During the recent Xbox Developer Direct, we were treated to a deeper look at how Obsidian’s upcoming RPG, Avowed, will handle player choice via a close look at a certain sidequest. But that left us wondering: what’s the natural endpoint of a game emphasizing choice? Will Avowed have multiple endings?
I was able to learn the answer to that by speaking to game director Carrie Patel not long after the direct, where she confirmed that yes, Avowed will indeed have multiple endings. Obviously! “I mean it’s an Obsidian game,” she said. “What else would we be if we didn’t have a few different endings?”
Patel didn’t specify further about how many endings there would be or how different they would be from one another, but we did talk further about how player choice could be expressed in the game, and how players will experience it. Patel tells me that it’s not just about pushing dominos – one event happens somewhere every time the player does something. What matters more is player expression, and how the player understands and interprets the world reacting to them, especially in a game where parts of the world are open and players may not see every single reaction or interaction.
“You have to approach it with a degree of range, both in the spread and placement of those consequences and also the nature of those consequences,” she says. “Some things need to have surprising but believable outcomes. If everything plays out exactly as you expect, it could feel a little boring. And at the same time, not every quest needs to have world-ending consequences. Some absolutely do have huge impacts for the characters in the world around you, but sometimes the story you’re experiencing is just a very deeply personal one for the characters involved. And that’s okay too.
“I think the great thing about RPGs is there’s a lot of room for that spread in terms of the tone and type and scope and nature of content. And so you’re giving players a big world where they can find a lot of very different experiences that all sort of add up to their experience as the protagonist of this game.”
Sweet liberty! One of my favorite PS4-era shooters is back with a whole new perspective and it’s up to me and my friends to defend Super Earth in glorious co-op! After going hands-on with Helldivers 2 for three hours, I’m sold on the bold pivot from the original’s top-down view to the sequel’s new third-person perspective, the appetizing roster of deadly gadgets, and the outrageous comedic tone that expertly channels the low-budget action film vibes that pair perfectly with the developer’s live-service ambitions. I’m a bit concerned at the moment that it won’t have enough content to go the distance long term, with only two enemy factions (so far as we know), procedurally generated levels that can feel a bit one-note, and no real live-service roadmap at launch, but with such a strong, effortlessly fun foundation, it’s definitely off to good start. With all the over-the-top gore and patriotic pageantry of Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 is the kind of wonderfully silly shooter that me and my friends could easily lose many Friday nights to.
By far the biggest way Helldivers 2 switches things up from the original is by moving to the third-person perspective, and so far I’m pleasantly surprised how well that transition works. I was initially skeptical about the change given how much the bird’s eye view was part of the original’s DNA, but it only took a matter of seconds for my concerns to disappear. Getting closer to the action feels great and allows for some really hilarious moments, like when I accidentally called in an airstrike that took out the rest of my team or when I found myself surrounded by absolutely terrifying robots and used my jetpack to leap to safety. Plus, you get to see the hideous bug creatures and murder-loving automatons closer than ever before, which is a nice bonus – each faction had lots of variety too, from chainsaw-armed androids who slowly closed in for the kill to heavily-armored beetles who charged at me with reckless abandon.
As I fought through armies of lethal insects, I got to try out a whole bunch of helpful gadgets that played a central role in my success. On one mission, I deployed a turret to keep the area clear of hostiles, while in another I threw down a bubble shield to give the team some much-needed cover, and in another I made use of the “guard dog,” a floating robot who followed me around to lay down suppressing fire. Unlocking new toys and communicating with your team to ensure you’ve got everything you might need is absolutely necessary to survival. For example, some enemies are so heavily shielded they can only be put down by explosive weapons capable of tearing through the steel, so you’ll want to have at least one player who can call down the Recoilless Rifle, a rocket launcher that’ll make short work of anything that stands in its way. It’s especially cool that any equipment summoned can be shared with anyone on the team, encouraging teamwork and allowing your friends to benefit from your untimely demise by looting your corpse.
It’s especially cool that any equipment summoned can be shared with anyone on the team, encouraging teamwork and allowing your friends to benefit from your untimely demise by looting your corpse.
