Out Now: Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cloud Version Is Out, But Try The Demo First

I just played it without any issues at all. I don't even have the dock wired into net yet. So are the problems only with certain internet providers? Just wanted to know as I'm changing my deal & supplier next week!

The phrase "Cloud version" is just nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Maybe that's a bit overdramatic though haha

@StarPoint I know it would be far better to just buy the cart wouldn't it.

I have pretty fast internet. This demo is rubbish. Input lag alone makes a game like this just unplayable for me on Switch.

I tried it and it worked really well (as did Control when I tried that cloud version). I wouldn’t have minded keeping on playing it but for £50? Absolutely not. A tenner for a few weeks/month of playtime and I’d have happily paid but I’m not paying anywhere close to a full price game for what really is just a rental.

@xavieruniverse I'll try it again in a few days or so to give the connection another shot. I loved Control, so this performance from this cloud version demo was disappointing.

Never buying cloud games after Control

@Petew why what happened

All the comments about cloud versions being laggy makes me worried for kingdom hearts on switch

@Moonlessky Cloud gaming, even with an optimal internet setup is generally not reliable enough to justify ANYTHING like full price. For every splendid session with a game, you'll likely have others with crashes, glitches, and lag. Until there's seamless reliability, I'm hesitant to buy despite wanting KH3 badly.

Tried the demo. Runs great. Will be purchasing.

This one I will be getting once it’s on sale. I love these movies and I know it will get played by a couple of us here, I just don’t like the idea of paying full price to rent a game. Our internet works just fine to stream them, I just don’t like this direction that gaming is going.

@larryisanassman I don’t really understand your point. It doesn’t go away in a few weeks after you beat it, you still have access until the server does down, which should be years from now (and you’ll have six months notice before it shuts down). The non-cloud version is no more replayable than the cloud version for the foreseeable future. I mean, I get that if you want to play it like 20 years from now that may be a problem, but is that really enough to make it worth 1/5 the price?

saw the japanese post in the news feed with "cloud version" and ignored it cloud gaming is good for stuff like stadia but not home consoles like Switch

So tell me again how Switch doesn’t need to be more powerful???

It’s time we get a console that can run today’s games.

@Tendogamerxxx it's not the Switch tho it's just the lazy idiotic developers 🤷🏻‍♀

Tried it and even with my fiber cable, the game still freezes at times that I find it pretty annoying.

Also there's no motion control to aim. -.-

I've been excited for this game ever since it was revealed(and when they revealed never gonna give you up was in the game I got super excited), so I guess I'll be trying out the demo!

Game looks great, I'll buy it, just not on Switch.

I still need to finish Ultimate Alliance 3.

@Tendogamerxxx While I don't really support cloud gaming (not until there's major breakthrough in internet across THE WORLD), I don't think just boosting the specs of Switch is the solution here.

You need to see from developers' point of view too and the resources that they need to develop for high end consoles.

I tried the demo and had no issues at all.

I play 95% portable, I bought the game right after trying the demo. It's a blast so far and the graphics are amazing for the Switch, but it is a cloud game so that is expected, very fun game!

lol, nope.

@CodyMKW How is it not the switch when it can’t even run Hyrule Warriors right? It’s the switch. It’s the underpowered console. Don’t blame the developers.

If you’re gonna say- oh well, hyrule warrior was a bunch of stuff going. You’re right! So does that mean that a developers vision and creativity has to be stifled by weak hardware? Do they have to cut out features or wait 10+ years to release their game when the hardware is more powerful like Metroid dread?

Just tried the demo and worked fine for me, but £60 for a cloud game, no chance

Will wait for it to be between £20-£30

Cloud Version… cloud version… ClOuD VeRsIoN… cLoUd vErSiOn…

Nah, it’s a HARD pass

played fine for me, but the trial only lasted like 10 mins. not nearly enough time to make me decide if I'd wanna buy the game (and even if I did I'd get the non switch version lol).

@Tendogamerxxx Some time you do need to blame the developers.

If you don't put some blame back on them. Then you create a mentality that it always the hardwares fault. And you get situations where developers just blame gamer's crappy hardware, and don't put time into optimization.

Nintendo opening Pandora's Box with their cloud platform will go down as one of their most frustrating decisions ever. As KH has proved, we'll never know what's streaming because it genuinely couldn't run vs. where devs are just taking the path of least resistance.

@Krambo42 It’s inherently far less valuable than a physical version or a download. Only able to play when a solid internet connection is available which both makes the “play anywhere” aspect of the Switch practically redundant and has the potential to vary wildly in performance based on several factors- neither of which would be affected if a game were running natively on the hardware. Plus, as you say, the servers will be shut off eventually, and who can say when that will be? That’s an issue with digital and even physical nowadays with patches etc. but if you have the games downloaded before digital stores shut and your hardware is looked after you’re good to go- far moreso than not being able to access cloud games whatsoever in the future at least.

