We thought this week may be quieter than usual for the Switch due to yesterday’s Switch 2 Direct, but it seems that all the major formats have a quieter week. As usual, though, there are still a few games of note due out.
Indie publisher Sometimes You has three games lined up, two of which we’ve reviewed. Caligo is a short (40 min) walking simulator with themes of life and death. We found the dialogue poor and its themes muddled, resulting in a low score. Is this Game Trying to Kill Me? however is a decent puzzler with a dollop of innovation. You’re stuck inside a cabin filled with typical video game puzzle pieces and must play a retro game in which the actions performed alter the real world, and vice versa. Turning on the tap in the cabin will drain a pool in the video game, and so forth. At around 4 hours long there are dozens of challenges to overcome. Lastly, Sol Dorado Heist is a visual novel based around a casino robbery, featuring different endings.
We can also expect the HD remaster of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos – a 1997 3D platformer that found success on PS1 and Saturn. This remaster modernises the controls and features razor sharp redrawn textures. As tempting as it is to make a Super Mario 64 comparison, it’s a far simpler game with smaller locations. A gallery is also included with magazine scans, interviews, artwork and more. Reviews went live yesterday and were mostly in the 7/10 ballpark.
Then there’s The Renovator: Origins, a first-person psychological horror based on the world of art. You play as the son of a museum worker, and upon returning to the museum to collect their belongings, are subjected to paranormal behaviour. It appears to be reasonably accomplished visually.
That’s joined by the arcade style Sociable Soccer 25 – which Sociable Soccer 24 owners can download as a free update. That’s a smart move. This franchise comes from Sensible Soccer creator Jon Hare, but doesn’t appear to have hit the big leagues just yet. Perhaps this year’s edition will swing things.
Other releases include the Metroidvania BIOMORPH, the roguelike deckbuilder Vault of the Void, and the Vampire Survivors-style auto-shooter Dagger Froggy. The cartoony Nif Nif – a deckbuilder aimed at younger gamers – should also be out, although it isn’t showing on the eShop just yet.
New Switch eShop releases
The Renovator: Origins – £13.49
The Renovator: Origins is a first-person psychological horror game. Explore the mysterious world of art, where each exhibit contains the mysteries and secrets of its era and its creator. The game will immerse you in the past and another world that is behind the paintings.
You play as the son of a restorer, a museum worker who died tragically. While searching for the memorabilia, the door suddenly closes and strange things begin to happen. The hero is waiting for immersion in the world of art and the paranormal.
Croc Legend of the Gobbos – £24.99
Croc Legend of the Gobbos is the heartwarming journey of an endearing, humble little crocodile equipped with only his iconic backpack and a wiggly butt as he platforms his way across a series of unique worlds by running, jumping, climbing, swimming and tail spinning on his quest to rescue his adopted family of Gobbos from the grasp of the evil sorcerer Baron Dante and his impish Dantini hordes.
Embrace the excitement of the world’s favorite sport in Sociable Soccer 25.
With its vast array of features, extensive real-world player roster and intuitive gameplay, the game sets the stage for a footballing adventure like no other.
Created by legendary game designer Jon Hare, Sociable Soccer 25 features his signature fast-paced, arcade-style and intuitive gameplay, enriched with multiplayer head-to-head matches and collectible player cards.
Caligo is the darkness everyone descends into one way or another, and to each of us it’s something different. For some it’s a short but exciting adventure, some will see it as a place to relax. Yet others will be reminded of their worst nightmare, while for a few, it might come as a revelation. One thing is certain however: everyone will have to answer one big question.
After waking up with amnesia, Alex Thorn finds herself lost and confused in a room she doesn’t recognize. A weird flashback tells her that she somehow has been robbing casinos with a mysterious criminal known as The Silent Ace.
The police are now on her tracks, and The Silent Ace is about to rob the biggest casino in town: The Sol Dorado. Can Alex discover the truth about her past? Will she find the criminal before the police do? Choose your own path and solve this mystery!
Vault of the Void is a single-player, low-RNG roguelike deckbuilder designed to put the power into your hands. Continuously build, transform and iterate on your fixed 20 card deck as you progress through your run – or even before each battle. Preview which enemies you’ll be battling before each encounter, giving you a chance to carefully plan your strategy. With no random events, your success is in your hands – and your creativity and skill define your chances of victory!
Attention! My fellow Bounty Hunters,
The Bounty Hunter Association is recruiting now! Abundant rewards await you! Join us now!
Unique Shockwave Battle
Both sides accumulate Power for their own spaceship and compete in a fair shockwave battle to determine who the winner is! This is the recognized way of battle in the LONESTAR Universe, without any surprise attacks!
Perfect Hand of Nostalpix – £5.99
“Perfect Hand of Nostalpix” is a classic digital card game where players collect cards, level up, and evolve to build the perfect deck. With a unique world and strategic gameplay, the goal is to defeat enemies in search of the perfect hand, the ultimate decisive move!
Is this Game Trying to Kill Me? – £17.99
Is this Game Trying to Kill Me? – it is a mix of horror and first-person puzzle. You are trapped inside a cabin deep in the forest, and its owner offers to play a computer game in exchange for freedom. But the cabin and the game are much more connected than you might think. Traps from the game begin to appear in reality, and your actions in the cabin affect the computer game. And very soon you realize that the stake in this game is your life!
BIOMORPH is a dark metroidvania game where you become the creatures that you kill! Solve ingenious puzzles and navigate a stunning hand-drawn world. Meet quirky characters, rebuild a city, and uncover the secrets of a sprawling, fallen civilization… and of your own mysterious origins.
Embark on an exhilarating spacefaring adventure with Space Truck Simulator! Immerse yourself in the role of an interstellar trucker, piloting your rocket-powered rig across the vast expanse of the galaxy. Haul valuable cargo, scavenge for precious salvage, and navigate the unique challenges of deep space. With a blend of sci-fi excitement and trucking simulation, this game offers a rich and engaging experience that combines the thrill of cosmic exploration with the precision of cargo management.
Defend the galaxy in Space Battle, the last bastion against the imperial attack!
In this thrilling game of strategy and action, you take command of a spacecraft at the edge of the known galaxy, facing waves of enemy attacks in a desperate fight for survival. Each round is a race against time: destroy enemy stations before their fleets converge and launch a full-scale assault on your ship.
100 in 1 Game Collection – £26.99
“Meet Magrat the witch, Harvey the weird fish, Stephanie the green cow and all their beloved friends, and embark on an epic journey through 100 arcade games that blend classic gameplay from your favorite retro titles with new concepts that are reinventing the arcade genre! Score as much as you can, then improve and challenge yourself to get all stars in solo or with your friends!
The hero is a frog? That’s right, in top-down survival action game Dagger Froggy, you’ll take the role of a plucky pixel art amphibian as you fend off waves of creatures looking to make you their prey. From grassy lawn and spooky cemetery to the desert and more, you’ll have to clear baddies from a variety of stages while collecting coins from those you slay to purchase permanent upgrades for your frog.
Next week: Star Overdrive, SNOW BROS. 2 SPECIAL, Battlefield Waltz, Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy, Pocket Bravery, PROGRESS ORDERS, Little Droid, Secrets In Green, Pilo and the Holobook, Leo & Mia : Animal Rescue, and Wind Story.