Swim Out is a turn-based puzzle game designed to be mentally stimulating while also relaxing the nerves and refreshing the soul. You can backstroke your way through a few levels to unwind after a stressful day at work, or perhaps enjoy a dog paddle after some guided meditation without harshing your mellow.
Swim Out Review PC
The game offers new players almost no tutorial. All you get are a couple of arrows to guide you to the exit. New elements are introduced one at a time, steadily increasing the complexity of the puzzles over time. The team at Lozange Lab does a nice job of making the elements feel intuitive, with their visual design complementing how they interact with the board.
Getting to the other end of the pool requires thinking a couple of moves ahead. You’ll need to first learn the pattern of behaviour for each different element in the pool. You will encounter different varieties of swimmer, ranging from elegant divers to kids doing cannonballs. Then you have to negotiate around the many types of environmental hazards, such as snippy little crabs or big waves that will delay you (or other swimmers) for a turn. Some puzzles include items that you will need to solve the puzzle, such as beach balls that can be used to stun nearby swimmers.
Relaxation is the guiding principle for the entire game. There is no timer. There is no move count and no “world average” like many other turn-based puzzle games. The game tracks your progress of which levels you’ve completed and gives bonus objectives on select levels, but there is no traditional score.
Handcrafted With Love
When you make a mistake, like running into another swimmer, the lifeguard will blow a whistle. It’s a sharp sound that could pull you out of the relaxed state. This is a minor quibble, but the sound might make some players hesitant to try out new strategies (or mute their audio).
Some of the puzzles are challenging and you might find yourself getting stuck. One of the nice features that Lozange Lab included was to unlock every level from the start. So, if you find yourself starting to feel frustrated, just skip back to the menu and try a different puzzle. That is a rare choice that fits nicely with the entire design ethos.
Swim Out’s gentle nature means that it might not be addictive in the traditional sense. The game doesn’t put you on a treadmill of accomplishments where there’s always some quest left unfinished. While that might be a downside for some people, this choice is another element in a cohesive design.
It’s always nice to get recognised and know you’re doing a good job, and I think it’s worth patting yourself on the back once in a while. Recently, Nitchi was nominated for the Neat Blogger Award by Arthifis’ Place for which we are eternally grateful. Likewise, we thank you all for your continued support and time – it doesn’t go unnoticed!
Real Neat Blog Award
But before we continue, who is Arthifis? Well, she is a devoted blogger with a passion for anime, video games and anything in-between. With a steady stream of content, there’s always something to read courtesy of Arthifis, which is always worth checking out. She’s very engaging with her audience and always happy to have a chat about her latest piece or whatever it may be. Please go check her blog out and get involved, we’re all one big family here and we appreciate the nomination and raise a toast to you.
Nitchi has come a long way in a short time and thankfully I’ve been here since day one and have the great responsibility of representing us on this momentous occasion. I hope I live up to all your expectations and you enjoy the read. Check the rest of the blog out as well if you’re new here. Anyhow, here are the rules:
Display the award logo
Thank the blogger who nominated you and post a link to their blog
Answer the questions of the one who nominated you
Nominate 5-10 bloggers
Ask them 7 questions
So without further ado, let’s move onto the questions!
Go to the very first post you have written! Tell us what is it about, share the link and tell us if you think you have developed your writing – by a lot or is it yet the same?
Well, I’ve written across many sites (including the lovely D-pad Joy before moving to Nitchi) so tracing my very first article is tricky, but my first for the team here was a review of Lego City Undercover on the Nintendo Switch. Overall I was impressed with the game in its latest form, but it did suffer from performance issues which dampened the experience somewhat. From a writing perspective, I think my writing has developed so I am now more succinct, covering all my points in fewer words where appropriate. Likewise, I think my coverage of other subject matter (e.g. feature articles) has also come along with some great feedback received along the way. Even if one person reads what I have to say, then I am happy!
What was your last post about?
So my last post was about playing games late and if we should wait for all the hype to settle down before jumping onboard. Of course, it’s nice to be part of the zeitgeist every now and again, but with most games needing significant updates from day one, are we best waiting for them to be polished before jumping in? Likewise, we have so many social media channels these days that pre-launch hype can get out of control. So when you do get that disc in your console, and it doesn’t live up to the mark, that inevitable disappointment can be tough when you have spent over £40 on it.
What is your favourite post you have written so far?
