I agree, I think the whole “official timeline” thing was 100% a fan created mythos which Nintendo saw was gaining traction and played into to make more money. It’s pretty clear that most of the games had very little connection to one another beyond the basic concept of the core theme (the hero saving the world from a great evil) repeating itself.
The Legend of Zelda: The Monkey’s Paw
Of the games I’ve played, I’d pick Majora’s Mask. The reduced size and linearity combines well with the time mechanic and forced repetition. I don’t agree that the BotW/TotK map was too large, though. The “emptiness” was kind of the point of those games. The space allows you to appreciate the little things like grass swaying in the wind or the distant sounds of animals.
The Wii U also suffered from it’s weak library of games, though. Yes, you could argue that was partially due to Nintendo pivoting away from it earlier due to the slow start which was, in part, caused by the confusion over the naming and marketing…but if Nintendo commits to the Switch 2 and releases more bangers from big franchises it will be a long-term success. The “gimmicks” of the Switch are the best assortion and implementation the company has ever delivered and it has an amazing library of games. There is no reason why the Switch 2 can’t deliver in those same areas (it already will with the retention of motion controls and portability).
Football Manager 2024 (the PC version). I’m curious if anyone here has played the Switch version.
I don’t pre-order anything really but I always buy the games on release without any second thoughts. Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda and Professor Layton are the three series where I am always super confident I’ll enjoy the latest installment.
The exclusive games will need to be really good if a design like this is to sell well. Otherwise they are heading for another Wii U situation.
Being able to play co-op and the single player storyline at the same time is so cool. It’s something I always wanted in the series; the ability to enjoy everything with friends without losing any of the single player features. I played Scarlet/Violet with my girlfriend at launch and it was a very fun way to enjoy the game with her whilst also being able to play at my own pace. But unfortunately the visuals really annoyed her and she lost interest. It’s just not that fun exploring a world as barren and ugly as the one in Scarlet/Violet.
About KC: D, I agree with you, but that’s a problem with most RPGs, you are either a “cozy” game, or there’s doom and gloom going on.
I kind of disagree, I think it’s definitely possible to write a mainline story in a way that it allows for downtime for exploration and/or side quests. Cyberpunk 2077’s quests often have breaks where you need to wait for an NPC to contact you or you are required to meet them at a time and place that allows for some flexibility. Even just in terms of the way dialogue is written, you can have a quest assigner ask you to meet them in a certain spot when you’re ready with a warning that you shouldn’t take too long, rather than just instantly progressing the quest. I think Kingdom Come: Deliverance actually did this at some points, where characters would meet you at a different location if you took too long to join them for the journey there. There are ways around it through clever writing, though obviously most RPG’s will also have urgent moments where it doesn’t make sense to wander off.
Is that the first one? I had the exact same problem with the campaigns and never finished them.
I don’t know about uninspired, Scarlet/Violet is a great game at its core. It’s just a shame that it was so obviously rushed and the resulting technical imperfections overshadow the gameplay for many.
I think it’s awesome that game is actually playable on Switch. The port looks pretty good too, all things considered. Hopefully it meant a ton of people who wouldn’t otherwise have played it got to experience (what I consider) one of the best RPGs of the last decade.
NEW LAYTON
I just need to sit down and force myself to get into it again. I know once I get past the Great Bay Temple I’ll start enjoying the game again but there are several hours of tedious gameplay before that.
My only complaint about that game is that the pace of the main story doesn’t match the pace of the game world. Everything else about the world, particularly in hardcore mode, really suits roleplaying but the main quest doesn’t give Henry enough opportunies to do other stuff. You are forced to play out of character and ignore the urgency of the main quest if you want to take your time and enjoy the slow and relaxing atmosphere. Still a great game though, I will complete my second playthrough this year in preparation for the sequel.
EDIT: (As this is a Nintendo community, I should point out that I am playing on PC.)
I’d like to finally finish Majora’s Mask this year, 24 years after I started playing it. The furthest I’ve made it was Ikana Castle, and that was back when I was a kid. My current save file is at the Pirate’s Fortress but I haven’t touched it in over a year. My struggle to complete this game started off as not being very good at it, then I got a bit older it turned into this thing where I didn’t want to finish the game because I didn’t want it to be over and now I’m just so bored of replaying the same bit that every time I attempt another completion I lose interest before I get to the new stuff.
They setup the new world in preparation for the main theme, sure. At its deepest level that was always just (up until Skyward Sword when Nintendo began monetising fan-created lore) the echo of a myth throughout time and reality. The fans so desperate to make a direct linear connection between the conclusion of one game and the traditional introductory cut-scene of the next are so far down their rabbit hole they seem completely unable to accept the much more logical explanation that it’s just a convenient way for Nintendo to recycle the same basic narrative structure that has been used in almost every single game.