviously, you can choose the option Explore and experience the church's grounds for yourself. The space is massive with a variety of facilities and characters to meet up with. The students of all three houses congregate at specific locations on the map, which grants you various opportunities to interact with them. You can build up relationships with different characters, even if they’re not in your house, and maybe even convince them that they should join your side. This is a long process, forcing the professor to learn a variety of weapon skills. You can learn by going to various colleagues and asking them for advice. Another way you can build up bonds with characters is to grant them gifts, have a meal with them, or give them items back that they lost.
The number of Garreg Mach Monastery facilities you can use depends on your Activity Meter. If you want to have a bite to eat with them or raise your weapon skills, the meter will be depleted by one. In the beginning of the adventure, this can cause some heartbreak as you only focus on certain things. It ensures that you won't see everything blossom in a first run of the game, and teach you what the characters actually appreciate. As your time on the compound carries on, more options are made available. You can let students enter weapon-specific tournaments, join you for a tea party, or force them to sing in a choir. The activities can raise morale, specialities, or their admiration for you as a teacher. Because yes, the success of your teachings all comes down to a simple experience bar.
Finally, if you decide to explore, you can take on various side quests. Some are simple fetch quests, granting you rewards for your efforts. It makes for a good chance to explore the grounds. Later on, however, some of the focus shifts on additional battles that you can partake in. Next to netting some sweet rewards, it is a great way to give your team practise. Quest battles as well as Paralogues populate the Battle Menu, where you have a limited amount of battles you can try every day. Paralogues deepen the information you have on characters and make you see new sides previously unseen. You will explore all over Fódlan, starting with baby steps in the surrounding area. A random selection of battles change every day too, so if you have a lust to duke it out, you shouldn't hold back from doing so.
Special training chances pop up every Sunday that are called Seminar, where you and a few students get instructed by one of your colleagues to deal with weapons better. The units present will also get morale raised. Every Monday, you take control of the classroom and try to help your students with learning new skills. The students have specific goals that they want to shoot for, but you are free to award points to any weapon proficiency statistic that you like. For my initial run, I focused on their wishes and that got me quite far. At the end of part one, most of my students achieved an A in one way or another. The speed of the process depends on their motivation. To keep awarding a student points, you need to keep battling or doing fun activities with them. The process raises a bar that allows you to spend points on said student. These will also automatically fill up if they are the MVP in a battle or immediately after a Support Conversation. Getting a head start on a character’s development can require some foresight. Additionally, the weapon proficiency needs to be kept up if you want to enable new classes for your entire squad.
As far as the look of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is concerned, I really like how the world and character models are put together. Everything has a uniqueness that simply doesn't compare to some more recent entries. That being said, the hallmarks of a Koei Tecmo game are present as you freely walk around. The NPCs take liberties of where they can walk and characters clipped through environments a few times. While the battle animations are stylish, there is some weird lighting going on now and again. That being said, nothing of this took away from the grander experience. On the music side, I'm a tiny bit more concerned. For a while I kept hearing the same songs showing their head, and was wondering how much music there really is in the game. It has to be said that the tunes are really great and keep up with the same quality as before; there just hasn’t been a wide variety at this point.
So far, Fire Emblem: Three Houses has been very much a winner. It is a fast and deep experience that I could go into even deeper detail about. For the time being, however, I want to focus on the things that matter and where this game really excels. The title cooks up a stellar battle system that offers checks and balances, forcing you to think before you act. The characters have been all very unique and each brings a distinct flavor to the overall world. This goes hand in hand with raising your squad, building up a relationship with the individual characters, and teaching them the weapons you prefer. Despite the whole of part one taking upwards of 24 hours, my spirits are still insanely high and I want to keep playing without stopping. I will have more to say in the near future, and I look very much forward to that day.
Dr. Mario is one of my favorite puzzle game franchises of all time, which even extends to the modern games made by Arika. I sank an enormous amount of time into the 3DS eShop version Miracle Cure. I totally get that it wasn't for everyone, but the sheer amount of stuff you could do was incredible. With the arrival of Dr. Mario World, I was hoping that the series would find a permanent spot on my mobile device. Now that I've played some hours of World, I can't say that I'm overly impressed, even though it isn't bad in the grand scheme of things.
Dr. Mario World is somewhat similar to the regular formula, though it takes some liberties to make it work on a mobile device. While initially I imagined something more in line of the Germ Buster mode, the developers went in quite a different direction. Imagine your Dr. Mario screen being flipped upside down. While it remains your goal to connect viruses to Megavitamins, three at minimum this time, you will drag the vitamins all across the screen. The vitamin is rotated by tapping. You have more freedom to make moves in an attempt to clear the fixed viruses in every stage. To make every stage feel unique, there are different obstacles and sometimes completely different goals to deal with. Although the variety of objectives is fun at first, I found later that I was wondering if I had seen everything.
The game offers five worlds with the typical Super Mario environments, ranging from grassy plains to a sky world. The backgrounds are just static JPEGs, and I quickly grew bored of seeing the same background as it overused the grass in particular. That is, the biggest problem with Dr. Mario World: it doesn't really inspire any confidence when the music or the area you play in barely changes. What doesn't really help matters is that the character models aren't as clean as other Nintendo products. The game clearly created original assets to make it more appealing, but the models just look a teensy bit strange. Not sure what to make of it.
