Obsidian's The Outer Worlds was very well received when it originally launched back in October of 2019; it's a satirical and darkly humorous RPG that takes the first-person Fallout experience and blasts it into orbit. However, as much as it has in common with the Fallout games, it's also very much its own distinct affair; a remarkably streamlined and breezy offering that eschews its nearest inspiration's enormous open-worlds for bite-sized areas made up of a wonderfully vibrant selection of alien planets and a campaign that can be rampaged through in about twenty hours.
When it was first announced that the game would be coming to Switch we were honestly quite doubtful about just how well this big ol' slice of Saturday morning sci-fi action would make the jump to less powerful hardware but, once again, port master Virtuos is on hand with another very solid conversion to add to its resume.
In The Outer Worlds, you assume the role of the Stranger, freshly dethawed from a sixty-year cryo-slumber aboard the colonising ship Hope by the rather mad scientist Phineas Welles – a sort of Dr Emmett Brown in space. Welles informs you that Halcyon, the colony you were en route to before your ship got lost for over half a century, is now on the verge of complete collapse due to the incompetence of the various megacorporations, known collectively as "The Board", who run it. You must therefore set out to gather the components required to revive the rest of the crew of the Hope – the best and brightest of the colonisers – in order to save Halcyon from certain doom.
Once you've spent a little time in the game's comprehensive character creation suite you'll be whipped off to the colourful environs of Emerald Vale where your first task is to secure a power regulator for the spaceship you'll use to traverse the game's galaxy map, and it's in this very first mission where you'll get a good feeling for the ebb and flow of how the rest of The Outer Worlds plays out.
You'll need to head off to the local town of Edgewater to speak to the head of the Saltuna Cannnery, the eminently untrustworthy Reed Tobson, at which point you'll be faced with the moral dilemma of whether to shut down this failing town's power supply in order to complete your objective or to instead switch the power off at a nearby botanical gardens where a bunch of deserters have set up camp to escape a harrowing life of mindlessly canning tuna. It's a mission that's brought brilliantly to life by witty dialogue peppered with dark humour and punctuated with plenty of the game's often hilariously violent combat, and it's one that genuinely made us pause for quite a bit of time before deciding which way we'd let the power continue to flow.
It's also a mission where you'll pick up the first of six possible companions who'll join you aboard your ship, the Unreliable, as you dart around Halcyon running errands, taking sides against various factions and hacking, sneaking, shooting, looting and stealing your way to one of the game's three endings. These various companions that you'll meet on your travels not only provide some genuinely entertaining company – Parvati might be our favourite video game sidekick of all time – they'll also lend you a hand in combat, providing support and enabling you to make use of various special attacks and skills in order to successfully navigate the space beasties and bad guys you'll bump into as you wander around far flung planets.
The combat in The Outer Worlds shares much in common, in terms of how it looks and feels, with the Fallout games, but it also stands up well as its own unique thing. The VATS system is removed here and replaced by a time dilation effect – enabled with a push of the R button – which temporarily enables you to slow down proceedings in order to give you a fighting chance against packs of foes. It's a satisfying (if not exactly original) mechanic that improves as you unlock perks that enable you to slow time for longer periods as well as do targeted damage to distinct body parts – blinding an enemy by shooting them in the face, for example.
The removal of VATS makes the whole thing feel like it plays out at a much zippier tempo than Fallout, and although it's still a quite recognisably scrappy affair, it generally works well. Enemy types don't really excite all that much – you've got your ranged attackers, rushers and armoured goons – but there's a fun selection of weapons: everything from six-shooter pistols, swords, sniper rifles and machine guns to a bunch of special collectible "science weapons" including a shrink ray gun and a Mandibular Rearranger – which is every bit as awful as it sounds. Most of these weapons can also be augmented with various elemental properties so you can set fire to foes or do a little toxic or electric damage for good measure. Add to all of this the surprisingly powerful special moves you can trigger for your ever-ready companions and you've got a pretty flexible combat system that never really grows stale.
On top of your selection of firearms and companions you'll also hoover up all manner of different types of armour, weapon attachments and parts which can be equipped, repaired, broken down and upgraded at workbenches. Planets and ships that you land on are also generously decked out with handy vending machines where you can grab food, tonics and potions that give you temporary combat boons, as well as ammo and attachments for your guns. XP gained by fighting and completing missions nets you SP to spend on your character's skill tree and enables you to develop your strengths in quite a few different directions.
We pumped most of our points into stealth and conversational skills in order to avoid combat whenever we fancied a change of pace – and to enjoy some deep sales at the local merchants – but you could also fire your XP into making yourself a rather socially inept but robust tank who can soak up a ton of damage and deal out massive amounts of hilariously brutal death. We'd also advise pumping your points into your 'inspiration' stat early doors as you need to raise this above 20 in order to gain access to those sweet companion attacks we mentioned earlier.
Everything here, then, is pretty much standard RPG fare, but it all feels rather refreshingly streamlined. The world, as we mentioned, isn't some great big open one that you'll never find time to see every corner of, and each location here is easily digested. You’ll usually find a smattering of inhabited areas, some open spaces with majestic alien vistas and a handful of buildings to fight through in each location, and there’s always a handful of side quests, collectibles and loot to hoover up.
The story also nips along at a refreshingly quick and breezy pace, and ignoring side quests and just sticking to the main objective could see you through this one in about fifteen hours. We would, however, recommend you take your time as Obsidian really has created a wonderful slice of space filled with genuinely entertaining characters and excellent writing that injects the often bog-standard side-quests and errand missions with a level of wit and charm that's all too often missing in the genre. There's always multiple ways to complete these missions too, whether you go in all guns blazing or choose to hack, sneak and pick your way around, and different outcomes based on your conversational decisions mean there's definitely a fair amount of replayability on offer.
In terms of this Switch port, Virtuos has done an excellent job of keeping to its target 30fps for the majority of the experience. We didn't notice any real bumps in the framerate in portable, although in docked mode there is the odd stutter which seems to occur when the game is autosaving or loading into a new area. In combat, amazingly, no matter how heated things get, we didn't notice any slowdown at all in handheld; the game feels smooth and compares favourably to other versions in this respect.
Of course, in order to keep that framerate steady, the graphics have taken a pretty major knock in places. This is a spectacular-looking game on PC and console, with lots of fancy volumetric effects and good use of chromatic aberration as you jaunt around its wonderfully colourful environs. On Switch, you lose pretty much all of these fancy effects, and across the board, this one is quite obviously running at its lowest graphical settings. For the most part, it still looks surprisingly good, however, with just the odd location – such as Monarch in the daytime – really laying bare just how far Virtuos has had to go in order to get this one running well on Nintendo's hybrid system.
