The flowers are fine because they don't need to be clicked through. The poplins, on the other hand, throw a giant wrench into the game's flow. Especially in Shining Falls (and to a lesser extent in the Fungi Mines).
@StAmbrosius I haven't played the original games, but I get the sense it might've been due to the comparatively low quality, rather than anything offensive. I'm also bummed though - if I pick up the remaster, I hope I can mute the voiceovers.
@Serpenterror AlphaDream didn't own Mario & Luigi - they developed it for Nintendo. There's no reason another company couldn't be contracted to develop a reboot.
Ugh, no fun being reminded that DKC can count as dormant. I still chose Golden Sun, because Nintendo could use a traditional turn-based JRPG, and it's been way longer since we got a new Golden Sun than a new DKC.
I really wish they'd release English language versions of the Dept. Heaven in the United States - they have translations of all these games, but they're not using them. Would love to revisit Yggdra Union and KitN. A bit less excited for Riviera, tbh.
Oh man, the TWEWY games really deserve to be on this list. Both of those games have some fantastic food. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite, but in NEO TWEWY, it would probably be something from Donburi Town or Spicy Curry Don.
There are a lot of ways a sidequest can be memorable and engaging, but I feel like the focus of this article may be a bit to much on the narrative side. Strong narrative elements are certainly a plus (and really strong narrative elements can even carry a game's worth of sidequests, as they do in XC3), but I think sidequests are also a great way to change up the gameplay loop in interesting and/or challenging ways. Superbosses are an example of this, but so are side-puzzles or (well-crafted) minigames.
Although I absolutely loved the narrative-heavy sidequests in XC3 (which frequently included story tie-ins, lore building, and character development), they were often mechanically pretty uninteresting (though sometimes they fed into fun exploration). In contrast, I also really loved the sky island diving mini-games in TotK, which had zero narrative payoff, but were a refreshing change of pace.
Shocked no one has mentioned A Link Between Worlds - I feel like that game handled the rupee economy better than pretty much any other, with all items being rentals which could eventually be purchased, giving them an upgraded power. Rupees really felt integrated into the core experience in a way that no other Zelda game has managed.
Fuse looks great, perfect blend of creativity, streamlined execution, and hilarity (what do meat arrows do???)
Recall looks fun, but I wonder how versatile it is
Ascend is alright, but feels like it basically rules out true dungeons
Ultrahand looks awful, so crazy fiddly - it's perfect for fans of minecraft, streamers, and speedrunners, but I'm none of those, and it just looks like a lot of work for very little payoff
@CharlieGirl but there already are Atlus and Konami games on NSO, and it is confirmed we're getting Kirby Tilt n' Tumble, which is a special cartridge game.
I would definitely be into a Zelda RPG (whether in the Paper Mario style or otherwise), but what I really want is a brand new, fully fleshed out top-down Zelda game. Could be in the style of the Link's Awakening remake or pixel art (like Cadence of Hyrule). It's sad to think that with the merging of Nintendo's home console and handheld lines, (new, non-remake) top-down Zelda may be a thing of the past...
Picking from the listed options, I'd go with Metroid, but given any choice, I'd want a Xenoblade or Zelda tactics spin-off (seriously, how did Suicide Squad make this list, and Zelda not???).
Celeste was great, but it had a really clear and pretty unique hook (i.e., accessible hardcore platformer that uses gameplay as a lens to explore mental health issues). I cannot tell what the hook is here, other than "metroidvania from the folks behind Celeste." Post Hollow Knight, a metroidvania really needs to stand out to keep my attention, so I'll be waiting on more information/reviews before getting excited for this one.
@Serpenterror was gonna say - the shopkeeper in Link's Awakening left me shaken for days. I don't think I had actual nightmares, but it was a while before I could play the game again...
I think Odyssey nailed Mario's core moveset in a way that no other prior 3D Mario game did. I would be more than happy to see a new Odyssey with new (and perhaps more refined) capture options - there's still a lot that could be done there. Also, if they wanted to expand the light genre/aesthetics hopping they touched on briefly with the dragon boss, all the better.
That said, I would also not say no to a full game in the style of Bowser's Fury. Would be more than happy with either.