Despite the appearance issues, the gimmicks introduced in Dr. Mario World are solid. The game offers a bunch of different doctors to play as, each coming with a special ability to aid you. Dr. Bowser will wipe two rows at random, while Dr. Ludwig Koopa will remove ice properties from ten viruses. Those ice properties are one of the different ways in which Dr. Mario World attempts to keep everything fresh. Bubbled viruses will float to the top, while iced viruses are locked into place. In either case, both varieties require two strikes before they will be destroyed. In other levels, you will have to destroy blocks to access viruses or collect coins. It will force you to approach the screen differently and be diligent in checking the entire field.
Another element is the introduction of power-ups. There are bombs that immediately clear the surrounding viruses and break open the playing field. Koopa Shells are my favorites as they will go back and forth, clearing everything on a row. While you receive new Megavitamins, there is a random chance of a rainbow pill appearing. This acts as a wildcard and can be used to make faster clears. In typical mobile fashion, there are also paid power-ups, which will help out in a pinch. You can replenish your special attack, remove all placed capsules on the board or remove one block or virus altogether. These powers make the game even easier, though I didn't feel the need to use them as most of the levels aren't timed anyway. The player gets the freedom to plan his/her moves ahead of time, which makes power-ups a bit of an afterthought.
In addition to the regular single-player mode, Dr. Mario World also offers a Versus Mode. In all sincerity, this is where I had more fun with the game. Players will duke it out one-on-one in a virus clearing competition. As you clear the screen, a meter will build up in your corner. Do this quicker than your foe, and you will devastate them by filling their screen with garbage. Your goal in Versus Mode is to push your opponent's lines closer and closer to the top. Along the way, you can use the special abilities of the Doctors and their assistants that are specific to this mode. Versus is frantic and very satisfying to play. As the patterns are random and every player reacts differently, it is easily the most exciting part of the package. You also get a bunch of rewards if you manage to achieve a certain amount of wins, which makes focusing on multiplayer much more rewarding. The best part is that you can play with friends or complete strangers as you see fit.
As we are talking about a free-to-play mobile game, this is a good point as any to talk about monetization. Dr. Mario World offers two currencies. There are the traditional coins that you get from completing single-player stages, completing achievements or defeating foes in the Versus Mode. You can purchase a random power-up for 200 coins, or try to nab a character for 4000 coins. The single-player campaign has a star system (three for each level), with each star paying 50 coins. As you can imagine, it will be a bit before you hit up the big RNG lottery machine. Coins are a much slower burn, and Dr. Mario World knows exactly what it is doing.
This is where the Diamonds come into play. It starts at 20 Diamonds for $1.99/€2.29 with the system going all the way to a whooping $69.99/€74.99 for 1050 Diamonds. The premium currency shows its face in a variety of ways. For example, you can wait or ask your friends on LINE or Facebook to replenish your hearts (stamina), but if you want to play endless for an hour that will be 30 Diamonds please. Remember how I told you that you can get new characters? Well, those are 40 pieces of premium currency. And characters are obtained by a gacha system, with roughly equal odds for a doctor or assistant appearing. As my version disabled purchasing diamonds with real money, 2000 diamonds were used in the test period. At the end I had half of the assistants and five doctors as the same ones kept showing up doing my rolls. Their power levels will increase, but if you want all the possible abilities, you might want to think twice.
Dr. Mario World is the most mobile game that Nintendo has been involved with. It does the typical tropes for a game of this caliber. There is a heavy focus on monetization with diamonds giving you more options or removing some challenge. While the game's look is quite basic, I can't deny that I quite liked the gameplay aspects. There is something nice about clearing levels or battling your foes in Versus Mode. That being said, World requires a lot of focus to play well. It takes everything a bit slower and lures you into a false sense of security. With a limited amount of resources, every capsule matters.
Super Mario Maker gave me some of the best times on the Wii U. It was a rare example of Nintendo placing trust into the GamePad to make an experience soar. I had a blast looking down on the touchscreen, laying down patterns and creating something entertaining for others to play. Up to three months ago, I was still actively interacting with the software. Now that Super Mario Maker 2 is inching closer for players everywhere, I got access to a pre-launch version. The results are mostly positive, with some asterisks along the way.
While making and playing user levels is an important part of Super Mario Maker 2, Story Mode is the biggest addition. One of the main reasons why I liked the Nintendo 3DS version of the original were the courses made by Nintendo. Those Nintendo-created levels are now placed into a structured adventure. Mario is on a quest to rebuild Princess Peach's castle and he needs coins to do so. Completing courses leads to more coinage that can be used to build new parts of the castle Those construction projects take up a few courses to be made, thus creating a constant, involved gameplay loop. Every time you start a building project, harder stages open up until it all comes together in an adorable finale.
The courses are spread across the five different game styles, with new ideas given room to shine. The main purpose of Story Mode is showcasing what you can create and added building blocks this time around. That being said, I couldn't help but be impressed with the level design. While the early goings are simple, the levels constantly evolve and start to champion concepts. Take the level “Save Me, Snake Block!” for example. In this underwater stage, your only protection is moving around snake blocks to stay out of sight in enemies. Another level, “BUZZY: The Movie: The Book: The Ride,” sees you wearing a Buzzy Beetle Helmet while riding on Buzzy Beetle shells and grabbing said shells to nab yourself coins. Story Mode is an absolute hoot, made better by some incredibly funny writing. The level titles, descriptions, and characters you meet all ooze a weird charm about them.
