Autumn’s here: lots of early evenings, no need to work in the garden or sit outside till late. Nope, time to unashamedly spend evenings gaming! We have had a lot of great October releases. And it seemed as the month progressed, even more titles were added.
Let’s look at the games that we took notice of. Games that we published a review for. They are ordered according to how we rated them.
What games did we like a lot?
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair – Adventure platform – We Like It A Lot
This game is the prequel to Playtonic’s original release Yooka-Laylee. It’s a 2D platform adventure game where the player takes control of the duo Yooka a Chameleon and Laylee a purple Bat. Jump, roll and twirl your way through 20 bright, colourful and fun 2D side scrolling stages. They are accessed from a 3D top down view over-world that is packed with secrets.
ChamZen reviewed the game and wrote in her conclusion:
The fact that the over-world is so interactive with its own secrets and changing environment is a great idea. It certainly adds more areas to explore for the player. When you think you have collected enough Bees to form a shield and provide extra hit points for Yooka-Layee you are free to tackle Capital B’s Impossible Lair at any time.
Stranded Sails – Simulation – We Like It A Lot
Just the kind of sim game we love: ship-wrecked on a mysterious archipelago where your adventure spans a vast open-world full of adventure and discovery. Your goal is to “Fuse elements such as farming, crafting, cooking, and exploration… to build a ship and escape the island with the rest of your crew.”
I reviewed the game myself, and wrote this in my conclusion:
Stranded Sails isn’t a clone of one of the big gaming franchises, it takes on new ideas in a genre I absolutely love. The sense of exploration is there, the tasks you have to do never feel empty. The crew members turn into your quirky team-mates that you have to protect. And who can resist the mystery that you have to discover? I certainly can’t.
This is the kind of simulation games that is right at home on the Switch, a worthy addition to the genre.
Find my review here.
And if you’re looking for a beginners guide, it’s here!
Eyes of Ara – Puzzle Adventure – We Like It A Lot
This is a puzzle adventure where you explore a vast, mysterious castle riddled with secret vaults and hidden rooms. A mysterious signal has begun broadcasting from somewhere within the ancient halls. Something inside the castle has awoken, and someone needs to venture inside to discover the truth.
ChamZen, who reviewed the game, wrote in her conclusion:
The visuals are really lovely, the puzzles are weaved in well into the surrounding environment. The difficulty in the puzzles is balanced just right. The story is average, but the surroundings and puzzles certainly do
make up for that.
Considering this is game has been developed basically by one person in Ben Droste, it makes me wonder what he could achieve with a team behind him!
Destiny Connect: Tick Tock Travellers – RPG – We Like It A Lot
Sherry and her friends feature in this heartfelt RPG adventure through time. They unveil the mystery behind why time has stopped in their beloved town of Clocknee. It’s a game that had little info online before release, but it really surprised me.
I wrote in my conclusion:
I really enjoyed my time playing Destiny Connect. This is the kind of RPG I love. Cute looking but great turn based battles. Lots to tinker with in equipment and skills. An interesting story and lovable characters.
Who wouldn't want to use the hairdryer to blast enemies! Check out our review on https://t.co/d2WyJT1lsH #destinyconnect #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/zPY6bQis0n
— LadiesGamers (@YvoCaro) October 25, 2019
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered – RPG- We Like it a Lot
Humanity has been shattered by invading Daemons from another realm. To reclaim their home, an unlikely fellowship of heroes will band together to spark a fiery revolution. You can expect a review of this HD remake of the 3DS game on the site soon!
Paige, who reviewed it, wrote in her conclusion:
It took me twenty one hours to beat but I also had almost every single battle on four times speed and only did a few optional things. There isn’t a difficulty option and it’s very easy. I only found a couple of spots where I suddenly had to grind and it’s a little harder to tell what you should be without character levels. With all these game mechanics there are aspects I didn’t even engage with such as using food or toys. Others were underwhelming, particularly the easy peasy aerial battles. The game even let me pay off some people instead of completing puzzles on my own. I enjoyed the combat systems, and some story aspects most of all this.