In larger outdoor areas and when playing in handheld mode, there's quite a lot of blur in the background and we reckon we noticed some pretty heavy use of dynamic resolution here in order to keep the fps steady. However, once you step into a building or smaller space, things improve considerably. The Outer Worlds is still hugely enjoyable and highly playable on Switch and in many ways reminds us of our experience with the Nintendo version of The Witcher 3. In docked mode, things are a little rougher and, with graphical downgrades stretched across a bigger screen, things like textures on guns loading in and distant objects suddenly popping into view are much more noticeable. The game definitely looks quite a bit jankier when played on the TV, and feels like it's struggling just a little more to maintain that 30fps goal. It's also worth noting that load times are pretty painful, even when compared to the already-pretty-long times seen on the other versions of the game.
Of course, these are all pretty much expected sacrifices in bringing a game of this nature to Switch at this point and, especially in handheld mode, it really is quite surprising just how well The Outer Worlds looks and feels to play; there are virtually no framerate issues even in the most chaotic battles or wide-open spaces and, even though the graphics have been hugely dialled down, there's still plenty of detail in environments and NPCs look almost as good here as they do on other platforms.
It's worth noting that this version of the game also includes HD Rumble support, text which can be increased or decreased in size depending on your needs and gyroscopic controls are included for fine-tuning your shots. We also quite liked how the gyro controls can be set to kick in only when aiming down the barrel of your weapon, as we actually prefer to have them off whilst wandering around and exploring.
Overall, it's hard to knock this port of The Outer Worlds; we enjoyed blasting through this adventure on Switch just as much as we did when it released on PC. The strength of the game easily overcomes any of the cutbacks or technical issues present, and ultimately this is a hugely enjoyable slice of pulpy sci-fi action.
Conclusion
The Outer Worlds is a hugely entertaining "Fallout-in-space"-style RPG adventure filled with wonderfully vibrant locations, excellent companions, zippy and hilariously brutal combat and a ton of well-written characters to meet as you attempt to save the colony of Halcyon. Virtuos has made the expected tweaks to graphics in order to keep things as smooth as possible with this Switch port and, although things can look and feel a little rough in docked mode, in handheld this is a supremely enjoyable experience that's entertained us just as much this time around as when we played it at launch, and comes highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Comments 225
Visuals have taken a hit? Wait, was this game on Switch before?
This kind of game is such a tough call if you have a decent PC and a Switch. PC will have much better visuals, frame rate, controls, loading time, etc etc.....but I'm a lot more likely to play it for 40+ hours on a handheld.
fuh...the graphics...are....bad
This score was kinda unexpected after just watching the GameXplain review which makes it looks like a complete train wreck of a port in just about every way.
One question: did you take into account the day-one patch they will release tomorrow for this review?
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/the_outer_worlds_gets_a_new_switch_release_date_and_a_day-one_patch
Game is tons of fun, graphics don't change that.
Not sure about this now, Gamexplain gave it a "dislike" but this review says otherwise. Maybe I'll pick it up when I buy myself an Xbox.
@GrailUK Taken a hit relative to PC/XB/PS4 versions
I find it interesting that some games look better in handheld and some better docked. For example, this game looks better in handheld, but the 2 Xenonlade Chronicles games look much better docked.
I am super excited for this. I already pre-purchased. I played it on Game Pass, so I don't feel like I am rebuying it at full price
Seems like Witcher 3 has pointed the way for how we'll get current gen games on the Switch. The visuals will have that blurry, almost painterly quality but it will run well enough with a good enough frame rate. The game will look better in hand held but the battery will probably drain quickly. I can live with this.
@BenAV Probably because they didn´t consider the game will receive a day one patch of 6gb focused on improving the textures XD
@KingOfTheFools reviews seem largely positive - https://www.cbr.com/review-outer-worlds-switch-portable-fallout/ or https://www.godisageek.com/reviews/the-outer-worlds-switch-review-switch-report/
@Kanbei Could be because people who have other consoles or a gaming PC will buy Witcher 3 and Outer Wilds on Switch for the handheld aspect as they can have a better TV experience elsewhere. Whereas XC and XC2DE are Switch exclusives so there's more motivation to ensure a better docked experience.
@the_beaver Seems to be a lot of issues besides just looking bad though so it better be one hell of a patch, haha. I'd held off on preordering it anyway so I'll just wait and see before making a decision either way.
@the_beaver Which honestly shouldn't be allowed. Day one patches are just evidence the game was shipped too early. Better to delay a few weeks and get it in the game.
Not on topic but it looks like a ton of decent games have just gone on sale on the EU/GB eshops. Worth a look.
Yeah those screenshots look rough
@BenAV The gamexplain review scared the heck out of me but after watching about 5 others, it seems like it was a bit over the top. Opinions and all that are fine but it seems like an outlier more than anything. Very relieved.
Loading times weren’t all that great even on my PC on an SSD. For Switch to load at all, that’s fairly impressive.
It's a really good game but I'll stick to playing it on my Xbox as the visual cuts are too much and the performance looks awful
Though if you can't get it elsewhere I'd highly recommend it as it's a very good rpg
I have this preordered already so I’m excited to dive into this one!
This just shouldn't have been ported to the switch - the game's overall design just doesn't work on this system - NL is the only outlet giving this port/game any positive feedback. This score definitely doesn't reflect this port IMO. To the comments above - graphics don't change the game being fun? It sure doesn't but, it goes a long way to making it enjoyable.
I'm gonna play safe and get it on PS4.
@BenAV It's Nintendolife, subtract 2 for real score. They give an automatic 2 points for being on Switch.
Thank god I got Outer Worlds for PS4
I recommend everyone check out Gamexplain's video review.
The game looks awful. It literally loads in npcs/enemies right in front of the player. Pausing gameplay to do so.
To me that is a poorly optimised broken game.
Maybe the day 1 patch fixes things?
I couldn’t get into it in Xbox. I tried for a few hours and after 10 or so I decided it wasn’t worth it for me. I seem to be in the minority tough
I will play it on Switch because I wanted to play it when it released but I don't have any other platform, also i don't think this game will be so bad on Switch even with the bad things, but this is only what I think
Looks like a miracle port
for PS2
Will buy after Xenoblade... So maybe some time next year.
I was looking forward to this, however after watching a couple of YT reviews - not a day one for me. Graphics economies aside, the game world sounds small. I love big sprawling worlds.
@the_beaver I second this question. All the footage i’ve seen today from reviewers & even Digital Foundry suggests it’s without the patch.
There is textures (very rarely) but everything seems nonexistent, giving me Bubsy 3D flashbacks.
If that’s with the patch then Virtuos have some work ahead of them.
Why are there quite a few games that struggle in docked mode yet perform better in handheld? I thought the dock gives a boost of resolution and visuals?
@Casco no i was the same. my old man loved it but i just couldnt get into it..
Digital Foundry's video showed nowhere near "Pretty much rock solid 30fps", I'm curious if you guys are on a different patch
Not going to be a day 1, but I will grab this at some point
I will wait some patches to play it
@StevenG or, you know, virus and all that caused delay but they got to make a living.
