Astral-Grain

Semi-related: Does anyone remember the PS1 game Ehrgeiz?

It was like Square made their own Final Fantasy Tekken game and it had Cloud and Zack and Sephiroth and it took a bunch of weird risks, similar to The Bouncer on the PS2.

There are so many old quirky games that just kind of got forgotten, so I'm glad they're being rediscovered and resurfaced.

@SuntannedDuck2 Lol wow I didn't expect to see a solid PSP recommendation here - Coded Arms is an FPS Roguelike?

What a sweet concept, I'll have to check it out. Graphics look pretty good for PSP.

@SuntannedDuck2 Lol is there a rule list somewhere that explains this seemingly arbitrary distinction?

Nier: Automata is officially listed as an Action-RPG, and isn't allowed on the Action list simply because it contains RPG elements.

Hades is officially listed as a Roguelike and has RPG elements, but is allowed on the list because ... reasons.

I think a "Hack and Slash" list would be easier to understand, these just come off like random opinions to me.

Oh, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, where art thou?

@daveMcFlave Good luck to you!

After that other user told me it was borked, I tried Steam and immediately got an error when I tried to connect, wouldn't even let me get as far as uploading.

My fingers are crossed GOG still works and it's just Steam that got borked.

@RainbowGazelle We shall agree to disagree on that point.

There may be 200 sailors rowing the large corporate ship, but it's still just an inanimate ship and only 2-3 greedy captains are the ones actually steering it.

Luckily though, these "sailors" can abandon the corporate ship when it starts to head in a bad direction, but none of them can control where it goes.

I went a bit further with that metaphor than I intended lol

@Kirbyo At the risk of looking like an idiot (though I already do), I believe this was a joke.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika To be fair, corporations are not people with feelings or a soul, and their entire existence is to make as much money as possible, and they are acting according to this goal.

Though, I won't defend Markus Persson and their views on gender equality, among other things ...

@WizardJ If you assume an entire generation of people all participated in eating tide pods together, then you shouldn't mind if I call you a boomer for belittling millenials specifically, and assume you and all people in your generation destroyed the economy for all future generations.

Now back to reality, I never ate tide pods, and you never destroyed the economy.

What benefit is it to clump people together and make large assumptions about them just based on their age?

@ChickenJoe Lol your comment is the definition of filler - in that nothing was changed by its existence.

Cool story, when will we get Xenogears HD-2D?

I reckon this is a filler story.

@DanijoEX You are a hero, thank you!

According to the Fandom Wiki:
Once the Mooncalf was in the moonlight, it performed complicated dance moves while standing on its hind legs. It was believed that this is part of the Mooncalf mating ritual, but also had the side effect of creating geometric patterns in wheat fields that confused Muggles.

I dunno how I feel about Mooncalfs being responsible for crop circles.

If these articles have taught me anything, it's that deep and rich mechanics are absolutely worthless if there isn't someone like Kate Grey there to document it and share it with others.

I don't think Disney even has a PR team for the Switch version of this game, it's just Kate Grey in windowless room playing and writing her findings.

@Ulysses Let's Go definitely has more vibrant colors than Sca/Vio, but I think that hard outlines/cel-shaded style would knock it from "pretty" to "gorgeous"

@alasdair91 Wow, I didn't realize. How long has it been broken and has CDPR said anything?

I guess I'm glad I moved my saves over when I did, I'll at least be able to do my new game + on Steam Deck and Xbox while they figure out what they're doing with Switch.

@CMS_Glalie Not my point at all.

I just meant the graphics look poor compared to other anime-style titles and I'm surprised they went with this no outlines/washed out colors style rather than the vibrant colors/hard outlines style they've done in many previous Pokemon games.

I can already move my Switch save to my Steam Deck, so I don't think cross cloud saves are a problem for Switch owners.

Even though cross-platform cloud saves are part of the update, so long as you have a steam account, I think you can still transfer that Switch save to Xbox or PS when it drops on other platforms.

I know I'm probably alone here, but I really wish they still used the cel-shaded art style like they did in Omega Ruby/Sapphire and X/Y back on 3DS. They still look really good today.

When I play Dragon Ball Z Kakarot (2020) or Dragon Ball FighterZ (2018), it feels like I'm playing in an actual episode of the anime. It's breath-taking.

