The Switch has been getting many adventure games, and that is good because the Switch is a great fit for the genre. One recent standout that deserves attention is Nairi: Tower of Shrin, which takes a somewhat different approach to the genre on the system.
In this game, you play as the titular Nairi who must go into hiding after her parents are mysteriously arrested. She will assume a new lifestyle and make new friends and learn more about the world. This is a great set up, as each character is extremely well developed with excellent writing behind them. This is something I feel is lacking in too many modern adventure games, which come off as too formulaic.
Nairi isn’t formulaic, but does have some issues. The game has more than few bugs which have caused the game to crash several times. From what I understand, this is being worked on though and hopefully they are fixed soon.
What is a good point in the game’s favor though is the controls. There are a variety of control methods, such as point and click via the touchscreen interface, using standard controls, or using the Joy Con motion controls to mimic the effect of mouse controls. I found the last one interesting, although it doesn’t work perfectly. This is a great changeup to the normal style of adventure games and I like what the developers have done here.
Nairi has a lot of potential as a game, and with well written characters and scenarios, there is a lot to love except for the fact that it is over a bit too soon. The game is more of a lead in to a bigger story and I feel this should have been made more clear before. That said, it does a great job of setting up the story and creating a great world for the characters.
The story is heads above others, but another plus is that the puzzles are well thought out and will test your patience. The game takes no shortcuts and truly gives the player a challenge to solve. Of course, a large part of the game is also interacting with others and solving their problems, so their is definitely a nice contrast. With a nice central area, and dungeons to explore for puzzle solving, Nairi sets up the larger story very well and provides a good experience in its own right.
I liked what I played of Nairi, but as I said, there were bugs and it was over a bit too soon. The bugs will no doubt be fixed, but the length may be off putting to some. Just remember though, that this is the lead in to something bigger and you will enjoy it more that way. I cautiously recommend this game to try,
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.