We try to cover every Switch game we’re sent a code for here at Gamezebo. Sometimes we find ourselves with a bit of a backlog though – like right now for instance.
So here are some shorter reviews of games released or updated on the Switch over the last few months – that we might not have gotten round to covering otherwise.
Thank Goodness You’re Here
A truly unforgettable experience, Thank Goodness You’re Here arguably is hardly even a game at all – but it’s still completely unmissable.
Essentially a point and click game, it sees you exploring a northern English town. Although rather than pointing you slap. That’s how you interact with the world, and the puzzles – if you can even call them that – are relatively simple as a result.
But the pleasure here is not solving puzzles. It’s simply experiencing the town and meeting its bizarre cast of characters. From competing pie makers to a greengrocer with a massively oversized head, every person you encounter is memorable and there are some truly hilarious moments and situations that arise from them.
To describe any of them would be to ruin the game – it isn’t very long after all – but if you’re a fan of surreal hunour then this is an essential expedition.
It won’t be for everyone, but Thank Goodness You’re Here offers up such a bravely unique vision it’s hard not to be impressed.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Little Kitty Big City
Although Little Kitty Big City doesn’t quite live up to its massive potential, it still offers one of the best feline simulations yet seen. Is that a huge achievement? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
It sees you play as a black cat who falls from his high level flat window, and has to work their way back up. You do this by exploring a city that slowly opens up as you progress, with you collecting items and basic tasks to do so.
There’s never anything too taxing here, but there’s a pleasingly gentle quality to the gameplay that means most people will be able to get something out of it. Cat hater or not.
We did encounter one bug involving ducklings that forced us to restart, but our biggest issue here is that it’s perhaps not quite as expansive as we hoped.
It’s over fairly quickly, but while it lasts, Little Kitty Big City is a very sweet ride that has clearly been made with a lot of passion and care.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
A highly amusing title for a largely amusing game, Duck Detective doesn’t quite hit the heights of some of the very best mysteries on Switch – but is still a pretty charming experience all told.
You play as – yes – a duck detective who’s tasked with working out who has stolen someone’s lunch in an office.
So yes, fairly low stakes. But the pleasure here comes from the varied cast of characters and what they mean to each other. Paying attention to small details is essential here to fill out your notebook and solve the mystery.
We found it a little frustrating at times to fill out the notebook with the relevant clues though, with the hint function largely useless as well.
So this is an occasionally bumpy ride, but the superb presentation and enjoyable cast make this a mystery worth looking into for fans (if not newbies) of the genre.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines
A highly ambitious 2D platformer that looks to improve on its already very tightly designed predecessor (Grapple Dog). We didn’t quite prefer it, enjoying the simplicity of the original – but there’s a lot to love here.
And we mean a lot. This attempts to throw so many ideas at the wall its dizzying, with new characters, locations, and challenges everywhere you look.
The core appeal here is the main gameplay mechanic of grappling items and flying around levels though. Once you master the controls it’s great fun to swing through stages like a pro and beat the target times.
Perhaps not quite as pure and joyful an experience as Grapple Dog, Grapple Dogs is still a hugely impressive and playable platformer.
Score: 4 out of 5
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin
A throwback shooter but with none of the enjoyable gunplay or level design that are hallmarks of the classics of the genre, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin left us a little cold.
Running on a modified version of the Quake engine, it looks great and the guns are cool – but that’s where the similarities to the classic iD title end.
The combat is fiddly, and the levels are designed in a way that means it becomes even more frustrating than fun.
Not being able to control it via keyboard and mouse is an issue, but this isn’t a valid excuse for it being a struggle to play – with several PC based titles working on Switch fine. A shame.
Score: 2.5 out of 5