Scarlet/Violet graphics just look like Pokemon Go with a little more detail, and I think it's a huge missed opportunity for a game based on an anime.

It's worth considering that the majority of people love and remember Dragon Quest VIII not because it was incredibly innovative, but because the cel-shading and colorful art style they implemented made the game gorgeous to play over a decade later.

@PJOReilly Thank you for the details!

Hello @PJOReilly,

Would you mind describing the visual quality of this game? As in, the animation quality, sprites, lighting, etc. I was missing details about design as well with regard to the levels/interiors and perhaps puzzle design and would like to know more.

Additionally, can say anything about the audio quality? Is there music in this game and if so, how is it? I was missing these details.

Lastly, can a newcomer play this game or is it required to play the first game?

I appreciate your timely response.

@WizardJ I've read your previous Vio/Sca comments and I'd like to ask you to clarify, if it's not too much trouble.

Is it your stance that (millenial?) consumers are stupid and childish because they purchased a faulty product, complained about performance issues, and didn't instinctively know to install it on their internal drives for slightly better performance?

I eagerly await your explanation.

This "trick" is true for many games to improve loading times/performance, and has been known since the Switch released.

But we can pretend it's a solution just for Pokemon Vio/Sca if it makes you feel better.

"Violet is pared back about as far as you can go, and still can't manage to hold on to 30 FPS.

Plus, when the game does drop a significant number of frames, you can feel the animation slow down, suggesting the game speed is tied to frame rate."

Looks like Gamefreak added a slow-motion feature, that's pretty cool.

-Stares blankly at 7/10 Review Score-

May be an unpopular take, but why even have a "most wanted game" award?

Hype and anticipation for unreleased games is all driven by marketing and PR, is this a PR award? If so, what about indie companies that can't afford to plaster their game all over the intenet to get people hyped?

Just seems stupid to me and not really related to actual gaming experience, especially with how many games flopped in the last few years specifically because of over-hype.

@Xansies Ah, thanks for clarifying.

I always have a hard time determining which Pokemon titles are supposed to be "main" titles and which are supposed to be "spin offs" or whatever.

@BTB20

1. Swordplay
2. Wakeboarding
3. Frisbee
4. Disc golf
5. Archery
6. Basketball
7. Table tennis
8. Golf
9. Bowling
10. Power cruising
11. Canoeing
12. Cycling
13. Air Sports

@Xansies Oh no, I don't consider Sw/Sh open world, I'd say that game is closer to X/Y in format and how you travel the world.

I was referring to:
Attempt #1 - Arceus (2022)
Attempt #2 - S/V (2022)

Better luck next year, I suppose.

@WallyWest We can agree they technically delivered an open world Pokemon experience.

Though as you mentioned at the end, it is an experience that leaves a lot to be desired.

@WallyWest I guess your memory is fuzzy, let me help you remember.

Skyim (2011) includes 7 large settlements that can be entered without a loading screen, which doesn't even include Orc Strongholds, castles, inns, and other buildings that are all accessible from the overworld map.

Oblivion (2008) includes 39 settlements that can be entered without a loading screen.

And finally, in Morrowind (2002), every single city, town, and settlement can be entered without a loading screen.

These are just Bethesda games, but there are plenty of other examples if you want more, Breath of the Wild does this really well with almost no load screens. The same goes for The Witcher 3 with endless interiors that don't need loading, and both of those games run great on Switch.

Gamefreak is the only company I know that can get away with being a decade behind everyone else technology-wise and still be praised by fans.

I dare say this beanbag chair is also perfect for sitting quietly in a room, not just playing Pokemon.

@WallyWest "Seamless towns are in S/V "

Oh, I didn't mean to imply these basic open world concepts don't exist in Pokemon S/V, I only meant to say these concepts were perfected over a decade ago and it is therefore embarrassing that they are executed so poorly now at the end of 2022.

"um nearly every town/city in Elder Scrolls is locked behind a loading screen, you have played ES right?"

I've played all 3 games, have you? Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim all have plenty of towns you can enter that don't require a load screen because they are part of the open world map. Granted, some cities exist behind a loading screen, but saying "nearly every town/city is locked behind a load screen" is patently false.

