@Arugula@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Yeah, you got me curious enough to look it up too. Pretty funny and eye-rolling stuff, but not much worse than some of the comment sections from the censorship articles on Push Square. However, I did hang around over there on NL long enough to read that article about Cory Barlog (of God of War fame) complimenting the Switch port of Witcher 3, ...and inexplicably the comment section there descended into a lot of arguing, insults, and trolling. I was surprised at that. It was a fairly positive story, but some users seemed to want to turn it into a debate for some reason. 🤨
Anyways.... that’s why I’m scared of Nintendo gamers.
(Kidding, people. Kidding.)
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
I'm finding Devil May Cry to be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated, but I'm enjoying it all the same. It took me 7 trys to beat the first boss, and 5 to beat the second. the fire spider, and that demon knight, respectively.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Oh yeah, I do vaguely remember that. I didn’t pay too much attention to it since I hadn’t played BOTW. And you’re absolutely right — it’s best to ignore it. I kept saying that in my head as a few users kept calling each other ignorant and criticizing their opinions. And it was very clear to me as a visitor reading that a few select people were just stirring the pot. I wanted to log in and post “Just ignore this dude! He’s just trying to make debate for sake of getting a reaction!”
The article was actually a really nice report on Barlog’s complimentary gesture on Twitter. And I read the article because it was exactly germane to the discussion we were having here about multi platform ports going on Switch. I was happy to see a Sony developer give props to the Nintendo team for their work and say that he enjoys playing the game on his Switch.
But I’m sure if there was a similar article here about a prominent Nintendo executive being impressed with a Sony achievement that you’d likewise get abrasive personalities showing up to ruin the positive vibes.
But after reading that article, I kinda want to get a Switch just to play Witcher 3 on the go. I might just stay with it that way.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy@Th3solution Like I said, the comment sections on both of these sites can get kind of hairy with hit-and-run trolls, but the forums for both websites are generally a pleasure.
Besides, now that the ignore list is a thing, nobody should have to deal with trolls if they don't want to. I've ignored a few people on here. A few people on NL. And my experience commenting is 100% better now than it was when I allowed a few bad actors to consistently irritate me with their myopic, shallow, fanboyish posts. I don't have to see their opinions, but I'm also not restricting their ability to express themselves. It's beautiful.
With that said, even when things get... intense, I'm glad that these sites are so strict about what they're allowed to moderate, while still enforcing the rules that are in place pretty consistently. So many sites seem to devolve into either outright unmoderated chaos (GameFAQs, 4chan, etc.) or have corrupt moderation systems where people get banned, shadow-banned, deplatformed, etc. for having a "problematic" opinion (some subreddits; ResetEra; etc.) People on NL/PS can voice their opinions, have arguments, talk things out, make up, etc. without a bunch of nosy moral guardians policing interactions every step of the way.
Tonight I had to fight the spider boss a second time, though I won on my first try since the strategy wasn't much different,and seemed to kill him for good this time, and more recently beat a giant bird boss, and while I beat him on my second try it was still pretty nerve wrecking because I had to fight a bunch of regular enemies (including a new type) through two cramped rooms with bad camera angles before I got a chance to save.
Got a couple new weapons though, and finally saved up enough orbs for the double jump (though it can only be used with a certain weapon equipped).
EDIT: @Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy, and yes (since you mentioned it somewhere before), I have taken a few screenshots that I'll post the next time I connect my Switch to the internet.
The average resolution in portable mode is 540p, which, it seems to me, is the most that can be expected of these demanding PS4 ports. Docked, it seems to be able to go as high at times at 810p, but probably averages around 720p. Not bad considering 900p was the target resolution on the PS4.
They're clearly impressed with this port, and I agree. They did EVERYTHING possible to get this game running well on Switch. Re-encoded video files to save on space. Simplified environmental geometry. Shadows, texture quality, etc. have been dialed back. Drastically altered lighting. Yet the end result is a game that looks good in handheld mode and pretty awesome on the TV.
Performance seems nearly identical to the PS4 version as well, and is practically locked at 30fps.
This is simply the best PS4 --> Switch conversion yet.
In Devil May Cry how important is it to obtain all the upgrades on both weapons (at least on Normal difficulty)?
I ask because I've obtained all the Alister upgrades, and am thinking about spending my orbs on health & devil trigger increases rather than building up Ifrit (which I've only used in the fight that pops up as soon as you obtain it, and have switched back to Alister since).
In terms of progress, I just beat Griffin (the big bird boss) for what I assume is the final time, in the colosseum.
Just finished up a fight against a blob like boss. A bit annoying since it was in the same cramped room you first fought Phantom (I assume that's the name of the spider), but I managed to beat it on my second try.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I think I'm nearing the end of Devil May Cry. Just beat Nightmare for the third & final time, and according to the in-game achievement list, I only have the final boss left (what a way to accidentally spoil myself, lol).
