Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 1st, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a review of the recently-released puzzle game LOVE: A Puzzle Box Filled with Stories. There are a bunch of new releases to look at, with the powerful narrative simulation My Child Lebensborn leading the bunch. We round things out as we normally do, with the incoming and outgoing sales of the day. Let’s kick off the month in fine fashion!
Reviews and Mini-Views
LOVE: A Puzzle Box Filled With Stories ($19.99)
LOVE is a puzzle game filled with wonderful bits. I wish those bits worked together better than they do. You’ve got a great-feeling core mechanic where you’re rotating floors of a building around, shifting them between a past and present state. The floors can interact with each other based on how you’ve got them positioned, and that is indeed the means by which you solve some of the puzzles. The broad goal is to fill an album full of pictures of the tenants of the building, and by doing so learn about their stories and perhaps even help them.
Each picture has a past version and a present version. You’re typically given one of the pair, using it as a guide for how to find the other. Once you’ve found all the pictures in a set, the puzzle is considered solved. As you complete puzzles, more will unlock. The pictures will tell mini-stories, and as you go through the game many of them will cross into each other. Nothing is outright told; you generally need to surmise what happened by careful observation of the photos, the rooms, and the people. All of this is presented with stylish visuals and pleasant music. When all of this works, it works really well. It can be sweet, sad, uplifting, or wistful.
Unfortunately, it rarely connects the way I’d hoped it would. Many of the puzzles become obtuse hunts for the right object to click on. Some of the stories feel like they’re treating extremely serious topics a bit too cleanly and cloyingly. It sometimes feels… I don’t want to say ‘insincere’, but perhaps not fully aware of the gravity of the situations and topics it’s addressing. And I get that it’s trying to deliver a message about love, friendship, and relationships allowing people to overcome all kinds of adversity. It just didn’t work for me. If you can see things the way the game presents, and you don’t mind some truly irritating puzzle design in places, you may take to LOVE better than I did.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
My Child Lebensborn ($8.99)
This is a child-raising simulation game set in 1950s Norway where you are the adoptive parent of a child. The twist is that the child’s father was a Nazi, and everyone seems to know it. So in addition to the usual work of feeding, bathing, and playing with the child, you also have to deal with the severe bullying they’re facing at school and elsewhere. It’s based on a real situation that happened after the Second World War, one that perhaps isn’t well known to some. The game released on mobile a while back, and it’s perfectly playable on there. But while this version is a bit more expensive, it’s only a few dollars. As such, I recommend playing it wherever you are most comfortable doing so.
DreamWorks Spirit Lucky’s Big Adventure ($39.99)
I don’t exactly have my finger on the pulse of American children’s entertainment these days, so when I saw a game based on DreamWorks Spirit, I wondered why a low-key 2002 movie was getting a game in 2021. But apparently it’s had a comeback of sorts through a TV series and a spin-off movie, so here we are. Play as Lucky and ride Spirit on various adventures, exploring an open world full of goodies to collect and missions to complete. Spirit’s capabilities will expand as you increase your bond with the horse, so you’ll want to take good care of him. If you or someone in your family is a fan of Spirit, you may want to give this game a look.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt ($14.99)
Isn’t that how it always goes? You go months without any games about using modern weaponry to hunt dinosaurs then, boom, two within a week. For whatever it’s worth, this looks a bit better than that one that hit last week. Costs a bit more, too. That said, the reviews on this game on other platforms range from middling to absolutely horrid. Well, it seems to be a very average hunting game with decidedly less-than-average prey. If you’re into the concept and don’t expect too much, I suppose you might not be completely unhappy with this game.
BeeFense BeeMastered ($5.99)
This is a bee-themed tower defense game. You play as the good and noble bees and need to protect your hive against the evil and frankly unpleasant hornets. Just like in real life! Apparently a remaster of an earlier game that released on computers, this game features a total of twenty-six levels, six of which are new. Apart from the bee stuff, this looks like a fairly straightforward tower defense game. Upgrades, multiple tower types, waves of enemies to battle, all bundled up in a humorous wrapper. Seems fine for what it is, and the price is fair.
Justin Danger ($4.99)
Oh goodie, another generic auto-runner. Well, you know how these go. Run, jump, collect coins, and unlock a bunch of extra characters. Complete missions, level up your characters, all that. This game is a port of a free-to-play mobile game named Runventure, just with all of the IAPs and other tomfoolery stripped out. I suppose if you’re interested you can give it a shot on your mobile device and see how it goes.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
By and large, the new sales of the day are familiar ones. You’ve probably seen these games in one of these lists before and either picked them up or passed on them. But hey, never hurts to take another look. The BIT.TRIP games, Door Kickers, Mana Spark, and Blazing Beaks are all decent games. If you’re not busy with anything else somehow, you may want to check them out. As for the outbox, the recent sales campaigns from 2K Games, WB Games, and Capcom are wrapping up. All of those games will be back around sooner or later, but it can’t hurt to add them to your library if you’ve got an interest in any.
