Just a suggestion to you guys, you should consider adding battery tests for each switch game review. It'd be interesting to know how long we can play each game before needing to recharge our batteries. You're pretty much the only channel who really cares about these things and that's why we all love you.
You can very clearly see the same lighting engine and baked GI that Nier Automata used on display, just cut down to fit on the switch. Now I finallly have zero excuse to not own a switch.
I think this is one of those games, that has an art style, that'll age really well in the future. Also, I look at this game, and then I remember that Bloodstained ran like shit on the Switch, and looked like ass, on the Switch.
@@FSAPOJake Doubt that. On Nintendo consoles maybe but they don't have anything technically impressive for current-gen standards or for PS4 and Xbox One more specifically.
@@Limerain Very unstable 60 fps and with underwhelming graphics. Devil May Cry V, on the other hand, looks WAY better on PS4 and very close to locked 60 fps. Also, Nier Automata's PC port is still broken and is only fixed by mods to this day.
@@paghahanapngkaluluwa7432 I don't think the two are even remotely comparable. It's like saying Splatoon 2 is a better game than BOTW or that Smash is better than Mario Maker 2. It's impossible to compare them as they are completely different classes of games
@@NoKnuckles Graphic, mechanics and gameplay wise. The Atmosphere of Astral Chain is absolutely amazing. I don't expect much from pokemon shield and sword.
@@baltoderpfish9471 Exactly, if you go to metacritic most likely all exclusives have some reviews with 0 because people don't like the console the game is available. It happens regardless on what console the game is on.
Bought it yesterday morning, I'm about 9 1/2 hours into it and it's really, _really_ fucking good. You can tell it's been heavily inspired by Nier Automata, right down the way the UI looks and functions. Platinum just keeps getting better and better.
And im fascinated by Nier Automata on my Xbox One X. Still have to complete it, but im gonna by this game on my Switch, cause my guess is I am gonna be fascinated by this as well.
Astral Chain is another example of what can be achieved with exclusive development when a game is optimized for a chosen platform without worry of needing to port it elsewhere. Of course, running the game on PC would see much better results for obvious reasons, but by Platinum developing Astral Chain on Switch, we get to see the upper levels of potential for the platform in an original IP instead of yet another port or yet another remake/re-release. Wow, look at those results. Also, it can never be overstated how important great art direction is. Having powerful hardware to develop on is all well and good but if the art direction sucks ass, it's not going to matter how powerful the platform is if the final product still looks uninspired/underwhelming.
“Astral Chain is another example of that can be achieved with exclusive development when a game is optimized for a chosen platform without worry of needing to port it elsewhere. Of course, running the game on PC would see much better results for obvious reasons. . .” What you say makes no sense - at least in the way you presented it. Saying that the game running on PC would produce better results is no different than saying the game on PS4 and/or Xbox One would product better results (and for obvious reasons). PC would run at 4K/60 and the consoles would run at 1080p/60 with all versions benefitting from upgraded textures, effects, and AA. And this is remedied very simply. The game could’ve been a timed exclusive, saving most of the money for the initial version and release of the game while they are ported up once the original game is finished. The game could be ported to other systems, and it’d be fine: it has nothing to do with it being permanently exclusive.
@@MysticalMastodon No, you missed the point entirely. The point is it's not always about a brute force method to get better results which is what some developers rely too much on. MS relied on that when they introduced the Xbox One X forgetting (yet again) it's about high quality games first THEN they can brag about the spec sheet if they want. Bragging about specs without any killer games/awesome IP library to show is putting the cart before the horse. In most cases ports work best in Xbox One X's favor because it is superior to PS4 Pro on the spec sheet. But who cares when the ports are good enough on PS4 Pro? Or better yet play the PC version and crush everyone else. Yet another example of why well developed exclusives are better to show off the potential of a platform. Microsoft's own first and second party exclusive development/IP library pale in comparison to Nintendo and Sony's. MS got away with it last gen because 360 had awesome 3rd party support that hid that weakness. In this gen, they needed choice first and second party development/better IP library to carry the weight, EXCLUSIVES but weren't quite good enough when it mattered. MS isn't buying up studios just for kicks. They need those exclusives to show off the next Xbox. Sony didn't buy Insomniac just so they can port Spiderman to other platforms. Quite the opposite. I'm waiting for the announcement that Nintendo is going to buy Platinum. Savvy? Optimization and superior art direction with the focus on one platform still serve as the best examples of what specific hardware can do.
@@brownchair2698 unless you are really playing extremely close attention, you will never notice it, so much is going on onscreen with flares, sparks, and all that. a tiny drop for a fraction of a second isn't noticeable.
@@bern9642 It certainly can be noticable. Plus being so close to the edge like that will absolutely lead to even more severe drops in further into the game.
@@brownchair2698 i finished the game and i didn't notice any of the frame drops. maybe if i were paying close attention to it i would. But the frame drops lasts a fraction of a second and are not large enough. they are in no way distracting.
Great review! Without a deep dive like this you never have a chance to appreciate smart and mindful design decisions. Craft like this isn’t appreciated enough.
@@androidtechgeek Yeah. Nier Automata's art style does have a reason for being the way it is. Although the textures.... I wish that they would have increased the resolution of the textures.
This is one of the best DF videos I’ve seen yet. Great coverage of the technical make up, specs, artistic direction, and sacrifices involved. Plus an interview! Amazing work.
@@hanzohattori9576 As long as it looks and plays good I'm all about it. And Blasphemous is coming out next week so I'm praying that games turns out good!
I love playing games on ultra settings on my gaming PC but I also love going back and playing through Metroid Prime Echoes, or Viewtiful Joe on my GameCube. Astral Chain is a fantastic looking game with an addicting gameplay that immerses you in a cyber punk, sci fi, action packed, Japanese, anime experience. It's definitely a very unique game in my multi platform library :)
I wish it were at least on pc. Then I'd buy it. I've already tried playing it on my friends switch I guess it was ok. I just don't like the limitations. I want to be able to use any controller I want or tweak the graphics to my liking.
@@trungnguyenhoang6821 To be fair no game really looks too photo realistic. A lot of them still look gorgeous. They do pour a lot of time into crafting those games. I wouldn't undermine their effort.
Brown Chair I think once we truly start hitting a plateau in graphics, finally true creativity can thrive. It seems like developers rest on their technological laurels at the expense of “soul” and creativity. Eventually that won’t fly anymore and they will have to start putting real effort in. I think we’re starting to see that, actually.
@@dcta51 The Switch might not come close in power to the PS4 but it blows the PS3 out of the water as it's 3 times more powerful than a PS3. That's quite impressive considering it's basically a $160 tablet, $80 for joy cons and $60 for the dock = $300.
Good lord the salt levels are high lol, Nintendo funded the game, they co-own it, AND they published it, it wont be coming to other platforms. Platinum has also said its a nintendo game, so you either get a switch and buy the game, or you dont buy it and play something else and move on, simple as that. Great work as always DF!
Yup. Just like Spiderman, SunsetOverdrive, Persona5, Bayonetta2 etc. all games that were made by 3rd parties yet owned, funded and released on 1st party consoles (though in Bayo's case the IP belongs to Sega but Bayo2, Bayo3 and the OST for Bayo1 belong to Nintendo).
Their frustration is justified, though. It'd be like releasing a movie, but only showing it in certain cinemas, and only selling the DVD in one store. Nobody wants that. Or having 4 different streaming subscriptions. Or selling paintings that everybody could enjoy as limited edition, and never selling any more. Or three music streaming platforms to listen to what you want. Nobody wants that, either. Console devs need to make their console and the user experience around it the selling point, not fake exclusivity. I suspect game devs (not console makers) would make more money if they could publish on all platforms, and users would win as well. Console makers may not, unless they actually innovate, like Nintendo tends to. That's also a win for us. It makes little business sense to sell to a small pool of users, when you can sell to several different pools. Unless you profit from console sales, but even then, most people aren't going to buy two consoles.
