Astral Chain is the latest masterpiece from PlatinumGames and it is exclusive to Switch. So, how does it hold up in the technical department? According to the folks over at Digital Foundry, the focus is on pushing Nintendo's hardware, rather than targeting higher frame rates.

Unlike the Bayonetta ports, Astral Chain can exceed resolutions of 720p in docked mode. The team has also made use of dynamic resolution to help stabilise the overall performance – meaning the game "hangs between" 720p and 900p, often hitting the halfway point. In portable mode, the game maxes out at 720p and again uses dynamic resolution scaling, but has no anti-aliasing. Fortunately, these differences aren't as noticeable on the small screen.

As for performance, the target is 30fps. During testing, DF found the game does maintain this in most situations. Exploration and running around the open areas aren't a problem, but in more heated combat moments, the game can dip by a few frames. This applies to both the docked and portable mode.

One other point was made about the apparent lack of support for surround sound. While it's not the first game on Switch to not include this, DF found it to be quite "strange" for such a big release. Luckily, it's not enough of an issue to detract from the amazing soundtrack. Overall, though, it's "a really well-made Switch game" and it "bodes well" for the next PlatinumGames' release, Bayonetta 3.

How has your experience been so far with Astral Chain? Leave a comment down below.

[source youtu.be]