Mitch Vogel

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 23, 2023

Critic50/100

Agreement—

It feels like Blade Assault could be a good game with a few more years of focused, iterative development, but what we have today doesn't quite cut it. Its uninspired visuals, chaotic combat, and overall lack of identity all work against it in a popular and overcrowded genre. Though it passably executes on the basic blueprint of an action roguelite and it can be fun to buildcraft around its cast of playable characters, Blade Assault simply doesn't do enough to justify a spot in your library. If you're absolutely fiending for another roguelite and somehow haven't been satisfied by the extensive selection of excellent titles already on Switch, then maybe this is worth a punt.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 13, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

If you liked Dead Cells, it's a no-brainer that you must get the Return to Castlevania DLC as soon as possible. It may be brief, but this is a brilliantly intense and nostalgic trip to a spookier world that fits in well with the broader offering of content in the base game. This feels like it's primarily made for Dead Cells fans who also happen to like Castlevania - it's unlikely to convert Castlevania aficionados who don't get on with Motion Twin's roguelite. At any rate, we loved it and it's great to see Castlevania back in video games again. Let's hope that Konami takes notice and opts to give us a full revival soon.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 10, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Figment 2 stands as a competent and creative action puzzle game with a lot of heart. Though it feels rather short, it's clear that a lot of thought and care went into making this charming world. Satisfying puzzles and excellent presentation are a big draw here, though they're let down by simplistic combat and undeniably rough, gameplay-affecting performance on Switch. We'll keep our fingers crossed for patches, and we'd still give Figment 2 a recommendation, though you may want to wait for this one to go on sale.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 1, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society does a fantastic job of providing a dense and devastating journey into the depths of dungeons, though it sometimes does so at the cost of accessibility. An attractive art style, expansive team-building options, and genuinely surprising story all combine to make this one worth a recommendation, but with the big caveat that a lot of its appeal is lost if you don't enjoy min-maxing in RPGs or don't have the patience to fully digest and comprehend all its systems. If that does sound like it's up your street, though, Labyrinth of Galleria is absolutely worth your time and money.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Octopath Traveler II is a triumphant and confident follow-up to its predecessor, building on the established foundation with welcome new ideas and tweaks that make for an overall excellent experience. A strategic combat system, open-ended character progression, well-written stories, gorgeous visuals, and an incredible soundtrack all coalesce into one of the finest RPGs available on Switch to date. Though it may be more of the same, Team Asano demonstrates mastery of its craft at every turn here. We'd give Octopath Traveler II a high recommendation to anybody looking for a beautiful new RPG to add to their Switch collection.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 15, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

We're admittedly a little mixed on Tales of Symphonia Remastered. Though the story is compelling, the character building is satisfying, and there's lots of content to experience, Bandai Namco's near-nonexistent efforts to scrub out the rough edges of this 20-ish year old game definitely hold it back from greatness. Things like the stiff combat, dated visuals, and awkward writing limit the appeal here, which makes this remaster feel like a missed opportunity. It's easier to recommend this to those who have nostalgia for the original and want to relive those memories, but it's tough to say whether newcomers should pick it up. This is far from the best action RPG on the Switch, and it's arguably not even the best Tales game on the Switch. We'd give this one a light recommendation as its positives do outweigh its negatives, but with the caveat that you should probably wait for a deep sale or buy it used. There are much better RPGs to play on the Switch today, and this one doesn't quite deserve a spot near the top of your list.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jan 30, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake is a triumphant and varied 3D platformer that no fan of the series or the genre will want to miss. It's not the game that'll change your mind if 3D collectathon-style games aren't your thing, but it demonstrates at every step that it's not just some half-hearted cash-in. Focused level design, lots of gameplay variety, tight controls, and a charming cast voiced by the original voice artists all combine to make this one of the best SpongeBob games yet. Though it's occasionally let down by performance issues, we'd still give this one a strong recommendation to anyone who likes a 3D platformer and a Krabby Patty.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jan 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Over ten years later, Persona 4 Golden remains a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing RPG that, for the most part, has stood the test of time. Although its visuals might be a bit dated, the gameplay and story presented here do more than enough to justify the purchase, while all the tweaks and additions that came with this 'Golden' edition round out most of the rougher edges from the initial PS2 release. If you're looking to give the Persona series a shot, Persona 5 Royal is a good place to start, but P4G is an excellent entry in the series and one that we would recommend you pick up when you can.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jan 17, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

P3P remains an enjoyable JRPG, but we would say this is easily the most skippable of the mainline Persona games on Switch at present. An engrossing story and well-balanced gameplay loop easily justify a purchase, though things like Tartarus' repetitive floors, the visual novel presentation, and the lack of FES content hold this one back from the heights its successors reached. We'd give P3P a recommendation, though only after having played both P4G and P5R, and only if you still find yourself needing more Persona in your life. This is still a great installment for Persona fans and will be best appreciated by players who have that contextual series knowledge, but its rougher edges may put others off.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jan 11, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Those of you who just want a straight, no-nonsense twin-stick shooter will find a lot to love about Lone Ruin, while those looking for a more ambitious project may want to look elsewhere. Tight controls, dark aesthetics, tough-but-fair gameplay, and a diverse collection of weapons and upgrades all come together to make this one a worthwhile purchase, with the caveat that it's also about as basic as a twin-stick shooter can get, which limits its staying power somewhat. We'd give Lone Ruin a light recommendation for anyone who considers themselves a twin-stick fan, though this may perhaps be one to wait for a sale.