Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@Pizzamorg I think it's a great title, but agree that it's not quite as good as SMTV and Three Houses. You don't need to be a fan of J-pop to enjoy the game (I'm not particularly a fan) - just keep in mind that the tone is a lot brighter than the aforementioned games.

I'd say watch a few videos and see if it tickles your fancy.

In terms of JRPGs on the Switch:
1) Shin Megami Tensei V
2) Dragon Quest XI S
3) Fire Emblem: Three Houses
4) Xenoblade Chronicles 2 + Torna: The Golden Country
5) Valkyria Chronicles 4

Everything else is secondary.

@Ralizah I mean, i can agree that the Xenoblade games are not everybodys favorite.
But not including them at all is a bit hardcore when talking about JRPGs on the switch..

@Ralizah No Xenoblade?

@Solaine @Losermagnet tbh I forgot about those games, despite owning and having played almost all of them.

XC2 and Torna deserve to be on the list, for sure.

@Ralizah
I like your list, though I would add Xenoblade Chronicles DE and Final Fantasy X as well (XC2 and FFXII are also amazing but, nonetheless secondary). There's so many good JRPG's on Switch though, that are made even better with hybrid play. Trails of Cold Steel III and Trails of Cold Steel IV, I feel like those are up there too.

But I have a question about Valkyria Chronicles. I still never finished either game (you know how it goes), but am debating VC1 vs VC4. Which one is better overall? And even if VC4 is better, is it worth going back to VC1 first?

@Ralizah I was wondering if it was that or a hot take lol. Otherwise your list seems spot on. Fwiw Dragon Quest XI S was my personal favorite Switch JRPG (though haven't bought SMT V yet).

@Ralizah I knew you played the games, but i would have been really surprised if you would have disliked them that much.
I mostly agree with your list, though i have never played Valkyria Chronicles which i might have thought to be more secondary. Octopath, Monster hunter stories 2 and NEO the world ends with you i would put on top of my personal secondary list though, though if we count older games as well then FFIX would be up there as well^^

@Losermagnet DQXI S is a great port, and, honestly, probably the best DQ game I've played to date. It's probably actually better than SMT V in terms of not having any glaring weaknesses (SMT V's story is weaksauce, unfortunately; not a huge deal, but it's an undeniable flaw), but SMT's combat, music, exploration, etc. are all too good for it not to be tops for me.

@JaxonH I'll always maintain that FFXII is a much better game than X, even if that's an unpopular opinion. Its proto-Xenoblade feel is really cool, and I love the grounded storyline and fascinating gambit system. Cool exploration/dungeons/bosses, too.

Haven't actually played DE yet, but I wasn't a huge fan of XC1 on Wii/3DS, and I doubt my mind is going to change hugely with the Switch remaster. XC2, for all its very heavy flaws, was a far more engaging experience for me, and Torna, while a side game, is the first Xenoblade title that felt good all-around to me.

As to VC, 4 is a sidequel to 1, so if you're going to play both, then in order is better. With that said, VC4 makes certain key changes that make it a much better game overall. It's one of those games I lost myself in for the 80 hours or so it took to achieve the true ending. It also runs like a champ on the system in both modes.

@Solaine I really want to love the HD-2D games like Octopath and Triangle. They have gorgeous soundtracks, presentation, etc. But certain design elements makes it where I keep them at arm's length. As good as Triangle looks, I know I won't love it, because it's a very Tactics Ogre/FF Tactics-esque game, and I'm not a huge fan of those games.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a really solid game. No complaints. It just hasn't grabbed me. I don't even really have much of an issue with the combat anymore. I just... I dunno. It's a beautiful, polished, fun game, but it doesn't spark that need to play it in me, y'know? Maybe I'll feel differently when I play further into it. I only got 25 hours or so in before setting it down.

Still a complete TWEWY virgin. I think I'd still like to play the original on the NDS, though, so we'll see if I can ever arrange that for a decent price.

@Ralizah It is just SO hard to get into TWEWY with that Combat system... i tried out final remix and the DS version but it just never grabbed me, although i loved the music
@Pizzamorg So, personally i don't think final remix is very good in terms of control. It doesn't improve anything at least since Joy con controls feel weird, the experience on handheld is similar to the DS version since you use the touch controls, although it is definitely designed best around DS.
NEO TWEWY is not a Port, so it works just fine and the gameplay is completely different anyways. You do miss some story elements if you skip the first game but there is always the possibility of watching lets plays

I either knew that and forgot, or didn’t know that at all! If it drops into a sale over the coming weeks I might pick up the Switch designed sequel then.