And that’ll happen more often than you might think, because Helldivers 2’s enemies are no pushovers, especially on harder difficulties. Death is an intentionally common occurrence, because instead of being a beefed-up hero with lots of health and enough firepower to take down hundreds of enemies unscathed, you’re put into the feeble boots of a grunt who makes a better sandbag than a soldier. At the beginning of each level, your team is given 20 revives, where your killed-off character is replaced by an equally unimportant peon anytime you fall in battle. And with friendly fire always on and bad guys far outnumbering my ragtag crew of four, dying at some point or another felt like a certainty. This was especially true when we attempted to complete a level on the hardest difficulty and were utterly grinded to a pulp, which was hilarious and a complete blast even in humbling defeat. I’m really looking forward to seeing if I can actually best one of these levels once my character’s been properly leveled.
The numerous deaths my crew suffered played right into Helldivers 2’s comedic setting as well, which features a satirical futuristic version of Earth where people are treated as disposable. That hilariously dystopian backdrop added the perfect level of pseudo-patriotic B-movie cheesiness that made me smile through all that dying.
If there’s anything that concerned me about my time with Helldivers 2, it’s that after three hours I felt like I’d played a whole lot of the content available in the game, which makes use of procedural generation to drop players onto the surface of various planets to complete generic objectives like launching an ICBM or destroying a specific military target. With no story mode or alternate game modes, I’m curious how much there will be for players to do beyond grinding the same missions ad nauseum, especially with no clear content roadmap laid out as of yet. That said, with only two enemy factions at the moment, it seems likely the third one from the original Helldivers could be added into the mix at some point, which could easily keep the good times rolling.
The good news is that, even if content is light initially, what I played of it was more than enough to get me excited about laughing with friends as we blast our way through killer robots, and I can’t wait to play more.
Have you ever watched the anonymous soldiers of a sci-fi movie get obliterated by aliens and thought to yourself, “I could do better”? Helldivers 2 is Arrowhead Game Studios’ invitation to brave players dying to experience the chaotic fun of facing seemingly impossible odds.
For the uninitiated, Helldivers 2 is a full sequel that maintains the 4-player cooperative essence of the 2015 top-down PS4 entry, while adding modern over-the-shoulder third-person gunplay and deeper customization options.
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I recently had a chance to suit up and drop into a hands-on session with Helldivers 2 on PS5, and lived to share this debriefing. I teamed up with three other Helldivers to learn the ropes and emerged with a whetted appetite for eliminating space bugs and murderous Automatons.
Let’s dive in.
Action sci-fi gunplay
Helldivers 2 is bursting with customization options and strategic depth, but shooting lots of enemies is your bread and butter. Arrowhead managed to translate the frenetic top-down energy of Helldivers into a smooth third-person shooter. Weapon recoil feels powerful yet predictable enough to maintain your accuracy. I specifically loved watching Automaton’s armor dent and shatter off as I punched them full of sniper rounds.
Players have options when it comes to gunplay. Hold the Square button to switch between single, burst, and autofire. Press L2 to shoulder your weapon and zoom in with R2. Click R3 button to aim-down-sights for even deeper precision and immersion. The direction buttons are used for quick actions, like switching to grenades by pressing right or pressing for a life-restoring stim. Remember to save a few ‘nades to close up bug nests or destroy enemy factories.
The moment-to-moment action is tight and reliable, which is key when all hell inevitably breaks loose.
The gameplay loop
Blasting deadly bugs and robots is a reward in itself, but Arrowhead has plenty of progression options to keep soldiers motivated. Visit Ship Management after a mission to unlock new Stratagems like the deadly Orbital Laser or Bulwark machine gun. Use valuable Samples collected on missions to upgrade Strategems to more powerful versions, like the Donation Access License which increases the number of magazines in your weapons.
The Helldivers Mobilize menu allows you to customize your Helldiver with gear that’s both stylish and offers gameplay benefits. For example, the SC-34 Infiltrator body armor includes a passive boost called Scout, which boosts radar scan abilities and makes you harder to detect. Once you’ve unlocked and upgraded your options, it’s time to select the next mission, jump in the Hell Pod, choose your gear and Stratagem loadout, and begin again.
