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Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 2nd, 2024. In todayās article, I have a few more reviews for you to dig into. Iāve got my assessments of Times & Galaxy, Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition, and Tchia. After that, there are a couple of new releases to check out. Weāll do that, then meet around the corner for the lists of the latest sales and expiring discounts for the day. Ready, steady, go!
This game is awfully clever. It has really sharp writing, and as far as adventure game set-ups go this one is certainly novel. Youāre a robot reporter for a galactic newspaper called the Times & Galaxy, just starting out on your career. Youāre actually the first robot reporter, soā¦ good luck with that. You head out on assignments where youāll collect information by investigating the scene and talking to the people there. Youāll then use whatever information you collected to create a story for the paper, and the better the story you write the better things will go for you and your employer.
Each of the stories feels like a little episode of its own, and itās fun to try to dig for better information and juicier quotes to use in your write-ups. Even setting aside what youāre going to put in your story, itās enjoyable to try to unravel the truth behind situations that can sometimes seem completely different at a glance. Putting together the story is easy, with a handy tool that lets you set up each part of it based on the info you have collected. The game shows you exactly what each selection will do, so itās easy to build the Times & Galaxy into the kind of media outlet you want it to be. Great power, great responsibility. The presentation is charming, and the quality of the writing is exactly where it needs to be for a game like this.
The worst thing you can say about Times & Galaxy is that it is very consistent in its mechanics, which means it falls to how well the writing clicks with you to keep your interest. I wonāt say that every single scene had me glued to the Joy-Cons, but I think as a whole itās worth a look for those on the hunt for an unorthodox adventure game. I had a good time with it, and I think it has a nice thing going with its basic loop. If you like the sound of its premise and are in the mood for some silliness, youāll want to your nearest newsstaā¦ er, eShop, and grab a copy.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
I was there on the frontlines to watch this poor game go out and die. Itās beyond my pay grade to say exactly why; the reviews were good and the few people who picked up the game seemed to like it a lot. But within a few weeks, we were stickering over those $59.99 price tags with $29.99 ones. Thatās when I gave the game a shot, and to be honest, it didnāt strike me quite the same way it did others. Stylish, yes. Good pacing, for sure. Itās a good game, but I personally never mourned the lack of a follow-up. Thatās just me, of course. I know how much it means to others and I hope they get what theyāre wishing for.
One encouraging step towards that is this fine reissue of the original game. Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition gives the game a bit of graphical spit polish, has a new recording of the soundtrack, and adds in some useful quality of life features like autosaves. Otherwise, this is the game as it was. It handles itself well for a game of its vintage, and itās easy to see why so many people saw something special in it. Youāre always doing something new or interesting, and the world building is really solid. Plus, photography! Everyone loves video game photography. What can I say? This is an Ubisoft game from the last era before it really got its annualized ducks in a row, and there is something distinct about its games from this time period.
Mikhail has also been playing Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition on Switch and PS5. While thereās no shortage of information on the platform differences, one aspect he wanted to highlight is the cross progression. When you login to Ubisoft Connect in the publisherās titles, you usually get some in-game bonus, but the addition of cross progression across all consoles and PC has been excellent. While I played Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition only on Switch, he enjoyed playing it at home on PS5, and then picking up his save on Switch to play on the go. It works flawlessly here as it did in Assassinās Creed Mirage which he played on PS5 and iPhone 15 Pro.
Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is a great way to play this beloved cult classic, especially for those who want a portable option. While youāll get a smoother framerate on other platforms, this Switch version isnāt hard on the eyes by any means. The improvements are welcome without overstepping, making the game very easy to get into despite its vintage. If you havenāt played it before, itās worth trying out. Who knows? You might join the folks clamoring for that sequel. And if you have played it before, Iām sure I donāt need to twist your arm to convince you of the merits of a return trip.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Iāll say at least this much for Tchia: its highs are very, very high. When itās showing off its New Caledonia-inspired setting, or the distinct culture of its creators, itās truly captivating. I like that itās willing to let some moments just stew and really sink in. The soul-jumping mechanic that serves as its main gameplay gimmick is sometimes used in very clever ways. The first time you encounter some of its tricks, itās fun to solve them. Itās also surprisingly polished for the size of the game and the size of its development team.
