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Pokemon Sword and Shield arguably wasn’t the fully-fledged console experience fans had been waiting for, but it was certainly a solid foundation for Game Freak to build upon moving forward. Primarily a portable endeavour for decades, many of the series’ conventions felt rooted to its handheld origins, some it simply failed to shake on Nintendo Switch. 

That being said, the charmingly addictive core of Pokemon still remained. Combine this with the expansive world and a greater focus on player customisation and you are left with one of the brightest sparks Pokemon has ever seen, but its faults are still hard to overlook. Environments looked bland, mechanics felt very similar to much older games and new gimmicks weren’t enough to weather the storm. 

Isle of Armor is a brief yet ambitious step forward, taking everything that was established by Sword and Shield and striving to deliver something more cohesive. Its focus on open-world exploration and finding collectibles is frequently satisfying, while it also delivers a fun little narrative away from the main scenario.

I’m still a bit confused about why nobody recognised me as the Champion of Galar, though. Guessing nobody on this weird island has an internet connection.

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Coming as part of the expansion pass, Isle of Armor isn’t a huge affair, acting instead as a small escapade you’ll want to embark on after the main campaign. Accessed from your hometown’s station, you’ll stumble upon a new character (Klara or Avery, depending on the version you own) who will act as your rival throughout the events to come. They’re both fun new personalities with excellent designs, although they don’t match the visual brilliance of Bea, Marnie or Leon. 

Armor gives a stunning first impression as you arrive. The island is surrounded by gorgeous sandy beaches, rolling hills and dark, dank caves all simply begging to be explored. From the moment you set foot on the island, you’re free to roam around at your leisure, but the story isn’t too far behind.

The main thrust behind Isle of Amor sits within a Dojo managed by an elderly legend known as Mustard.He’s a jovial old fellow with dozens of students begging for his training, so obviously you’re tagged as the golden child within mere moments. After introducing yourself and donning a snazzy yellow uniform, you’re tasked with embarking on three trials across the island. These range from catching rampaging Slowpoke, collecting mysterious mushrooms and training an adorable new Pokemon known as Kubfu. It’s legendary, so you’ll want to stick with it throughout Isle of Armor. 

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From here, the expansion grows into a more grandiose affair, but it still feels a little too short, finishing before the characters and location truly come into their own. The that the entire island is one large Wild Area with only a handful of buildings scattered throughout is a daring idea, but not one which always bears fruit. Exploring is a delight, especially when catching new creatures and finding collectibles such as Dittos, which can be exchanged in return for new Pokemon. 

But this isn’t really enough to hold your interest, with Isle of Armor’s collectibles being scattered about with such reckless abandon that finding them all is more of an exercise in tedium than anything else. It’s simply not very fun in the later hours, and being ambushed by random Pokemon only feels like a further obstacle to completion. Wild Areas remain impressive, and those who enjoy Raid Battles will find them far more engaging, but compared to the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles or Breath of the Wild this feels almost infantile. 

Those who despised Sword and Shield for its abandonment of the national dex will be happy to learn that Isle of Armor introduces dozens of familiar creatures back into the fold, all of which you can catch throughout the expansion. Everyone is capped at level 60, meaning doing so will either be a casual breeze or an unusual frustration as you accidentally instakill most Pokemon into oblivion. 

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Level scaling in Isle of Armor is busted. If you haven’t beaten the base game, everyone is level 10. If you have, everything tops out at level 60. It’s a bizarre disparity and one that zaps things of any real challenge. This is Isle of Armor’s biggest flaw. It feels fundamentally dissociated with the base game, so once you’re done with it, you’ll return to Galar like nothing ever happened. It’s jarring, and leaves a dissatisfied taste in your mouth when all is said and done. 

The price is also worth taking into account. You can purchase the expansion pass for £26.99 which includes both pieces of downloadable content, the second of which will arrive later this year. That’s a hefty price tag considering Isle of Armor is only a few hours long, although hardcore players will easily mine double that with enough dedication. At the moment, this is a bitter pill to swallow for a relatively small amount of content.

Verdict

Isle of Armor is an enjoyable expansion to Pokemon Sword and Shield and brings the franchise one step closer to embracing a cohesive open-world, but it isn’t enough to detract from an experience that is far too brief for its own good. 

Completionists will adore collecting everything it has to offer, but the narrative and characters don’t contribute enough to the universe to feel worthwhile. That being said, this is a solid foundation for Game Freak to build upon going forward, and that’s exactly what we needed. 

The post Pokemon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor Review appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

XCOM 2 is widely regarded as one of the very best PC games released within the last decade, so to see it arrive on the portable Nintendo Switch is quite the marvel. 

A number of compromises have been made to make this port possible though, with a shaky frame-rate performance reminding us of the Switch’s unfortunate hardware limitations. 

