Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 27th, 2021. Not the busiest of days today, but we’ve got lots for you to enjoy. A little news, a full-sized review of Crysis Remastered Trilogy, summaries of the new releases for the day, and the usual lists of new sales and expiring discounts. Let’s check it out!
News
The Rookies Step Up in the Latest ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ Event
I’m happy to see the weekly events in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate continuing, and hopefully they will keep going for a while. The latest event has been announced, and it’s a tournament centered around the newcomers to Ultimate. Only characters that are new to the Smash Bros. series as of this installment can participate, and the more wins you rack up the better the quality of the Spirits you’ll earn. The event kicks off on Friday and runs for the usual three days through the weekend, so pick your favorite freshman and get practicing.
Reviews & Mini-Views
Crysis Remastered Trilogy ($49.99)
It’s hard to resist doing the usual Crysis Switch review of talking about how remarkable it is to see the game running on the system, but you know what? Even with Crysis being as cutting edge as it was in 2007, it is still a 2007 game. I should hope it would run with some competence on the Switch, and it sure does. So too do Crysis 2 and Crysis 3. Those sequels came a bit later so it’s perhaps a bit more impressive, though the games themselves don’t quite have as novel a level of razzle-dazzle to them. Anyway, this is Crysis, Crysis 2, and Crysis 3 running at an acceptable level on the Switch, and they are awfully pretty in places. No multiplayer, so if that’s what you want you won’t find it here. That may well be all you need to read.
All three games have a slightly different flavor to them, even with a lot of shared elements. The original Crysis gives you a cool tech suit and throws you on a massive island full of adventures. You can choose how you want to approach each situation you come across, and there really are a lot of options at play here. Suit powers, an array of weapons, and a bunch of vehicles give you plenty of toys to work with. It feels good to play, it looks great, and the island always seems to have new surprises to offer.
Crysis 2 gives you a cool tech suit and throws you into a destroyed New York City full of adventures. You have an upgraded suit that ostensibly allows you to take a variety of approaches to each situation you come across but somehow feels slightly less free than the first game. It has more of a story to tell, and it’s going to make sure you hear it. Individual skirmishes still offer a number of options for how you want to tackle them, but you’re going to get pulled around the world a lot more than you did in the first game. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your tastes. Regrettably, the story isn’t all that great. Fortunately, the action is. The gunplay here is excellent, and maybe that is enough.
Crysis 3 gives you a cool tech suit and throws you into a post-apocalyptic New York City that has been partially reclaimed by nature, giving you a blend of urban and natural environments full of adventures. It seeks to strike a compromise between the complete freedom of the first game and the linear style of the second, and it does a decent job of that. It seems that wasn’t exactly what people were looking for, so this one had a slightly cooler reception back in the day. It’s a bit on the short side but the action is still quite enjoyable. I’m not sure I’d buy this one on its own, but as part of a trilogy it’s worth making your way through.
Indeed, I think the best way to enjoy the single-player content in these games is as a trilogy. You get a wide variety of experiences across the three games, and a somewhat coherent story to tug you along. Crysis Remastered Trilogy on the Switch lets you do that portably at a cost of some tech performance. While the Switch has a lot of good games in every genre, the first-person shooter genre could always use some bolstering. Crysis Remastered Trilogy does just that. It’s unfortunate the multiplayer components aren’t included here, and it’s too bad that none of the three games could get their formula just right, but if you enjoy first-person shooters you will probably have a blast with this set.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again ($4.99)
It’s a platformer with procedurally-generated levels and permadeath. There are no permanent upgrades, but you can find items and such to use on each individual run. Hey, that’s almost out of the roguelite section of the pool and into the roguelike area. Not quite, but close. You get twelve different characters to play as, each with their own attributes and gear. Might be amusing for a fiver, but I already have a lot of really great games similar to this that haven’t gotten old yet.
Lucid Cycle ($6.99)
This is a game where you wander around in dream locations, trying to figure out what kind of puzzle each place hides and then solving that puzzle. There’s also a bit of platforming, as there often is in this sort of thing. The main emphasis here is on the trippy environments, so if you like meandering about in largely unconnected 3D locations and gawking at the sights, this could be seven dollars you want to spend. If you’re looking for deep mechanics and brain-bending puzzles, perhaps wait and see what the future brings.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
The big news in the sales today is that NIS America is having a sale. Plenty of good games worth considering in its line-up, and it never hurts to get them at a discount. The outbox has quite a bit of stuff in it as well, so make sure you look through and see if there’s anything that catches your eye.
