Bloodstained Team Releasing Multiple "Small Updates" To Fix Performance Of The Switch Version

What? See, this is why I don't do physical anymore :/

I don't mind waiting though, a portable Castlevania is worth it. Even if the PC version is much cheaper.

🄴🄳🄸🅃:

I guess I wasn't clear on why I'm frustrated. The whole point of me wanting physical is because, with it, I no longer need to depend on Nintendo to play the game. Should their servers go down I'm still okay because I have a physical copy. Freedom!

Lately though, physical copies have constantly needed patches and updates, which defeats the purpose. I'm basically buying something that's unfinished because they still need to work out the bugs.

It's like ordering food, I want everything there. Not to get half of it and have the rest come later :/

I had a suspicion this would happen. This is why I don't pre-order games on Switch, even if they have a discount.

I played the PC version and LOVED this game. I had a few crashes and freezes, but the game itself was so good, I didn't mind too much.

I played the Switch version and was extremely irritated the entire time.

There's horrible input delay, and constant framerate issues. And it matters for gameplay - there's special inputs for special moves in this game, and if there's a frame drop during one of your inputs, the special move doesn't execute properly.

There's an area called the Towers of Twin Dragons, and this area feels like it's playing in slow motion in the Switch version. It's abysmal.
The loading between areas is horrible too, and some areas have 10 second long loading screens for what on other platforms is a regular screen transition. This makes certain grinding / farming spots completely unviable, since leaving the room to respawn enemies takes such an excruciating long time.

The Switch version sucks horribly.
Play this game on any other platform.

Why don't they release the physical version once the damn game is complete?

Give the digital version a head start if they want to start capitalising right away (aren't a lot of games these days just paid betas?), but it's disgraceful to put crap on a cartridge, and in turn, on shelves.

What other industry allows this kind of shoddy workmanship to go unpunished?

Well this whole situation sucks. The performance of this port is unacceptable. The Switch gets amazing games like BotW, Mario Odyssey, Doom, Wolfenstein 2, Skyrim, and even The Witcher 3!, albeit lesser versions in some cases.

How is it the Switch can’t run a Metroidvania game with 3D models?? I get that the Switch isn’t as powerful as current gen consoles, but this is just incredibly poor work on the developers part.

I’d love to see Nintendo put out a pro version of the Switch. I don’t care if it had a premium price, because it would be worth it. This is Nintendo we’re talking about though, so it’ll never happen. At least not a pro version that I believe most people would want.

When they showed off the Switch version in the past, they blamed "overheating" for the poor condition of the game. The game was just in a poor state. and they knew it. And then they released it in that poor state, and they knew it. It is yet another issue in a string of issues thanks to the shady publisher. This project did not go as smoothly as it seems and they've made a lot of backers unhappy along the way. I'm not happy they've angered Switch players, but it is good that 505 and Artplay get some negative publicity that they deserve.

I consider myself lucky that I was able to sell my GOG key and mostly come out ahead. I have no intention of ever playing the game.

@Kalmaro
Yes I agree this really sucks for people who like to collect physical editions. Release in any state, patch later has become standard.
Some rare times, I guess a newer revision of a game still is printed if only because the final cost to the publisher will be lessened that way (saves on server costs). But that is not the standard and sometimes the newer print is "best sellers" edition or something that either way, is not really what a collector is looking for..

@Kalmaro What's physical got to do with it? A game that's got bugs has bugs, regardless.

I backed this day one (yep, seems like a decade ago). I was disappointed when they canceled the Wii U version (years ago) as I really wanted the map on the gamepad.

Fast forward to present day: I've been playing it on my Xbox One X for a week and it's pretty good. Yesterday, my physical Switch version came in the mail. It's..... disappointing to say the least.

At this point, the only way I'm playing this game on the Switch is if Nintendo releases a Switch Pro and 505 games upgrades this game for it. Otherwise, it's too big of a discrepancy.

Or you could get the PS4 version which is running beautifully like it was intended. I love the Switch but portability alone can't be a reason why I decide to buy something. With all the bugs, patches etc ....I guarantee this game will be on sale in like two months. It'll be $29.99 or lower by September so I'm just gonna wait. I would like to play it, but I'm not paying full price for a flawed game. Gotta speak my mind with my wallet. Plus....I wanted it for PS4 anyway lol.