Super Mario Maker 2's maker meat and potatoes has some new stuff under the hood as well. When it comes to making the side scrolling stages of your dreams, there are more tools now than ever before. The new thing in the game is slopes, which adds endless possibilities for more intriguing terrain. The ease of adding a steep slope and sliding down from it made for some incredibly fun experiments. Another big feature are the objectives. In the editor, you can force a player to stay grounded or collect a number of coins to complete a level. Objectives change the entire flow of a stage, letting you bestow more personality to your creations. I also went really in-depth with the ON and OFF switches. The fact that they impact blocks, tracks, and even conveyor belts opens a big can of worms. The sense of experimentation is present in Super Mario Maker 2. From exploring the weird nighttime additions to playing around with the scrolling, so much is packed into the editor.
Outside of new functions, the Super Mario 3D World style is the biggest curveball to creating. The game style acts completely independent from everything else in Super Mario Maker 2 and for a very good reason: 3D World's selection of tools is impressive and clearly the most packed when compared to anything else. Spike Blocks, Clear Pipes, and the Koopa Troopa Car are only some of the elements that make the style tick. The Cat Suit makes for more stages with strategy as you can climb for a limited period, nose dive, and hang on for dear life. I combined it with the new vertical sub areas in the game, which made for acrobatic journeys to the top. It is very likely I will spend the most time in this style, together with all time favorite Super Mario Bros. 3.
I loved creating levels with the Wii U GamePad in the original, but that being said, I'm a teensy bit more conflicted in the sequel. When creating a test level and using the touchscreen in handheld mode, it didn't feel that I had solid overview of what I was doing. The creation process works with a capacitive stylus, but I had to use the television and a controller to see if I overlooked anything. I was okay using a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, particularly when setting large sets of blocks down. That being said, the button layout takes some getting used to. The D-Pad switches between functions, while the stick is used for placement. It didn't feel as immediate as the touchscreen.
The other main thing missing in Super Mario Maker 2 are the strange touches in the editor. In the new game, you hold an object down and get an array of options right there. The custom death sounds, weird easter eggs, and the almighty Lanky Mario are gone for the sake of cleanliness. I totally get why they did this, but they removed the Mario Paint roots in ways that bummed me out. Some aspects, like the sound effects, are heavily improved so they make the levels themselves more cool. A bigger point is that they removed the jank from the editor. The Wii U version allowed for some tricks and oddities that made for constant surprises. Even throughout updates, Nintendo didn't remove too much and left cool usages of them in tact. Sadly, though, you can no longer stack Warp Pipes to make them travel to different routes entirely.
Course World is the place where the levels of creators live and it got quite a boost from the original game. Once you upload a level, Super Mario Maker 2 asks you to be rather descriptive. In addition to giving your masterpiece a name, the player will have to choose two tags and give it some flavor text. What I think is so great about Mario Maker 2's Course World is its flexibility. As players discover levels and play them, they can leave comments to steer the creator in a certain direction. You can leave stamps, text, and drawings without the need of a special community or service. If you like a level, it is way easier to share them. Players can hop to somebody's Maker profile and see which courses they enjoyed enough to give a heart to. Creators can share simple nine character codes that are nicer to scribble down. Even if you don't know what to play next, Course World's got you covered. Next to the tabs with information, there are updated search functions that make it easier to find what you're in the mood for. You can choose by tags, game style, difficulty, and even region.
Replacing the 100 Mario Challenge in Course World in Maker 2 is Endless Challenge. The player selects a difficulty and gets courses to complete until all lives are lost. Endless Challenge is tied to the Online Leaderboards to showcase the highest non-stop runs in Super Mario Maker 2. That being said, I do really miss the pressure of the 100 Mario Challenge. As someone who is less skilled, having 100 lives to push through six brutal Super Expert courses was thrilling, and I really didn't get the same feeling here. The leaderboards not only give you the highest ranked Endless Challenge go-getters, but also allows to you look at high-scoring creators and players.
Last but certainly not least is Network Play. Until an update later this year, you will play against random players online in Super Mario Maker 2. In Multiplayer Versus, you fight your way until one person hits the goal. The players can hop on each other, block paths, and claim power-ups all for themselves. It is truly a battle for the fittest with one person claiming points to rise up the ranks. The other three players, sadly, will have to bite the dust and get nothing for their efforts. While I did wish that maybe the second player would benefit too, it is quite fun. There wasn't a way to adjust to people's skill levels, ensuring that less skilled players will lag behind. You couldn’t choose the levels either, not even in a Mario Kart-esque set-up. That being said, Multiplayer Co-op is also available, which is where everyone benefits and works together for the greater good. With a simple messaging system, players can give clues or hints to each other and steadily get the job done. The weird thing is that I couldn’t connect to pre-release American versions of the game, which concerns me just a bit that this might be region-locked.
Super Mario Maker 2 is a sweet follow-up to my one of my favorite Wii U games. While some of the weird quirks are removed entirely, there is a lot to love here. The added functions in the editor make cleaner levels possible and ensure that players find unique twists to include every time. The Super Mario 3D World style and objectives in particular are game changers that completely change how levels are made. Course World has seen some massive overhauls and most are welcome additions to the overall package. Super Mario Maker 2's newfound strength is hidden within the details, and that is what I really like about it. In its wake, it lost some of its Mario Paint roots, but Story Mode brings enough fun to overcome that sadness. Players and creators, rejoice.
The side scrolling action game has become a packed genre over the last couple of years. With retro-esque titles like Shovel Knight, the race to bigger and better pastures is upon us. When I first noticed Astalon on the BitSummit showfloor, I didn't know what to make of it. Sure, the game seemed fun, but I wrote it off as ''another one of those.” Shame on me, because the moment I started to experience what the game was doing, I actually found out how novel Astalon really is. You have to make a constant switch between three characters, and the results make for something rather special.
