Ratatan Review (Switch 2)

We’ve been looking forward to Ratatan for a long time. Patapon and its sequel were a real favourite of ours back on the PSP, especially when played via the Vita with its gorgeous screen. Ratatan,is basically Patapon goes Rogue-like which will no doubt delight and frustrate people in equal measure.

It may seem a strange choice of genre to bolt rogue elements to but then these sorts of games are all about repeated runs. As a result, there is everything you would expect of modern games in that genre. You have a central hub where you can develop weapons and skills by trading in objects found on your runs, multiple pathways through the areas with a choice of powerups at the end, areas where you upgrade for your current run, the list goes on. There’s nothing particularly new here (or missing), but you’ve probably never seen it put across in a rhythm action game before.

The rhythm action element is completely key to the whole thing. At the bottom of the screen, you have a continually moving music sheet with bars across it that repeats infinitely. Pressing buttons at the correct times activates the different commands for your Cobun followers. For instance, attacking requires pressing the ‘A’ button three times to the correct beat, while calling your creatures back requires a press, a pause and then another press. As you move through the game you get an ever-increasing list of commands to employ.

Success depends on your judgement about when to throw the little dudes into battle and when to beat a hasty retreat and regroup. You also need to keep an eye on your own health bar. While inputting all the rhythm commands you still have full control over your little pied piper creature who can run around and jump but is defenceless without the Cobun.

One issue was that we did find it difficult to keep track of everything at times as the screen is so vibrant and busy it’s easy to miss that you are taking damage or about to die. The game could do with a bit more simplicity in its visual design and more feedback with regards to when you are taking hits. It’s something that is more of an issue in handheld mode as the game’s visuals, while beautiful, are also pretty damn small. Its ok though, because when the sound is as creative as it is here it deserves to be coming out of bigger and better speakers than the Switch 2.

That said, the game works beautifully well. Controls are quick and precise, and the rhythm inputs are responsive and crisp. It’s certainly a game that needs mastering, but once you have developed the skills your progression is only hindered by how good you are (and how powered up your Cobun are). While some runs may well fizz out early there is normally the feeling that you have at least grabbed some loot that will be useful in the future.

Overall, Ratatan is a unique take on the Rogue-like genre. It’s great to see one of the more unique and quirky entries from gaming history making its way back to a wider audience. The change in genre is a bold move and one that mostly works. We would like to see something a bit more traditional in the future to really let us focus on the beats but until then this is a beautifully realised alternative.

Overall 8/10

Everspace 2 Review (Switch 2)

Everspace 2 recently shadow dropped onto the Switch 2, always a bold move. It comes a few years after release on other systems and includes both the Titan and Wrath of the Ancients DLC. So, you are certainly getting a ton of content for your money. The first game in the series was a space combat-based Roguelike where you repeatedly followed the loop of launching, finding resources, lasting as long as you could, then repeating. This second game is a more linear story-based adventure.

The story follows a clone pilot who is hiding out among the various salvage and mining crews in the galaxy. As the action RPG unfolds your character gets discovered (of course), and a pretty sizable adventure ensues.

These sorts of space combat games always live or die by their controls. We are happy to report that this builds on the already solid model of the first game to provide an intuitive and responsive interface. You will quickly be able to dog fight with the best of them, while the customisation options in terms of what you can do with your ships gives players a good level of flexibility to play the game how they want to.

The space combat is excellent as well. The various ships are manoeuvrable, and you are quickly thrown into the thick of battle right from the off. We had very little trouble tracking targets for instance. There’s a good weight to guns and missiles as well and the feedback you get on screen gives a solid account of how much damage you are taking on. The controls are also good enough to cope with the numerous narrow sections of structures you’ll have to navigate through as well. It does take a little getting used to, but you’ll soon be zipping around comfortably.

Though the story is somewhat linear you do have a lot of freedom to zoom around the various systems. There are a host of side missions to follow and things to salvage. The game very much stays in the ship though with interactions on space stations kept to menus and dialogue boxes. There is a fair bit of zipping across the surface of planets though to keep the visuals interesting.

If there is a criticism its that the characters aren’t the most developed. The setting is also pretty much ‘generic space’ as well. It’s easy to overlook when the combat is so slick, but some may want more in terms of the narrative elements of an action RPG.

Overall, Everspace 2 is a comprehensive and enjoyable package. The move to the Switch 2 has worked well and the game still looks great. It can be played for long periods or in short bursts which works well with the portable nature of the device and you are getting around 50+ hours of game here for those that want to see everything. The Switch 2 also doesn’t have much else like this aside from Rebel Galaxy, but that doesn’t go as deep with its RPG elements. Despite the shadow drop, this is well worth playing.

