REVIEW: Kolumno on Nintendo Switch

Review By Jon Donnis

Kolumno is a new game on Nintendo Switch, wait for the right moment and drop the ball through intricate columns, sounds easy right!

Well although the idea is a simple one, to master the game will take a lot more than just dropping a ball. This is a game of skill, a game of patience, as with many puzzle games, things will start off easy but get progressively harder.

As you progress through the levels, new game mechanics are brought in, including the ability to stop the ball in the air, to make it fall faster, make the ball destructive so you break the rings you need to pass, make the ball smaller to fit through gaps easier and more.

Watch the trailer and you will easily under the game, but as I said it is not as easy as it first looks. The graphics may be simple, but to beat the game you will to master the controls.

There are a total of 75 levels to complete, and plenty of challenges to master.

The Good

Simple graphics, easy to learn gameplay, and an addictive quality which is the secret of all puzzle games, Kolumno does a good job in balancing the learning curve as well as delivering a great soundtrack to help you chill out as you play.

The Bad

We need more levels!

Overall

Sometimes I complain that many games get the basics wrong, but everything else right, for example the graphics can look amazing, but the basic gameplay mechanics just do not work, but in Kolumno they get everything just about right, it is super easy to pick up and play, the idea is a simple one, the execution of the game is perfect, and the soundtrack just made me enjoy the game even more.

I score this game a solid 8/10

Review by Jon Donnis

Kolumno is out on Nintendo Switch for just £1.79 from 24th December 2020

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Kolumno-1880197.html

Shakes on a Plane - Out Now

 

Review by Jon Donnis

My review will be brief on this game.

The controls are poor, the menus are poor, and the game is full of bugs.

Right now I offer the game no score. It is a disappointment.

The idea is nice enough, you play as flight crew on a plane, you have to serve the passengers, clean up after them, and all while being timed, do a good job and you pass the level, do a poor job and you wont. It really is that simple, so simple in fact that it should be an easy idea to execute. Unfortunately the game makers have failed at what is a simple job.

That is all I will say on the game for now, I will check the game in a month or so when hopefully the bugs are fixed and I will adjust this review if need be. Please read on for the official blurb for the game, and you can then make your own mind up.

Review by Jon Donnis

Shakes on a Plane is a chaotic co-op shaking game for one to four players. Flying on various planes with your flight crew, serve up a variety of tasty shakes, burgers, fries and many more dishes before the plane lands on the airport and your passengers rate your services.

But it is not only you who creates all the mess. Aliens always had a look on our shiny planet with its weird citizens but undeniable and delicious food they are creating and cooking. The intergalactic community competes in fame rewarding cooking competitions and the species with the most sophisticated meal wins. This is when humanity can play its part in this extraordinary event and show the galaxy what real fast food can taste and look like.

- Serve your passengers with up to four players and cooperate in convincing them that flying with you is always a good decision.

- The orders vary from shakes, burgers, coffee and even a greater variety of fast food which underlines only the best quality you offer for your passengers.

- Time is essential and your guests have a high demand of multiple goods all the flight long. Grab tablets to solve various orders at the same time and don’t let them wait too long.

- Not only turmoils might occur during your flights, walking passengers, moving tables and many more things will complicate your accomplishments on your planes.

REVIEW: Freddy Spaghetti on Xbox One

Review by Jon Donnis

You have never played a game like this before. You just haven't! Accept that fact now! Ok, onto the game.

You play as a piece of Spaghetti that was created in a lab by Dr. P Starr, not the deepest of plot lines I know, but let's not worry too much about that, this is a simple game whereby the aim is to get from Point A to Point B, but there are things to do in between. Those things might be obstacles, or things to complete, for example in one level you have to run away from cops, in another you have to set off car alarms, in another you need to avoid falling off a table, or even smash everything on a table. Get the idea?

Think of your piece of Spaghetti as more of a rope, the game uses rope physics (apparently this is a thing), you control your Spaghetti in 3 ways, first the direction in which you want to move, and then the left and right bumpers on your gamepad control each end of the Spaghetti, hold down the bumper and you will make that end jump.

This truly is a bizarre and original game, it is fully narrated as you play, it's funny, interesting, did I say bizarre? Oh yes.

Check out this video of me playing the game.

The Good

Pretty and clear graphics, incredibly original game play, and a new idea which is very rare in the video game world.

The Bad

I am not keen on the bumpers being used, and I can't see a way to map these to other buttons, it just takes some getting used to.

Overall

I've never played a game like this before, and neither have you. It is something different, and I score it 8/10

Review by Jon Donnis

Freddy Spaghetti will be priced for 4.99 $ / € for all platforms, and it will launch on:

PS5/PS4 America: December 15th

PS5/PS4 Europe: December 16th

XBOX (One + Series X): December 16th

Nintendo Switch (NA & EU): December 18th

* PS4 and PS5 versions will be cross-buy, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Another video of me playing the game

Titan Saga - Chains of Kronos - From Kneeshaw Developments

Titan saga is an open world fantasy rpg, focused on deep customization of a character and town. Through tough choices, tactical battles and epic dungeons, you will experience an exciting and unique adventure.