Just checked on Amazon ....it's already on sale. I'm not surprised at all. It's $32.99 right now so I may grab it.

@sdelfin

Publishers and developers should be held accountable for pushing out incomplete or non functional products. If a product doesn’t work as intended, consumers should be able to get a full refund regardless of it being a physical copy or digital copy.

I opened my copy from Best Buy today before reading the bad news. Reading the praise for the games other editions, while also expecting the limitations of having a portable version being a slight downgrade, I put my trust in the developers and publisher that I’d get a competent product.

Yeah, I could have waited, but maybe if the companies that release shoddy products had to face the repercussions of giving full refunds and a loss of future sales on their products, they might actually try to release quality finished products?

Multiplatform is a great promise, but so few games come out where all versions are uncompromising. It’s a vicious cycle of demand

@Tempestryke because collectors want a game on cartridge that will still be playable in twenty years time when Nintendo has long abandoned the switch and the patches aren't available. I've waited four years for this game, day one backer and I get this mess of a port. Its completely unacceptable.

Seems like the long delay wasn't worth it and could had use more delays. My only guess for the poor performance is that they port the awful cancelled PS Vita version for Switch instead of the HD one.

@Kang81 I totally agree with what you said. If you got anything else from my comment, it was not intended. Just for context, selling my GOG code was the only way to get a "refund". I backed based on the day-one promise of Linux PC support, which they cancelled only six months ago, which means they strung me along for 3.5 years. They refused to do any refunds and the one remedy they did offer was kept very quiet so that few people would see it. That is something their PR guy admitted.

@Kalmaro thats physical copy has nothing to do with the game issues that blame goes straight to the developer themself.

@iN5OMANiAC Way to miss my point on purpose.

@Kang81 if I just got the my switch version with the metal case from Best buy. I saw something that the Switch version is not good, so I have yet to open it. If I return it, do I have to return the metal case (the main reason why I got the switch version)

I will be getting the Xbox version

What a trainwreck. I'll consider this game when it's in the bargain bin.

@EarthboundBenjy thanks for the info... is it also bad hand-held? Is the lag still there.

@Agramonte Yes. Same exact input lag, both handheld and on the TV.

@NintendoFan4Lyf I cannot believe it took 21 comments to find someone saying what you’ve said. Everywhere I look, including the massively dramatic polygon article, it’s as if the Switch version is abominable. It’s anything but. It has a few hitches and bugs, but they aren’t omnipresent, and I’ve played for quite a few hours now with nothing more than minor blips here and there. It’s really not a huge deal, and it’s clear that either people are parroting overblown nonsense they’ve read, or they are easily put off by minor technical issues. Really enjoying the game. No input lag (that I can notice affecting gameplay at the very least). No massive frame rate issues. Just a few hiccups here and there and a really fun continuation of a series I can never get enough of.

It’s really a shame that all their hard work is now considered laziness because things aren’t perfect. AAA games release with massive patches on day one all the time. This is a much smaller budget game, and they’ve delivered a fine game that could benefit from further tuning. It’s a bummer to see all the negativity. Criticism is one thing. It’s okay to be constructive. But this has all been quite over the top.

Edit: Rudek’s impressions at NWR mirror mine very well. He points at simple issues and concessions made for handheld hardware compared to much more powerful consoles, and expressed a much more palatable and believable impression.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/50982/505-games-issues-statement-on-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night-technical-performance

Final Edit: Funnily enough, after 3-4 hours of play, I came upon a character that triggered a short cut scene, and the game encountered an error and sent me to the Switch menu instantly. That was more than a little unexpected and, with the old school save system, about 30 minutes of shard and gold progress lost.

Ebayed my kickstarter PS4 version for a nice profit, will wait for the switch version to be fixed before I buy it.

The problems with the Switch version exist, but are overstated. The game is perfectly playable.

@Keldorek Thank you! I haven’t had any problems either, at least not worth throwing an outrageous fit about. I wasn’t expecting it to run as smoothly as the PS4 version, and I’m not disappointed. People just get overly angry about some things — which sometimes it is warranted — and it really gets overblown, especially by some people who haven’t played the game yet.