The XCOM 2 Collection for Nintendo Switch also resurrects the question of how far developers should go when porting a game over to an alien platform. While port expert Virtuos has done a terrific job getting XCOM 2 running on the Switch, not enough has been done to help the alien shooter’s transition to the small screen, with subtitles too small and important UI overlays often shunted out of view. 

If you want to play XCOM 2, the Nintendo Switch is comfortably one of the worst platforms to experience it on. That said, to have such an acclaimed game on Nintendo’s portable is still cause for celebration for those who use the Switch as their sole gaming device. 

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The XCOM 2 Collection is made up of the base game, four DLC packs (Resistance Warrior Pack, Anarchy’s Children, Alien Hunters, Shen’s Last Gift) and the War of the Chosen expansion. That’s a lot of content, especially when you consider how much replay value is on offer here. 

Most of the downloadable content is just made up of new weapons, gear and cosmetic customisations. Shen’s Last Gift is by far the best bundled DLC, providing you with one of the finest XCOM 2 missions available and featuring an unlockable SPARK robot soldier class that I found to be invaluable for future missions. 

War of the Chosen, meanwhile, is entirely separate expansion, featuring new soldier classes, enemies and missions, albeit with a mostly similar formula to the base game. 

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For those unfamiliar, XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactics shooter that feels like a more nuanced and complex chess game, but with alien-killing soldiers replacing your knights and pawns. When hovering over an enemy on the battlefield, the UI will ping useful data onto your screen such as the percentage probability of a successful shot and the amount of damage your weapon will likely make. 

Don’t think that such data makes this an easy venture though, as XCOM 2 not only requires you to think how you should dispatch the next closest alien thug, but also what steps you need to make to evacuate without being flanked in the process, as every mistake can be very costly. 

XCOM 2 features a brutal difficulty, with troops easily wiped out if not behind adequate cover or equipped with high-level gear. The permadeath feature makes such loss gutting, and even though the pool of soldiers you can recruit is replenished every month, seeing a soldier killed in action will lose you all of the upgrades they built up over the duration of the campaign. 

The high difficulty can be frustrating at times, especially if missing a 95% shot ends up proving disastrous. But these high stakes only increase the relief and satisfaction of a successful mission without casualties. 

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XCOM 2 also encourages replays, starting off on a new point on the globe with every restart to ensure content feels fresh. My whole squad was wiped out fairly early on during my first playthrough, so such a feature was very much appreciated.

You’re also tasked with building up your army’s resources by researching new technology, recruiting new staff and making contact with various countries for a boost in supplies and intel. This management system is not only engrossing, but also provides a plethora of options that can lead to extremely different playstyles and personal experiences. 

The range of soldier classes and varying skill tree options gives each mission a wealth of depth. XCOM 2 also has a wide number of enemy classes, from the mind-controlling Sectoid to the Berserker that charges down anything in its path. Each alien foe is well thought out, and it’s a genuine delight to find out what alien classes are lurking in the shadows for each mission. 

It’s evident that XCOM 2 has been designed with a keyboard and mouse in mind though, with the battlefield and menu systems clunky to navigate with the Switch Joy-Cons. It takes a good while to get used to, and even then I would still occasionally hit the wrong command when scrolling through each soldier’s special abilities. 

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Weapon descriptions and dialogue subtitles are annoyingly small too, with no option to increase the font size. That may not be an issue with a gaming monitor, but it caused me a lot of aggro when squinting at my Switch Lite’s 5.5-inch screen. 

Cutscenes also suffer frequent frame rate drops, losing the dramatic tension built up before every mission. Such performance issues are understandable given the Switch’s hardware limitations, but makes it no less of a bitter pill to swallow for those who have shelled out £40 for the game.

It also goes without saying not to expect high fidelity visuals for the likes of character models and scenery, with Virtuos clearly reducing the graphical quality to get XCOM 2 running on the Switch. 

Loading times can be painfully slow too, whether that’s loading up a mission or waiting for the enemy AI to take its turn. The issue only gets worse as you progress through the game, as more enemies fill the screen and push the Switch to the absolute limit. It’s still very much playable, but I’d recommend playing on PC, PS4 or Xbox One instead where possible. 

Verdict 

The XCOM 2 Collection is an excellent package, featuring one of the best games of the last decade with an abundance of content that can keep you occupied for months. 

However, this Switch port feels very rough around the edges, with blatant frame rate issues and a lack of quality of life improvements for the smaller screen eroding the gloss of an otherwise superb game.

If you’ve got a PC, PS4 or Xbox One, then I strongly recommend buying on those platforms instead, especially because they’re often available at very affordable prices. But if the Switch is your sole gaming device, or you just really want to gun down aliens on the go, then the XCOM 2 Collection for Nintendo Switch is still a worthwhile option if you can overlook the technical hiccups. 

