Reviews Featuring ‘Astlibra Revision’ & ‘Alien Death Mob’, Plus New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade

Whats up light reader, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Spherical-Up for December 4th, 2023. I’ve been catching up on my work as a lot as doable currently, and that interprets to a whopping six critiques so that you can learn right now. The checklist consists of Astlibra Revision, Worldless, Alina of the Enviornment, Alien Dying Mob, Time Grasp, and Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier. That’s the counter-balance to the unhappy checklist of latest releases, of which there are solely a pair. We end up in our typical trend with the lists of latest and expiring gross sales. Let’s go!

Opinions & Mini-Views

Astlibra Revision ($24.99)

Wow, this recreation actually bought its claws into me. I did what the sport advised and performed the included demo first, which supplies you an absurdly over-powered character and explains how the sport works fairly properly. It concludes by leaping again to the previous, the place a hen asks what sort of dream you had been having. Whenever you begin the primary recreation it begins in that previous, organising the fascinating, twist-filled story that follows. This can be a 2D motion RPG which was developed over the course of fifteen years by one man earlier than a group got here in and helped him flesh it out into what we see right here.

And what we see here’s a recreation whose major story takes round forty to fifty hours to finish, which is quite a bit for one thing of this nature. You’ll be doing quite a lot of preventing, and fortunately the fight system is gratifying and simply deep sufficient to maintain issues from getting boring. You’ll be doing quite a lot of exploring, and that’s all relatively properly constructed. Story? Holy smokes, is there story. This recreation is as wild as any visible novel at occasions with how a lot it messes with you. You’ll additionally should do some gentle puzzle fixing. All of it simply flows so properly from one factor to the subsequent that it’s extraordinarily tough to place the sport down.

Astlibra Revision is an impressive recreation, and one I didn’t even see coming. It takes a bit of time to get going, however as soon as it does this can be a real experience that you simply gained’t wish to get off of. You may typically really feel the sport’s patchwork nature at occasions, however that doesn’t do a lot to harm what’s in any other case an amazingly enjoyable expertise. In case you like action-RPGs or simply are within the temper for a bonkers story, you need to play Astlibra Revision.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4.5/5

Worldless ($19.99)

This recreation is so good to have a look at. It makes use of easy, clear visuals and cautious use of colours to make each pop. It makes it a bit of exhausting to tell apart a number of the areas from one another, however I suppose you are taking the unhealthy with the nice typically. I believe the controls are actually responsive, too. I respect that regardless of broadly following a Metroidvania-ish stlyle, it mixes issues up with turn-based fight and a few non-standard navigation. With all that stated, I discovered myself not having as a lot enjoyable with Worldless as I assumed I’d.

The fight might be the wrongdoer right here, because it’s a type of video games the place you want to whack the enemy to refill some form of meter. I don’t get on with that form of issues typically, and it’s even worse right here as a result of it requires some very strict timing. It’s a must to combine up your assaults to benefit from enemy weaknesses and defend with excessive precision lest you waste all of your efforts to fill the meter. You may attempt as many occasions as you want with every encounter, however I discovered some that I simply couldn’t get proper regardless of how exhausting I attempted. That’s a ability problem, I do know. However think about it a warning to these of you who aren’t so good at timing-based button presses. It’s a must to be a very sharp whip with them on this recreation.

That stated, should you’re okay with that form of difficult timing, you’ll doubtless discover Worldless to be a singular and engaging journey. It has a definite type that it strongly commits to, and whereas there are prices to that by way of atmosphere selection, I respect the selection. The sport generally is a bit sluggish till you hit a sure level that I gained’t spoil, however keep it up and also you’ll be rewarded. Not the most effective recreation of its form round, but it surely is perhaps the appropriate drugs for these bored with the standard exploratory journey.

SwitchArcade Rating: 3.5/5

Alina of the Enviornment ($14.99)

That is one other card constructing roguelite RPG, but it surely has an fascinating wrinkle on the standard formulation. As an alternative of a typical RPG line-up of your characters on one aspect of the display screen versus the enemies on the opposite aspect of the display screen, battles happen in an area made up of a grid of circles. This provides a component of positioning to every battle that’s simply sufficient to assist this stand out from the group. And that’s a great factor, as a result of Alina of the Enviornment principally sticks to the script in any other case.

In every of the challenges, you need to combat a set variety of battles earlier than taking over the champion. Other than the fights, there are additionally random occasions and quite a lot of different issues like outlets that may come up. All of that is proven to you from the get-go on a chart. The entire doable encounters are sorted into three ladders, and you’ve got entry to the underside rung of every. There are much more fights than you’ll want in an effort to tackle the champ, however you’ll typically wish to combat them anyway in an effort to get to one thing helpful larger in that ladder. As you make your means by, you’ll add new playing cards to your deck and discover numerous new items of kit and objects. When you run out of HP, you’re performed. You would possibly unlock new job courses to attempt or new playing cards, and that’s cool.