@EarthboundBenjy Thanks for the reply!

Mine gets here on Thursday, I guess I am holding off opening it for a few day. Everyone is giving conflicting reports on how bad it is.

Man, these guys are so fantastic. Got it today on Switch day 1 and am thoroughly enjoying it despite the obvious performance issues. I thought "they will probably release an optimization update sometime". Here we are not 15 hours later with that very announcement. This game ROCKS.

@RiasGremory This is true, but it's so common that it makes buying physical copies less worth the hassle for me.

@Tempestryke Same as above. I'm just tired of buying physical games and thinking "this is complete and I won't need anything else."

But in reality, unless I'm connected to the internet then I will have a product that's essentially unfinished, as they've admitted by saying they will have to make patches.

For some people, the appeal of a physical copy is not needing to worry about having to download a game or depend on servers.

Against my better judgement I did preorder this game on Switch because in my country games for this console are just harder to get if you don't do it beforehand. I hope they fix at the very least the framerate & input lag; I was always ready for the visual downgrade (though considering this is no GTAV it's still kind of inexcusable?), but the issues being reported are very disappointing.

Makes me regret the purchase a little bit less, hope it doesnt take too long. The game seems great so i really would love to play it in a good state.

PC or PS4 it is then. I had suspicions about this port since even other platform had problems in the first week.

From what I've heard, the Switch version is acceptable at the beginning but really bogs down a few hours in, and it even drops frames in a couple places on PS4 Pro (they noted one boss in particular that performs terribly on every platform.)
PC sounds like the best platform, but someone mentioned they dropped from 120 fps to 30 on that boss.

I'll probably hold onto my Switch version, since it's apparently going to be fixed up, and I really do like playing games like this on portable devices. The bigger question now is whether I dig in when I get it in the mail in a few days or hold off for the optimization patches...

@CoastersPaul 120 to 30fps? Jesus, that's quite the drop!

This team has had so many problems, but it's great to hear that the game (in general) turned out great, and even better to hear that they're helping to fix problems for already-sold games. I praise them for this as a former backer, too.

@ComposedJam exactly. I'll wait to buy it now. Pitty.

I’ve been playing the switch version. Yeah it’s in a weird state but it’s totally playable. The things I’ve noticed are going between screens in specific areas it seems has a considerably longer load time than going between all other screens. Not too bad but it takes you out of the moment. Then the game freezes sometimes to catch up with itself, it seems. I had one instance where the game said it had to close because an error occurred. I had an issue where a sound effect kept looping, even in the menu. And my biggest complaint, the non-backers got a sweet metal case and stuff and a backer like myself got a cardboard sleeve. Yeah t looks cool but I mean come on. When you see special editions released, do they tout a cardboard sleeve or a metal case? Also it’s seriously, SERIOUSLY, lacking an instruction booklet.
All that aside, I’m playing it and I’m enjoying it. I know it shouldn’t be in the state it’s in and it makes me a bit sour but I’ve waited so long for this game and all those things aside it’s fun as hell.

Sorry for my lack of punctuation above. I’m in a hurry and don’t want people to write this game off. It’s very ambitious and successful at that. I’m just hoping for some fine tuning on those bugs.

As some have said, people seem to have overblown the issues. Played one hour of it today, game played well, it's not a Fallout 76 or Mass Effect Andromeda level mess as some are portraying it.

Still, I hope that any existing issues are fixed quickly.

I think it just might be best if I got the PS4 version.

I received mine yesterday and the only real issue I have found so far is the input lag. It's not game breaking but it's not really hood enough in this day and age. Graphics are not as sharp but I don't care about that. Not encountered any serious slowdown but haven't got far enough in maybe. Some load times but again not an issue especially after being a symphony of the night veteran

I canceled My preorder for the Switch. Maybe later, when they have repaired the game, if they can do that.....would be nice to play it in handheld mode

I picked it up for my XboneX instead.

Picked it up for Switch today even after all the bad comments. Yeah, it is not buttery smooth, far from it. But I have not experienced any input lag in handheld mode. Am using the Hori dpad Leat Joycon and everything controls fine. Even with the visual hits I am still having fun. Will download it on PS4 when a sale hits.