Overall 8/10

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Review (Switch 2)

Moonlighter was a very much underrated indie game that created a great little loop of exploration and selling junk wrapped in a rogue-lite package. The original was a pixel art, top-down game that took inspiration from the original four-door, sealed room dungeon layout of early Zelda games. You dive in, survive as many rooms as possible then brought you loot back to sell in your shop.

Moonlighter 2 hasn’t moved far in terms of the core ideas, but a lot else has changed. You are still hunting for loot and then selling it in your shop. But now the game has moved to a 3D environment. Instead of doors leading off from a dungeon you now have sort of floating platform like arenas. You must kill all the monsters present and then you can move to the next, you’ll normally have a choice of two or three paths and aside from fighting there are opportunities to find power ups or other treasures along the way.

We found that the arenas did lack some of the character the original games rooms had and the colours are quite soft which can make it difficult to see everything on the screen. A fair few times we were being attacked by something we just didn’t see which isn’t ideal. They are also quite samey in each of the core areas which means after a few runs it can get a tad dull unless you’re progressing to other places.

Luckily the combat system is robust. You get a selection of different weapons to wield and upgrade, and they all carry weight and give a good level of feedback so at least you know you are hitting things. You also have a gun with a limited number of shots (recharged by melee attacks), which adds flexibility for taking on flying enemies and those just out of reach. Each weapon also has a chargeable special attack and when enemies are stunned you can also smash them over the edge of the island or into other creatures. It all works well and provides a satisfying experience.

When you inevitably die, you’ll be sent back to your hub down with any relics and items you have found along the way. These can then be sold in your shop with the money going towards any number of upgrades and perks. There’s a whole meta game in there about how to best store your objects in your backpack as well with certain ones ‘burning’ others or adding bonuses to them. It’s another system that works well, even if it does get a little repetitive after a while.

As you progress, you’ll expand your arsenal and shop, and more and more areas of the town will open offering different services. It’s a potentially addictive loop; however, we did find progress slow. We had run after run where little progress was made in the early going. It doesn’t quite get the balance right with difficulty to progression and that may see some players leave the game before they have really got into it. Once you start making breakthroughs though it finds its feet and you’ll be lost to it for hours.

Overall, this is a welcome return for the series. The new direction has worked well in most ways and if you get through some initial slowness you’ll be drawn in for hours on end. Even when things do get a bit repetitive there is enough charm present for players to see it through. For fans of the original, or those who need yet another Rogue-like this should be high on your list to check out.

Overall 8/10

Aggelos 2 review (Switch)

It’s a good few years ago now that we played the first Aggelos. It was a fun game that was heavily influenced by the Wonder Boy franchise and was presented in an 8-bit style. As is the trend with indie games like these the sequel has decided to step up to the 16-bit way of doing things. As such, you can kind of think of this as a Mega Drive successor to the Master System original. Although there’s a few more colours on display here and the sound is much better.

In the beginning things seem much the same as before. You are setting off in a sort of Metroidvana world, although it is much prettier and much more open, looking for new power ups and bosses to defeat. There is a handy X on your map which points the way to your next objective and going off the beaten track normally rewards you with something worthwhile. You also get to stay fairly powerful with not only your sword in hand but a projectile attack which turns the game into a sort of run n’ gun at times. You’ll start to pick up items quickly as well which turns the game more into an open adventure.

An example of this is two things you pick up very early on. First off, you’ll get your angel wings back which let you float at a steady level for a short time. This makes movement much quicker and allows for some devious puzzles to solve, normally involving spikes. The second thing of importance you’ll get is the grappling hook. This allows you latch onto most surfaces and can be deployed over and over meaning you can climb and reach higher areas. This effectively acts as a bundle of different upgrades you normally get in Metroidvanias in one item.

The game also throws a few twists at you. Just when you think you are settling into a perfectly playable but slightly generic adventure it introduces the dark world. At one point you will find that you change from the light side to the dark. This transforms your character and changes your attacks and special moves. Most importantly it means you can travel through the various dark portals around the world into a dark version of the map with new enemies and layouts. You can change back and forth at will and allows of Ikaruga like puzzles to be deployed, something we certainly weren’t expecting.

What’s especially impressive is that everything fits together so quickly and the game runs incredibly smoothly. You are given a lot of things early on, but everything is introduced effortlessly and you never feel overwhelmed. It also means there are multiple ways you can approach the game in terms of moving around and combat which adds flexibility.

Overall, Aggelos 2 is a really good fun, solid game that lacks any real flaws. There’s a lot of thought that has gone into this and it comes into its own as well as keeping the influence of its retro forebears and adding new twists to them. The difficulty is pitched about right as well. If there’s one criticism it is perhaps that despite all this it just seems to lack that small touch of magic that would elevate it to classic status. That said, if you are a fan of Wonder Boy or these types of games it is pretty much essential.

Overall 8/10