Review: Apocalipsis: Harry at the End of the World (Nintendo Switch)

Apocalipsis: Harry at the End of the World is a point-and-click adventure from Punch Drunk Games. It was released on PC last year and now makes its way to the Nintendo Switch. With touchscreen controls and a unique aesthetic, it’s a fairly niche game, but could be worth considering.

Apocalipsis is a different game, from its darkened mood to its slow and steady gameplay. There’s an interesting story to unravel about a girl who follows a falling star. The themes cover lost love at the end of the world, so it presents players with slightly dark and melancholic content.

The plot is revealed through various cut scenes as the game progresses. The game itself is divided into several stages scattered across a weathered map. You play the role of Harry as he journeys to find his lost love. Each stage is a relatively static scene, with clickable areas and interactive elements. Your task is to solve each scene in order to move onto the next, and therefore continue the story. For example, you might pick up and move a ladder to climb to a new location, or complete a section of pipe to drain water.

It’s easy to see the PC origin of this game, as a mouse would be perfect for this interactive world. As it is, the Switch does a decent job of translating input to console, with touchscreen controls during handheld mode. Truthfully, I relied on the JoyCon control sticks much more often, though, as you can move the cursor around, waiting for it to change into an icon that indicated interactivity.

The puzzles are actually fun to solve – when you get the gist of it. I admit to being quite lost at first and almost giving up before finding aYouTube walkthrough to show me the first clue. There’s not much of a tutorial or hint system here, something that’s sorely missing. If you’re stuck on a scene, there’s just no way past without solving it. This can lead to frustration if this isn’t your type of game.

Apocalipsis sports a unique art style, which is the highlight of the game. The graphics are inspired by 15th and 16th century medieval woodcuts. It’s like you’re walking through artwork from centuries ago. The color scheme suits this perfectly, featuring mostly browns, blacks and reds to highlight the setting. Ambient music compliments the dark mood with something reminiscent of a gothic rendition of the Harry Potter theme song. Some scenes feature noises that linger in an annoying way—like a crow constantly squawking—but these are relatively minor quibbles since they actually fit into the feel of the game.

Overall, Apocalipsis is an interesting adventure. The setting and mood won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but if you’re looking for something different and have the patience for the point-and-click style, this one is worth checking out.