Kine – Puzzle adventure – We Like it a Lot
Kine is a 3D narrative puzzle game about three instruments….. With their own passions, abilities, and characteristics! This ragtag group of instruments will face a variety of hardships as they progress through this complex and colorful city and toward their big break. Can you help Quat, Euler and Roo in their quest as they struggle to form a band and find their big break in the world of entertainment.
ChamZen reviewed the game, and wrote in her conclusion:
Over 100 3D stages and side quests and lovely hand drawn visuals of a theatrical and a vibrant city as a backdrop. Add in an enjoyable story between Roo, Quat, and Euler and some humour as they banter between themselves as they follow their dreams.
Kine for me is a great 3D puzzle game that ticks all the boxes. If you enjoy puzzle games too you might want to take a look at Kine!
Find her review here.
bayala – The Game – Adventure – We Like It a Lot
The game based on the movie bayala!
When the dragons disappear, the power of magic might vanish, too. Surah and her friends, set off on an adventure-packed journey through forests, into caves and across bayala’s Dragon Mountains. She faces off against the evil Shadow Queen Ophira, to save bayala from certain doom, and bring back the magic!
I reviewed the game myself, and wrote in my conclusion:
Somewhere on the forum of a gaming site I found a comment on the announcement of bayala that said something along the lines that this is the kind of game that you play when you aren’t a real gamer. I must say I totally disagree. I think all games are good games as long as the audience that it was intended for enjoys playing them. Sure, this is no Breath of the Wild or Monster Hunter, but that is not the purpose of the game. This is a game made for fans of the movie and fans of the toys. And the developer did a very good job at it.
Based on my fun time in bayala, which include some little niggles (which you can read in the full review), I will say I like the game. And if you (or your child) are a fan of the world Schleich created, I’d say this is a must buy for you!
What games did we like?
The Big Journey – Puzzle – We like It
You take control of Mr Whiskers as he sets of on his journey in this roly-poly physics based puzzle/ platform game, previously released on Steam and Mobile.
ChamZen reviewed the game and write in her conclusion:
The Big Journey is an entertaining and amusing game, with lovely visuals, designed for kids and adults alike. It has addictive gameplay, crisp storybook visuals and a snappy soundtrack to match. This is a fun game the whole family can enjoy, even if it is a single player game.
Tic-Tac Letters by POWGI – Puzzle – We Like It
Tic-Tac-Letters is a single player logic puzzle based on tic-tac-toe. Begin by placing letters so that there are no more than two Xs or Os consecutive in a row or column. Then continue with new letters and larger and more challenging puzzles.
TreeSprite played the game, and wrote in her conclusion:
After a few hours of play I found the puzzles to be relaxing, and quite easy to pick up and put down. They are perfect for a quiet interlude to fill time during your busy day, or break up the monotony of a doctor’s office waiting room. Overall I found the game a nice addition to my library.
Find her review here.
Killer Queen Black – Platformer – We Like It
Killer Queen Black is an arcade multiplayer game. Finally making it off boutique arcade machines and onto a new version for the Switch and PC. You too can be the Killer Queen and make it for Black.
Paige reviewed the game, and wrote in her conclusion:
For a unique multiplayer only game I think it’s also priced pretty reasonably. There are currently plans for future updates such as new maps and appearances but I can only review it as it is now. The game is designed specially for playing with eight people which you can tell, as competing with bots on isn’t nearly as fun, although good for learning. As such it might be a game I actually prefer to play in ranked.
Little Briar Rose -Puzzle adventure – We Like It
An ancient legend, a cursed castle surrounded by brambles, a forest inhabited by funny enchanted creatures and a sweet princess sleeping in it. And, obviously, a fearless prince! This is what Little Briar Rose is made out of. In this particular stained glass-styled graphic adventure the player will help a whole dynasty of princes complete their quest.
