Nivalis, the futuristic metropolis in which the events of Cloudpunk take place, really is the heart and soul of Ion Lands' captivating "neon noir" adventure game. A wonderfully evocative voxel art city, it immediately transports us to a future that so precisely recalls the neon-drenched storefronts, rain-soaked streets and seedy underbelly of the dystopian vision of Los Angeles we all know and love from Blade Runner. This is a world where flying cars, known here as HOVAs, zoom around in an impossibly dangerous mess of light and metal, where the clouds above the city boil and rage, enormous billboards sell desperate denizens unattainable dreams and monolithic skyscrapers stretch off in every direction.
More than any other title we've played in recent memory, Cloudpunk relies on its setting, on the graphical wizardry of its artists and the intricately woven atmosphere they've created in order to sell its story, and so it's really a rather huge problem that this Switch port of the game — outsourced here to Merge Games, who have also handled the reportedly problematic PS4 and Xbox versions — struggles on almost every level to deliver the wonder of Nivalis intact to Nintendo's hybrid console. This port is, in short, a bit of a mess.
Cloudpunk's story, which takes place across one long night in the city, sees you assume the role of Rania, a newcomer to these mean streets who's taken a position with the semi-legal Cloudpunk delivery service. Picking up jobs that see her ferry all manner of goods and passengers across the neon cityscape with direction provided by the rather shady Control, "never miss a delivery, never ask what's in the package", it's an intriguing tale that's well told through a handful of likeable characters and sees our protagonist slowly revealing shady truths about her employer and the tensions and rivalries that grip the streets below.
Zipping around in your HOVA, zooming down neon corridors that feel alive with futuristic traffic and up and out across the foreboding night sky is a delightful experience in the PC version of this game, it's never less that hugely atmospheric stuff and it's added to immensely by the fact you can emerge from your hover car, slowly throttling down to street level and jumping out to explore various sketchy neighbourhoods on foot. This element of the game has also recently been added to by an excellent update, introducing a slick first person perspective which does a fantastic job of immersing you entirely in your surroundings. Making your way around here, through streets filled with cyborgs and humans, dealers, thugs and desperados, you'll witness noisy police car chases zip by overhead as every storefront, billboard and light is reflected beautifully in the rain-soaked pavements beneath your feet. It makes every pick-up and drop-off a delight. The gameplay here may be rather simple stuff — a succession of straightforward delivery scenarios with the occasional moral choice to be made — but the evocative nature of Nivalis holds it all together. This is a city we want to explore, darting around in our HOVA, soaking in the atmosphere and just existing for a period of time in this wonderful little world.
And so it is a real shame that the Switch version of Cloudpunk sees so much of this immaculately crafted atmosphere disappear in a port that really struggles on a technical level. There are no reflections in the rain here, streets which were once so hugely evocative have been drained of much of their voxel beauty and atmosphere. The game's draw-distance has been curtailed massively, meaning those gloriously foreboding skyscrapers and billboards that provide much of the game's futuristic backdrop as you zoom around have all but disappeared until you're pushed right up against them. You'll spend most of your time here speeding around enveloped by a miserable grey fog with buildings, streets and great big neon hoardings popping jarringly into view as you draw near. It's hugely disappointing stuff.
There's a ton of jaggy edges on every surface, the gorgeous volumetric effects that gave Nivalis so much of its glowing sense of self seem entirely absent and the framerate still can't deal with the action, even in this compromised state. Cloudpunk on Switch often dips right down below 20fps, stuttering massively as you enter new areas — an action you're repeatedly forced into that now regularly incurs thirty-to-forty second load times — and never manages to be in any way reliable at any point as you go about your business. Traffic levels seem to have been culled as well, we found ourselves traveling alone down barren stretches of road with rarely a sign of the topsy turvy mess of future cars zooming in and around, above and below each other that we remember from our time with the PC version of this game.
The UI, especially in handheld mode, is a rather blurred experience with points on the map and the numeric indicators that show how far it is to your next objective now almost entirely unreadable. It's not quite so bad in docked mode but this is also where the graphical layers that have been stripped away in order to get the game up and running — the rough edges, pixellation and empty grey fog that replace so much of the once wondrous backdrop here — are laid entirely bare. Cloudpunk on Switch is a far cry from the delightful original version we fell in love with back in April of this year.
If you have a PC capable of running it, we strongly recommend you jump into Ion Lands' adventure on that platform as what awaits you there is a wonderfully evocative slice of cyberpunk fantasy that, through the strength of its intricately crafted setting, draws you thoroughly into its tale. On Switch, as things stand right now and without some serious patching down the line, this is one of the most disappointing ports we've come across in quite some time.
