Timespinner

 Switch
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 41
  3. Negative: 8 out of 41

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  1. Wsm87
    Aug 29, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a decent, if ultimately simple and a tad repetitive, metroidvania type game - of which I'm a big fan.

    It simply doesn't compare with the likes of Hollow Knight, Steamworld Dig 2, or the afformentioned namesakes of the genre.

    I knocked 1 point for the story, which begins tentatively but with potential. It quickly devolves into a one note orthodoxy of our current day politics - essentially, the Mary Sue main character saves the day with her 'letter friends' (ref. Dave Chappelle) against mean white straight dudes.    … Expand
  2. jeffbizloc
    Sep 11, 2019
    5
    Timespinner was a game I thought I would enjoy but didn't end up finishing.

    Game(s) like: The Messenger, Hollow Knight Pros: - The general gameplay was fairly fun as it was a metrovania type game - Any game with a timestop mechanic (or timetravel story) I enjoy Cons: - I put this down for a couple days and had a hard time figuring out where to go next. Not necessarily    Timespinner was a game I thought I would enjoy but didn't end up finishing.

    Game(s) like: The Messenger, Hollow Knight

    Pros:
    - The general gameplay was fairly fun as it was a metrovania type game
    - Any game with a timestop mechanic (or timetravel story) I enjoy

    Cons:
    - I put this down for a couple days and had a hard time figuring out where to go next. Not necessarily Timespinner's fault but enabling waypoints would be nice.
    - The drab environments didn't really bring me into the world.    … Expand
  3. Ironplushy
    Jan 17, 2021
    8
    Not baffling how many men were triggered by this game. One tertiary character mentions he has a boyfriend and all the snowflakes cry about pc culture being forced down their throats. The game never mentions feminism once, but I guess having more than one female character is feminism gone mad.

    Timespinner is an above average metroidvania with time manipulation mechanics. The game is a    Not baffling how many men were triggered by this game. One tertiary character mentions he has a boyfriend and all the snowflakes cry about pc culture being forced down their throats. The game never mentions feminism once, but I guess having more than one female character is feminism gone mad.

    Timespinner is an above average metroidvania with time manipulation mechanics. The game is a bit on the short side but doesn't wear out its welcome either. There is a new game+ and nightmare mode after you beat the game on normal meaning there is a bit of replayability. Combat, graphics, enemy variety, music, and story are all very good. Not much to dislike about the game. If you're easily triggered by the presence of women in your game, you probably can't handle this.    … Expand
  4. MechaGojira
    Feb 27, 2020
    9
    Timespinner is pretty much a mix of Castlevania Symphony of the Night, and Chrono Trigger in all the right ways!
    It has the combat, exploration, and RPG elements of SOTN. Then it has the art style, multiple endings, and time travel elements of Chrono Trigger!
    The music was fantastic, but not quite as memorable as either of the games obvious sources of inspiration! The only real    Timespinner is pretty much a mix of Castlevania Symphony of the Night, and Chrono Trigger in all the right ways!
    It has the combat, exploration, and RPG elements of SOTN. Then it has the art style, multiple endings, and time travel elements of Chrono Trigger!

    The music was fantastic, but not quite as memorable as either of the games obvious sources of inspiration!

    The only real complaint I have for the game is it was short as most Metroidvania titles are, and it just left me wanting more!    … Expand
  5. JustJohnB
    Jan 6, 2020
    4
    It seemed like it would be a good game (if you enjoy the Castlevania/platformer genre) but unfortunately the story quickly devolves into feminist agenda and progressism jammed into your face every 5 minutes (effectively ruining the decent gamelay). If they had just correctly labelled it as propaganda, unsuspecting gamers like me wouldn't have had to waste our time and money on it.

    If    It seemed like it would be a good game (if you enjoy the Castlevania/platformer genre) but unfortunately the story quickly devolves into feminist agenda and progressism jammed into your face every 5 minutes (effectively ruining the decent gamelay). If they had just correctly labelled it as propaganda, unsuspecting gamers like me wouldn't have had to waste our time and money on it.