Sometimes Iām less pleased with it. Combat isnāt a huge part of the game, but it gets old really fast. Enemy encounters in general just donāt offer a diverse enough range of options to keep them interesting. The islands you explore are gorgeous, but there isnāt enough incentive to fully explore them beyond your own curiosity. Iām not fond of how cumbersome controlling the boat can be. The story doesnāt quite come together as well as the world-building does. There are some technical issues in places that I assume are a Switch thing.
But Iām not sure how much any of this matters. Tchia sometimes fools you into thinking itās a bigger game than it is. But for all the size of its world and the degree of its interactivity, this feels like a deeply personal game. As I played through this game, soaking in all it had to offer, it made me think how lucky we are to have video games. Each of us can only live one life, and we can never truly know what another life would be like. But through video games, we can share our lives and pull other people into our world for a short while. And thatās how I felt playing Tchia. None of this is familiar to me, and yet I could feel the creatorsā passion for their home in every bit of it. Splendid.
Tchia has something to it. I donāt think itās the most fully-formed and properly fleshed-out open world game by any means, but I also donāt think thatās the main priority of it. This is a window to the place, the life experiences, the culture that the people behind it know so well. This Switch port carries itself well enough, though there are some noticeable visual flaws at times. Donāt come to this looking for a Pacific Island take on Breath of the Wild, because it isnāt that even if it sometimes resembles it. Itās Tchia. And itās good.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
You like base defense with weirdly-drawn cats? Hereās base defense with weirdly-drawn cats. You may have seen this series on mobile or potentially other platforms before. Itās pretty good as this sort of thing goes. There are over three hundred and fifty different kinds of cats to collect. and more than three hundred stages to challenge. There are also some mini-games to spice things up. Oh, and you can play with another player via local multiplayer or local wi-fi. No in-app purchases in this one, so you can simply enjoy the experience without worrying about your wallet.
This is kind of a nice little thing. Itās an assortment of games created by graduate students from the University of Utahās Masters of Entertainment Arts and Engineering program, covering a handful of different genres. Supposedly youāre helping out the current and future students by picking this up and playing it, and that isnāt the worst way to spend a fiver.
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Another inbox with a lot of good games in it but no sales that get me particularly excited. Ditto for the outbox. Just one of those days, I guess? Iām sure weāll see more cool sales in a few days, so donāt worry too much.
Select New Sales
OKAMI HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/15)
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate ($8.74 from $12.49 until 7/15)
Game Dev Tycoon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/16)
Goonya Monster ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/18)
Mystery Box: Evolution ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mystery Box: Escape the Room ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mystery Box: The Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Zotrix Starglider ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mechstermination Force ($1.99 from $11.99 until 7/22)
Super Punch Patrol ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Gunman Clive HD Collection ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Onion Assault ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Fly Punch Boom! ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Roombo: First Blood ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Suicide Guy: The Lost Dreams ($4.39 from $7.99 until 7/22)
TRIOS: lofi beats/numbers ($2.39 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Railway Empire ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/22)
Commandos 2 HD Remaster ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Feather ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 Collection ($1.99 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Shadow Gangs ($14.39 from $23.99 until 7/22)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, July 3rd
Cats & the Other Lives ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! ($2.00 from $12.99 until 7/3)
Death Road to Canada ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Die for Valhalla! ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/3)
DNF Duel: Whoās Next ($14.99 from $49.99 until 7/3)
Fight Club ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
HunterX ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
HunterX: Code Name T ($11.89 from $16.99 until 7/3)
Immortal Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Retimed ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
STAB STAB STAB! ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/3)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/3)
Thea: The Awakening ($5.39 from $17.99 until 7/3)
Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
Thatās all for today, friends. Weāll be back tomorrow with more new games, more sales, perhaps a review, and maybe some news. My tooth extraction went off without a hitch, so thatās a worry off my shoulders. Now if the pain would subside a little, Iāll be all set. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Times & Galaxy ($19.99)
This game is awfully clever. It has really sharp writing, and as far as adventure game set-ups go this one is certainly novel. Youāre a robot reporter for a galactic newspaper called the Times & Galaxy, just starting out on your career. Youāre actually the first robot reporter, soā¦ good luck with that. You head out on assignments where youāll collect information by investigating the scene and talking to the people there. Youāll then use whatever information you collected to create a story for the paper, and the better the story you write the better things will go for you and your employer.
