A fighting game coming to smaller platforms is usually cause for some concern- of any genre, one that combines precise inputs and the shame of losing is a volatile mix, and people will home in on any potential reason they might have lost their match.
Guilty Gear Strive Switch version seems to have largely avoided the pitfalls of moving to a smaller console. After trying it out at Tokyo Game Show 2024 the game seems like a nice portable version of its bigger counterpart, with no expense spared to get it running smoothly.
Guilty Gear Strive Switch Version Handles Pretty Well
Trying out a few matches, you can see where the corners were cut to have Guilty Gear Strive Switch Version running smoothly- it’s definitely just a smidge less pretty than its home console versions, and the UI is a little bigger to accommodate handheld mode. But yet, what you trade in is a pretty good portable version of Guilty Gear Strive.
In the matches I’d tried multiple Elphelt combo routes, and it’s not like there was any kind of noticeable delay to it. Admittedly since I played it alone I couldn’t push the console to its limits- AKA a full Asuka combo flooding the screen like it was Vampire Survivors.
Of course, there’s the question of exactly who the Guilty Gear Strive Switch version is actually for- I think people coming from PC or PS5 to NIntendo Switch are more likely to complain if this suddenly became the standard for offline events, and that’s before getting into the logistical nightmare of plugging arcade sticks into the handheld mode.
But if you’re the type of person who has a Switch and has been wanting to get into one of the most visually gorgeous games of the past 5 years, you’d be relieved to know that you’re getting a pretty comprehensive package. The game even launches with all the DLC up to Season 3 and releases in the middle of season 4, so come January 23rd truly nowhere will be safe from Slayer Pilebunker loops.
