Latest Reviews of PLAYISM Games
Review Blade Chimera (Switch) - A Ridiculously Fun, Combat-First Metroidvania
Slice to kill
The problem with the term ‘Metroidvania’ is that it’s a far broader genre classification than some give it credit for. Depending on where they fall on the spectrum between the exploration-heavy Metroid series and the combat-centric Castlevania series, it’s possible for two games to both be considered Metroidvanias while...
Review The Star Named EOS (Switch) – A Sparkling Puzzler With A Sincere Story
Starry-eyed
Photos capture a moment in time with full objectivity. They can defy our version of events, and settle ‘that’s not how it happened’ arguments. In these cases, you could say fitting a photo into one’s memory becomes a…puzzle. For this review’s sake, please think about that metaphor, because it's the premise of The Star Named...
Review Drainus (Switch) - A Spectacular, Showboating Tour De Force For Sci-Fi Shmup Fans
Drain the core
Drainus. Whether a ham-fisted portmanteau of Darius and Gradius, or relating to the game’s core mechanic, it’s a silly name any way you look at it. Japan-based developer Team Ladybug, more recently known for the rather good Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, has had the Switch shooting game hardcore waiting eight...
Review Bright Memory: Infinite (Switch) - A Chaotic, Crysis-Style FPS, But Messy And Very Short
Micro-Crysis
Everyone has that movie, album or game that despite how objectively flawed it is, you can’t help but love it. Sure, something like Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny isn’t by any means a masterpiece, but that didn’t stop us from watching it countless times. Bright Memory: Infinite fits into that guilty pleasure camp so well. We...
Deed-lightful
Team Ladybug has something of a reputation of turning famous licensed properties into compelling Metroidvanias. After the opening PC-exclusive freebie Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue starring series mascot Jack Frost came Touhou Luna Nights, another ‘exploration action’ title featuring the endlessly popular Gensokyo...
Review The Good Life (Switch) - Cats, Dogs, And The Best Version Of Britain We've Seen Since Galar
She's more of a dog person
White Owls Inc. really buried the lede in their Kickstarter description of The Good Life. We’ll do the same here and see if you can spot it: The Good Life is a “daily-life debt repayment RPG” in which you play as an American woman in a pastoral English village, enjoying day-to-day activities such as taking...
Mini Review Mighty Goose (Switch) - Have A Gander At This Stylish Run 'N' Gunner
Come with us now, on a journey through time and space
Geese are really going from strength to strength, aren’t they? After conquering the indie scene in House House's Untitled Goose Game, the species is now taking to the sky with Mighty Goose, a side-scrolling shooter that offers a flavour of games like Metal Slug and Mercenary Kings. With minimal...
Review Gnosia (Switch) - A Deceptively Deep Experience Hiding Behind A Simple Premise
We're doing the time warp again... and again... and again
Tell us if you’ve heard this before: a bunch of characters on a space ship, constantly on edge because at least one of them is not who they seem. They hold meetings and vote off the one they think is the fake while the actual fake tries to hide their identity and kill everyone off one by...
Latest PLAYISM Articles
News Award-Winning Detective Game 'No Case Should Remain Unsolved' Unfolds On Switch Next Week
Move over, Emio
Publisher PLAYISM has announced that the text-based mystery game No Case Should Remain Unsolved will land on the Switch eShop on 19th September. If Emio didn't fill you with quite enough creepy mystery for one year, this one will likely be up your street. No Case Should Remain Unsolved will have you taking on the role of retired...
News Pixel Art Metroidvania 'Blade Chimera' Has Been Delayed On Switch
Game was originally slated for August
Blade Chimera, the pixel art Metroidvania from Team Ladybug, Playism, and WSS Playground, has been delayed on Switch following an initial launch window of August 2024. Im a press statement, Playism said the following: "Initially announced for an August release on the Nintendo Switch and Steam, we have taken...
News Gorgeous Pixel Art Metroidvania 'Blade Chimera' Gets August Launch Window
Lookin' good
PLAYISM and WSS Playground have announced that the upcoming pixel art Metroidvania title Blade Chimera will be launching on the Switch this coming August. While they stopped short of comfirming the exact date, it at least gives us an idea of when we can dive in. And goodness, it looks stunning, right? The latest trailer showcases more...
News Discover Who You Truly Are In Upcoming Adventure Game 'Refind Self'
Decisions, decisions
We've all wondered how others see us, right? Well, now there's a game that will do just that *gulp* as Refind Self: The Personality Test Game shows its true colours on Switch this summer. In this exploration-based adventure, you take control of an android who wants to regain their lost memories and discover who they truly are...
