Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 12th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a few reviews for you to look over. There are also some new releases to check out, with a couple of interesting ones and a couple of not-so-interesting ones. Finally, we’ve got the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales for you to gander at and consider. Let’s get to business!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights ($24.99)
I can’t tell you how many Metroidvanias you need in your collection, but if you’re looking for at least one more, Ender Lilies should be at the top of your list. It’s stylish, challenging, controls well, and has a lot of interesting areas to explore and enemies to fight. It leans more towards the Salt and Sanctuary/Hollow Knight/Blasphemous end of the pool, with some influence from the dark fantasy feel and indirect storytelling of the Souls games. There are a few technical issues here and there, but overall this is an excellent entry into the genre.
So what’s the gimmick in Ender Lilies? Well… nothing, really. Maybe its gorgeous presentation? In terms of gameplay, you aren’t going to see anything here you haven’t seen in other games before. What makes Ender Lilies stand out is just how well-rounded and polished its design is. It just feels good to move around and attack, and as you earn more abilities by knocking out bosses it only feels more satisfying to play. The main character Lily has no attacks of her own, and relies on spirits to aid her. Defeating a boss purifies them, after which they will lend their special ability to Lily.
I suspect many people are looking for something new and exciting in the Metroidvania genre, given how many of them there are these days. Ender Lilies is not the revolution you may have been looking for, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. As orthodox as it is in terms of gameplay, it does everything it’s doing so well that I can’t imagine any fan of the genre coming away disappointed. Add in the stellar visuals and excellent music, and you have a well-balanced experience that is more than worth your time and money.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
The Silver Case 2425 ($39.99)
You get a pair of adventure games in this package, both of them remakes of games that are more than fifteen years old. The first game, The Silver Case, originally shipped for the PlayStation in 1999 and feels very much like an adventure game of that era in some ways. But this is a Suda51 game, and that means it’s got a lot of unconventional elements to it. The story gets quite surreal, and the presentation is… well, it’s unusual, to say the least. Distracting? Noisy? I’m not sure I like it, but I respect that something was attempted here. I rather liked the plot even if it drags to a crawl in places and wanders a little too far into the weeds in others. If you liked the kind of stuff Suda51 was putting down in Killer7, you’ll probably get into this.
The sequel, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, first released in 2005 on mobile phones. As such, it has a very different structure when compared to the first game. It’s made up of a series of shorter episodes that make up three larger stories. As you play, you’ll slowly see how these stories fit together. Each of the three stories was handled by a different writer, and they vary in quality as a result. It’s another tale with highs and lows, and the lows can be rough. I found the presentation much easier to process in this one, though its UI is just as cumbersome. While I feel it is a bit worse than the first game in many respects, it’s not that far away in terms of quality.
I don’t think I would ever describe The Silver Case 2425 as essential for either adventure game fans or Suda51 fans, but this pair of titles does give you a fair bit to chew on. The writing is the strongest part of both games, but it never really reaches the level you might hope for based on the pedigree of its developer. The pacing is all over the map, and even at its best it feels more inspired than inspiring, if you know what I mean. In spite of the fact that these are remastered versions, they come across very much as creations of their times and places. You may find something to latch onto here, but it’s just as likely that you’ll be turned off.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Destroy All Humans! ($39.99)
Destroy All Humans! has an interesting premise that helped it stand out back when it first released in spite of not exactly being a top-shelf game. Oddly enough, that premise is still quite unique more than fifteen years later. But the things that were rough then feel even rougher now, and I’m just not sure it’s going to impress anyone coming to it for the first time. When the mayhem hits a high and you’re blasting away humans, their structures, and their defenses with your otherworldly weapons, it’s still a lot of fun. What happens between those bits isn’t as interesting, unfortunately. In fact, it can sometimes be outright dull. Add in some technical issues with this port and you have a rather lukewarm invasion all-around.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
Dogworld ($14.99)
This is a run-and-gun game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world filled with dogs. Humanity is on the brink of extinction, and the only way to save it is to take down the rogue AI Daddy. After being driven underground to avoid a calamity, you emerge on the surface and find it to be rather populated. But for some reason, almost every living thing is a dog of some sort. Run, shoot, jump, and slide your way through a variety of enemies and obstacles, gaining new abilities and petting dogs along the way. Reviews on this one were solid on other platforms, so if you like the look of it by all means jump in.
