Of Mice and Sand -Revised- is a positively charming title. It’s a cute and entertaining world that I would love to come back to if Arc System Works could find a way to make a second trip more compelling with additional gameplay options.
Of Mice and Sand: Revisited is a fun resource management game. Building up the mice’s sandship to produce ever more complex goods requires thought and a good understanding of how the game operates. However, requirements to progress can slow it down and lead down the path of repetition. Even upgrades designed to maximize production capacity can’t fully address the pacing. Interface concerns dog the experience throughout. Still, it’s a fun diversion in short bursts and a welcome companion to TV, but finding the entire path to El Dorado might take a little too long for its own good.
Of Mice and Sand -Revised- does a lot of things right; a mixture of quests, resource management, and a necessity for clever thinking result in a decent experience for the most dedicated fans of the genre. Unfortunately, though, a lack of clear direction and a tricky-to-master workflow mean that it likely won’t quite click with everyone else; these games work best when you find yourself addicted to their menial tasks and, this time around, that sadly wasn’t always the case. Not a bad option to consider for fans of tactical management, then, but be wary of our warnings if you do choose to give it a go.
The bigger screen and better resolution of the Switch makes Of Mice And Sand the game it wanted to be. The extras added into this edition makes it the definitive version. It’s a very pleasant, enjoyable and entertaining little game, but its biggest problem is hard to get past; I wanted it to be far more memorable. It simply struggles to take its excellent foundations and turn it into something truly special.
The concept is intriguing, but with this execution it just scratches the surface. This survival strategy relies too much on grind and not enough on storytelling.
SummaryOn a desert planet at the farthest reaches of space, mice await your command. Direct their mobile fortress, and seek the legendary city of gold.