@@hanzohattori9576 Technically there hasnt been any found proof there is some contract with Sony for Persona! Like with Yakuza, it really seems Sega wants to keep both franchise Sony exclusive with no real help from Sony! Also Sega had reported a 70% loss in an invester meeting some months back stating they made incorrect calculations in the market! Take that as you like!
@@O1OO1O1 So....justified to act like a 6 year old brat review bombing a game for no reason other than hate? Don't we have better things to do in life?
@@robertwallen1582 incorrect calculations for what market? Also, if i recall, sega has expressed wanting to bring their franchises more and more to PC and other consoles. Also, yeah, sony did not fund Persona5.
So much salt from these comments calling Switch weak hardware and even asking Platinum to stop making games for Nintendo... Just man up and get a Switch.
Frigate6054 eh, I wouldn’t want that. I think the beauty of platinum games is because of it being a third party developer. By changing between publishers, you get a variety of games with the platinum known and love action gameplay but in different settings such as Nier Automata, Bayonetta, MG rising, Astral Chain, Vanquish and the cancelled scalebound. Get what I mean? It’s like Fromsoftware changing publishers, which allows them to keep the “general hard af gameplay” while changing settings such as feudal Japan, Victorian world, and the Medival setting
I love when people get mad at Nintendo getting these Platinum games (like Bayo 2 and 3) while not realizing that Sony and Microsoft passed their opportunity financing Bayonetta 2. If Nintendo is willing to finance these games then they release on their systems. If Microsoft or Sony finance their games, they get them. But mostly they dont.
@@christianr.5868 they should man and theres several reasons why. One Nintendo practically funds alot of their games, two bayonetta 2 or the bayonetta franchise wouldn't exist if it wasnt for Nintendo. Three platinum has already developed a game from an actual Nintendo ip(starfox zero) which was a phenomenal game to me by the way. Four Nintendo and platinum games has a very close relationship. I think platinum games is financially stable as a company but if they ever get in trouble I think Nintendo should swoop in and buy them. Oh and their games also do better and grow a bigger notoriety on a Nintendo platform.
This is one of the most interesting things I have heard about smart design being the implementation and especially in understanding the experience and how those decisions manifest in docked and portable mode. In many ways the more powerful consoles are a bit like bloated companies during an economic high. They do amazing things without needing to consider efficiency. With the Switch that model cannot hold, developers must be savvy and creative in all choices so their game is nimble and efficient and it must approach each mode as its own curated environment not just making handheld a scaled down version of docked but really investigating what elements can be simplified with the least overall impact. Love having the developer interview woven in with your commentary. This was amazing!
With patches i believe they can work on the small instances where the framerate drops in combat. Overall for a Switch game the game looks and runs great.
Everytime I see what the switch is capable of it makes me more and more excited for Metroid prime 4. This games looks amazing definitely going to get now.
It's kinda funny seeing people that used to say "The Switch has no games". Now saying the Switch sucks because it's getting that exclusive game. Lol Also the ones that were calling Switch owners port beggers are now port begging this game and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 lol. How the tables have turned.
Sean T Torres Arroyo its funny isn’t it:) it’s like toxic people can’t stop being toxic, they just flip the script. And makes no sense when people accuse switch owners for being Nintendo fanboys, isn’t a fanboy someone who hates on other platforms they don’t own? And people who just love video games in general love all platforms. But if you dare to own also a Nintendo system then you’re a fanboy and Nintendo is only for kids... love how even that has turned out to be untrue. Besides there’s nothing wrong with consoles also having games for kids or just cutsie games that anyone can play. Not every game needs to be mature, it’s great to have a mix of everything in my humble opinion. I certainly started gaming in the 80s as a kid. All of those toxic arguments are just ridiculous. I’m loving it how Nintendo is proving everyone wrong now. And I own a switch, ps4 and Xbox one. The only reason I don’t have a gaming pc is because I can’t afford one but I would otherwise. Besides the competition only improves the industry. And we all get great games to play 🙏. And yeah the switch has so many great games now that it’s hard to even keep up or have the funds for every game, I have to choose which games to buy and which I’ll leave for later because I can’t even afford to buy every game. So glad Astral Chain was one of the ones I picked up! 🙏 and fire emblem, and soon Zelda and Luigi’s mansion 3... grandia hd collection. So many amazing games now it’s not even funny 😅
@@lassesuurmunne8340 I only have Switch because I don't have that much time for other consoles. I always preferred Nintendo, but I'm not hating on other consoles. I got everything I need on the Switch.
Sean T Torres Arroyo yeah and that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, I only play Switch now too because I don’t have time either to play anything else. And nothing wrong with preferring Nintendo. I meant people who can’t accept other people’s tastes and preferences and try to tell you what you’re allowed to like and play. Sorry my ranty comment mate, peace ✌️
I don't really like any sort of exclusivity like this. Other people now will be forced to buy a switch in order to play the game. I mean not only that. I have a switch. But I'd prefer playing a game like this on pc. But since Nintendo owns the ip. It'll never come to any platform. Even if it wouldn't be such a bad idea business wise
As with most Nintendo games go ART trumps pure technical prowless. The game to me is beautiful and many times leaves me saying "WOW!". I'm glad that Platinum decided to go the visuals first because I knew they would nail the action anyways which lead to one of my favorite games on the Switch.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 I'll take the shimmering mess over my PS4 or XB1 as I enjoy playing on the go. My PS4 and XB1 are definitely more powerful but they stay at home while my Switch travels wherever I go.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 As for someone who has played videogames for 40yrs I have learned that just because a game doesn't reach lofty technical standards that it doesn't change my overall opinion of it. Some of my favorite games of all time have technical issues. As much as I love high framerates it doesn't hurt the core experience because it's at 30fps. I have a PC that would probably run this at 144hz or higher and all the "pro" consoles available and I could care less that it isn't on them. BTW calling this game a "mess" tell me you haven't played it because it's not even close to being a mess.
Looks gorgeous . Surround Sound is 3x the data bandwidth, which still takes cpu to stream, not to mention any dsp involved like reverbs would also triple the cpu cost, they probably don't have the headroom to make it worth it for the tiny percentage of switch owners that will be running a surround setup. Any cpu that could be clawed back from compression would just lose quality to the point where directional perception would be just as good in stereo anyway.
Hey thanks for that information. Wasn't aware of the hardware strains additional surround sound would have. I have a surround sound setup with my switch and other consoles but it's good enough to make stereo sounds super sexy still. Especially with the soundtrack of this game
Actually the CPU percentage to processing 6 channels of audio in modern cpus is almost nothing. Switch CPU is not that weak. Some games in Nintendo 64 and even in Snes had some kind of surround sound. Todays sound system is not like 90s real time shynthetizers. The decision is likely for lower development costs.
I agree with Zor Mon. Previously dabbled a bit with Wwise and Sequencing Audio (from MIDI) using Vorbis/compressed samples takes a negligible amount of CPU power. The bandwidth required for surround sound is negligible. Take this with a grain of salt but surround would be worth only a few hundred megabytes per second uncompressed. Effects processing is a different story and varies on the plugin/program used. On systems like the SNES or GC there is no performance penalty as it is provided by hardware. That being said it's not likely to be performance reasons for the lack of surround. If it was then it's likely, as you mentioned, bandwidth reasons. The Switch has a weak memory subsystem and the CPU using too much data cripples the GPU performance.
Eh? The NVIDIA Shield supports surround sound easily and uses the same processor.
5 ปีที่แล้ว +5
It's amazing to see how developers are starting to really squeeze the juice out of the Switch, more and more impressive games are coming out. I'm eager to see what else is in store and can't imagine how awesome a newer, more powerful Switch could be.
Top-5 game for me all time. Beautiful, challenging, deep, quirky, and an absolute blast once you’ve built up your muscle memory to decimate the enemy in frantic combat. And god, that music is so freakin good!
From an artistic standpoint, yes Graphically, no It's pretty low poly but still looks very pretty on Switch. Just for comparison, 2B's butt has more detail and a way higher polygon count than the female MC's in this game and the difference is very noticeable. Yes I'm making that comparison
I'm more interested if there is a possibility of having automata on switch (it would be me buying it for 3rd time in that case, but still) PG told that Astral chain runs on the same engine and it runs really good. So in theory it is possible to port 2B's butt onto my handheld
Who would have thought many years ago when Nintendo took a chance on Platinum with Bayonetta 2, it would pay dividends in the form of Astral Chain. Thank you Nintendo for giving Bayonetta a home and help birthing a great new IP.