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After the runaway success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Nintendo Switch’s release schedule has been somewhat barren as far as major first party titles go. In their place however, Switch owners have been subject to a bevy of ports from Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition to Bioshock: The Collection, and now EA’s getting in on the fun with Burnout Paradise Remastered.

It’s strange to think that there hasn’t been a major entry in the Burnout series since Paradise in 2008, but there’s no denying that the title’s simple pick up and play style gameplay feels like a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console – and for the most part, it is.

Anyone who’s played a Burnout game before will know that unlike more realistic driving simulators like Forza Horizon 4 or DiRT 4, Burnout’s always prided itself on rewarding players for creating as much carnage as possible. This involves smashing fellow contenders off the course during a street race – rewarding you with a boost in the process – to creating a monstrous pile up in an attempt to see how much of a bill you can rack up. It’s wacky, absurd and I love it.

For the first time in the series however, Burnout Paradise shook things up by expanding that same gameplay into an open world setting. From the get-go, players are free to explore Paradise City at their own pace and start races and challenges wherever they see fit. Combine this relaxed approach with the short time it takes to actually complete these races and you’re looking at a game that arguably works best in a portable format.

While my experiences with public transport have been few and far between in the last couple of weeks, being able to dive into an adrenaline-inducing race during a train ride felt like a great way to pass the time. Given that the Remastered package also includes all of Burnout Paradise’s DLC on top of the countless amounts of trials and challenges already available, there’s a lot of content here to keep players busy.

As if that wasn’t enough, Burnout Paradise Remastered features one of the best soundtracks I’ve come across. Maybe it’s the fact that I was raised on a steady diet of Guitar Hero and Kerrang Radio, but the soundtrack’s focus on rock anthems plays exactly into my tastes.

When you fancy taking the action online, Burnout Paradise’s matchmaking system is so seamless, it makes me wonder why more games haven’t tried to adopt it in the years since. All it takes is a simple tap of the D-Pad and you can jump into the online mode of your choice while you’re still driving. For a fast-paced game like Burnout, the less time spent navigating menus the better, and this does the trick perfectly.

Unfortunately, the same praise can’t be afforded to the game’s attempt at implementing local multiplayer. Instead of having a dedicated split-screen mode, the game has ‘Burnout Party’, which sees up to eight players compete for points by pulling off certain challenges like being the fastest to reach a destination or landing certain tricks.

It sounds entertaining enough, but the mode relies on passing the controller from person to person. Given that the Nintendo Switch has become a bastion for local multiplayer – boasting two controllers out of the box – it seems jarring that Burnout Paradise Remastered doesn’t capitalise on this in any way.

In fact, very little has changed in this port over the game’s initial release over a decade ago. Small gameplay quirks such as the inability to fast-travel or retry races have somehow survived the test of time despite well-documented criticism being levelled at them years ago.

Due to the Switch’s limitations, this port of Burnout Paradise Remastered can’t achieve the 4K heights of its counterparts either, although the game’s 60fps action runs surprisingly well, and I never came across any moments of lag or graphical tearing. What did stand out however were the atrocious load times that occur whenever you swap out your car for something different at the Junk Yard. At one point, I spent an entire minute staring blankly at the screen, wondering if the game had crashed before the return of the HUD brought me back to earth.

The only addition to the Switch port, I kid you not, is the ability to use touch controls on the menus and the map screen. That’s it. If that’s a feature you were clamouring for then more power to you, but to me that’s a huge disappointment, especially given the elephant in the room – the game’s pricing.

At the recommended retail price, Burnout Paradise Remastered on Switch will set you back a whopping £44.99. That’s almost the same price as a brand new first-party game from Nintendo. Even Bioshock: The Collection – which contains three games – had a noticeable ‘Switch tax’ added at £39.99.

Why EA thought that £44.99 is a justifiable price for a core game that’s 12-years old with a few minor updates is beyond me. It pains me to say this as I’ve still thoroughly enjoyed my time with Burnout Paradise Remastered for Switch, but at the current asking price, it’s simply not worth it.

Verdict

Even after all this time, Burnout Paradise remains an absolute blast to play. The upgrade to 60fps in Remastered only heightens the adrenaline rush, and the game’s emphasis on exploration and quick-fire racing make it a brilliant fit for being taken on the go.

With an absurd asking price and very little to make this version stand out against its PS4 and Xbox One counterparts however, Burnout Paradise Remastered is better saved for the next eShop sale, unless you’re absolutely craving another racing title for your Switch library.

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They don’t make licensed platformers like they used to. Back in the days of PS2, Xbox and GameCube you were spoiled for choice when it came to adventures based on your favourite properties, many of which focused on the biggest cartoons and films of the day.  

SpongeBob: SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was one of a few licensed platformers that didn’t vanish into obscurity, lasting into the modern day thanks to a dedicated fanbase and surprisingly expansive speedrunning community. It’s a cult classic, holding a reputation esteemed enough to warrant a full remake with Rehydrated. 