News 'Blade Chimera' Combines Stunning Pixel Art With Stylish Metroidvania Action
Coming Spring 2024
As part of the latest Indie World Showcase, Team Ladybug and Playism announced Blade Chimera, a 2D action game with heavy emphasis on exploration and stylish combat. It sports some truly stunning pixel art visuals. Launching in Spring 2024, it looks like we can expect to see some epic boss battles, light puzzle solving, and weird...
News Swery's Small Town Detective RPG 'The Good Life' Gets First DLC Next Month
Living its best life
Publisher PLAYISM has announced that The Good Life, the detective RPG set in a small English town from renowned video game director and writer Swery, is getting DLC on 9th March (via Gematsu). Announcing the news on Twitter, 'Behind the secret of Rainy Woods' will see you returning to the cosy village of Rainy Woods as Naomi...
News Bright Memory: Infinite's Crysis-Like Action Stuns In Release Date Trailer
Launches later this month
We got to see a little bit more of Bright Memory: Infinite during 'not-E3' last month. This action FPS blasted onto Steam last year with stunning visuals and electrifying combat that — with the cyberpunk feel, natural surroundings, and those weapons — reminds us a little bit of the fantastic Crysis. Looking at
News "Lightning-Fast" Action-FPS Bright Memory: Infinite Is Coming To Nintendo Switch
Including all the cosmetic DLC from the original PC game
There sure were a lot of shooty-type games at Not-E3 this year, and though it's easy to feel a little tired of all the gunplay, there is, admittedly, a lot of fun to be had in just turning off your brain and playing guns. Especially when the guns in question also come with swords, like in...
Hands On Drainus Is A 2D Shmup Masterpiece, So Keep Praying For That Switch Port
(Port-begging works, right?)
Japanese developer Team Ladybug is really good at homages. Its output so far has been dominated by titles with a Metroidvania theme, with the excellent Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth drawing massive inspiration from the game that helped coin the genre's name – Castlevania: Symphony of the Ni
News 'Samurai Bringer' Slices Its Way To Switch In April
May fortune be with you!
Update [Thu 31st Mar, 2022 16:35 BST]: As revealed in the NGPX 2022 Showcase, Samurai Bringer will be bringing samurai to Switch on 21st April. Check out the original trailer for the roguelite ARPG and more details below... Original Story [Mon 24th Jan, 2022 10:00 GMT]: Japanese publisher PLAYISM and developer...
News Potato Flowers In Full Bloom Is A 3D Dungeon Crawler That Sprouts Onto Switch This Month
Keep your eyes peeled, and pick up the demo today!
In terms of our favourite video game names ever, this has got to take the cake (or the...carrot?). Publisher PLAYISM and developer Pon Pon Games have reunited six years after their first collaboration, A Healer Only Lives Twice, to create Potato Flowers in Full Bloom, a first-person dungeon crawler...
News A Wet And Wild Free Update Is "Coming Soon" To The Metal Slug Style Run-And-Gun Mighty Goose
Let's go surfin' now
If you haven't tried out the Metal Slug style run-and-gun game Mighty Goose yet, you might want to hurry up. After a teaser back in October last year, Blastmode studio creator Richard Lems has now revealed a whole new "wet and wild" mission is on
News Record Of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth Is Coming To Switch This Year
Update: Physical release coming, digital version out soon globally
Update 2: PLAYISM and WSS Playground have confirmed that this title will arrive on the eShop globally on 16th December, with the physical edition scheduled for January 2022. Update: Red Art Games has confirmed that it is bringing Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth to...
News The Metal Slug Style Run-And-Gun Mighty Goose Is Receiving Some New Free Content
"Coming soon"
Mighty Goose - a game inspired by series such as SNK's Metal Slug - appears to be getting some free content in the future. This information was shared by Blastmode's creator, Richard Lems, via an update on Twitter. Here it is in full: If you've not played this one yet, you're tasked with simply going from one level to another and...
News Swery's "Small-Town Detective Thriller" The Good Life Launches Next Month
The same creator behind Deadly Premonition
It's official - the upcoming "small-town detective thriller" The Good Life will arrive on Nintendo Switch and all other platforms next month on October 15th. The game, in case you missed it, is from Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro's company White Owls (along with Grounding Inc. and Playism). Swery is perhaps...