Each of the stories feels like a little episode of its own, and itās fun to try to dig for better information and juicier quotes to use in your write-ups. Even setting aside what youāre going to put in your story, itās enjoyable to try to unravel the truth behind situations that can sometimes seem completely different at a glance. Putting together the story is easy, with a handy tool that lets you set up each part of it based on the info you have collected. The game shows you exactly what each selection will do, so itās easy to build the Times & Galaxy into the kind of media outlet you want it to be. Great power, great responsibility. The presentation is charming, and the quality of the writing is exactly where it needs to be for a game like this.
The worst thing you can say about Times & Galaxy is that it is very consistent in its mechanics, which means it falls to how well the writing clicks with you to keep your interest. I wonāt say that every single scene had me glued to the Joy-Cons, but I think as a whole itās worth a look for those on the hunt for an unorthodox adventure game. I had a good time with it, and I think it has a nice thing going with its basic loop. If you like the sound of its premise and are in the mood for some silliness, youāll want to your nearest newsstaā¦ er, eShop, and grab a copy.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition ($19.99)
I was there on the frontlines to watch this poor game go out and die. Itās beyond my pay grade to say exactly why; the reviews were good and the few people who picked up the game seemed to like it a lot. But within a few weeks, we were stickering over those $59.99 price tags with $29.99 ones. Thatās when I gave the game a shot, and to be honest, it didnāt strike me quite the same way it did others. Stylish, yes. Good pacing, for sure. Itās a good game, but I personally never mourned the lack of a follow-up. Thatās just me, of course. I know how much it means to others and I hope they get what theyāre wishing for.
One encouraging step towards that is this fine reissue of the original game. Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition gives the game a bit of graphical spit polish, has a new recording of the soundtrack, and adds in some useful quality of life features like autosaves. Otherwise, this is the game as it was. It handles itself well for a game of its vintage, and itās easy to see why so many people saw something special in it. Youāre always doing something new or interesting, and the world building is really solid. Plus, photography! Everyone loves video game photography. What can I say? This is an Ubisoft game from the last era before it really got its annualized ducks in a row, and there is something distinct about its games from this time period.
Mikhail has also been playing Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition on Switch and PS5. While thereās no shortage of information on the platform differences, one aspect he wanted to highlight is the cross progression. When you login to Ubisoft Connect in the publisherās titles, you usually get some in-game bonus, but the addition of cross progression across all consoles and PC has been excellent. While I played Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition only on Switch, he enjoyed playing it at home on PS5, and then picking up his save on Switch to play on the go. It works flawlessly here as it did in Assassinās Creed Mirage which he played on PS5 and iPhone 15 Pro.
Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is a great way to play this beloved cult classic, especially for those who want a portable option. While youāll get a smoother framerate on other platforms, this Switch version isnāt hard on the eyes by any means. The improvements are welcome without overstepping, making the game very easy to get into despite its vintage. If you havenāt played it before, itās worth trying out. Who knows? You might join the folks clamoring for that sequel. And if you have played it before, Iām sure I donāt need to twist your arm to convince you of the merits of a return trip.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Tchia ($29.99)
Iāll say at least this much for Tchia: its highs are very, very high. When itās showing off its New Caledonia-inspired setting, or the distinct culture of its creators, itās truly captivating. I like that itās willing to let some moments just stew and really sink in. The soul-jumping mechanic that serves as its main gameplay gimmick is sometimes used in very clever ways. The first time you encounter some of its tricks, itās fun to solve them. Itās also surprisingly polished for the size of the game and the size of its development team.
