Evan Rowe's Reviews
I feel like even in trying to explain all of the things that have me so excited about Dragon’s Dogma 2, it fails to convey the magic of actually experiencing it. These are just words on your screen, the translation of my excited babbling about some cool shit I did or saw as my best attempt at explaining to you that this game absolutely rules. I’m leaving so much out, forgetting to add so many “oh and this”es, because it’s kind of impossible to actually tell anybody what it’s like to play Dragon’s Dogma 2. Instead, consider this my unequivocal assertion that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a game that is not just worth your time, but something that you must play so that you can understand how special it is.
The Deer God is an interesting, successful pairing of genres that is well presented and fun to play. What it lacks in-depth it makes up for in character, keeping the adventure light and enjoyable regardless of your experience as a gamer. Right at home on the Switch, it’s a great title to unwind with at the end of a workday, or to spend a full afternoon with on the couch.
Somehow, peering into the world of SUPERHOT‘s text terminals and stark environments through my Switch’s LCD screen feels very correct, as though it was always meant to be this way. In a probably accidental but happy parallel, it feels like I have gotten my hands on some kind of special prototype that I’m not supposed to see. SUPERHOT almost works too well on Switch, and being able to play it on a system that fits in my hands with near-perfect accuracy is an almost magical experience.
INSIDE is still the same excellent game from 2016, now released on the Switch for convenience, portability, and the potential to reach a whole new audience. It is a must-play experience that feels right at home on Switch.
It’s hard to say much else about the game without giving away some fun story beats, but overall Mainlining is a fun game with great, consistent art direction and some very clever (and mostly faithful) old style hacking mechanics. While it almost certainly plays best elsewhere, the Switch version is impressively competent and it’s a great themed adventure that is both challenging and satisfying.
Subsurface Circular presents a well-woven (albeit short), futuristic detective story full of interesting characters and thoughtful concepts. If you like a good mystery and are looking for a more relaxed, story focused experience, its hard to beat what's on offer here. Though light on action, Subsurface Circular has plenty of intrigue and confidently presents itself as an experience you've got little excuse to pass up.
Overall, Rock of Ages 2 is a solid strategy game wrapped in a lighthearted package with a well-tuned sense of humor and some very well thought-out ideas. Whether you played the first game and are hungry for more, or are just getting into the series for the first time, Rock of Ages 2 will keep both your brain and your funny bone tickled.
This is possibly the greatest trick X-Morph: Defense has up it’s sleeve; it can be very challenging at times, but it gives you all of the tools you need to exert utter dominance over the incoming threat if you can pay the time and attention to plan correctly, and to adapt to the changes that each wave brings. Flexibility and change are the big elements that set X-Morph’s brand of tower defense apart from the rest, requiring you to always be on your toes and to be equally skilled in being proactive and reactive.
There is no shortage of puzzle platformers in this day and age, but there is certainly a shortage of games in this genre which are actually good. The advent of lower barriers to entry on various game marketplaces has allowed for many indie success stories, but also for a greatly increased amount of shovelware to wade through. Octahedron: Transfixed Edition is luckily a solid game with a strong, consistent visual style and a thumping soundtrack that helps to complete the sense of “being there” as well as any other component of the game. If you’re looking for a new platformer on the Switch to fill your time, look no further.
MORDHAU is brutal; it is frantic; it is blood and guts and severed limbs. Above all, MORDHAU is the medieval hack and slash combat game you’ve been waiting to lose your head over.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an excellent game in so many ways. It delivers on its promises and sets the stage for what I hope is more content to come in this new incarnation of Igarashi’s masterpiece formula. There has been a lot of outcry about the Switch version of the game, and it definitely isn’t perfect, but it’s playable for the most part. Would I recommend it over other platforms? Probably not, unless being able to play on the go is a priority for you. If Switch is your only system, then you should still absolutely play Bloodstained, but set your expectations accordingly. If anything, Bloodstained is a strong enough game that it is still worthwhile despite the technical issues it has on Switch, which is a testament to the highs it can achieve.