Select New Games on Sale
Raiders of the Lost Island ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/1)
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Degrees of Separation ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Home: Postmortem Edition ($6.39 from $7.99 until 11/2)
Override 2: Super Mech League ($9.89 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Worse Than Death ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Haunted: Halloween ’86 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Diablo: Prime Evil Collection ($41.99 from $59.99 until 11/3)
Overwatch: Legendary Edition ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/3)
Alien: Isolation ($17.49 from $34.99 until 11/6)
Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle ($2.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded ($12.49 from $49.99 until 11/8)
The Caligula Effect: Overdose ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
God Wars: The Complete Legend ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
LA-MULANA ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/8)
LA-MULANA 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/8)
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/8)
The Princess Guide ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
The Alliance Alive HD ($24.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Langrisser I & II ($24.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
Kemono Heroes ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/8)
Lapis x Labyrinth ($9.99 from $29.99 until 11/8)
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection ($14.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
The Liar Princess & Blind Prince ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
The Longest Five Minutes ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Penny-Punching Princess ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Fallen Legion: Revenants ($27.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Poison Control ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
World’s End Club ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
The Silver Case 2425 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Happy Birthdays ($14.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
The Lost Child ($9.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA ($19.99 from $59.99 until 11/8)
TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel 3 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/8)
Void Terrarium ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/8)
Giraffe and Annika ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/8)
Mad Rat Dead ($27.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Prinny 2: Operation Panties, Dood! ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Clan N ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Croc’s World 2 ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/16)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, October 28th
A Knight’s Quest ($4.99 from $24.99 until 10/28)
A Long Way Down ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/28)
American Fugitive ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
American Ninja Warrior Challenge ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Azkend 2: The World Beneath ($3.19 from $7.99 until 10/28)
Barbero ($4.49 from $4.99 until 10/28)
BATS: Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad ($8.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Beholder: Complete Edition ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Big Buck Hunter Arcade ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Black the Fall ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Bossgard ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Children of Morta ($8.57 from $21.99 until 10/28)
Circle of Sumo ($2.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Clumsy Rush ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Cobra Kai: Karate Kid Saga ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Creepy Tale 2 ($11.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Depth of Extinction ($5.84 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Dragon Hills ($5.60 from $8.00 until 10/28)
For The King ($8.49 from $24.99 until 10/28)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($5.99 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 10/28)
GI Joe Operation Blackout ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Goosebumps the Game ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Hotshot Racing ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Hue ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Human: Fall Flat ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Hyperspace Delivery Service ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Ice Cream Surfer ($2.00 from $8.99 until 10/28)
Jigsaw Fun: Amazing Animals ($9.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Lotus Bloom ($2.39 from $2.99 until 10/28)
Manual Samuel ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Moonlighter ($6.24 from $24.99 until 10/28)
Motorsport Manager ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels ($5.99 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Nira ($7.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
OMG Police: Car Chase TV ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ($4.99 from $24.99 until 10/28)
Pianista ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/28)
Polyroll ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Pumped BMX Pro ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
R-Type Final 2 ($31.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Rapala Fishing Pro Series ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind+ ($3.89 from $12.99 until 10/28)
Rise Eterna ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
RoboPhobik ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Serial Cleaner ($2.24 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Six Sides of the World ($2.50 from $10.00 until 10/28)
Smoke and Sacrifice ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Spider Solitaire Black ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Street Outlaws: The List ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Strikey Sisters ($2.99 from $9.99 until 10/28)
Sudoku Relax ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Syberia 2 ($1.99 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Tennis in the Face ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
The First Tree ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/28)
The Flame in the Flood: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/28)
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 ($20.99 from $29.99 until 10/28)
The Marauder Chronicles: COV ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/28)
The Sokoban ($12.59 from $17.99 until 10/28)
The Swindle ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/28)
They Bleed Pixels ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Train Station Renovation ($4.74 from $18.99 until 10/28)
UNI ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Velocity 2X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($15.89 from $29.99 until 10/28)
Zombieland: Double Tap Road Trip ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a massive list of new releases including games like Black Widow: Recharged, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, DUSK, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Abarenbo Tengu & Zombie Nation, and many more. There are so many games coming that I’m going to get started writing tomorrow’s article today. No rest for the Shaun, as they say. I think that’s what they say, anyway. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