This is a tough one as I like all my posts and take great pride in my work. Honestly, I’m very self-critical of them all too and I’m never sure I’m onto a winner or not before getting prior approval. I’m getting more sure-footed but my favourite piece, funnily enough, is one where I discuss taking a break from gaming in order to give ourselves a breather. With so many games to play and such little time to play them, I think we need to be smarter with our time management and turn to other mediums, such as books, movies, TV or even physical activities, such as walking or going to the gym, instead of gaming. A change, or indeed a break, can do us some good!
What are your 3 favourite characters of all time? It can be from everywhere!
Well, this is a very easy one! Anyone who knows me will already be able to guess my top two characters but for those who don’t know me, my one and two spots are taken by Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Steve Rogers (Captain America). I love them both in equal measures and love their backstory, what they both stand for and all associated movies and miscellaneous items… If I could be half of one and half the other, then I’d be happy! My third would be Sora from Kingdom Hearts. By rights the game shouldn’t work, nor should Sora work as a hero, but both do with fantastic effect. Who’d think that a hybrid of Disney and Final Fantasy would work? Likewise, who’d think the unassuming Sora would be the key (see what I did there?) to defeating the Heartless and darkness?
What is a place you would love to travel? Either real or fantasy!
America has always been somewhere I’d love to visit and go travelling, sadly I’ve not made it there yet! I like the appeal of the country, the culture and mostly the food and beer you can get over there. As a long time New England Patriots fan, I’d love to go watch football over there and even go to the Super Bowl if I could. Ideally, I’d love to spend a few months out there travelling and seeing as many states as I can.
If you had to drop out one of your hobbies entirely what would you choose and why?
Well, this question couldn’t have come at a better time really, given that I am typing this with one hand after suffering a broken finger during cricket training. The season hasn’t started and I’m confident that I’m out for the season already which is a real shame. With that in mind, I think I may already be giving this up as being injured is becoming a regular occurrence sadly, I cant keep breaking fingers and not being able to play games, can I?!
Favourite Game/Anime? Depending on what your blog is about…
So being a gaming blog, my choice will be my favourite game! It’s not an easy choice as I love a lot of games in equal measure for many different reasons. Take Fallout 4 as an example or my first gaming experience of Final Fantasy 7 that got me properly into gaming. But if I had to choose one game as my all-time favourite it would have to be Kingdom Hearts. As I’ve mentioned already, on the surface it shouldn’t work, but it does with almost magical effect. Granted the story is a little convoluted with the many spin-offs there has been but the first is where it all began and is my favourite game to date. I’ve waited so long for the third instalment of the main trilogy and now it’s nearly here, the wait is almost unbearable.
So that’s it and that’s me! Or at least some information about me anyway. I hope you enjoyed it and here are my nominations:
Can you believe it?! Hang on, let me compose myself. Right. College Football is finally coming back to video games after a long-term hiatus.
Since 2013 (when the EA NCAA Football franchise was shut down), fans have been craving the college football experience in a video game form. And, thanks to the brand new studio IMV gaming, you guys don’t have to wait that much longer.
Last week IMV gaming officially announced Gridiron Champions, and more details about the title have been coming out ever since. Let’s get you guys caught up:
Gridiron Champions will be an unlicensed title. Which means it will have no real Universities or players.
IMV gaming is getting around this hurdle by making the rosters, teams, stadiums and uniforms fully editable.
Once you finish customizing everything, you can share your rosters online. This means if you wanted to create official teams and players and post them online, then no one is stopping you. *Wink Wink*.
Gridiron Champions will also include your typical football game modes, including “legacy mode” where you take control of a team and try to lead them to gridiron glory. A “playoff chase” mode will be included, which looks to recreate the excitement of the NCAA playoffs. And last but least, there will be a “Gridiron Icon” mode, where you create a player and follow them through high school and college.
Gridiron Champions will be released in 2020, so not long to wait… on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, at the price point of $59.99.
So, does the thought of college football returning to consoles excite you? If so, will you be picking up Gridiron champions? Let me know in the comments down below.
Cool title aside, [amazon_textlink asin=’B07895V82W’ text=’Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’geali01-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’bd3b463e-4cb5-11e8-9654-b7e76999e5c3′], a new interactive fiction title for the PS Vita, is out this summer.
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly
Described as “hauntingly beautiful”, it’s a love story from Otomate (Idea Factory) and is the first in a trio of otome (or interactive fiction) titles.
