The whole "pop-in problems" like in Dragon's Dogma on Switch also persist here, but not as bad just due to the amount of vegitation present (which is arguably a lot more than DD's). Don't forget the incredible lighting that's present in this game as well: Sunrise and sunsets still look great!
Hopefully Saber Interactive is aware of the moding scene and figures a way to up fidelity more without sacrificing performance. It cannot be understated that they've done a terrific job, and if you do have the game on other platforms
but simply lack the time nor commitment, the Switch port just might be the magic pill needed to blast through the campaign.
I recall struggling to get
into the Steam version for whatever reason: Perhaps I was trying to make my R9 Nano run those fabled 60fps on my 1366x768 monitor with me just endlessly tweaking the config, and the tiny subtitles just made it annoying to read/fully comprehend what's going on. It just didn't feel as
snappy to play on PC as it does on Switch, which is ironic considering the Switch has longer loading times. Maybe it was the fabled menu lag?
Also some impressions on the game in general:
- Geraldt is actually quite funny and easy going, in contrast to the whole edgelord "God Of War" persona they instill him in the marketing materials.
- This game does not know what i-frames are, nor does it seem to want to know them. As far as I'm concerned, this is more "pen-and-paper"/"roll-the-dice" tabletop RPG when it comes to your rolls and dodges actually counting, so playing safe with footsies and pokes (or just "playing cheap" and taking advantage of enemy AI range) is actually more effective.
- Even small, inconsequential side missions are great, and can sometimes lead to bigger quests.
- Stocking up on food is essential...until you unlock Sun and Rain perk. Though what I didn't realize is that you need to be in contact with actual sunlight/rain for the perk to actually work.
- There are many times I've save-scummed just to see how an outcome might have gone if I answered differently, often with drastic results. But rarely does it feel like you've made the "wrong" choice.
- Money is hard to come by and I wish they had explained how to sell to merchants (or maybe I accidentally skipped the tutorial..oopsies) sooner as to not always be broke and overburdened with old weapons.
- Is it right for me to call this "Medival Mass Effect"?
Come to think of it, perhaps what stopped me from enjoying it on PC was my "perfectionist" mentality of trying to pursue the absolute best results, whether it comes to graphics and playthrough ("Save scumm till you get the absolute perfect result you wanted!"). But with the Switch version, I can just relax and let my decisions take me wherever the game leads me.
