Review: Arrest of a Stone Buddha (Nintendo Switch)

Review by Harvard L.

I’m a firm believer that games should be diverse, and often I’ll refer to the “flavours” of games. Some games are sweet, others are spicy, some are rich. In line with this metaphor, Arrest of a Stone Buddha is very singularly bitter. As with other bitter things in life – black coffee, vodka, Vegemite – some people will avoid them, some will try to mask the flavour in order to reap the nutritious benefit, while others embrace the bitterness as part of the appeal. I’m an evangelist for this bitter game. As much as I did enjoy it, it hit a spot for me that I fully understand doesn’t exist for some other people, and in order to achieve their vision, the developer commits to design choices which could be evaluated through different eyes as “not fun”. It’s difficult to look at this game from an objective angle. But from an art criticism point of view, examining the effectiveness of the ultimate emotional impact, Arrest of a Stone Buddha is a triumph.

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