Each of the titles includes an oversized 3” x 4.5” collectable character card set inside the game case:
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly character cards
Here’s the story:
In Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, a girl wakes up in a mysterious mansion with no memory of how she got there. Adding to her confusion, she can no longer remember her name or past. Before she can come to grips with her predicament, she is attacked by a grotesque monster and is forced to run for her life.
It’s up to you to follow the black butterflies – the choices you make unlock different story paths in the game:
Each of the three ‘Summer of Mystery’ games features “suspenseful” storylines. What’s more, if you buy all three of the titles, you’ll get a set of exclusive collector pins. You don’t need them? Come on, like me, you know you do…
Sonic Mania created one of the best platforming experiences in all of 2017, as well as one of the most memorable Sonic the Hedgehog titles since his introduction to the new wave of 3D gaming. And after less than a year of release, Mania has officially sold over one million copies worldwide.
To celebrate the milestone and incredible success of the 16-bit revival of everyone’s favourite blue blur, Sega has announced the release of Sonic Mania Plus – a definitive version of the hit 2017 platformer packed with extra exclusives including new playable characters. To help bring in the new announcement Sega has also unveiled a brand new trailer showcasing the new characters and content, which can be seen below.
The new content featured in the upcoming release of Sonic Mania Plus includes:
Two new playable characters from the Sonic universe – Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel – both of which debuted in the 1993 Japanese release of SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade).
All new Encore mode beefs up the replayability by adding new layouts and new challenges to previous zones and levels throughout Mania.
Four player versus modes, as well as ghost time trials, will be added to the competition and time attack modes now allowing you and three of your friends to compete in a unique challenge against one another.
If springing for the physical release of Mania Plus, players will receive an exclusive 32-page art book and a unique reversible cover showing off an old-school Sega Mega Drive cover, all included in slick holographic packaging.
Previous owners of Sonic Mania will have the option of downloading the Encore DLC pack upon release of Mania Plus at a generous price tag of £3.99.
[amazon_textlink asin=’B07BTNCVPC’ text=’Sonic Mania Plus’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’geali01-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’b841830a-4cb6-11e8-856a-7d65cb239a64′] is set to hit retailers everywhere on July 17th, 2018 for the PS4, Xbox One and Switch – with the DLC also coming to PC.
Nintendo’s next smartphone release is an original RPG called Dragalia Lost. It’s quite a welcome curveball, certainly when you consider the previous games in their ongoing mobile effort are bite-sized, sometimes unremarkable versions of key franchises: Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
Dragalia Lost – From Cygames
So, Dragalia Lost. It’s being co-developed with Japanese developer Cygames (they did Battle Champs) and is out this summer:
Next to nothing else is known about the title at the moment, including what revenue model it will employ. At this point, and in this writer’s opinion, it’d be nice to have a one-off paid release for a change (like Super Mario Run did), skipping the free-to-play approach altogether.
Unless, of course, said free-to-play model is done right. That’ll work too.
Welcome to the unforgiving and brutal world of a game called Dream Alone from Fat Dog Games. It’s a place where grim fairy tales meet every other horror imaginable…
You play as a young Irra, who ventures forth to find a cure for a mysterious illness which has fallen upon his village.
Dream Alone – PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch
Irra must travel across scary lands, solve mind-bending puzzles and use his unusual abilities to avoid “horrifying” creatures. At the end of his journey awaits the ‘friendly’ Lady Death, who has the ability to lift any curse:
The developer states that it’s not Limbo; no, it’s a literal “walk through hell” instead. Yep, everyone ‘loves hell’. Dream Alone launches this fall on Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
It Lurks Below is a true passion project developed by Diablo creator David Brevik. With those credentials in mind, here’s a quick look at the gameplay:
It Lurks Below Trailer – From Graybeard Games
It Lurks Below is now available for purchase as part of Steam’s Early Access program for $19.99 (or £15.49 over here in the UK). Brevik had this to say about the decision to bring the indie title to the aforementioned service:
“At the Game Developers Conference last month, I talked to a lot of indie developers who recommended doing Early Access through Steam – they basically said I’d be crazy not to do it”.
It Lurks Below
Terraria, Minecraft and Diablo itself inspired the survival-RPG that, according to Brevik, is coming “soon”.
The developer also plans to do a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ in the near future at http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/. So if you’re interested in the title, be sure not to miss the online event.
JRPG fans, listen up! Scarlet Moon Records has released Shadow Spirits Vol. 1, an “explosive” chiptune album by electronic artists Cody Carpenter and Mark Day.
