SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring ‘Bayonetta 3’ & ‘Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo’, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales
Hello mild readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November seventh, 2022. Today we begin issues off with three evaluations: Platinum’s Bayonetta 3, PikPok’s Shatter Remastered Deluxe, and Hanaji’s Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo. After that, we’ve received summaries of the brand new releases of the day, however I can’t say I was notably thrilled with any of them. Finally, we’ve got the identical old lists of latest and outgoing reductions for you to consider. Let’s get to business!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Bayonetta three ($59.99)
Bayonetta 3 hits the bottom running with a robust opening. The risk this time comes not from heaven or hell, however from the Multiverse. We’re launched to Bayonetta’s new look and her huge new set of talents associated to puppeteering her summons. We additionally meet a brand new character, Viola, and you’ll in all probability determine her deal in the first half hour if you’re observant. Viola can also be a new playable character, becoming a member of Bayonetta and Jeanne and offering up her personal distinctive bag of abilities. Between the multiple characters, new talents, and a fair few new gimmicks, Bayonetta 3 actually goals to maintain things recent all throughout.
All of this works rather well generally, but you’re most likely going to like some bits of it higher than others. That’s always been the way with Bayonetta, however there are things right here that are greater than mere one-off levels that you’re going to have to simply accept if you’re going to get essentially the most out of the game. And after all similar to in earlier games, there are some levels that probably could have used a bit extra time within the oven. For probably the most part, this could be a top-notch action game, but it wouldn’t shock me if some people come away preferring either of the first two games or both.
I suspect the extra contentious component goes to be the game’s technical performance. This recreation is placing the Switch by way of its paces, notably in handheld mode, and it doesn’t always come out smelling like a rose. Docked play has some framerate issues right here and there, and if you’re sensitive to such issues it’s most likely going to bug you. Handheld mode has worse points with framerate and adds a few of those not-so-fun decision drops on top. I was able to enjoy the recreation just fine, however I’m typically not all that fussed about technical performance. Our pal Mikhail was much less forgiving of the way the game performed in handheld. Your own mileage could vary, but it’s a consideration.
As for the story, it could (if necessary) function a conclusion to the collection if this is the place it ends. It also leaves issues open sufficient for a follow-up if that is how issues go. The first two games weren’t precisely down-to-Earth in phrases of plot, however Bayonetta 3 actually goes bonkers. That seems to be inevitable whenever you bring within the idea of parallel universes, I suppose. Bayonetta has a new voice actor, and her characterization appears a bit totally different this time too. I suspect some fans aren’t going to be happy with a few of the lines it draws by the tip, but for higher or worse it chooses a direction and goes onerous with it. It’s a bit too twisty for its personal good at occasions, but again, multiverse. Don’t worry too much about it.
Ultimately, I’m left with mixed feelings about Bayonetta 3. Not seriously mixed. It’s nonetheless a fantastic sport, among the best in its category, and I’ve rated it accordingly. But there are selections made right here, both when it comes to the narrative and the overall design, that I suppose might have gone another means and made for a fair better game. There’s also no query that the performance points are disappointing in a genre the place split-second timing is so essential. Bayonetta 3 carries the ball for the collection properly enough, even if it finally ends up being the weakest of the trilogy.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Shatter Remastered Deluxe ($9.99)
How is 2022 the first 12 months we’re getting Sidhe Interactive/PikPok’s elegant brick-breaker in moveable form? But now the year is drawing to a close and I can play this wonderful game on each my iPhone and Switch, so I suppose all is properly. If you want brick-breakers, you’re in all probability already well-aware of Shatter. It first hit again in 2009 on the PlayStation three, with subsequent PC releases helping to expand its fanbase. It takes the commemorated genre and adds a few sharp twists that change the nature of the game without abandoning what makes it so compelling.
At its core, it’s very acquainted. There’s a paddle. There are some bricks. There’s a ball. You have to hit the ball with your paddle to destroy the bricks. Eliminate them all and you’ll move on to the following stage. Let the ball go previous you and also you lose a life. Sure, that’s just Breakout. Let’s toss in power-ups that drop from the bricks, supplying you with an assortment of additional boosts to spice things up and assist you to hunt down those annoying last few bricks. Sure, now we’ve obtained Arkanoid. This appears to be where most brick-breakers stop. Maybe they throw a pleasant coat of paint on the complete thing. And hey, Shatter does that too.
I won’t go over all the little issues that Shatter does to face out, but I will tackle a few big ones. First is that the stages can take on quite lots of shapes and alignments. Not just the standard thought of tilting the nicely ninety levels, both. Some of the levels tackle uncommon designs like circles that force you to consider how the ball bounces in new ways. There are additionally boss battles, which admittedly a number of different brick-breakers have also used. These also make you contemplate completely different strategies and assist break up the usual gameplay.
