Comments 378

Re: Rumour: Red Dead Redemption 2 May Be Heading To Switch 2 Pretty Soon

Mii_duck

I'm probably in a minority here, but I found RDR1 to be quite dull.
I thought it was an ugly looking world and the story didn't grab me, the whole thing didn't seem much fun.

I can appreciate it was a good game, but just not for me. I bought RDR2 for my Steam Deck before I played RDR1 but as yet I haven't played it, I'm hoping it's better suited to me. Maybe I just don't like Westerns.

Re: Cyberpunk 2077's Physical Edition On Switch 2 Won't Require A Download

Mii_duck

Going to be fascinating to see how this looks and runs.
The base game on Steam Deck is over 115 gig from (admittedly poor!) memory and runs fine, but I believe the Phantom Liberty DLC chugs a heck of a lot. It's not recommended to run from an SD card on Deck.

Edit: just checked and the base game requires 70gig storage on Steam Deck.
Phantom Liberty is 35gig.

Re: Registration For The 'Nintendo Switch 2 Experience' Begins Soon

Mii_duck

I was lucky enough to win a place with my wife to the Switch 1 launch event.
At the time there was a lot of scepticism and "Ninten-doomed" on forums and I admit I wasn't convinced either, but after going hands on at the event I became a committed fan.
Even if I still couldn't make some of you lot on here believe

Giggling playing Switch 1-2, trying Arms, and of course queueing up to play Breath of the Wild and being blown away by the world was so much fun. Just a great day.

Edit: the pin badge and lanyard in my avatar pic were freebies from the event.

Re: Patent Suggests Samsung May Create Its Own Foldable Handheld Console

Mii_duck

@N00BiSH - I had a Samsung Flip 4, loved the tactile form factor. Functioned fine, crease in the screen wasn't too noticeable.
However, after 11 months of genuinely careful use the screen film started lifting and cracking. By the horrendous sound the glass was going too. Took it to my local official Samsung repairer, had to do a factory reset before they'd work on it - and then they didn't have parts so I was without the phone for a week.

I changed to a S24+ before my contract was up, when EE had a special offer.

I don't know if the current Flip 6 is any better, but I'm loathe to risk another foldable and definitely not an expensive gaming handheld!

Re: Review: Yakuza Kiwami (Switch) - A Decent Port Of An Ambitious, Frustrating Game

Mii_duck

The thing about Yakuza games is they're not really designed to be rushed. Walk around the city, do mini games, fight randoms - grind (for want of a better word) your skill levels and the difficulty spikes aren't that harsh. I'm an averagely skilled gamer and I only had a few tricky bits on normal difficulty, but stocking up on items/weapons/buffs really helps.

You have to buy-in to cutscenes, it's part of the games.

I'm currently playing 2 and loving it. 0 was amazing but I think this, 1, is the weakest in terms of drawing you in. But it's still a solid 8/10 in my view.

Re: Soapbox: Has Nintendo Set A Precedent That 'Switch 2' Can't Hope To Match?

Mii_duck

I think the market is a different place now.

Switch was the first to really nail the hybrid thing - though I admit I had my doubts until the first time I got hands on - it's a wonderful box of tricks.

But as much as they say it's not a rival, the Steam Deck (and several others) exist now. The SD has a massive back catalogue, Microsoft, Sony, third party, even if the latest AAA games won't run on it. If it's a choice of playing a port on Switch or SD... I'd go SD every time.

Of course not everyone can afford or wants two consoles, but for me the Switch 2 has to justify a purchase on the strength of Nintendo exclusives now, and that's a tougher sell.

Re: Video: What Would A 'Master Mode' In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Be Like?

Mii_duck

It's funny, I don't think I beat one Lynel in Breath of the Wild, but in Tears I've been harvesting them for bows and completed the floating coliseum last night with nary a scratch.

Took a long time to be in this position though, and I still don't feel overpowered/invincible like late game Assassin's Creed Odyssey or Cyberpunk for example.

And still can't flurry rush to save my life.

Re: Soapbox: These Everyday Items Trigger Me Now, And I Blame Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Mii_duck

Love this article, and absolutely get it!

I was at a cafe overlooking the countryside with my wife a while back. We sat in quiet contemplation of the rolling hills for a while, enjoying the moment...

"You see those three trees?"

"Yes?"

"Looks suspicious. Definitely a korok there".

"Absolutely. Bet there is a bokoblin camp near that tower (pylon) too."

I mean, who hasn't said "it's dangerous to go alone, take this..." to their partner before handing over something innocuous like an umbrella or something? If not do you even Zelda?

Re: Random: What Does Link Weigh In Tears Of The Kingdom? One Fan Builds Scale To Find Out

Mii_duck

Kgs are a unit of mass, not weight, incidentally.