SotN is great, but it's nowhere near the best metroidvania out there. Not better than Super Metroid (which has much more engaging navigation throughout), and definitely not better than Hollow Knight (which set a new standard for non-linear exploration).
For all its strengths, SotN struggles most on two fronts. First, the upside-down castle portion is actually really dumb once the novelty wears off. The original castle doesn't translate into anything really interesting to navigate once flipped. Second, most of Alucard's movement abilities are really boring. Bat form is the worst offender, since it invalidates a bunch of level design (and unlimited flying abilities in sidescrollers is pretty much always a mistake). Mist form is also bad, since it's a super linear key-lock ability, with very few applications.
Zelda is one of those series where it really doesn't matter. There are so many potential starting points, so just pick whichever looks good to you.
Edit: I guess to elaborate further, there are probably a handful of games that most people probably shouldn't start with, namely, the NES games and the wonky DS entries. But if those genuinely look like the most fun to you, go ahead.
The original Mario+Rabbids was a perfectly competent game, and also one of the only Switch games I own that put down out of boredom and have therefore never finished. I have every intention of letting Sparks of Hope pass me altogether.
@DrewBA77 I mean, even as someone who's overall enjoyed the MCU, I'd admit there are plenty of easily skippable Marvel films (arguably, a majority of Phase 1 and 2 aren't strictly needed, and a newcomer should probably avoid a couple of them...)
@RupeeClock ooof, I hope this isn't similar to merc missions - the whole mandatory idle system was one of the bad "mobile game-y" mechanics that really soured me on XC2 overall (that and the gacha blade pull system).
It looks like let's go doesn't require sifting through menus to implement, and hopefully there's not a hard timer on how long the mons need to be out, so this may not be too similar to XC2...
@Browny The frequent crashes sounds like it maybe a hardware issue - I don't remember for sure, but I might have had one crash in the 70+ hours I've played the game so far (though a couple of loading screens when fast traveling stuck around long enough I was worried the game had crashed); it's definitely not a frequent issue for me.
1. Unova (sure, there are weak designs, but every gen has weak designs; Unova has the most all-time greats of any gen) 2. Alola (Ultrabeasts puts this over the top for me, such great designs, wish they'd revisit it) 3-5. Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos (Hoenn and Sinnoh are both solid gens, with a reasonable showing of strong designs; Kalos is weak in terms of fully new dex entries, but if you include megas, then it's in the running for middle-tier); Hisui can slot in somewhere in the middle too. 6. Kanto (it's classic, but massively overrated) 7. Johto (too many baby mons, too many weak designs, too few mons) 8. Galar (too much "Pokemon, but Bri'ish")
Ah yes, classic Nintendo games Final Fantasy VI and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow...
Honestly, I'm not sure about sidescrollers in HD-2D, seems to be better suited for top-down games. A Super Metroid remake in particular would be hugely divisive. I'm of the opinion that the game could use some physics and combat/overall control upgrades, but it would be a tall order to pull that off while still maintaining the atmospheric brilliance of the original. I'd much rather just get another brand new sidescrolling metroid than yet another remake. Dread was great, let's keep the train moving.
Long load times are pretty much the only performance downgrade that can really kill a game for me. I put down Cris Tales on Switch because of the load times before random encounters.
That said, if they're only between major areas and/or cutscenes, and the areas are relatively large, I can tolerate them. Would be nice to get a sense as to when and how frequent the load times pop up here.
@Astral-Grain I didn't read/watch every review of XC3, but I didn't see any putting too much emphasis on performance issues. Even Digital Foundry's analysis was broadly positive.
It's still a Switch game, and looks like one, but it's definitely an improvement over XC2 and XCDE. Handheld is still a noticeable downgrade over docked, but even then it's a marked improvement over its predecessors.
Edit: Also, regarding your other point, these numbers are for Japan, where Steam Deck preorders just opened within the last few weeks. I very much doubt the Steam Deck has had any impact on video game sales there.
I don't hate the idea here, but I really hate the aesthetic - these just look like kitschy crystal figurines. Mega-evolution is the only generational gimmick so far that's felt like a natural extension of Pokemon's core gameplay, and it's also the only gimmick that's been accompanied by really cool designs (a few of the G-max designs came close, but most fell flat for me).
