Jump Dash Roll is one year old today. Happy birthday to us!
And what better way to celebrate than to look back on our fabulous first year and return to some of the game worlds we found remarkable, the opinions we felt important to share and the information we learned along the way?
Oh, and we have a stonking competition to top it all off!
"Perfect" 10s:
In Jump Dash Roll’s first year we’ve reviewed around 130 games, of which only 3 have received our highest score. To us, a ten doesn’t mean the game has to be perfect. In a world where something new and interesting is hitting the shelves almost every week, how could you make that call when it has to be made in a snapshot in time?
No, our scoring policy details what we think of a 10:
10 - This is as close to an ideal example of its ilk that a game can be. It may not be "perfect", as perfection is completely subjective. Nor may it be fully free from bugs, as it is near impossible to find a game released today which has none. However, any flaws will be superficial, and overall it will be considered a game of unquestionable quality and innovation, which is likely to be held as the gold standard of its genre for years to come.
So, what were the three games we gave the top accolade to?
First up we scored the Bayonetta 1 + 2 package on Nintendo Switch a 10, concluding that they were:
Two masterpieces in every regard, Bayonetta and its sequel still provide the consummate action adventure with combat which has not been bettered, outrageous stories and a main character of sheer brilliance. Play these games, I implore you.
Next up was the remastered Dark Souls. It’s worth reading the full review again, we assure you, but in summary we said:
From Software and Miyazaki’s triumph with technical upgrades, dedicated servers and the DLC included. There is nothing better.
Finally, our last game rated 10 in the first year — but certainly not least — is The First Tree. Why did we think so highly of it?
An incredible passion project eschewing video game norms and wearing its heart proudly on its sleeve, The First Tree is a masterfully executed work of art and storytelling showcasing the harsh realities of life even in the face of beautiful surroundings.
Passionate Pieces:
Over the course of the year we’ve given voice to a number of opinions or topics which one or more of the folk at Jump Dash Roll is incredibly passionate about.
Recently we’ve commented on the "Ellie Effect" and talked in depth about the frustrating lack of inclusivity the gaming community demonstrates when it’s in a position to be everything to everyone instead. We recognised Nintendo's genius at shaking up the gaming market and explained it by way of S-curves, S-ranks and elite innovation. We spoke passionately and at length about how we wanted our old Assassin’s Creed back, before explaining how the second go at a new Assassin’s Creed was pretty damned good (but we still want the old one back).
We think that everyone should hear directly from the developers regarding what is perhaps the longest-running development of a game, ever. This particular Indiana Jones game had been thirty-two (now thirty-three!) years in the making.
Perhaps our most personal site piece was our early two-parter all about The Division, and one gamer who was absorbed by the world and all it could offer. Check out part one here, and two here. As we await the sequel, does this get your mouth watering?
Finally - thank you to our readers, and a chance to win!
For everyone who has been with us for the past year — all of it or just a very small part, thank you. Jump Dash Roll is here because of you and we get to write for it because of you. As we move into our second year, a year which will be even better than this first, we thought we’d offer you all the chance to win a copy of The First Tree, one of those games we have so highly recommended over the past twelve months.
So, to be in with a chance of winning a Steam key for The First Tree simply click the link below:
<b><a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/hqyj9/win-a-copy-of-the-first-tree-on-pc" rel="nofollow">Win a copy of The First Tree on PC with Jump Dash Roll!</a>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://js.gleam.io/e.js" async="true"></script></b>
The competition will close on March 1st, 2019. The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.
Thank you once again, and we're super excited about what our second year will bring!
You can subscribe to Jump Chat Roll on your favourite podcast players including:
Let us know in the comments if you enjoyed this podcast, and if there are any topics you'd like to hear us tackle in future episodes!
.jpg)
