Latest news with #MonolithSoft
Forbes
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Is ‘Xenoblade Chronicles X' Hiding A Switch 2 Performance Secret?
Does Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition have a hidden Switch 2 feature? Ahead of the Switch 2 Direct next month, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together regarding how original Switch games might benefit from being played on a Switch 2. First we learned new details about Nintendo's plan for AI upscaling on the new console, and now we have a tantalizing piece of info thanks to the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. Monolith Soft's sprawling RPG might very well be our first glimpse of a 'Switch 2 Enhanced' title. A modder known as MasaGratoR on X (formerly Twitter) dug into the game's code and uncovered what appears to be an unfinished '60FPS Mode" for Xenoblade Chronicles X. It's believed to be unfinished because enabling it causes 'weird issues.' They also shared that the game uses dynamic resolution on Switch, ranging from 540p to 720p in handheld mode, and 760p to 1080p when docked. As you may know, dynamic resolution allows a game's resolution to scale up and down based on the demands of any particular scene's graphics in order to maintain a stable framerate. In the case of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the original Switch, it's 30FPS. This seemingly unfinished '60FPS Mode" screams one thing: Switch 2. The straightforward assumption is that once the Switch 2 releases, Monolith Soft will patch the game to launch either in 30FPS or 60FPS mode, depending on the console it's being played on. Pop the game into the Switch 2, and Nintendo's upscaling tech and Monolith Soft's graphics work together to give you a steady 60FPS framerate and higher in-game resolutions. This 'Switch 2 Enhanced' approach will breathe new life into original Switch games, similar to how Sony handled the transition between PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, offering graphical and performance upgrades for certain games released to both consoles. Let's hope Nintendo hands out these upgrades for free, however, as a built-in reward for simply buying the hardware. We already know the vast majority of our Switch games will work on the Switch 2, but enjoying them again with better graphics fidelity unlocked by the new hardware? That would be awesome. I believe that's what we're seeing buried in this Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition code. In less than two weeks, we should have our answer.
Washington Post
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
‘Xenoblade Chronicles X' is the perfect swan song for the Switch
Nintendo is determined to let the world know: 'Xenoblade Chronicles X' has secretly been one of the most influential games of the past 10 years, and it deserves a second chance. They're right. In-house studio Monolith Soft released the game in 2015 on the ill-fated Wii U platform, a console that sold only 13 million units. It was a massive, audacious project that demanded the studio's full attention, yet it was rushed out the door with an incomplete story and messy implementation of online systems, tied down by the Wii U's tablet gimmick. This 'Definitive Edition,' releasing Thursday on the Nintendo Switch, corrects many missteps. It's also a strange but fateful full-circle moment for the Switch, by far Nintendo's most successful console, with more than 150 million units sold. The Switch was an instant success in its 2017 launch year thanks to 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' — a game originally intended for the Wii U, made with help by Monolith Soft staffers, fresh off their experience with the huge open world of 'Xenoblade.' Now another Wii U game bookends the end of the Switch's life. 'Xenoblade X' boasts a map at least four times larger than Zelda's, yet somehow it is the older game. It still plays like a video game from the future, a science fiction role-playing dream come true squarely aimed at fulfilling the most ambitious of space-age fantasies. The game's premise is simple: What if 'Halo' was a Japanese role-playing adventure written by the guy whose pitch for 'Final Fantasy VII' was rejected because it was deemed 'too dark and complicated'? Humanity had to flee an Earth destroyed by galactic warfare in a single ship called the White Whale. After a few years of spacefaring, the Whale is forced to land on a mysterious planet, Mira. There, humans encounter alien pieces including one of the forces responsible for Earth's destruction. Writer and studio founder Tetsuya Takahashi is an alumnus of the Final Fantasy series, but his passion for high-minded science fiction put him at odds, hence why he went independent. 'X' was created during an era when open-world games were literally pushing the boundaries of video game content. Bethesda Studios' 'Skyrim' in 2011 was a critical and commercial success. Monolith Soft noticed that Japanese developers were not as enterprising and wanted to match that ambition with its Xenoblade series. The world of 'X' is at least 10 times larger than 'Skyrim,' and in exploring it, the literal sky is the limit. Japanese fantasy games used to let us explore worlds on flying airships and dragons, but the high-definition era of the early 2000s made that kind of magic tough to re-create. 'Xenoblade Chronicles X' is a bold and successful attempt at translating that magic to a seamless world of five continents littered with varying ecosystems, vast networks of underground caves with the most dangerous monsters and useful treasure, and even castles taller and larger than any skyscraper. It's all made possible through the selling point right on the game's cover: customizable, transforming humanoid robots called Skells. Piloting a Skell takes a few hours of gameplay, as it's meant to be a mid-story reward. You're even forced to take a mundane license test. But once you hit the first transformation from robot to car, the inner child will scream with glee. Skells also add an exhilarating layer to an intoxicating battle system that seems complicated at first blush, but improved tutorials ease players into what's mostly a color-coded system matching attacks against six distinct elements. There's battle on foot, and when that fails, escalate things by hopping into a house-size robot against bigger foes. The battle system is representative of the entire game experience, full of knobs and toggles and switches to tweak. Open-world games are often described as sandboxes. 