After Astral Chain & this back to back, I think I'll choose something a little more relaxed next time, lol.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
So, was a release date for The Outer Worlds on Switch ever revealed?? I ask cause after playing it on Xbox One I might pick it up on Switch so I can have it on the go.
Just cleared Devil May Cry for the first time. I stocked up on those Devil Trigger stars before the final boss and essentially just powered through it without much trouble.
Once I process my thoughts I'll be sure to provide more detailed thoughts.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@Foxy-Goddess-ScotchySobble's final evo sort of reminds me of Greninja, but with a healthy heap of Gex mixed in. I actually really like adult Grookey's (dare I say) sexy leaf hair and DK-esque build. Scorbunny's final evo... the image is so fuzzy that it's hard to tell. Sort of reminds me of Braixen, though, whose design I still love, so we'll see.
Not really in love with any of them, but I also don't hate them. I need to see them in-engine to really get a feel for them, I think.
I do LOVE some of the alternate forms of older Pokemon, though. Galarian Ponyta looks like a My Little Pony, which is adorable, and Sirfetched is so ridiculous that I just adore him. Dapper Weezing is great, too.
I'm actually really excited for this gen. It seems like a decent step up from the 3DS era. IF the writing is on-point and the game really is better about allowing the player to explore at their leisure (the Wild Area seems to be signaling this will be the case), this might very well be one of my favorite Pokemon gens.
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
As Pokemon SwSh is getting more leaks now, I'll try to be more careful about where I look on the internet. If I ever get it, I'd prefer to be surprised in game and not know all the new creatures beforehand.
Still not sure that I want those games though. I don't have a Switch yet (been getting more tempted recently), and what they've announced so far of the games hasn't really excited me. I have enjoyed a lot of Pokemon in the past, and so will be patiently awaiting the reviews for SwSh.
@KratosMD In fairness, Yokai Watch turning into something akin to Xenoblade Chronicles for the fourth entry is more born out of desperation than anything. The series was hot for a short time, but Pokemon, a series that has been consistently popular since the mid-90s, has been eating its lunch as of late. It is also completely failing to catch on in the West, despite a massive overseas push. They needed to change something.
And, you know, that's not a bad thing. The Switch itself was a desperation move on Nintendo's part to save their place in the home console market after the catastrophic failure of the Wii U. Great things are often born out of people and companies throwing caution to the wind in bold attempts to stay relevant. Arguably, this is the biggest reason for Pokemon's design conservatism. Why wildly rock the boat and risk alienating people when a comfortable formula that an entire generation of people grew up with continues to sell ridiculously well every couple of years?
With that said, I take LGPE and SwSh as indications that GF is kind of tired of doing the same song and dance every gen, and are taking steps to change the experience of their games in certain key ways. It just seems like those changes aren't really in line with what is expected of them by their hardcore, adult online fanbase.
@KratosMD You should give the Gen V games another chance. B/W were the first games in the series to have a story that wasn't just thwarting an evil team while collecting badges, and it was the first time the gym leaders had an active role in the story instead of being glorified boss battles. Hell, you don't even fight the region champion during the main story! It certainly wasn't a great story if we're comparing it to other JRPGs, but it was the first time a Pokemon game actually had something to say with its narrative. It also had a lot of quality of life improvements over previous games like allowing TMs to be reused, and fixing the slow battles that was an issue in all the Gen IV games. While they didn't end up sticking, B/W also tried to change things up by introducing triple and rotation battles.
B2/W2 were the first "third" entries that tried to be more than just the version we should have got the first time by being an actual sequel. They also had a big focus on post-game content which none of the 3DS or Switch games have been able to match so far. You're free to still think they're underwhelming, but I think they offer a lot more than you gave them credit for.
Anyway, I think one thing to keep in mind with how formulaic Pokemon has been is that the 3DS games did have over 700 unique monsters. This was something that gave Pokemon an edge over other JRPGs, and also why the Switch games ditching the national dex is so significant. Sword and Shield will still have a lot of Pokemon, but when potentially hundreds are being cut...Pokemon starts to become more comparable to other JRPGs, and the series feels extremely lacking. I would be fine with 200-300 Pokemon if it meant better games, but Sword and Shield don't really look like they're doing much to push the series forward.
While Sword and Shield are getting more criticism than past games because of the dex cut being announced as a policy change going forward, I actually think Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are the bigger offenders. Those games limited Pokemon to the original 151 + Meltan/Melmetal when other remakes had every Pokemon introduced up to that point, and they cut out content from the previous remakes (Sevii Islands). Not to mention its two defining features were the removal of random encounters, and the revised catching system. The former is something that has existed in JRPGs since the SNES, and Pokemon already had ways of making random encounters less tedious with repels. The latter is just the catching system from Pokemon Go in a mainline entry, so it wasn't even a genuinely new feature for the series. They were also more expensive than the 3DS games because they're on the Switch, but they had so much less to offer than past games. I have no hope anything will change for this series when a game like that still sold over 11 million copies.
