[Review] Glyph - Nintendo Switch

Developed and Published By: Bolverk Games
Categories: Platformer, Roller
Release Date: 02.01.21

Do you like those games where you roll around as a ball and there’s some physics involved, because I do. Glyph is like that, but you’re more in control of a drone that rolls around.

I’m sure all of you have played a game like this at one point like Marble Madness, Kororinpa, or even that one minigame in Twilight Princess. But to the uninitiated, you’re a sphere, you need to roll your way to the end. Glyph is a bit more involved however. It’s like a 3D platformer almost with little stages that require you to roll, bounce, glide, and so forth to collect coins, gems, find secrets. You get quite the in-depth tutorial if that was a bit much to take in. The tutorial actually went on long enough that I thought it was just me playing the game proper and it was a level by level kind of game. However, you get into a hub as soon as it’s over and you can freely choose what stages you want to play, granted you have a collectable requirement it asks for. To get to one end to the other with stages is simple, especially if you’re good at using your abilities. The hard part is getting a stage 100%, including the secret collectables that get you new drones to play as, which aren’t just new skins. Even trickier are the time attack stages, which stress me out way too much and I’m not sure I’ll ever get the gold medals in them. Thankfully, in standard stages, they are entirely stress free. Anything you collect outside of secrets is kept even after death. Take as many attempts as you need to, the game doesn’t grade you on that, only time, and I’m certain it resets after death.

Glyph is such a smooth looking game. The graphics look so clean and despite the game being based in a desert, your drone is always bright and colorful. It’s great to see a game on Switch look this nice. It’s smooth in the framerate department to boot. I’m not too thrilled with the soundtrack. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting, but I wasn’t too big a fan of the ambience thing going on. It was almost too relaxing. This is pure opinion though, not a flaw in the game.

Despite a small bit of frustration in my futile attempts to get everything in the game, I adored Glyph. I’d like to consider it a go your own pace, care free sort of game that still has it in it to reward players for trying harder.