Paige checked the game out, and wrote in her conclusion:
Going through the game took me almost two hours, though it could take less if you’re better at gnome architecture than me. The puzzle and adventure aspect are easy so if you came for a challenge it isn’t here. Little Briar Rose is a gorgeous little game, that while the setting is that of the Sleeping Beauty, has it’s own simple adventure to tell. It reminds me of the kind of games I’d play as a young girl, although this is much less tedious than those.
Silk – Strategy RPG – We Like It
Explore three million square miles of uncharted terrain from Roman Damascus to Three Kingdoms China in an exploration RPG that transports you onto the Ancient Silk Road of 200AD as an intrepid traveller or a ruthless conqueror.
Paige reviewed the game and wrote in her conclusion:
Even though it’s a bit of a niche styled game nowadays it is fairly easy to understand and controls well on the Switch. It’s also priced reasonably considering the low visual style and simpler game play.
Super Box Land Remake – Puzzle – We Like It
Pick from two characters to help solve moving box puzzles in order to advance to the next stage! Push boxes across a variety of different puzzling levels by yourself or with a friend in coop mode! Control two different characters at once even in single player!
Pikodoodle reviewed the game and wrote in her conclusion:
Super Box is low-key and unexciting, but it achieves what I think it set out to do: provide a moderate, pleasant challenge in the sokoban tradition. If Normal Mode isn’t quite right for you, give it a try on Easy or Hard Mode, which adjusts your ability to rewind mistakes.
Lethis: Path of Progress – Simulation City Builder – We Like It
Lethis – Path of Progress is an old school 2D city builder set in a Victorian Steampunk universe called Lethis. You will have to build and manage cities, provide resources for your inhabitants while making sure there are enough workers to sustain your production lines. Trade with others cities, honor the requests of the Emperor and make your citizens happy.
Ashromer made a review and wrote in her conclusion:
It’s a cute little sim-world-building game with a lovely soundtrack and adorable artwork. This was the perfect game for someone like me to break into the genre, in fact I think I may even like this genre now, so thanks Lethis!
If you are already a fan of this genre, I think you will get good bang (and fun) for your buck out of Lethis – Path of Progress.
Lanternium – Puzzle adventure – We Like It
This is a puzzle adventure game where you have to help the mighty Raccoon overcome many obstacles and labyrinths. Set in the fantastic world, this game is family-friendly and suitable for all ages.
ChamZen reviewed the game and wrote in her conclusion:
Lanternium would be a great game for a family to play together with older children. For younger children the colour wheel might be harder for them to understand.
The game is enjoyable and the difficulty of the levels is never to the point it gets frustrating. Though repeating a puzzle over and over can make it repetitive so planing ahead is the key.
A Winter’s Daydream – Visual Novel – We Like It
A boy returns to his countryside home after spending half a year in the city, only to discover the unimaginable: his elderly grandmother has somehow transformed into a young girl again (I’ll have what she’s having, lol!)
It was Ben’s first outing in the genre, here’s what he wrote in his conclusion:
Despite its brevity and shallow subject matter, A Winters Daydream still kept me reading on and wanting to see the journey through. The visuals and audio accompaniment are a solid asset and fans of the genre should have no problem enjoying what is on offer here.
Mistover – RPG – We Like It
”MIST-ical’ RPG with expeditions for finding the key to survival. Choose your next step wisely and keep in mind that your every move will change the future. Create your own ‘Corps’ and explore through various regions in the Pillar of Despair.
It was Beth’s first review on the site, she wrote in her conclusion:
Mistover has taken all of the good from Darkest Dungeon and created a game that is more forgiving while being thrilling, exciting and frustrating all at once.
Because of this, I am giving Mistover a thumbs up because in the end I really liked the game. Although the RNG could often be devastating, I recommend everyone who is a fan of the dungeon-crawling genre to download the demo and dive into the Mist!
Little Town Hero – RPG – We Like it, But….