There are more important things to stuff about than day 1 patches.
It really looks like they just turned all those graphic sliders down to ultra low. I'm surprised everything looks so watered down considering it's using the Unreal Engine. Perhaps this will get some post release adjustments / improvements like Witcher 3.
DF showed it repeatedly dropping to like 18 or 19 fps. Did you guys somehow get early access to the day one patch?
If a game is fun, does "peformance" matter that much? Only to the degree it hinders your ability to have fun, tbh. If you don't mind lower res graphics and a lower frame rate, I doubt this version will bother you.
On my wish list already.
Bought Bioshock first as I am a huge fan of that series.
Next month I'll get this one for sure.
I will definitely be picking this up.
I hope it gets a graphics update like the switcher 3
Definitely sounds like the digital version has the patch installed as reviewers are using the 1.01 version...
Unless a new patch DOES drop tomorrow, I have no idea how this can be scored an 8. I'm pretty much a Switch apologist and will forgive the odd misgiving to have it on Switch and portable, but its clear this game is broken.
Are these screenshots from the N64 port?
All this translates to my ears like i can't wait for it. Roll on Friday roll on!!!!
@Deanster101 i see what you did there, will respect your opinion. However, to me it looks nothing like that.
I’ve just watched Digital Foundry’s review. OMG the downgrade in graphics!
I do not care about the graphics that much in this kind of game.
Those guys deserve my money just because they went from code in a box to the full game on a cartridge.
Damn, this is the last time I pre-load a game before review - it actually looks like looking at the TV without my glasses on. Wonder if there is a chance for it to be fixed-up with patches, otherwise Ill probably delete it from my memory card.
It’s my birthday next week and I had this on my wish list, but I’m not so sure now. Personally and in this day and age, a game still has to look good for me to WANT to consider it. Why shoehorn a game like this onto a console that can’t handle it? What a shame ☹️
@Judgedean Yeah I just finished watching their review too. I think I'll be giving this a miss.
@mesome713 yes graphics they change if a game is fun or not when it's a first person sandbox game like this, with visuals this awful - 340p in undocked mode?
Did NL get paid for this review? An 8 out of 10? Seriously? That's so misleading for viewers that trust you guys.
@Rpg-lover cheers mate i'm massively relieved you've chosen to respect my opinion
@Dang69 This game doesn't score very high on other consoles. So I doubt it lowered his score at all. Users score this game as average in the 7s. Critics aren't much higher. So game is still fun on Switch as has been so clear from the reviews released so far. And day one patch makes it even better.
Game is a must buy on Switch.
@mesome713 That's a weird..."argument" to make. Also the game scores this game scores 8 or higher on metacritic for other consoles.
@Dang69 Many reviews put it below an 8 on other consoles.
Everyone kept bringing up Xenoblade in the last Outer Worlds thread, so allow me to rub it in your face now.
This is the port you touted as definitive proof that Xenoblade DE was a bad effort. You got fooled by what fps and res Outer Worlds was "targetting".
Joke's on you, Outer Worlds averages the same res Xenoblade does, but with much less consistency and more frequent drops below. Even when it does reach higher than 720p docked, you're looking at god-awful muddy textures that take dozens of seconds to pop in. The framerate often tanks to 20 or below, and while exploring you're often met with random loading screens in excess of the time Xenoblade DE takes to load you into an entirely new area. And performance only tanks further the longer you keep playing.
My copy just arrived. Cart is v1.00. There is a patch immediately available (hasn’t yet downloaded so don’t know version number).
Once that’s finished i’ll edit this with the version number & size. I’ll try to give it a go later today & see if it looks any different to the current footage floating about.
Edit 1: it finished. now v.1.01 & clocks in at 3.9GB. So i don’t know if this is the day 1 patch (as they said around 6GB) or not. Will need to play the game & see.
@mesome713 The average of scores place this at the same or slightly higher review score for other consoles on Metacritic. Go look.
@Dang69 Sure. And it's amazing on Switch too. Read the review, he agrees with majority of other critics,
The screenshot where it says "MONARCH" is straight up PS2 quality. My god, look at those NPCs. The Switch can do better than that.
You missed out
CON: Only tiny amount on the physical cartridge and massive download required
Is a shame as was considering it
@BulkSlash It’s a shame as was looking forward to it.
8 out of 10,just don't mention the 15fps on a consistent basis 😄. I'm genuinely concerned about DOOM Eternal now. We've seen nothing and that's speaks volumes
@mesome713 The review acknowledges it but brushes it off, most likely because they don't wanna look bad by having a big interview with them and then turn around and grade it poorly - while the fun you can have with this is subjective...in no way shape or form should graphics and performance this bad deserve an 8. Seriously.
Not sure how the combat can fast,flexible and fun at 15-20fps 🤔.....oh well 😅
@PlayedNSlayed This port company has had a lackluster track record. I'm sure Panic Button is putting more effort in their port. I expect Eternal will target lower rez but will rework assets enough that the game doesn't look and play like dog crap.
@Dang69 Well critics disagree mate. And since they actually played the game, I'll go with them.
Before you buy this you need to check out the review from Digital Foundry....its...not good.
https://youtu.be/ZRWp5_FBvOs
@mesome713 The critics disagree? Go on youtube right now and look up gameplay. Look up other reviews. Please don't support this kind of garbage. Listen, today is the first day we've seen footage and seen more than like 4 screenshots...that's pretty deceptive of them and proves they were hiding something.
@RPGamer Nah, nothing like that, mate, it's all very silly.
@Dang69 Mate, stop trolling. You haven't played this game, you have no clue. I have looked up reviews. They all agree, this game is really fun on Switch. Deal with it bro.
I would highly recommend people to check out AngryCentaurGamer's (ACG) YouTube review of this game (Switch port). He gives a way more in-depth look into the game. Don't know if Nintendo Life have a deal with Obsidian or something but their rating is very inconsistent with others.
@the_beaver pretty sure DF stated it was with the day one patch in their review. I may be wrong but even so,a day one patch of 6gb is not something to praise
@mesome713 That's just straight up not true. They do not all agree. Fine. Go buy it and ruin your eyeballs on it.
@Dang69 I agree that panic button have shown what they can do with previous impressive ports. I just find the silence about it a bit concerning now after seeing this
Nintendo Life you really should take this review down or revise it. You are REALLY underplaying the issues this port has. This is a huge disservice to people who trust your opinions.
Polygon and Destuctiod just released their reviews too. They share the same opinion, game is amazing on Switch. Reviews are looking really good so far.
Kotaku states the same now too.
@TAndvig With the slowed outlook of future game releases, they REALLLLLY need people to go and click on that Amazon affiliate link for revenue.