I actually loved taking part in Alina of the Enviornment. It sticks to the recipe for essentially the most half, but it surely does it properly. The world facet offers it a barely distinct taste, one which I discovered compelling. It was a bit of robust early on, however as soon as I unlocked a brand new class or two I discovered issues clicked actually properly. I want the UI was rather less awkward, and it’s a bit of gentle content-wise in comparison with a few of its friends, however on the entire this can be a battle price preventing.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5

Alien Dying Mob ($4.99)

In case you like frantic top-down twin-stick shooters, you’ll have a blast with Alien Dying Mob. It feels closely impressed by Robotron 2084, extra so than most video games on this style, an affect that’s made all of the extra clear by it having a Robotron homage in a few its bonus arcade modes. Certainly, these bonus modes might certainly be the closest we get to having Robotron on the Change given WB Video games’ reluctance to reissue the basic video games it’s sitting on. With intelligent spins on House Invaders and Berzerk additionally included, I’d frankly suggest Alien Dying Mob simply on these bonus modes alone.

However wait! You additionally get the story mode, which takes you on a relatively prolonged world tour, stopping at every level to battle a number of waves of vicious aliens. The totally different stage layouts actually combine issues up, and there are a stunning variety of enemy varieties. A part of the enjoyable is simply how overwhelmed you might be by the sheer numbers of foes. Grabbing a power-up on the final second and mowing by them to provide your self a bit of respiration room at all times feels nice. Talking of power-ups, there are tons of various weapons within the recreation. You’re at all times getting one thing fascinating to work with, and making an attempt to maintain up the rhythm of grabbing shields, the multiplier, and the subsequent weapon pick-up earlier than you get devoured is gratifying work.

The one factor holding me from giving Alien Dying Mob my highest advice is the shortage of any type of on-line leaderboards. When a recreation includes score-chasing, I wish to have these nowadays. For the value it’s asking, in case you have any love in any way for traditional arcade motion you then’ll positively wish to choose this up. It’s packed to the brim with content material and all of it’s enjoyable to play. It’s a wonderful recreation that straddles the previous and current completely.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4.5/5

Time Grasp ($14.99)

Time Grasp is a strong puzzle recreation with a hook you might need seen in a number of different video games earlier than, however only some. You play as a bit of wizard fellow, and you want to scoop up all the crystals on every stage to activate the portal that takes you to the subsequent one. However proper from the primary stage, that appears unattainable. You may solely bounce so excessive, and falling down to succeed in the crystal makes it unattainable to get again to the exit. Behold, the facility of time! You may rewind time as soon as per stage, permitting you to do one thing totally different whereas your previous self carries out no matter you probably did the primary time. That is the first software in your field for clearing the various challenges the sport throws at you, although not your just one.

It’s a great gimmick to construct a recreation like this round, and it’s carried out properly right here. It begins off quite simple, however issues choose up in an actual hurry. It’s a must to totally grasp utilizing your clone to govern numerous parts of every stage not solely to gather the crystals however to make a path so that you can get the place you want to go. To totally clear the sport, you’ll have to not solely beat every stage however beat it rapidly sufficient to get three stars, and that’s a improbable problem. It’s definitely not a recreation to be trifled with regardless of its colourful look.

In case you take pleasure in robust puzzle platformers that can have you ever pulling your hair out for hours making an attempt to resolve a single stage, Time Grasp is for you. If you’re simply pissed off, then Time Grasp actually isn’t for you. It has a terrific presentation and the best way it subtly ramps up the complexity in every stage regardless of primarily being constructed round one core mechanic is the mark of a recreation with nice design. A few of the platforming is a little more awkward than I would love, and also you’re both going to like or hate the protagonist, however in any other case I can’t discover a lot to knock on with this recreation.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5

Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier ($11.99)

Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier is a superb title for this recreation. You play as a mail-delivering slug that may solely get round by way of numerous technique of propulsion. The primary is through the use of your gun to shoot in the wrong way from the place you wish to go. The gun may also be used to defeat enemies and activate switches, although do understand that firing will ship you crusing. You can too launch fuel, which is a neater means of transferring round should you don’t have to do exact changes. Lastly, you possibly can fling your self at excessive pace, an motion solely really helpful if there may be nothing harmful forward of you. Your slug will pop should you hit something too lethal, and also you’ll get a way for what’s going to kill you fairly rapidly.