'X' is a sandbox of systems, letting players become as powerful as they want with any weapons or robots they want, paired with up to 22 endearing characters with stories told through a complex web of quest chains that require attention, especially because the wrong dialogue choice significantly changes outcomes in many stories and character fates. This 'Definitive Edition' also adds about 20 to 30 hours of story content, finally ending the 2015 game's incomplete story. It's a meaty section of content with new characters to grow 'affinity' with (this game's version of a relationship system), along with epic combat scenarios and heroic denouements the original release sorely needed. The game doesn't quite have the budget to tell its story with Final Fantasy production values — most of it is told through on-screen dolls gabbing away — but the text itself is compelling, and much of the game's side adventures are the highlight of the writing. Like 'Skyrim,' this is a game for self-starting players. Although the new story answers pretty much every hanging question left from the original game, I do wish it was written with more surprise. Takahashi's writing taps into oft-cited Jungian psychology but has always presented it in compelling ways rooted in character drama. He attempts that here (Xenoblade stories are known for twists), but there are signs that the story was simplified a bit. It's still an immensely satisfying end because of where our characters land. One can appreciate how the low-end production allows for such expansive gameplay, with a huge menu of powerful mechanics and equipment for the player. But I was left hoping for a tighter ship anyway, particularly when it comes to the looping music. The soundtrack by famed anime composer Hiroyuki Sawano is eclectic and infectious, but restarting the loop of his pop tracks could sour the listener, particularly in a game with so many battles. There's poetry in the Switch ending its life with a Wii U title that inspired its first big hit. But beyond that, I've spent 170 hours of the past month playing what's become one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time. In that time, I grew from a rookie soldier struggling mightily against field rats to felling a god in less than a second. It is the most alluring example of progression fantasy in the past decade.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 Nintendo Games I Expect in the Switch 2's First Year
The Switch 2 already has a trio of exciting early releases: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and a new Mario Kart. This is just a taste of what Nintendo is cooking and there are so many other Nintendo games that we could see in the Switch 2's first year. I'm only allowing myself two 'this one's all but guaranteed' statements on this list, and a new 3D Mario platformer is one of them. Every Nintendo home console since the Nintendo 64 has seen the release of a 3D Mario platformer in its first year, be it a launch title or something closer to the console's first anniversary. There's simply no better tone-setter for a generation. Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 8—the internal studio focused solely on 3D Mario—hasn't released a new game since 2017's Super Mario Odyssey other than the experimental open world Bowser's Fury that came bundled with the Super Mario 3D World re-release. It's very possible this was a testing ground for the Switch 2's 3D Mario entry. I imagine it'll be a major part of April 2nd's Nintendo Direct, and that it'll be the company's 2025 holiday headliner. On the topic of Mario, every Luma is aligned for Super Mario Maker 3. The countless new ideas to pull from Super Mario Bros. Wonder have all the makings of the most versatile level editor yet. More importantly, the Switch 2's mouse controls seem like they were made for making Mario levels. Point-and-click inputs are second only to the Wii U gamepad touch screen, and a far cry better than awkwardly fiddling with a controller in Super Mario Maker 2. Heck, this new control scheme even opens the door to creating 3D levels. Super Mario Maker 3D, anyone? Fire Emblem Engage was released in 2023, but it was finished enough to be rated by the ESRB in 2021. Considering that longer-than-expected development gap, it's all but certain that a new Fire Emblem is close to completion, if not already finished and awaiting release. What form this will take is unknown. It's been long-rumored that a remake of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is up next, bringing the revered entry to Western audiences for the first time. But what I think the franchise needs more is a Three Houses successor. The social simulation and more realistic characters brought in a whole new audience that probably won't show up otherwise while also being a surefire way to bring RPG fans into the Switch 2 fold. Another play for RPG fans to adopt the Switch 2 would be a new game from Monolith Soft. The studio did just this with Xenoblade 2 for the Switch, and enough time has passed since Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that it's likely a new game is well into development. If it's to release in the Switch 2's first year, it'll probably be in early-to-mid 2026 as Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is where Nintendo will want the Xeno-fans' attention in 2025. Monolith Soft was also working on a new action game