Your starship headquarters
Players rally on the bridge of their ship, which serves as hub of operations in Helldivers 2 (complete with customizable name). The militaristic sci-fi ship is outfitted with NPCs, an armory for outfitting your Helldiver, and a giant glowing holographic planet detailing the next mission destination. Accessing the hologram also showcases community stats like total active Helldivers, enemies killed, Helldivers killed in action, and bullets fired. The planetary map also offers a strategic overview of the map, letting players see key objections, extraction points, and choose their drop zones.
Stratagem highlights
Stratagems are Helldivers’ critical lifeline to the might of the orbiting military ships. These equippable commands include supply drops, orbital attacks, deployable defenses, and more. Players execute Stratagems by holding L1 and inputting a code with the directional buttons, similar to entering old-school video game cheat codes. Stratagems become available again after a cooldown period. The process of using a Stratagem is easy outside combat, but accuracy can go out the window when battles break out.
Check out some Stratagems that stood out to me as especially valuable and satisfying:
Orbital Laser – A massive beam of energy projects from above, scorching enemy forces in a spectacular and deadly display.
Tesla Tower – This deployable defense electrifies nearby foes with sprawling Tesla coils. Don’t drop it too close to your crew.
Anti-Material Rifle – At least one Helldiver should pack this high-powered sniper rifle. The range and impact punches through enemy armor like butter.
Stalwart – This machine gun packs a punch and beefy ammo capacity. Drop it at the beginning of the mission so you or your allies can equip it.
Anti-Tank Missile – A devastating projectile that can down bigger foes in one shot. Partner with another Helldiver to speed up the reload process, but watch out for the recoil blast.
Game mode variety
Arrowhead has a host of mission types for Helldivers to drop into. Horde mode involves defending a key area, which means it’s valuable to equip Stratagems like deployable sentry guns or Tesla Towers and group-protecting shields. Bug nest extermination missions involve wiping out clusters of eggs, so grenades and wide-radius precision orbital strikes come in handy. My favorite mode was Automaton Control, which involved closing down lethal robot assembly lines by gunning down enemies and tossing grenades into the factory vents.
Dive!
Chaos is bound to break out even amongst well-oiled Helldiver teams. Thankfully, pressing the Circle button makes your soldier dive for safety. Teammate accidentally calls in an Orbital Strike on top of your head? Dive! Suddenly step into your own sentry guns’ line of fire? Dive! Looking for a needlessly dramatic entrance into the fray? You guessed it… dive!
Friendly fire everywhere
Carelessness will get you killed on the battlefields of Helldivers 2. Your teammates’ bullets are agnostic, and shredding one another is lethally easy. This extends to your own deployed mines, gatling turrets, Tesla Towers, and more. Survival means keeping your head on a swivel and overcommunicating when your fellow soldier is about to be squashed by a supply drop. Expect to chew through some lives thanks to hilarious, spectacular fails.
Speaking of fails, teams share a pool of lives which depletes each time a player dies. You can quickly redeploy a replacement Helldiver by inputting a contextual Stratagem code, and even choose where their Hell Pod drops. Players can tune their drop location on the way back to the battlefield, either to land in safety or crush an enemy with a lucky landing. In my experience, the number of lives was well tuned for the increasing difficulty arc as we remained on the planet, just enough to keep the tension alive.
Procedurally generated maps
Every drop feels new thanks to Arrowhead’s procedurally generated maps. You’ll explore biomes like a tropical jungle, craggy lunar surface, gray rocky planet bristling with exotic red flora, and much more. The layout of the environment changes as well, meaning enemy bases, secondary objectives, and the terrain itself will present unique scenarios for each mission.
One example shared by Arrowhead involved a duo of bug nests standing between players and the extraction point. The bugs swarmed the lone path leading to their exit, but the numbers were too great to defeat. The Helldivers strategized by calling in a smoke screen Stratagem to blind the bugs and sneak past to victory. This is just one example of how shifting mission layouts can result in emergent war stories.
Make handy work of your robotic foes by equipping a high-powered sniper rifle.
Galactic War
Arrowhead looks at Helldivers 2 as a “global co-op” game. The entire player base combines forces to fight encroaching enemies for the liberty of Super Earth. The galactic map is made up of sectors, and each is composed of planetary clusters. When the community clears out all planets in a sector, it’s then claimed for Super Earth and participating players receive a reward. The liberation effort is represented by a progress bar on the map.