"Jumping isn't important, Assassin's Creed also restricts jumping and that's what S/V does it restricts it as you can still jump its just limited to your rideable Legendary."

Interesting to compare AC to Pokemon, they're almost nothing alike and AC handles jumping/platforming far better, but okay.

Assassin's Creed is basically a free-running/parkour simulator, so you never need a "jump button" when you have a "get over just about anything button", which unless I am mistaken, Pokemon S/V doesn't have a free-running/parkour feature like this.

Just like with Arceus, Gamefreak wanted the ridable Pokemon to appear more useful than they actually are, so they took regular abilities like jumping and climbing and locked them behind ridable pokemon.

I understand using "Cut" or "Fly" abilities are a staple of the franchise, but it's odd that the human you play as has perfectly functioning legs and still is required to mount a Pokemon before they can jump over a small fence or rock.

Have I gone back in time, what year is this?

Jumping, Enemy Level Scaling, Intuitive Map Structure, Intuitive Map Traversal, Optimized Camera Movement, and Seamless Towns are all Open World concepts that have existed since like 2000s and have only been improved since then.

Morrowind, an open world game that included all of this was released in 2002

Oblivion, an open world game that included all of this was released in 2008

Skyrim, an open world game that included all of this was released in 2011

And here in 2022, we have the first "true" open world Pokemon game and they didn't even include the ability to jump.

@Serpenterror To be fair, one could argue any game would work best if it started development on the Switch first.

The issue is, developers make more money releasing on PC, PS, and Xbox because their hardware is more similar and therefore easier to release a consistent product across multi-platform. Switch is sometimes included in multi-platform releases, but it's very hit and miss, and understandably so.

It's just like the PS Vita back when it came out - the hardware is great if developers actually understand the system and take advantage of what it can do, but it's just cheaper and less risky for developers to avoid a Switch release or simply make it a Cloud game for Switch.

@johnvboy

If all Switch games have some version of jagged edges, yet some look worse than others - isn't this valid cause for criticism?

If Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has more obvious jagged edges when compared to Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, am I not allowed to criticize the jagged edges on XC2 just because all Switch games have some variation of jagged edges?

That doesn't make sense to me.

You may believe it's not possible to have an open world game on Switch without severe pop-in, jaggies, and choppy frames, but the thing is - we already have plenty of open world games on Switch that achieved this goal already.

@Nintendo_Thumb "I get that people love to complain about Nintendo games, especially motion controlled games but you should complain about real problems not lies that make things sound worse than they are."

The "Nintendo Hater" might would work if I actually hated Nintendo, but I don't and haven't said anything to indicate I do. I'm just a normal consumer that noticed a re-boot of an old title includes less content and is generally less fun than the original title(s).

I will admit I mistakenly named Wii Sports when I actually meant Wii Sports Resort - which launched in 2008 including 13 activities to play through.

Please feel free to elaborate what other "Lies" I am spreading.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika Excellent point!

Xenoblade Chronicles X (sadly dead on Wii U for the moment) did a great job with traversal and introducing you to the vast open world.

You start on your feet walking the massive land, then get some land vehicles to speed it up a bit, and then finally get the flying mod for your mech suit and now you can fly just about anywhere and it's an amazing feeling.

Even Skyrim's janky wall-climbing horses made the world a blast to explore.

Open world games are useless if you can't traverse them smoothly and stylishly.

@Cool-Breeze It's a little reminiscent of the GTA era where every single video game needed to be open world or the Uncharted era where every single game needs to have climbing mechanics, even though these mechanics didn't fit with most games, they were just a gimmick.

Gamefreak was pretty slow to adopt new changes in their games in the GBC/GBA/DS/3DS era, so I like seeing the shift to something non-traditional where new mechanics are added, but it seems like every time they veer from the norm, they botch the execution.

I think creating an Open World Pokemon game is certainly profitable, as this is a fantasy I've heard about from others since the 90s. It's just a little strange other developers mastered Open World games in like the 2010s and Gamefreak is still struggling to create a smooth Open World experience in 2022 after attempting it twice now.

3rd time's a charm, I suppose, we'll see what next year's Pokemon title brings.

