Hot on the heels of last week’s surprise Mafia Trilogy come another bunch of 2K re-releases, this time for Switch. BioShock: The Collection, XCOM 2 Collection, and Borderlands Legendary Collection make for a busy week for Nintendo’s handheld hybrid, and that’s before taking Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Minecraft Dungeons into account.
Minecraft Dungeons is, of course, multiformat. Scores likely aren’t as glowing as Microsoft hoped – for every 8/10 there’s a 7/10, dragging the Metacritic score down to 73%. The Switch version is yet to be reviewed, however, which could help bump that score up. It’s reportedly as polished as you’d expect, but due to being aimed at the younger generation, it’s rather a straightforward affair that’s on the easy side.
“Minecraft Dungeons is a solid dungeon crawler that will work wonders with younger audiences taking their first step into the genre, although will leave experienced players wanting something more significant. A brief campaign and underdeveloped hub world prevent it from achieving greatness, yet I can’t help but be impressed by the foundation Mojang Studios has built here,†said Trusted Reviews.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens makes the jump from Apple Arcade, meanwhile. WayForward’s colourful Metroidvanias always please, and this is no exception. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling gains a belated console release too. This bug-based role-player has gained comparisons with the Paper Mario series, and it’s easy to see why.
Speaking of Nintendo RPG franchises, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition takes the 2011 Wii classic and gives it a spit ‘n shine, while adding a new 10-12 hour epilogue.
The jury is still out on the 2K re-releases. It’s great to see more first-person games on Switch, especially Bioshock Infinite and Borderlands 2. We just hope they aren’t slapdash conversions. Getting seven new releases ready to launch on one day is a tall order, even for the biggest of publishers.
On the sillier side of things, there’s Atomicrops – the roguelite farming simulator in which you must defend the last farm in the post-apocalypse wasteland. It boasts some delightfully chunky pixel art. That’s joined by Indiecalypse – a humorous mini-game collection centred around an indie game studio.
On Xbox One there’s Ultimate Fishing Simulator, which we’ve spent some time with. The presentation is lacking, clearly originally designed with mouse controls in mind, but the game itself is calm and relaxing thanks to the absence of a time limit. There’s plenty of stuff to purchase and experiment with too. Here, you’re given the choice to keep or release fish – the former option earns cash while the latter bestows XP, both of which are required to progress and purchase new permits.
Others to mull over include Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath – which adds Robocop to the roster – a Switch re-release of the creaky 2009 whip-cracking adventure Adam’s Venture: Origins, and eastasiasoft’s Many Faces – a retro single-screen action game with a hint of Bubble Bobble. Let’s go, Bub.
New release showcase
Minecraft: Dungeons
Shantae and the Seven Sirens
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
Atomicrops
Adam’s Venture Origins
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
XCOM 2 Collection
Nintendo Switch – 2K Games
New multiformat releases
- Minecraft Dungeons
- Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath
- Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Invasions
- Castle Pals
- Those Who Remain
- Atomicrops
- Genetic Disaster
- Little Misfortune
- Many Faces
- Indiecalypse
- Shantae and the Seven Sirens
New on PSN
- Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen
- Hotel R’n’R
- Pong Quest
- Rune Lord
- Let’s Sing 2020
New on Xbox One store
- Ultimate Fishing Simulator
- Georifters
- The Last Scape
New Switch retail releases
- Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
- Adam’s Venture: Origins
- BioShock: The Collection
- Borderlands Legendary Collection
- Skybolt Zack
Next week: Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, Tour de France 2020, Awesome Pea 2, ESO: Greymoor, Depth of Extinction, We Were Here Together, and The Outer Worlds on Switch.