Hmm, I might be mistaken but you state that they only use static cubemap reflections yet there are reflections that exhibit specs of SSR. The reflections stay aligned with their mirrored object instead of offsetting when the camera moves and animated signs are reflected in real-time ( 15:49 you can see the reflection on the hand rail updating as the sign moves). Real-time cubemaps or real-time reflection probes would be far more expensive than SSR. Just an observation, regardless, fantastic overview :)
I'm no expert, and I won't pretend to be, but I think he was more so referencing the fact that no character models can be seen in reflections, suggesting a static cubemap. Could be extremely wrong though, feel free to correct me though.
SSR is far more expensive than cubemaps. Also, playing the game I noticed that reflections most of the time aren't aligned to the reflected environment. That is probably just an animated cubemap.
@@dianavi1893 There are a lot of flat surfaces so, I was going to suggest planar reflections as a possibility, but as you state though, if they are not aligning (I'm simply going off the video, so you'll have more in-game experience). Then you're right that it could be a video cubemap.
Stephen Boyce maybe they are using an hybrid solution so that big landmarks like that huge building looks aligned, because it’s true that the building looks aligned in the video all the time. I’ll check next time I play and let you know what I find.
@@KITPUNK They are standard animated cubemaps. They switch the cubemap in use depending on the position of the camera, and they have a lot of them, that's why distant objects, like that building, almost always look aligned. However, objects closer to the camera don't align.
DF's videos have been getting better and better (both higher quality and more informative) the past year. Combined with the recent interviews and behind-the-scenes knowledge, you're building one of the best gaming channels on the internet. Even when I'm not interested in buying a particular game I almost always watch because the discussion and knowledge is fascinating.
yeah, but you already seen exactly what it was looking like. Was pretty bad tbh. Plus with Platinums bad use of money management. It was probably better to bite the bullet when the game wasn't looking up to par with Platinums better games
My switch is not connected to my 4K TV. Instead it is connected to my PC monitor that only displays 1080P and is 27 inches. I feel this is the perfect size for docked Switch.
This game has the look and art style that absolutely fits my tastes perfectly. No other platinum game looks this visually appealing to me. Comparing this to critically acclaimed titles like bayonetta 1&2 and automata, damn they've come far.
Well it's like, I'm not saying framerate doesn't matter, it's just... There is one thing that matters more than the amount of frames, and that is whether or not the framerate is stable. Plus there's also graphics design, which does impact your experience and perception of the framerate.
30 hours on the game, absolutely my GOTY as of now. The combat is some of the most unique I've ever experienced. Every single legion is legitimately useful for different situations. Amazing game design. Not going to be done anytime soon.
@@naila961 I did last two times I was there :) Certainly will be trying it again, two nights there this time, and 4 nights in Yonago, Tottori Province.
That's what happens when you give Platinum creative freedom And don't force them to cram stupid features into their games like Microsoft was doing with Scalebound
More like when you give platinum funds and they manage to use it right... Though it has alot of shortcuts and technically they didn't do that much. Buildings and such are flat surfaces so it makes the game alot easier to do than everything else they no. Platinum is a great studio at making action games yes. But they're horrible on money management so I honestly wouldn't blame others for games being cancelled
I am a PC user as well as a Switch user and I will admit that this game looks impressive on the Switch even if there are a few technical hiccups during gameplay. Platinum Games made the right call in targeting 30fps to maintain stability for the most part. I am not salty that it's a "Switch only game" as that is just a poor excuse for trolls to do said review bombs.
Honestly, Astral chain's the reason why I wanted to get Cyberpunk 2077. I know the world's different because Cyberpunk is grittier, but being able to fully interact with a very futuristic world sounds so amazing. I'm so glad to have gotten into the gaming scene where these two games exist.
Like I always say; it's about Game-Design / Art-Style and NOT about simple graphical effects 😃! Same is true for Zelda BotW. It looks amazing 😍 witout "High-End" graphics. It's simply because the guys know what they want to show in terms of visual and acoustical "art"👌👍.
This game is amazing! I'm almost finishing it, and I've been savoring all of the environments, trying to complete as many side objectives as possible and GOD! the soundtrack! It's downright gorgeous! This an easy 10/10 for me! The game is very pretty, though I notice some frame issues while playing, but nothing that could stop me from enjoying the game.
This game looks phenomenal playing on switch screen using reverse NX which makes it possible to play on handheld with docked mode quality! Also a bit of overclock makes it much more smoother.
I genuinely hope Astral Chain gets a sequel Platinum managed to create a really interesting IP full of potential on top off banging soundtrack and gameplay.
Oh i think we will surely see it get a sequel. Even tho the game sold 32K over in japan, that’s still alright for a new IP on Nintendo systems. And on top of that it being the 1st ever platinum game to ever be in the top UK sales chart #1, not even Nier or bayonetta ever had that chance.
@@brownchair2698 nah, it belongs to nintendo. Nintendo comissioned them to create a new IP and even told them they didn't want the magic angle. but nintendo can offer them the IP in return for something.
let me just dream playing this and the bayonettas on my PS4 pro for a minute ... *sigh* well, I guess there is no other choice then...(because I am almost dying for "Fire Emblem: Three Houses" to!)
What are your sources or reasons to state that the game does not use Screen Space Reflections? Here is what I observed: In the gallery scene, there is a top blue light on the ceiling. The reflection of this light onto the street is abruptly cut off near the camera. This would be explained by SS reflections, which fail when the reflected object goes out of the screen. In the city, you can see dynamic reflections of LCD screens and neon, which change according with their source. This would be much harder to achieve using baked cubemaps.
This is what happens when a dev knows their way around a platform. This easily sits as the top 1% in regards to graphically impressive Switch games. It looks incredible which well, is more than can be said for a lot of Switch games
Good art direction and clever use of programming being used to overcome shortcomings in the hardware. If only all companies for all console systems took this approach. The recent game Control is prime example of a title pushing graphics way too hard with all the bells and whistles which slaughter the fps on base consoles.
Waiting months for this...then after playing it for a minute I surprisingly stayed up all night playing Bulletstorm. I think I was in the mood for immediacy or something. Astral Chain is the "coolest" thing on Switch since Splatoon 2 tho.
Bulletstorm is in my opinion one of the best shooters of the last 10 years. It's very easy to pick up and very hard to lay the controller down. Astral Chain is that game that needs some time to get sucked in. I have this with almost every Platinum game.
@@helpinghands7935 I'm starting tonight with it. I'm on a holiday in Spain and found a game store today and bought a copy. Let's hope it will click on the small screen.
Can we all consider the fact that people are actually review bombing this game on Metacritic because it's a Switch exclusive and not on any other platform lmao
Platinum Games never seems to amaze me. They really pulled out all the stops on the Switch. While I don’t have one, knowing what talented developers have done with what’s essentially an older Nvidia Shield K1, is impressive from a technical and artistic standpoint. The K1 had a terrible port of BioShock, yet when it was reborn as the Switch, with Nintendo’s monetary backing, as well as more mature dev kits, the Witcher 3 and games like Astral Chain are playable. It’s hard not to be impressed even as a PC and PS4 player. I wish people who game on PC wouldn’t always attack Nintendo, without them, the game industry wouldn’t be what it is now. They fund such unique games, and despite making new iterations of classic games for each of their console generations, they significantly alter the gameplay. As an early Sonic fan, the original Mario titles weren’t easy for me to adjust to, but Mario 64 is a game I still go back to, since it’s such an impeccable title. Then Mario Sunshine could’ve simply been a nicer looking version of Mario 64, but it wasn’t. It offered unique gameplay elements, while other 3D platform games were still copying Mario 64. Then Mario Galaxy 1-2 on the Wii were incredibly unique in terms of gameplay, the same thing happened with the platforming perfection that was present in Super Mario 3D World. Metroid is another example, having gone from a tight 2D platformer to a 3D shooter with unconventional control schemes, then morphing into a Team Ninja action game. It would be easy to say Nintendo keeps churning out the same characters with every console generation, but it’s not entirely true because the gameplay is unique and fresh each time.