Purple Lamp Studios has recreated this iconic platformer with the utmost accuracy, maintaining its beloved characters and level design while ensuring its visuals look the part after almost two decades. The results are oftentimes astonishing, even if some aspects feel frighteningly archaic when up against more contemporary efforts. 

A few small flaws aside, SpongeBob: SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a lovingly crafted remake which delivers ample nostalgia and hours of satisfying collectathon action. It bottles up the glory days of this franchise and mixes it with a platformer that stands the test of time remarkably. 

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The premise of Rehydrated is simple. Plankton has constructed a machine which can produce robots to do his bidding, or more specifically, steal the Krabby Patty formula. Unfortunately for him, he switches the machine to “not obey” in the midst of an evil monologue. This results in Bikini Bottom being flooded with an array of evil machines intent on making the lives of its inhabitants a misery. 

SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy are the unlikely trio tasked with saving the day, also acting as the three playable characters you control throughout Rehydrated. All of our heroes possess a range of unique abilities for solving puzzles and fighting enemies. There are no fancy upgrades or tiered unlock systems here – this is old school platforming to the finest degree. 

Sandy can use a rope to swing through the air, reaching distant platforms and collectibles otherwise out of reach. Patrick can throw watermelons and other objects, a power which proves invaluable throughout some stages. SpongeBob is arguably the most vanilla, but also who you’ll spend the most time with throughout the brief campaign. You swap between them frequently enough that things always feel fresh, with levels often challenging you to think outside the box if you’re hoping to find the peskier secrets.

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Aside from stopping the evil robots, your core objective throughout Rehydrated is to collect Golden Spatulas. These unlock access to new levels and determine your overall progress through the campaign. You’ll access new stages such as Rock Bottom and Goo Lagoon through a central hub world containing many of the show’s landmarks. Mr. Krabs can be found loitering outside the Krusty Krab, while Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are struggling with a broken television in the Old Shoals Retirement Home. 

Rehydrated draws from the best seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants, a time when the show was bitingly self-aware and referencial with its sense of humour. Much like the golden age of The Simpsons, every single character is on top form here, making all the dialogue a joy to witness. Unlocking new tiers of the hub world across a number of hours means you’re always being treated with new secrets and cool character interactions to uncover, all of which feel rewarding in their own right. 

Much like other platforming greats, you’re encouraged to revisit older levels once new characters and powers are available, since some items are impossible to obtain during your first rodeo. Normally this would be a hassle for completionists, but Rehydrated is intuitive enough that hopping between levels is a breeze, with the menu allowing you to teleport directly to chosen objectives within a matter of seconds. There’s no need to replay huge levels for a single thing you missed, which is often a frustration in the genre. 

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Rehydrated also introduces some new features which weren’t present in the original game. The major addition is a multiplayer horde mode where you and a friend can team up to take on endless waves of robots. It’s a fun little distraction, and being able to play as new characters such as Squidward, Gary and Robo Plankton is excellent. Sadly, combat is so simplistic that it really doesn’t add much depth to the overall package.

I will admit it’s engaging with an ally by your side in local multiplayer, but the lack of an option to play it solo or alongside an AI-controlled bot is as a frustrating omission. Even with the multiplayer being introduced, I believe returning fans will be primarily focused on diving into the solo campaign, and pulling it apart in search of new secrets and easter eggs before comparing it to the classic original. If something looks off, they’ll be sure to let us know about it.

Verdict

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a welcome return for a licensed platforming great. It’s wonderfully faithful to the original release while ensuring it has the visual fidelity to stand alongside modern adventures in the genre. While I would have loved an expansion of its levels and a more robust multiplayer offering, this is a remake I believe is essential for platforming fans.

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Valorant is a new free-to-play tactical shooter, taking the pinpoint gunplay and claustrophobic maps from Counter-Strike and layering on top an Overwatch-style character class system for oodles of charm and replayability. 

Integrating various zany power-ups into such a classic shooter formula creates a seemingly endless number of possibilities in nail-biting tactical firefights. 

With Overwatch and Apex Legends previously reaping the rewards from such an approach, the character class system is by no means exclusive to Valorant. But by integrating it into such an intense first-person shooter where precision gunplay and tactical consideration rules the roost, Valorant ends up feeling uniquely appealing.

Created by Riot Games – the same studio behind League of Legends – it’s blatantly obvious that Valorant has been designed to appeal to the eSports crowd. There are no loot crates or random in-game events here to even the odds, with weapon accuracy being the single most important skill.

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Well-placed headshots can down foes instantly, even if they’re wearing heavy armour. While games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends allow low-skilled players a bit of leeway if they amass a collection of high-spec gear, Valorant is far more ruthless. This can prove very frustrating for those lacking accurate and speedy responses, but anyone relishing an intense challenge will find it here in spades. 

