Sniper Elite V2 Remastered on Switch isn’t the first Sniper Elite game to grace a Nintendo platform – the original version launched on Wii U in 2013, where it sold so poorly that it’s now one of the hardest PAL games to find for the system. The cheapest pre-owned copy on Amazon is currently a stonking £55.
In comparison, the £29.99 asking price for this week’s Switch remaster seems an absolute steal. While reviewers are in agreement that it’s a decent remaster, in terms of the visual upgrade, it’s apparently starting to show its age in a few areas. Nintendo Life awarded it a 6/10, stating that “while its long-range action is as gripping as ever, the more traditional run-and-gun sections stick out like a sore thumb, and the absense of auto-saving can lead to some frustrating moments.â€
SEGA’s Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder also comes rocking its way this week. We have something of a soft spot for this series – it’s Super Monkey Ball goes tower defence, with a dollop of Monty Python-style humour. The first review out the door is an 8/10 from GameSpace who praised its pick-up-and-play value but warned of small text in handheld mode.
Blades of Time is another lesser-known title receiving a belated Switch release this week. This hack and slasher dates back to 2012, and to be fair, it wasn’t exactly top-tier stuff back then. Echoing this, Digitally Downloaded could only muster a 1/5 review score for this re-release. “Time hasn’t been good to Blades of Time, and other than for the morbidly curious, I can’t see anyone being masochistic enough to derive any value out of it,†they said.
Then we have the sandbox crime spree Thief Simulator, which Nintendo Life described as a cross between Thief and Payday 2. If you’re up for something different, it seems to be worth a look. “While it’s not the prettiest of games and it soon starts repeating itself, the sense of freedom you’re given to rob neighbourhoods full of unsuspecting victims is still an intriguing one,†was NL’s verdict.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection is definitely the most anticipated release of the week, bringing together Castlevania, Castlevania II Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania The Adventure, Castlevania II Belmont’s Revenge, Castlevania Bloodlines, Kid Dracula.
We’ve started to sink our teeth into the Xbox One version and can safely say it’s well worth the £15.99 asking price. Konami has announced today that the Japanese versions are being added at a later date too. Result!
The full line-up of new releases can be found below. Other highlights include Arcade Archives Buta san, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, and the futuristic racer Redout – a game once feared cancelled.
New Switch eShop releases
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered – £29.99
Experience the remaster of award-winning third-person shooter, Sniper Elite V2. Trapped between two desperate armies in a race against time, stealth is key. Stalk your target, set up the shot, and use your skill, patience and cunning to achieve the mission.
GUILTY GEAR – £15.99
Explore the very first game that started one of the biggest fighting game franchises – released on its 20th anniversary! Discover where one of the best and mechanically richest fighting games descends from – at home and on the go on Nintendo Switch!
GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R – £15.99
ΛCORE PLUS R is the final instalment and epitome of the Guilty Gear XX series, with the most polished mechanics of all! Experience Accent Core Plus R with English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German subtitles, plus Japanese, Korean and Chinese (traditional and simplified)! Rediscover the original cast of 25, still the only Guilty Gear with all the best characters! Enjoy online play for the game, and practice your Dust and Roman Cancels!
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder – £13.49
Just like the title says, Bigger and Boulder cranks up the surrealism and gameplay to be, well… BIGGER AND BOULDER. With an emphasis on the chaotic new 2-vs-2 multiplayer, new time periods, and improved graphics, physics, and destructibility powered by Unreal Engine 4, players will need to be ready for some intense rocking and rolling.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection – £15.99
Konami’s Castlevania Anniversary Collection traces the origins of the historic vampire franchise. It includes Castlevania, Castlevania II Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania The Adventure, Castlevania II Belmont’s Revenge, Castlevania Bloodlines, Kid Dracula (never released in English before), and History of Castlevania – Book of the Crescent Moon. Included is a unique eBook with details provided by developers, artists and others inspired by the Castlevania legacy which sheds a fresh light into the world of Castlevania.
Blades of Time – £17.99
Ayumi, the gorgeous gun and sword-wielding treasure hunter, sets out on a journey to an ancient island in search of new adventures. While rich in bounty, the island is also filled with the magic of Chaos, being at the same time home to bloodthirsty monsters.
Evil Defenders – £8.99
Evil Defenders is a fun, frenetic defense game: build and upgrade your towers, Ñast spells to repel enemy forces, use special landmarks and defend the Lands of Evil from invaders! Feel free to play the game in many different ways through tower upgrades, a skill tree and 100 in-game achievements.
Redout – £35.99
Redout is a freakishly fast and uncompromising anti-gravity racing game. Each turn, slope and twist applies a unique force to your vehicle, and players can drift and pitch the ship to minimize friction, channelling those forces into even greater forward velocity.
Super Life of Pixel – £8.99
Join Pixel as he quests through gaming history, teleporting across the most iconic video game systems of generations past. He’ll have to jump, dodge and play smart if he wants to survive all the traps, puzzles and enemies waiting to take him down at every turn.
Undead Horde – £14.99
You’re a necromancer – a re-animator of the dead. Undead Horde is a necromantic action game with elements from action RPG, strategy and hack’n’slash. Re-animate almost any enemy and build an army of dozens of undead minions. Take command and send your undead war machine against the living and their leader King Paladin Benevictor. Equip your necromancer with endless amounts of loot and lead your army to ultimate victory!
