Riverbond review, a perfect game for Nintendo Switch

Version tested: Nintendo Switch.

The panorama of indie games on Nintendo Switch is experiencing a real "golden age" in the last period. The merit, in addition to Nintendo - which has become increasingly attentive to the world of independent developers - is also of the same users who have seen in the Nintendo hybrid console the ideal place to enjoy this type of titles.  

Riverbond, developed by Cococucumber and available on Nintendo eShop starting from 10 December 2019, it is one of those titles that, although not shining for originality, manages to offer a very healthy dose of fun both in single player mode and in co-op mode, brightening these gloomy days of December with the colored pixels of its voxel world and its crazy and frenetic mega piles.

Where have I seen that chest before?

The plot does not play a fundamental role in the gameplay: a mysterious knight has imprisoned the leaders of the Eight Worlds of Riverbond, wreaking havoc and causing ruin and drought. As a fearless hero armed only with a sword and a blaster, we will launch through the eight dungeons in order to bring peace and tranquility to our world.  

Its voxel world setting, first of all, cannot fail to remind us Minecraft o Terraria and as the fast-paced gameplay brings us closer to the world of The Binding of Isaac, isometric view, gunplay, weapons and in general a certain look and feel cannot help but remind us of the hours spent in the land of Hyrule. in conclusion Riverbond is a strange mix of different genres and games, but mixed so well that the result can only leave you fully satisfied and above all with the desire to have more (also thanks to a not exactly exceptional longevity which we will tell you about later).

Sword and pistol

The weapons with which we will find ourselves facing the enemies that will face us are mainly of two types, melee weapons (sword, knives, broadsword but also special and bizarre weapons like a mega lollipop) and ranged weapons (mainly blasters of all types and bows). The gameplay instead is that of a typical hack and slash  with elements from twin stick shooting (to Resogun, or to be clear to "The Binding of Isaac") for the rest our Max moves and fights in a very similar way to our Link in The Legend of Zelda, lifting objects, rolling and even making spin attacks with the 'the only difference is that in Riverbond our character can also jump. This allowed the developers to create much more dynamic levels, with small platform game elements: small mountains to climb, alternate steps, etc.

Our alter ego in addition to the classic sword or blaster attacks (by the way up to five different types of weapons can be collected and carried with them, which can be switched with the right d-pad) has a special move that allows him to eliminate multiple enemies at the same time in a rather narrow range. This type of attack, particularly useful in the most agitated game situations, has a rather long recharge time and therefore must be dosed carefully. It is something very similar to the dunk with Mario's butt with the only difference that in our case the landing is from the back (ouch!).

But is it already over?

Apart from eliminating the enemies and solving some small environmental puzzles, there is not much else to do: even if at the beginning of the level we are entrusted with some objective, such as recovering the chicken eggs scattered around the game world or destroying a a few nests of enemies, each level can be completed in about ten minutes and once completed they offer very little reason to be replayed.

The collectibles in fact are mainly new skins for our character - some really absurd and new weapons that can be collected by opening the chests scattered around the level (another explicit reference to the world of The Legend of Zelda) but both do not add anything to the gameplay like new powers or special attacks. Even the collection of coins, which look a little too much like the rupees of which Link is a tireless accumulator, is reduced to a mere accumulation of points.

Co-op, the real highlight

The real strong point of Riverbond, however, is the co-op mode that allows us to face the challenges with three other players online, adding even more dynamism to the title. Of course, facing the challenges in three considerably lowers the longevity of the title, but everything is much more fun. Staying on the subject, Riverbond can be completed in just six hours and does not offer many reasons to replay it, if not the pleasure of reviewing its pixelated paintings: the collected rupees and the new skins, in fact, do not offer any kind of improvement to the gameplay. From a technical point of view we are not faced with a jaw-breaking game capable of bringing out the full potential of the small Nintendo console or with a memorable soundtrack, yet Riverbond managed to thrill us with its colorful chaos. 

Conclusions and judgment

Riverbond it is a perfect game to spend a few hours in the company of friends; while not entirely original in the gameplay it never leads to the copy of something else and maintains its own personality. In co-op mode he manages to give his best especially in the Nintendo Switch version, a console for which he seems to be perfect. Priced at approx 22 Euros on the Nintendo eShop, is perhaps one of the best indies to play under the tree.