Gavin Lane

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Apr 28, 2020

Critic80/100

Agreement—

On paper, searching a large database of phone-filmed video clips doesn't sound too exciting, but Telling Lies offers an exhilarating few hours of detective work thanks to clever construction, strong performances and exceptional polish. Given that the game takes place almost entirely in windows on a virtual desktop computer screen (and would therefore seem 'at home' on PC), it survives the transition to Switch entirely intact. While there's not much incentive to reopen the investigation once it reaches its climax, uncovering Telling Lies' web of relationships and intrigue is a case definitely worth taking on.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Dec 3, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Farming Simulator 20 won't be for everyone, but if you're after high-octane, instant gratification, why are you sniffing around something called 'Farming Simulator 20'? It requires time and devotion – if you're not one to enjoy the long, languorous journey you'd be better off sticking to more abstract farming sims. Once you get into its low-key repetitive groove, though, there's a wealth of wholesome, calming work to get lost in and a satisfying flow to cultivating a field, sowing seeds, harvesting, repeating and watching those numbers go up.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Oct 8, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Mechanically-speaking, there's little you haven’t seen elsewhere, but it’s a good-looking, fun third-person romp dripping in slimy nostalgia, and the chance to spend time in the company of these old friends – some of them dearly departed – is too good to pass up if you've ever strapped on your school backpack and gone out to catch ghosts in the garden.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Sep 4, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

It'd be easy to look at the bobcat's resumé, look at this and dismiss it out of hand. Unfortunately, although Bubsy: Paws On Fire has the foundation of a decent runner and developer Choice Provisions knows what it's doing in terms of creating levels with an engaging flow, less than stellar performance, bland and repetitive stages, superfluous gameplay additions and long loads combine to drag the experience down. It's not awful, it's just nowhere near as good as the Runner series and ultimately we'd recommend ditching the bobcat and spending time in the company of Commander Video instead.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Aug 6, 2019

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Omega Labyrinth Life is a Whopper of a game – delicious and juicy on the poster, but it's really just salt and stodge. If you're after some decent dungeon-crawling filler, it certainly does the job and there's pleasure to be had, but there are far cheaper, more adventurous meals on Switch eShop that are ultimately more satisfying and won't leaving you feeling mildly guilty. If you're a curious onlooker whose interest is piqued, we'd wait for a sale; fanservice isn't enough to justify the asking price at launch for anybody but diehard Omega Labyrinth devotees.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Jul 5, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Heartwarming; that’s the word to describe Dream Daddy. It’s a feelgood game, from its tongue-in-cheek Dream Weaver-esque theme tune to its message of acceptance and generally being excellent to one another.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Jun 14, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Cadence of Hyrule is not just a brilliant game, it's a brilliant Zelda game - one that you won't want to miss.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·May 3, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Panty Party is not unenjoyable. Don't be tricked into thinking you'll be ogling barely dressed girls – the panties themselves are the stars here. Bayonetta is an infinitely more alluring proposition in absolutely every way, but Panty Party's hack-and-slash style gameplay isn't without merit and there's a certain bizarre joyfulness to it. It's mostly-harmless, repetitive nonsense that you'll blow through in an afternoon, but we'd be lying if we said it didn't raise a grin or two through its sheer WTF-ness.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Apr 23, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Remarkably solid and satisfying, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a card battler with an abundance of charm in its art, mechanics and writing. The presentation is slick, the dialogue's witty and the gameplay's addictive, although nothing about it feels particularly special – not in the way SteamWorld Dig 2 felt special. It does what it does well, though, and it's still a thoroughly enjoyable time in that universe. As long as you're not expecting anything revolutionary, we recommend anybody who likes turn-based battling or who enjoyed any previous games in the series check it out.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Apr 11, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Despite familiar echoes and mechanical touchstones from other games, Hellblade’s psychological bent and the constant voices in Senua’s (and therefore your) head give it an identity very much of its own.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Apr 4, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

If you enjoyed Gunman Clive, this is a great expansion on the concept and well worth investigating.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Mar 29, 2019

Critic60/100

Agreement—

There’s fun to be had on New Zack Island, although we wish it drilled down on two or three things rather than the assortment of slighter activities it offers. Ultimately, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet is a minigame compilation that you play repeatedly to earn money to buy costumes for busty supermodels.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Mar 27, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

If you’re new to the series, Yoshi’s Crafted World has colour and charm to spare, even if its inventiveness is largely limited to its looks.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Feb 12, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

OlliOlli is one of those games you really have to live with; perseverance pays dividends, but so does taking a break and coming back in the morning to find muscle memory kicking in. Before you know it you'll be grinding elegantly and racking up impressive points, but you need to stick with it. With the skateboarding genre largely on hiatus, this is an easy recommendation to newcomers with the patience to master it. This version doesn't bring anything new to the table if you've played it before, but it's a fine game in fine form on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Feb 7, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Despite threatening to fizzle under the weight of its reverence for Blade Runner, Observer manages to craft an impressive and affecting horror experience on Switch that doesn't outstay its welcome. It's arguably at its best when you surrender to the barrage of imagery and sounds rather than scanning pools of blood with detective vision. This port walks a technical tightrope and falters a little in docked mode, but fares much better as a handheld experience – its ambition and rich world-building are admirable enough to make up for any technical shortcomings. If Bloober Team doubles-down on the horror genre and keeps producing work of this quality, we'll gladly play whatever's next in the pipeline.