As mentioned, Astalon: Tears of The Earth is a side scrolling action-platformer. The look is very much 8-bit sprites with authentic looking backgrounds and world building to boot. What makes LABS Works' latest effort a tiny bit different is how it actually plays in motion. While it limits you in what you can do, the game is quite responsive and smooth. I had no problem learning the ins and outs, and was running through all of it in no time flat. The action was plentiful and really kept you focused on what is happening.
A couple of really interesting elements make Astalon rather unique. First of all, it doesn't run on a typical health bar, but rather on a numbered HP counter. Depending on the attacks you can endure, the Hit Points will faze out and forces you to be that teensy bit more careful. At the same time, Astalon embraces the sense of dread. When you perish, you have to get back to earth and use orbs that you collected for more possibilities. It can range from a simple health upgrade to mercy, which requires a whopping 2000 orbs.
Astalon constantly sees you using different characters to solve puzzles, defeating monsters or simply reaching new floors of the tower. You have Arias the Fighter, who uses his Sword and Shield combo for effective close combat and beast slaying. Algus the Wizard, who uses magical attacks to overpower anything that moves in his way. Finally, Kyuli the Rogue has speed and a bow and arrow on her side, which makes traversing the tower an absolute blast. Each has sections that only they can do, and there are set locations where you can freely swap to ensure that you can make progress.
While Astalon: Tears of The Earth may look a little standard from a distance, the action is anything but. With three characters in hand, you constantly have to deal with surprises. It seems that climbing the tower will not be a simple feat, but I reckon that the experience keeps building as a result. I didn't really get a major sense of the story, but the music and overall feel of the game keeps making me excited. Astalon is scheduled for a 2019 release.
Despite what some told me about Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight, I thought it was of the most smooth and fun action games that I’ve played in recent memory. When it finally came out on the Switch, I played the title two times in a single week. The first time was to enjoy the experience, while the second venture was to simply nail everything. When I heard that a spiritual sequel was in the works, I became real pumped for the improvements they could potentially make. What I didn't expect, however, is how much of a departure it would be from Momodora. Minoria not only plays smoother in some areas, they made a myriad of improvements that took my breath away.
If you’ve never played any of Bombservice's games, they are side scrolling action games with a focus on exploration. While the player can go on a straight path and get through the game as quickly as possible, you will have a better experience if you go off the beaten path. There are collectibles to find, new powers to gain and more interactions to be had. Some might call the titles straight up Metroidvanias, but there is a lot more world building in Bombserivce's efforts. Minoria is their biggest step in that direction to date, and it really shows how much they have evolved as a studio.
Minoria sees you controlling Sister Semilla as she tries to get rid of a distinct evil. The land is getting overrun by witches, and it is up to her and assistant Sister Fran to see justice served. Along the way, you will have to deal with the witches' followers and their magic. Massive bosses await you to bookend parts of the journey, shady characters will step in your way and deadly obstacles are showing no mercy. Minoria's world is filled with unique sections that you have to overcome and learn from. Unlike Momodora, the demo for Minoria had very little downtime and every screen had something good going on.
Sister Semilla's greatest asset are the moves that she can pull off. While Momodora already had a solid selection of options, Minoria ramps all of that up greatly. For starters, there is more focus on patience and then striking back. Semilla uses a combination of spells and swordplay to allow for a bit more distance. The spells in particular will go for those foes and allow for safety measures on a whim. Usually though, I kept it mostly to sword strikes, together with the defensive options. You can parry and dodge roll, allowing you to quickly get out of harm's way. Roll and strike became my way to play, though it doesn't help in every given situation.
The thing that impressed me the most about Minoria is the presentation. Bombservice has always been a fan of sprites, but they decided to step away from those. Instead, they opted for cell-shaded characters and 2D hand-painted backgrounds. The character models in particular are absolutely stunning with smoother movement than ever before. The impact between you and your opponents is very much greater and proved much more fun to watch. The new look allowed the developers to go with a very medieval European look that I honestly really love. Add a very moody soundtrack on top of that, and you got a game I will devour on my Nintendo Switch.
Minoria is set up to become Bombservice's biggest title to date. With a sharp presentation and smoother combat, they are elevating the type of action game they make. A lot of positive aspects of their previous games are still present, but they are taking a huge leap in the ways they lacked previously. If the game can hold up outside of my vertical slice, that remains to be seen. That being said, I walked away with warm feelings inside.
CyberConnect2's slate of titles have always been interesting. From ongoing franchises like .hack and Naruto to original titles like Solatorobo, they are a fun company to keep tabs on. Recently, the company presented their plans for the future and confirmed a renewed focus on self-owned IP. One of the pillars presented was a new game in their Little Tail Bronx line-up, which brought us the previously mentioned Solatorobo. This new game, however, gives us a strategy RPG like no other. Back in May at BitSummit 2019, I got my first look at Fugue on the Battlefield and the results were very pleasing.
From the get go, Fugue on the Battlefield immediately knows how to make an entrance. The models during regular gameplay are 3D, with the backgrounds and rooms made from multi-layered 2D planes. The result is absolutely stunning to look at with intriguing details anywhere you start looking. What helps is how the characters are drawn. The cat people have these simple yet expressive faces that sell the world they are in. They are in war, trying to make it out alive the best way they possibly can.
The gameplay is obviously the place that matters most. The gigantic tank roams around on a side scrolling plane and tries to reach the end safe and sound. During the route that you take, there are three specific events that will occur. First off, let's talk about battling your opponents. Once you encounter foes, you are immediately thrown into the battle screen where it is all about surviving waves. All spread across the tank, teams of two are ready to take on orders. Depending on what move they do, they will be sent back some spots in the line. For example, a Machine Gun shot will send that specific team back four Wait Time spaces. Similarly to more traditional Role Playing Games, all of the participants are set on a timeline so you can see what will happen next.