I'm glad I still do have my old PS4 for situations like this, frankly I never had much faith for the Switch port of this game.

I finally got my backer copy few days ago (european delivery times are fun) and it's so good.

@Kalmaro Yeah, I agree. The whole game needs to be on the cartridge without any weird online requirements except for obvious things like playing competitively or cooperatively in online multiplayer. Also, they should wait to release a game so that it runs smoothly at 60fps without bugs so that the cartridge has the full functional game on it.

@CoastersPaul Wow that's interesting. It would be so amazing to be able to play this at 120fps on a handheld that has an oled screen (that a Switch Pro dream).

@Ttimer5 If they can't get it running at 60fps on Switch then any other version is going to be much better. I'm really hoping they can fix the frame rate!

@60frames-please I would have gladly waited another month or two for a complete game with no bugs or at least ones that are minor. Input lag in a Castlevania type game is just bad.

Loving the switch version. I get to play it while at work. It works for me and I can play it on the go. I'm sure the other iterations look better, but I think it plays just fine on the switch.

@Ttimer5

I believe they also sold that case separately. If you wanted to try returning it, you could always “forget” the steel book case and see if they even notice. 😁

Worst case scenario, maybe they’ll let you keep it but charge you for it. I think it was going for $15 on Best Buy’s site.

The nice thing is that the case was meant for a disc version, so if you get it on Xbox, the steelbook case will work nicely. The case I received was made for a disc but contained a plastic insert for holding the Switch cartridge. I was disappointed in that as well myself.

@Kalmaro Yeah, if the game doesn't have the basic level of 60fps and instant input response that Castlevania on NES and SoTN on PS1 had, then they need to keep working on the game until it's got baseline playability and smoothness of graphics!

@sdelfin

I got what you meant, my reply wasn’t meant toward you in any negative way. My apologies, I guess my reply turned into a mini rant against the whole situation.

I’m glad you were able to get a refund at least. As for my situation, I knew the Switch version wouldn’t be equal to the other versions, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

I just hope that it’s gets fixed and everything ends up the way it should have launched. I couldn’t imagine playing a Metroidvania on anything other than a handheld. It just feels like home that way.

Got my copy yesterday didnt play it yet though.
Waiting for a patch that makes it run more smooth.
Did watch some lets plays for switch version yesterday and a streamer he had some issues though not big ones.
Well triple AAA also get day 1 big patches that a smaller develepoper has this problems is for many people a hughe deal, but when a big studio has the same issues its ok, dont get it really

I wish when they brought in Wayforward that they would've just changed the whole game to a high resolution 2D sprite based game like Shantae. It would be so beautiful that way, and they could easily hit 60fps with very low input latency. Polygons should be avoided if they're going to contribute to even the temptation to lower the visual budget to a cheap 30fps target.

Crashed on me like 3times now! Ram optimization needs to be checked thoroughly and also when action gets intense frame-rate drop is highly noticeable (like fighting the twin dragons) at the tower!(still yet i was able to defeat them) plus other bosses along the way.
Have gone far in the game regarding the bugs that comes with it, still very much playable. 45% map completion.

Glad I canceled last week. I’ll probably eventually get this cheap, but given the cartridge doesn’t have a finished game I’m not interested in paying full price.

I am fine with the visuals but will wait a bit to see if they fix loading times and frame drops

Well, gotta join those happy they waited to buy.
...and it feels so wrong, I forgot it came out yesterday and I was planning to buy it soon, why not buy at launch a game is becoming such a positive thing?
I should be here sad I'm losing on a great experience, not happy I avoided a poorly ported game they cared so little they needed some backlash to get proper resources on it...

@60frames-please

I made a little stuff quickly for you.
Bloodstained 2D.

https://imgur.com/a/vtsPRbS

@PCkid Looks great!

Well they really did a lot of testing then. Seems like they have just rushed it for release. Why can't people just give us a well tested complete game, instead they just give us a broken game and give us updates, which means if you ever go back to it in 20 years when the servers are pulled, you can't play it

@Bunkerneath 20years time no one will care that much! Emulator must have taken over by then as well.