It’s a strange thing to be able to return to both Hotline Miami games on the Switch, of all systems. Nintendo’s colorful handheld isn’t exactly the system that comes to mind when you think of grimy game worlds and graphic violence. On the plus side, these are extremely faithful conversions that run perfectly on Switch and bring another classic franchise to its ever-expanding library of indies. This package isn’t for everybody; it’s hard as hell and is over the top with its violence, but there’s no denying the importance of Hotline Miami as a touchstone within gaming culture. If the Switch is a platform for collecting as many games from as many generations as possible, Hotline Miami and its sequel feel like essential additions to its catalog.
Creature in the Well’s genre-blending experiment is conducted within a well-worn framework, so that the risky parts are contained, which is part of what empowers it to be successful more often than not. It falters from time to time, and there are moments where the pinball conceit makes some of the challenges more difficult than they really ought to be, but for the majority of the experience everything works well and feels good, which is more than enough reason to take the plunge.
Killer Queen Black is more or less everything you'd hope it to be. It's a faithful adaptation of the original arcade release, properly scaled for home play and with all of the tools necessary to play it and find your match ups however you want.
With Spyro Reignited Trilogy, you have the rare chance to plunge back into a world you may have spent countless hours exploring as a kid, with all the fit and finish of a present-day title. It’s sure to please longtime fans of the series, and newcomers will find plenty here to enjoy. There’s never been a better time (or a better way) to play Spyro.
Overall, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD on Switch is a great game, sporting some huge improvements over the original release and offering up a classic game in a highly playable package. The game play itself still feels mostly great, even if it is a little dated, and the improvements to the game’s visuals are not just noticeable, but well-executed and highly polished. The end result is a well-preserved artifact; a crystal clear look into a highly-regarded classic of the mid-2000’s era of gaming. While this isn’t the first time Stranger’s Wrath HD has been re-released, it is arguably one of the best options for playing the game, purely given the ability to take the game with you, and in many ways it feels very well suited to the Nintendo Switch and is sure to please both long-time fans and newcomers alike.
It’s clear that there was a strong, central vision for what Knights and Bikes should be, as it shines through in the writing, the artwork, and all of the extra little touches. This is a game about the pleasures and predicaments of childhood; it’s about family, friends, and connection; it’s about navigating a world as a person with goals, thoughts, and feelings that aren’t always taken seriously by the people around you. There’s a lot to discover about Knights and Bikes as you play, and the experience is one worth having firsthand. It’s a whimsical, joyful, sweet adventure that deals with some very heavy subject matter but manages to stay positive in the face of difficulty in the way that only a child really can.
Darksiders: Genesis is a worthy continuation of the Darksiders franchise, delivering another solid entry in the Darksiders franchise in a package that’s fun to play and tough to put down. The bonus of being able to play through with a friend just makes the experience all the better, and if you don’t mind hunting for upgrade items and collectibles, this is a fun romp that helps further flesh out the game’s universe. It performs well on Switch and it’s great to see the franchise getting due attention on the platform. More importantly, it proves out that Darksiders can still delight and surprise, not just in spite of, but because of its willingness to experiment.
So, yes, the game is still great, and it’s still a blast to play. The presentation is phenomenal, it’s extremely well-polished, the voice acting is very good, much of the humor is still enjoyable (even if some of it is aging poorly), and it really does feel like the ultimate realization of the Saints Row fantasy. It may not be one of the all-time great releases in the history of gaming, but it’s a great deal of weird fun that subverts a lot of the expectations of the open world crime genre. The question remains to be seen as to whether Saints Row IV is the series’ final form, but if this is where things do truly leave off, it’s going out on a high note. There’s never been a better time to re-revisit Steelport.
DOOM 64 on Switch is a great package. It’s a very fun romp through a unique 32-level campaign that many fans will not have experienced before, and it comes bundled with six bonus levels intended to fill in the backstory between DOOM 64 and 2016’s DOOM (yes, you read that correctly). The game looks gorgeous, it plays wonderfully, there’s loads of content included, and you can play it where ever you like. Plus, with a price tag of $4.99 it’s well worth the cost of entry even just as a curiosity, but I suspect that once you step inside you’ll be hooked.