Before each round, players are allowed a brief window to purchase guns with in-game credits. You’ll earn more credits in each round, but death will wipe out all of your gear. This means you’ll have to decide how evenly you should spread your spending across the 24 rounds, with item management proving an important consideration. 

There’s a huge arsenal of weapons to pick from, including pistols, shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles and snipers. No gun feels drastically over powered, each featuring its own strengths and weaknesses. Shotguns may allow players to be less precise in their aiming, but they prove ineffective in long, twisting alleys. And while sniper rifles can kill from range, the labyrinth-esque setup of every map means you can never be sure whether an enemy will flank you from behind. 

Every gun feels great to use, with crunchy sprays of bullets feeling incredibly satisfying when knocking down opponents. Controls feel pinpoint accurate too, so you’ve only got yourself to blame if you lose a one-on-one encounter. 

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And then we have the character classes, ranging from the fire-ball tossing Phoenix who can summon walls of flames to the battlefield, to the swift-footed Jett who can propel herself into the air and hurl deadly throwing knives. 

There are already 11 so-called agents to choose from, each flaunting varied and enjoyable special moves. But while the likes of vision-blocking whirlwinds and enemy-tagging security cameras can certainly give you an edge in fights, they’re rarely powerful enough to make up for poor aiming. 

Most of your abilities need to be replenished with in-game credits too, so if you keep spamming an expensive move, you probably won’t be able to afford armour or weapons beyond a basic pistol in later rounds. 

Select agents have to be unlocked for competitive use, but this simply requires you to play multiple rounds rather than being forced to pay real-world cash. The unlockable agents don’t seem any more powerful than the default characters too, although I have seen signs of an unbalanced roster. 

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The medic character Sage seems to top leaderboards more often than not, with her healing and resurrection powers seeming unfairly advantageous. This isn’t something to be concerned about though, as this is a typical element Riot Games will watch out for and could easily fix via a future patch. Plus, with five characters lining up for each team, it’s more than likely that both sides will feature the overpowered classes. 

Teamwork is essential for success in Valorant, with Riot Games ensuring various character abilities can synergise for some outstanding results. For example, the archer Sova can fire a recon bolt that detects out-of-sight enemies, while Breach can emit a disorientating blast through a wall. Pulling off such strategies isn’t so easy though, especially if you’re playing with strangers without voice chat. 

When playing by myself, I’ve been very frustrated with teammates who charge off alone or ignore the ‘plant the bomb’ main objective in favour of a fruitless killing spree. I’ve also seen players frequently drop out after a few rounds, leaving your team at a major disadvantage for the rest of the game. Valorant definitely feels best played in a squad of five, but finding four friends to play is easier said than done. 

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A new mode called Spike Rush at least makes the game that little bit more accessible, with shorter game sessions, randomised guns and more charges for special abilities ensuring more chaotic fights where teamwork isn’t quite as important. A Custom Game option also allows you to pick the map, game mode and whether cheats are allowed, proving a good option if you’ve got a group of friends to mess around with. 

I’m hoping Riot Games will introduce a few more maps and game modes, as the potential Valorant has to offer is staggering. This will, of course, depend on how much money the game is able to make. 

Valorant uses a similar pay model to Fortnite, being free to play but offering players the opportunity to use real-life cash to unlock skins and cosmetics. The cosmetics on offer seem limited so far, but it’s still enticing to add a splash of colour to the bland, black default styling. Since all payments can only unlock cosmetics, Valorant can’t be accused of being ‘pay to win’. 

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I’m not a big fan of the menu systems though, with the character roster and weapon skins somewhat confusing to navigate. The presentation is excellent during gameplay though. The shop menu at the start of each round is rife with imagery and labels so you can quickly pick the best gun for your play style.

The art style is gorgeous too, with Riot Games opting for a cartoonish style reminiscent of Team Fortress 2, which is no surprise since Valve’s former art and character designer has taken the role of art director for Valorant.

Audio effects and voice acting is also superb, giving the huge roster of characters distinctive personalities with their witty remarks ahead of a scrape. There’s a great range of characters here too, with Riot Games ensuring a decent mix of nationalities for an inclusive experience.

Verdict

Valorant is a fantastic new entry to the tactical shooter genre, combining popular features from the likes of Counter-Strike and Overwatch for one of the most engrossing competitive sharpshooters yet.

But with headshots almost always proving fatal and a lack of random loot evening the odds, Valorant offers no mercy for unskilled players. If you’re not a talented marksman, you may come away frustrated at the seemingly impenetrable difficulty, even with the implementation of character class systems and special abilities.

For the eSports arena though, Valorant looks set to make a huge impact. Anyone looking for a challenge will have endless fun here, with the huge roster of characters, excellent gunplay and potential futures updates likely ensuring a very long lifespan.

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Nintendo Switch has transformed into a welcome home for ports in recent months, with Overwatch, The Outer Worlds and countless other classics making their way to the hybrid console.

