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The Verge
an hour ago
- The Verge
Pokémon Violet and Scarlet's Switch 2 update is as good as it looks
I recently did something sort of unusual: I went to a preview event for a game that's been out for almost three years. I've played around 400 hours of Pokémon Scarlet, according to my Nintendo Switch, since it was released in late 2022. It's safe to say I know the game pretty well. And yet, when I was invited to preview Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of the new console's launch, I gladly took the opportunity to see three-year-old games I already own. I wanted to find out just how much they'd improved. I have a high jank tolerance with games — it builds character — but I'm well aware of Scarlet and Violet 's shortcomings on the original Switch. There's lag. The frame rate is… inconsistent. There are online connectivity issues. For a lot of people, performance problems overshadowed what was otherwise a great new generation of Pokémon games. With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, and the accompanying free performance update for Scarlet and Violet, that might finally change. Starting up the demo of Pokémon Scarlet on the Switch 2 at The Pokémon Company International's office in Bellevue, Washington, I knew immediately where I wanted to go first: Casseroya Lake, sometimes called 'Lag Lake,' where the games' graphical issues are most apparent. On the original Switch, the game really chugs when you're on the lake; the frame rate takes a dive, and it struggles to render more than a handful of pokémon in your immediate vicinity. Exploring the liveliest open areas and encountering the pokémon that populate them is one of Scarlet and Violet 's biggest strengths, but on the Switch, Casseroya Lake is dull and empty at best and impossible to navigate at worst. Playing on the Switch 2, however, Casseroya Lake ran beautifully. There were far more pokémon in view (and I was immediately accosted by a torpedo-like Veluza, same as it ever was), and the lag and stuttering I'd come to expect were nonexistent. I battled that Veluza with no problems. I stumbled upon a Slowpoke outbreak and sent out my Clodsire to auto-battle them — no lag. I found a wild Tera Pokémon and watched the Tera animation play out, looking sharper than I'd ever seen it. (I was playing in docked mode at a station set up by TPCi, so maybe that last one could be credited to the TV. But still.) It was the same case everywhere I went during my 30-minute demo: a stable and smooth frame rate, significantly faster load times, and far more pokémon populating the world. The Switch 2 update is not a complete overhaul of the graphics themselves — the grass textures looked just as unremarkable as always to my eye, for example — but it does seem to eliminate the performance issues that have dragged Scarlet and Violet down for nearly three years. It's a noticeable improvement in the world, in battle, in Tera raids, and even in menus. Is it praiseworthy for a game to simply run well? Maybe not. I don't pretend to know how games are made on a technical level, or really any level, but I know they're not easy to make. And I had enough fun with Pokémon Scarlet to play for 400 hours without the performance issues bothering me much. But it did feel bittersweet, briefly, to think how much more these games could have shone if they'd run well in the first place. Then, in the last five minutes of my demo, as I waded in a different body of water to confirm that it too ran smoothly, I saw it: among the pods of Buizel dotting the shore, a shiny. A good portion of my 400 hours in Scarlet were spent shiny hunting, because even though the alternate-color versions of pokémon are not quite as hard to find as they were in previous games, I get excited every time I see one, without fail. It's the perfect encapsulation of the kind of joy Scarlet and Violet have to offer: exploring a lively area and finding something special. I caught the shiny Buizel despite knowing that it wasn't my save file and not mine to keep. The Switch 2 update is arguably arriving a bit late for my Scarlet save file, depending on how many hours you think are reasonable to spend playing this game. But I also own Violet, and I have played about two hours of that version total. Looking at the shiny Buizel I didn't get to keep, I realized I was really excited to have a reason to play Violet finally — to rediscover what I liked most about these games, in a state that does them justice.