Also, the implementation of G-max and now tera-types as yet another "chase" mechanic to drive engagement just feels a bit cheap. Pokemon is already rife with gacha mechanics, so I guess it's not too surprising, but for whatever reason this added layer rubs me the wrong way.
I have never played Portal, but sadly this is new game month (finishing up Live A Live now and I'll then dig into XC3), so the backlog will have to wait. Also, I haven't bought Portal, so it's not really part of my backlog either (though I suppose I really should play it at some point, I've heard it's a seminal work in the novel genre of first-person puzzle games).
So obviously SV will be the main focus here, but honestly I will probably be more hyped if they announce a major PLA expansion - that game was excellent, and I would love another reason to dig back in.
Anyone complaining about misleading marketing has not been paying attention - in the very few statements that the design team and company have made about this game for the last six months, it has been abundantly clear that it is primarily a VN with some light tactical combat elements. Moreover, the recent trailers have placed heavy emphasis on the VN elements, with only limited footage of the combat.
I think the problem is twofold. First, this is apparently not the game most fans wanted, and it's also not the game that was first announced years ago. Second, the marketing hasn't been misleading, but it has been almost non-existent. The entire lack of any pre-release reviews, the very low overall advertising presence (on English-language websites, at least), and the fact that they probably could not have chosen a worse release date given the direct competition from XC3, combined to mean that you do really need to have been paying attention very closely to have heard anything substantial about this game. The only reason I know anything at all about Digimon Survive is that I loved Digimon as a kid, and I've been checking back in frequently on this game's development.
I probably won't be playing this game for a while (finishing up Live A Live and gonna be booked solid for the next month or so with XC3), but I'm hoping to pick it up eventually (hopefully once we have some real reviews). Despite my hesitancy around VNs, this definitely looks like more the Digimon game I want than the Digimon Story games (which pretty much feel like bland Pokemon clones with Digimon shoehorned in), so I'm reasonably excited.
Download? Nothing. But I preordered physical versions of Live A Live and XC3. I guess I might be downloading the XC3 DLC if I get around to starting that game up though.
(from a casual perspective) Dynamax seemed like a cool idea, but was incredibly boring in execution - I hated how it flattened moveset variety, and warped the rest of the gameplay. I also hated how it completely sidelined mega-evolution, which was really fun and cool. Z-moves were boring, but at least they could exist in a game alongside megas...
...honestly, this HUD looks much easier to parse than the mess we got with XC2. Based on what we've seen so far, there doesn't seem to be anything as obtuse and impossible to track without a spreadsheet as Fusion Combos. There is a lot going on in XC3's HUD, but pretty much everything I've seen so far at least serves a clear purpose.
Pokemon Legends Arceus is my Switch game of 2022 so far by a huge margin, though I fully expect it to be dethroned several times over by the end of the year (XC3 will probably end up on top, but if we're including new-to-me Switch ports, Nier:Automata and Persona 5 Royal will also end up in the running, I'm sure).
Aside from PLA, the first half of 2022 has mostly been for chipping away at my backlog and looking forward to the second half. I tried the Kirby demo, and was very bored, and haven't been incredibly jazzed about any other new releases. There are a few I might pick up on a sale later (namely, Triangle Strategy, Neon White, and Card Shark), and perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised, but nothing other than PLA has felt like appointment gaming so far.
As someone whose only gaming system (that is not a handheld from a previous generation) is a Switch, this was a fantastic direct. I am beyond excited to get a chance to play Nier:Automata and the Persona games, and a MMBN collection has been something I've wanted for ages.
This was great! To be fair, my expectations were quite low, but I'm very happy to see Nier, Persona, and MMBN finally coming to Switch. Sure, there was a decent number of "not for me" games, but that's true of any Direct; give me three games (five really, or thirteen, depending on how you count collections) to be really hyped for and you got a top tier Direct in my book.
To echo some other comments, if the final part of this DLC is anything close to the polish and scope of Torna (which was part of a similar $30 DLC bundle for XC2), that alone will be worth the $30.
Comments 133
Re: Soapbox: No, Mario Wonder's Most-Annoying Character Isn't The Talking Flower
The flowers are fine because they don't need to be clicked through. The poplins, on the other hand, throw a giant wrench into the game's flow. Especially in Shining Falls (and to a lesser extent in the Fungi Mines).
