Nintendo Switch’s hidden gems for February 2018

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February saw the release of several hyped-up indie releases, including Fe and Owlboy, along with ports of Bayonetta 1 & 2. There were a handful of wonderful titles to release last month that were overshadowed by these more high-profile releases, and the Switch Era team is back again to recommend the Nintendo Switch’s hidden gems for February 2018.

Old Man’s Journey

From Joshua’s review:

Old Man’s Journey is a compelling story about an old man who looks back at the choices he made and goes on a journey both physically and mentally. In no words at all, I was engaged from start to finish and wanted to see where the old man would end up. It’s backed by some phenomenal visuals and, while there’s no replay value here, that shouldn’t stop you from passing up on this short but poignant tale.

Dandara

From Carl’s review:

This relationship between the macro and the micro is what makes Dandara so brilliant. As a “Metroidvania” players are constantly referencing their position in the game’s world to find out where to go next, and they’ll have to consider the individual layout of each little area they pass through to find out how to leap across it and continue their adventure. The developers could have easily made Dandara a room-by-room puzzle game, and that would have been really disappointing. Thankfully, they went all-out to create something truly special.

Bridge Constructor Portal

From Joshua’s review:

Unlike other bridge building games, though, Bridge Constructor Portal plays into physics much more. Each bridge you build must have proper support or the entire structure will come crashing down. It makes each level feel more like a problem you must think through. You can’t just build and hope everything goes right. In that sense, Bridge Constructor Portal, again, feels authentic and like it has a place in the Portal series.

Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition

From Carl’s review:

Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition is a neat combination of Monster Hunter style grinding and Mega Man platforming and gunplay. Although it can be a little grind-heavy at times, the core gameplay loop is pretty dang fun — especially when playing online co-op.

Layers of Fear: Legacy

From Jack’s review:

Layers of Fear: Legacy is certainly a creepy game. Imagery, music, and scares all combine to put the player on the edge of their seat and get their heart beating faster, with the way the mansion shifts before you and behind you being a real excellent feature. With that in mind the constant bombardment of jump scares, lack of much gameplay, and a passable story leave the player missing that feeling they had for the first couple of hours. Horror junkies will want to check it out, but the average player might want to wait until it’s a bit cheaper.

Xeodrifter

From Carl’s review:

What really makes Xeodrifter stand out is how it uses its upgrades to give players fun platforming challenges. Early on in my adventure I noticed that some areas had more detailed backgrounds that even had enemies moving around, and I assumed it was just for visual flare. I was wrong — the second upgrade that players acquire allows them to phase into these more detailed backgrounds. They’re essentially levels behind the level, and later in the game players will have to combine this phase-shifting ability with their other upgrades to get by obstacles and even fight bosses. Xeodrifter is a little slow out of the gate but really takes off when players acquire the phase-shift.

Did we miss any hidden gems for February 2018? Let us know what your hidden gems are in the comments section below!