Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 28th, 2022. In today’s article, we’ve got a very lengthy and detailed review of Temtem from our pal Mikhail. After that, we get into the new releases of the day. You can tell we’re getting into the busy season, because even though it’s a Wednesday there are still a good handful of games to look at. After that, it’s the usual lists of new and outgoing sales for the day. Let’s get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Temtem ($44.99)
Temtem has been an interesting game to follow ever since it hit early access. I usually avoid buying early access games, but make exceptions for a few like Vampire Survivors, Temtem, and more recently Prodeus. If you’ve not followed Temtem at all, it is a blend of Pokemon style games and MMORPGs. I’ve always been a fan of seeing other developers try and take the Pokemon formula in different directions like with Yokai Watch when it was still alive, and was curious to see how Temtem would end up. I already owned it on PC, but wasn’t going to pass up a chance to check it out on *the* platform for Pokemon games.
There are parts of Temtem that work amazingly well, and others that feel tacked on initially. The MMO aspect of Temtem doesn’t really make sense until much later, but the first patch that arrived a few days ago (as of this writing) gives me a lot of confidence in the developers and how they take community feedback into account alongside working on fixes.
Temtem is set across six different islands offering about a dozen or so hours of gameplay where you trade, collect, and more with the many creatures and tamers you encounter. The game also features a co-op option to play through the adventure with a friend which has improved over how it was before hitting 1.0 as well. Battles have their own enhancements over the typical Pokemon-style combat, but I hope future updates bring in some quality of life improvements to speed things up further.
Since getting review code for Nintendo Switch, I’ve also bought the Xbox Series X version to compare as the top of the line console option, and because cross platform saves are something I want to keep supporting in the industry. I also enjoy comparing different platforms as you probably know from my other reviews here. Visually, Temtem’s aesthetic scales down well from Xbox Series X to Switch, and the only real major performance issues I ran into, seem to be online related. I didn’t have perfect performance on PC or Xbox either thanks to server-related hiccups.
If you have a Steam Deck and Switch, the Steam Deck will offer a much better portable experience with Temtem though. I’ve enjoyed booting up the game on both platforms to do some exploring as a break from other games over the last few weeks thanks to cross progression.
It isn’t often we see games only come to only the current PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on the console side without the PS4 and Xbox One versions when they do have a Nintendo Switch release, but for a game like Temtem, I can’t imagine more important platforms than Switch and Steam so it is good to see the developers put in the work to ensure the Switch version is as good as it can be.
The online–only nature of Temtem makes it a bit hard to recommend on Switch unless you have a reliable connection when you’re playing outside, but I’ve had no issues playing it tethered to my phone hotspot when at a coffee shop. Since this is an online-only game and a paid one, you do need an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play it. Most people know this, but it is worth mentioning since the game cannot be played offline in any form right now.
On the visual side, I love how Temtem looks for the most part. I’m not a fan of some o the human character designs though. The creatures are well designed though. The different locations are also very colorful and this is definitely a game you’d want an artbook for after completing it. Temtem’s score is very catchy and relaxing, but I wish the audio design for the simple sounds used during dialogue were implemented better. It feels a bit tacked on.
This year has definitely been great for me when it comes to Pokemon games or Pokemon-likes that delivered on their promises. Pokemon Legends Arceus is the first Pokemon game I ever enjoyed all the way, and now Temtem feels like an evolution of the traditional formula with a few kinks that need ironing out.
Temtem is priced at $44.99 digitally or physically, and it has in-game premium currency and a battlepass. I’m not a fan of these things being in premium games, but for an online-only MMORPG that does not have a paid monthly subscription, I understand the developer’s need for additional revenue. It just leaves a bad taste in the mouth when you see these things in a paid game that isn’t by a big publisher.
In its current state, Temtem is moving in the right direction and is absolutely worth your time on Switch as long as you’re ok with the online-only aspect of it. I still have issues with the lack of any sort of offline support for a portable system like Nintendo Switch, but the core gameplay loop and amount of content available with the 1.0 launch is well worth the asking price. The Switch port is also very good considering the hardware and how it runs on other platforms as well. The ideal portable experience for this is Steam Deck, but thanks to having full cross platform support, I’ve been enjoying Temtem on Switch, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck. I can’t wait to see how it evolves over time. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection ($39.99)
You can finally enjoy the original Life is Strange games on the Nintendo Switch via this Arcadia Bay Collection, which includes Life is Strange Remastered and Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered. The visuals have been improved with updated character animation and, in the case of Life is Strange Remastered, full facial motion capture. The puzzles have been refined, too. Otherwise, these are the same highly-acclaimed games that many people enjoyed on other platforms over the years. We’ll have a review of this as soon as we can.
Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary ($19.99)
Maybe you’ve played 2012’s Q.U.B.E., or 2014’s Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut, but now in 2022 there is a whole new Q.U.B.E. in town. It includes the original game, the Director’s Cut, and a new chapter called Sector 8 that adds hours of puzzle-solving gameplay to the proceedings. This release also represents the first release of this game on the Nintendo Switch, so it’s noteworthy on that point alone. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s a first-person puzzle game along the lines of things like Portal. Not quite up to Portal‘s level, but very little is in this particular corner.
Tip Top: Don’t Fall! ($9.99)
This is a game where you climb procedurally-generated routes while trying to reach the peak. It says that it uses a unique control scheme, so you should probably expect it to be more difficult than it seems at a glance. It’s a bit QWOP-like, and one of the things you need to worry about is how much stamina you have in each limb. The trick here seems to be in finding the balance between using your energy to clip in bolts that will keep you safe or saving it to ensure you can actually reach the top. If you’re into things like the aforementioned QWOP or Getting Over It, you might get some laughs out of this.
