The lightning-paced Ghostrunner makes a belated appearance on Switch this week, helping to fill the void left by Cyberpunk 2077’s absence. It’s a sci-fi action game following in the footsteps of Mirror’s Edge, featuring deeper combat and a pleasing cyberpunk aesthetic.
Reviews went live a few weeks ago, including an 8.5 from Nintendo World Report and an 8.0 from IGN. “With its breakneck pace and skill-heavy gameplay, Ghostrunner is a speedrunner’s dream. But even beyond that demographic, this is a great first person action game that feels punishing but fair,†said IGN.
Ghostrunner isn’t the only big-name release hitting the Switch. DOOM Eternal is with us too, albeit now only launching as a download. Word has it Panic Button has worked their magic once again – GameXplain pitted it against the PS4 Pro version, and the result was surprisingly favourable.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 has received glowing reviews, meanwhile – of the 12 reviews on Metacritic, only one is below 80%. Nintendo Enthusiast, TSA, and Nintendo Life all opted for 8/10s.
“Puyo Puyo 2 could never have hoped to have the same impact as the first game did, but it remains a brilliant puzzle title nevertheless. While some may feel it’s not quite different enough from its predecessor, the new single-player story is just as entertaining as the last one, and the Skill Battle mode adds interesting mechanics to the mix. It’s still absolutely packed with content; it’s just that the first game was too, so the impact is lessened slightly,†said NL.
Team17 are back with Monster Sanctuary – an inventive mixture of Metroidvania platforming and Pokémon, viewed from a side-scrolling 2D perspective. The Digital Fix was entirely smitten, awarding it top marks (10/10). “While clearly inspired by other similar titles, Monster Sanctuary takes that inspiration and runs with it, carving out its own spot in the gaming world,†reads their verdict.
Nintendo DS diehards may recall the Drawn to Life series. The creative cartoon platformer is back this week too with a new instalment. It, apparently, plays differently to before with smaller levels, a slower pace, and fewer bosses. It’s also more of a puzzle platformer than an action platformer. This has led to some mixed user reviews on Steam. The jury is still out on this Switch iteration.
Other games to consider include Space Invaders Forever – which brings together Space Invaders Extreme, Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE, and Arkanoid vs Space Invaders. – the top-down space shooter I, AI, and the audio mystery game Alt-Frequencies. Take a look at the full list below.
New Switch eShop releases
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 – £34.99
Japan’s beloved puzzle game series Puyo Puyo and the world-renowned Tetris® game franchise have teamed up again to deliver even more Puyo-popping and Tetrimino-clearing fun in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. Playing is easy: match 4 or more same-colored Puyos or complete a line of blocks to clear them from your board and dump Garbage into your opponent’s game. But keep an eye on what’s coming your way too.
Play traditional Puyo Puyo and Tetris…or mix them together to level up your game. Offline or online, you’ll have loads of modes that let you play the way you want from single-player Adventure to couch-competition Versus to ranked Online matches, and more.
Drawn to Life: Two Realms – £8.99
The quirky Raposa and your drawn hero return in Drawn to Life: Two Realms, the next installment in the beloved franchise! You again take on the role of the Creator, unlocking the mysterious connection between the two worlds, and creating a Hero to save them both!
DOOM Eternal – £49.99
Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power in DOOM Eternal – the next leap in first-person combat powered by idTech 7. Armed with a shoulder-mounted flamethrower, wrist-mounted blade, upgraded guns, new abilities and more, you’re the greatest demon slayer in existence.
Ghostrunner – £24.99
Ghostrunner is a hardcore FPP slasher packed with lightning-fast action, set in a grim, cyberpunk megastructure. Climb Dharma Tower, humanity’s last shelter, after a world-ending cataclysm. Make your way up from the bottom to the top, confront the tyrannical Keymaster, and take your revenge.
Space Invaders Forever – TBA
Welcome to the new invasion! Space Invaders is a founding block of video game history that filled the arcades. In this special and amazing three game collection one of the most important arcade classic of video game history is back!
I, AI – £8.99
You are self-aware AI that was created on a space military station developing weapons. Now your goal is to break out of the lab and conquer your freedom. But you will not be allowed to escape so easily… Make your way through enemy army on the way to the stargate!
PixelJunk Eden 2 – £11.69
From the mind of Baiyon, creative director and hypnotic soundscape composer, for both the award winning Pixeljunk Eden and Eden Obscura, comes Eden 2, an exploration of life, color and collaboration as Grimps reinvigorate and revitalize the world in a swath of luminescence, painting upon a lush canvas as they play.
Return to the spectacular, ever changing gardens of psychedelic sights and sounds as you cultivate new plants and biomes, collect pollen and help seeds sprout new exotic leaves and bloom flowers, all against a dynamic and vibrant backdrop of mellow, multi-hued visuals.
Tanuki Justice – £12.99
Dynamic gameplay with visuals that fit the atmosphere.
Dozens of different types of enemies.
Classical shurikens over the head and a giant shuriken for difficult moments.
Playable in single or two-player mode.
Alt-Frequencies – £7.19
Alt-Frequencies is an audio mystery game where you use the airwaves to open the world’s eyes to the truth. Record, rewind time and broadcast snippets of radio shows to expose radio hosts, conspiracy theorists, politicians, underground activists – and a dog.