@ArtofZen Digital a good mentality and view. Nintendo for sure hasn’t been fighting for power since I’d say the GameCube. They’ve been always trying to innovate. I mean call it silly or stupid, but what other company is able to market a product like VR Labo, & motion control. It’s always a good surprise to see what this company does in the grand scheme of things. And their IP’s are iconic, no other company has been able to keep a mascot full of life and still kicking like the Mario’s or the Zelda’s.
JackFrost 1856 My apologies for the confusion, which comes from the fact that the Switch is using the same processor as the Shield TV, which is indeed the Tegra X1. The X1 is less powerful than the K1. The K1 throttles due to heat issues, so dispute the higher than 1080p tablet resolution of the K1, besting even the docked Switch, it winds up performing similarly as a result. The extra gigahertz of the K1, 2ghz vs the Switches stock X1 1ghz processor, it doesn’t change the results. The results are still impressive and if they had used the more impressive K1 resolution and processor speeds, the throttling would’ve been drastic in the thin shell.
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Just a suggestion to you guys, you should consider adding battery tests for each switch game review. It'd be interesting to know how long we can play each game before needing to recharge our batteries. You're pretty much the only channel who really cares about these things and that's why we all love you.
Having a data base on this would indeed be very interesting and would show us how optimized the games are.
I agree. And you could do it while testing handheld mode to save time!
@@dr.sciencewizard1518 for this i prefer the technical analysis from Gamexplain, because they explain what they talking about
I think the difference won't worth the efforts. The batt only lasts so long regardless
That would basically require a defined benchmark mode for each game, unless you want random results every time you try to test a game :)
Holy crap, this game looks so freaking beautiful, even for Switch standards.
Huge props to the developers for pulling a technical achievement!
You can very clearly see the same lighting engine and baked GI that Nier Automata used on display, just cut down to fit on the switch. Now I finallly have zero excuse to not own a switch.
I think this is one of those games, that has an art style, that'll age really well in the future. Also, I look at this game, and then I remember that Bloodstained ran like shit on the Switch, and looked like ass, on the Switch.
@@FSAPOJake Doubt that. On Nintendo consoles maybe but they don't have anything technically impressive for current-gen standards or for PS4 and Xbox One more specifically.
@@weaverquest nier was ALMOST 60fps on weakling ps4. It was a good job
@@Limerain Very unstable 60 fps and with underwhelming graphics. Devil May Cry V, on the other hand, looks WAY better on PS4 and very close to locked 60 fps. Also, Nier Automata's PC port is still broken and is only fixed by mods to this day.
Bought this game last night, and I love it!
Me tooooo.
Me threeee .. its really fun!
Great game
Plan on buying it soon too!
i want to say me four but still
"I was heavily inspired by Pokemon so I decided to give you a companion and tie a chain around its neck." Sounds about right
Sound like a marketing declaration.
Funny how this game will probably end up being better than pokemon
@@paghahanapngkaluluwa7432 I don't think the two are even remotely comparable. It's like saying Splatoon 2 is a better game than BOTW or that Smash is better than Mario Maker 2. It's impossible to compare them as they are completely different classes of games
Hopefully Bayonetta 3 features this mechanic.
@@NoKnuckles Graphic, mechanics and gameplay wise. The Atmosphere of Astral Chain is absolutely amazing. I don't expect much from pokemon shield and sword.
It’s being review bombed on metacritic because it’s a switch exclusive. Gotta love how mature people are, am I right?
Alexander Edge you can find some same kind of that specimen here in the comments...
@@Prisoner_ksc2-303 That's the case with most console exclusives. There is always going to be angry fanboys upset that they cant play the game.
@@baltoderpfish9471 They are upset because it isn't TV exclusive. The possibility of playing anywhere is 0/10 for those people.
Critics and fans both review bomb with their scores.
@@baltoderpfish9471 Exactly, if you go to metacritic most likely all exclusives have some reviews with 0 because people don't like the console the game is available. It happens regardless on what console the game is on.
Bought it yesterday morning, I'm about 9 1/2 hours into it and it's really, _really_ fucking good. You can tell it's been heavily inspired by Nier Automata, right down the way the UI looks and functions. Platinum just keeps getting better and better.
And im fascinated by Nier Automata on my Xbox One X.
Still have to complete it, but im gonna by this game on my Switch, cause my guess is I am gonna be fascinated by this as well.
@@shonuff8880 I was never a huge fan of automata's art.
Astral Chain is another example of what can be achieved with exclusive development when a game is optimized for a chosen platform without worry of needing to port it elsewhere. Of course, running the game on PC would see much better results for obvious reasons, but by Platinum developing Astral Chain on Switch, we get to see the upper levels of potential for the platform in an original IP instead of yet another port or yet another remake/re-release. Wow, look at those results.
Also, it can never be overstated how important great art direction is. Having powerful hardware to develop on is all well and good but if the art direction sucks ass, it's not going to matter how powerful the platform is if the final product still looks uninspired/underwhelming.
“Astral Chain is another example of that can be achieved with exclusive development when a game is optimized for a chosen platform without worry of needing to port it elsewhere. Of course, running the game on PC would see much better results for obvious reasons. . .”
What you say makes no sense - at least in the way you presented it.
Saying that the game running on PC would produce better results is no different than saying the game on PS4 and/or Xbox One would product better results (and for obvious reasons). PC would run at 4K/60 and the consoles would run at 1080p/60 with all versions benefitting from upgraded textures, effects, and AA. And this is remedied very simply. The game could’ve been a timed exclusive, saving most of the money for the initial version and release of the game while they are ported up once the original game is finished. The game could be ported to other systems, and it’d be fine: it has nothing to do with it being permanently exclusive.
Just Cause 3 is an example of a game which had barely any work on optimisation
Thank you for this, so many seem to remain under the false impression that the talent is only in the spec sheet.
@@MysticalMastodon No, you missed the point entirely. The point is it's not always about a brute force method to get better results which is what some developers rely too much on. MS relied on that when they introduced the Xbox One X forgetting (yet again) it's about high quality games first THEN they can brag about the spec sheet if they want. Bragging about specs without any killer games/awesome IP library to show is putting the cart before the horse. In most cases ports work best in Xbox One X's favor because it is superior to PS4 Pro on the spec sheet. But who cares when the ports are good enough on PS4 Pro? Or better yet play the PC version and crush everyone else. Yet another example of why well developed exclusives are better to show off the potential of a platform.
Microsoft's own first and second party exclusive development/IP library pale in comparison to Nintendo and Sony's. MS got away with it last gen because 360 had awesome 3rd party support that hid that weakness. In this gen, they needed choice first and second party development/better IP library to carry the weight, EXCLUSIVES but weren't quite good enough when it mattered. MS isn't buying up studios just for kicks. They need those exclusives to show off the next Xbox. Sony didn't buy Insomniac just so they can port Spiderman to other platforms. Quite the opposite. I'm waiting for the announcement that Nintendo is going to buy Platinum. Savvy?
Optimization and superior art direction with the focus on one platform still serve as the best examples of what specific hardware can do.
@@MysticalMastodon multiplatform release is out of the question considering this was convinced as a first party IP to begin with.
Rare drops to 29 fps is no cause for alarm IMO. I'm usually a frame rate snob but this looks very solid.
It seems like it's somewhat common in fights.
@@brownchair2698 unless you are really playing extremely close attention, you will never notice it, so much is going on onscreen with flares, sparks, and all that. a tiny drop for a fraction of a second isn't noticeable.
@@bern9642 It certainly can be noticable. Plus being so close to the edge like that will absolutely lead to even more severe drops in further into the game.
@@brownchair2698 i finished the game and i didn't notice any of the frame drops. maybe if i were paying close attention to it i would. But the frame drops lasts a fraction of a second and are not large enough. they are in no way distracting.
