Given that the Switch was around for a long generation on its own, and now everything in that library is available on the Switch 2 as well, when it comes to quite a number of genres there are more than enough indie options out there to choose from. With that in mind, the bar for what’s excellent, or even what’s merely middling, can be surprisingly high. Pity the developers then trying to make a name for themselves in the big eShop pool, especially when their games just don’t quite click.

SF3RA is one such title, sporting an overall look that’s at least interesting at the intersection of pixel graphics and a 3D look, but getting in its own way when it comes to clearly delivering the gaming goods. In it you’ll be navigating a series of levels, mildly working your platforming skills, trying to avoid getting caught by traps, and taking shots at a variety of enemies with your trusty shotgun. Just in terms of pure play that makes for a decent outing, just not a particularly memorable one as the level design is fine, but not great and the general mechanics work but not terribly exciting.

What takes the game down a notch, for me, comes down to the controls and the finer points of play. Holding down the Y button to initiate aiming with your gun simply feels odd and inconsistent with how most other games have implemented similar controls. This made for me misfiring with some frequency when my brain would try to get in the zone, and I’d forget the scheme, with muscle memory trying to take over. I’d note that the implementation of your shots, and perhaps the enemy hitboxes as well, is also weird and stingy, with pointblank shots often firing through enemies and others visibly seeming to make contact but somehow doing no damage. Considering the pretty limited overall appeal of the base game to begin with, these collected issues unfortunately erode the experience further… making for an underwhelming package.