I've played this on PC, seeing the footage of the switch version made it look like someone smeared vaseline all over the screen.

it's really quite disappointing that it's turned out like this and to think they'd release it in this state speaks volumes of either the publishers or the devs.

Did they even have their glasses on while they were QAing to let it pass like that?

Was originally going to get the Switch version but changed it to a PS4 version as soon as I read about the massive fps difference. To think they were originally going to release this on the Wii U!

when compared to other sidescroller platform games,it shows how bad this port actually is. DKCTF is a gorgeous game and runs 60fps. These developers have no excuse why Bloodstained can't be as good as the other platforms. Disappointing 🙄

@60frames-please This game could have run and looked better, but they didn’t put the budget into it. Some people online are playing this on laptops with those crappy Intel HD Graphics cards, with better framerates and more detail. It should have been a cinch for this to run on Switch.

@Dunan I know it’s a different engine, but DK Tropical Freeze and Mega Man 11 have proven the Switch can run any platformer with high detail and framerates. The Switch version being an afterthought is strange considering that was the version that even PS owners wanted to get. It’s a shame really.

@Kang81 It can and we all know it. Does anyone really believe the Switch can't handle a 2.5D sidescroller like this? Does anyone believe this game is pushing the Switch hardware harder than Smash Bros Ultimate which of course runs a perfect 60fps and 1080p? This is just a bad port job that wasn't properly optimized. I've been anxiously awaiting this game a long time now and I am huge Castlevania fan, but I am holding off until I see what these patches do..

Two words. Play Test! Why in heavens name would they not QA their work before releasing it? To me it speaks volumes to have a quality product ready to go day one.

Why is it that these Kickstarter games with big names behind them end up so compromised and others from Joe Nobody end up as quality products?

I'm utterly astonished with the comments I am reading all over the internet. It's like they are playing a totally different game to me. I'm 6-7hrs in and have experienced zero problems, certainly none that effect the gameplay experience. Some slow down here and there but by no means out of the ordinary.
The internet really makes me angry sometimes. Sensationalist doom mongering makes better headlines so it becomes the online truth. Everything online (including people's personal comments) has become simply a way to promote oneself and gain as many likes and clicks as possible. I think this is actually starting to effect people's views in reality!
I think half of the people moaning about this game would not notice the "flaws" if they hadn't read all these comments beforehand.
If I had not backed this game (and received a copy without me having to go out and choose to buy) all this negativity would definitely have effected my decision to buy and play Bloodstained. This is what bugs me the most, I would have missed out on this great game that I'm really enjoying, because of comments on the internet. This must be happening for many other people in actuality, and I feel sorry that they are missing out.
From now on I'm just going to keep on enjoying my progression in bloodstained and not read any more on the internet

Screw the switch pro. Make a switch mini so mini, three inch screen, that no one will be able to notice how bad the graphics are. That's a much better idea.

its 35 you can get castle heart for 1 pound 30 odd pence now. And although i heard that isn't the best i bet it worth less than 1.50 i'm off to check the reviews for castle heart.

Watched a few demos and yeah, the Switch version really is pants, unfortunately. Will be getting this on PS4 instead.

Bloodstained No. 9 is buggy?!? That’s terrible and yet expected. Input lag is unforgivable IMHO...you don’t need community feedback to know your game lacks tight controls. I hope they fix it for all of those that gave support and bought the game, though the piecemeal patch strategy may take sometime in part bc of the Nintendo approval process.

@SuperRetroArt actually complaining on a nintendo site pretty much guarantees "hater" and "troll" responses. Very little "likes.". Yet every release which looks worse and worse than their counterparts slowly has the tides changing. People are beginning to want better standards out of their hybrid aka portable system. Sorry you decided to have no standards of your own. The good news is you'll always be content with whatever the world gives you. Kudos.

@Kalmaro I don't get either of your points. As long as you do download all the patches and keep your data backed up, the state of Nintendo's servers doesn't matter at all save for losing the ability to play online. I can continue to play my Wii VC and WiiWare games all I want as long as I keep everything backed up in the event I eventually need to replace either one of my SD cards or my Wii U.

