Does it still have the gacha mechanics? I bounced off 2 pretty hard.
Beautiful comparison.
Is that the thing where there are purchasable loot crates? Yikes. I didnāt even get that far - I just didnāt find the combat very engaging (though I only put like 2 hours into it, if even, so I probably didnāt get to where the combat is good).
I canāt remember the exact details, but basically youāre constantly rolling in game currency to try to get good character stats. Probably you could buy the rolls but I canāt remember. If it were an ARPG it would be one thing, but in an trad-RPG it really grates.
If I recall, it was time-gated more than anything else. It wasnāt terrible so much as just completely unnecessaryā¦ and for all that I say it wasnāt terrible, I definitely didnāt finish the game, and Iām pretty sure itās because I have broken completionist brain and one of the uncommon blades just would. not. drop. I mostly liked XC2 other than that, too! (Though not as much as the first, and it was an egregious example of a JRPG that was just way longer time-wise than the story needed it to be.)
I donāt think you even get a full size party in XC2 until like 10+ hours in? Iām pretty sure you donāt get full combat mechanics (break/topple/launch/smash) until way later.
Thereās a couple points in XC2 where you donāt have a full party, but youāre still allowed to free-roam around the map and do side quests, but youāre super handicapped in battle. What you should do in those segments is bee-line through the plot until you get back up to strength, but that isnāt communicated at all.
I always assumed something like this is what happened - when I tried to play it years ago it didnāt really occur to me I was going to get a lot more complexity and interesting systems as I made my way into the story, and by the time it did Iād long since sold the game. But, at this point, Iām interested in giving XC3 a real shot, assuming it gets good reviews (which seems likely).
I donāt think so. They have something to take its place that I donāt really understand yet where you equip one extra type of character that isnāt a regular party member but it sounds like there arenāt too many of those and you donāt pick them up via gacha mechanics.
Yeah I think I was still getting new combat mechanic tutorial popups more than 20 hours in :)
The final tutorial pop-up in XC2 appears something like 80 hours into the game. Itās not combat-related (Iām pretty sure), but yeah.
Is the Switch region-free? There are some physical compilation collections (Aleste, NAMCOT, Tiger-Heli, Taito) that are only in Japan/Asia that I would like to import if thatās possible.
The Switch appears to have quite a lot of these, third after the PSP and PS2.
Also, does QT3 play in docked mode or handheld? If the latter, what grip accessory do you recommend? Iām looking at Hori, Skull & Co. or Satisfye.
The Switch is region-free, and you can also easily access other regionsā digital stores. If a given Switch is registered as an accountās primary device, digital content from that account is available for all users on that Switch. This includes things like being able to access the international Nintendo Switch Online NES/SNES/Genesis/N64 apps - if you have the relevant subscription on your main account, you can access the other regionsā versions of the same apps by downloading them with an account for that region.
I play both handheld and docked. I donāt use any sort of grip accessory for most stuff, but if Iām playing vertical games, I use the Flip Grip.
Thanks! I didnāt know this even existed. I have a lot of shmups so this would help for Tate mode.
Just make sure the games you want to play support the correct portrait orientation. The Flip Grip is built so that it doesnāt block the game card port or headphone jack, which means the Switch can only be inserted one way, and a surprising number of games only offer a single rotation direction.
I bought mine for shmups as well, but I also play Groove Coaster with it, and I hear itās nice for pinball games that support it.
I play exclusively handheld, even at home. I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0828V1R6Y/
And a Pro controller and itās terrific.
So I played Kirby a month or so ago. Iāve got Metroid Dread lined up this month. Splatoon 3 is out in September, and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope in October. I know Iām late with Dread but itās a bumper year for me with Nintendo.
Picked up the Hori Grip Pro and itās so much more responsive than then janky JoyCons. It looks like the FanGamer vertical mode thing wonāt work with anything but the official JoyCons. Too bad the Hori doesnāt have gyro and force feedback support.
I use mine almost completely portable, with one of these:
Hori Nintendo Switch Split Pad Pro (Black) Ergonomic Controller for Handheld Mode - Officially Licensed By Nintendo - Nintendo Switch Amazon.com
I use mine docked, of course. With a Pro Controller. As I learned recently though, if it falls over, make sure itās in the dock properly when you set it straight again on the carpet. (Well, as straight as you can get it on carpet, itās never really straight vertical on carpet).
I had the Hori, but didnāt end up liking it very much. I much prefer these from Binbok:
They have gyro and rumble and their own batteries and can be used detached like a pro controller, all things the Hori lack. Plus I think the Binbok is more comfortable.