@mesome713 well of all the FPS that have released this week I would say this is smack at the bottom of the list to pick up. bioshock and borderlands are far more appealing and worth the investment. I'm not a graphics snob but I draw the line at something this terrible,but to each their own I guess. if future patches manage to work miracles and get it somewhere near to how DOOM is on the Switch I'll jump in
I cant beleive its actually with "high quality textures"-patch on. Cause it looks more like playing a Nintendo 64 game on a 65 inch flat lcd-TV.
@PlayedNSlayed Yeah, if you haven't played those already maybe. Outer Worlds is pretty fresh.
@mesome713 Destructoid and Polygon DO NOT have favorable reviews up. That's a lie. They have first impressions articles and they aren't sharing the same opinion as NL. They are critical of it but not as critical as others are. Do you work for Obsidian or something?
@RasandeRose
Actually reading through their review again it isn’t.
“ Of course, these are all pretty much expected sacrifices in bringing a game of this nature to Switch at this point and, especially in handheld mode, it really is quite surprising just how well The Outer Worlds looks and feels to play; there are virtually no framerate issues even in the most chaotic battles or wide-open spaces and, even though the graphics have been hugely dialled down, there's still plenty of detail in environments and NPCs look almost as good here as they do on other platforms. A day-one performance patch is planned, so things are only likely to improve.”
That suggests they played the game (& everyone else played the game) with version 1.00.
@WiltonRoots you reckon Agramonte has played it?
Famous YouTuber RGT 85 just posted his review. He says game is amazing and super fun Switch.
@Lute-Waffle probalby because of bad and lazy port.
I've been wondering for a while how much further the Switch can go when it comes to accommodating an array of (more or less) amibitous current-gen games. With this one, it seems the Switch has hit a pretty hard and ultimately insurmountable ceiling.
I don't want to get into pixel-couting, and I'll even ignore the frame rate -though there are serious issues from what I can tell to be found in either aspects- but instead focus on what is argueable way more important: the game's integrity ... not just as a commercial product (is it technically playable? by all accounts it is that), but is still true to what it's designers intended it to be?
Of course, the answer will be subjective, but to me it is a resounding no. Parts of the world looked barely intelligible, the mood of many sceneries looks radically changed, and the atmosphere seems often gone entirely. The fact, that the game features all these areas with wide drawdistances and was build around HD assests to invoke a certain aesthetic and crucially, sense of place (hence the name, duh...) cannot just be sampled down at will. Technically, it can yes, and it does kinda worked (again, there are obviously still plenty of technical issues as well), but the core experience does not remain intact.
Intact to me means that this I feel is not one of the cases where better-played-on-the-Switch-than-not-at-all can hold true. While visuals are not the end all and be all of games, they are a key part in bringing these worlds to life. To me at least, Outer Worlds feels wasted on the Switch. It's like watching some sh**y free 360p stream of "Into the Spider-Verse" on your phone ... sure, you will get the gist of what is happening, but a large part of what makes the thing ... the thing, will not register with you. You might look beyoned the visuals, but with a visual medium, you are still stuck at surface level then as far as the artistry is concerend.
Can the reviewer please clarify if you played on v1.00 or this v1.01 that i can’t confirm is the day 1 patch or not (especially since you guys would have had the review code for a while now)
@tgchan such a shame
@Dang69 I am trying my best not to make accusations, but I am extremely surprised by this inconsistency. But people seriously should check out ACG's review on this port.
@LethalX08 Why would that matter? The game is the same no matter what.
@mesome713 Jesus ... once you are typing out RGT85, you should know better than pressing "Reply".
There is plenty of footage online by now, people can draw their own conclusions.
When the new systems come out, I’ll play the systemically intense games on those. I already dealt with Witcher 3 on the Switch and couldn’t get past the graphical limitations. The Switch does many things well, and I’ll stick to the games which take best advantage of that.
@Ralek85 It just makes it easier. So many good reviews on the game I wanted to show some of the fan favorites. RGT85 is an icon among Nintendo fans. If he says the game is awesome, you can bet the game is awesome.
@gortsi I reckon so, and cheaper than any Switch owners that are interested in it. That should be on a bingo card to be honest...
@mesome713 Just watched it becuz you mentioned it and RGT 85's review is written like a kid who got a free copy of the game. That dude always comes off as a shill. Some youtubers are gonna be like that becuz they want to continue to receive free copies of games. You have to be careful about that.
Yes, another high quality AAA third party title on the Switch. Loved playing Witcher 3 on the console, will love picking up this one. The graphical hit doesn't bother me at all.
@Dang69 All critics get the game for free. Stop trolling mate.
@kingbk me too but low fps and long loading times do.
@mesome713 Game is the same but as everyone seems to be nitpicking about the graphics, it would add some clarification to the situation.
If all the reviewers & Digital Foundry played the build given to them with the only version available which is version 1.00, the devs have already said a day 1 patch will be released that adds in the hi res textures among other improvements but now a lot of people won’t get to see those changes as they’ve already written the game off.
The reviewers & DF could quite possibly be playing a build of the game that the public may never play themselves since you’re more than likely always going to have the latest patch installed.
Reviewers & DF should still judge the game with what they have at the time but clarify if it’s with this “day 1 patch” that supposedly improves the game or without.
@mesome713 He is an icon? How so? Oo Genuine question.
I suscribed to him for most of last year, but unsubbed once I noticed that his videos were becoming more and more clickbait'y with 2-3 minutes of "content" violently drawn out to surpass the 10+ minute mark, with constant repetition through-out. What pushed me away most of all, was his unwillingness to properly edit his stuff. After the 20th video, where he failed to cut out takes that went wrong (he misspeaks, forgets his trail of thought and so on), I felt strongly that if the didn't care enough about his own product, he properly did not care that much about that of other folks either.
Last but not least, there are more likeable, knowledge and professional youtubers out there, so ... yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat.
The fact that the underlying game is worth playing, is not in dispute btw. The question is: How much of that game is left to experienced on the Switch?
Digital Foundry showed that the frame rate is a complete disaster. So I'm curious how this review claims that it's rock solid 30fps. Frame rate is hugely important to me, so it's important that reviews get it right.
@Ralek85 I haven't stated otherwise. I simply stated that majority of reviews state the game is great fun on Switch.
I watched Digital Foundry’s analysis, and oopf, it’s pretty rough. I generally don’t care if something is dialed back, but it’s to the point where it effects gameplay, and the overall art design. I dunno, I’ll wait to see what kind of patches they do, but I may just have to stick with the PS4 for this.
@mesome713 I haven't been paying attention to be honest I know what the game is -it's been on Gamepass for a year now I think-, so all I cared about was the port. And as far as that goes, the footage online seems to tell a pretty straightforward story.
@PlayedNSlayed I'm not saying it's a good thing to do, but I prefer it in order to have the game looking much better.
@Dromosus
I get a good 4 hours, 15 minutes with Witcher 3 on Switch V2. Can't complain, I hardly ever play games for a stretch of more than 3 hours.
