In Tidbits we cover games that are difficult to cover in our regular review template. In this Tidbits we review A Sketch About Her Sun, Watcher Chronicles and Arise: A Simple Story.
A Sketchbook About Her Sun | 50% – A sketchbook about her sun is what I would call a game that isn’t a game. Resembling more a visual art cd than what would be called an official game, a sketchbook about her sun revolves around a lost love. Running through the songs of Red Ribbon ‘s album: Planet X. You can choose to make decisions that will, eventually, net you a poem at the end of the song. If you choose not to, the page will be empty, and the next song will start. A game? No. A visual CD? Yes. So if you’re into Red Ribbon’s songs and want a quick 1000G? Then be sure to pick this one up! I rate it a 50/100, just because this just isn’t a game, just a cd with “game” slapped onto it.
Written by: Alexis
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Watcher Chronicles | 70% – At first glance, Watcher Chronicles looks as if a team from the golden era of flash games had gotten the design documents for Demon Souls for a couple of hours and then let loose to make that to the best of their abilities. If you’re old enough to remember that time then try to imagine what that would be like if instead of some eager hobby devs it was given to people who could devote their day jobs to it. While I went into it as a skeptic I was pleasantly surprised by the execution. The movement feels somewhat heavy, but not so stiff it got annoying to engage with the light platforming that’s present throughout the locales. Combat is a bit of a mixed bag since it lacks weight from your side; yet not from enemies, and offers a good variety in playstyles, magic, weapon, and armour choices. Similar to other souls-like games there’s also a story playing in the background and told through the world you travel, albeit this one is a lot easier to follow and more straightforward. Having played it on the Nintendo Switch, I think it’s a nice game to play during shorter commutes of 15 to 20 minutes per play session. Especially since you’re always able to achieve some progress in a relatively brief amount of time. You can check out a more in-depth review here.
Written by: Thomas
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
Arise: A Simple Story | 84% – Originally released in 2019, Arise: A Simple Story has now received an Xbox Series X|S upgrade making the already impressive visuals shine that much brighter. You play as an old man navigating the afterlife and reliving the key memories from before his death: how he met his wife at a young age, the tragedy they went through and eventually how they both perished. It’s a 3D platformer with a fixed camera that lets you play around with the world you’re jumping through: in one level you’ll move the sun around to impact the position of sunflowers, in another you control a massive fire and use it to keep enemies at bay. It’s a fantastic indie experience of around 4h with only minor issues like a level being too dark and the jumping taking some getting used to (depth perception can be tricky). But it’s well worth your time and deserving of the critical praise it received at release!
Written by: Robby
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X