39 Days to Mars – £10.16
39 Days to Mars is a co-operative (and single-player) steampunk puzzle-adventure game. Step into the shoes of Sir Albert Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter, two 19th century explorers who have chosen to pilot the HMS Fearful on its maiden voyage to Mars.
Arcade Archives Buta san – £6.29
Buta san is an action game that was released from JALECO in 1987. Players try to survive while throwing time bombs at each other. Can you survive the gauntlet of 100 fellow pigs to become the champion Pig? In this title, two players can play together to help or hamper each other.
Darkwood – £12.99
Craft weapons, prepare traps, fortify hideouts – you will explore and scavenge the eerie forests of the Soviet Bloc by day, then hunker down in your hideout at night. With nightmarish forces corrupting the woods, wait and pray for the sun to come up the next morning. Wade through the gruelling, bizarre world of Darkwood and delve into the creepiest secrets of its inhabitants to escape the infested land before it destroys your body and consumes your mind.
INFERNO CLIMBER: REBORN – £10.79
A long, long time ago… There were 5 Purgatory Stones with enormous magical powers. Purgatory Stones were owned by 5 different countries to keep the world in order. However, as the time passed, evil and corruption spread through the land. Purgatory Stones fell into the wrong hands. Monsters plagued all over the land. Thus, the world has fallen. 100 years later… An innocent soul made a pact with Death. The awakened one set forth in search for the Purgatory Stones.
KORAL – £10.99
Dive into the beautiful undiscovered underwater world and heal coral reefs while you traverse the entire world in search for bleached, dying reefs. Interact with various kinds of corals, each one of them with unique skills you can interact with that will help you go on in the adventure.
Light Tracer – £11.69
Light Tracer is a Platform-Puzzler in which the Player is a godlike creature who has to guide a princess in despair up the enormous Tower of Bellbatis. Use your hands to either lead the princess past foe and obstacle, or move freely around the world and interact with it. Only those creative enough and with both mind and vision clear can lead the princess to her ultimate goal.
Octogeddon – £6.88
You are Octogeddon, a massive mutant octopus with one mission: DESTROY the world! Grow more tentacles and evolve each of them into deadlier and deadlier weapons! Become the ultimate eight-legged killing machine!
Pocket League Story – £8.99
Handpick players, train, and battle your way to the top of every league in this sensational soccer team simulation! Sell merch, erect a gym–even a stadium! Your fanbase will grow as you conquer your rivals and snag the hottest sponsors! The sky’s the limit in your quest for ultimate soccer stardom!
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition – £14.39
Project Nimbus is a high-speed mech action game set on a devastated future Earth, where the player manoeuvres a weaponized humanoid general-purpose Battle Frame. Engage enemy units with various weapons and defeat huge bosses and unique ace pilots! Fly the skies with 360 degrees of freedom, and battle enemies with a variety of weapons and techniques, from smart missiles to the blade charge. Experience the battle as a young ace pilot destined for legendary status.
Thief Simulator – £16.19
Become the thief. Steal in free roam sandbox neighbourhoods. Observe your target and gather information that will help you with the burglary. Take the challenge and rob the best-secured houses. Buy some hi-tech burglar equipment and learn new thief tricks. Sell stolen goods to the passers. Do anything that a real thief does!
Your Toy – £17.99
Do you remember all the toys from your childhood? Do you remember what happened to them? Where are they now? Though once best friends, they have now become your worst nightmare!
Akane – £4.49
Imagine the rain-soaked neon streets of Mega-Tokyo. You, your loyal katana and hordes of mad Yakuzas. There’s no happy ending this time. Take down as many thugs as you can with you! Akane is a brutal arena arcade slasher based on one-hit-one-kill gameplay mechanics.
Chicken Rider – £3.23
Chicken Rider is an endless runner game in which the player takes control of the young polar bear. The little bear is fighting for animal freedom. But during the attempt of chicken liberation, not everything is working according to the plan. Our hero accidentally turns on the alarm and he is forced to flee on the only one vehicle left… the chicken.
Devious Dungeon 2 – £6.39
It is said that great adventures await behind the walls of this dark castle, Devious Dungeon 2 is a medieval focused action platformer title. The castle’s ever-shifting halls are filled with deadly monsters! Treacherous traps have claimed the lives of many adventurers! It is rumoured the castle contains treasures beyond imagination. However, it is also the domain of The Summoner and he does not look kindly upon uninvited guests!
New Switch pre-orders
Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry – £35.99, pre-order from 13/05/2019
The Last Door – Complete Edition – £13.49, pre-order from 13/05/2019
We. The Revolution – £16.19, pre-order from 13/05/2019
TerraTech – £19.99, pre-order from 15/05/2019
Hungry Baby: Party Treats – £4.49, pre-order from 16/05/2019
My Lovely Daughter – £8.99, pre-order from 16/05/2019
Next week: Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, Team Sonic Racing, TT Isle of Man: Ride On The Edge, Wonder Boy Returns Remix, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 4, Gunlord X, The Last Door – Complete Edition, Atelier Lulua ~The Scion of Arland~, Hungry Baby: Party Treats, Back in 1995, and Skelly Selest.