    If you have any self respect or any respect for the gaming industry at all, you'll have to pass on this social and political statement disguised as a game,    … Expand
  6. belmontxy
    Nov 28, 2020
    4
    It's a quite decent 2D Metroidvania game, but unfortunately the shoe horned in identity politics ruins the game for me. I am so extremely tired of having political agendas shoved down my throat everywhere I go. One of the reasons I play videogames is to get away from all that for awhile.
  7. Retro_indepecat
    Feb 28, 2020
    10
    It's the perfect metroidvania. I liked everything of this game, the soundtrack, the pixelart, the history, the gameplay... I need more like this!
  8. Xzeros
    Sep 22, 2020
    3
    Feminist propaganda in every step ruins the story and gameplay..., not recommended unless you wanna be reminded feminism in every dialogue in the game...
  9. MindWanderer
    Jul 12, 2021
    9
    A terrific Metroidvania, but terrifically short.

    Clearly a lot of love went into the look and feel. Lunais controls exactly like a Castlevania character, especially Soma from Aria/Dawn of Sorrow once you have all the movement abilities. The graphics, while done in a colorful 16-bit style, still capture the ambience of a war-torn world (unlike Iconoclasts, where the bright aesthetics    A terrific Metroidvania, but terrifically short.

    Clearly a lot of love went into the look and feel. Lunais controls exactly like a Castlevania character, especially Soma from Aria/Dawn of Sorrow once you have all the movement abilities. The graphics, while done in a colorful 16-bit style, still capture the ambience of a war-torn world (unlike Iconoclasts, where the bright aesthetics and the grimdark story are jarring). You get upgrades in the form of "orbs," each of which can be equipped to a melee, a spell, or a passive slot for different effects. The variety of combinations you can get makes switching things up a lot of fun. It's a joy to look at and to play.

    On the other hand, the game is quite short and easy. If you've played Hollow Knight or even Guacamelee, I recommend starting at the hardest difficulty even on your first playthrough. You can easily beat the game in about four hours, and 100% it in six. Also all those orbs are not very well balanced, with the Iron Orb and its Colossal Hammer spell being notably overpowered for how early you get them. And since you gain experience points with each orb, you're rewarded for sticking to the "best" one.

    The "time" mechanic isn't much of a mechanic. You have a limited ability to stop time and use enemies as platforms, but it's not that useful outside of puzzles. In practice it's more like Samus's Ice Beam. And changing the past to affect the present is really only used to remove one specific obstacle.

    As for the "progressive agenda" other users complained about: most of the characters are gay or bi, and the protagonist's people are polyamorous. Nothing more is said about it--there's no value statements or contrast. The villains are all male, with one sympathetic exception, and one is a caricature of toxic masculinity. I didn't even notice at the time, though; that kind of character is a villain in all kinds of works.

    So the game isn't perfect, but it is a lot of fun, and easily worth a purchase. I'll be looking forward to a sequel with a little more depth and balance.    … Expand
  10. frederik1478
    Jan 13, 2021
    7
    Fun metroidvania game with some false, The music is nice even if some of the tracks sound a bit too much like Symphony of the Night , Combat is very fun and And you can get some crazy combinations that is totally fun , Downsize it takes a bit too long for you to get your movement Abilities So you're going to walk like a normal person for half the game, And the story is good for what I seFun metroidvania game with some false, The music is nice even if some of the tracks sound a bit too much like Symphony of the Night , Combat is very fun and And you can get some crazy combinations that is totally fun , Downsize it takes a bit too long for you to get your movement Abilities So you're going to walk like a normal person for half the game, And the story is good for what I se I didn't read all of it because I couldn't be asked but good story, I would recommend it is always nice to get in the Metroidvania So you can just explore and listen to podcast and it's all good… Expand
  11. tjsanders
    Jan 12, 2021
    7
    Timespinner is a charming Metroidvania with a dash of classic JRPG storytelling that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat with its twists and turns as you travel through time in your effort to change the very outcome of your world.

    You take on the role of Lanais, a time traveling messenger with a vendetta against the intergalactic empire that killed her family. The mainline    Timespinner is a charming Metroidvania with a dash of classic JRPG storytelling that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat with its twists and turns as you travel through time in your effort to change the very outcome of your world.

    You take on the role of Lanais, a time traveling messenger with a vendetta against the intergalactic empire that killed her family. The mainline story sets a quick pace, which affords you a small but compelling glimpse into a beautifully imagined world filled with morally grey characters and factions. However, the character writing is bland and filled with clumsy attempts at inclusivity that fail to complement the more compelling conflict at hand.