What makes using the tank such a change is that you only have one health bar. Regardless of what you do or how effective certain attacks are, the effects will have consequences for everyone involved. The demo made that extremely clear and you shouldn't go lax for even a single moment. There was an urgency there that I haven't felt for awhile, forcing you to keep looking ahead. Every enemy type will also respond differently to each weapon type in your arsenal, so figuring out a plan becomes important rather fast.
Luckily, the number of attacks available will be a gigantic help. While you can go for your basic attacks, there are plenty of other tactics at hand. Outside of Waiting or Defending, there are a number of skills that each team in the tank can use. Don't get me wrong, these resources aren't endless and you should use them only when you are in a bind. For example, you can lower the defense of an opponent or increase your own attack power. Many more powerful attacks are also at hand, but playing around with statistics was where my head was at. The guide at the booth helped me through the best tactics, but even then, I still had to decide on the moments myself.
Outside of fighting enemies, world building sections help to flesh out the story. As the army exists of younger people, you will have to keep them in line. During special intermission sections, you will talk and hear about problems they have. By giving them encouragement, they will receive a tiny bit of stat boosts, which will help you in future battles. Storybook sequences are included which provide random events that can occur. They happen at random intervals during your routes, and give you more background information. I'm not sure how much significance they have yet, but the scenes looked really flipping great.
Overall though, Fugue on the Battlefield left a strong first impression. The style of characters is really adorable, and the gameplay mechanics seem to be shaping up greatly. The game is all about knowing when to strike, which adds flavor to the proceedings. You can't simply dive head first in the game, press some buttons and easily expect results. How the bigger game pans out remains to be seen, but it is doing some real fun stuff so far.
The concept of games is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Sometimes you are sold on an idea without even having played a minute of a title. Untitled Goose Game deserves that kind of credit. From the first moment it was showcased in a presentation, I knew that I wanted to play this. The simple pleasure of being a goose and completing silly tasks seems right up my alley. It has been a little quiet since that announcement, but the title returned with a vengeance at BitSummit 2019. It’s here that I got to freely explore the title, and I really enjoy the simple pleasures of being a jerk.
Yes, I said it. The goose you play as is the biggest jerk. Our feathered friend cackles at everybody he meets, grabs all of their stuff and runs off like it’s nobody's business. And I love it so very much. Sometimes it’s just you being a jerk, and doing whatever you desire. You certainly can here, but that isn’t obviously the end goal.
The player gets a list of tasks to complete and these range from simple to outlandish. In the beginning, you will have to ensure that a farmer opens a gate for you. Once you have access to his garden, the real fun can begin. You will need to grab all the vegetables you can so that the goose can have his own picnic. He will need everything from a basket to a radio as well. So obviously, you will lure the farmer away any chance you get. After that, you grab something with the beak and use your stealth tactics so that the farmer doesn’t notice a thing.
While playing, there was just a big smirk on my face. You have to be careful with the goose to get everything done, but I just adored making a run for it. Failure or success, the game would act in a specific way that I could get behind. I kept stealing the farmer’s keys for fun and he kept chasing me around to no end. Once I went into the river, he got himself wet and I finished yet another objective. There is so much weird fun to be had.
So yes, the hook of Untitled Goose Game is simple, but who cares? Every time I was walking about with the goose, a smirk started to instantly appear. Throw some intriguing situations and mechanics into the mix, and you have something incredibly dumb. Dumb enough to just work and laugh at. Untitled Goose Game is something I simply just need, like right now.
Black Bird was an incredible game that people need to play. It was so utterly bizarre and yet so wonderful. Onion Games mixed side-scrolling shooter with a bonkers story and even crazier mechanics. I couldn’t stop smiling all the way through. So when I heard that these people were making another Nintendo Switch game, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Dandy Dungeon is equally strange, but pivots it in such a different fashion altogether.
Dandy Dungeon is all about a middle-aged programmer called Yamada-kun. He works for a big video game company, but utterly hates the job. After being thrown out of the company, he starts out on a journey of his own, a quest if you will. He sets out to make an RPG with him as the main character. As the story in the real world moves on, he starts to implement things he sees in the game. Is there a neighbour he really likes? Throw it into the game. An angry person that couldn’t stop shouting at him? Turn them into a boss encounter. It is a genuinely funny concept that I hope keeps developing over time.
As far as gameplay goes, you will use the stick or your finger to create a path and make Yamada walk across a floor. Every obstacle that he meets will be interacted with. Yamada and enemies will have a back and forth battle, items will be picked up, and special points will be used. The key to winning at Yamada’s game is to walk across every space on the floor. This isn’t easy, particularly with a strict time limit to create a path.
This makes Dandy Dungeon much more of a strategic puzzler. You have to plan first before it plays out. Once he starts running, the only real influence you have are the items you’ve collected. Yamada only heals when the character levels up, or when you use an item. These can vary from strengthening attacks to protecting you from harm. I found myself using them solely in critical situations. For your convenience, the game will pause and ask you to confirm, so no accidental presses disrupt your journey.
Every new game part that Yamada-kun makes will have multiple floors to get through. You can replay sections for a higher score, and boost your ranking on online leaderboards. The ultimate goal is to know how to approach a floor, climb the towers, and explore new aspects of this 36 year old’s life. It is wonderfully weird on so many levels.