Select New Games on Sale
Space Grunts ($4.19 from $13.99 until 6/5)
Breakfast Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Pizza Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Food Truck Tycoon: Asian Cuisine ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Spider Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 6/7)
Icey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/14)
Solitaire TriPeaks Flowers ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/21)
Crowdy Farm Puzzle ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/21)
Dex ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride ($2.09 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Family Mysteries 2: EoT ($2.09 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Eyes: The Horror Game ($1.99 from $2.49 until 6/21)
World of Solitaire ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Stencil Art ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/21)
Zombie Blast Crew ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
BIT.TRIP Series, Assorted ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Door Kickers ($5.00 from $11.99 until 6/21)
DungeonTop ($5.00 from $13.99 until 6/21)
Timothy & the Mysterious Forest ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
Good Night, Knight ($7.99 from $11.99 until 6/21)
Death’s Hangover ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
HyperParasite ($1.99 from $17.99 until 6/21)
Tharsis ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/21)
Gravity Rider Zero ($1.99 from $6.99 until 6/21)
Party Treats ($1.99 from $2.49 until 6/21)
Pocket Mini Golf ($1.99 from $2.49 until 6/21)
REKT! High Octane Stunts ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/21)
Castle of No Escape 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Space Pioneer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
Akuto: Showdown ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
One Strike ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Escape Doodland ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Mana Spark ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Wondershot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Koloro ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Super Hero Fight Club: Reloaded ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Odium to the Core ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Utopia 9: A Volatile Vacation ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Unit 4 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Not Not: A Brain Buster ($1.99 from $2.49 until 6/21)
Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Akane ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Mini Trains ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/21)
Wreckin’ Ball Adventures ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Chop ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Puzzle Book ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/21)
Shipped ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/21)
Retro Game Pack ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Multi Quiz ($2.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Robonauts ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/21)
Brawl ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Jumping Joe & Friends ($1.99 from $2.49 until 6/21)
Overlanders ($1.99 from $24.99 until 6/21)
Super Loop Dive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/21)
Just Black Jack ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/21)
Miniature: The Story Puzzle ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/21)
History 2048 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2nd
BioShock 2 Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
BioShock Infinite: Complete Edition ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
BioShock Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
BioShock: The Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
Bloo Kid 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/2)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
Borderlands: GOTY Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/2)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/2)
Bridge Constructor Ultimate ($5.24 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/2)
Cattails ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Chess Knights: Shinobi ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/2)
Colt Canyon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Dead End Job ($1.99 from $16.99 until 6/2)
Doodle Derby ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/2)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/2)
Earth Atlantis ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Fire: Ungh’s Quest ($13.49 from $14.99 until 6/2)
In Between ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/2)
Jetboard Joust ($7.99 from $9.99 until 6/2)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/2)
LEGO DC Super-Villains ($11.99 from $59.99 until 6/2)
LEGO Jurassic World ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/2)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/2)
LEGO Ninjago Movie Game ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
LEGO The Incredibles ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/2)
LEGO Worlds ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/2)
Mortal Kombat 11 ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/2)
NBA 2K21 ($9.59 from $59.99 until 6/2)
Ninja Epic Adventure ($3.39 from $3.99 until 6/2)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
Olympic Basketball ($4.79 from $5.99 until 6/2)
Onimusha: Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
Outbuddies DX ($6.29 from $17.99 until 6/2)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($9.79 from $59.99 until 6/2)
Pumpkin Jack ($19.79 from $29.99 until 6/2)
Rift Racoon ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/2)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/2)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/2)
Silver Chains ($16.49 from $24.99 until 6/2)
Sludge Life ($12.74 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Super Blackjack Battle 2 Turbo ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/2)
Tales from the Borderlands ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/2)
The Forbidden Arts ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/2)
The Outer Worlds ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/2)
Tied Together ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/2)
Truberbrook ($9.89 from $29.99 until 6/2)
Vambrace: Cold Soul ($8.24 from $24.99 until 6/2)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/2)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/2)
XCOM 2 Collection ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/2)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with some news, some sales, several new releases, and… well, that’s probably it. But that’s plenty for a Wednesday, I’d say. I hope you all have a great Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