Yes I know, "Pedant", but a scientifically correct pedant 😉

Weight is a measure of force, gravity, that acts on an object, while mass is a measure for how much 'stuff' that object contains. And to be fair, as gravity doesn't change that much on Earth (our weight will be slightly less at the top of Mount Everest to sea level, but our mass the same) we tend to use the terms interchangeably.

So while you'd have the same mass on Earth and on the moon for example, you'd weigh significantly less on the moon.

Re: New Kingdoms Of Amalur Expansion Gets A "Last Moment" Delay On Switch

Mii_duck

@Polvasti, @Avaloner - I've finished the game on Switch and the worst bug was a certain important quest line where the game would crash as soon as I started dialogue with someone I had to interact with.
However, after playing on for about 10 hours I tried again and it worked fine this time.
Some places on Google suggest the crash is linked to armour or a weapon - not sure about that but at least ultimately it wasn't a game breaking bug.

Re: Soapbox: The Steam Deck And The Switch Aren't Rivals, They're Siblings

Mii_duck

@Koda1000 - the tweaking put me off as well, to be honest. I'm used to 'plug and play' when it comes to games.
Tomb Raider (2015), AC Odyssey, Grid, Cyberpunk 2077 - in the end I just set them to High or Ultra and they seem to run OK.

Cyberpunk has a dedicated Deck setting, I can see more games offering that if the Deck becomes more popular, though a Ubisoft advisor said recently that they don't give any specific technical attention to the Deck - as in it's down to luck if the games run on it!

Re: Soapbox: The Steam Deck And The Switch Aren't Rivals, They're Siblings

Mii_duck

I've not touched my Switch since I got my Steam Deck, mainly because there are no new games for the Switch I want, so I'm getting all the games I didn't have access to before.

I find the Deck a lot more comfortable than the Switch to hold, despite the weight there is much less finger cramping.
It was a slight culture shock being purely a console gamer having all these options, sliders and toggles for graphics etc, along with various game launchers (EA's new one doesn't work on Deck apparently, so no Mass Effect) but I'm getting there.
Cyberpunk 2077 ran fantastic and I'm currently on Assassin's Creed Odyssey. With graphics on high though, battery life is barely over an hour.
Forza 4 was a huge disappointment, it ran fine to start and now crashes so often that you a lucky to finish a race, if you can even manage to begin one. It should really be listed as Unsupported.

Steam sales are pretty impressive too. Witcher 3 for example is currently under £7 with all the DLC. Big games are regularly reduced 60-odd percent or more.

I've never been a FPS or graphics tart, but must admit certain games look amazing.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 20th)

Mii_duck

Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Deck.

Next it'll be Assassin's Creed one on the 'Deck before playing the last of the Ezio Collection on Switch.
Unless I can't resist diving into Odyssey first, or something else that comes up in a deep sale.

Not sure when I'll get to the last of my backlog, Dark Souls on Switch.

Re: Valve's Steam Client Beta Adds Support For Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers

Mii_duck

Ah, comparison footage. Hard conclusive evidence for a well reasoned argument.

Please list every single graphic setting used on the Steam Deck and the update version on Switch in this comparison you watched on a compressed stream.

Actually don't.

So far you've said the Deck is comically large - I and others (who actually have one) have stated it's more comfortable than the Switch.

You said the Deck screen was only 720p, so couldn't look as good as the... 720p Switch. The OLED/graphics difference was explained to you.

You said the Switch now has a longer lasting battery. Yes, now, after years of development the Deck hasn't had yet, it's just been released. And has been stated, battery life is settings dependent.

You said the Deck doesn't have motion control. It does have motion control.

The only person you are "putting on place" is you, showing ignorance, blatant untruths and opinion as fact.

I'm out of this thread, it's tiresome and I'm bored of your squirming goal post shifting.

Re: Valve's Steam Client Beta Adds Support For Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers

Mii_duck

@RubyCarbuncle - how are you finding using the Steam Deck with arthritis?
The Switch in handheld mode often left me with frozen claw fingers, but the Deck seems a lot more comfortable.

@NintendoEternity - The Deck is a lot cheaper than a laptop, and a lot more convenient. It's actually comfortable to use, more so than the Switch for me and I can use it in positions and places I couldn't with a laptop.

Same as the Switch, its form isn't for everyone but I think it's a brilliant thing, perfect for my needs.

Re: Soapbox: Dragon's Dogma Is A Janky, Weird, Ageing RPG, And Everyone Should Play It

Mii_duck

The story is dull, the side quests are dullerer, the NPCs are completely uninteresting.
The city is empty, the map seems small with few points of interest, yet conversely it takes ages to walk anywhere. By any measure, it's a rubbish game.