IP back in 2017. If this wasn't silently canceled, it's surely on deck to release very soon. Given how the studio's games always feel held back by hardware, it's plausible that a choice was made to wait and release it without technical compromises. Regardless, this is all an opportunity for me to say I desire a new Monolith Soft game (a sentiment equivalent to the sky being blue). Animal Crossing has always been a hit for Nintendo, but for many Switch owners, it's now exclusively synonymous with the company. There's a not-unsubstantial portion of Switch owners who bought the console for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and nothing else. A new entry may be the only chance Nintendo has of recapturing this audience. We're five years past New Horizons' release, but I think Nintendo needs extra time to shake up the formula in ways that entice people to go through the motions of life with anthropomorphic neighbors all over again. Instead, I could see a smaller-scale title that utilizes the franchise, or a port of the feature-complete release of the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp gacha game. Any way of servicing Animal Crossing fans will help bolster system sales, especially if a forthcoming mainline entry is teased. Donkey Kong is back at the forefront of Nintendo's brand image once again, what with the ape getting his own theme park land, a ton of classic re-releases, and a charismatic role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This last point made him beloved by a new generation, so it's no surprise his redesign in the new Mario Kart leans toward his movie visage. More importantly, a redesign likely signals a new solo adventure. Criminally, it's been over a decade since the last Donkey Kong Country platformer. It's long past time for a new entry, especially with virtually every oldie already rehashed on the Switch. I think Nintendo will establish Donkey Kong as a major player in its stable of characters by releasing a platformer featuring his new design in the early days of the Switch 2, with Mario Kart being the momentum to ensure it sells. We get a new Kirby game virtually every year, so I see no reason why we wouldn't in 2025 (and if not, certainly 2026). I'm going to go a step further though and predict the first entry on the Switch 2 will be a sequel to 2022's Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The pink puffball's first foray into 3D platforming proved to be a stroke of brilliance, as reflected in its critical praise and high sales. People now expect this level of fidelity and control in their Kirby games, and it's been long enough that a new one could easily be ready by mid-2026. Nintendo will probably want to give it some distance from 3D Mario so I wouldn't expect it until then. Perhaps in the interim, we'll get another of the franchise's signature glorified mini-game stand-alone releases. Alright, here's my second 'this one's all but guaranteed" game. Ring Fit Adventure was one of the best-selling Switch games. Nintendo did a masterful job of designing a fitness game that combined exercise routines and RPG mechanics. Unfortunately, it's also reliant on the original Switch as the Pilates ring controller requires a rail-based Joy-Con. At a bare minimum, I expect Nintendo to release a new Pilates ring with a magnetic dock for the Switch 2 Joy-Con and a leg strap that accommodates the larger controller. Yet if the company wants to convert exercisers to the Switch 2, a sequel is required. While it's possible that Nintendo will give a new type of exercise game a shot, it seems intent on making Ring Fit Adventure a staple (it even had an Alarmo theme). I'd be surprised if Nintendo let the franchise linger for long. Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has been on the record again and again about his desire to see a continuation of the Kid Icarus franchise he resurrected with the 3DS hit Kid Icarus: Uprising. Hints in his YouTube series on game development had people thinking a port was coming to the Switch. I think it's far more likely that Sakurai's next game will be a new Kid Icarus entry. We know from the final YouTube episode that he's long been at work on an unannounced game, so we may not be waiting long. It's a most welcome return too as the 3DS was a poor fit for its entry due to control limitations, but take that barrier away and this franchise has the potential to reach new heights. Pikmin 4 had one of the longest development cycles in Nintendo's history. Shigeru Miyamoto announced its existence in 2015, but the game didn't launch until 2023. While I doubt it'll take that long for Pikmin to return in its proper form again, it's too soon. In the meantime, Nintendo will want another means of bolstering its adorable seedlings so beloved they found their way into Mario's theme park land. To this end, I think we'll see a game starring Pikmin in the Switch 2's first year. Pikmin 99, perhaps? A second stab at the Hey! Pikmin platforming formula? A cozy game? I have no idea other than a strong feeling that Pikmin won't be absent on the Switch 2 for long. "But what about Zelda and Splatoon?" I hear you cry. Outside of performance boosts for the original Switch's stable of entries, The Legend of Zelda may be taking a short break. It's far too early for the next 3D outing, and we just got a 2D one in Echoes of Wisdom. We might see The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess reappear in some form, though. Splatoon is in a similar situation. Splatoon 3 just ended its content update cycle, which culminated in a huge Splatfest. Historically, this ultimate event has decided the theme of the next game, which is to say that while Splatoon 4 is surely in development, it's not going to be remotely ready for the launch window this time around. How much of this will come to pass? We'll get some answers on April 2nd when a Switch 2-exclusive Nintendo Direct finally details what we can expect from the console.