@mesome713 Yes most all critics get the game free - but some youtubers "massage" this relationship by not being critical. You can get soft-black listed. Also, I'm not trolling, just truly offended by people like you lowering the bar for everyone, for the expectations you help set for the devs and pubs putting effort in these $60 games. Literally offended by people like you who spread misleading information because you'll support anything Nintendo. Mate.
@Ralek85 Did almost the exact same thing with RGT 85. Subbed to him for awhile then got really icky vibes.
@kingbk It's different than the Witcher. The Witcher had bad graphical fidelity, but the models and the environments still looked beautiful in how its artisty was maintained. This is just awful. Please watch the Digital Foundry review. They are generally super fair about things.
I am glad I have a PS4 for games like this. Framerate and graphical clarity are important because combat is real time first person. Chunky framerates throw off your aim. For RPG fans, the game is worth playing even in these conditions. In this case, however, the Switch should be the console of last resort, as it is an objectively better experience on every other platform, where framerates are much more stable.
Wow. Digital Foundry just did a whole thing on how the graphics are greatly downgraded and how framerates are spotty with random loading mid game. Many sites are calling it a bad port but yet seems most people here are saying its great. Don't defend bad ports.
Just see some gameplay on youtube from switchup and in all honesty it looks terrible imo. I cant believe how some people think this is acceptable in this day and age. Low and below 20fps, random loading, in your face pop in and character models that look like they are made of melted wax...rediculous. All the things that make this game great have been dialled down to 1.
@Vexx234 I dunno about it being a "bad port". At least not in the way, that phrase is commonly used I think. It's pretty impressive that they got the entire game (structurally) running on the Switch in a more or less stable fashion. MAYBE some other studio could have done a better job, but really ... there are limits to what the hardware can do, and it just won't play nice with any kind of content thrown at it.
If the game was mainly a corridor shooter and if they had more tailor-made assests for the Switch ... this would probably be a very decent port all around without much of the technical aspects being changed actually.
As it is, it is a last resort for RPG fans desperate for a Fallout-type game on the Switch without ANY other avenue to access is.
We always seem surprised when these games do not look as good as the Ps4 and Xbox One, but in reality we shouldn't.
@Ralek85 Being desprate should not being an excuse for a game to run so poorly. While it's understandable people would like to have something like that. This game was simply not meant to be on the switch. Or maybe it was and just didn't have the right team behind it to port it properly. This game should have a been remade exclusively to work with the switch with graphics built specifically around the switch's hardware. Costly yes but as it stands, this is not a good port. It's graphically appalling to look at, the fps is inconstant. Maybe it's not a bad port but it's not a port worth spending 60$ on imo.
@StevenG Not going to happen, especially on Switch, given how reluctant publishers are to use properly sized cartridges for games.
Even Witcher 3 on Switch—which shipped on the 32gb cart— has had multiple sizable patches.
The Digital Foundry analysis is hilarious. This game was simply to much for a long in the tooth mobile chipset. The visuals just aren't good enough.
If you want to play this then play it on your PC. It's free on Gamepass.
The long and short of it is triple AAA third party ports are always going to take a hit when coming to the Switch. They just are.
If you have multiple consoles or a powerful gaming PC and don't plan on playing on the go, then most of these titles are better on one of those platforms.
If you are a Switch only gamer or plan on playing mostly remote, then you can pick up these games and you'll get a downgrade in graphics, FPS and visuals, but you still get the game.
There are many, many folks like me who don't have the means or desire to buy a bunch of video game consoles or invest tons into a gaming PC. For us, we want these games on the Switch and have fun with them. I've enjoyed DOOM, L.A. Noire, Skyrim, NBA 2K and other games like that. I don't just want Nintendo first party exclusives and indie titles. More games the better.
Having said that, Outer Worlds was high on my list, but now with a lot of great games out right now with Bioshock, Xenoblade DE, Borderlands, XCOM 2, Bug Fables, Shantae and soon Paper Mario, it might be a game on hold off on based on what I"m seeing at this point.
After this, i don't think i want Fallout 3 or 4 on the Switch anymore
@status-204 I'm going to assume based on your ignorant reply that you didn't read my whole comment.
Honestly I wasn’t impressed by the graphics on xbone and there is pop in and some long load times there. So this sounds like more of the same (I understand this possibly looks worse but this is also pre texture patch) so I will still get it to play on my preferred system.
@turntSNACO I'm torn because I wanted this on Switch for portability since I heard of it. However, it's on Xbox and Windows Game Pass, and I backed the GPD Win Max last month. So in the next month or two I'll have a portable Windows device and can play the Game Pass version.
@RasandeRose Good for you and everybody else that has the New Switch. I, like many others, have Ye Olde Switche which barely gets me two hours of SWitcher fun.
It was ok... never met the hype.
Ended up playing it on PC Game Pass for my $5 monthly fee. More than good enough for me.
I guess we really need a Switch PRO. Year 4 and publishers still struggle on the Switch. Even a bigger gap soon
@Agramonte Your caps lock is randomly getting stuck again.
This was my game of the year for 2019. I played it on Xbox with Game Pass and I find it amazing how they actually got the game to work on the Switch. If I didn't already beat the game I would probably be buying this, but I highly recommend it.
I won't get it on the switch because I have it on Xbox Game Pass. It seems fun though. Also, this is my first post!
@mesome713 I'm really not sure what your agenda is here. Your comments are wildly inaccurate. Those sites say nothing of the fact. In truth, Kotaku blasts the port and straight up says not to play it on the switch. I don't understand why you are blatantly lying to people here .
Was hoping for a decent port, but this is unacceptable. Sub-30fps, bad frame-pacing and long loading (see gameXplain's review). Hard pass.
"Bad" graphics and performance don't bother me as long as a game is still fun to play, but a 6GB day one patch suggests the publisher broke its promise of including the full game on the cart.
@hippoeater It states the game is still fun, just better on other platforms. All the reviews say the game is super fun. That’s all I’ve stated.
@mesome713 calling @Dang69 a troll: kettle, pot, black, something like that.
You can't just call everyone you disagree with a troll, especially because you're wrong 99% of the time and people bring actual arguments to the table, and when they do that, you keep banging your empty head against the wall until you stop replying altogether. Many times before you've been told this much and you never even bothered replying.
@everyone else: yes, NL reviews are a waste of time and have been for a very long time. No expertise whatsoever, no in-depth look at the mechanics, no effort.
-Nintendo game: 9-10/10, masterpiece;
-Indie game: 8/10, hidden gem;
-Third party port: 7-8/10, it exists.
I've been playing a game for quite some time now, which is guessing the score a game will get based on its pedigree. Needless to say I get it right 95% of the time, I can't remember the last time I got it wrong. And that's not to boast, it's to underline NL's predictability.
@LethalX08 On John Linneman’s Twitter somebody asked if the game includes the patch and he said it did. Apparently the digital review copies are already on 1.0.1.