Geek Girl Authority
3 hours ago
- Geek Girl Authority
TINY TINA'S WONDERLANDS and LIMBO Are Free in the Epic Games Store
Every week, the Epic Games Store gives away in-game loot and free game titles; all you have to do is remember to collect them. This week, go on a whimsical, action-packed journey in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and traverse a dark, dangerous realm in Limbo . Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and Limbo Act quickly because these goods are only free via the Epic Games Store for a limited time. Epic Games is known for giving away free games every week. It's simple — all you have to do is log into your Epic Games account, download the launcher, and claim your weekly freebies. Check out the loot available this week and grab it now because it is only free for a limited time. RELATED: Need more free games? Check out F2P Friday Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is an action role-playing game and first-person shooter developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K. Party up and go on a whimsical fantasy tabletop-themed adventure helmed by Tiny Tina (Ashly Burch). Join Captain Valentine (Andy Samberg) and rules lawyer robot Frette (Wanda Sykes) as they band together to take down the villainous Dragon Lord. Create your ideal hero with deep character customization, including a multiclassing system featuring six different classes. Find, wield, and upgrade high-powered guns found along the way. Guns aren't the only firepower in your arsenal, as you can also discover and master a variety of spells like Inflammation. This cheeky, cute, and colorful Borderlands spin-off offers a unique combination of FPS and RPG gameplay. Play solo, on the couch with a friend, or join a party of up to three players online for chaotic co-op action. RELATED: Love mobile games? Check out our Mobile Game Monday adventures Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is free (a $59.99 value) in the Epic Games Store until June 5 at 10 am ET. Limbo Limbo (2010) is a puzzle platformer published and developed by Playdead. Play as an unnamed young boy as he navigates the dark and dangerous Limbo realm to save his sister. Avoid bear traps hidden in the inky forest floor and survive attacks from monsters lurking in shadowy corners. You will need to be clever to solve mechanical puzzles using machinery, magnets, and gravity. Developers at Playdead describe Limbo as a trial-and-death type of game. This means you will die repeatedly, but each death is meant to be a learning experience. Often, the boy's disturbing demise is gruesomely animated, but there is a gore filter for those who need it. RELATED: Game Review: Projected Dreams This critically acclaimed indie adventure is praised for its haunting atmosphere thanks to an eerie soundtrack and grayscale graphics. Limbo has won over 100 awards, including Kotaku 's Best Indie Game and IGN 's Best Horror Game. Limbo is free (a $9.99 value) in the Epic Games Store until June 5 at 10 am ET. June's Most Anticipated Video Games
Motor Trend
4 hours ago
- Motor Trend
What's Going on With Ram? CEO Promises Turnaround
You will be forgiven for thinking Ram is down and out these days. The brand killed the Hemi V-8 that was a highlight of its 1500 full-size pickups, stopped building the affordable (but old) Ram Classic, and had a difficult launch of the Hemi-less 2025 Ram 1500 that included problems getting trims with all the bells and whistles out the door while also trying to start producing new Heavy Duties at the same plant. EV plans were pushed back, both for the range-extending Ramcharger and the entirely battery electric Ram 1500 REV. It adds up to a bad stretch for a brand critical to parent company Stellantis' U.S. fortunes. 0:00 / 0:00 Don't count the brand out yet, says Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, the man who retired from Stellantis a year ago and returned in December to try to turn things around. The longtime executive returned after former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned and was exasperated at the botched Ram 1500 launch and high prices that were dragging down sales of a brand that had been flying high for years. The Fix Is In? Sales are better, he insists. With production volumes limited, the focus pivoted to fulfilling U.S. retail customers while foregoing fleet sales, especially to rental companies. The result: Retail sales were up 16 percent in the first quarter, will be closer to 40 percent higher in the second quarter, and likely will end the half about 25 percent up. At the same time, rental fleet sales will be down 90 percent. Losing the more affordable Ram Classic truck has hurt sales somewhat but there are plans to claw back some of those sales. But if anyone is expecting the return of a $40,000 stripped-down truck, those days are gone, Kuniskis says. With mandates and the tech needed, you can't strip a full-size truck down far enough and make money, he says. 'That's a midsize pickup,' he quips, and then says yes, a midsize to replace the Dakota is still in the plan but won't offer more detail right now. The 2026 Ram 1500 comes close to the old Classic's bogey, starting at $44,495. And there are 25 product and product-related announcements coming, the CEO says. EVs Will Come in Time And yes, EVs have been delayed. The Ramcharger goes into production later this year; the all-electric REV could arrive as late as summer 2027. The long-term commitment to these electrified trucks remains intact and Ram is enjoying the luxury of timing working in its favor. Being a bit of a laggard in the full-size electric pickup space allowed Ram to see how the forerunners were received. Executives watched the marketplace and saw prices increase and demand wane. Stellantis took advantage of Ram's tardiness to push back deadlines until a later date in the hopes profit margins on these products will improve. Bottom line: 'We have to get there,' Kuniskis says of EVs. Regulations and the need for compliance still exist despite some changes, so some form of electrification is needed. But the late launch will help the business case. 'We are able to delay until we can get a better margin.' Ram will still be first among a new crop to offer an extended-range EV (EREV) with the Ramcharger, which uses its gas engine only as a generator for its smaller-than-REV battery. (Vehicles that use the engine to power the wheels at all are considered to be plug-in hybrids, but the Ramcharger does not.) Everyone else will follow the Ramcharger's lead, Kuniskis says.