Conclusion
Cloudpunk on Switch is a hugely disappointing port that struggles technically and ultimately fails to deliver the game in a satisfactory manner on Nintendo's hybrid platform. Merge Games have made drastic cuts all over, with a massively reduced draw-distance sucking much of the life out of Nivalis, volumetric effects missing entirely, pixellation rampant and a framerate that still chugs along in the face of all of these concessions. If you've got a PC capable of playing this one we'd highly recommend you play on that platform as this is an adventure that's well worth experiencing in its original form. This particular version, however, should probably be avoided.
Comments 56
Cloudpunk has become Cloudcraft
really disapointed obviously the trailers were from another version. its getting to be like the spectrum c64 amiga atari st days. this aint the ffffffffffffffffff game your getting lol
Ouch. Was hoping this would be good and had this on my wishlist. Got a real Bladerunner vibe from it. The YouTube reviewers said similar things but didn't rate it quite as harshly. They also thought the fetch and deliver was a bit samey and repetitive
Thanks for the revw.
Pass.
clearly ports and optimizations should be left experienced companies
This does not look like a game that would need to be overly compromised for the switch. Too bad.
Let's see how Cyberpunk 2077 runs on Switch.
Damn it! I preordered this at the first opportunity, dazzled by the original trailers, and now this!
The fog in this game is so bad I thought I was playing an N64 game. So annoyed I pre ordered based on videos that obviously must have been the PC version. Awful game
That's a shame, I thought the voxel style looked like something the switch could have handled. I wanted this game until I saw the seriously handicapped draw distance in switch gameplay videos on YouTube.
I don't understand it. If the developers can't handle releasing a game in multiple systems, just .. don't do it XD. Don't release such a bad version of the game here. You have to know your limits...
Damn. Sorry to hear. The trailers made the city a vibrant and exciting place to get lost in. Was looking forward to it, but if it's downgraded graphically, for a voxel game, what else did they lose.
Whew! Dodged a bullet with this one. Came so close to pulling the trigger. Glad I waited for reviews. Apparently, every console has problems. Even the One X, which is inexcusable.
Honestly comparing the actual Switch Port to the trailer, I think that this is false advertising™
Nintendo needs to start offering a return policy like Steam. I've been burned too many times by poor quality games on the Switch. I'm glad I didn't buy this and now I do my best to wait for a performance review before buying anything on Switch.
Ouch. Welp that’s a pass. Sadly that means no buy as my space on my ps4 and xbone is limited.
Optimize your ports or risk your sales.
Cloudpunk: How Not to do a Switch Port
Damm, that's a shame. I liked the look of this too. Oh well, Hades it is then.
@PapaMurphy Hades is fantastic! No comparison to this
I usually wait for the review on here before buying, but after a few days, I thought it wasn’t going to get reviewed and so bought it. I can live with the graphics, but not sure what I’m meant to be doing. I don’t regret buying it as it’s not too expensive, but I may not have bought it had I known ☹️
PushSquare still gave the Ps4 version a 6, so its not like its a great game to begin with. Still, the devs here should've better optimized the Switch version.
Super disappointing. I felt foolish when I bought the pc version instead right away but I'm glad I did now. It's just a pity because I think the laid back driving experience of Cloudpunk would be great for handheld.
@NoTinderLife it simply won't, as there's no Switch version in sight.
Wow... this is a major disrespectful. I got interested at first but I didn't pre-ordered it. I'd be really disappointed because of this downgrade.
I 'm starting to get tired from all these bad ports.
I was really thinking that with all the good sales of Switch, 3rd party developers could give a try and deliver some good quality software...
But i was once again wrong. If even Switch could'n motivate them then, i think its a lost cause.
Maybe they could rename it as silent cyber hill
People need to learn the lesson now. Don’t pre order digital. Wait for review.
The port us terrible, but I'm still enjoying it. The Bladerunner vibes it gives me are worth it. That said, the long loading screens between areas are inexcusable. They didn't even bother to make the screens futuristic or moody, just a basic percentage loading bar, it totally ruins the atmosphere. Here's hoping there's a decent patch.
Shame. I pre-ordered this, and haven’t played it yet. Went by the Steam reviews of 7-8s.... hopefully they’ll patch this version and improve it a bit. Until then i guess I’ll wait.
Sadly the Eshop can no longer be trusted. Buyer Beware and check platform footage on YT.
Luckily for me I've found all of the bad Switch ports to be games that either looked garbage from the start or that are by garbage studios that I avoid anyway so I haven't been burnt by any sloppy porting despite buying hundreds of Switch games. The quality developers seem to do it right 99% of the time.
I hope that they’ll issue a patch soon, since I have the game preordered on physical)
It's a shame this didn't review well, the concept looked really appealing to me.