Nintendo Life need to fix this review. How can they claim this game runs at a “pretty much” rock solid 30 FPS?
Hmmmm read many many diffrent opinions around the web.
Well I wait for the patch first watch some switch gameplay and then we will see
@Fredbu I’m not so sure because Switchup’s impressions seem like they expected another patch. Also, I would think the NL reviewer would know if they downloaded a 6 gig download or not.
Edit: After digging it looks like not every reviewer got the patch...
@mousieone Well I’ve heard people who received the game early had to download a 3.9GB patch. The Obsidian website actually says “a day one patch that could be up to 6GB” - so the day one is potentially not 6GB. Reviewers had digital copies that included the patch, so there wasn’t an additional download.
I hope I’m wrong cos I have this pre ordered and was really looking forward to this. But in the state it is right now I’ll probably return.
@Fredbu Thanks for replying & clearing that up (since no one else did).
So it’s now the case of will the game improve in the future or is this it. I can’t see them leaving it like this, Virtuos does seem to listen to feedback (otherwise we wouldn’t have it on cart).
I think we're reaching the end of big AAA multiplats being technically possible on Switch. It's time for a hardware upgrade, but that's 3 years away at the earliest.
@Fredbu I’m thinking it’s not. Because there is two gig difference. Also generally don’t the release day patches only come out release day like Minecraft dungeons?
@mousieone Well yeah but I would imagine reviewers were sent download codes for the game that included the patch? They would surely want reviewers to have the best possible version of the game... even if this is it.
@Fredbu I got my copy early today and I also had to download a 3.9 GB patch and I'm playing on version 1.0.1. I already regret buying this game, it's a terrible port that Switch owners should avoid.
@mesome713 they do a bit. I mean, many, many assets that make the world feel fuller are gone. The game is fun, but the graphics absolutely do change the core experience of the game
@Xansies But yet it’s still a fun game. Which is most important
@Fredbu they didn’t with Minecraft dungeons... but I dunno guess we shall see.
I, for one, cannot wait to play this game.
Can't afford it right now, but I'll be grabbing it next month.
I’m happy to make sacrifices for Convenience a lot of the time. However the DF analysis makes this look pretty poor-and DF are huge fans of the Switch and have praised plenty of previous ports. Too much of a sacrifice to bother with for me.
big oooof on you guys. it's far from being a rock solid 30fps. just go check digital foundry's analysis. They had a completely different experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRWp5_FBvOs
I'll reserve judgement until I see this fabled patch but this looks like a good game to get cheaper on my PS4. I'd rather see a game made with the switch's limitations in mind than a poorer quality and more expensive version of better experiences on other platforms.
@BenAV The score was completely expected for me by just knowing it was a NL review.
I’m done spending $60 bucks on ports. I’ll wait for this thing to go down in a few months.
Fantastic game but its rough on PS4 so i'm avoiding the Switch version and just sticking with my PS4 version. Anyone who doesn't own a PS4/X1 i do highly recommend the game though as its brilliant and the best Fallout game since New Vegas.
Okay, watched the Digital Foundry review, and I've crossed Outer Worlds off my "must buy" list. The graphics are unacceptable. You can't even use the "It looks good for a portable game" excuse, because it doesn't look good at AT ALL. This is one to wait until it hits the discount bin, or buy used from your local game shop.
Looking through metacritic most reviewers seem to have had a good time with this, and with that coming patch it should run and look even better. I'm super-hyped to play this on my switch. Been enjoying Witcher 3 since the big update earlier this year and it plays fantastic. After tweaking the graphics settings (tip: disable everything with the word "blur" in it and set sharpening to high) I must say I felt no need to play it on another platform - if my Switch can match a gaming PC on medium settings on a game such as Witcher 3, I'll happily look forward to more ports like this!
@mesome713 "yet it's still a fun game" - that might be true, at its core gameplay, but a game being a "fun game" in some capacity doesn't necessarily mean it deserves a high review score or that it is a "good" game or that the fun part of the game is "most important.". If there are a LOT of other factors that get in the way of said "fun game", they should be discussed openly. Frame rate issues, blurry graphics that make it hard to play, the game pausing and loading in open air sections, ENEMIES THAT POP IN AROUND YOU are all real issues that should not be brushed aside! Reviews are supposed to help us inform our purchases - so just handing out high scores like this and brushing off problems or being deceptive about the issues the game actually has, is not right at all. Your comments, much like NL's review, help trick people into to wasting their money by not properly informing them of notes to consider.
You know what this review on this site reminds me of? The 8 they gave Mutant Year Zero in 2019. I actually bought that garbage.
@Heavyarms55 You know what, you deserve to play this horrible port for everything that it is. You aren't deserving of quality things. You can also clearly tell that you don't listen to or even watch their game analysis. They are very open and honest about gaming performance - it's pretty black and white - they show you how well it runs or doesn't, how good it looks or doesn't - not really up for debate but you do you.
@Heavyarms55 I see that you subscribe to the school of Ignorance is Bliss.
This turned out to be quite the debate. Luckily, Outer Worlds is on sale for 50% on PS4 for the Days of Play. I was waiting for switch version, but not now. I'll probably get this on PS4 and spend my weekend completing it. The portability of the switch has lost its appeal for the time being, since I have no where to go with it.
@Dang69 Umm, Virtuous also ported over Bioshock, Dark Souls Remastered and Spyro to the Switch, so I would say their porting history is actually very strong and not "lackluster" like you're saying. Here is a link to their Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuos Did you even look up what their ports were before you made that comment? If anything I would say that the virus caused issues with the development of this port.
Now this is not directed at you specifically, but I can't believe people are defending this port. It looks horrible. People will say "BuT gRaPhIcS dOn'T mAtTeR", well the thing is if you have a hard time looking at what's on screen, they do. The rock, ground and foliage textures look horribly low. Cannot believe people are defending this work, it is low quality work that was probably stifled because of the virus. People saying this is good need to put their emotions aside and use their eyes.
@Heavyarms55 that's completely false. digital foundry praised a lot of switch specific ports. they just don't sugar coat their critics like this website does.
@Bonesmasher you're asking too much out of many people on this website. asking them to stop being in denial whenever the switch gets a low quality port? nah, they won't do that.
Got a physical copy arriving today (or sometime over the next few days) and now I'm wondering whether to keep it or send it straight back. Had high hopes after they claimed it would run at 1080p 30fps docked or 720p portable. Luckily I got it at a reduced price of around £35 but still....
I hope they can patch it and upgrade it here and there. I really want a FALLOUT style experience on the Switch. Maybe I will see if I can rent it and make my own decision.
Haven’t played the game yet, but it looks like I’m going to play it on PS4. I do have to say, it’s pretty impressive that Virtuos managed to get this game on a hybrid system like the Switch, but there are sacrifices to be made. I watched Digital Foundry’s video on this, and oh boy it looks really rough on Switch. Those textures are downright awful looking. Hopefully Virtuos fixes some of the problems with this port with a few patches to make the game better on Switch. Even though I wasn’t planning to pick up The Outer Worlds on Switch, I was very curious to see how it would turn out. And yeah, it looks really rough.