This is GameFreak’s (best known for Pokémon) latest IP. The townsfolk obey the rule of never leaving town, however monsters start to attack. It appears to use a unique rpg combat system, and you can move around the map to gain advantages in combat. Little Town Hero features music by Undertale creator Toby Fox.
Paige reviewed the game, and wrote in her conclusion:
While the game has some slight performance and graphical issues, it’s a game with a nice setting, good tracks, and an interesting game play system. Yet the gameplay in itself would be a primary issue for many. For one being not easy or easy to understand without playing it yourself, and the element of RNG.
What games aren’t we sure about?
Rimelands – Dice RPG – We’re Not Sure
You’re Rose Cristo – a young treasure hunter on a quest to unveil a mystery behind a new enemy that arrives up into your world. On your way, you uncover a truth about your heritage and stop the threat that could destroy the world. As fantasy and technology coexist you can use spells, melee weapons like swords and also newer inventions such as pistols. The fighting system is based on the roll of dice – each turn you and your enemy roll and power of attack depend on what you draw.
Pikodoodle picked up the game, and wrote in her conclusion:
This game could be for you if you’re looking for something wholly combat-focused and if you might enjoy a dice-based system. It’s not for you if eye candy and storytelling matter.
8 hours isn’t a risky time investment. But I hesitate to recommend buying the game at full price when its decent combat system is the only real draw and yet failed to sustain my interest mid-way.
Where the Bees make Honey – Puzzle – We’re not sure
Where the Bees Make Honey tells a story about reflecting on different moments from a childhood, which are played and experienced from an adult perspective. At its core Where the Bees Make Honey is a puzzle adventure game, but gameplay variation is filtered throughout.
I reviewed the game myself, as I usually like the weird little gems in gaming. Here are my final thoughts:
It was a package with a jumble of ideas all rolled into one. For me, a bit too much of a jumble, though I do realise others might feel it a great diverse little game. Loved the puzzles, didn’t love some of the other segments. Paired with the issues in control and graphics, it’s a mixed bag for me.
What games didn’t we like?
One Night Stand – Visual Novel – We Don’t Like It
In One Night Stand, explore the stranger’s bedroom and seek out clues to identify who she is and what brought you both together. You may resort to some unusual methods to find the answers you’re looking for, but try not to prod and pry too much – a nosy guest quickly becomes an unwanted one!
Paige checked out the game and wrote in conclusion:
I get the impression this was trying to be some kind of exploration of people’s reactions to hooking up with some one. The game just never goes anywhere with it. I don’t think it’s for most people, as there’s not really any romance in it, just a couple of nice and a few silly endings.
Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska – Simulation – We Don’t Like It
Ultra Off-Road Alaksa is an off road driving game, that can feel almost like a car survival game. You drive across different routes of two maps set in Alaska. You need to make it to the end of the route with what fuel (both car and food for your driver) you can find, while preventing damage.
Paige reviewed the game, here’s her verdict:
While the game has an interesting concept I felt it was disappointing. Neither the driving or the presentation is very good. I found the graphics to be not very good and the range of vision is quite small.
What games are we still reviewing?
Doraemon Story of Seasons – Simulation – no verdict yet
The first Story of Seasons game to appear on the Switch! Now we all know and love the Story of Seasons games, and a crossover with Doraemon proves to be interesting. When I read the game is being developed by Studio Brownies (together with Marvelous) I was instantly in. You see, Studio Brownies also made Egglia: the Legend of the Redcap for mobile a couple of years ago. Lovely art style.
We haven’t reviewed the farming sim yet, too busy playing it! But we have been busy making guides for the game, which you find here.
Atelier Ryza – Simulation RPG – no verdict yet
As always in most every Atelier game, it is the story of a girl and her friends who are about to become adults, discovering what is most important to them. And what I like most is that Atelier games make a good combination of RPG, crafting and storytelling.
Beth is currently reviewing the game, as soon as her verdict is up it will be added here.