As we have come to expect from Onion Games, the sprite work is quite cute. The characters have a certain weight and appearance to them, which makes them stand out rather well. Yamada’s figure in particular is well suited for the part he plays in the general story. Add to that, a fantastic soundtrack that is on a similar level to Black Bird. The battle theme brings back the singing voice, plus some chiptune sounds to boot.
We are about a month away from Dandy Dungeon’s release, and I’m flipping pumped. There is something addicting about clearing the floors, and making sense of Yamada-kun’s life. Onion Games have crafted a mold in which all of their games are formed. At this point, they can make the dumbest thing in the world and I’d be okay with that. Dandy Dungeon might be the best in that sense.
When it comes to previous Gunvolt outings, I was intrigued but played them in passing. I enjoyed them for what they were, but as a whole, it never went further than skin deep. Inti Creates makes various action games, and I have always genuinely been more a fan of their Blaster Master work. The wonderful thing about Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX is that it goes for mechanics that are instantly lovable. The action has never been flashier, and the general flow of the game has never been stronger.
First things first, though. With Gunvolt 2, I generally liked the character of Copen, and he happens to be the main focus here. He is a rather mysterious figure who doesn’t make his motives very clear. In the technologically-advanced world of the game, all humans are required to get special powers. Everyone who disagrees is executed. Copen objects to this reality and tries to take down whoever is willing to harm the common citizens. Inti Creates was very keen on not sharing too many details, but we are sure to learn more as the months pass.
The demo at BitSummit 2019 consisted of two levels. One had a city background, while the other sunk you down to the sewers/labs. The levels were about ten minutes long each, with a constant flow of non-stop action. It was important here to keep going as a large chunk of your time would be spent fighting a boss. These are multi-layered encounters that throw constant curveballs during every step of the process. The Sumeragi henchmen are no joke, so some misplaced moves could lead to a bad end for you.
Gunvolt Chronicles’ main hook is a lock-on attack. By dashing into an enemy and then using your gun or special powers, Copen will directly attack that specific foe. It is a look of beauty to swipe past a machine and then throw an energy-sucking ball at it. There is a certain flow to combat that I really adore, and I felt more in control than ever before. Obviously, you can handle enemies with your simple shooting mechanic and chip away at them, but I used basic attacks in combination with the much cooler stuff.
One of the bosses really took a lot out of me. With his scissor hands and giant orange wings, he could generally defend by using a constant flow of shields. You really had to time your attacks, and shoot where needed. In the cases where he would be fully defenceless, the boss would hide in a corner and make it rough to difficult to strike back at him. There were seven seconds left on the in-game timer when I beat him, and it felt amazing.
But even outside of attacking, Copen controls like a beast. His directional air movement can make some impressive runs happen. In addition, it allows you to jump off walls and mark enemies to get those crucial hits in. There is also an instant dodge mechanic, which will take a portion off your Bullit gauge, and hovering so that you can more easily make your next move.
The new idol character, who follows you around for extra special moves, is genuinely fun as well. Lola, as she is called here, could do a fun screen clearing move in the demo. Next to this, if you destroy enough enemies, you will go into Overdrive Mode. This will restore health, increase attack power and just looks flashy. If you aren’t as strong a player, not to worry. When your HP hits zero, Gunvolt Chronicles will activate an Anthem mode. Lola will give Copen access to all of his abilities and unlimited bullets.
As you might expect from an Inti Creates game, the pixel art looks excellent. The character models in particular seemed sharp and gave a clear indication of how you are facing. The music, in particular Lola’s idol mode, was pretty great. It certainly put me in the right mode, ready to kick some Someragi behinds.
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX’s first impression was a strong one. From top to bottom, the general feeling of the game was just really good. It is clear that the developers looked at what worked, improved on it, and tried to make you feel more awesome in the process. Obviously, we will have to see how the game develops, considering you will get new moves throughout the actual adventure. However, with the time I spent with it at BitSummit, the title is in a very good place. I can’t wait to see this through in September 2019.
Card games are something magical. Each one that I've played has unique systems and ideas that keep me glued to the screen for hours on end. The Nintendo Switch, however, is on the search for that one experience that can rule them all. Playfusion's last title, Lightseeker, left me feeling flat. The mechanics disappointed me somewhat, and it was something that could only be enjoyed under certain circumstances. When I heard that the studio had a Warhammer game in the works, I stood up and started to take notice. Unsurprisingly, the game made me feel a lot more welcome, even if there is a lot more to keep track of.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions, at its core, isn't unlike other card games. The game is free-to-play, so purchasing booster packs and other items is how the developer makes money. By pulling the cards you need, you will build up decks and face off against others in a variety of card battles. The game starts you off with the basics. You get some cards to use and three tutorials that won't take you longer than 15 minutes. Even after that point, though, you will likely have some questions. The game's answer? Just start playing, and everything will become clear as you move along. I wasn't entirely sure about this approach, but I eventually got the hang of things.
While the playing field may seem more limiting, I was thoroughly impressed with the strategies that Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions made possible. You start by placing champions, special units with awesome powers, in four slots on the map. As you place units and spells in the slots above them, the champions will go quests, which will result in attacks with incredible strength. The normal cards will flip around until they've exhausted all four sides. At that point, they will have used up their power and will go to the discard pile. Along the way, each side could provide an attack or another effect that can aid you in battle.
Every decision you make carries weight, in a micromanagement kind of ordeal. You will not attack your opponent's units. Instead, you will directly hit your opponent's health points in the swiftest way possible. Depending on the opponent you're facing, the strategies you will deploy will be rather different. More often than not, I held cards back as the flip system only allows for a limited number of opportunities. It is also rather important to note that you only get two actions in a single turn. You can decide to play cards and actively pursue victory, or draw cards and wait for the right chance to strike. Every game felt refreshing and forced me to think thoroughly and carefully.