Next to the Bioshock, XCom 2 and Borderlands ports this is kinda embarrassing regarding quality and optimization. And this is with postponed release...
What is going on with this game. Df slated it.
@graysoncharles DF are PS4 fans, always have, always will. They even say XBOX ONE X games look worse when they actually look better.
Review borderlands please!!
@Imerion hate to break it to you but the witcher 3 on switch does not match a PCs medium setting, to be honest its lower than the lowest actually
@jimolya I’m in the same boat. I’m interested in whether there IS actually a day one patch. But I don’t want to open it up to find out.
@mesome713 rgt 85 is the worst!
@sanderev that’s not true they often praise the switch
@sanderev if anything they are pc biased
So... The game hasn´t improved after the patch, then?? What about Private Division´s promise of 1080p docked and 720p portable they said a week ago??
I can´t believe it...
@diwdiws I did some comparisons and low on PC was definitely worse than Switch after the patch from earlier this year (and after some fiddling with the graphics settings.) As for medium it depended on the situation; they were mainly the same when running around outside but the Switch-version got a bit more blurry in towns and other areas with lots of NPC:s in.
@quangtuyensa90 subscribe to switchup. They review and break down games fantastically. My go to site now for reviews.....It used to be NL
Is the retail version on the cartridge?.
Anyone knows the size of the day one patch?
@vicferd Yes. Around 6gb
@the_beaver What promise?
@Imerion huh what are you smoking? The PC Low has a Higher resolution over all, more detailed textures, foilage wasnt paired down, grass wasnt paired down, has a better shadow quality, and has a farther draw distance.
I mean the witcher 3 switch is great and all, but come on, we all know it was no “medium” graphic setting build, if you go by that, whay abput the PS4 version? High or ultra?
@Imerion plus the graphics settings you are fiddling in the switch is just the post processing Effects toggle, you can have all that on in the PC low setting without it becoming blurry since said effects have barely any performance impact.
@diwdiws The comparison was with the PC running on 720p and the monitor was quite small. Might have been different with a larger screen and larger resolution. (This video is not mine, but shows the same hardware: https://www.reddit.com/r/gpdwin/comments/7z0jxb/the_witcher_3_gpd_win_1_testing_ultra_low/) Switch clearly looks miles better than that. But yeah, I see now it says ultra low there, but low also felt slightly worse than the Switch version when I looked at them. I suppose at best of times Switch can fall between low and medium. Perhaps not on a larger screen. I'd suppose PS4 would run on High. The game was probably made with PS4 as focus, so I doubt there is much to add beyond that more than post-processing and higher resolution. Character and environment models was supposed to be the same on Switch as PS4 if I remember right.
Sorry for derailing this thread though. What I wanted to exemplify was merely that since many above have called into question if ports like this really are the same game/experience, the comparison with a PC version on lower settings can be done and begs the question: if you play a game on PC but on lower settings, are you not playing the same game then?
As for The Outer Worlds, the port currently seems to be a less stellar effort than the Witcher III port (or for that matter, Wolfenstein II, Warframe and many other impressive ones). My copy arrives in the mail today, so I'll just wait for that patch (or any patch, there usually comes a long a few that improves performance for most games) and then give it a go. Either way I'm happy to have the game to play, as I don't have any plans on getting another console.
@Imerion
https://youtu.be/hUHNowimzDA
Digital Foundry analysis, comparison to PC Low is at 10:30.
@gcunit it wasn't really a promise. More like a statement. They said it would work at 1080p and 720p:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/the_outer_worlds_gets_a_new_switch_release_date_and_a_day-one_patch
@diwdiws Sure, but that was before the 3.6 patch. It did look quite blurry then. Some of the post processing did affect performance enough that turning it off increased the overall resolution. Mainly depth of field blur and setting foliage to medium instead of high. The difference in resolution and clarity in some outside environments were staggering. DF has a good video of that as well, look for the examples later on with some post-processing off, around 10:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLKOLverlr0
I experimentet quite a lot with this out of curiosity. What I have on my Switch screen now definitely matches the footage from the low version in that first video. (With both running in 720p). But sure, it might not reach PC medium. I was probably just fooled by the small screen. (The GPD Win is a handeld PC, so its screen is roughly the same size as the Switch's screen.)
This game just does not work on my switch. I booted it up this morning ready to put 6-8 hours into it, and I can't get past the screen where it tells me how to strap on the joycons. Also it keeps disconnecting my pro controller. Anybody else having this problem? I'm in the process of deleting it and re downloading it now. Any help would be appreciated.
@Gst1986 how big of a download is it?
@sandman89 I bought mine digital and it's 13.7gb
Does the day one patch work miracles? Or does it still look worse than a Game Cube game?
I am enjoying the game!
@Friendly Not when you want to play the game after the patch servers are gone. Not when you paid for a physical release and got cheated.
COVID didn't cause this, stupid managers did and a dumber public that goes along with it.
"a remarkably streamlined and breezy offering that eschews its nearest inspiration's enormous open-worlds for bite-sized areas made up of a wonderfully vibrant selection of alien planets and a campaign that can be rampaged through in about twenty hours."
So....basically a proper Fallout game, then, right? Unlike Bethesda's hideously bloated desolate empty depressing post-apocalyptic abandoned landscapes it has actual dark comedy, a streamlined presence, and well designed areas filled with neurotic characters. Finally the series is back!
@StevenG ah yes, the internet. Where there’s insulting left and right for no reason at all.
@Bonesmasher I was speaking more along the lines of like FF 12, LA Noire, Dark Souls, Spyro and stuff. Not bad, lackluster. Also even though Dark Souls looks nice, the audio is horrible in it. It's 30 fps, and that's ok cuz the original was. Spyro is ok, but to me looks pretty desaturated and blurry. Star Link is fine. FF 12 runs ok, but there are some questionable visual and textural downgrades. More to that one, but it's been a minute. SO really I just mean, they haven't proven themselves as being GREAT, always lacking in some way. I didn't include the Collections because they are so new and haven't looked into them yet.
@Bonesmasher Also yeah I can't believe people are defending this port. It's a level of crazy brand brain washed people.
@Friendly Oh no, I insulted a group I belong to and another group I belong to. Truly I am worse than any monster that ever lived. I would say the same thing to your face, would that make you feel better?
Im still interested in the game and know full well what I’m getting into with the Switch port. However not purchasing right away with a glut of decent ports hitting the system; Bioshock, Catherine, and Burnout Paradise will take priority.
Ports I enjoyed (and actually completed) on Switch that I already had on more powerful systems: Divinity 2, Doom, Bioshock Infinite, Diablo 3, Wolfenstein 2, Firewatch, Dark Souls...
