Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Feb 28, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Fimbul creates an appealingly grim Norse folklore-infused world to adventure through, but its core action is simply too weak to seal the deal. Its pacy combat can be brutally satisfying, but it's also shallow and repetitive, while the game struggles from a technical perspective. There's a promising world at the heart of Fimbul, but it needs to be married to a more fluid and fleshed-out game.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 28, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

The Nintendo eShop would be a considerably more exciting and interesting place if it were packed full of games like Ape Out, it's a refreshingly original experience that more than deserves a place in any Switch owner's library. Difficult, frenetic gameplay, a strong art direction, and an even stronger jazz drum soundtrack make this the sort of memorable game that you'll likely keep coming back to over and over for another few runs at the arcade mode. We'd give Ape Out a strong recommendation to anyone looking for a distinct and unforgettable game for their Switch collection; it's a bit of an acquired taste, but this is well worth your time.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 26, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

RemiLore is the sort of game that's meant to soothe and delight while offering occasional moments of legitimate excitement, and it achieves this goal to a wonderful degree. With that being said, there's also very little here that you haven't seen before; the hack ‘n' slash action, roguelite elements, and RPG mechanics rarely stray beyond well-trodden tropes, making for a very ‘safe' gameplay experience. If you're looking to buy a game that has a decent amount of depth and doesn't require much from the player in terms of skill or time, RemiLore is a fantastic recommendation. On the other hand, if you're looking for a game to replace your Diablo addiction, you'll likely be disappointed by what's on offer. Either way, RemiLore proves itself to be a well-made and inoffensive loot grind of an RPG; consider giving this one a look.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Feb 25, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

It seems almost customary to include the phrase 'Not for everyone' in any review of a niche genre game, and while that certainly applies to Devil Engine, it has at least been designed in a way that encourages even the weakest players to keep trying and learn from their mistakes. The drip-feed of content is an effective incentive to pick yourself up and have just one more go, and although it is at times brutally difficult – even when compared to other tricky 2D shooters – it has the depth and variety to maintain your interest, and when you're at a competent level it's a heck of a lot of fun. The lack of online leaderboards goes against it, but if you're a fan of this style of game – and you're crying out for a title in the Thunder Force vein – then Devil Engine is well worth a look.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Feb 25, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Trials Rising is the (mostly) full package you've been waiting for. With its huge list of tracks to tackle and all the races and trick-based stunts you could ask for, RedLynx has served up the best instalment in the series since Trials Evolution. With a killer soundtrack, tons of customisation and an impressively deep tutorial mode, it's only really let down by a tutorial-free Track Editor. The drop to 30fps might put off those also playing on other platforms and the drop in visual fidelity can be hard to miss at times, but despite its blemishes, Trials has proved its right at home on Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Feb 23, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

RIOT - Civil Unrest could have been something special, but its move to Nintendo Switch from other platforms hasn't seen that potential embraced any further. The lack of touchscreen support and the absence of a proper tutorial mode are odd decisions considering how difficult it can be to follow the action when playing in handheld/tabletop mode. Even its use of real-life clashes between protesters and police fails to bring anything insightful or interesting to the table. Sadly, this riot is already fizzling out.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 21, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Warts and all, Final Fantasy IX remains a great RPG to this day; you likely won't regret picking this one up.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Feb 19, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

BlazBlue Centralfiction Special Edition may a few years late to Nintendo Switch, but that time hasn't dulled the sharpness of its 2D fighting package. Not only does it give the Ragna saga a proper send-off with a story mode that's so rich in character development it could be a full anime season in its own right, but it offers a staggering number of modes to keep you playing long after the credits roll. It runs silky-smooth docked or in handheld modes and runs like a dream online. The lack of an English dub still rankles, and new adopters are going to have to do a lot of research to understand what's going on, but it's well worth the effort.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 19, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Away: Journey to the Unexpected is the sort of game that's disappointing because of how good it could have been if more thought had been invested into certain systems. There's a good game buried in here somewhere, but it's so mired in confusing or irritating game design elements that it becomes incredibly difficult to recommend. If you're really into roguelikes and want to try out an okay one in first-person, Away: Journey to the Unexpected is perhaps worth a punt, but even then, we'd highly suggest that you take a pass. There are far better roguelikes available on the eShop for a comparable price; you're sure to get much more out of those.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Feb 16, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Q.U.B.E. 2 is an accomplished first-person physics puzzler that learns a number of wise lessons from Portal in terms of mechanics and world building. The puzzles are smartly executed with a well-judged learning curve, while the story adds a welcome dose of context and intrigue to proceedings. Well-travelled gamers will instantly recognise its influences, but there's nothing else quite like Q.U.B.E. 2 on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Ryan Craddock·Feb 15, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

The complete oddball of the family, Tetris 99 offers a truly unique way to play the tried-and-tested classic, even if the overall package feels a little lightweight. Playing live against 98 others is chaotic, and the action feels fast, precise, and wonderfully addictive. It's seriously difficult, too – we'd fancy our chances in Fortnite over this any day – and we're impressed with the fact that it's forced us to play the game with a completely different approach to our usual slow-and-steady ways. Signing up for Nintendo Switch Online just to play this game might be a bit of a stretch, but if you're already a member, what are you waiting for? It's free, and it might just become your next favourite time sink.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Feb 14, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

It takes a while to get going and it has its fair share of annoying quirks, but as it progresses Aragami becomes a solid stealth game with a compelling story. The addition of extra DLC chapters gives the game a welcome boost in longevity, and though its temperamental mechanics prevent it becoming an unarguable gem, its stylish look and the range of abilities you acquire by the end mean fans of stealth games (and fans of stealth only) will still have a fun time with it. Eventually.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Feb 13, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Tikipod has done it again with Iron Crypticle, successfully reviving an old-school arcade concept and infusing it with some modern ideas. Iron Crypticle may not do a ton of innovative or new things with that twin-stick concept, but it nonetheless hits all the right notes in recreating that gameplay that made Smash TV such a smash hit. If you've ever been into twin-stick shooters or want another game for local co-op, Iron Crypticle is a great choice; fun gameplay, high replayability, and decent presentation make this one easy to recommend.

Nintendo Life

Eric Bailey·Feb 12, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The King's Bird is a tightly designed precision platformer whose gameplay loop consists of retrying the same frustrating areas until reaching the satisfaction of conquering them. Lather, rinse, repeat. The moments of flying through a dreamscape and sticking the landing are a true delight, at least. For fans of hard-mode platformers, this may arrive as a welcome treat and worth sinking a handful of hours into for that sweet payoff, but those with other tastes may want to keep looking elsewhere.

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.