@Ralizah I feel like it's kind of the opposite, and the Switch games are actually doubling down on Game Freak's reluctance to change the formula in any meaningful way. I already mentioned earlier in my post why I think Let's Go doesn't really do anything new, so I'll just focus on Sword and Shield.
Wild Area: The Wild Area is definitely something new for Pokemon, and I think it's good that they're experimenting with the world design of the series. The problem is that it's only in a certain part of the region, and you're still limited to a fixed camera outside of it. It feels like they want to do something new for the series, but they won't actually commit to it. Not to mention that, from everything we've seen, it looks really empty. It doesn't look like there will be much to do outside of trainer battles, catching Pokemon, and raid battles in the Wild Area. There was an interview where one of the developers compared the Wild Area to the size of two regions from BotW, but areas in that game are way more interactive. I'm seeing a lot of people excited for the Wild Area because it's "open world", but I don't see that as inherently a good thing.
Lack of handholding: This is mostly about how you can skip the catching tutorial, and how you can encounter overleveled Pokemon in the Wild Area. I think these are steps in the right direction, but I really don't like how Sword and Shield is handling these features. You can skip the catching tutorial...but only if you've already caught a Pokemon when pretty much every other game that lets you skip tutorials gives you a yes/no prompt. The game won't just trust that you know what you're doing, you have to prove that you know how to catch a Pokemon in order to "skip" the tutorial. It's basically like being forced to either watch or play the catching tutorial, which I don't think is much different from how things were in previous games. It is at least a little more interactive, but it comes across as something that's only an improvement if you were already planning to catch one of the early game Pokemon.
The issue I have with overleveled Pokemon in the Wild Area is that you can't see what level they are (like in Xenoblade) before entering a battle. It could just end up feeling like artificial difficulty, and considering you can't even catch them at first, it doesn't seem like there's any reason to interact with those Pokemon. I don't care too much about the difficulty in Pokemon, but I don't see why they won't just add a hard mode already.
The protagonists are more expressive than in Sun and Moon, but they're most likely still silent protagonists, and Pokemon games usually don't have a strong enough supporting cast to carry the story. There's also still no voice acting despite the recent mainline games clearly trying to be a little more cinematic. I didn't really care about this when the series was on the 3DS, but I've played a lot more JRPGs in recent years, and it honestly feels a little absurd that we still don't have this for big story scenes.
There's also dynamax/gigantamax, but that's literally just a combination of megas and z-moves. I think the biggest thing that bothers me about this game is that there's no feature I can be completely excited about. Every cool feature has some kind of drawback because Game Freak is so hesitant to actually push the series forward. I find it disappointing because games like Dragon Quest XI show that you can modernize a series without drastically changing the formula.
@Storytime7 No, SwSh are definitely changing up the formula more than usual. Your complaints are valid, but it seems more like you're saying that they're not changing things ENOUGH, which is a perfectly valid opinion, but it doesn't jive with the judgment that GF is doubling down on the way their older games are designed. I'm obviously not arguing that the game is a radical shift from the status quo ala BotW, but the additions are reasonably major. The Wild Area, as you point out, is something completely brand new, and is much more notable than the random gimmicks they tend to include every gen. Incorporating Pokemon on the map in a main gen title is also a major change, and it seems like they fit way better in the larger environs of the Wild Area as opposed to the cramped, GB-era corridors of LGPE. They're drastically increasing the scope of character customization, which is nice, considering how well-received that feature was in X/Y. Even the ability to skip tutorials at all is a massive change, especially when you consider how regimented SuMo were.
If that's not enough for you, then that's fine, but SwSh certainly represent a big change for the mainline titles.
As for overleveled mons, I refuse to believe there won't be some visual indicator of when they're higher level than you, but we'll see.
As for DQXI, I love the game to death, but I don't see how it really modernizes the series. It's basically a PS2 game with modern graphics, right down to the FFXII-esque level design.
@KratosMD I'm surprised you dislike B/W so much considering, as was stated, it was one of the only real attempts made at telling a compelling, JRPG-esque story in the series, and it radically changed things up by completely changing which mons were obtainable throughout the main story. It's also the only Pokemon game to question the logic of parents being OK with their kids venturing out into the wilderness on their lonesome, which made the relationships in-game feel surprisingly real.
D/P was the only generation I ever just fully gave up on, I think. Something about that gen bored me to tears. I'd probably play a remake, though, and give it more of a fair shake so long as it's not in the style of LGPE (I can't get over the forced motion controls and lack of wild Pokemon battles).
Forums
Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--
Posts 3,501 to 3,520 of 7,092
Please login or sign up to reply to this topic