Touhou Shoujo Tale of Beautiful Memories ($29.99)
Keeping in mind that this is a Touhou Project game and therefore is going to have a bit of a doujin feel even in the best of cases, I’m going to cautiously recommend this game. It’s a pretty clear homage to Super Mario RPG with its isometric exploration and turn-based battles with timing-based actions, but please keep your expectations in check despite that comparison. It has a very positive reception over on Steam, if nothing else. So long as you don’t mind the slightly high price, this is a solid effort that sits on the better end of the Touhou games available on Switch.
Frogice ($2.99)
Ah, Weakfish Studio. Well, let’s try to be optimistic. This is a puzzle game of some sort, but the game description is obviously translated from another language and is a bit hard to understand. You need to reach the flag on each level, and your tongue is important for doing so. I believe you can manipulate the ice blocks with it somehow? I don’t know, and I’m not going to drop a few bucks on it to find out. If you do, feel free to enlighten us in the comments.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Not too much going on in the inbox today. You can get the Dadish and Super Fowlst games at very nice prices, I guess. The outbox is where the real action is, with a hefty list of discounts you’ll want to consider before they are gone. Really, too much good stuff for me to even begin making specific recommendations. So my main recommendation is just to carefully check through that list and see what grabs your eye.
Select New Games on Sale
Freedom Finger ($2.99 from $7.99 until 10/3)
Train Valley ($8.39 from $11.99 until 10/4)
Armello ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Mojito the Cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Overlord Escape from Nazarick ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/5)
Ekstase ($9.89 from $14.99 until 10/12)
Kao the Kangaroo ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/13)
Super Fowlst ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Super Fowlst 2 ($2.00 from $10.00 until 10/18)
Dadish ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Dadish 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Why Pizza? ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Almost My Floor ($5.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Summertime Madness ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
Amazing Superhero Squad ($4.19 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Behind Closed Doors ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Airheart Tales of Broken Wings ($2.69 from $17.99 until 10/18)
Blood Will Be Spilled ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
Feudal Alloy ($1.99 from $16.99 until 10/18)
Hillbilly Doomsday ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, September 29th
Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection ($34.99 from $59.99 until 9/29)
Angels of Death ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Arrest of a Stone Buddha ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
As Far As The Eye ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Astebreed ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Axiom Verge ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Axiom Verge 2 ($17.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Banners of Ruin ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Battle Axe ($11.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Before We Leave ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Blasphemous ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Blaster Master Zero 3 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle SE ($20.00 from $49.99 until 9/29)
Buried Stars ($26.99 from $44.99 until 9/29)
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1+2+3 Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($38.99 from $59.99 until 9/29)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Citizen Sleeper ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Curious Expedition 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Cytus Alpha ($24.99 from $49.99 until 9/29)
Dead or School ($8.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
DEEEER Simulator ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
DEEMO ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Demon Gaze Extra ($35.99 from $59.99 until 9/29)
Double Dragon & Kunio Brawler Bundle ($20.00 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Double Dragon II: The Revenge ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Dream ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Final Vendetta ($19.96 from $24.95 until 9/29)
Gigapocalypse ($7.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Gnosia ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Going Under ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Hakoniwa Explorer Plus ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/29)
Heroine Anthem Zero Ep. 1 ($3.89 from $12.99 until 9/29)
Implosion ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/29)
Kero Blaster ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Kill la Kill -IF ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Kraken Academy ($8.99 from $17.99 until 9/29)
Legal Dungeon ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Legend of Keepers CoaDM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
LiEat ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Little Noah: Scion of Paradise ($13.49 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Little Noah: Scion of Paradise SE ($17.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Mad Father ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Maitetsu: Pure Station ($20.99 from $34.99 until 9/29)
Mercenaries Blaze: DotTD ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Mercenaries Wings: The False Phoenix ($7.79 from $12.99 until 9/29)
Metaverse Keeper ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Mighty Goose ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Monster Destroyer ($4.99 from $7.13 until 9/29)
Moving Out ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
My Time at Portia ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Narita Boy ($8.74 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Neon Abyss ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Noel the Mortal Fate ($21.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Okinawa Rush ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
OlliOlli World ($20.09 from $29.99 until 9/29)
OlliOlli World Rad Edition ($30.14 from $44.99 until 9/29)
One Way Heroics Plus ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Orangeblood ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked 2 ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked 2 Season Pass DLC ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked All You Can Eat ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked Special Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Paradise Killer ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Potato Flowers in Full Bloom ($14.39 from $17.99 until 9/29)
Rabi-Ribi ($20.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Raging Justice ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Record of Lodoss War DiWL ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Replica ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
River City Melee Mach!! ($4.76 from $13.99 until 9/29)
River City Ransom ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Runestone Keeper ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Snow Bros Special ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Super Dodge Ball ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Super Magbot ($1.99 from $17.99 until 9/29)
Tanuki Justice ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Tasomachi Behind the Twilight ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
The Escapists 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
The Escapists Complete ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
The Good Life ($27.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
The Sealed Ampoule ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
The Serpent Rogue ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
The Survivalists ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
TorqueL Physics Modified ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Treasures of the Aegean ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Vertical Strike Endless Challenge ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Worms Rumble ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Worms Rumble: Digital Deluxe ($2.19 from $21.99 until 9/29)
Worms WMD ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Yoku’s Island Express ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Yooka-Laylee ($5.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a huge list of new releases, plus the latest sales and whatever big news rolls in. Handily more than twenty games, so let’s hope there are at least a few good ones in the bunch. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