Re: Feature: "JRPG Isn't Just One Blanket Kind Of Game" - Star Ocean: The Second Story Returns 25 Years Later
I really like the visual design of this remake, and hope they do more PS1 remakes in this style.
Re: Poll: Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster Is Out On Switch This Week, Will You Be Getting It?
@StAmbrosius I haven't played the original games, but I get the sense it might've been due to the comparatively low quality, rather than anything offensive. I'm also bummed though - if I pick up the remaster, I hope I can mute the voiceovers.
Re: Poll: Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster Is Out On Switch This Week, Will You Be Getting It?
@StAmbrosius My sense is that none of the versions (including US digital) have the English dub. I don't think it's in the remaster at all.
Re: Feature: So, Which Zelda Games Aren't On Switch Yet?
@Max_the_German - in fact, that's why I voted for it...
Re: Poll: Which Dormant Nintendo Franchise Would You Most Like To See Return?
@Serpenterror AlphaDream didn't own Mario & Luigi - they developed it for Nintendo. There's no reason another company couldn't be contracted to develop a reboot.
Re: Poll: Which Dormant Nintendo Franchise Would You Most Like To See Return?
Ugh, no fun being reminded that DKC can count as dormant. I still chose Golden Sun, because Nintendo could use a traditional turn-based JRPG, and it's been way longer since we got a new Golden Sun than a new DKC.
Also, Mario & Luigi needs to come back.
Re: Cult GBA RPG 'Riviera: The Promised Land' Is Getting An HD Remaster
And now Yggdra Union is coming out in English on Switch!!! Why isn't that getting blurbed on NintendoLife? That's the real news!
Re: Cult GBA RPG 'Riviera: The Promised Land' Is Getting An HD Remaster
I really wish they'd release English language versions of the Dept. Heaven in the United States - they have translations of all these games, but they're not using them. Would love to revisit Yggdra Union and KitN. A bit less excited for Riviera, tbh.
Re: Best Food In Nintendo Switch Games
Oh man, the TWEWY games really deserve to be on this list. Both of those games have some fantastic food. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite, but in NEO TWEWY, it would probably be something from Donburi Town or Spicy Curry Don.
Re: Talking Point: What Makes A Good Sidequest, Anyway?
There are a lot of ways a sidequest can be memorable and engaging, but I feel like the focus of this article may be a bit to much on the narrative side. Strong narrative elements are certainly a plus (and really strong narrative elements can even carry a game's worth of sidequests, as they do in XC3), but I think sidequests are also a great way to change up the gameplay loop in interesting and/or challenging ways. Superbosses are an example of this, but so are side-puzzles or (well-crafted) minigames.
Although I absolutely loved the narrative-heavy sidequests in XC3 (which frequently included story tie-ins, lore building, and character development), they were often mechanically pretty uninteresting (though sometimes they fed into fun exploration). In contrast, I also really loved the sky island diving mini-games in TotK, which had zero narrative payoff, but were a refreshing change of pace.
Re: Soapbox: How Zelda's Bad Economy Made Weapon Degradation Great Again
Shocked no one has mentioned A Link Between Worlds - I feel like that game handled the rupee economy better than pretty much any other, with all items being rentals which could eventually be purchased, giving them an upgraded power. Rupees really felt integrated into the core experience in a way that no other Zelda game has managed.
Re: Video: How To Fully Prepare For The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Step Zero: Finish Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed before May 12....
Re: Nintendo Debuts New Battle Theme From Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
Great battle theme, very Xenoblade. Not even slightly Persona.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of The New Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer?
Fuse looks great, perfect blend of creativity, streamlined execution, and hilarity (what do meat arrows do???)
Recall looks fun, but I wonder how versatile it is
Ascend is alright, but feels like it basically rules out true dungeons
Ultrahand looks awful, so crazy fiddly - it's perfect for fans of minecraft, streamers, and speedrunners, but I'm none of those, and it just looks like a lot of work for very little payoff
Re: Best Zelda Games Of All Time
Cadence of Hyrule should be higher
Re: Feature: 19 Game Boy Games We'd Love To See On Nintendo Switch Online
@CharlieGirl but there already are Atlus and Konami games on NSO, and it is confirmed we're getting Kirby Tilt n' Tumble, which is a special cartridge game.