I’m not saying they should charge way less for unlimited access but treating it like a rental service with tiers (weekly, monthly etc.) should be how cloud versions are handled. These versions cost these companies far less to get out than developing bespoke versions for Switch and they genuinely don’t offer customers the same value that players on other platforms get for the same price. Defending and supporting this practice is not a route people should be going down, not just in the interest of Switch owners but for the medium on the whole going forwards.

@UltimateOtaku91 Man alive, I thought it was £50! That was bad enough but £60 is absolutely atrocious.

@Tendogamerxxx If Nintendo gives us the hardware you want, forget about it being portable too.
As simple as that. We have to choose, and I choose portability, honestly.

@larryisanassman I agree that there are other issues. To be honest, I misunderstood your comment-I thought you were suggesting it should only be $10 (wrong currency, I know) because it’s only something you’d play for a week or a month. Now I see that you were talking about an actual short-term rental system, which I am in no way opposed to.

Having said that, I do think there’s a place for these cloud versions. If games are truly un-portable to Switch (i.e. not Kingdom Hearts), I think it’s a great option for Switch-only owners. Next gen systems can only be played at home/on a TV anyway, so no big loss there losing portability on Switch. And honestly, I’d rather buy like ten cloud games on a console I already own than spend that money on a console without even getting a game with it. Still, sure, better pricing would be welcome.

Playing the game on PS5 and really love it so far. Would definitely recommend anybody with a PS4/5 or Xbox One/Series X/S to give it a try, especially if you like single player, narrative driven games and are a fan of GotG. If Switch is your only option, guess it depends on connection. I've heard from some people who have had a flawless experience but obviously it'll depend on your internet, which is why I'm not a big fan of this push for cloud gaming.

@Krambo42 Yeah, honestly I don’t mind the idea of cloud versions if a game has no chance of running on Switch in an acceptable state. If the alternative is no version on Switch at all then I’d take a cloud option, but not while publishers are pricing access to them in ways that don’t reflect the value/experience they’re offering. When you’re paying that price on other systems you’re getting a physical copy you can sell on or a download that will remain with you long after the respective storefront it was bought from is gone, all while being playable whether you’re online or not (in most cases). Cloud versions don’t offer any of that.

It’s a shame because with this and the Control demo I had a really good experience and would have been happy to pay a fair price to keep playing but if I’m paying full price for a Switch game there’s no way I’m paying for one that has the limits and no sense of ownership that comes with a streamed version.

In the case of something like Guardians which launched day in date with the other versions I guess I can see why they would charge the same across the board at launch with no alternative options since it’d be an easy way for people to experience the game in full and on the cheap but it should definitely be an option added down the road. In the case of Control or Kingdom Hearts timed access options should really be there from the start.

Gave it a try though I don't have wired internet, but reasonably stable Wi-Fi, just for s***s and giggles. It felt like graphically, I was playing a Switch game with a sub 30fps. Control response was all over the place.

It may have looked worse than other consoles, but I feel at least it would of been worth playing if they did it properly.

I'm all for cloud gaming where it make sense. Games like dying light 2, Hitman 3, Guardians of the galaxy, and KH3 makes sense. Games like KH 1 and 2 Super ultra deluxe heart remind edition doesn't make sense being on the cloud.

Cloud gaming is unavoidable. It is the future, and every company knows this.

Why spend $500 on a console when you can buy a $100 tablet and play Battlefield 2042 at 4k/120fps and Ray Tracing? Or why upgrade to the next Xbox when you can use your current gen Xbox and play the same games.

It'll open up the industry to so many more people.

If Nintendo is gonna start allowing cloud games. They need to make some massive changes. The whole launch portal is trash, and needs to be removed. Launching a cloud game need to be as seamless as launching a native game... Look at xCloud and Stadia.

They also need to change the cloud provider. What ever hardware that Ubitus is hosting these games isn't the greatest. I tried playing the cloud version of Control, and the first load screen took way to long, like it was loading data from HDD.

The trials are way too short, and only being able to try the trial once isn't good.

If Nintendo is gonna continue to panther with Nvidia. Granted I was playing Control in handheld, so the 720p resolution didn't help.. But the game didn't look any better than someone $200 PS4. They need to find a way to bring GeForce Now to the platform. That should allow them access to top of line hardware configurations with all the bells and whistles like Ray Tracing... etc.

@the_beaver I agree, I'd choose portability and accessibility over horsepower too.

There're PS5, Xbox and even PC so I really don't need another "high spec" console.

Someone: hey play this game! It’s really good and it’s a cloud gam-
Me: HOW BOUT NO!!!😡😡😡

Not a snowflake’s chance in hell I ever buy any of these cloud games

Not touching this even with a stick

Cloud game?

Better idea: Put this on Stadia and I will buy it. Otherwise I ain't gonna buy this on Switch

Yeah, I just can't see playing these versions of games. I will buy physical, download it, or play on another platform. I guess I am just an old man now, but I want to play my games from my devices, not worrying about connections. But to each their own, it just isn't for me.

@Tendogamerxxx yes, because it would have cost WAY more & wouldn't have become the success it has become if it was everything u want it to be. If u want to play games like this, buy a series s. For Nintendo, the switch's specs were exactly what they needed to be for success. They don't need to split the user base for a "pro", as they learned from their mistakes (new 3ds). There will be a new console from Nintendo with better specs when they feel it's necessary. They are a business, so they have to do what they think is best for their bottom line.