Although, the unfinished state of physical releases will suck for players who buy the game used several years down the line after the servers are shut down. With that issue, I can agree that this whole "release unfinished now, patch later" attitude is a cancer on the modern gaming industry.

Your restaurant analogy is terrible, though. While you may personally prefer to get all your food at once, any decently nice restaurant that's not a buffet is indeed going to serve it in separate portions, and most of their patrons don't care or even prefer to have their food served in courses.

@sixrings My only standard I judge by is whether I enjoy it or not! I'm sorry that people aren't getting enjoyment out of it but I'd hate to have missed out because of all the negativity. I think we all have to just accept that these are all individual opinions.
By the way, if you don't like bloodstained please never try Wasteland 2!! Now there is a buggy game (in my opinion!) I still struggled through it though and got bored of the game before the glitches forced me to stop

@Keldorek I hadn't paid attention to the other versions to avoid spoilers but the background compared to other versions are not so great, to be kind. The character models also aren't that great in comparison. I'm not expecting parity but if the game stutters as much as it's been said to I really dont understand the graphical downgrade. I've been enjoying my time with it, but if I would have read up on all the performance issues I would have kept my copy closed and would have returned it. It was hard to come by reviews of the game all of last week but there was zero word on the switch edition until yesterday morning. By the time I read it I had already opened up the game. If it crashes on me a few times I'll have to trade it in. At least that way someone will buy it used and it will take away a sale from 505 studios and iga.

I know the game isn't unplayable but I dont understand how this title can be more demanding than something like breath of the wild or even mortal kombat. Just doesn't make too much sense and reeks of laziness from the porting studio.

I don't was expecting a so lazy work from something where Iga name is involved. I am desappointed... But happy which I don't pre-ordered it. Maybe if they do a lot of fixes and do a video letting clear all which was fixed and improved I can think again in buy it.

@BulbasaurusRex the point is you shouldn't need to have to back things up. Years ago when ps and xbox started releasing day one patches nintendo fans would say thank God that nintendo games didn't do that and if you had a game 20 years from now it would play without a patch. Now that is no longer true. But we have become so used to nintendo slipping into the ps xbox ways (paid online, patches, dlc) that we now defend nintendo when they do it.

@SuperRetroArt no worries. You're a hippy. You probably live in a van with a crt tv no cable and a blackberry too. Sorry most of the world has moved on to modern living. It's cool you're enjoying your modest 2000s life. Just don't act surprised when the majority want to live with 2019 tech.

I just got my preorder copy in the mail last night. Guess I wont be opening it quite yet.

I received my copy last night. Good thing I saw comparison videos and how this is a major downgrade with heavy performance issues before I opened my copy. I'll be returning it today and I've already ordered the PS4 version.

Because of stuff like this, I'm unsure of what version to get. I wanted the Switch version but after hearing all this, the PS4 version is looking a lot more appealing.

I've been playing the Switch version, and I'm not sure exactly what all of the fuss is about so far. Granted, I don't have another version to compare it to, but my only criticism is that screen transitions sometimes (not always) take a while. If it makes a difference, I've been playing portable so far, so if there are performance issues docked I haven't seen them yet (will update when I get to play docked!)

All in all, I'd always welcome patches to make a game smoother, but the game's been really fun.

@Wavey84

It's surprising that a console plugged in using laptop chipsets runs better than a phone processor in a much smaller thermal envelope.

egads holmes, you've cracked the case!

the game looks of no interest to me but N really needs to get their heads out of their bungholes and get a switch 2 released. this system needs to be on a 2-3 year upgrade cadence no matter how much N wants to be terribad at completely everything they do.

the really funny thing is this game is no graphics powerhouse so either the tegra really is trash or this dev house is really bad at programming.

By this point I already played this game on PC and Switch, and while the differences are there, the game is still perfectly enjoyable, at least from what I have played so far.

It still gets a recommendation from me.

