Nintendo Switch – POLYGOD #214

Having motion aiming has really spoiled me….

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Polygod – Nintendo Switch – Released: 8/17/18 – $14.99

Review (Review copy provided by Amplify Games)

Polygod despite the terrible icon can be a hot mess… This really isn’t an issue though since you can easily tweak settings in the menu which I would highly recommend. Going into the game without changing the speed of analog sticks or gyro controls will have you dying as quickly as you drop in. I did this for an hour for a run and decided “Yeah, this is not my type of game” then looked at the settings options and spend another hour finding the perfect mix of gyro and analog speed to match my liking.

This is a big issue with the game when you drop in and leaves a very bad taste in my mouth since you have to tweak until it feels just right. After going from Splatoon 2 which is debatably the best shooter with motion controls on the Switch then going to Polygod feels just wrong. Once I was able to get it to just how I like it which was actually not a 1 to 1 for gyro vertically and horizontally and the analog sticks much faster. I was ready to take on this game that ends up being well…. mediocre.

Polygod is a roguelike shooter and at times it feels great then you run into an enemy that will kill you instantly due to the no invincibility frames. Most of my deaths are because of this as I get pushed up against a wall with an enemy that can shoot in every direction with rapid fire on. Then a friend pops up and does the same thing bringing me from 10+ health to 0 in a few seconds. This is when the pain starts to set in since in most cases I just take my time and end up having a good hour or two run inching my way through the area. Sadly this is also the most boring way to play since it feels more like a stealth game than a fast paced shooter.

Another issue is the power ups… They are very unique but require a lot of reading and cycling between them is a bit weird. Instead of having an easy method of looking at each of them side by side you have to swap while you pick between 3. During this time of looking at each one they have lines of text explaining which is a bit of a pain as it breaks the flow of the game. I wish the power ups were simple but they do multiple things instead of just being “Gain extra damage for X long” or “Your bullets now deal double damage”, etc. I don’t even bother that much with the power ups since after several dozen runs… I don’t think I’ve run into the same one twice. Which is great but also means I never know what I will ever get so if I really liked a power up unless I plan on repeating a seed, I won’t see it again.

Final Thoughts

POLYGOD is in a weird spot for me as it is good enough to purchase if you want a basic roguelike shooter but too complicated and unfair to be 100% on board with it. I enjoy some runs while other just beat me over with a stick since enemies will 1-2 combo me and I have to restart after playing for an hour. I don’t mind taking my time but even while taking my time it feels as though they want you to play quickly. There are no points where it excels and there are no points where is fails. It is just average…

My Gameplay Footage:

Will be uploading this weekend!

Trailer:

End Credits

I am debating on doing a more rapid fire style review to try and fit in some smaller reviews during the week between these bigger reviews. They will include the same thing but be shorten to around a paragraph or two. These would only be arcade games or ports of games that many people already know much about and just want to see how they work on Switch. Let me know what you think and I’ll see you in the next review!