Games Inbox: What is the second best Nintendo Switch 2 game?
The Tuesday letters page hopes for Red Dead Redemption 2 on Nintendo Switch 2, as one reader looks forward to CD Projekt's first original IP.
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Penultimate choice
So, I don't think there's much doubt as to what is the best Nintendo Switch 2 game so far, if you don't count the Zelda remasters, but what is the second best one, after Mario Kart World? Cyberpunk 2077 seems a good contender but it's not really the best way to play the game, although it may be the best option to play it on a handheld.
Beyond that I'm struggling to come up with any other options, as very few sites have reviewed the third party ports, I guess because Nintendo was so late sending the console out. I've heard Hitman isn't that great a port, but Street Fighter 6 is?
I might get Cyberpunk 2077, but I think it's more likely I'll just save my money and get Donkey Kong Bananza if it's good, which I imagine it will be. There's no denying it's a slow launch though, especially for single-player fans.
Hobbie
Red Dead rumour
If this rumour about Red Dead Redemption 2 on Switch 2 turns out to be true and it's a good version, then I think we're going to have to accept that the Switch 2 is a lot more powerful than some people took it to be. There's only so powerful a console can be when it's the size of a handheld, especially if you want to keep the price down, and it seems like Switch 2 has figured out the perfect compromise.
I'm very impressed by what I've seen of Cyberpunk 2077 so far and while Rockstar's track record isn't spotless with ports and remasters (I'm thinking the GTA 3 games) I have some confidence they'll put in the work on this one. I'd certainly be happy to play it again on a portable, if the price is right. I'll be even more impressed if they manage to include Red Dead Online.
Porgie
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Homegrown franchise
I want to be cynical about The Witcher 4, but I have to say CD Projekt does seem to have learnt its lessons from the Cyberpunk 2077 launch and is saying all the right things about the new game.
I do worry that they've got a bit too much on the go at the same time though, as I've lost track of the number of Witcher spin-offs, on top of the Cyberpunk sequel, but I hope they pull it off. Although, I'd also like to see them branch out and make a brand new IP.
Both their games are based on existing things, but I don't believe they've ever made anything that was completely their own.
Austin
GC: They're working on something codenamed Project Hadar at the moment, which apparently is an original IP. Unfortunately, it has no release date or year.
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Too much Zelda
I think your review of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom on Switch 2 highlights another major flaw of the launch line-up: who is ever going to play two Zelda games like this at the same time? They're both so massive you'd go crazy playing them all in one go, so really, in practical terms, the Switch 2 has one less game than it seems, and it's one of its big ones.
The problem for Nintendo is that their games are usually very well optimised, so there really isn't much to do when remastering any of them, except up the resolution and, in some cases, the frame rate. Which the Switch 2 seems to do automatically in a lot of cases.
It does make me wonder what has happened to things like the remasters of Metroid Prime 2 and 3, and Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess though. They seem like money left on the table at this point but maybe they'll bed turned into Expansion Pack exclusives or something like that? I'd still like to have them.
Korbie
Abridged version
As far as I'm concerned, the lack of story was one of the better things about Stellar Blade. I'd give a lot to have a cut down version of the Bayonetta trilogy that reduces the cut scenes to the bare minimum.
I don't know why anyone that makes an action game like that thinks they can also tell a story. They're two completely different skills, so what would be the chance of being good at both? Very low, if we look at the state of video game stories.
My real question though is who wants a story in a game like that? Every second you're watching a terrible cut scene is a second you're not playing the game.
Wotan
Cannibalism-free Christmas
With this latest Nintendo Direct news I think it's pretty obvious that there is no secret Christmas game that Nintendo is waiting to unveil. As others have said, Mario Kart is all they need for the Switch 2 to be a success and it's almost surprising that they've got as much coming out this year as they have.
The reason we're getting unwanted games like Hyrule Warriors 3 and Kirby Air Riders is because Nintendo don't want any distraction away from Mario Kart. They also don't want to seem like they don't have any games at all though, so instead they give us a few minnows to make up the numbers; alongside Metroid Prime 4, which is really a Switch 1 game but hardcore fans will like.
That's my interpretation anyway. They've also got that Pokémon game and the wheelchair basketball game, just not anything that anyone's going to get super excited about in a hurry.
To me it seems fairly obvious. Movie companies don't release all their blockbusters within a couple of weeks of each other, they pace them out and make sure they don't each other's sales. Video game companies might not be very good at scheduling but they're not that bad, especially not Nintendo.
Mario Kart World has already sold over 3 million copes in the middle of June and yet most ordinary people probably don't even know it exists yet. By Christmas it's going to sell so much Nintendo is going to need to build a new money pit.
Paulie
Waiting for the sign
I bet Borderlands 4 was going to be £80/$80 but they backed down when they saw everyone getting upset. All the rumours say that companies are really waiting for GTA 6 to push the $80 barrier and then when it does they'll all follow.
I can completely see that happening and I imagine no one was more upset at its delay than other publishers. But for now at least that's good news for Borderlands fans, who can now spend the money they saved on pointless deluxe editions instead.
Zeiss
Never full price
I had an Xbox Series X at the start of the gen, sold it once I got a PlayStation 5 but picked up one again the other month.
I used to do the rewards points, as you could accumulate enough points, and more, to pay for a month's Game Pass Ultimate. I amassed nearly £200 of points first time round.
I'd heard reward points had been nerfed since but found you can still get enough for a month's Ultimate. It took 30 days for me to get the 12,000 points needed for that.
I did run into a funny time limit on searches the other day though, due to irregular search patterns. This is from the Microsoft website:
'If you encounter this issue on your account, it is not permanent and will be removed once search patterns are determined to be normal and not an attempt to just earn points.'
I don't believe for a second they thought anyone was doing the total point awarded 50 searches a day as part of normal internet usage.
To be honest though, I don't know how Microsoft make any money from Game Pass but maybe most are paying full whack. I never have, mind, from my first Xbox Series X I paid £85 for two years with a Gold to Ultimate conversion. I've about a year from reward points.
For this Xbox I've used the official Core to Ultimate conversion of 2:1. 12 months of Core is £40 on CDKeys, which converts to six months Ultimate, making it £6.67 a month instead of £14.99.
Simundo
Inbox also-ransSo I see interest in Elden Ring Nightreign seemed to last about a week before interest started dropping off. I'm still gutted that The Duskbloods is a multiplayer game, it seems such a waste.
Diamond Geezer
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 so add me to the hype train. Loved it and appreciate it wasn't overly hard or overly long. Didn't overstay its welcome and was full of ideas to the end. Game of the year as far as I'm concerned.
Danson More Trending
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