@Kang81
Yes the case is really nice looking, I thought the plastic switch part was because I left the case in my backpack (and was hot outside ). But I wasn't too worried about it. Sucks that they had someone do a basic metal case instead of using Steelbook .
I'll be downloading it on the Xbox

The input lag on the Switch is slightly noticeable but I have no problems adjusting to it. "The game is fun, and if it is not fun why bother?" -shrugs-

I will still welcome the patch downloads when they arrive and backup my micro SD card data accordingly. At least the Switch allows me to backup my game patch data conveniently without going through some minor hoops the Gen 7 systems had. It sucks that with Physical media I have to do this, but I do not see this changing anytime soon. :/

@BulbasaurusRex Because what if you have the game but are unable to download a patch for various reasons? No internet, servers down, perhaps you picked the game up in the future, etc.

I can pick up a DS/3DS game right now and not have to even consider game breaking bugs because this game are finished products.

I can't do that with games anymore it seems because almost no-one releases thier games finished.

I'd rather the games just be released late and tested more thoroughly.

@Fake-E-Lee I'm having great fun with it. 40% map completion now and I can definitely see myself coming back to a game+ and hoovering up all the extras, secrets and dlc. Still encountered zero problems and I actually killed the last three bosses first go - dragon, train thing and speedy demon! People are saying the boss battles are hard because of slow down?! I'm not an amazing gamer by any stretch

@sixrings 2000? I think I'm more 90's! It's all good though and I've been called a lot worse than hippy. Hope you find a way to enjoy this game in a way that makes you happy

@Kalmaro That's just a reality of modern software development. In the pre-internet days of consoles, once the game was finished, it was done with bugs and all in there.

Now though for physical releases, they have to freeze development for a time (and ignore certain bug fixes to ensure the features are ready for release), but once the physical production starts, the dev team is back fixing bugs, enhancing features, and creating DLC.

@SuperRetroArt will do. That's why I also own a Xbox.

@EagleDelta2 Then why not just test more amd release later? That's my question. We know they don't mind doing that in the past. They even scrapped metriod 4 to start over again.

i was looking forward to this game! But why buy it when its crap compared to other versions..

I played it for a bit on the Switch and to echo what many pointed out - it is playable...to me, not having played this in other platforms to compare performance may be the reason why I feel that this game is not as bad as others say. Although, I haven’t spent a lot of time on it yet...just tried to play the 1st level.

Having said that, I did experience a game crash in the 1st level when I activated the first bookcase/book shelf. This is the first time I experienced a game crash on the Switch.

On the matter of the cartridge...I agree with the common consensus that the cartridge should have the full game or at least a version of the game that is close to bug free. This ups the value of the cartridge because it allows us to play it without relying on Nintendo servers for the patches. It’s a shame what the industry has become when it comes to physical game distribution practices.

Well, I just cancelled my physical copy of the game. I figure by the time it is properly fixed, the news cycles will inform me and I might get the game on a serious discount in top of that, though more likly this will be digital.

Was looking forward to this one, because the glowing reviews of the other versions...

It's a shame though, because I wanted to gift one version to a friend...

So are you guys waiting for Igarashi to fix the game first before you review it NL or you just not going to bother with it yet? Cause if you review it now it's likely a 6/10, waiting for the fix will make it an 8/10 but it'll take a long time. For the long delays it took and still came out broken I think the game fully deserve that passable score.

Bought the switch version at the store tonight.

@retro_player_22 I'd say they should review as is and point out the glaring mistakes... other games probably won't get the benefit of a "patch later" treatment and I think after all the glowing praise Switch owners should get an honest picture and a review that reflects the current state before they buy in.

@retro_player_22 Given the problems the game has a few simple fixes will not improve it to an 8. I’d give it a four personally. And any fix putting it at an 8 would require they redo the engine correct. They obviously pulled an “import ps4 code”, cut features/framerate/effects until runs, ship it.

It is not on parity with PS4/xbox one - but if you did not know the graphics for that it wouldnt make any difference,
The only issue i have encountered was some slight slow down (but nothing serious, and mostly when i went to a new area) and the input lag (but this is only on docked, handheld doesnt seem to suffer from the same issue for me anyway)
I have played a good chunk of the game and am enjoying it immensely. While it should have been sorted before launch, its not unplayable and i am having fun

A pity to hear that the Switch version is so bad. I might get it someday, but only if they seriously improve it.