Fates of Ort ($14.99)
Yeah, this is neat. I don’t even know how exactly to describe it. It’s an RPG of some sort, to be sure. But there’s a serious strategic component to it as time stops when you’re not moving and your magic points are your health points. That may sound like a roguelike game or something like that, but its structure is more like an open world RPG. If you’re looking for something a bit different to chew on, you might want to take a chance on this. I’ll have to spend a lot more time on it to really settle my thoughts, but I’ve rather enjoyed what I’ve played of it so far.
Classic Pool ($7.99)
Here’s another pool game. It’s a relatively modest take on the concept, allowing you to play against the computer or another player via local multiplayer. There are a handful of different tables and cues to choose from, and that really seems to be all there is to it. There are probably worse pool games on the eShop, but there are definitely better ones. I mean, hey, it functions. Not how I would spend my eight bucks, but who am I to get in the way of those who disagree?
Egg Up ($2.99)
Pix Arts has another one of its games ready for you today. In this one you have to bounce an egg from platform to platform, trying to reach the top. The publisher bought this from the Unity Asset Store, where it sells as a template for eleven dollars. If Pix Arts manages to sell four copies, it’s all profit from there. As it’s an Android template, it uses touch controls. The publisher obviously couldn’t be bothered to implement button controls as that would resemble work, so you’ll have to scramble your eggs in handheld mode only.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Lots of sales came in over the weekend, and I suppose if you have a mind to try out a bunch of puzzle games you’ll find a lot to like here. The outbox is small but worth checking out for games like Moon Raider and Tactics V: Obsidian Brigade. Not a whole ton to check out today, but I’m sure if you’re looking to spend some money you’ll find some way to do just that.
Select New Game on Sale
Hyper Sentinel ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/17)
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($3.99 from $12.99 until 7/17)
Silk ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/17)
Firework ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/18)
Hero Express ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/18)
Fancy Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 7/18)
Team Troopers ($2.99 from $15.50 until 7/21)
Hexologic ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/24)
One Line Coloring ($2.79 from $3.99 until 7/24)
Can Androids Pray: Blue ($2.37 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Pinball Big Splash ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/25)
Panda Jump ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/26)
Death Race 2020 ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/26)
Elden: Path of the Forgotten ($3.99 from $15.99 until 7/26)
Cannibal Cuisine ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/27)
Solitaire Klondike Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/30)
Solitaire Spider Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/30)
Kakurasu World ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/30)
Slither Loop ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Chess Minimal ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Suguru Nature ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Futoshiki Math ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/30)
Shikaku Shapes ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/30)
Hitori Logic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Wacky Run ($2.09 from $2.99 until 7/30)
Gradiently ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Burger Master ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Bakery Master ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Classic Checkers ($5.59 from $7.99 until 7/30)
Alchemist Adventure ($17.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
Pocket Races ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Bai Qu: Hundreds of Melodies ($7.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Super Squidlit ($8.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Wordify ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Animal Up! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
They Came From the Sky ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Kropki 8 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/30)
Sudoky ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/30)
Lines XL ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/30)
Kakuro Magic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Save Koch ($3.00 from $20.00 until 7/31)
AXS ($6.99 from $14.99 until 7/31)
.cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Shinobi Blade ($4.95 from $9.90 until 7/31)
Ace Invaders ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Dragon Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/31)
Titans Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/31)
Speedway Racing ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Fly Punch Boom! ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 13th
Beautiful Desolation ($13.39 from $19.99 until 7/13)
BFF or Die ($4.79 from $7.99 until 7/13)
Croc’s World 2 ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/13)
Dyna Bomb ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/13)
Ghost Sweeper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/13)
Lost Words: Beyond the Page ($9.74 from $14.99 until 7/13)
Metaloid: Origin ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/13)
Moon Raider ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/13)
Override: Mech City Brawl ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/13)
Rusty Spout Rescue Adventure ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/13)
Super Shape Shooter ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/13)
Tactics V: “Obsidian Brigade" ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/13)
The Skylia Prophecy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/13)
Trine: Ultimate Collection ($14.99 from $49.99 until 7/13)
That’s all for today, friends. I’ll be back tomorrow with a review of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox and possibly one or two other games, plus whatever new releases, news, and sales come along. It’s looking like a bit of a quiet one tomorrow, though. I guess we’ll see if any surprises come along, but I’m not expecting a whole lot. Then again, I didn’t expect a whole lot last week and there was a new version of the Switch announced. Life, eh? I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