I only use my switch for Nintendo games. Wouldn’t dare get triple A games on this 2011 tablet
@NGNYS switch Graphics to me show no difference between a mid ps3/Xbox 360 game visually. Pga tour 2k21 for switch has no fans in the stands or crowd noise ... smh
@Mgene15 that's because the crowd isn't allowed during Covid times
Well thats disappointing.
I'm hoping NL reviews Forgone soon, there is a surprising lack of reviews for it, and I'm really interested in it.
@Kang81 I picked that up as well, but haven’t tried it. Switch version I’m unsure, however there are some reviews out there that place it about 7ish or higher. Nintendo World Report called it Diablo 2D, and Nintendad gave it 7 i believe. Steam reviews place it 8+
@Dm9982
Thanks for the info!
I had seen a few, none from places I usually go for reviews, but I found it odd its been out a few days and Metacritic only has 3 reviews and last I checked no user reviews. (I only use Metacritic as an easier way to read reviews by following the links to the reviews)
I've had my eye on it for quite a while. I watched a review on YouTube, I think it was from SwitchUp, and it seems decent, but it had a few issues. The only one that worries me was the framerate. So I'm watching for more reviews and news of a patch.
Did you get it on Switch, or on something else?
So it’s crazy taxi like? I’m confused about what the game actually is.
@Kang81 I got it on Switch, and I can boot it up tonight and let ya know if it’s worth it. $30 is a steep asking price for any indie, but pixel art and loot system drew me in.
@Dm9982
Thanks, no rush, but I appreciate it.
I believe the framerate issue mentioned progressed the more you played. Hopefully something that can be patched quickly.
Yeah, the $30 price is what gave me pause. Not that it can't be a good value at that price, but these Metroidvania's have been hit or miss lately.
Speaking of which, I think that may have been a other criticism. The game may be more linear than the typical Metroidvania. Not a deal breaker, but something to note.
Thanks again, really appreciate it! 👍
They need to stop porting these games to the Switch. The Switch is in its own lane. They should stick to it. If I want to play a more powerful game, I will play it on a more powerful system.
@FatHedgehog that’s not the problem or case here. The problem is crappy optimization and porting to begin with. Otherwise the PS4 and XB1 version wouldn’t also be having problems....
@Kang81 So I haven’t gotten much time with it, but so far so good. No stuttering / frame issues so far. Diablo 2D x Dead Cells is an apt description. It doesn’t have the roguelite aspect of DC though, at least I don’t believe so. Has a skill tree that’s respec-able so that’s nice as well. Skills are gotten much like other action / rpg-lite titles, save up an “xp currency” and spend on skill ups.
Game is def beautiful like Dead Cells....
Edit - I just found Gun-chucks, +1 to the game score just for Gun-chucks being a melee option....
@the_beaver They know it will still make money so don't care. Its a real shame. I see it all over the place on Switch with the bad ports.
@NoTinderLife,
Thanks for that insight, it's clear to everyone the place for triple AAA games is not the Switch, as it's power does not make it possible in most cases, the console is awesome for what it is, a powerful handheld device that connects to your T.V, pure and simple.
@The_Pixel_King yeah Hades looks awesome, and it reviewed so well. I usually only make one decent price purchase per month, and I really did like the look of this, so it was a toss up between the two. Glad I waited for the review, something just spooked me a bit on a YouTube video, it said this is not switch footage, so I thought right, hang fire on this. Cheers
@Nostromo8 One does not simply preorder any game in this day and age. insert stupidly overdone meme here
Well it might be a bit late but the developers twitter does have a statement that they are working on performance and bug patches. I bought when it came out as some of the early chatter mentioned a little slow down but while the draw distance is crap I have got used to it and I am enjoying myself. Has taught me to wait for the reviews in future.
@Dm9982
Cool, thanks for the update.
The review I watched mentioned it not being a roguelike which is a plus for me. Though I believe you can lose all or most of your earned currency on death.
Gun-chucks? Ok, interest level rising. Ha
Thanks for the review. I'm going to go buy this for PC now, so in a way we could say that the Switch port was worth it!
What a shame. I just started the pc version, and am adoring it. Enough so I wanted to double dip and have it on the go. Now, I'll save my money. Between this review and some vids... ugh. Its not even that demanding of a game, how are ALL the console ports so bad?
@Dm9982 you just sold me on a game I hadn't even heard about. Gun chucks ahoy!!!
@PhilKenSebben Lol np, I was having fun with it! Got distracted by the excellent Hades yet again..... as well as Horace...need to get back to more Foregone thou, and Dead Cells. The pixel art in them is amazing!
I bought the game anyway and just love it, plays very well and has a nice story too. I actually like the graphics for a portable game. I myself am enjoying it, it’s one of the better cyberpunk games out there, highly recommended.
Seems like they've updated this a couple of times since release, maybe worth a follow-up review? Game is quite awesome on PC, hopefully they short out the Switch issues, dying to snag.
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