While they’ve offered reduced visuals, performance and features in most cases, they’ve normally been a perfectly adequate way to experience these games, and in case of Nintendo purists, oftentimes the only way.

Bioshock: The Collection now joins these ranks, managing to stand out by offering a trio of titles which all put on an impressive display when compared to neighbouring platforms. Whether in docked or handheld mode, all three games look and play incredibly well, with only a handful of compromises holding them back from greatness. 

Given the age of these games I shouldn’t really be surprised, but seeing such huge, ambitious titles in the palm of my hands never gets old, especially on a Nintendo console. For those wishing to revisit the dystopian worlds of Rapture and Columbia, this collection is an ideal method of doing so if you aren’t in possession of other modern platforms. 

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This collection includes Bioshock 1, Bioshock 2 and Bioshock Infinite – all of which exist as independent installs on Nintendo Switch. You can choose to purchase them individually or as a single bundle, the latter of which will save you a few pennies in the long run. You’ll need ample storage space to install all three, so those without an SD card will likely find themselves at an impasse. 

Released across an entire generation of consoles, the visual quality and mechanical ambition of the Bioshock trilogy varies wildly. The original is far darker and more claustrophobic, while Infinite revels in bright, open spaces where the player can explore an abundance of locales with immense verticality. Bioshock 2 lands in the middle, offering more varied environments than its predecessor, hoping to showcase the working class underbelly of Rapture in a way its progenitor simply didn’t. 

All three games are vastly different in so many ways, but their philosophical depiction of dystopia remains constant, challenging the player with fascinating themes, characters and topics we’ve rarely seen mainstream shooters tackle since. But how does each game fare on Switch, and will returning players and newcomers feel equally satisfied? 

The short answer is a resounding yes. Of all the ports and adaptations I’ve tested on Nintendo Switch, the Bioshock Collection sits amongst the higher echelons of quality. In terms of resolution, each game targets 1080p while docked, and with the exception of Infinite, they all maintain high image quality throughout. 

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Obviously, you won’t be matching the likes of PS4 and Xbox One, and a few glaring faults make themselves known on a large 4K display, but it’s far from a dealbreaker. Certain visual effects such as lightning, fire and other explosions are noticeably downgraded and look somewhat unpleasant when interacting with the environment; clear evidence of each game’s last generation origins. 

Qualms such as this are less noticeable in portable mode, as are other similar shortcomings. Thankfully, each title draws from the upgraded next-gen efforts far more than the PS3 and Xbox 360 originals. You’ll find increased foliage, environmental details and other touches which ensure Switch manages to compete alongside far more powerful consoles. It’s in last place by a considerable margin, but the effort being expressed here is genuinely impressive. 

As I mentioned before, performance fluctuates across each title, but they’re all remarkably solid when it comes to maintaining a frame-rate that allows for smooth, satisfying action. I found the first duo of titles to be especially consistent, rarely showcasing notable drops in performance even during more intense combat sequences. It’s smooth to play, even if the camera controls can display a small amount of latency that takes some getting used to. 

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This collection doesn’t just feature the base games either. Every piece of downloadable content ever released is included here, with the obvious exception of Bioshock 2’s ill-fated online multiplayer. This includes the fantastic Minerva’s Den and Burial at Sea, the latter of which is a stunning campaign which features both Rapture and Columbia across a narrative awash with twists and turns. It’s well worth experiencing, and does an excellent job of redefining some of the series’ biggest moments.

Verdict

If you’re a newcomer to the Bioshock franchise or simply want to replay them on a more convenient platform, this collection is an excellent proposition. All three games look and run stupendously well on Nintendo’s console, and the sheer amount of content on offer here makes the asking price much easier to swallow.

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You can read our original review for The Outer Worlds here, which features a different final score reflecting the platform it was originally reviewed on. 

Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds made a significant splash when it launched for PS4, Xbox One and PC last year. In a world where Bethesda had failed to deliver with its Fallout franchise since the arrival of Fallout 4, the creators of New Vegas took it upon themselves to create a sprawling, ambitious RPG experience that truly sets itself apart. 

It’s an excellent game, and one that plays brilliantly across every platform it inhabits in terms of visual quality and overall performance. While it didn’t blow anyone away with its graphical prowess, its distinctive aesthetic shone through thanks to stunning art design and charismatic characters. Thanks to Virtuos Studios – it’s now arrived on Nintendo Switch.

Known for Dark Souls Remastered and other impressive ports, my expectations were high stepping into this one. The finished project is a mixed experience, with textures and resolution receiving a major downgrade, and other compromises being made across the board to ensure the portable console can handle such a behemoth. 

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Core gameplay remains untouched in this port, with Virtuous Studio doing a commendable job of transporting the large world and infectious atmosphere to a portable platform. The controls feel mostly responsive, and in both docked and portable mode the performance is passable, although isn’t without its flaws. It all depends on whether you can stomach the corners that have been cut to make it all possible. 