Champions does a great job of highlighting effects and who will be affected. If something is not possible, it will clearly state that as well. Despite not having the clearest tutorial, the game guides you through battle with ease. Don't get me wrong: you still have to call the shots, so don't expect victories just because the title pushes you in the right direction. Unlike Playfusion's previous game, it is also possible to play Champions on a television and use the Joy-Con for good measure. This makes it easy to have a clear view of the playing field, with UI elements that just pop.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions gives you plenty of reasons to play the metagame as well. To learn the game, you can battle in a variety of offline modes that will test your skills. Naturally, you can opt to play random battles, but I found myself spending a lot of time in the Realm Trials. Here, you are thrown into battles that get more challenging the more you play, but there are some grand rewards in return if you complete them. Before you head in, the player is told which champions will be used, so your cards can be adjusted if you so desire. From time to time, there are also special campaigns and rewards on offer if you're willing to play over a longer period of time.
For those into the competitive side of the game, online is heavily featured in the title. For the most part, I kept it to Casual Mode and played games for fun. Sadly, there wasn't a way to play against friends and see who is the very best. Personally, I think that is a big shame as I really wanted pals to get into Champions. This missing feature isn't the end of the world, considering you also have Ranked and the special Arena of Echoes modes, but it would've been the cherry on top. Surely, I would be even more compelled to pump resources into the digital version.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions managed to impress me in multiple ways. While the game looks nice enough, the presentation is purely background for some fantastic gameplay elements. The grid system and its approach are really fun to play around with and give you just tons to consider. That being said, the tutorial can be a bit confusing and throws you into the game proper with very little care. Once you get over that hump, you will find that it can be learned through a number of games. There are deliberate systems at play, but the game guides you to where you need to go.
Kairosoft are the champions of the Japanese simulation games. If you're looking for something specific in their catalogue, they likely already made it. This developer has created a format that works and will almost force you to play through their games out of habit. Cafeteria Nipponica is no different in those respects as it follows the task of building up a restaurant. You choose from various menus, and then you're off putting together your empire. Does it stand out from anything else the studio has done? Not really.
Honestly, the problem isn't the gameplay in itself. You, as the silent observer, will need to deck out your restaurant to make it better. The journey will see you placing tables, adding new menu items, and doing more small tasks to expand. You will need to keep the financial picture in check, too, but once the money starts rolling in, you can make plans any way you desire. It works quite soundly with buttons or the touchscreen. While I thought that Cafeteria Nipponica is good, it is unmistakingly like Kairosoft’s other simulation games.
Cafeteria Nipponica does do a few unique things to keep the action flowing. As you have to deal with customers directly, you get certain types coming through the door. They each require a different approach, and will force you to pay attention. In addition, you will have to improve your recipes and ensure that all types of customers can be served. This becomes critical towards the end of the experience as high profile people will enter and want to sit in your restaurant. It always kept me engaged, ensuring that I knew where the game was eventually heading.
For most of the play time, you will sit and wait around for events to occur. Cafeteria Nipponica is a slow burn, and you will start to feel it after while. Sometimes the game doesn't give you anything to do or shoot for, so you will be waiting to be served the next slice of gameplay. When the game does engage you, it clearly deserves a thumbs up for its various systems. When the title leaves you hanging, it feels like you're wasting time. There isn't a real inbetween there.
Cafeteria Nipponica is just fine. The game was able to pull me in multiple times, but also created way more dead air than I was good with. It does some unique things like improving recipes and concerning yourself with customers directly, but it follows that familiar template that Kairosoft managed to create.
The Atelier series consists of some of the most incredibly in-depth RPGs on the market today. There are so many systems to keep track of, solely to keep progression trucking at a fair pace. The systems are constantly evolving, too, forcing you to adapt as you head into new pastures. Sometimes I just wish that the Atelier games threw us for a curve and did something completely different. Hey, how about a town builder title with the old RPG style elements? Oh wait, that is exactly what Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is, isn't it?
To call Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists a complete departure from everything that makes Atelier well... Atelier, is a tiny bit disingenuous. The journey still sees you fighting monsters in turn-based battles, crafting items through the power of alchemy, and building relationships with characters. That being said, the adventure side of things has been stripped away and been replaced with town management elements. You will have to build up an economy, make the town thrive, and put your simulation skills to the test. Right on cue comes Nelke, an upbeat aristocrat who has found herself in quite a pickle. The situation is far worse than she was expecting, and building up the town will take longer than both of you would expect.
From the outset, it took a while before the game started gaining momentum. The opening hours were filled with story elements and non-playable tutorials. Those two hours felt like an absolute chore and made me think about quitting the title altogether. What doesn't help is that you're forced on a path until it's over, which really adds to the frustration. There is some intrigue to finding out through text how to play and letting the player decide if they need more help, but Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists has zero interest in such an approach. I think it is somewhat disrespectful of the player's time and effort.
After that poor first impression, the game steadily began to draw me in. It is an utter joy to build up the town of Westwald, with plenty of room for story and gameplay bits. Like I mentioned previously, you are basically creating a bustling economy. Throughout the in-game weeks, you will have to find ingredients so that alchemists can make items for you to finally sell. With the resources gathered, you will be able to improve the town and make the output just that tiny bit larger. It will result in building up fields and structures, creating new resources, and continuing the same loop from there.
