#like i cannot look at a switch and see the successor of the 3ds - its the wiiu killer lol

[fruitsofhell]

I'm genuinely so confused whenever I see people who consider the Switch a true portable/hand-held on the same level as the DS and Gameboy lines, and EVEN MORE SO when they see it as more of a continuation of the Nintendo handheld than a home console. I never take my switch anywhere except around my home, and I consider its portability a convonience for special occasions, not the kind of 'just throw it in a bag in case I'm bored later' way.

And not even talking about its size or design, someone jokingly said "it can't be a true handheld without having vastly inferior hardware and smaller scale games", but I think that's true af. The spirit of handhelds to me is how they appear alongside their peers, the way they're often like a direct generation behind and are full of sillier lower stakes games that are easy to pick up and put down. And then there's obviously the factor or price.

Like genuinely I miss the spirit of the DS and 3DS so much as someone who grew uo in those gens. They're the lil sisters of their home console counterparts, but the switch is so alone, doing double-duty. I really do believe when people say they want handhelds back they dont mean they want a portable super tablet, they want that cuter, smaller, lighter option besides the home console lineup.

[foxgirlsounds]

Two Weeks with the Nintendo Switch

So, I bought the Nintendo Switch over two weeks ago, and decided I’d give my thoughts on it. This isn’t really a review per se, just my thoughts on the device, my feelings towards it, my wishes for it, and where I see it going. 

So let’s get to it!

So most of you already know what the Switch is. The successor to the Wii U as Nintendo’s main console, one that can switch between a living room console, a handheld, and as its own dedicated screen with  the removable Joy-Cons. 

The Switch uses an Nvidia Tegra GPU along with some otherwise decent specs, like 4GB DDR4 RAM and a 1.0 GHz Processor, with 32GB of internal memory. The Switch is of course more powerful than the Wii U, and seems to be on-par with and if not better than the Xbox 360/PS3. It naturally doesn’t have the power to compete with the likes of the Xbox One X or PS4 Pro, but the power for a handheld is astonishing. 

The Switch, out of the box, comes with the console itself, an HDMI cable, a USB-C power cable, a dock, a pair of Joy-Cons, and a grip to use for when the console is in kick-stand or TV mode. The right Joy-Con also doubles as the amiibo reader, as the thumbstick has a built in NFC reader. Unlike some 3DS models, the Switch does not come with a SD card. The Switch takes micro-SD cards, accepting both regular micro-SD, SDHC, and SDXC. What does this mean? It means the Switch actually has compatibility for cards up to two terabytes (2000 GB, generally) in size. You’ll find the micro-SD card slot to be underneath the kickstand.

The Switch amazingly does away with proprietary chargers too, and instead utilizes a USB-C port for charging and connecting to the dock. This is probably one of the biggest design choices that makes me the happiest, as it makes the Switch that much more mobile. It means I can use the same cable between my phone and my switch, so charging on the go is just that much easier. Hats off to Nintendo for that!

The User Experience

The OS of the Switch is very slim, especially in comparison to the 3DS line. There is not music player, dedicated Mii Plaza, or anything cool like that. You get the eShop, an option in Settings to make a Mii...and not much else. I was surprised by how little in terms of software the switch actually gave you, but I suppose it does mean you’ll be able to have more internal memory.

Overall the Switch is snappy and quick to respond. I’ve encountered some trouble with my right Joy-Con acting wonky, but nothing that happens often. 

My biggest complain here is the eShop--it’s just not very well designed, at least not right now. You can see the best seller, the sales...but nothing that really lets you search by genre, or by software type. Your search menu is basically by name...and that’s it! I really hope Nintendo updates the eShop to be more verbose, like the 3DS one is.

THE GAMES

Okay, I get it--the real question here is...how does the thing play games? Can such a little thing ACTUALLY play Skyrim, DOOM, and L.A. Noire?

The answer is yes, yes it can. Skyrim runs wonderfully on the Switch, which is where my assessment of “The Switch is equal to, if not better than an Xbox 360″ comes from. Skyrim on the Switch runs at a constant 30FPS at 720p (undocked) or 1080p (docked). Not only that, but the Skyrim switch port is also visually upgraded--while not as a great upgrade as the SE version, it’s still an improvement over the original release. Considering the resolution and performance, it really shows how beefy that Switch is, for a handheld.

Of course, the hardware limitations start showing in DOOM. DOOM runs fine, yes, but the visual downgrades are REALLY noticeable. Whereas Skyrim looks perfect, DOOM is downgraded and blurry. It runs at a near constant 30FPS, but sacrifices were made to make this happen. It’s not as beautiful as the console or PC versions, and frame rate drops are occasional. Still, it’s DOOM. It’s fun, the game is still quite amazing, even for what sacrifices had to be made.

