Tinykin Review – Little Big Fun

Reviewed on: Xbox One
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: tinyBuild
Developer: Splashteam
Rating: Everyone 10+

Tinykin smartly blends platforming and puzzle-solving with the minion management of Nintendo's Pikmin series. Players control a flea-sized astronaut who travels from his home planet to Earth to trace humanity’s true origins. The explorer’s journey takes him to an ordinary home occupied by sentient insects who worship a mysterious deity. To return home, the astronaut must assemble a rocket by gathering ordinary household objects with the help of small, adorable aliens called Tinykin. As a fan of “little person in a big world” experiences, Tinykin’s premise and world drew me in, and its gameplay satisfied me until its conclusion.

The best, though perhaps reductive, way to describe Tinykin’s gameplay would be “Pikmin as a platformer.” Each room in the house offers large, smartly laid-out playgrounds where players overcome platforming challenges and solve environmental puzzles using different types of Tinykin. These include pink varieties that carry objects, red versions that explode on impact when tossed, and green Tinykin that stack vertically to form a living ladder, among others. I like how the game introduces each Tinykin one stage at a time, letting me spend an entire level getting used to their unique talents before introducing another. 

The well-crafted puzzles become better (and more involved) as you recruit more Tinykin to your ranks. Some obstacles can be as simple as carrying an oversized appliance out of your path. Other tasks become scavenger hunts, challenging you to find creative ways of traversing the world to locate and retrieve scattered items. Solutions tend to be relatively straightforward, no matter what form a puzzle takes; Tinykin never forces you to wrack your brain, at least not for very long. I found this level of challenge relaxing but engaging enough to avoid becoming mundane or overly simplistic. Tinykin’s puzzle-solving has a nice flow that keeps the experience moving, making it a breeze to get through. 

Controlling the Tinykin is simple and intuitive, requiring little more than aiming and flinging them at designated targets. I also love that Tinykin can perform jobs independently, allowing me to multitask. It feels great to let a dozen helpers work on lugging objects to their destinations while I gleefully collect scattered pollen (used to upgrade a hover ability), find missing letters for a mail bug, and complete side quests. 

Tinykin is a collect-a-thon like the 3D platformers of old. Gathering items and finding secrets is rewarding because every nook and cranny usually hides a discovery. Sometimes it’s bundles of pollen; other times, it’s a missing piece needed to complete a side errand, such as reuniting a photograph with its frame. The world is a colorful, oversized jungle gym, and I’m impressed with how each room feels like a lived-in dwelling while still having clear pathways that appear organically arranged. 

 

I had the most fun freely exploring and using my Tinykin army to tinker with whatever lay before me, like pushing in protruding books or yanking a washing machine’s door open. Hopping across a kitchen, hallway, or bathroom is a delight from this small perspective, and platforming feels exceptionally tight. Riding soap bars across ziplines to get around faster makes it even better, and locating shortcuts, such as climbing ropes, expedites backtracking. I only wish there was a map because the busy environments make quest givers feel like needles in a haystack whenever it’s time to turn in a job. 

Tinykin feels comforting in an old-school sense. Its challenges never become convoluted, nor does its design reinvent the wheel, and that’s okay. Tinykin executes its handful of ideas exceptionally well, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and laid-back journey that only requires six to eight hours of your time. Don’t let this delightful adventure sneak under your radar.

Score: 8.5

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NBA 2K23 Review - A Hop-Step Forward

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Visual Concepts
Rating: Everyone

NBA 2K23, the latest in Visual Concepts’ long-running, annualized basketball series, introduces multiple new features and revamped game mechanics while taking us on a stroll down memory lane. Though the 2K franchise has garnered a reputation for focusing more on microtransactions than actual gameplay innovation, this year’s game mode additions and foundational improvements mostly overshadow the notorious pay-to-win schemes. The result is a package that feels more novel than other titles in the series’ recent history.

2K’s in-game mechanics have primarily followed a steady and successful blueprint, but this year introduces several updates, most notably the reworked shot meters and stamina bars. The new shot meter leaves little room for error, making it more challenging than previous iterations. I initially struggled with mastering this updated feature thanks to these stricter release-timing mechanics; previously, you could make a shot even if your timing wasn’t perfect, but in NBA 2K23, success almost always requires a near-perfect release.

 

The stamina system in 2K23 has also been modified and now has three adrenaline bars to go along with it. Sprinting and using explosive dribble moves now deplete the stamina and adrenaline bars. This is especially helpful in online matches as it prevents individual players from over-dribbling and encourages team play. These tweaks, though challenging to master, make the game feel as close to the actual sport as possible, which only helps the franchise in the long run.

These improvements to the core gameplay permeate the vast array of modes on offer in NBA 2K23. This suite of offerings includes all the series’ mainstays and a few exciting new ones, like the Jordan Challenge, which allows you to relive iconic moments from Michael Jordan’s career, and MyNBA Eras. The former offers fun challenges like “The Shot” and “The Flu Game,” each with its accomplishments to recreate.

In contrast, instead of reliving history, MyNBA Eras enables us to rewrite it by giving us four NBA periods to choose from, each having its own varying rules and rosters. As a Suns fan, I particularly loved revisiting iconic periods, like the “7 Seconds or Less” team of the 2000s, and playing through a season in that era. This type of experience is precisely the kind of innovation the series has been missing in recent years, and its inclusion in 2K23 does wonders for rounding out this entry’s offerings.

If you’re looking for the more traditional 2K modes, MyCareer remains one of the essential features of any 2K release. This year’s storyline leaves a lot to be desired, and the lack of choices makes it feel less like I’m crafting my own player’s career and more like I’m pushing through a predetermined narrative.