There are fifty levels, and you want to discover the package deal on every and convey it to the exit portal. In case you select to, you possibly can activate a timer at first and provides your self a time restrict, however merely reaching the top of the extent will get fairly robust when you get previous the primary world. In case you like video games that require cautious thrusts, you’ll most likely benefit from the common levels right here. Every world has 9 of these, with the tenth devoted to a boss battle. These are much less gratifying for the reason that bosses take quite a lot of hits but have pretty easy patterns, making them form of boring. They really feel a bit misplaced.

I loved Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier, however regardless of its finest makes an attempt to maintain mixing issues up with new obstacles and themes, the moment-to-moment gameplay felt prefer it plateau’d a bit too early. I additionally wasn’t a fan of the boss battles, which drag on too lengthy and really feel ill-matched to the remainder of the sport. It appears and sounds good, with a pleasant cartoony vibe that actually pops. Those that take pleasure in video games with thrust mechanics or simply need an motion recreation that does issues a bit of in another way from the norm would possibly wish to examine this one out.

SwitchArcade Rating: 3.5/5

New Releases

Official Spacefarer Card Recreation ($4.99)

Slim pickings right now, eh? Spacefarer Video games tries its hand (heh) at a card battler, with the playing cards themselves primarily based on characters from the writer’s numerous video games. The foundations appear quite simple and you’ll solely play towards a CPU opponent, which looks like a severe missed alternative. Nicely, I’m certain somebody will take pleasure in it.

The Bin Bunch

Fall Vehicles – Final Automobile Battle ($9.99)

Gross sales

(North American eShop, US Costs)

With the large Cyber Offers sale performed with, we’re sitting within the aftermath. And I’ve to say, there isn’t a lot thrilling right here. Some good video games, however after you’ve been swimming within the rapids the neighborhood pool simply gained’t do anymore. Take a look at each lists anyway. You by no means know what you’ll discover.

Choose New Gross sales

Unexpected Incidents ($13.99 from $19.99 till 12/12)
Growbot ($13.99 from $19.99 till 12/12)
Lamplight Metropolis ($10.49 from $14.99 till 12/12)
Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet ($9.99 from $19.99 till 12/12)
The Longing ($11.24 from $14.99 till 12/12)
Mutropolis ($12.99 from $19.99 till 12/12)
Sonority ($13.99 from $19.99 till 12/12)
Gordian Quest ($13.99 from $19.99 till 12/18)
God of Rock ($11.99 from $29.99 till 12/18)
Inertia 2 ($3.70 from $4.39 till 12/22)
Bomb ($1.99 from $9.99 till 12/22)
Elderand ($9.99 from $19.99 till 12/23)
Batora: Misplaced Haven ($9.99 from $24.99 till 12/24)
Yoku’s Island Categorical ($3.99 from $19.99 till 12/24)
Earlier than We Depart ($3.99 from $19.99 till 12/24)
The Survivalists: Deluxe ($2.69 from $26.99 till 12/24)
Greak: Reminiscences of Azur ($3.99 from $19.99 till 12/24)
The Escapists: GotY Version ($4.04 from $26.99 till 12/24)
Worms Rumble: Digital Deluxe ($2.19 from $21.99 till 12/24)
Thymesia: Cloud Model ($14.99 from $29.99 till 12/24)
Going Underneath ($3.99 from $19.99 till 12/24)
Narita Boy ($2.49 from $24.99 till 12/24)

Gross sales Ending Tomorrow, December fifth

Amongst Us ($3.00 from $5.00 till 12/5)
Bit Orchard: Animal Valley ($1.99 from $6.99 till 12/5)
BIT.TRIP Assortment ($2.45 from $9.99 till 12/5)
Borderlands 3 Final Version ($40.19 from $59.99 till 12/5)
D-Corp ($1.99 from $17.99 till 12/5)
Deflector ($1.99 from $22.99 till 12/5)
Labyrinth of the Witch ($7.49 from $14.99 till 12/5)
LOUD: RockStar Version ($1.99 from $9.99 till 12/5)
NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Version ($26.99 from $59.99 till 12/5)
Package deal Rush ($1.99 from $14.99 till 12/5)
RazerWire: Nanowars ($1.99 from $9.99 till 12/5)
Sky Caravan ($1.99 from $19.99 till 12/5)
House Tail: Each Journey Leads House ($6.99 from $9.99 till 12/5)
The Blind Prophet ($1.99 from $24.99 till 12/5)

That’s all for right now, associates. We’ll be again tomorrow with extra critiques, extra new releases, extra gross sales, and maybe some information. My physician’s appointment right now went okay, at the least in as a lot as I gained’t want an operation instantly. Hooray for small favors? I hope you all have a wonderful Monday, and as at all times, thanks for studying!