Re: Video: With 100 Days To Go, What Do You Want To See In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
real dungeons, more enemy variety, hookshot, and why the heck not, some really dumb obscure item like Cane of Somaria
Re: Soapbox: Zelda Should Be Given The Paper Mario Treatment
I would definitely be into a Zelda RPG (whether in the Paper Mario style or otherwise), but what I really want is a brand new, fully fleshed out top-down Zelda game. Could be in the style of the Link's Awakening remake or pixel art (like Cadence of Hyrule). It's sad to think that with the merging of Nintendo's home console and handheld lines, (new, non-remake) top-down Zelda may be a thing of the past...
Re: Quiz: Which Of These Games Is On Switch?
Weird that eshop is mentioned in the tagline and score section, when Super Mario Sunshine is not on the eshop...
Re: Feature: 7 Series That Need A Strategy Spin-Off On Switch
Picking from the listed options, I'd go with Metroid, but given any choice, I'd want a Xenoblade or Zelda tactics spin-off (seriously, how did Suicide Squad make this list, and Zelda not???).
Re: Celeste Creator Shares "First-Look" At New Title Earthblade
Celeste was great, but it had a really clear and pretty unique hook (i.e., accessible hardcore platformer that uses gameplay as a lens to explore mental health issues). I cannot tell what the hook is here, other than "metroidvania from the folks behind Celeste." Post Hollow Knight, a metroidvania really needs to stand out to keep my attention, so I'll be waiting on more information/reviews before getting excited for this one.
Re: Talking Point: Which Scary Video Game Moments Gave You Nightmares As A Kid?
@Serpenterror was gonna say - the shopkeeper in Link's Awakening left me shaken for days. I don't think I had actual nightmares, but it was a while before I could play the game again...
Re: Talking Point: Would You Prefer 'Super Mario Odyssey 2' Or A Totally New 3D Mario?
I think Odyssey nailed Mario's core moveset in a way that no other prior 3D Mario game did. I would be more than happy to see a new Odyssey with new (and perhaps more refined) capture options - there's still a lot that could be done there. Also, if they wanted to expand the light genre/aesthetics hopping they touched on briefly with the dragon boss, all the better.
That said, I would also not say no to a full game in the style of Bowser's Fury. Would be more than happy with either.
Re: Grab Your Torch, Alan Wake Remastered Is Out Now On Nintendo Switch
@rupert_the_giantbear Did you also notice that the game is set in the United States, where torches involve fire?
Re: Grab Your Torch, Alan Wake Remastered Is Out Now On Nintendo Switch
Torch? Oh, torch as in flashlight
Re: Talking Point: It's About Time Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night Came To Switch
SotN is great, but it's nowhere near the best metroidvania out there. Not better than Super Metroid (which has much more engaging navigation throughout), and definitely not better than Hollow Knight (which set a new standard for non-linear exploration).
For all its strengths, SotN struggles most on two fronts. First, the upside-down castle portion is actually really dumb once the novelty wears off. The original castle doesn't translate into anything really interesting to navigate once flipped. Second, most of Alucard's movement abilities are really boring. Bat form is the worst offender, since it invalidates a bunch of level design (and unlimited flying abilities in sidescrollers is pretty much always a mistake). Mist form is also bad, since it's a super linear key-lock ability, with very few applications.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
Zelda is one of those series where it really doesn't matter. There are so many potential starting points, so just pick whichever looks good to you.
Edit: I guess to elaborate further, there are probably a handful of games that most people probably shouldn't start with, namely, the NES games and the wonky DS entries. But if those genuinely look like the most fun to you, go ahead.
Re: Video: Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Talks Your Ear Off, But Has Fun In Spades
The original Mario+Rabbids was a perfectly competent game, and also one of the only Switch games I own that put down out of boredom and have therefore never finished. I have every intention of letting Sparks of Hope pass me altogether.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
@DrewBA77 I mean, even as someone who's overall enjoyed the MCU, I'd admit there are plenty of easily skippable Marvel films (arguably, a majority of Phase 1 and 2 aren't strictly needed, and a newcomer should probably avoid a couple of them...)
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
Any good plot summary videos for the Trails in the Sky that people looking to jump into the series with Trails from Zero can watch?
