Bugsnax - Switch

Product Information

Scanning a creature also reveals its movement path. This is especially helpful when capturing Bugsnax that require the use of other tools to capture, like the Trip Shot. Young Horses says players can expect three to four hours of new game content in The Isle of Bigsnax, with voice actors Yuri Lowenthal, Casey Mongillo, Debra Wilson, and Haviland Stillwell returning to provide new quests and dialogue. Bugsnax’s April update also means additional features for the main game, including a new letter system where island residents will mail you challenges. Complete those challenges to earn gifts, which players can use to decorate their personalized hut, a living and storage space. Console players will also get access to fast travel. Follow every lead to learn more about Lizbert's band of misfits and the mysteries of Snaktooth Island.

For the most part, love prevails. You can see this open-heartedness is a core tenet of the philosophy of Bugsnax, and it’s a real breath of fresh air to see not just heteronormative relationships in Snaxtown, but more progressive and true-to-life companionships, that don’t feel for one second like they’re virtue signalling, or trying desperately to appeal to a set demographic.In Bugsnax, you find yourself on an island surrounded by colorful characters and dozens of food-like bugs. Your job: Capture each of the game’s creatures in inventive ways, and unravel the mysteries of the island. If a creature only shows up during certain times of day or special conditions like rainy days, you’ll find traces of them near where they will appear. Overall, I left Bugsnax feeling disappointed. I like puzzle and monster collecting games and figured this was going to be a blend of both. Using the various tools at your disposal and figuring out the combination you need to use to capture a snax was rewarding at times, but when I had to do it for the third or fourth time it became dull.

That is pretty much the extent of the gameplay loop and at first, it’s fun and addictive learning different ways to catch the snax using your various tools. But after a while doing the same task over and over again, it does start to wear thin. You talk to the various inhabitants, fulfill their requests which, for the majority, is “catch this list of snax and feed them to me” type of content. Sometimes they request you to specifically feed them certain body parts. You do this multiple times over traveling to various areas such as beaches, forests, and snow-covered mountains. As you progress the story and complete the tasks, the residents will reward you with items to customize your home with. While the puzzle mechanic is fun and clever at first, it does get tiresome and the desire to find and capture all the various snax loses its appeal. I wanted more variation in gameplay and hoped there was more to with the snax then just catching and feeding them to people, but unfortunately there really isn’t anything else. Feed Somebody and You'll See, We Are Whatever We Eat! Stuff your new friends with Bugsnax to customize them with countless new looks.Discover, hunt, and capture all 100 different species of Bugsnax using a variety of contraptions and bait! What I ultimately experienced was a six to seven-hour adventure that felt very repetitive and full of fetch quests. The story, premise, and world the developers set out to create had a lot of potential, but I feel the game didn’t live up to my expectations. I think I prefer Pokémon Snap and its puzzle mechanics especially if you are in the mood for a more casual experience. That said, if you are looking for a game that isn’t really long and you don’t mind repetitive side quests, there is definitely some fun to be had here. Just be mindful of the technical problems associated with Bugsnax on the Nintendo Switch. But on the other hand, there are more than a couple of forgettable designs. I’d need some serious prompting to recall the look of a Spuddy, or a Cheeser from name alone, and the third example you should have read there I simply forgot about entirely, both in terms of name and design. Still, every first generation has its hang-ups, just ask Jynx from Pokémon if you don’t believe me.

So, I went into the game not knowing what to expect, and I can wholeheartedly say that I had a glorious time. Grumpuses? I love ‘em. Bugsnax Island? Perfect holiday destination. Bugsnax themselves? Tasty. Can’t get enough. Everything is so inviting, with all the design elements coming together for a playful and charming game world that welcomes you with open arms. Still, it’s the questions that lurk underneath that keep you hanging around.

The investigative element of Bugsnax, much like the catching component, is a little here or there too, though it still hits more than it misses. Having landed on Bugsnax Island, you need to help Filbo find the missing residents, especially Elizabert Megafig, the island’s informal founder. As the narrative slowly unfolds, you realise that finding Elizabert is the biggest piece of puzzle pie, and you need the help of all the other Grumpuses to locate her. The dramatic twist at the crux of the game also dials home the most important part of Bugsnax, the bit that you least expect to have you hooked, your relationship with the Grumpuses. The friendships you forge are laid on the line, and only those who truly embrace living the community life will reap the benefits of a satisfying ending, and a post-credits cutscene too. Your SnaxScope allows you to scan information about your surroundings including Bugsnax, other characters, and important objects. If you want to catch all of the Bugsnax in the game, it is essential that you scan every creature you come across, because scanning new critters adds crucial information about them in your Bugapedia. Better still, the Bugsnax of Bugsnax are also getting a major upgrade: the ability to wear hats. These hat-adorned creatures are the Shiny Pokémon of the Bugsnax world, Young Horses says. If you’re looking to capture every Bugsnax, chances are you’ll have a few empty spots in your Bugapedia as you go. Your guide shows you how many creatures exist in each of the game’s regions, but it isn’t always clear where they might be hidden on the map. If you can’t find a critter while you visit an area of the game, try looking for signs of them. Some Bugsnax leave behind something to indicate when you can find them Image: Young Horses via Polygon

Venture Deep to Seek the Truth! Follow every lead to learn more about Lizbert's band of misfits and the mysteries of Snaktooth Island.These characters are essential to the relatability of the game, and its emotional core. Almost like how if you pour through enough horoscopes, you’ll find something representative of your experiences, if you spend enough time with the Grumpuses of Snaxtown, you might find out a little something about yourself. You might realise that at this point, I still haven’t mentioned the aim of the game, the name on the tin, the reason for being, the Bugsnax themselves. In all honesty, for me, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong, Bunger is a classic from the off, Daddy Cakelegs is inspired character design, and Strabby is as cute as anything I’ve seen in a monster collecting game (and I’ll die on that hill). We all love pets, but while some boys get to play with dogs, cats, and the odd gerbil, one lad has a very special friend. A Boy and His Blob is a remake of a fantastic retro platformer, where you play as the titular boy and must make your way through levels by using jellybeans to transform your gelatinous pal. It’s sweet, the visuals are great, and it’s easy to understand but hard to master. Perfect for kids and adults! The catching mechanics are varied, and there’s a good bit of scope to use your imagination with them. You might find, as I did, that in the early part it can be a struggle to figure out how to get the crunchy critters incapacitated and in your trap. I had to ask a friend for some tips, but once you get the hang of it and master one or two biomes, all your skills are transferable across the different areas of the island. The one hiccup I have with this sort of gameplay loop, especially towards the latter part of the game, is that the missions set by the Grumpuses can get a little repetitive. While questing is good fun for the most part, I did start to develop a sense of fatigue concerning the “collect two of these Bugsnax” or “get the Bugsnak to do the thing” objectives that take up a decent chunk of the game’s missions.