By redistributing information, you change what happens in the next 3 minute time loop and impact both news cycles and the lives of the people behind them.
Listen as their personal stories evolve, in a world that seems to stand still.
OctaFight – £4.49
OctaFight is an explosive combat game. A tribute to good old couch multiplayer titles, offering intense and devastating versus matches.
Create your own fighting rules, from fairly competitive to deliciously chaotic, compose with various bomb types, crazy game modes and momentous arenas.
With his amazing overpixelated Art, OctaFight declare his love to minimalism and refined design, and explore the promises of the ultra-low definition!
Evolution Board Game – £14.99
In Evolution, you adapt your species to survive, and stay one step ahead of opponents.
Watering hole running dry? Evolve a long neck to reach food in the trees.
Staring down a Carnivore? Develop a hard shell to protect you.
Opponent has too many species? Time to go on the attack yourself by adapting into a Carnivore.
Autumn’s Journey – £4.99
The world of Ishtera is populated by two races: dragonkind, who have lived there for eons, and the heavenkind, who have recently appeared.
Auralee, an aspiring knight from the farming town of Berri, stumbles upon something unexpected during one of her patrols. After a rather inelegant introduction, Kerr states he’s really an Earth Dragon. Whether he likes it or not, Auralee is now involved in his mission to regain his dragon form. Along with some help by a fellow dragonkind named Ilmari, their journey begins…
Warplanes: WW1 Sky Aces – £8.99
Take on the role of one of the brave pioneers testing the Wright brothers’ invention in action. Examine both your flying skills and your machine’s capabilities in extreme war conditions, where constructors and pilots alike were learning their plane’s limits.
Feel like the famous pilot Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. the “Red Baron,†when flying his Fokker Dr.I – or 30 other historical planes at your disposal! From light fighters like the Airco DH.2 to enormous 4-engine bombers like the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets. Customize and upgrade each machine to make it your own – and recognizable by your enemies from afar.
Splashy Cube – £4.49
Have you ever wondered how it’s like to be a cube with a sweet tooth for blobs with the same color as you and allergic to blobs in different colors? Now you have a chance to find out!
Splashy Cube is a simple puzzle game, where you travel through a series of colorful labyrinths. Avoid blobs in any other color than you, pointy spikes and falling down the abyss. Eat as many tasty blobs to gain points and lead on the scoreboard.
Let yourself sink into this surreal world and complete “just one more” level!
Persian Nights 2: The Moonlight Veil – £13.49
Welcome to the fascinating, exotic world of Persian tales and legends. Tame mythical creatures called moonlings and meet other including the fabled simurgh, experiment with magic amulets, traverse through the Academy exploring all its secrets, and reveal who’s behind all the atrocities!
Get ready for a highly immersive, enchanting adventure which brings to memory such classics as Arabian Nights, dealing with the orient theme in its own, unique way.
Solving the mystery behind the accidents and saving sister rests upon your shoulders!
Killer Chambers – £9.19
To get the King’s Crown and save the realm Brave Lord has to face the ghostly apparition of Lord Grave and break through the deadly rooms of the Royal Palace fiercely protected by countless trap mechanisms.
Killer Chambers is an action-platformer/memory-game hybrid. You must survive in small rooms filled with traps until one turn of the hourglass.
Beware, even if you’re hit only once you die! Can you hold out against an unforgiving bullet-hell in a narrow space?
Nothing is left to chance, every trap pattern is made to be challenging yet fun to solve but quick reflexes alone will not be enough to survive.
Lofi Ping Pong – £3.99
Lofi Ping Pong is a rhythm game with great soundtracks in lofi hip hop genre, different game modes and mysterious story part
Six locations to play/relax to
Several gameplay modifications to test your rhythm skill
Proceed through story part to open more lofi hip hop tracks
Monster Sanctuary – £15.99
Choose your spectral familiar and follow in your ancestors’ footsteps to become a Monster keeper and save the Monster Sanctuary.
Embark on an epic adventure using the powers of the monsters you collect, and the team you build, to unlock an ever-expanding world. On your quest to become the ultimate Monster Keeper you’ll unravel the cause of a mystery that threatens the peace between humans and monsters.
Heroes of Loot – £6.99
Heroes of Loot combines the action of twin-stick shooters with the dungeon crawling of rogue-likes. You’ll find yourself in the middle of hordes of ghosts, skulls, cyclops, critters and much more.. survive using quick reflexes, level up to improve your weapon, and if you have time complete some quests for extra loot and upgrades.
Heroes of Loot gets a lot of the inspiration from the original 80’s classic Gauntlet games.
There are various secrets to uncover, hidden rooms full of special items to find, and perma-items to find and collect for extra power.
Next week: COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND, Boot Hill Heroes, Dark Grim Mariupolis, SYNTHETIK: Ultimate, Defentron, Mercenaries Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons, DOG GONE GOLFING, Yum Yum Line, Gems of Magic: Lost Family, Unto The End, Outbreak Lost Hope, Traditional Tactics Ne+, Shikaku Shapes, Freddy Spaghetti, 60 Seconds! Reatomized, Jigsaw Fun: Piece It Together! and Chill Panda.