Nintendo Switch: 5 games to watch in January 2023

Game News Nintendo Switch: 5 games to watch in January 2023

Lone Ruin

Symbol of an increasingly growing popularity over the months, or even years, we begin this first selection of 2023 titles nintendo-switch with the new representative of the roguelike of the independent scene, Lone Ruin. From the first glance, it looks like a cross between Hyper Light Drifter and The Binding of Isaac. If this remains to be proven, controller in hand, the first extracts seem to promise us a similar dynamism thanks to its formula “ twin stick shooter “. As its title so aptly suggests, Lone Ruin propels us, in the shoes of an explorer with powers just waiting to be awakened, in the ruins of a very ancient city which once housed a powerful source of magic. Today, its ancient civilization has died out, eaten away by corruption and madness, and the wizards who tapped into its magic are no more, replaced by infamous creatures determined to make our journey as complex as possible. Determined to get your hands on the thousand-year-old power that lies dormant within these vestiges, you chain the rooms infested with enemies and you sink a little deeper after each confrontation, while gaining in power and increasing your spells tenfold.. The range of possibilities, in terms of skills, is wide enough to give you the opportunity to build your own style of play in order to skillfully get rid of the bosses and enemies that swarm in these ruins whose secrets are just waiting to be revealed. . If the main adventure doesn’t test you enough, you can get started in the Survival world Hoping that this expedition does not turn into a real descent into hell!

• Release date: January 12, 2023
• Also available on PC

Persona 3 Portable

As you will see as you read these lines, there is a strong trend towards role-playing games in this first month of the year. After years of waiting for the release of Persona 5 on Nintendo’s portable console, the Japanese firm and Atlus have finally answered the prayers of fans of the license — and even more by offering them the “Royal” version —, but it was not the only gift. Not content with already having a very rich panel of Japanese RPG-oriented productions available, the catalog of the nintendo-switch expands with a small handful of classics including Persona 3 Portable ! And no, this privilege is not only reserved for Xbox players subscribed to Game Pass. In short, for the occasion, this release is not just a pale copy on the consoles of the current generation. We learned recently that small novelties had been made by the developers. As if to celebrate, with a bit of a delay, the tenth anniversary of its launch on PSP, P3P — as it is more succinctly called — will have French subtitling. A godsend to better immerse yourself in history, reinforced by the provision of a “very easy” and “easy” difficulty to better enjoy the scenario. For those who like the challenge but cautious about going through too big parts of the game in case of defeat, it will be possible to save on the fly and anywhere. personas requires, you will explore the Gekkoukan High School and its surroundings in order to eradicate the threat of the “Shadows”: draw your Evokers and prepare for very long hours of play, but it’s not over!

Persona 4 Golden

For this new year, it’s not one but two games personas which join the catalog of the nintendo-switch. Yes, Nintendo and Atlus are making new with old, but this is the perfect opportunity to discover the series and properly prepare for the sixth opus which is damn long overdue! After trying out Persona 3 Portable, which we talked about just below, why not follow up with Persona 4 Golden ? Like its predecessor, the title of Atlus will benefit same additional features around difficulty levels, save system and subtitling. For role-playing game enthusiasts, this year 2023 is off to a flying start, but it’s not just “Persona”, equipment management, turn-based combat and the usual J-RPG mechanics. In this sequel, and as tradition dictates, we discover an all new cast of characters — whom we will get to know and who will themselves get to know each other through a scenario in the form of visual novel — and we leave the seashores of the previous episode for the rural lands of Inaba, sublimated by modern graphics, where every foggy night means murder, once again perpetrated by “Shadows”. In this new section, the license personas continues to explore psychological themes: after Persona 3 who was interested in the theme of death, Persona 4 Golden, he focuses more on the subject of self-acceptance. Moreover, to make the most of the story and the scenario, this release has an “Album” section thanks to which you can replay certain dialogues and discover what the other choices hide.

Fire Emblem Engage

For more than 30 years, the franchise Fire Emblem has never ceased to shine the tactical counterpart of Japanese role-playing games and, with its nintendo-switch, the Japanese giant continues to maintain its brilliance. A few months after the release of the spin-off Warriors: Three Housesthe license is already back with Engaged, formalized last September. Unlike the episode Three Housesreleased in July 2019, we focus here on a unique scenario carried by the character of Alear, a mysterious member of a royal family who awakens after years of slumber on the continent of Elyos, once again threatened by the Fallen Dragon. As a thousand years ago, a new great war is brewing and Alear will have to tap into a strange power… capable of bringing, via a system of rings, some of the franchise’s most iconic heroes back to the battlefield. ! If everyone can enjoy this episode, Fire Emblemplaying it “ Rings of Power “, tries to catch the eye of the great enthusiasts of the license. Once the game is in their hands, they will therefore not be surprised to find the traditional turn-based tactical combat system on a checkerboard map. This one is by the way embellished with nice visual transitions between the different phases and is sublimated by the mechanics of the Emblems where the young Alear can bond with the illustrious heroes of the franchise to expand your range of skills, and even merge with them ! For the moment, the communication around the game has mainly focused on the allies of our young hero and on the additional content that will punctuate the follow-up of the game, but for Switch players, RPG fans, it smells like a safe bet!

risen

Finally, this month, it’s not just the old opuses of the saga personas which offer an unexpected return to Nintendo’s portable console. From the height of his thirteen years, the first episode of the Risen franchise follows the trend and returns to the front of the stage in the hope of attracting the most nostalgic and neophytes who have long heard of his very nice success on computer without having the opportunity to put their hands on it. Failing to offer a new episode – the license has been dormant for more than eight years –, risen offers a small return to the source thanks to this multiplatform port. No big revolution in sight, apart from a simple transposition of its period version – which nevertheless offers a modernized interface and smooth performance — for a true Madeleine de Proust effect for those who will crack a second time, enthusiastic about the idea of ​​setting foot again on the volcanic island of Faranga. In these imaginary lands, inspired by Sicilian landscapes, Risen replays the myth of the amnesiac hero who has to explore the caves and ancient dungeons that have just mysteriously appeared on Faranga. Admittedly, the graphics may seem somewhat dated but, put in context, this open-world role-playing game has often been acclaimed for the richness of its universe, mixing Inquisition, revolt and mysticism, as well as for its plethora of quests. However, the best thing is the atmosphere that emanates from the island, even though it abounds with creatures that may seem highly dangerous to you at first. But as the fights go on, as its title suggests, Risen will clearly make you feel the sensation of rising!