News Gnosia Is Out On Switch Today, And It Looks Like Among Us Crossed With Virtue's Last Reward
The combination we never even knew we needed
Impostor games are so hot right now. Or, actually, they were hot a few years ago, and still are - despite hitting viral success during last year's pandemic, Among Us actually came out in 2018, and Gnosia - which launches on Switch today - was originally released on the PlayStation Vita in 2019. Likewise,...
News Playism Shares Debut Trailer For Grasshopper's Upcoming Switch Release The Silver 2425
Some of Suda51's earliest work
Last month, it was revealed a few of Grasshopper Manufacture's older games would be released on the Nintendo Switch in a two-in-one package. One is the 1999 mystery adventure visual novel The Silver Case and the other is the sequel The 25th Ward: The Silver Case. Both of these games were some of Suda51's earliest work...
News Move Over, Untitled Goose Game - There's An Even Mightier Waterfowl Coming To Switch
Run and gander
You might assume that Untitled Goose Game is the only goose-related piece of software you need on your Nintendo Switch (especially now it has a bonus co-op mode), but we'd argue that there's always room for more avian fun on your console, which is why we're pleased to report that publisher Playism is bringing Blastmode and MP2 Games'...
News New Game+ Expo To Feature 14 Publishers This June, Including SEGA, Atlus And SNK
Livestream event to include KOEI TECMO, AKSYS and Inti Creates
E3 may be skipping 2020, but other bodies are stepping up to fill the summer video game vacuum. There's Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, which will be delivering news and announcements throughout a four-month window, but there's also a new Expo in town, and it's got some big names...
News Award-Winning Detective Game 'No Case Should Remain Unsolved' Unfolds On Switch Next Week
Move over, Emio
Publisher PLAYISM has announced that the text-based mystery game No Case Should Remain Unsolved will land on the Switch eShop on 19th September. If Emio didn't fill you with quite enough creepy mystery for one year, this one will likely be up your street. No Case Should Remain Unsolved will have you taking on the role of retired...
News Pixel Art Metroidvania 'Blade Chimera' Has Been Delayed On Switch
Game was originally slated for August
Blade Chimera, the pixel art Metroidvania from Team Ladybug, Playism, and WSS Playground, has been delayed on Switch following an initial launch window of August 2024. Im a press statement, Playism said the following: "Initially announced for an August release on the Nintendo Switch and Steam, we have taken...
News Gorgeous Pixel Art Metroidvania 'Blade Chimera' Gets August Launch Window
Lookin' good
PLAYISM and WSS Playground have announced that the upcoming pixel art Metroidvania title Blade Chimera will be launching on the Switch this coming August. While they stopped short of comfirming the exact date, it at least gives us an idea of when we can dive in. And goodness, it looks stunning, right? The latest trailer showcases more...
News Discover Who You Truly Are In Upcoming Adventure Game 'Refind Self'
Decisions, decisions
We've all wondered how others see us, right? Well, now there's a game that will do just that *gulp* as Refind Self: The Personality Test Game shows its true colours on Switch this summer. In this exploration-based adventure, you take control of an android who wants to regain their lost memories and discover who they truly are...
News 'Blade Chimera' Combines Stunning Pixel Art With Stylish Metroidvania Action
Coming Spring 2024
As part of the latest Indie World Showcase, Team Ladybug and Playism announced Blade Chimera, a 2D action game with heavy emphasis on exploration and stylish combat. It sports some truly stunning pixel art visuals. Launching in Spring 2024, it looks like we can expect to see some epic boss battles, light puzzle solving, and weird...
News Swery's Small Town Detective RPG 'The Good Life' Gets First DLC Next Month
Living its best life
Publisher PLAYISM has announced that The Good Life, the detective RPG set in a small English town from renowned video game director and writer Swery, is getting DLC on 9th March (via Gematsu). Announcing the news on Twitter, 'Behind the secret of Rainy Woods' will see you returning to the cosy village of Rainy Woods as Naomi...
News Bright Memory: Infinite's Crysis-Like Action Stuns In Release Date Trailer
Launches later this month
We got to see a little bit more of Bright Memory: Infinite during 'not-E3' last month. This action FPS blasted onto Steam last year with stunning visuals and electrifying combat that — with the cyberpunk feel, natural surroundings, and those weapons — reminds us a little bit of the fantastic Crysis. Looking at
News "Lightning-Fast" Action-FPS Bright Memory: Infinite Is Coming To Nintendo Switch
Including all the cosmetic DLC from the original PC game
There sure were a lot of shooty-type games at Not-E3 this year, and though it's easy to feel a little tired of all the gunplay, there is, admittedly, a lot of fun to be had in just turning off your brain and playing guns. Especially when the guns in question also come with swords, like in...