After the opening couple of hours, far more cracks certainly begin to show. Upon clearing the tutorial area and stepping into the first major settlement, the 30fps performance target begins to fluctuate. This makes the basic acts of movement and aiming your weapons more difficult than they should be, a tad troublesome given the entire game is spent exploring multiple areas in search of quests, fighting enemies and enhancing your character. Indoor areas fare much better, but firefights in towns and open expanses simply don’t feel good enough, faltering under the weight of their own ambition.

I found performance and resolution to be more acceptable in portable mode, with the smaller display making it harder to spot the omission of detailed textures and lack of environmental elements that were present in other versions. Virtuous Studios has removed a number of objects and foliage from The Outer Worlds to ensure it runs on Switch, so much so that it can alter the atmosphere of certain areas, ridding of what made them so appealing in the first place.

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Fields which were once awash with alien plant life are now barren, making it feel like you’re exploring a desert instead of a forest. It’s really distracting, especially for those hoping to double-dip with the Nintendo Switch version. It begs the question whether such a major sacrifice in visual quality and performance is worth it simply for portability. That this version exists at all is quite remarkable, yet I can’t help but feel it’s too much for the Switch’s current iteration. 

Virtuous Studios claimed ahead of launch that The Outer Worlds will be targeting 1080p and 720p in docked and portable mode respectively, but the image quality in my experience sadly doesn’t reflect that. It exhibits a blurry draw distance and inconsistent resolution common to other ports on the platform, alongside exclusives such as Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I found The Outer Worlds to be a somewhat blurry title on more powerful consoles, and that’s further exemplified here. 

While exploring, you’ll often stumble upon foes moments after they’ve popped in, meaning you’re ill-prepared for a fight on top of the ample technical problems. The lacking foliage and details upon buildings and other structures take far too long to load in, making much of the world feel like a strange puddle of inconsistency. You can always pretend you’re diving into an open-world RPG intended for the original PlayStation, or just opt for a different platform and potentially cheaper version of the same game.

Related: Xenoblade Chronicles – Definitive Edition Review 

The user interface having the same quality as PS4, Xbox One and PC is oddly distracting. You’ll be interacting with menus and dialogue boxes that feel pristine when set against everything else – such as character models lacking in detail, and sometimes, exhibiting a needless array of clipping artefacts. Whenever I think of a positive associated with The Outer Worlds on Switch, it’s swept away by a flaw that makes it hard to justify seeing the entire adventure through in this way.

Verdict

The Outer Worlds on Nintendo Switch is a passable iteration of Obsidian Entertainment’s excellent RPG, but arguably makes too many sacrifices to make itself comfortable on the portable platform. Visual, performance and gameplay quirks emerge frequently enough that I’m forced to ask whether adapting such a large adventure was worth it in the first place. If you don’t own a PS4, Xbox One or dedicated gaming PC, this is certainly an option, but even then I’d wait for a discount.

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Revenge is everywhere in The Last of Us 2. It’s the central motivation that drives Ellie forward, leading her to commit despicable acts for a goal that may only end in her own misery. It’s not an easy journey to embark on, leaving you hesitant to push forward, crying out in defiance at the path of the bodies being left in your wake. 

Everything about Ellie’s journey feels drenched in deliberacy, with Naughty Dog crafting a narrative experience that holds back no punches, ensuring the player feels the significance of every bullet fired, every hammer swung and every word spoken. I was enraptured from the opening moments, which is a testament to the connections formed with these characters so many years ago.

While I have to wait to give my thoughts on the full experience, I can provide a comprehensive look at the game’s moment-to-moment action from the perspective of a small section towards the halfway point. I’ll be avoiding narrative throughout this preview, only touching on how The Last of Us 2 plays and ambitiously builds upon the foundations of its predecessor. So those hoping to go in blind needn’t worry. 

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Ellie’s quest for revenge takes her to the overgrown innards of Downtown Seattle, which has been taken over by a militia faction known as the Washington Liberation Front. It’s filled with heavily armed troops and hordes of deadly infected, both of which our heroine will need to contend with in order to survive. Setting off from an abandoned theatre she calls her base of operations, Ellie makes her way towards a hospital used by the outfit to horde resources. 

It’s also where she’ll find Nora, a member of the WLF who is hiding some crucial information. Ellie wants her dead, and she’ll do anything to make that happen, even if it means tearing through the fallen metropolis and murdering everything in her path. Such a relentless pursuit for revenge is a powerful component of Naughty Dog’s sequel, with parts of this section making me feel troubled, even guilty of the virtual crimes I had to commit.

However, reaching this destination won’t be an easy task. The city is overwhelmed by rainfall, sunken streets so flooded you can only reach the hospital by creatively traversing the concrete jungle above. Each new building is a puzzle in itself, sometimes filled with hidden items or pockets of lore that add further texture to the world. 