Imperial Unity, it was supposed to save the humans. As the lord ruler began to lose power to the growing houses, he made law that the higher houses would have to wed their heirs to the lesser houses. He needed to redistribute the power, to stop a coup from the most powerful house. He knew the elves had been on the move and he should be ready to mount a defense. He was under attack from the inside and out.

Unbeknownst to all, an ancient force has awakened. The elves have found their Titan. The very paragon of their race. He had crafted the first Elves in the times of old. The magic they once had, is beginning to return. The Elves will no longer need to bow to the Human's Engineering marvels and steel.

Human long knew they would never be able to use magic. Their titan had been sealed away for his great misdeed, but they were a people who looked forward. A large empire-wide guild of engineers, tinkers and scientists because of this humans had long been the most powerful race. As magic begins a new, that will not last.

You begin your journey as an unfortunate young heir, to a lesser noble house, forced to flee from your city. Elves were provoked to attack your small city on the edge of the human empire. Nefarious enemies seem to want you dead and your family name destroyed. You must save your family, your name, your people, your land and maybe… your race. As you begin to notice more and more strange magical anomalies, you know something bigger than just you is happening.

Choose your allies wisely, as this journey will not be easy.

Features

*Fast paced unique charge-action combat. Enemies and Players charge actions to unleash them outside of a classic turn order combat.

*An exciting and deep tale following a young noble cast out into a war torn empire. Most quests are dynamic and contain small and large consequences. The hero can shape the world and empire with their actions. 4 Main Story Chapters are designed to be 10 hours each.

*Customization is key. Classes can be mixed and matched with the skill equip core. With 336 base weapons and 144 base armor types which have 5 to 12 traits that can be randomized, Titan Saga has limitless equipment. A player owned town centered on a rogue-like dungeon offer even most customization.

*Hundreds of unique hand drawn enemies offer different enemy behaviors and skills to challenge you at every turn.

Links:

https://www.voxpopgames.site/store/288

https://store.steampowered.com/app/659140/Titan_Saga_Chains_of_Kronos/

REVIEW: DRAGON QUEST®XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ - Definitive Edition

Review by Jon Donnis

I have always been a fan of the Final Fantasy games, but I have never really got into any other Role-Playing Games outside of that franchise, I decided to take a look at Dragon Quest XI. 

(I have been posting some of my gameplay clips on my youtube channel, check them out at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheJonDonnisShow or scroll to the bottom of this review to watch)

34 Years ago, the first Dragon Quest game was released, known as Dragon Warrior in the West, it was a 2D pixel style RPG, fast forward to 2020 and we have a wonderful, sprawling, open world game that takes the whole genre to the next level. Perfect for new players to the genre, I found myself quickly getting immersed into the gameplay, and never at any point feeling overwhelmed, which is often a problem with such games.

A nice touch to this game is the option to play in a 2D pixel style, as well as the glorious 3D mode. Of course, I chose the 3D mode because I am all about the visuals! There is also both English and Japanese audio, not really sure why non-Japanese speaking people would choose Japanese but I am guessing some people might want to authentic feel?

So let's take a look at the plot, the game is set in the world of Erdrea, your Kingdom is invaded and destroyed, your are but an infant and you are found floating in a river by an old man, you are adopted by his family and raised in the village. Once you have grown up, your adopted family tell you the truth about your life, how you came to be with them and so on. You are sent to meet with the King of Heliodor, but he accused you of being evil, and throws you in the dungeon, you meet a thief and the pair of you escape. This is when the story really starts and you start to explore the world. There are missions and side missions to complete. You will fight monsters, you will collect treasure, you will buy and sell goods, upgrade your weapons and armour, as you play you will meet lots of new characters, some will join your party. This game has everything you would expect in an epic RPG style game. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed.

Fighting monsters is done in a typical turn-based manner, you can have a free camera or fixed camera mode when fighting, it doesn't really make a difference to the fight itself, but it does provide a bit of fun during fights. And there is a perfect learning curve too when it comes to the fights.

The Good

This is a big game, and by big, I mean huge. This game easily has 100 hours of gameplay in, there are endless things to do, to enjoy, to collect. This is not a game you will play a few times and then forget about. It is an immersive game that will take preference over all of your other games for quite a while. The graphics are stunning, the soundtrack is moving. The whole game is something special.

The Bad

Nothing really, I struggle to find anything to complain about.

Overall

I really like this game, and I feel like I have only experienced a very small part of it so far.

I score this game 9/10

Review By Jon Donnis

DRAGON QUEST®XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ - Definitive Edition is out now

Nintendo Switch

https://amzn.to/3nmn0sk

PS4

https://amzn.to/2IDdH8n

Xbox One

https://amzn.to/3oG34Ba