Somehow the game managed to keep me engaged even in the menus as they are highly entertaining. The options there to construct the town are widespread, and it feels very motivating to work towards a goal. There is a constant slew of requests from the townsfolk, goals to complete, and targets to be reached. Nelke rewards you for raising the population and reaching a certain money threshold, which makes the title a total time sink. The game keeps you up to date, too, ensuring that you know the next step in the process.
Outside of the weeks, there are also ''holidays''. On these days, you will talk to townsfolk and develop bonds with them. By doing so, you will create new opportunities in the future and open up new requests that may end up benefiting the town. Another point here is that the characters are incredibly well written. I was stoked to talk to characters, knowing that they had something to say. You can also go on investigations, where you visit regions to collect brand new materials. Sadly, don't expect much in the way of exploration here. The player walks down a fairly linear path, with only turn-based battles to spice things up. Even these, however, weren't all that special. In fact, you can turn on auto-battling and let the game do the work for you. It was that uninteresting.
As far as the presentation of Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists is concerned, things are fair enough. The game can chug at moments, but nothing too game breaking. The colors across the game are quite nice and well suited to the platform. I am particularly impressed with how well the character models look on Switch, though some other textures could've been a teensy bit better. Luckily, the soundtrack and overall flair completely make up for that.
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is a unique spin-off that I quite enjoyed. Not everything works about the title, like the investigations and opening portions of the adventure. Particularly the latter could've been so much better by not throwing me into an unskippable tutorial. Once you get handed the reigns over the journey, it is a surprisingly fun town management game I couldn't stop playing.
While the previous two ARTE published games made efforts to appeal to a console audience, Homo Machina plays it rather straight. The game, originally a mobile title, retains plenty of aspects that made the first version so unique. You would click on elements of the human body, see things unfold, and learn something new about our inner workings. It was one of the cutest yet most educational experiences I have had in a while. When I heard that it was coming to Nintendo Switch, I was pretty excited. What I got, though, was a bit underwhelming.
To be frank, I don't think the experience works on a television. Call it harsh, but playing with a pointer on a playing field designed for mobile gave me some serious issues. Homo Machina doesn't run great on the bigger screen anyway, with graphical glitches making some annoying flashes on screen. With the touchscreen though, it was somewhat pleasant to play. The UI remained a bit small, but I could easily click on stuff for a more optimal playthrough.
When I got over these woes, the game was just okay. Homo Machina sees you exploring the human body’s internal functions, which are represented as a factory with people doing the day-to-day work. The player will have to solve little puzzles to get to the next sequence of events so as to get the person who you are tinkering with trucking again. There is some trial and error here, particularly later on, but as an experience it does some neat tricks. Homo Machina thrives at being ''neat,'' but don't expect those feelings will go any deeper.
Homo Machina is a one trick pony, but one that has been tremendously cared for. The puzzles are fun, and the fact that the human body is controlled by little people is a neat touch. It helps that there is pleasant dialogue to boot, pushing you towards the next puzzle. As a game on Switch though, it is the weakest of the three Arte games. Only with the touchscreen did it feel somewhat satisfying, which is a bummer. This world could've easily been adapted to a full 16:9 display, and you wouldn't have lost anything in the process. Its mobile roots limit what the game can do, which becomes apparent rather quickly.
Vandals happens to be a game I'm quite familiar with. If you look at it from a glance, one thing will be instantly clear: it looks a lot like Square Enix's GO series. That is, in all honesty, a positive thing. The simple method of moving pieces around, maneuvering around obstacles, and getting the most out of your turns is incredible. Vandals can easily be seen as a rip-off of the Square Enix line, but ultimately it’s just a good time. Was it a completely fun experience? Mostly, but it has a few weird quirks.
To get straight to the point, Vandals is the first game of this type in a while that dares to be different. While the basic structure of hopping from space to space remains in play, there are many elements to consider. You are a graffiti artist, trying to bring life to the streets. This isn't without danger or risk. Cops are standing on every corner of the street, eyeing to take you into custody. The levels will see you grabbing a spray can, putting up your art, and using throw items to distract the police so that you can get to the goal.
The cops are usually fixed in place. That is until you throw an item, blow your whistle, or use the can. It is where the strategy of Vandals really comes into its own. You constantly have to move back and forth to stay out of sight. To give an example, there are chances to hide in the bushes or dive into the sewers if you do your routing well. All of this is needed to get yourself out of danger. Unlike other games in the turn-based puzzle genre, the controls are a little weird. Instead of moving a fixed cursor around, which would hop from space-to-space, you control the protagonist himself. You have to move the stick in a certain direction and then let go of it. It is an incredibly weird way to control a game like this. Not that it is particularly awful, but it’s just very awkward to implement it in that specific way. Vandals would've done better by keeping it simple.
Next to the strategic elements of the game, Vandals tries to throw another curveball into the mix. You will be able to create your own patterns and stick them on the walls in the game. Once you are zoomed it, your creation remains on the surface of the stage. Next to this, it will also go in the collection menu where you can admire your best work. Honestly, the novelty wears off way too fast, pushing me to opt for the generic logos with your name. I know that the purpose is to learn about the history of graffiti, so why not make that an element within the puzzles themselves?
Overall, Vandals is fairly enjoyable. While I did wish the controls were better, I did like the puzzles a whole lot. The puzzles make it fun to constantly sneak back and forth, and inch closer to the end of each stage effectively. The educational side felt like somewhat of a throwaway, mostly because it wasn't part of the main game. Their solution, making your own art, loses its charm after the first world. With some tweaking, Vandals could have been excellent, but for now it feels unfocused.
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