The beginning of this section takes Ellie to an abandoned storefront where she can hurl a rope across some nearby scaffolding to reach an abandoned conference room. Such a task is completely optional, but the rewards are more than worth it. Seattle is filled with excellent distractions like this, and if you’re playing on harder difficulties like I did, you’ll need every single bullet these metropolitan husks are hiding in order to survive. 

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The first port of call is an abandoned office building ravaged with the infected. Its walls have succumbed to rot, fungal growths overwhelming the foundations to the point that even corpses are indistinguishable amongst the Cordyceps. They can blend into the growth, ready to pounce when you least expect it. One of the types of infected in The Last of Us 2 are Stalkers, who make their first appearance during Ellie’s search for the nearby hospital.

Faster than your usual runners, these awful creatures hide in the shadows, crouching behind obstacles waiting to rush you. They go down easily, but can be unstoppable in a pack. So, I drew them out one by one, wiping a few out with well-placed traps while the rest fell victim to the ferocious blasts from my shotgun. The surroundings were dark, little slithers of light breaking through with the help of my flashlight but even then, the situation still felt desperately stark.

The atmosphere is palpable throughout, background music subtle enough that I’m stirred onward by Ellie’s shaky breaths, knowing she is just as nervous as I am. The survival horror aspects of the series have been enhanced significantly, largely because you spend much of your time alone, clinging onto small moments of solitude as they come. Luckily for me, I was near the building’s exit and finally felt safe. That is, until a Stalker ambushed me, tossing us both into the rushing waters below. 

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After washing through the sewers and escaping from the infected, Ellie finds herself shaken but alive. Sadly – there’s no such thing as peace in the world of The Last of Us 2. Emerging into a nearby park, she encounters a hostile cult known as The Seraphites. Identified by a line of scars across their cheeks, these fascists shun the old world and opt for new customs driven by a faith fuelled with violence and rituals, killing anyone who goes against their ideals. 

Trespassers have been lynched across the park, their stomachs sliced open and intestines on display as an evangelical warning for those foolish enough to stumble any closer. Hiding in the tall grass, for a few minutes I felt safe, confident in the thought I could make it to the hospital without another fight. My optimism is stifled by an arrow flying directly into Ellie’s shoulder. Dazed and confused, I tear it out to prevent my health falling any lower. The Seraphites are coming, so I lay down in the grass and wait for the perfect moment.

Combat encounters like this are fantastic, a stellar exercise in melodic tension as you use everything you can to survive. Equipped with a switchblade, Ellie can silently kill foes with a single strike, although this leaves her vulnerable for a few precious seconds. Being able to go prone adds a whole new dimension to combat, making your movements far more versatile. You can crawl past packs of mercenaries without shedding a single drop of blood, or pull out a rifle and gun them down with no remorse.

Ellie is capable of crafting myriad equipment from her backpack. Explosive traps, pistol silencers and smoke bombs are just a few things you can craft from resources gathered throughout the game’s world, all of which can change the tide of battle if used correctly. You can also upgrade your weapons at benches or chug some supplements to earn an assortment of contextual abilities. You won’t earn all of these in a single playthrough, and I only saw a duo of workbenches during this section of the campaign.

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After some time, we finally arrive at the hospital. It’s heavily guarded, with the WLF gathering resources and preparing to relocate for an unknown cause. Sneaking in from beneath, Ellie interrogates a young guard killing time playing Hotline Miami on PS Vita (shoutout to the world’s greatest portable), accidentally killing her in a moment of desperate defence. For a moment, Ellie expresses a tinge of regret for her actions but it’s a means to an end to her, failing to realise this is just another group of people trying their best to stay alive.

The Last of Us 2 makes a conscious effort to confront this cycle of violence, making us feel guilty for the acts Ellie is willing to commit, even if she believes it serves a greater good. She’s been raised in an environment where killing others has always been the solution and sparing those who wronged her is a distant concept. This is one of the most grisly experiences I’ve ever played, with enemies reacting to violence in a realistic way. They’ll scream the names of their fallen comrades or clutch missing limbs while crying out in pain.

It’s a relief to put them out of their misery, with the hospital encounter alone involving the death of dozens. It’s a satisfying, multi-tiered section you can approach from a variety of different ways. A number of locations in The Last of Us 2 consist of multiple floors, and Ellie’s greater range of traversal means you can fire down on enemies from the rooftops or slither through the tall grass, silencing wolves one by one. Once the hallways are silent, Ellie confronts Nora and hopes to come one step closer to those who wronged her.

First Impressions

From this chapter alone, The Last of Us 2 is an accomplished sequel in every regard. It feels marvellous to play, and doubles down on the thematic elements that helped the original shine. Ellie is a stunning, nuanced lead who exhibits far more emotional depth than her black and white tale of revenge would have you believe.

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