However, the bulk of the improvements in MyCareer went into restructuring The City, the hub where you find most of your activities. Here, Visual Concepts fully embraces its RPG aspects with the retention of its quest system and the addition of The Arena, where MyCareer events are now fully integrated. The inclusion of both features gives players a fully immersive experience, and the gameday events, such as press conferences and pre-game shootarounds, make this mode feel even more like an NBA player’s career.

Players can also access the Jordan Challenge throughout the area, not to mention the multiple online competitive matches found in and around it. The four City affiliations reappear, but each of the factions’ neighborhoods has its own beautifully designed theme this time. The City’s size in 2K23 has also been reduced, and with the inclusion of fast travel using the subway system, traversing it is easier than in last year’s release.

As usual, MyTeam includes many competitive contests playable in both single- and multiplayer versions. Rather than letting you choose your starter outright, this year’s edition enables you to try out the starters first in a Triple Threat (3v3) match against A.I. before making you pick. There are also themed challenges and contests available wherein you can earn rewards to help boost your team. If you prefer the casual experience of 2K as I do, MyTeam has plenty to offer in terms of its offline, single-player modes.

Ultimately though, microtransactions are as present as ever in NBA 2K23. Grinding out MyTeam points and tokens is an option for those not willing to spend beyond the game’s premium price tag, but unless you’re incredibly patient, spending real money to buy packs is the easiest way to acquire a stacked squad. It’s tough this year as the currency earned through MyCareer and MyTeam matches is so minimal it takes a ridiculous amount of work to get your team and player up to par with higher-rated groups.

Overall, NBA 2K23 is a fitting tribute to the historical legends and iconic moments that made this sport what it is today. Though the game has its fair share of issues with its poor narrative choices and omnipresent microtransactions, it’s still a solid improvement over the previous game. This year’s release isn’t quite the flashy free-throw line dunk that lands a perfect score, but it is a worthy, all-around effort that would earn M.J.’s shrug of approval.

Score: 7.5

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Temtem Review - Competitive Evolution

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Publisher: Humble Games
Developer: Crema
Rating: Everyone 10+

The Pokémon franchise has been more prolific than usual as of late, with multiple releases over the past year and another big entry coming soon. However, those without a Switch or looking for a suitable monster-battling alternative should focus on Temtem, which has emerged from years of early-access development. While borrowing heavily from the formula of Nintendo’s massive franchise, its world is fun to explore, and collecting and learning all about the titular Temtems is satisfying. Although the core adventure is a smidge repetitive, Temtem is challenging and engaging, even for well-seasoned trainers.

Your Temtem journey begins by selecting a partner monster and setting off to challenge the various dojos (Temtem’s version of gyms) around the Airborne Archipelago. While exploring this series of vibrant floating islands, you gain rivals, challenge dojos, and butt heads with the dastardly Clan Balsoto along the way. The pieces of a classic Pokémon experience are here for better or worse, and while that predictability bored me in the early hours, the story eventually arrives in some cool places I didn’t expect, making Temtem feel more like an "us against the world" JRPG than a typical monster collector tends to.

 

The biggest draw to this genre for me is collecting as many of these cute and destructive creatures as possible. While the lack of variety and abundance of forgettable designs on the first island disappointed me, each subsequent area introduces more enticing monster designs and elemental combinations. My favorites include the deceptively cute Adoroboros and the fiery electric scarab Scaravolt. Figuring out the location of a monster I needed to fill out my Tempedia or one that would complement my current competitive team was a blast.

The hunt for new Temtems is exciting, but I’m even higher on the battle system. These fights are strategic and challenging to the point where every tamer battle made me consider my team composition right down to the order of my squad. Contrary to the way most trainers compete in Pokémon battles, the default way to throwdown in Temtem is 2v2. It’s a twist I enjoy that deepens the strategy in just about every battle. I often had to solve battle-based puzzles, like whether my active team is the dominant duo on the board or if they’ll be quickly wiped out by well-matched opposition, with the latter case happening quite often. 

Another wrinkle I love in battle is the stamina system. Each move uses a portion of the Temtem’s stamina gauge, with lighter blows consuming far less than haymakers. However, using more stamina than what’s available takes HP, creating a high-risk, high-reward scenario for making a desperate all-out attack at the cost of your team’s health. It’s a clever solution to spamming powerful attacks, and it results in more deliberate fights, especially when going toe-to-toe with other aspiring tamers.

The online features flourish when I interact with others. Throughout the adventure, you see tamers running around with their partner 'Tem in tow. You can challenge them to a battle, trade, or chat about where to find a monster. An always-available rolling text chat also lets you talk with a world full of active players freely. The lack of a barrier to communicating or participating in fights and grouping up with others is refreshing for the genre and should be looked at seriously by companies like Nintendo as a feature to strive for.

There’s plenty to do with tamers online after the main scenario is done. On top of the competitive activities on hand, like joining a club and participating in Dojo Wars, I’ve kept busy with Temtem breeding, skimming auctions for monsters and items, and exploring the player housing neighborhoods that can be decorated with furnishings purchased all across the Archipelago. With all of the above and more to do, there’s plenty of endgame content for those who wish to stick with the game long-term. 

Temtem may look like a copycat on its surface, but its deviations from the Pokémon formula pay off considerably. With unique battling elements and an engaging MMO structure, Temtem evolves as its own experience and offers a vast, challenging adventure that even those without a Nintendo console can enjoy.

Score: 8.5

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