Way of the Sword
[amazon_textlink asin=’B07C2KKYVF’ text=’Shadow Spirits’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’geali01-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’28b3ad16-4cb7-11e8-9282-5d17b910beb8′] follows the adventures of a young samurai through fan-favourite JRPG trappings. So that’s riveting battle themes and triumphant fanfares to jovial town music and melancholy interludes. What else?
Originally envisioned as a four-track NES EP, it’s now a full-length album, like this one, utilizing the Commodore SID chip and electronic sounds for “additional warmth”.
“JRPG fans always love battle music, and Shadow Spirits Vol. 1 includes several battle themes. Even though this is all original music, the catchy melodies get stuck in your head and are instant classics.
“If there’s enough interest, we’ll also look into releasing the original NES tracks that acted as the basis for what Shadow Spirits Vol. 1 eventually became.” Scarlet Moon Records founder, Jayson Napolitano.
The collection draws inspiration from renowned composers Nobuo Uematsu (from Final Fantasy), Hiroki Kikuta (from Secret of Mana), and Vince DiCola (from, yes, Rocky IV/The Transformers: The Movie [1986]). Prepare your ears.
If you like top-down shooters, VHS-era B-movies and the Switch, take a look at the latest gameplay trailer for Garage from studio Zombie Dynamics and tinyBuild:
Garage Switch Gameplay Trailer
You play as Butch, an ex-drug dealer who destroys zombies with axes and blasts the rest with assault rifles. Garage doesn’t take itself too seriously, then. There’s nothing wrong with that, although it’s clear that development is being taken earnestly:
“I announced Garage during tinyBuild’s HelloSwitch2 event, and we’ve been working like crazy with studio Zombie Dynamics to get the game done”. – Alex Nichiporchik.
In a nutshell, it’s a Resident Evil and Splatterpunk-inspired quirky shooter with a high difficulty and lots of blood. It’s due out on the Switch May 10th as an exclusive title – for now.
It reminds us of (no surprise), Mr. Shifty, and that’s a very good thing indeed. That game? A bit of a hidden gem if you ask me.
Meet Robbotto, a freshly announced indie game. The even better news? It’s inspired by arcade legends Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands.
Classic Retro Gameplay
Robbotto, developed by JMJ Interactive, is scheduled for a Q3 release this year and it’s heading to PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One:
Here’s what it’s got to offer us ‘old-school’ gamers:
You take control of Robb and Otto, two intrepid maintenance robots as they travel through a malfunctioning star cruiser
It’s a retro-inspired arcade platformer that features single-player or couch co-op
To keep you busy, there are over 100 levels, 20 enemies types, and 10 bosses to beat
Robbotto
Details are thin at the moment, but we can expect to hear more out of this one as the release date draws closer. If you’re a Bubble Bobble fan, there’s a chance this might bring back a few memories…
In my teens I was in a band with a couple of friends, practising on Saturdays in my friend’s living room, aspiring to be the next Radiohead… you know, no biggy. One day during a school holiday we decided to go to the woods. We took our cameras and wandered through the woods taking photos of all the trees and wildlife.
You see, I live in Sherwood Forest, so these trees are centuries old, all grimacing faces, wise-looking and all staring at us; it’s only when history is staring at you, you realise how beautiful and fragile the world is. It seems like developer Hollow Tree Games wants to share that beauty too with their debut game Shape of the World:
Shape of the World
Shape of the World Coming This Year
Shape of the World is a first-person exploration game where you play as an outsider, discovering a surreal looking realm and a reactive ecosystem.
Here are the game’s features:
Experiment with an organic and mysterious ecosystem: Play with mystical animals, ephemeral vegetation and intriguing monoliths.
A dynamic soundtrack that responds to the player’s travels: The audio environment is a central component of the game, amplifying your experience of the world.
Procedural Population: The forest only materializes around you when you get close, regrowing in a new way each time you pass. Will you find your way back?
First Person Exploration: More than just a ‘walking simulator’. Slide, soar and dive into a living world, at once familiar and alien.
Shape of the World
Hollow Tree Games is another indie studio comprised of talent who have worked in the AAA game space. Here we have Stu Maxwell, senior VFX artist on Gears of War 4; a 20-year veteran of computer graphics and procedural animation, Athomas Goldberg, and composer Brent Silk.
Shape of the World
Shape of the World looks absolutely gorgeous basically, with its minimalistic style and the use of striking colours against darker colours, it really gives the game an alien look to it. This could be a game that sits alongside other indie giants. Only time will tell.
Shape of the World is coming to PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Switch in 2018.