Re: Auto Battle Pokémon With 'Let's Go!', Scarlet And Violet's Newest Feature
@RupeeClock ooof, I hope this isn't similar to merc missions - the whole mandatory idle system was one of the bad "mobile game-y" mechanics that really soured me on XC2 overall (that and the gacha blade pull system).
It looks like let's go doesn't require sifting through menus to implement, and hopefully there's not a hard timer on how long the mons need to be out, so this may not be too similar to XC2...
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@Browny The frequent crashes sounds like it maybe a hardware issue - I don't remember for sure, but I might have had one crash in the 70+ hours I've played the game so far (though a couple of loading screens when fast traveling stuck around long enough I was worried the game had crashed); it's definitely not a frequent issue for me.
Re: Feature: Which Region Has The Best Pokédex? Every Pokédex, Ranked From Best To Worst
1. Unova (sure, there are weak designs, but every gen has weak designs; Unova has the most all-time greats of any gen)
2. Alola (Ultrabeasts puts this over the top for me, such great designs, wish they'd revisit it)
3-5. Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos (Hoenn and Sinnoh are both solid gens, with a reasonable showing of strong designs; Kalos is weak in terms of fully new dex entries, but if you include megas, then it's in the running for middle-tier); Hisui can slot in somewhere in the middle too.
6. Kanto (it's classic, but massively overrated)
7. Johto (too many baby mons, too many weak designs, too few mons)
8. Galar (too much "Pokemon, but Bri'ish")
Re: Feature: 12 Nintendo Games That Deserve An HD-2D Remake
Ah yes, classic Nintendo games Final Fantasy VI and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow...
Honestly, I'm not sure about sidescrollers in HD-2D, seems to be better suited for top-down games. A Super Metroid remake in particular would be hugely divisive. I'm of the opinion that the game could use some physics and combat/overall control upgrades, but it would be a tall order to pull that off while still maintaining the atmospheric brilliance of the original. I'd much rather just get another brand new sidescrolling metroid than yet another remake. Dread was great, let's keep the train moving.
Re: Review: ANNO: Mutationem - An Impressive Cyberpunk Action-RPG With Stunning Visuals
Long load times are pretty much the only performance downgrade that can really kill a game for me. I put down Cris Tales on Switch because of the load times before random encounters.
That said, if they're only between major areas and/or cutscenes, and the areas are relatively large, I can tolerate them. Would be nice to get a sense as to when and how frequent the load times pop up here.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch Sports Knocks Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Off The Top Spot
@Astral-Grain I didn't read/watch every review of XC3, but I didn't see any putting too much emphasis on performance issues. Even Digital Foundry's analysis was broadly positive.
It's still a Switch game, and looks like one, but it's definitely an improvement over XC2 and XCDE. Handheld is still a noticeable downgrade over docked, but even then it's a marked improvement over its predecessors.
Edit: Also, regarding your other point, these numbers are for Japan, where Steam Deck preorders just opened within the last few weeks. I very much doubt the Steam Deck has had any impact on video game sales there.
Re: The Terastal Phenomenon Is Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Unique Mechanic
I don't hate the idea here, but I really hate the aesthetic - these just look like kitschy crystal figurines. Mega-evolution is the only generational gimmick so far that's felt like a natural extension of Pokemon's core gameplay, and it's also the only gimmick that's been accompanied by really cool designs (a few of the G-max designs came close, but most fell flat for me).
Also, the implementation of G-max and now tera-types as yet another "chase" mechanic to drive engagement just feels a bit cheap. Pokemon is already rife with gacha mechanics, so I guess it's not too surprising, but for whatever reason this added layer rubs me the wrong way.
Re: Backlog Club: Have You Seriously Not Played Portal Yet?
I have never played Portal, but sadly this is new game month (finishing up Live A Live now and I'll then dig into XC3), so the backlog will have to wait. Also, I haven't bought Portal, so it's not really part of my backlog either (though I suppose I really should play it at some point, I've heard it's a seminal work in the novel genre of first-person puzzle games).
Re: Poll: What Are You Hoping To See From This Week's 'Pokémon Presents'?
So obviously SV will be the main focus here, but honestly I will probably be more hyped if they announce a major PLA expansion - that game was excellent, and I would love another reason to dig back in.