@@bern9642 I did notice some. Some fights had drops which were there for practically the whole duration.
Great review! Without a deep dive like this you never have a chance to appreciate smart and mindful design decisions. Craft like this isn’t appreciated enough.
I think the art style makes this game look better than Nier Automata honestly.
that`s like literally the most subjective part of a videogame.
@@brownchair2698 It probably doesn't help that the resolution of the game on the Switch isn't exactly stellar compared to a modern gaming PC.
@@androidtechgeek Yeah. Nier Automata's art style does have a reason for being the way it is. Although the textures.... I wish that they would have increased the resolution of the textures.
This is one of the best DF videos I’ve seen yet. Great coverage of the technical make up, specs, artistic direction, and sacrifices involved. Plus an interview! Amazing work.
Just wanna throw this in, the Switch is an amazing console. And I look forward to your Switch game analysises the most!
Kai oh man brace yourself
Kai yes it's an amazing console on par with last gen consoles
CHRISTIAN R. Yeah cause you just know these guys will tear it to shreds and CONSTANTLY moan about the poor muddy quality...
The Golden One yeah so?
@@apacheY2K Slightly better than last Gen...Witcher 3 runs sub 20 fps on PS4 Would love to see it run on PS3.
Will definitely pick this up sometime! Cant wait
You'll be happy game is nice!
slim boss yea.. i know haha
Its amazing what the Switch can do, game looks amazing but solid gameplay is always greater than graphics and visual tricks - Downloading it now 🎮 -
So true, but this game has them both! It's actually the best looking game on the Switch by far, and dare I say... the best game on Switch??
IMO, artstyle always trumps high budget realistic graphics. Cuphead, Persona5, ZeldaBOTW, etc. and now Astral Chain all are living proof.
@@hanzohattori9576 As long as it looks and plays good I'm all about it. And Blasphemous is coming out next week so I'm praying that games turns out good!
I love playing games on ultra settings on my gaming PC but I also love going back and playing through Metroid Prime Echoes, or Viewtiful Joe on my GameCube. Astral Chain is a fantastic looking game with an addicting gameplay that immerses you in a cyber punk, sci fi, action packed, Japanese, anime experience. It's definitely a very unique game in my multi platform library :)
I wish it were at least on pc. Then I'd buy it. I've already tried playing it on my friends switch I guess it was ok. I just don't like the limitations. I want to be able to use any controller I want or tweak the graphics to my liking.
limitations produces creativity. Nintendo always knew that.
Give a developer the power of a PC and watch em almost not even try. Give them the power of Switch lite and watch them actually work.
@jvalex18 just getting bored of photorealism already
@@trungnguyenhoang6821 +1
@@trungnguyenhoang6821 To be fair no game really looks too photo realistic. A lot of them still look gorgeous. They do pour a lot of time into crafting those games. I wouldn't undermine their effort.
Brown Chair I think once we truly start hitting a plateau in graphics, finally true creativity can thrive. It seems like developers rest on their technological laurels at the expense of “soul” and creativity. Eventually that won’t fly anymore and they will have to start putting real effort in. I think we’re starting to see that, actually.
It's kinda hard to believe it's a switch game, it looks amazing!
Looks like a PS3 game.
@@dcta51 so? Still looks great
@@AlphaladZXA i didnt say it didn't
@@dcta51 The Switch might not come close in power to the PS4 but it blows the PS3 out of the water as it's 3 times more powerful than a PS3. That's quite impressive considering it's basically a $160 tablet, $80 for joy cons and $60 for the dock = $300.
@@saysoun752 whats amazing most of us is that its doing xbox one and ps4 ports and doing them shit well visually all in handheld mode.
Game looks fantastic. The combat animations and the art style really stand out
Gonna be busy playing this game the next few weeks. God bless PlatinumGames.
So happy when I heard John’s voice. I was really wanting him specifically to take a look at this game. Really enjoying it so far.
his love for all aspects of games comes through and often makes me want to buy whatever game he's talking about
Good lord the salt levels are high lol, Nintendo funded the game, they co-own it, AND they published it, it wont be coming to other platforms. Platinum has also said its a nintendo game, so you either get a switch and buy the game, or you dont buy it and play something else and move on, simple as that. Great work as always DF!
Yup. Just like Spiderman, SunsetOverdrive, Persona5, Bayonetta2 etc. all games that were made by 3rd parties yet owned, funded and released on 1st party consoles (though in Bayo's case the IP belongs to Sega but Bayo2, Bayo3 and the OST for Bayo1 belong to Nintendo).
Their frustration is justified, though. It'd be like releasing a movie, but only showing it in certain cinemas, and only selling the DVD in one store. Nobody wants that. Or having 4 different streaming subscriptions. Or selling paintings that everybody could enjoy as limited edition, and never selling any more. Or three music streaming platforms to listen to what you want. Nobody wants that, either. Console devs need to make their console and the user experience around it the selling point, not fake exclusivity. I suspect game devs (not console makers) would make more money if they could publish on all platforms, and users would win as well. Console makers may not, unless they actually innovate, like Nintendo tends to. That's also a win for us.
It makes little business sense to sell to a small pool of users, when you can sell to several different pools. Unless you profit from console sales, but even then, most people aren't going to buy two consoles.
@@hanzohattori9576 Technically there hasnt been any found proof there is some contract with Sony for Persona! Like with Yakuza, it really seems Sega wants to keep both franchise Sony exclusive with no real help from Sony! Also Sega had reported a 70% loss in an invester meeting some months back stating they made incorrect calculations in the market! Take that as you like!
@@O1OO1O1 So....justified to act like a 6 year old brat review bombing a game for no reason other than hate?
Don't we have better things to do in life?
@@robertwallen1582 incorrect calculations for what market? Also, if i recall, sega has expressed wanting to bring their franchises more and more to PC and other consoles. Also, yeah, sony did not fund Persona5.
3:30 That programmers collection though XD
You can spot Lilie and her Cosmog, they really were inspired by Pokémon !
Man of culture.
I think I recognize most of them except for the last 4 in the back row.
Aqua XD
Legend of Korra Nendoroid!
Mario Odyssey
Breath Of The Wild
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Maybe 1 n X too)
Astral Chain
Smash Bros
Mario Kart
Bayonetta Trilogy
Switch is doing well.
You forgot Fire Emblem
And of course Warfraaaaame.
And Doom Eternal in the horizon
Fire Emblem Three Houses is better than XC2
635574 ewww no, repetitive bullshit that requires thousands of hours of grinding lmao
man vanquish needs a sequel
Jeremy Pooran Vanguish kinda end on a hanging note, and a sequel would be nice.
as long as it lasts more than 4 hours for a $60 game
Vanquish is God Hand of last-gen consoles, overlooked.
Lit So much kick-assness was packed into Vanquish’s run time, it was worth the price. And I’ll pay the price every single time.
@@always_serpico I don't care how much kick-assness it had, $60 for a 4 hours game is unacceptable.
So much salt from these comments calling Switch weak hardware and even asking Platinum to stop making games for Nintendo...
Just man up and get a Switch.
Exactly! What if Nintendo acquires platinum games, holy smokes.
Frigate6054 at this point I think they should
Frigate6054 eh, I wouldn’t want that. I think the beauty of platinum games is because of it being a third party developer. By changing between publishers, you get a variety of games with the platinum known and love action gameplay but in different settings such as Nier Automata, Bayonetta, MG rising, Astral Chain, Vanquish and the cancelled scalebound. Get what I mean? It’s like Fromsoftware changing publishers, which allows them to keep the “general hard af gameplay” while changing settings such as feudal Japan, Victorian world, and the Medival setting
I love when people get mad at Nintendo getting these Platinum games (like Bayo 2 and 3) while not realizing that Sony and Microsoft passed their opportunity financing Bayonetta 2. If Nintendo is willing to finance these games then they release on their systems. If Microsoft or Sony finance their games, they get them. But mostly they dont.
@@christianr.5868 they should man and theres several reasons why. One Nintendo practically funds alot of their games, two bayonetta 2 or the bayonetta franchise wouldn't exist if it wasnt for Nintendo. Three platinum has already developed a game from an actual Nintendo ip(starfox zero) which was a phenomenal game to me by the way. Four Nintendo and platinum games has a very close relationship.