Sometimes Iām less pleased with it. Combat isnāt a huge part of the game, but it gets old really fast. Enemy encounters in general just donāt offer a diverse enough range of options to keep them interesting. The islands you explore are gorgeous, but there isnāt enough incentive to fully explore them beyond your own curiosity. Iām not fond of how cumbersome controlling the boat can be. The story doesnāt quite come together as well as the world-building does. There are some technical issues in places that I assume are a Switch thing.
But Iām not sure how much any of this matters. Tchia sometimes fools you into thinking itās a bigger game than it is. But for all the size of its world and the degree of its interactivity, this feels like a deeply personal game. As I played through this game, soaking in all it had to offer, it made me think how lucky we are to have video games. Each of us can only live one life, and we can never truly know what another life would be like. But through video games, we can share our lives and pull other people into our world for a short while. And thatās how I felt playing Tchia. None of this is familiar to me, and yet I could feel the creatorsā passion for their home in every bit of it. Splendid.
Tchia has something to it. I donāt think itās the most fully-formed and properly fleshed-out open world game by any means, but I also donāt think thatās the main priority of it. This is a window to the place, the life experiences, the culture that the people behind it know so well. This Switch port carries itself well enough, though there are some noticeable visual flaws at times. Donāt come to this looking for a Pacific Island take on Breath of the Wild, because it isnāt that even if it sometimes resembles it. Itās Tchia. And itās good.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Select New Releases
The Battle Cats Unite! ($19.99)
You like base defense with weirdly-drawn cats? Hereās base defense with weirdly-drawn cats. You may have seen this series on mobile or potentially other platforms before. Itās pretty good as this sort of thing goes. There are over three hundred and fifty different kinds of cats to collect. and more than three hundred stages to challenge. There are also some mini-games to spice things up. Oh, and you can play with another player via local multiplayer or local wi-fi. No in-app purchases in this one, so you can simply enjoy the experience without worrying about your wallet.
Utah Games Presents ($4.99)
This is kind of a nice little thing. Itās an assortment of games created by graduate students from the University of Utahās Masters of Entertainment Arts and Engineering program, covering a handful of different genres. Supposedly youāre helping out the current and future students by picking this up and playing it, and that isnāt the worst way to spend a fiver.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Another inbox with a lot of good games in it but no sales that get me particularly excited. Ditto for the outbox. Just one of those days, I guess? Iām sure weāll see more cool sales in a few days, so donāt worry too much.
Select New Sales
OKAMI HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/15)
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate ($8.74 from $12.49 until 7/15)
Game Dev Tycoon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/16)
Goonya Monster ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/18)
Mystery Box: Evolution ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mystery Box: Escape the Room ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mystery Box: The Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Zotrix Starglider ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mechstermination Force ($1.99 from $11.99 until 7/22)
Super Punch Patrol ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Gunman Clive HD Collection ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Onion Assault ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Fly Punch Boom! ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Roombo: First Blood ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Suicide Guy: The Lost Dreams ($4.39 from $7.99 until 7/22)
TRIOS: lofi beats/numbers ($2.39 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Railway Empire ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/22)
Commandos 2 HD Remaster ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Feather ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 Collection ($1.99 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Shadow Gangs ($14.39 from $23.99 until 7/22)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, July 3rd
Cats & the Other Lives ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! ($2.00 from $12.99 until 7/3)
Death Road to Canada ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Die for Valhalla! ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/3)
DNF Duel: Whoās Next ($14.99 from $49.99 until 7/3)
Fight Club ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
HunterX ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
HunterX: Code Name T ($11.89 from $16.99 until 7/3)
Immortal Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Retimed ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
STAB STAB STAB! ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/3)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/3)
Thea: The Awakening ($5.39 from $17.99 until 7/3)
Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
Thatās all for today, friends. Weāll be back tomorrow with more new games, more sales, perhaps a review, and maybe some news. My tooth extraction went off without a hitch, so thatās a worry off my shoulders. Now if the pain would subside a little, Iāll be all set. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
![[DK]](/data/avatars/s/57/57999.jpg?1720990206){kind=avatar}