However, first, I am still not sure whether to use a voucher for S/S or BDSP or wait and see if S/S drops into a sale. I have been looking for sales on S/S but nothing very substantial yet.

@Solaine Yeah, the combat is a very open question for me. I probably would have tried the trial version of the game on Switch if it hadn't launched around the same time as SMT V.

@Pizzamorg Pokemon games almost never go on sale. The price stays sky high until the physical goes out of print, and then the physical price gets insane.

@Ralizah Can confirm that. Just saw a collectibles shop near me post about a Pokemon Emerald cartridge. The price? $120.

HGSS are probably the worst offenders though due to the fact that there's multiple ways to buy it from just the cartridge to completely sealed box with Pokewalker, game case, and cartridge.

So do you think S/S won’t end up in a Black Friday deal?

@Pizzamorg
If they do, it likely won't be by much.

As for Xenoblade, there's far too many side Quests to prioritize them. I think it's clear the game was designed around bombarding the player with side quests so that, by simply playing the game, you'll naturally fulfill many of them as you go. Not once did I ever go out of my way for a single side quest, in 100 hrs of playing. I simply played the main story, and because sidequest objectives show on the map, if I encountered any marked enemies along the way, I'd kill them. If you purposely seek out side quests you'll burn out and never finish the game.

They absolutely can be skipped. Often times the stuff you get from them is equipment that's not even as strong as what you're already wearing. Or you can just buy better armor. This doesn't mean go out of your way to avoid them. Just... play the game. If you see sidequest markers along your route, go for it. Otherwise just keep progressing.

Best Trails port is IV, but you really should play III first. And, it's not a bad port, it just has more jaggies than IV, which a different studio handled. Technically, you should play 1/2 first since it's all one overarching story, but those aren't localized on Switch. Can either play those on PC first, or, do what I did and just jump in with 3, which gives a very nice story summary in the main menu so you'll be able to grasp what's going on. I enjoyed Cold Steel III so much, it made me want to go back and play the first. Not because I felt I "had to" but because I just really love the games. For a while I was playing Cold Steel on Steam and Cold Steel III on Switch simultaneously.

@Ralizah
I liked Octopath, it just didn't grab me. Some games grab me and don't let go, others don't. But Triangle Strategy grabbed me, at least, from what I played in the demo. The strategy was engaging, characters interesting, art style very appealing, and the story was intriguing. I especially like the mode where you have to tip the scales for a vote how you want by presenting evidence and stuff. Very "Ace Attorney" like in that respect.

If the demo is anything to go by, Triangle Strategy is going to be a very special game. Especially with all the changes and improvements they made after the survey. And for the record, I was never a FF Tactics fan either. But this game... it just does it in a way that really grabs me.

Just had a look, Cold Steel 3 is 54 quid on the UK Eshop. That is BOTW style prices, only I can’t use a Voucher on that for some money off. Wow! I guess I’ll add that to my Wishlist for time being.

Dang it! Looking on Deku Deals the game has practically gone on sale every other month all year round, which I guess is why they put the price up so high in between. I assume this’ll mean it’ll drop down again probably over Christmas.

@Pizzamorg
Ya they had Cold Steel 3 for $29.99 and Cold Steel IV for $39.99. Could score the pair for $70 total.

I'm sure they'll be back on sale for Black Friday or Christmas.

Holy *****, so I started clearing out the camel as my second Divine Beast and I guess it must be soft level gated because the boss for this beast is ***** unbeatable as I am right now.I feel like I am facing a forty man raid boss solo. One of the most absurd difficulty spikes I’ve ever experienced in a game. I guess I need to come back and do this Divine Beast at the end.

I really hate this design in BOTW, happens all the time in the open world as well. You’ll find a new location and then some trash enemy one shots you and you just go “oh, so you didn’t want me to go here yet, huh?”. Like, if you want me to do things in a specific order, why not just do that then? Why make me waste hours of game time getting to a boss I am not ready to fight? You know what is worse than level gating areas/missions? Is level gating areas/missions, but then keeping the level hidden from the player.