I think platinum games is financially stable as a company but if they ever get in trouble I think Nintendo should swoop in and buy them. Oh and their games also do better and grow a bigger notoriety on a Nintendo platform.
This is one of the most interesting things I have heard about smart design being the implementation and especially in understanding the experience and how those decisions manifest in docked and portable mode.
In many ways the more powerful consoles are a bit like bloated companies during an economic high. They do amazing things without needing to consider efficiency. With the Switch that model cannot hold, developers must be savvy and creative in all choices so their game is nimble and efficient and it must approach each mode as its own curated environment not just making handheld a scaled down version of docked but really investigating what elements can be simplified with the least overall impact.
Love having the developer interview woven in with your commentary. This was amazing!
With patches i believe they can work on the small instances where the framerate drops in combat. Overall for a Switch game the game looks and runs great.
I hope they fix the combat with those patches not gonna make a huge difference fixing 29 frames to get 30.
yeah been playing 8hrs now and haven't noticed a single frame drop. this game runs perfectly it needs no patching.
balto derpfish 8 hours?!? The bloody thing was just released yesterday 😱
@@alsamiyasfh4416 Australia is 1 Day ahead of everyone else I got my copy almost 3 days ago now.
Agree, for some reason the city landscape reminds me of Cyberpunk 2077
This is the kind of original IP I want to see from Nintendo. Nintendo and Platinum are a wonderful match
Wonderful 101 was awesome too. And then we get the big one, Bayonetta 3.
One the best partnerships in the industry.
Everytime I see what the switch is capable of it makes me more and more excited for Metroid prime 4. This games looks amazing definitely going to get now.
Oh man. Can't believe it's been that long
It's kinda funny seeing people that used to say "The Switch has no games". Now saying the Switch sucks because it's getting that exclusive game. Lol
Also the ones that were calling Switch owners port beggers are now port begging this game and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 lol. How the tables have turned.
Sean T Torres Arroyo its funny isn’t it:) it’s like toxic people can’t stop being toxic, they just flip the script. And makes no sense when people accuse switch owners for being Nintendo fanboys, isn’t a fanboy someone who hates on other platforms they don’t own? And people who just love video games in general love all platforms. But if you dare to own also a Nintendo system then you’re a fanboy and Nintendo is only for kids... love how even that has turned out to be untrue. Besides there’s nothing wrong with consoles also having games for kids or just cutsie games that anyone can play. Not every game needs to be mature, it’s great to have a mix of everything in my humble opinion. I certainly started gaming in the 80s as a kid. All of those toxic arguments are just ridiculous. I’m loving it how Nintendo is proving everyone wrong now. And I own a switch, ps4 and Xbox one. The only reason I don’t have a gaming pc is because I can’t afford one but I would otherwise. Besides the competition only improves the industry. And we all get great games to play 🙏. And yeah the switch has so many great games now that it’s hard to even keep up or have the funds for every game, I have to choose which games to buy and which I’ll leave for later because I can’t even afford to buy every game. So glad Astral Chain was one of the ones I picked up! 🙏 and fire emblem, and soon Zelda and Luigi’s mansion 3... grandia hd collection. So many amazing games now it’s not even funny 😅
@@lassesuurmunne8340 I only have Switch because I don't have that much time for other consoles. I always preferred Nintendo, but I'm not hating on other consoles. I got everything I need on the Switch.
Sean T Torres Arroyo yeah and that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, I only play Switch now too because I don’t have time either to play anything else. And nothing wrong with preferring Nintendo. I meant people who can’t accept other people’s tastes and preferences and try to tell you what you’re allowed to like and play. Sorry my ranty comment mate, peace ✌️
@@lassesuurmunne8340 same i have a ryzen 3 and 1060gtx pc and i play my switch more
I don't really like any sort of exclusivity like this. Other people now will be forced to buy a switch in order to play the game. I mean not only that. I have a switch. But I'd prefer playing a game like this on pc. But since Nintendo owns the ip. It'll never come to any platform. Even if it wouldn't be such a bad idea business wise
As with most Nintendo games go ART trumps pure technical prowless. The game to me is beautiful and many times leaves me saying "WOW!". I'm glad that Platinum decided to go the visuals first because I knew they would nail the action anyways which lead to one of my favorite games on the Switch.
Now imagine this game on an actual powerful console like the ps4 pro or even pc. Great art style + 60 fps + full AA instead of this shimmering mess..
@@nickmotsarsky4382 I'll take the shimmering mess over my PS4 or XB1 as I enjoy playing on the go. My PS4 and XB1 are definitely more powerful but they stay at home while my Switch travels wherever I go.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 As for someone who has played videogames for 40yrs I have learned that just because a game doesn't reach lofty technical standards that it doesn't change my overall opinion of it. Some of my favorite games of all time have technical issues. As much as I love high framerates it doesn't hurt the core experience because it's at 30fps. I have a PC that would probably run this at 144hz or higher and all the "pro" consoles available and I could care less that it isn't on them. BTW calling this game a "mess" tell me you haven't played it because it's not even close to being a mess.
@@faiwaka No, the game isn't a mess. The visible Aliasing is.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 Go home kiddo, you're drunk.
Seeing the city in this game made me desperately want SMTV. Maybe I'll pick this up later in the month, though Link's Awakening is coming out too. 🤔
This game was sick. Downloading now for my first replay and I'm excited to take my time and explore a little more
Looks gorgeous .
Surround Sound is 3x the data bandwidth, which still takes cpu to stream, not to mention any dsp involved like reverbs would also triple the cpu cost, they probably don't have the headroom to make it worth it for the tiny percentage of switch owners that will be running a surround setup. Any cpu that could be clawed back from compression would just lose quality to the point where directional perception would be just as good in stereo anyway.
Hey thanks for that information. Wasn't aware of the hardware strains additional surround sound would have. I have a surround sound setup with my switch and other consoles but it's good enough to make stereo sounds super sexy still. Especially with the soundtrack of this game
Good comment.
Actually the CPU percentage to processing 6 channels of audio in modern cpus is almost nothing. Switch CPU is not that weak. Some games in Nintendo 64 and even in Snes had some kind of surround sound. Todays sound system is not like 90s real time shynthetizers.
The decision is likely for lower development costs.
I agree with Zor Mon.
Previously dabbled a bit with Wwise and Sequencing Audio (from MIDI) using Vorbis/compressed samples takes a negligible amount of CPU power. The bandwidth required for surround sound is negligible. Take this with a grain of salt but surround would be worth only a few hundred megabytes per second uncompressed.
Effects processing is a different story and varies on the plugin/program used. On systems like the SNES or GC there is no performance penalty as it is provided by hardware. That being said it's not likely to be performance reasons for the lack of surround. If it was then it's likely, as you mentioned, bandwidth reasons. The Switch has a weak memory subsystem and the CPU using too much data cripples the GPU performance.
Eh? The NVIDIA Shield supports surround sound easily and uses the same processor.
It's amazing to see how developers are starting to really squeeze the juice out of the Switch, more and more impressive games are coming out. I'm eager to see what else is in store and can't imagine how awesome a newer, more powerful Switch could be.
Best looking game on switch imo. Example of what you can achieve with older and more optimized techniques.
what about luigis mansion 3?
Would love to see vanquish on Switch. Even at x360 standards. Can’t wait to get this though, next Switch purchase for sure
This looks awesome, great video John. Also, I'm hearing some nice Djent riffs in there which is awesome :)
I've only had time to play the first mission of the game but it was fantastic and one the best intros to a game I've played in a long time.
tnh you haven't seen anything yet Combat doesn't start till 2-3 mission.The 1 mission sucks.
Here I was worried we don't get enough "Mind you". John-Mind-You never disappoints.
Great example of style overcoming limitations - allowing it to compare to PS4 and XB1 games, yet also a technical achievement on Switch.
I mean not graphically. But I guess gameplay wise.
Expected Nier Automata style combat; got LA Noire clues gathering and Luigi's Mansion ghost busting.
