Topic: The Switch Recommendations Thread

@Ralizah
I want to thank you for your opinions last week. I also want to tell you that I am completely blown away by BotW! Yes, it's a huge open world, but there is so much to do. I've died a lot, but there is such satisfaction when tasks are accomplished.

The Switch is great. I've always been almost totally a handheld gamer, but my husband passed away Feb 28 and, unfortunately, I no longer need to share out tv. Docked is terrific.

Turns out, for me at least, BoTW is helpful in coping with grief.

@k8sMum The trouble I have with most open world games is that their worlds often feel like wastes of space. You have vast tracts of land, and little to do in them except talk to some NPCs and very occasionally find interactive objects. Moreover, they're often perfectly linear narratives that are spaced out between different areas, so, more often than not, you're just deviating from the goal of your character.

BotW solved those problems for me. I found the open world compelling not only because of the constant sense of discovery as you venture out into Hyrule, but also because, to some extent, you need to survive in those wilds. So: hunting, horse-taming, multiple ways to interact with almost everything in your environment, staying warm in arctic environments, avoiding lightning, etc. It's possibly the most complex and interactive environment ever found in an open-world adventure game. It's also the only Zelda game where I've had to actually think about how to approach a situation instead of mindlessly charging at enemies.

Moreover, while the plot that's there is a bit thin, it still tells an interesting story through unlockable cutscenes. But the goal of the game is nothing more and nothing less than defeating Ganon, and the entire game is the process of getting to that point. As almost everything you do makes you stronger somehow, the ludonarrative dissonance often associated with open world adventuring disappears. The exploration, discovery, etc. IS the game, IS the story, and the way the player goes about it is utterly unique to them.

I'm glad to hear you're digging the game! Hopefully it helps you keep your mind off things as you deal with the new reality you've found yourself in. I'm very sorry for your loss.

For anyone whose listening to a rando with a memey account, No Reload Heros is a pretty fun game to play with a couple of buddies.

@I am enjoying if for nothing that there is a casual mode and I can pick it up and leave. To be honest I have enjoyed all the Inti Creates retro titles and hope they make more.

what are the best rpgs on switch? and also...whats the difference between an rpg and a jrpg??

@Arbor To answer the second question, a jRPG or (Eastern RPG) has it's roots in the original Dragon Quest and the path of development/style that Japanese companies took. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Ys, the Tales series, Star Ocean, and games like them follow that design philosophy. Western RPGs grew out of pen and paper RPGs like DND and originated with games like Wizardry, the TSR developed RPGs, Fallout/Wasteland, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights and Diablo being some examples of them. Each have a different approach to narrative, gameplay and systems; but to be honest they both can and do overlap and steal concepts from each other.

As for the Switch: Skyrim (if you haven't played it, and even if you have), Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Let's Go Pikachu! Diablo III, Stardew Valley, Golf Story, Octopath Traveler, Final Fantasy (VII, IX and Zodiac Age) and probably a lot that I am not remembering are some of the better ones I've seen (or played on other systems).

FFX/X2 .... Mario + Rabbids, for turn-based tactical

@k8sMum So nice to hear you're finding comfort in video games. Gaming on my own has really helped me thru some tough times too (particularly Zelda games).

BoTW ends kind of quickly even if you dedicate some time to the side quests. When you're done with it check out reviews and videos of Dark Souls Remastered on Switch. I was never into deep RPG's but this really changed that for me. It's got a lot of the Zelda aspects to it - secrets. open world exploration, customization, non-linear progress, but it's much deeper and more dark. Just be warned it won't hold your hand in the slightest and you'll probably need to do a lot of Googling to find out basic stuff. It's a relentlessly tough game but the sensation you get from progressing is like cocaine : P

@Ralizah I need to disagree on BoTW. It's my least favorite Zelda game. They put way too much time into creating a huge open world with side quests and shrines but the dungeons, story, items, and boss battles (the core of Zelda games) are all rushed. I finished the last 2 dungeons (including the boss battles) in a total of 45 minutes without dying once. That should never happen. In the end it was more of an exploration game more than anything else. Still a worthy game for the series but nothing compared to the N64 Zelda games or Twilight Princess.

It's an open world Zelda game, so I don't think that really follows. It sounds more like you're not a fan of the game's design philosophy in the first place, which is fine. But those elements clearly aren't the "core" of this Zelda game.

I'll agree that the dungeons and bosses could have been better, although I'm going to go ahead and say that the boss battles in Zelda games are rarely any good to begin with. They're usually longer than anything, which makes them feel like more of an ordeal than they really are. In terms of BotW's bosses, Nintendo tried to take a different approach with them and serve up challenging opponents instead of elaborate puzzle sequences disguised as enemies (once you figure out HOW to kill a traditional Zelda boss, doing so is usually pretty simple). I think BotW has a lot of really good enemy encounters, though, if you include mini-bosses out in the field and especially Lynels, which feel very "boss-like." It's clear that Nintendo wasn't especially concerned with bosses in this iteration, though.

The story is actually way more interesting than what you'll find in most Zelda games (ESPECIALLY Twilight Princess, where most of the "plot" is just a series of mcguffin hunts), it's just primarily relegated to backstory cutscenes that you have to hunt down. I especially like this very relatable iteration of Princess Zelda. I haven't played Skyward Sword yet, but otherwise, this easily has my favorite narrative of any Zelda game I've played.

Having rather recently played Twilight Princess and almost 100% completed it (I don't think I tracked down all of the bugs...), I'm going to say it has spectacular dungeon design, decent combat mechanics, a great companion character, and utterly mediocre everything else. It's absolutely my least favorite of the 3D games any time you're not actually exploring a dungeon. And even then, I thought the first dungeon's gimmick was kind of dumb, and the City in the Sky was a massive pain in the butt.

Ocarina of Time... is important, and I enjoyed my time with it, but it's very vanilla. And the large environments are barren of almost any interactivity.

You're correct that Majora's Mask is a masterpiece, and might even be my favorite game in the series. It's one of the most unique video games I've ever played.

Should I get Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild? I've heard BOTW is better, but I still need to finish Ocarina of Time and am enjoying it a lot.

@GuyWithATV Of the two I prefer Breath of the Wild, but I have always preferred Zelda games over Mario games. Either one has a lot to do, but I think Breath of the Wild is the more immersive as you are given the freedom to write your own Zelda tale (is your Link a coward that does everything but storm the castle, or a crazy man that goes unprepared?).

everyone should I get team sonic racing how active is it on the switch

I'm umming and ahhing between getting Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (yes, sorry, I know this is a Switch thread, but bear with me!) or Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age. Be good to hear people's thoughts who have played both.

Get both.....

I recommend Minit as it's my favorite game of the last year and it's on sell now for $5.99.

Ha! That is what I'm trying NOT to do... But why fight it?!

can anyone recommend some good visual novels on the switch that aren’t, ya know, entirely revolved around the exploitation or objectification of women? i’m a bisexual woman myself but sometimes these things are just too much.

@Arbor Have you played Ace Attorney? It's the only visual novel series I've played much of but I can't recommend it highly enough.

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