The biggest addition is the ability to suck and blow. By urgent the shoulder buttons, you presumably can draw the ball (and other objects) in direction of you or push it away. This gives you finer control over the motion of the ball, practically fixing the “one last brick” problem in a single fell swoop. This mechanic can also be essential for defeating the bosses more quickly, because it permits you to target their weak factors. But why not simply keep blowing the ball away so that it never slips past you? Well, each brick you break will drop some gems that are additionally affected by your sucking and blowing. Collect sufficient gems and you’ll fill a meter that permits you to pull off game-changing actions. So you’ll need to suck a bit in between blows. I ought to get a bonus for scripting this paragraph with out guffawing.
This mechanic is huge. Brick-breakers are normally one thing you’re either into or not. But the added management over the ball this lends the player means that even if you’ve bounced off of games like this before, you may still find this to your liking. There is so much to play right here across its various modes, too. What you’ve got right here is certainly one of the most mechanically-sound brick-breakers of all-time, with plenty of stuff to keep you taking half in for a protracted time. This remaster adjustments the presentation however otherwise provides everything you’d see in the unique game. Importantly, it brings the game to the Switch.
Shatter Remastered Deluxe is the brick-breaker to own. Like, if you’re solely getting one, that is it. There’s nothing else out there in the genre that performs as well as this, and it retains tempo with the best of its friends in terms of presentation and sheer content. There are a few mild technical issues right here that I hope might be addressed in the future, however even if it stays as-is, it’s more than worth the reasonable asking value.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo ($14.99)
I had a tough time with this one, associates. As a shoot-em-up fan, I place a really excessive value on having online leaderboards. To me, a nice deal of the pleasure in games of this genre comes from learning and mastering the scoring mechanics and trying to climb up within the rankings. If a shooter doesn’t facilitate that, I are likely to have less enjoyable with it. That stated, I know not everyone feels the same way that I do about that. And hey, there are extra methods for a shooter to offer worth than just score chasing. Still, I suppose the presence of on-line leaderboards are solely a optimistic, even when their absence isn’t necessarily a unfavorable.
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo doesn’t have on-line leaderboards, and it’s easily the biggest weak spot of the sport for me. This game has enjoyable scoring mechanics, however with only a local leaderboard to rank in on I can’t fairly get into them the way I normally would. That’s really my main gripe with the game. Otherwise, there’s lots right here for fans of vertical shooters to get pleasure from. It’s a wild bullet-hell shooter that starts off gentle enough however ramps up into absolute absurdity by the end. You begin off with a number of different mechas to make use of, each with their very own differentiating points, and ultimately unlock a bunch of others. Sometimes utilizing these other mechas changes the elemental mechanics, and that definitely lends the game plenty of replay worth.
That facet is additional prolonged by offering up branching paths and a number of endings. Exploring all of that can see you go through a whopping fifteen stages and take you into battle in opposition to forty distinct, fun boss fights. Playing through all of it’ll help you understand the considerably odd story, but even when you’re just here for the gameplay you’ll discover each of these stages and managers to be properly carried out and value tackling. There’s additionally a wealth of music tracks on offer, and whereas the soundtrack didn’t fairly hit that peak stage for me, it’s varied and distinct enough to do its job admirably.
If an absence of online leaderboards is a deal-breaker for you, Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo won’t be to your liking. Despite the high worth I place on that feature, I found the game was capable of present enough to dig into that I still received my kicks anyway. With so many unique mechas to play as, levels to problem, mini-bosses and managers to battle, and a bevy of unlockables, this is one shoot-em-up that simply keeps on giving. If you don’t care about online rating attacking, you’ll doubtless have a fair better time with it than I did.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Missing Ballerinas ($14.99)
Another hidden object adventure from the folks at Ocean Media, this time starring a crime-solving fox named Montgomery. Find clues, play mini-games, meet uncommon characters, and enjoy the relatively family-friendly story.
ET Varginha ($9.99)
It’s a puzzle-platformer the place you play as an alien on the run. Pretty shabby stuff. Another one of those five-dollar Switch platformers that regrettably just isn’t priced at five dollars.
Grand Hike ($4.99)
A two-hour lengthy stroll via the woods. Some mild puzzle fixing, however principally an excuse to walk via some chill environments. There are secrets to find alongside the way if you’re observant sufficient to identify them.
Paper Bad ($0.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Thunderful appears to be having a nice sale on its assortment of games, including recent releases like Cursed to Golf and Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash. Some of these prices are the lowest we’ve seen but, so do give them a glance. Not a lot in the outbox beyond the usual WB Games stuff, but check it out as well.