I played it for over 170 hours cos I loved it. It has that certain magic, it's just fun
The combat especially, the progression from 'run away!' to 'hmm, maybe' to 'let's get 'em!' is so rewarding and fun. The different weapons and skills, the approaches like climbing the beasts - it's everything I hoped Monster Hunter would be, but isn't.

Brilliant, rubbish game.

Re: Random: Here's The Nintendo Switch-Like Steam Deck Compared To Some Other Stuff

Mii_duck

@IronMan30 - I have a Steam Deck on pre-order. It's a long wait though, so I'm not looking anywhere for information, no reason to yet.
I have a Switch, I use my Switch, I read NintendoLife... and "oooh, a Deck article, I'll read that as it's here. Interesting to see how it sizes up against the Switch".

So, not information I went out to look for, but as I'm here I'll read it, it's relevant to me. I dunno, perhaps it's just me and the site is tailoring articles just for me now.

Re: Best Nintendo Switch Open-World Games

Mii_duck

Missing out Kingdoms of Amalur is criminal!

OK, it didn't review well but it's incredibly fun, while things it was criticised for like dated menus I found a plus point. The (cut scene) graphics aren't up to modern games but the open world stands up and the lore is actually interesting.

I'd also place Saints Row 3 above 4, the performance is good enough and I preferred the gameplay with no superpowers.

Re: Review: The House In Fata Morgana - Brutal, Beautiful Storytelling In This 'Breath Of The Wild' Metascore Rival

Mii_duck

I felt mentally battered by this game, genuinely it affected my mood.

At times it felt like certain points were pushed too much... a grim scene dragged out... I get the point about this character, you can stop now.
There is a lot of repetition, ("oh god, have I got to go over all this again?") the same story from different perspectives and I'm not sure the slow reveals of secrets are worth the slog.

It is an amazing experience and I'm glad it got made, but I'm not sure if I would've started it knowing what I do now.
Everyone's mileage may vary but I would've 'enjoyed' it more with some heavy editing. This isn't a negative criticism of visual novels as such, just this one.

Edit: I know most of those points were mentioned in the review already, I'm just adding my voice.

Re: 'Beyond A Steel Sky' Is A Spiritual Successor To A Beloved 1994 2D Adventure Classic

Mii_duck

And kids today moan about loading times...

Goes through wrong door by accident

"Insert disc three.

Insert disc 12"

Goes straight back through the door

"Insert disc six.

Insert disc eight".

Great game though, I genuinely thought it was something new when it came out on the Amiga, full of 'moments'.
And to be fair, I still moan about loading times - looking at you, Kingdoms of Armalur.

Re: Valve Responds To 'Switch Vs Steam Deck' Comparisons, Insists It's "Going After" A Different Audience

Mii_duck

I'm not a PC gamer, but I'm very excited by the Deck.

Nowadays I use my Switch 90% handheld, perfect to fit in my lifestyle, so if another predominantly handheld system is available, able to run games better and with a huge back catalogue of games I want then it's a nobrainer.

Animal Crossing lost me this generation, so really the Switch would only be needed for BotW2, they were the only Nintendo exclusives I was interested in, I mainly played ports.

I'm sure we'll always have a family Switch with different accounts as my wife plays Pokemon etc, but we've both put a deposit down on Decks for ourselves.

Re: Poll: Are You Still Playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons A Year Later?

Mii_duck

I still can't put my finger on why, but New Horizons left me cold.
I loved New Leaf, put 600+ hours into it but stalled at 200 (which is still a fair return) in NH.
Maybe it's the law of diminishing returns, because it's not 'new' to me, my first AC, but something of the cosiness, the escape seems missing. Maybe it's the lack of an island to visit (and Cap'n and his songs), missing the club or that we don't seem to have furniture sets/themes to collect. Whatever the reason, it feels a shame.

Re: Review: Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning - RPG Action That Really Shows Its Age

Mii_duck

@TheWingedAvenger - every review I've read for this game seems the same, talking about how it's not had much remastering work done.
OK, fair enough, that should be mentioned in a review but I don't think it should be the defining theme.
I haven't seen much criticism of the upcoming Skyward Sword remake looking as rough as a bear's bottom.

It often happens with old games, the 'you've probably played this already so I don't need to talk about the gameplay' (I'm not particularly meaning NintendoLife here) theme to reviews, which annoys me cos no, I had a break from gaming and these old games are new to me.
Still, there is always Google for the original reviews.

Re: The Creator Of Broken Sword Is Bringing Cyberpunk Thriller Beyond A Steel Sky To Switch

Mii_duck

@Ooyah - same here, loved it on the Amiga, it really felt like an event and something new at the time. Came packaged with a comic if I remember right, telling the pre-story.
We had proper load times in those days too, walk out a room... "insert disc 6... insert disc 8". Happy days.
Playing the first game on Switch (I'm not sure I ever finished it) would be a real trip, though I can imagine new gamers will wonder what the fuss was about.