"Right in time for the addition of the hotly-anticipated golf mode to the game"

You mean to tell me the $39.99 re-boot launched with only 1/2 the amount of activities as the original title and they just recently added golf as a "free update", bringing the total number of activities to 7? Oh, and they also plan to release even more activities in 2023 as paid DLC? Neat.

That's a stark contrast compared to Wii Sports Resort that included 13 activities the day it launched.

Unless it's Cloud-only, I don't understand why anyone would have hope for a full reboot title to come to Switch. Even the "impossible" ports like Witcher 3 and No Man's Sky came years after the initial release, and they took significant tweaking and effort just for the Switch version.

The Final Fantasy VII Intergrade reboot came out in 2020 and the Resident Evil 2 reboot in 2019 - both of these games are far beyond what the Switch can handle without the use of Cloud Technology, and it's only becoming more demanding with time.

This one is boring, Pokemon exploits used to be spicy.

Remember back on Pokemon Gold/Silver, you could duplicate a Pokemon by turning off the console at a specific moment when transferring the pokemon to your PC.

If you got the timing wrong, you could corrupt your whole save and have to start over again. It made it risky but also very rewarding if you pulled it off.

Bring back game-corrupting exploits you cowards!

@johnvboy

"jaggies are a thing on all Nintendo software"

"Pop in is pretty much a thing on most Switch games"

"... it is a limitation of the more modestly powered hardware, and no amount of optimization will eradicate it completely."

To name just a few, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Alien: Isolation would all like a word with you. These statements just aren't true.

Let's not go down the path of blaming the console for being weak, we need to hold developers/publishers accountable for releasing unfinished products due to unrealistic deadlines.

If we don't hold them accountable, we will continue to get unfinished products on release day.

Let's not forget Beyond Good & Evil 2: https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/beyond_good_and_evil_2

I saw some development footage a couple years ago and was so excited it would come to Switch, I even told a buddy of mine to keep an eye out for it because it's likely to be really good.

Then it just vanished.

@johnvboy "jaggies are a thing on all Nintendo software"

Jaggies exist in other Nintendo games, but they just look far worse in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet in comparison.

I understand gameplay is more important than graphics, I put 50ish hours into The Outer Worlds on Switch because it was a lot of fun, despite the graphics looking muddy and many calling it unplayable.

The thing is the performance issues found in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet do hinder the experience, and it's not just visuals only. Stuttering and asset popping are just not something I would expect a 7/10 rated game to include.

@BTB20 That is correct, games with performance issues that are so severe they hinder the experience should be given a score that tells consumers to beware or proceed with caution.

A 5/10 for Oddworld Soulstorm tells consumers the game should be avoided because it's either not a finished product or it's simply not enjoyable.

A 7/10 for Pokemon Scarlet/Violet tells consumers the game may not be for everyone but it's still perfectly enjoyable and to buy it if you like Pokemon.

I have no doubt they will patch the game, and I would understand if the score was changed after a patch, but giving it a 7/10 in its current broken state and assuming it will be patched soon is just very different treatment compared to 3rd party games, and it's hard to ignore bias when it exists so blatantly, that's all.

@johnvboy

Pokemon Violet/Scarlet's core features:
-Jagged low-res textures
-Unstable frames
-Insane asset pop-in

When this happens in other games, I get mad. But in Pokemon, everything is a feature.

Each time I drop a frame, it feels like Papa Nintendo giving me a big warm hug.

I have great sympathy for anyone who is tasked to review a cloud game.

Reason #1 Hardly anyone will actually read the whole review, for the simple reason that it's about a cloud game.

Reason #2 The reviewer has to actually play through a cloud game.

"We really hope Game Freak can figure out how to smooth out the series’ ongoing performance issues on Switch because they’re going to become a serious detriment over time."

I wish they had this same positive outlook for 3rd party titles with performance issues. Games like Oddworld: Soulstorm get scorched with 5/10s for issues like these, but Pokemon gets a pass because it's Nintendo exclusive.

We know there is bias on a Nintendo website, but please try harder to make it less obvious.

@SpaceboyScreams Ah, so it's not just the performance, but they cut a lot of stuff compare to previous games too.

Well that sounds just awful, thank you for letting me know!