    The game has a much heavier emphasis on the Castlevania side of its heritage, as you pick up new weapons and abilities that can be combined and empowered in different combinatory ways throughout your journey. Sadly, this system only really comes into its own near the end of the journey, when you have the least incentive to experiment with it. While the weapons themselves are fun, the more complex combat systems (combining weapons, damage types) are relics of past games that Timespinner could do without.

    The subdued color palette used throughout never quite grew on me as I traveled back and forth the time, and the environmental art could have done more to remind me where (and when) I was - a lesson that some of Timespinner's cotemporaneous Metroidvania cousins have learned well.

    All in all however, Timespinner still manages to be more than the sum of its parts. Alternative endings and a unique endgame kept me enjoying the game at a peak for a few hours beyond the credits rolling. Ultimately, Timespinner is a solid entry into the revitalized modern Metroidvania genre.    … Expand
  12. Daisuk
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    A decent game, but overall it just feels very lifeless and static. The enemies are as dull as the color palette (honestly one of the ugliest games I've ever seen, I think), and the various stages the same - there's literally nothing to the designs of the various rooms. The music in it is some horrible symphonic metal-ish thing, that's just unbearable at times. There are a few interestingA decent game, but overall it just feels very lifeless and static. The enemies are as dull as the color palette (honestly one of the ugliest games I've ever seen, I think), and the various stages the same - there's literally nothing to the designs of the various rooms. The music in it is some horrible symphonic metal-ish thing, that's just unbearable at times. There are a few interesting mechanics (like being able to stop time) and weapons, some of the boss fights are quite good, and the story isn't bad, but as an overall experience, this is mediocre at best, in my opinion. Not recommended, but if you like the looks of it, you'll probably enjoy it.… Expand
  13. Xavikun
    Jan 15, 2021
    8
    Un metroidvania sencillo pero divertido, con una temática interesante por los viajes en el tiempo y un sistema de armas un poco diferente a lo habitual (espadas o disparos) y con 4 finales diferentes No aporta mucho más al genero en mi opinión, pero es un juego totalmente recomendable si te gustan los metroidvania.
    De duración tenemos unas 5 horitas si vamos al lio y si vamos en plan mapa    Un metroidvania sencillo pero divertido, con una temática interesante por los viajes en el tiempo y un sistema de armas un poco diferente a lo habitual (espadas o disparos) y con 4 finales diferentes No aporta mucho más al genero en mi opinión, pero es un juego totalmente recomendable si te gustan los metroidvania.
    De duración tenemos unas 5 horitas si vamos al lio y si vamos en plan mapa 100%, los 4 finales, etc le podemos añadir un par de horitas más.    … Expand
  14. lilflipz80
    Jun 26, 2020
    9
    The gameplay was cool and so was the story. I also loved how the game looked.
  15. facasi
    Jul 24, 2020
    9
    This game is incredible. A hidden switch gem! The sprites are polished versions of the old SNES games. The atmosphere is dense with a incredible sound track. You'll feel a lot like playing symphony of the night mixed with Megaman X. The maps are interesting and with a lot of secrets. However the difficulty is very low. The is a very funny game to play and will make you enjoy several hoursThis game is incredible. A hidden switch gem! The sprites are polished versions of the old SNES games. The atmosphere is dense with a incredible sound track. You'll feel a lot like playing symphony of the night mixed with Megaman X. The maps are interesting and with a lot of secrets. However the difficulty is very low. The is a very funny game to play and will make you enjoy several hours since it has multiple endings..… Expand
  16. Nikopro245
    May 9, 2022
    3
    Very short game with bland characters and environments make it wasted money on the physical version…

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best Switch Game of 2019
90
#90 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 28, 2020
    90
    An effortlessly fun game to play and come back to. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 21]
  2. FNintendo
    Oct 4, 2019
    80
    Timespinner is a Metroidvania-style game that displays some obvious 16-bit inspirations along with a marvelous visual environment. Fans of the style will be delighted and while it is not the most content-packed or longest game ever made, Timespinner knows when to draw the line and offers a good amount of exploration that doesn't force itself for too long, the result is an interesting game that is more than worthy of attention.
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  3. Pure Nintendo
    Aug 5, 2019
    90
    Timespinner is an absolute joy to play. There’s so much to love, with a compelling and mysterious story involving exploration. The interesting time mechanics, coupled with an amazing soundtrack and pixel art style, make this game a welcome addition to any Nintendo Switch library.
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