Mario Kart 8 and Breath of the Wild are also visual feasts, with BotW being such a stunning game in not just graphics, but also in the way the game plays. The way fire spreads, the way grass moves around characters and objects...I would say that BotW is far, far more demanding than Skyrim will ever be.

The hardware really makes me excited for future games. It is in no way as powerful as what Sony and Microsoft have on the market, but what the Switch brings is its multi-function design. I cannot wait to see what other companies will bring to the table.

Things I’d like to see

The only big wish I hope to see from Nintendo are enhanced docks. I would love to see Nintendo roll out docks with greater capabilities, like a dedicated Blu-ray drive or even extra hardware. eGPUs (external graphics processing units) are an available technology that takes advantage of USB-C, so if Nintendo could roll out docks that use this technology to enhance the Switch as TV console? They could easily start to edge in on Sony and Microsoft by providing a real versatile system. 

Is this likely to happen? Probably not. Nintendo *might* implement docks with disc drives and extra ports, but I doubt that they’ll add any new special hardware anytime soon.

Overall, I think the Switch is amazing. There’s nothing like turning the Joy-Con pair into individual controllers to play Mario Kart with my sister, or being able to play Skyrim on the go. 

And with the Switch’s catalog set to only get bigger? I’m absolutely excited. Skyrim, Doom, Super Mario Odyssey, and BotW are only the beginning. I can see the Switch only getting bigger, and better, as time goes on.

[artyloreviews]

Game Review - Risk of Rain 2 - Early Access (2019)

A plunge into another dimension of roguelike action with ever electric music and infinite hardships – now in Early Access.

 Please note that this review represents my thoughts on the game, based on its initial patch on Steam Early Access. Everything mentioned may and will probably be subject to change in future versions of the game and should be taken as simply a matter of the current state of the game. I will endeavor to follow up this review with and errata and final review of the game upon full release, which is announced to be in about 12 months. Thank you.

Risk of Rain 2 released on Steam Early Access just a few days ago with little to no fanfare beyond the mention of the initial release window of Q1 2019, announced by developer Hopoo Games late last year. However, the game is already boasting massive player numbers, running at about 70,000+ concurrent players on March 30th, 2019 (according to SteamSpy); with hundreds of Twitch broadcasts, peaking at around 28,000+ viewers.

One could say it is a good time to be a Risk of Rain fan, as Hopoo Games’ partnership with Gearbox Publishing has aided the game in reaching a wider audience than the original.

Instead of being somewhat barred behind requirements of technical knowledge, the addition of Steamworks multiplayer, compared to the somewhat archaic peer-to-peer multiplayer of the original, now allows players to experience its co-op roguelike action with ease. That no doubt will play a massive part in Risk of Rain 2’s success among its playerbase, as it will move the game from the original’s frantic singleplayer roguelike chaos to even greater and more frantic roguelike chaos, which one can now share with friends or other players around the world via quickplay lobbies.

The initial 48 hour sales period also featured a promotional “buy one, get one free” deal, which I may add was a brilliant way to emphasize the new multiplayer suite, allowing you to not only purchase the game at a reduced cost, but also gift a copy to a friend, so that one may join the game’s co-op experience and be acquainted with Risk of Rain 2 without the need for an initial financial investment. This however lead to what I can only describe as a lot of ‘e-begging’, as my dives into the Risk of Rain community on Twitter and on the game’s official Discord server uncovered an incredible amount of people just sitting in wait for loose copies of the game. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing; however, it pollutes the conversation around the game, as even I was so helpfully instructed in the replies of my tweets containing my first impressions for the game, that I should be aware that I own an additional copy and that it would be lovely if I were to trade it for some of their other Steam games or simply charitably donate it to them. This however should not be seen as the fault of the developers or publishers, as they cannot be responsible for the actions of the amorphous mass that is the ‘not-even really-the-game’s-playerbase-but-really-want-to-be’. My reason for pointing this out is simply as a word of warning on the effect of such promotional deals, as I believe that would usually not be talked about and I have seen many members of the community express their disdain for such beseechment.

So far, my issues with the multiplayer are that due to the nature of quickplay, I am often put into groups with people that are geographically far enough from me as to create massive amounts of latency, which for an action roguelike is usually fatal, as most shots appear to miss, even if standing right next to an enemy. Chests and lunar coins appear to take almost 30 seconds to open or pick up – by which usually someone else has already come and picked them up, leaving you with little to no items and more likely to be waiting out the next teleporter event as a spectator.

But, I digress – let us talk about the elephant in the room:

Risk of Rain is now in 3D. A jarring shift from the pixel-art platforming of the original to fully three-dimensional flat-shaded environments, switching out the GameMaker engine for Unity. For those of us who have been following Hopoo’s blog on Tumblr, seeing his experiments with 3D modeling, the announcement that Risk of Rain 2 would be in 3D came as something of an “aha” moment. That said, the core concepts of the series translate very well, leading many to jokingly say that Risk of Rain 2 has “more depth” than the original.

