https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...h-traveler-a-hybrid-game-for-a-hybrid-console
Much more in the article and video.
The Japanese RPG has travelled a long road since the early days of sprite-based 2D adventuring, but in Octopath Traveler we have a fascinating blend of old and new. It's a hybrid JRPG for a hybrid console, but developers Square Enix and Acquire know exactly where to push the boat out technically and where to stick to the tried and tested 2D template. The result is a beautiful and compelling Switch exclusive that's well worth checking out.
For replicating an older style it works brilliantly - it's certainly more ambitious than sticking with a traditional 2D design and the effort pays off with the effects it layers on top. A case in point is the game's high quality bokeh depth of field.
The visuals are striking but the game's sound design deserves major credit too. Rather than using a faux-retro soundtrack, the team pushes the boat out with a mixture of beautifully composed classical and Celtic tracks.
All of this goes way beyond the scope of a traditional JRPG - but there is a cost. Simply creating a 2D title on Switch would have been a far simpler endeavour, but it would have robbed Octopath Traveler of its signature, hybrid visual style. With that in mind, the resolution has to drop to suit the ambition, with pixel-count topping out at 720p while docked. On the other hand, if you're using the Switch purely as a handheld, you get all the same effects as docked play, but it simply runs at a lower resolution of 1024x576. In that case, the UI stays fixed at 720p at least, and so these elements look sharp, pixel-mapped to Switch's smaller display.
Well, whether it's docked or portable, expect a 30fps cap here, which is thankfully locked with no signs of drops from our testing so far. The only small issue in this case is the presence of frame-pacing issues. You can face entire passages of play without any trouble, but in battle especially, that frame-time line can trill constantly between 16, 33 and 50ms. Fortunately, camera motion tends to be fairly static in combat anyway, which minimises the perceivable effect of it at its peak.
Much more in the article and video.
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