@larryisanassman yeah, it'd be different if u got a version better than u could even get on a series x or ps5, or at least equal, w ray tracing, etc, but for a dumbed down version to be full price doesn't seem like a great deal. But, as u can see from these comments, ppl will pay it anyways. I just think more ppl would buy it if they thought they were getting a fair deal.

@Krambo42 That's something we agree on. Unlike the Japan-exclusive REVII Cloud Version's controversial Yearly Subscription (which honestly makes sense for this game as usually this game lasts an average of 8 to 15 hours if you want just to go with the Story at your own pace or up to 40 if you're a completionist, so after you done it, there's no reason to go back to the game so a year is more than enough time), This is a pay once and done rental until servers get downed just like any digital game (But with the difference that with a Digital game, you can actually store them for future use even when servers get downed, but even so, the Switch itself was not a console designed for game preservation at all (none of the Modern Consoles are (and even PC and Android to a extent neither unless you heavily rely on piracy which is frowned upon by most gamers and even the companies themselves) but it's more evident with the Switch due to the Portable-centered design) as the Switch lacks support for external Hard Drives, and microSDs are very fragile (and very Expensive if you want the higher capacities such as the 0.5, 1 or 2 TB ones which are the ones perfect for game preservation that are compatible with the Switch) to simply keep all the games there down the line. Heck, the physical format of the Switch is basically a Proprietary version of a SD card with a Downloaded game inside of it)

@Tendogamerxxx The Switch literally runs Hyrule Warriors. So I don’t get what your point even is.

The game looks really “it’s fine”. Not worth $80 to me but if it ever hits like $30 or Gamepass it’d give it a go.

@BAN Really? You’re gonna go there? If you consider choppy, laggy, low res gameplay “running”. You’re the reason why we get, what we get with Nintendo. It’s like watching molasses in combat.

I’m a huge Nintendo fan, but man I hope the Steam deck gives Nintendo a run for their money. They need a wake up call.

I can't get behind this. PSNow has a ton of games you can stream for a pretty low price, and you can download a whole lot of them instead if you choose. I don't hate the idea of streaming necessarily, but I wouldn't pay any price for a game like that. PS Now has a lot of issues, and I have 100mb/s download and good speeds here but I'd often get game freezes or booted out entirely, or the game slows down or gets jittery and that's all very annoying but at least it's not very expensive and you get an incredible value with hundreds of games. Doing anything but the rental Netflix-like route is too expensive for a single game that may or may not work.

As someone who embraced cloud gaming since its infancy with OnLive, I must say that every cloud game sucks on Switch. This new Guardians of the Galaxy one is no exception. It was blurry and laggy on my Switch OLED screen. Same thing for Control, which I "own" when and tried it on the OLED a few days ago.

This games do too little for the price. They're only really playable in dock mode and even then, they lack any kind of support for core Switch features like gyro aiming and HD rumble

Started the game last night. It's been a slow year in gaming this year but I feel this could be a contender for game of the year for me. Up there with Metroid Dread. The writing is great, I'm liking the gameplay so far and the music is perfect. Highly recommend to play if it runs well for you.

I'll never get why people pay money for games that they don't own.
Happy ranting when servers go offline... whenever they decide it.

I get the hate on cloud gaming, but honestly I have been somewhat swayed when I look at services like Stadia and how solid the performance is. Even on a weak connection. I really hope Nintendo can improve the server they are using for their cloud games so these titles can be made more available or maybe a contract with Google to get a better performance for all.

@CodyMKW but why cannot it not be good for home consoles? Xbox Game Pass has shown that it can work. I think Nintendo just needs to rethink how they do cloud gaming. Maybe even using Stadia as their backend service like ATT and is doing now.

All cloud games should be in that "Expansion Pack".

The idea of "purchasing" a cloud version is absurd. A fee to access the game makes more sense.

@Tendogamerxxx Lol you seem like a profoundly ridiculous person. I’m going to chalk it up to age. What are you, 17?

But yes, I’M the reason the Switch doesn’t have the power you personally wish it had. Me. One single guy who has literally zero input at Nintendo and zero influence over the gaming public at large. Just me, no one else. All those 90 million Switches that were sold? All me. I bought them all. And the like one billion Switch games that have sold? Also me. Nintendo saw that and said hey you know what, obviously we did everything right because this one guy buys everything related to the Switch so let’s just keep making this model for an entire generation and never upgrade it because this one guy seemingly doesn’t think it’s necessary.

As for Steam Deck, is anyone even buying that thing when it comes out? Last I heard they had like 100,000 preorders. Not exactly lighting the world on fire. But it’s also more expensive and doesn’t have much overlap with Switch in terms of its library, so it’s kind of in its own universe. People don’t buy Nintendo systems for power or for generic multi-plats that you can get on every system under the sun.

Ridiculously, you Only get one chance to try the demo. I got locked out 5 seconds in after I had to leave it for a while to handle stuff