Select New Games on Sale
Firegirl: Hack n Splash DX ($8.ninety nine from $17.ninety nine until 11/12)
Rush Rally Origins ($7.49 from $14.ninety nine till 11/12)
SteamWorld Dig ($1.ninety nine from $9.99 till 11/12)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($4.ninety nine from $19.ninety nine till 11/12)
SteamWorld Heist ($3.ninety nine from $19.ninety nine until 11/12)
SteamWorld Quest ($8.seventy four from $24.ninety nine till 11/12)
Anthill ($1.ninety nine from $9.ninety nine till 11/12)
Trailblazers ($2.ninety nine from $29.ninety nine till 11/12)
Giga Wrecker Alt ($7.49 from $24.99 until 11/12)
Decay of Logos ($5.99 from $19.99 till 11/12)
Lonely Mountains: Downhill ($9.ninety nine from $19.ninety nine until 11/12)
Say No! More ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/12)
Curious Expedition ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/12)
Cursed to Golf ($15.99 from $19.99 till 11/12)
RICO ($5.99 from $19.99 till 11/12)
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 ($8.99 from $59.ninety nine till 11/14)
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 ($5.99 from $39.ninety nine until 11/14)
Mission 1985 ($4.99 from $9.ninety nine until 11/14)
Last Beat Enhanced ($4.ninety nine from $9.ninety nine till 11/14)
Steredenn: Binary Stars ($4.fifty four from $12.99 till 11/15)
Astria Ascending ($25.99 from $39.ninety nine till 11/15)
Revita ($12.74 from $16.ninety nine till 11/15)
Ashwalkers ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)
PictoQuest ($4.forty nine from $9.ninety nine until 11/15)
Astrologaster ($5.49 from $9.99 until 11/15)
Double Kick Heroes ($12.09 from $21.ninety nine until 11/15)
NeuroVoider ($3.49 from $13.99 until 11/15)
ScourgeBringer ($9.34 from $16.99 until 11/15)
Furi: Modore Edition ($9.ninety nine from $24.ninety nine till 11/15)
Pankapu ($2.39 from $11.99 until 11/15)
Piczle Cross Adventure ($4.forty nine from $9.99 until 11/15)
Miner Warfare ($1.ninety nine from $7.ninety nine until 11/19)
Succubus with Guns ($7.ninety nine from $9.ninety nine until 11/19)
Break Thru The Wall ($4.19 from $5.ninety nine until 11/19)
Magician’s Chase: Curry Recipe ($6.29 from $8.ninety nine until 11/19)
Sydney Hunter & Curse of the Mayan ($4.ninety nine from $9.99 until 11/20)
Sakura MMO 3 ($7.ninety nine from $9.ninety nine until 11/25)
Pinball Jam ($11.24 from $24.ninety nine till 11/25)
XIII ($27.ninety nine from $39.99 till 11/25)
The Sisters: Party of the Year ($14.ninety nine from $29.99 until 11/25)
Beyond a Steel Sky ($15.ninety nine from $39.99 till 11/25)
Murder Mystery Machine ($9.ninety nine from $19.99 till 11/25)
Asterix & Obelix XXL Romastered ($8.99 from $29.ninety nine until 11/25)
Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot ($14.ninety nine from $29.ninety nine till 11/25)
My Universe: Cooking Star ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/25)
My Universe: Doctors & Nurses ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/25)
My Universe: Pet Clinic ($5.ninety nine from $29.99 till 11/25)
My Universe: My Baby ($8.99 from $29.ninety nine until 11/25)
PigShip & the Giant Wolf ($3.59 from $7.ninety nine till 11/25)
Mission Commando ($2.99 from $3.ninety nine till 11/26)
ET Varginha ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/26)
In Rays of the Light ($3.ninety nine from $7.ninety nine till 11/27)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th
Bloo Kid 2 ($2.49 from $4.ninety nine till 11/8)
Ender Lilies: QotK ($16.24 from $24.99 till 11/8)
Fury Unleashed ($5.ninety nine from $19.ninety nine until 11/8)
Lacuna ($2.ninety nine from $19.99 until 11/8)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 till 11/8)
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe ($11.24 from $74.ninety nine until 11/8)
LEGO Harry Potter Collection ($9.ninety nine from $49.99 until 11/8)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes ($9.ninety nine from $39.99 until 11/8)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe ($4.49 from $44.99 until 11/8)
Monster Train First Class ($14.99 from $29.99 till 11/8)
Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath DLC ($11.ninety nine from $39.99 till 11/8)
Mortal Kombat eleven Ultimate ($11.ninety nine from $59.ninety nine till 11/8)
One Last Memory Reimagined ($4.99 from $9.ninety nine until 11/8)
Phoenotopia: Awakening ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Scribblenauts Mega Pack ($5.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game ($5.99 from $39.ninety nine till 11/8)
Zombiotik ($3.72 from $12.forty one until 11/8)