Not disappointed at all!
I been holding out for long enough I guess. Time to buy a Switch
Don't do it... unless you want joysticks drifting
Great time to get one since they just improved battery life and there’s also the lite version ✌️
Top-5 game for me all time. Beautiful, challenging, deep, quirky, and an absolute blast once you’ve built up your muscle memory to decimate the enemy in frantic combat. And god, that music is so freakin good!
feels like john is working overtime on DF XD
John is an amazing person and skilled creator, his DF retro videos always makes me feel such incredible joy.
@@franciscor390 hard to argue with that
Is it me or does this game look visually better than Nier Automata? 🤔
Art design appeals more to you
From an artistic standpoint, yes
Graphically, no
It's pretty low poly but still looks very pretty on Switch.
Just for comparison, 2B's butt has more detail and a way higher polygon count than the female MC's in this game and the difference is very noticeable. Yes I'm making that comparison
I'm more interested if there is a possibility of having automata on switch (it would be me buying it for 3rd time in that case, but still) PG told that Astral chain runs on the same engine and it runs really good. So in theory it is possible to port 2B's butt onto my handheld
@@rumotu If they ever do, hopefully it'll end working better than the pc version. PG all but abandoned the pc port.
Nier is the graphically better game.
Astral Chain is the aesthetically better game.
Who would have thought many years ago when Nintendo took a chance on Platinum with Bayonetta 2, it would pay dividends in the form of Astral Chain. Thank you Nintendo for giving Bayonetta a home and help birthing a great new IP.
Thanks for mentioning the audio, John! Fire Emblem switches between 2.1 and 5.1 in different situations, and nobody talked about it
Such a fantastic game, been playing it since yesterday 5am and I've been loving every hour.
Platinum and Nintendo showing off Master worksmanship!👌🏾
The salt on metacritic user review scores is also available for your viewing pleasure🤣🤣
(User review bomb cause switch exclusive)
Clint Gulley that’s a joke right
I know. People can be so salty some times.
@Clint Gulley apparently Nintendo owns the IP... so good luck with that
@Clint Gulley I can't tell if you're trolling or actually dumb
Kevboard Arts it’s not apparently; they do own the IP
4 hours into this game and already I'm thinking masterpiece. Fantastic game.
Just started playing this
It's truly incredible and blew me away!!
Can't believe this is on switch
Best looking game on Switch
Don't know Luigi mansion 3 looks pretty good as far as I've seen
It's one of the most impressive Switch title for sure
Its cell shaded, all switch games has this look.
'Arguably one of the best
@@hpickettz34 cell shading is something that ages far better than going for realism
Hmm, I might be mistaken but you state that they only use static cubemap reflections yet there are reflections that exhibit specs of SSR. The reflections stay aligned with their mirrored object instead of offsetting when the camera moves and animated signs are reflected in real-time ( 15:49 you can see the reflection on the hand rail updating as the sign moves). Real-time cubemaps or real-time reflection probes would be far more expensive than SSR.
Just an observation, regardless, fantastic overview :)
I'm no expert, and I won't pretend to be, but I think he was more so referencing the fact that no character models can be seen in reflections, suggesting a static cubemap.
Could be extremely wrong though, feel free to correct me though.
SSR is far more expensive than cubemaps. Also, playing the game I noticed that reflections most of the time aren't aligned to the reflected environment. That is probably just an animated cubemap.
@@dianavi1893 There are a lot of flat surfaces so, I was going to suggest planar reflections as a possibility, but as you state though, if they are not aligning (I'm simply going off the video, so you'll have more in-game experience). Then you're right that it could be a video cubemap.
Stephen Boyce maybe they are using an hybrid solution so that big landmarks like that huge building looks aligned, because it’s true that the building looks aligned in the video all the time. I’ll check next time I play and let you know what I find.
@@KITPUNK They are standard animated cubemaps. They switch the cubemap in use depending on the position of the camera, and they have a lot of them, that's why distant objects, like that building, almost always look aligned. However, objects closer to the camera don't align.
Looks stunning, especially for the Switch
Played it for entire weekend. Freaking love it.
But...the weekend just got started!
DF's videos have been getting better and better (both higher quality and more informative) the past year. Combined with the recent interviews and behind-the-scenes knowledge, you're building one of the best gaming channels on the internet. Even when I'm not interested in buying a particular game I almost always watch because the discussion and knowledge is fascinating.
This beautiful masterpiece is here, and we still haven't seen Bayo 3. God Bayo 3 is gonna be amazing.
Bayo 3 exists, but... we won't see anything about it for a while.
*@**6:38** Now THIS is how you make your nerdy customers happy!* 😎👌
Imagine what "Scalebound" could've been! :(
I completely agree with that statement but what does it have to do with astral chain tho?
was it a platinum games title?
It was a Platinum Games title exclusive to the Xbone but Microsoft cancelled it mid-development
@@SerenGetter alright thx for the insight i did not know it was from platinum games all i know is that i was exited for it once xD
yeah, but you already seen exactly what it was looking like. Was pretty bad tbh. Plus with Platinums bad use of money management. It was probably better to bite the bullet when the game wasn't looking up to par with Platinums better games
The game was almost done. Shameful waste
This games gonna age well
@Digital Foundy you gonna make a video about bulletstorm on switch?
My switch is not connected to my 4K TV. Instead it is connected to my PC monitor that only displays 1080P and is 27 inches. I feel this is the perfect size for docked Switch.
Even on my 40 inches 1080p TV, it looks good ^^
I have the game playing in my 4k screen and even then it still looks gorgeous!
The art direction is just that good.
I have it connected to my 1080p monitor. Ngl it looks kinda bad to me. High resolutions and modern aa have spoiled me.
This game has the look and art style that absolutely fits my tastes perfectly. No other platinum game looks this visually appealing to me. Comparing this to critically acclaimed titles like bayonetta 1&2 and automata, damn they've come far.
I love this game. its amazing the story the music the combat the sidquest and the detective stuff and of course the legions
Woah, 30 fps!? I've played for 3 hours so far and was thinking it's 60
Lol I thought the same
Platinum Games = Loves Fast Running Games!!!
Well it's like, I'm not saying framerate doesn't matter, it's just... There is one thing that matters more than the amount of frames, and that is whether or not the framerate is stable.
Plus there's also graphics design, which does impact your experience and perception of the framerate.
people freak out about fps but lets be honest 30fps is perfectly playable. I would rather a solid 30 fps than 60 fps that dips a lot.
@@baltoderpfish9471 If I had a g-sync monitor I would prefer the second thing you've said.
30 hours on the game, absolutely my GOTY as of now. The combat is some of the most unique I've ever experienced. Every single legion is legitimately useful for different situations. Amazing game design. Not going to be done anytime soon.
Happy 3rd birthday to this game
So Bayonetta + Chaos Legion
= Astral Chain.
plus Nier plus Ghost in the shell ... I guess that makes enough of a mix
@@dashmash2233 + cyberpunk neon lights
Bought a second (new extended battery life) Switch (kids nicked the first one) so I can play this on a trip to Osaka 😎
which one you bought
My mom is from Osaka I visit that place quite often. Try the food it's great.
@@lonelygoner2012 Grey one, debated the Mini but I want to keep the option of docking...
@@naila961 I did last two times I was there :) Certainly will be trying it again, two nights there this time, and 4 nights in Yonago, Tottori Province.
Platinum Games is an incredible studio.
What the actual fuck that music is god like. Picking the game up tomorrow and could not be more excited.
Hey, i just started playing again for the first time in two years! My second favorite Switch game
That's what happens when you give Platinum creative freedom
And don't force them to cram stupid features into their games like Microsoft was doing with Scalebound
I still wonder if scalebound is coming to switch?
revistinha1 agree. Provide some support and input but give Platinum the freedom it needs.
ElSAVALDORfunes there were rumors going about that but so far nothing has happened yet.