Ports that I sold because I couldn't enjoy it with the downgrade: only the The Witcher 3
@graysoncharles Their review seems fine, and I can see quite clearly the questionably of the graphics. Then again, I still maintain that Fallout 2 was the last even decent Fallout game let alone great Fallout game, and those graphics are certainly well below these, so I think I'll manage fine.
That said, I still have GamePass on X1 and can play it for "free" there anyway, and it's half price on X1 to purchase for "E3 week" as well...might just jump in for X1, though it's a game I'd enjoy plodding through portably on Switch, even with dodgy graphics.
I'm a Feargus Uquhart fan in general though....so I know the game is going to be a quality experience. I've enjoyed his scenarios since the mid 90's.
This is a fantastic game on every platform, but this is also the kind of games where the graphical quality matters a lot, since you're exploring every landscape from the main game. That's what I'm going to talk about.
I've seen that Digital Foundry review and that doesn't really paint a good picture. That comparison felt like a PS Vita vs PS3 comparison, but Switch is more capable than that. It's interesting considering YOUR screenshots show actually decent graphics, better than the "fallout-4-on-ps3" footage that I saw on that Digital Foundry video. You seem to have installed the day one patch, maybe that explains it.
I don't know what happened, the work Virtuos did on XCOM 2 was excellent to me, since they actually managed to keep the core visual identity and effects, this doesn't look to be the case here.
Still, don't refrain buying the game on Switch, even if it's on that state, it could be patched anytime, and remember you can play it anywhere! Virtuos made a good work with this version, but it could've been much more miraculous.
It's a fun game but damn it's ugly., It's not Ark ugly but they could be neighbors.
I would say it is in the 6/10 range.
I think when the end of year awards roll around, this is a strong contender for "Most Disappointing Game of the Year" on the Switch, not unless a miracle patch is rolled out at some point. Was just watching a review, and some of the performance issues are game breaking. The reviewer showed one example where he was walking through town, and then he was suddenly surrounded by enemies who loaded in without warning. That sucks!
I hope the Nintendo Switch version The Outer Worlds get some much needed patches.
Regrettable purchase. TW3 and XCOM 2 are both better ports than this and they both make significant sacrifices.
@Ralek85 You seem to write of the game, based on visuals alone. Recommending it only as a last resort. Having played this game for a few days now I would say that’s mostly based on taste. I think the vibe of the game is very much intact. The humor still comes across in all elements of the game, so does the combat, the visuals do take a big hit but is hasn’t put me of in any way. I would say the visuals will mostly bother you if you’ve played the game on other -stronger- hardware. It’s still a great game -even if you have the option of playing it on more powerful devices.
@StevenG keep in mind that the patches for Switch a lot of the times for AAA are putting in extra files and data that they couldn’t/didn’t want to pay to fit on the cartridge. There’s a lot of digital ink on the switch tax, where it’s a lot cheaper to pay for an 8gb or 16gb cartridge and put out an extra 10gb patch on day 1 then to buy a 32gb cartridge and eat into the profit. Blame capitalism I reckon
@GannonBanned Why is that a capitalism problem?
Charge me $5 more. Tell me why, it's fine.
If anything that's worse than incompetence, that's malice.
@Order2Chaos Absolutely based on visuals first and reporting second. Since the game has been on Gamepass for a while, I did indeed have a chance to play it on substantially more powerful hardware and this without a doubt colors my view of the Switch version.
It's the age old question basically: Is each game it's own thing, to be judged on it's own merits and only on those ... or ... is it part of a larger conversation, thus subject to comparison to other "comparable" games.
Obviously, if we go with the latter - which I do for sure - this must absolutely hold true for different version of one and the same game. You say the game's vibe is very much intact. While I agree to some respect, like the humor for instance being not impacted, the vibe of the game goes beyond that by some pretty large measure. This is not a(n) (audio-)book after all. It's a VIDEOgame.
The first thing that struck me about the Switch version is the lack of vegitation. This gives many if not all the outdoor areas a very, very different vibe from every other version of the game. The lush outworld'ish ^^ vegetation is turned into what largely comes across to me as a desert. I'm not saying we went all the way from Avatar to Dune ... but something along those lines - sadly.
Of course, the level of detail in the world's texture, or more to the point the utter lack thereof, takes away a large part of the game's artistic vision, which beside the writing and VA, is what brings it to life in the first place and sells it as an actual alien place.
To me, and this is particularly true for an RPG of all things, these aspects matter a great deal.
I haven't played the Switch version, so I rather not comment on the combat, but based on the footage I have seen, the performance will time and time again drop to a degree where it will definitely degrade the combat experience. We are not talking sensitivity to "mere" frametime spikes, but actual FPS dips into the teens for an action-heavy game.
The texture pop-in to me would be frankly an issue so severe unto itself, that I would have a very rought time feeling immersed into the world, as the world as such rarely exists at all and is in a constant stage of loading. I can think of few things as distracting to a world's sense of place than that.
Finally, I don't think I RECOMMENDED it as a last resort. I think I said, that I am unsure whether this can be recommended as a last resort, and if it would not be better to hold out for access on a more powerful system in the future. "Last resort" strikes me as the absolute best case for this game. I do think a more powerful Switch is one the way, and really, with XSX/PS5 around the corner, current-gen hardware can be had for a bargain price. That won't give you portability, sure, but the trade-off here, such as they are, really strike me as obscene.
@StevenG then comes the inevitable “why would I pay $75 to have it for Switch when it’s on Xbox gamer pass, Nintendo/Obsidian are greedy, might as well hack and steal
@VegasToad I thought about that then I realized Skyrim is still $50
@BlackenedHalo They aren't that bad... Game is perfectly playable and visually everything that needs to be in tact is there. For a port they did a great job. Some further optimizations will improve it more. Great game, good port. Graphics are decent considering this was built for much more powerful hardware.
@bLiNdSiDe82 I'm having a blast with the game.
@GannonBanned Then you explain cost of media.
This wouldn't be an issue if these companies didn't try to get $60 for nearly decade old games.
It would also need to launch sameday.
Does anyone know what, if any, required download there is for the physical version on the Switch?
@Kanbei I agree, xenoblade was horrible in handled mode!
Dunno why this gets 80 (considering the price!) when the textures on Switch are as ugly as h***, even looks worse than PS1 games.
If you're still jonesing for a Fallout game on Switch as much as I am, Outer Worlds is a decent substitute, but even after last year's big update, the graphics are still a blurred mess (noticeably better in docked mode however). This isn't a critique of the Switch, since there are far more elaborate games games that are older and look MUCH better.
Outer Worlds is still fun to play.
@Khyron5 Thanks for the update, wish these sites ever updated reviews when big updates are released that can change tons of the flaws, but ya know they're lazy and it's easier to copy paste whatever crap Reggie said and call it a day.
Since I only have a Switch Lite I guess I'll pass then if it's still really blurry in handheld.
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