Items you pick up during gameplay now even display on your character, making the end result of your runs look visually distinct from how you began, reflecting the increase in power and your new abilities; a features that was long talked about, I believe ever since the original game came out.

The addition of full mouse aim and 360-degree movement have increased the skill cap of the game tremendously: as well as the difficulty of now having to aim, enemies can now sneak up on you, or attack you from above, or below, or anywhere really. Most of the enemies from the original make a return, but have changed from simply making melee attacks, to appropriating projectiles and lasers into their arsenals, making the predominant strategy in the original of “just jump and shoot” into something that requires a bit more thought and involves some calculated risk. So pray to Hopoo you don’t get   c l a p p e d   by the Magma Worm.

But it is not only the enemies who have adapted: The playable characters, or “survivors”, have been retooled for the new gameplay, featuring some of their most memorable skills and abilities along with some new ones. The one that sticks out in my mind is The Huntress’ new ability, which launches her into the air, raining armor-shredding arrows in a small circle on the ground, which replaces her explosive incendiary bolt from the original.

The starting lineup of characters features the iconic Commando, a HAN-D type robot named MUL-T, Huntress, Mercenary, Engineer and an entirely new class, named the Artificer, which I am yet to unlock, but I have a hunch on how to do so.

As it stands, one of the main complaints that people have gameplay-wise is the newfound difficulty in finding the teleporter, which now can hide in all sorts of nooks and crannies. However, I believe this is mostly due to the to the lack of tutorialization, as the difference between aimlessly wandering for 10-30 minutes and finding it almost immediately, came when someone pointed out that there are unique particle effects surrounding the teleporter, which are colored brightly orange/red, but are not immediately noticeable if you don’t know what to look for. I suppose that is a communication issue, but in their latest blog post Hopoo Games have noted the problem and will be working on making exploration easier.

Another new addition to Risk of Rain 2 is Prismatic Trials, which can be considered something akin to a weekly challenge, where everyone plays on the same seed, meaning that all items and teleporters are in the same place. In addition, there are mutators, such as more gold at the very start of the game or the sequence of levels becomes random, ensuring that each week is different from the last and makes it different from the default game experience. The end goal is to just beat the game, as you usually do, but with the added incentive of getting a faster time than everyone else. Currently there is no reward for being among the top players for the week, but the wording on the menu indicates that in the future there may be something beyond just bragging rights.

On another note, the music for the game, provided by the wonderful and talented Chris Christodoulou, who previously worked with Hopoo games on the original Risk of Rain and Deadbolt, has succeeded yet again to provide the haunting and alien atmosphere of the game, mixing ambient synth soundscapes with hard-hitting distorted guitars and bass. The track “Evapotranspiration”, featured in the first trailer for the game encapsulates this the best in my opinion, beginning with a somewhat celestial motif, slowly distorting as time passes and the difficulty of the game becomes higher and the action ramps up, layering on an echoey guitar and heavy drums, creating a sense of pressure, only to finish off with a bang, by adding a distorted electric guitar and a frantic semi-drum-and-bass rhythm, that sound as much out of place as exactly on signature, creating this uneasy tension.

But – real talk Chris – where the fuck is Coalescence 2? There’s creative pursuits and the need for the new and different, but you just can’t not…that tune was electric.

The so called Early Access OST is now available on Chris’ Bandcamp page for a discounted price of 4€ (or your regional equivalent) and features a total of 11 tracks. Purchase of the album is also considered a pre-order for the final album, said to be released later in 2019 (according to the PDF included with the purchase of the album). Your purchase also nets you discount codes for the original Risk of Rain soundtrack (which is amazing and you should own, if you don’t already), along with the so called Engineer Editions, featuring the sheet music, stems and other goodies for both games (the Engineer Edition for the sequel pending release, stated to be around Q1 2020).

Overall, Risk of Rain 2 looks and feels like a worthy successor for the franchise. The new 3D gameplay and visuals may alienate some of the fans of the original, but I believe that most will agree, that as of its current state, Risk of Rain 2 shows massive potential and will probably stand as an example of sequels done right. The new art style is appealing (even though there is something to miss in the pixel art of the original), the animations are fluid, the landscapes and level designs are diverse and colorful, the music is more of what was great before and more nuanced than its predecessor’s, the gameplay is more action-packed and difficult than ever. The issues with the game are not on the core level and will probably be fixed in future content updates. Risk of Rain 2 has something for both fans of the original and newcomers alike and with the promised future content updates, featuring more survivors, items, enemies, bosses and levels, one could expect hours of fun gameplay upon release. Highly recommended.

All that’s left to say is – what’s the forecast today?

See you on the planet.