Hands On Drainus Is A 2D Shmup Masterpiece, So Keep Praying For That Switch Port
(Port-begging works, right?)
Japanese developer Team Ladybug is really good at homages. Its output so far has been dominated by titles with a Metroidvania theme, with the excellent Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth drawing massive inspiration from the game that helped coin the genre's name – Castlevania: Symphony of the Ni
News 'Samurai Bringer' Slices Its Way To Switch In April
May fortune be with you!
Update [Thu 31st Mar, 2022 16:35 BST]: As revealed in the NGPX 2022 Showcase, Samurai Bringer will be bringing samurai to Switch on 21st April. Check out the original trailer for the roguelite ARPG and more details below... Original Story [Mon 24th Jan, 2022 10:00 GMT]: Japanese publisher PLAYISM and developer...
News Potato Flowers In Full Bloom Is A 3D Dungeon Crawler That Sprouts Onto Switch This Month
Keep your eyes peeled, and pick up the demo today!
In terms of our favourite video game names ever, this has got to take the cake (or the...carrot?). Publisher PLAYISM and developer Pon Pon Games have reunited six years after their first collaboration, A Healer Only Lives Twice, to create Potato Flowers in Full Bloom, a first-person dungeon crawler...
News A Wet And Wild Free Update Is "Coming Soon" To The Metal Slug Style Run-And-Gun Mighty Goose
Let's go surfin' now
If you haven't tried out the Metal Slug style run-and-gun game Mighty Goose yet, you might want to hurry up. After a teaser back in October last year, Blastmode studio creator Richard Lems has now revealed a whole new "wet and wild" mission is on
News Record Of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth Is Coming To Switch This Year
Update: Physical release coming, digital version out soon globally
Update 2: PLAYISM and WSS Playground have confirmed that this title will arrive on the eShop globally on 16th December, with the physical edition scheduled for January 2022. Update: Red Art Games has confirmed that it is bringing Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth to...
News The Metal Slug Style Run-And-Gun Mighty Goose Is Receiving Some New Free Content
"Coming soon"
Mighty Goose - a game inspired by series such as SNK's Metal Slug - appears to be getting some free content in the future. This information was shared by Blastmode's creator, Richard Lems, via an update on Twitter. Here it is in full: If you've not played this one yet, you're tasked with simply going from one level to another and...
News Swery's "Small-Town Detective Thriller" The Good Life Launches Next Month
The same creator behind Deadly Premonition
It's official - the upcoming "small-town detective thriller" The Good Life will arrive on Nintendo Switch and all other platforms next month on October 15th. The game, in case you missed it, is from Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro's company White Owls (along with Grounding Inc. and Playism). Swery is perhaps...
News Gnosia Is Out On Switch Today, And It Looks Like Among Us Crossed With Virtue's Last Reward
The combination we never even knew we needed
Impostor games are so hot right now. Or, actually, they were hot a few years ago, and still are - despite hitting viral success during last year's pandemic, Among Us actually came out in 2018, and Gnosia - which launches on Switch today - was originally released on the PlayStation Vita in 2019. Likewise,...
News Playism Shares Debut Trailer For Grasshopper's Upcoming Switch Release The Silver 2425
Some of Suda51's earliest work
Last month, it was revealed a few of Grasshopper Manufacture's older games would be released on the Nintendo Switch in a two-in-one package. One is the 1999 mystery adventure visual novel The Silver Case and the other is the sequel The 25th Ward: The Silver Case. Both of these games were some of Suda51's earliest work...
News Move Over, Untitled Goose Game - There's An Even Mightier Waterfowl Coming To Switch
Run and gander
You might assume that Untitled Goose Game is the only goose-related piece of software you need on your Nintendo Switch (especially now it has a bonus co-op mode), but we'd argue that there's always room for more avian fun on your console, which is why we're pleased to report that publisher Playism is bringing Blastmode and MP2 Games'...
News New Game+ Expo To Feature 14 Publishers This June, Including SEGA, Atlus And SNK
Livestream event to include KOEI TECMO, AKSYS and Inti Creates
E3 may be skipping 2020, but other bodies are stepping up to fill the summer video game vacuum. There's Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, which will be delivering news and announcements throughout a four-month window, but there's also a new Expo in town, and it's got some big names...