More like when you give platinum funds and they manage to use it right... Though it has alot of shortcuts and technically they didn't do that much. Buildings and such are flat surfaces so it makes the game alot easier to do than everything else they no. Platinum is a great studio at making action games yes. But they're horrible on money management so I honestly wouldn't blame others for games being cancelled
Exactly I couldn't stand the protagonist of that game. He was a westernized douchebag. Platinum's vision for the protagonist was a cute girl.
Good video John, hope you're doing well.
I ended up playing this game for 7 hours yesterday. I haven’t done that in a long time. Very good game , highly recommended 👍
I am a PC user as well as a Switch user and I will admit that this game looks impressive on the Switch even if there are a few technical hiccups during gameplay. Platinum Games made the right call in targeting 30fps to maintain stability for the most part. I am not salty that it's a "Switch only game" as that is just a poor excuse for trolls to do said review bombs.
It does kinda suck though. This is a game I'd prefer playing on pc
Me playing dis non-stop and then I was like - Ohh shit I forgot my laundry and that was supposed to wash yesterday
Wow, this game looks amazing on Switch!
Honestly, Astral chain's the reason why I wanted to get Cyberpunk 2077. I know the world's different because Cyberpunk is grittier, but being able to fully interact with a very futuristic world sounds so amazing. I'm so glad to have gotten into the gaming scene where these two games exist.
Oh man. Cyberpunk launch though
@@brownchair2698 This aged poorly. Didn't buy it though lmao
@@nikkoa.3639 Yeah it's kind of funny in retrospect.
Wasn't 100% sold on this game before. Just ordered it while watching this video. Looks awesome.
I'm having so much fun with Astral Chain!
Like I always say; it's about Game-Design / Art-Style and NOT about simple graphical effects 😃! Same is true for Zelda BotW. It looks amazing 😍 witout "High-End" graphics. It's simply because the guys know what they want to show in terms of visual and acoustical "art"👌👍.
This game is amazing! I'm almost finishing it, and I've been savoring all of the environments, trying to complete as many side objectives as possible and GOD! the soundtrack! It's downright gorgeous! This an easy 10/10 for me!
The game is very pretty, though I notice some frame issues while playing, but nothing that could stop me from enjoying the game.
This game looks phenomenal playing on switch screen using reverse NX which makes it possible to play on handheld with docked mode quality! Also a bit of overclock makes it much more smoother.
This game is the best looking game on the switch in my opinion
Imo no. That docked image quality just rubs me the wrong way.
I genuinely hope Astral Chain gets a sequel Platinum managed to create a really interesting IP full of potential on top off banging soundtrack and gameplay.
Oh i think we will surely see it get a sequel. Even tho the game sold 32K over in japan, that’s still alright for a new IP on Nintendo systems. And on top of that it being the 1st ever platinum game to ever be in the top UK sales chart #1, not even Nier or bayonetta ever had that chance.
Hopefully they will gain ownership of the ip when that happens
@@brownchair2698 nah, it belongs to nintendo. Nintendo comissioned them to create a new IP and even told them they didn't want the magic angle. but nintendo can offer them the IP in return for something.
@@bern9642 I can accept this. I've already beaten the game a while ago anyway. Its harder for me to care now about it being stuck on the switch.
3:30 this makes me so happy
I was quite shocked when I tried this game in portable mode it looks amazing
let me just dream playing this and the bayonettas on my PS4 pro for a minute ... *sigh*
well, I guess there is no other choice then...(because I am almost dying for "Fire Emblem: Three Houses" to!)
Both companies produce great games. why not enjoy both libraries.
Bayonetta is on pc. I've ran it at 4k on my laptop. With a locked 60fps.
It's my GOTY for 2019, i love everything about this game: combat, music, atmosphere, UI, exploration.
What are your sources or reasons to state that the game does not use Screen Space Reflections?
Here is what I observed:
In the gallery scene, there is a top blue light on the ceiling. The reflection of this light onto the street is abruptly cut off near the camera. This would be explained by SS reflections, which fail when the reflected object goes out of the screen.
In the city, you can see dynamic reflections of LCD screens and neon, which change according with their source. This would be much harder to achieve using baked cubemaps.
This is what happens when a dev knows their way around a platform. This easily sits as the top 1% in regards to graphically impressive Switch games. It looks incredible which well, is more than can be said for a lot of Switch games
Good art direction and clever use of programming being used to overcome shortcomings in the hardware. If only all companies for all console systems took this approach. The recent game Control is prime example of a title pushing graphics way too hard with all the bells and whistles which slaughter the fps on base consoles.
but making Pokemon look decent is too hard guys.
It's physically impossible it breaks the laws of physics
15:25 "ЗАЧЕМ" means "WHY" in russian. Great game, great soundtrack.
Pause at 5:42, look at how much better the portable version looks. Docked is so hazy.
Waiting months for this...then after playing it for a minute I surprisingly stayed up all night playing Bulletstorm. I think I was in the mood for immediacy or something. Astral Chain is the "coolest" thing on Switch since Splatoon 2 tho.
Bulletstorm is in my opinion one of the best shooters of the last 10 years. It's very easy to pick up and very hard to lay the controller down. Astral Chain is that game that needs some time to get sucked in. I have this with almost every Platinum game.
@@tiesros1454 Astral Chain clicks after around 2 hours.
@@helpinghands7935 I'm starting tonight with it. I'm on a holiday in Spain and found a game store today and bought a copy. Let's hope it will click on the small screen.
@@helpinghands7935 it really opened up now. Love it.
Can we all consider the fact that people are actually review bombing this game on Metacritic because it's a Switch exclusive and not on any other platform lmao
This is why I don't trust Metacritic reviews at all. Being "free for all" is a mistake on the Internet.
The soundtrack to this game does not get enough love. It's absolutely fantastic!
Platinum Games never seems to amaze me. They really pulled out all the stops on the Switch. While I don’t have one, knowing what talented developers have done with what’s essentially an older Nvidia Shield K1, is impressive from a technical and artistic standpoint. The K1 had a terrible port of BioShock, yet when it was reborn as the Switch, with Nintendo’s monetary backing, as well as more mature dev kits, the Witcher 3 and games like Astral Chain are playable.
It’s hard not to be impressed even as a PC and PS4 player. I wish people who game on PC wouldn’t always attack Nintendo, without them, the game industry wouldn’t be what it is now. They fund such unique games, and despite making new iterations of classic games for each of their console generations, they significantly alter the gameplay. As an early Sonic fan, the original Mario titles weren’t easy for me to adjust to, but Mario 64 is a game I still go back to, since it’s such an impeccable title. Then Mario Sunshine could’ve simply been a nicer looking version of Mario 64, but it wasn’t. It offered unique gameplay elements, while other 3D platform games were still copying Mario 64. Then Mario Galaxy 1-2 on the Wii were incredibly unique in terms of gameplay, the same thing happened with the platforming perfection that was present in Super Mario 3D World. Metroid is another example, having gone from a tight 2D platformer to a 3D shooter with unconventional control schemes, then morphing into a Team Ninja action game.
It would be easy to say Nintendo keeps churning out the same characters with every console generation, but it’s not entirely true because the gameplay is unique and fresh each time.
Switch is using the X1, not the K1.
@ArtofZen Digital a good mentality and view. Nintendo for sure hasn’t been fighting for power since I’d say the GameCube. They’ve been always trying to innovate. I mean call it silly or stupid, but what other company is able to market a product like VR Labo, & motion control. It’s always a good surprise to see what this company does in the grand scheme of things.
And their IP’s are iconic, no other company has been able to keep a mascot full of life and still kicking like the Mario’s or the Zelda’s.
Switch uses the Tegra X1 not K1. 2019 and people are still misinformed, wow
JackFrost 1856 My apologies for the confusion, which comes from the fact that the Switch is using the same processor as the Shield TV, which is indeed the Tegra X1. The X1 is less powerful than the K1. The K1 throttles due to heat issues, so dispute the higher than 1080p tablet resolution of the K1, besting even the docked Switch, it winds up performing similarly as a result.
The extra gigahertz of the K1, 2ghz vs the Switches stock X1 1ghz processor, it doesn’t change the results. The results are still impressive and if they had used the more impressive K1 resolution and processor speeds, the throttling would’ve been drastic in the thin shell.