Re: Digimon Survive Is Getting Review Bombed On Metacritic
Anyone complaining about misleading marketing has not been paying attention - in the very few statements that the design team and company have made about this game for the last six months, it has been abundantly clear that it is primarily a VN with some light tactical combat elements. Moreover, the recent trailers have placed heavy emphasis on the VN elements, with only limited footage of the combat.
I think the problem is twofold. First, this is apparently not the game most fans wanted, and it's also not the game that was first announced years ago. Second, the marketing hasn't been misleading, but it has been almost non-existent. The entire lack of any pre-release reviews, the very low overall advertising presence (on English-language websites, at least), and the fact that they probably could not have chosen a worse release date given the direct competition from XC3, combined to mean that you do really need to have been paying attention very closely to have heard anything substantial about this game. The only reason I know anything at all about Digimon Survive is that I loved Digimon as a kid, and I've been checking back in frequently on this game's development.
I probably won't be playing this game for a while (finishing up Live A Live and gonna be booked solid for the next month or so with XC3), but I'm hoping to pick it up eventually (hopefully once we have some real reviews). Despite my hesitancy around VNs, this definitely looks like more the Digimon game I want than the Digimon Story games (which pretty much feel like bland Pokemon clones with Digimon shoehorned in), so I'm reasonably excited.
Re: Nintendo Download: 28th July (North America)
Download? Nothing. But I preordered physical versions of Live A Live and XC3. I guess I might be downloading the XC3 DLC if I get around to starting that game up though.
Re: Feature: Dynamax Ain’t That Bad - Pokemon’s Recent Battle Mechanics Ranked
(from a casual perspective) Dynamax seemed like a cool idea, but was incredibly boring in execution - I hated how it flattened moveset variety, and warped the rest of the gameplay. I also hated how it completely sidelined mega-evolution, which was really fun and cool. Z-moves were boring, but at least they could exist in a game alongside megas...
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Delves Into Unique Monsters, Ouroboros, And Colonies
...honestly, this HUD looks much easier to parse than the mess we got with XC2. Based on what we've seen so far, there doesn't seem to be anything as obtuse and impossible to track without a spreadsheet as Fusion Combos. There is a lot going on in XC3's HUD, but pretty much everything I've seen so far at least serves a clear purpose.
Re: Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games And Accessories For July And August 2022
So from an objective view, this is a very light month for Switch releases...
...but from my perspective, this is easily the most exciting release schedule for any month so far this year!
Re: Poll: What's Your Game Of The Year 2022 So Far?
Pokemon Legends Arceus is my Switch game of 2022 so far by a huge margin, though I fully expect it to be dethroned several times over by the end of the year (XC3 will probably end up on top, but if we're including new-to-me Switch ports, Nier:Automata and Persona 5 Royal will also end up in the running, I'm sure).
Aside from PLA, the first half of 2022 has mostly been for chipping away at my backlog and looking forward to the second half. I tried the Kirby demo, and was very bored, and haven't been incredibly jazzed about any other new releases. There are a few I might pick up on a sale later (namely, Triangle Strategy, Neon White, and Card Shark), and perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised, but nothing other than PLA has felt like appointment gaming so far.
...that's gonna change come July 29th.
Re: Talking Point: So, What Did You Think Of Nintendo's June Mini-Direct?
As someone whose only gaming system (that is not a handheld from a previous generation) is a Switch, this was a fantastic direct. I am beyond excited to get a chance to play Nier:Automata and the Persona games, and a MMBN collection has been something I've wanted for ages.
Re: Round Up: Every Game And Trailer From The Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase June 2022
This was great! To be fair, my expectations were quite low, but I'm very happy to see Nier, Persona, and MMBN finally coming to Switch. Sure, there was a decent number of "not for me" games, but that's true of any Direct; give me three games (five really, or thirteen, depending on how you count collections) to be really hyped for and you got a top tier Direct in my book.
Re: Feature: 10 Famous Franchises That Would Make Great Warriors Games
I would love to see an action-based Xenoblade spinoff, but I hope it's not a musou...
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 To Get An Expansion Pass Including New Story Content
To echo some other comments, if the final part of this DLC is anything close to the polish and scope of Torna (which was part of a similar $30 DLC bundle for XC2), that alone will be worth the $30.