So apparently, the Switch version of the highly anticipated Kickstarter funded game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has quite a bit of problems. Such problems include reduced fidelity, frame rate issues, and input lag. These issues were severe enough that GameSpot gave it a 6, two points lower than the Xbox One and PS4 versions. Yet, that didn't stop the Switch version from outselling them both, at least in the UK. Switch owners really don't seem to care too much about their games being downgraded or broken. They just want to play them on the go.
And why wouldn't they? With my over two years of owning the Switch, I've wanted to play all the games on Switch. I'd take it to work and being able to play Doom and Skyrim on my breaks was awesome. At the same, though, I can't keep that up. Wolfenstein II was the last game I played on the Switch that made feel sacrificing graphics for portability wasn't really worth it anymore. More power to people who don't care as much, but the gimmick is starting to wear off for me. Hearing of a game like Bloodstained performing so poorly on the Switch is quite disappointing. Is it really worth it to play such a bad version of the game just so you can take it with you?
It doesn't really seem like that big of a deal, because the developers did say they were going to fix it in patches. But that's a problematic way of handling games. No game should ever be released broken with need of patches. There are people, believe it or not, that still don't have access to the internet. So, the games they buy are broken forever. I've heard people complaining about reviewers docking the game for issues that will be fixed later, but that's also problematic. No game should be forgiven for current issues that will be fixed later. Games should be reviewed as is, unless they're always online games that are constantly changing. In doing so, we're promoting an attitude of acceptance that it's OK for publishers to rush their games out with the promise that "we'll fix it later." Look at Batman: Arkham Knight. Did that game ever get fixed?
But back to the title. Even though I was talking about how buying an inferior version of Bloodstained was not worth it, that was just for me. For someone else, it may be worth its weight in gold. They may sacrifice visual fidelity and frame rates for portability, because maybe they play on the road more than they do at home. If you're solely a Switch owner, then of course it makes sense to buy a Switch version of a multi-platform game, because well, default. Never played the Witcher 3, but don't have time to play at home because of obligations? Take it with you to work and play on your breaks and lunches.
I've heard the argument that sacrificing performance for portability is not worth it because games should be experienced in their best versions possible, but that is entirely a subjective opinion. If people have more fun playing on the go, then even the Switch version of Bloodstained becomes the best version possible because it's the only one that's portable. And there's that one meme I love that I can't seem to find, but it's the one that shows the graphical comparisons of the Xbox One, PS4 and Switch versions of The Witcher 3 during a power outage and the Switch was the clear winner! Classic!
I know I touched on this topic before, but it's been a while. The current debacle with the Switch version of Bloodstained just made me want to revisit. I totally get people not wanting to buy inferior versions on the Switch, but they're also clearly forgetting what it was designed for. It was never meant to play games in 4K at 60 FPS. It wasn't even meant to play 1080p versions of games. It was meant to play versions of games on the go, which naturally meant they'd be weaker, that you could conveniently play on your TV when you were at home (a lot of these arguments stem from how Nintendo tried to market the Switch as a console first, handheld second. Disagree? Fight me). People are finding value in that portability, and it just so happens that value for them is higher than playing on a 4K TV. I shouldn't have to remind anyone that people have different values, and if you were upset at Switch games being downgraded, then why did you want a Switch for the best versions of games? Didn't you buy a PS4 or Xbox One X for that purpose, or better yet a PC? Well, let's just hope you never have a craving to play that game while away on business, or better yet during a power outage.
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