Prepare for incoming waves by dropping a spray of proximity mines. But watch out, Helldives can detonate them, too.
Orders & Effects
Arrowhead has a Game Master in the studio who sets Major Orders for the community to unite and complete for community rewards. One Major Order example in effect during my hands-on involved extracting from a successful mission three times. There are also cycling Environmental Conditions to consider, like Extreme Cold which reduces the rate of fire and delays heat buildup in weapons. Paying attention to conditions can help players plan for a smooth mission and equip gear and Stratagems that suit the planetary environment.
This is only a taste of what the treacherous yet rewarding life of a Helldiver entails. You can enlist and test your survival skills on interplanetary battlefields when Helldivers 2 drops on PS5 February 8.
In case you’ve missed the coverage so far, this title is a revival of the 2004 Game Boy Advance release featuring additional content such as new worlds, co-op, and even multiple difficulty settings.
Remember the Capcom and SNK-inspired 2D-pixel fighter Blazing Strike? It was originally revealed for the Switch and multiple other platforms in 2021.
Now, in an update on the ‘All Aksys’ Twitch channel earlier before, it’s been confirmed this title will be arriving in “Summer 2024“. There’s a new character trailer to go with this announcement, which you can check out above.
Get To Know Our Team
Joshua
Program Manager (OS Flighting)
Hi, everyone! Wynn here. Today is the first in a series of quick dives into the people behind the Xbox Insider Team. We’re here with Joshua—a Program Manager and familiar face around the Wire—to chat more about the man behind the burger.
Let’s give it up for the Release Notes Virtuoso himself. Joshua, how’s it going man?
Haha. Going well. So, we’re sticking with that virtuoso stuff?
Just trying to give everyone’s positions a little more flair. “Program Manager” is so boring and corporate, you know?
That’s fair, that’s fair.
So yeah man, welcome to our inaugural “Get To Know Our Team” interview. How are you feeling about being the guinea pig for this first one? Excited?
Excited is a word. Nervous? Hah. Just happy to be here.
Well, as Philly D likes to say, let’s just jump into it. Tell the Community a little about yourself.
Lemme try to think of a good answer here. I don’t wanna just be like, “I’m Joshua, I’ve lived all over the West Coast. I have a dog.”
You’re 6’3” and totally shredded. Yeah, we get it.
Yeah, exactly. But I guess a few things about me would be that I’m really into media consumption, like movies, shows, music, anything you can be entertained by, I’m there; in particular, I love movies. I’m also pretty much non-existent on social media.
I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that last bit over the sound of 15 apps sending me a notification on my phone.
I just don’t really care about them. I have some accounts to lurk occasionally, but I’m not active or posting anywhere. I’m generally a pretty private person. It’s also how I have so much time to watch all these movies.
I’ll probably just put that Anthony Mackie, “He’s outta line, but he’s right,” gif as a response to that. But since movies are your favorite, do you have the AMC Stubs Pass or whatever?
Oh yeah. BIG, Stubs A-List user. I go to the movie theater all the time. Even before A-List, I had MoviePass, and before that I was just spending way more money. I watch pretty much anything from your F-Tier slop to summer blockbusters.
Hahaha. I will be inconsolable when they finally get rid of $5 ticket Tuesdays. So, what was your favorite movie going experience in 2023 then?
Another tough one. Let me go look back through my app. *finger scrolling noises*
Okay, there were a lot of good movies this year. *finger scrolling intensifies*
Obviously, stuff like Oppenheimer, Spider-Man, John Wick, Guardians of the Galaxy, are all at the top of my list. But I think that Sisu is going to be my pick just because it really surprised me with how good it was.
That was John Wick type dude vs. Nazi’s, right?
Yeah, basically. He’s a miner and they steal his stuff. It’s pretty cool because the main character only says like 5 words right at the end of the movie. Lots of interesting shots and camerawork.
That’s dope. I like it when movies/shows stick to a certain unique premise like that. I think my favorite from 2023 was easily Dungeons & Dragons. I know that’s the nerdiest answer ever, but as a hardcore Realms enjoyer it was just a great, fun time.
But let’s talk more XIP stuff. Take us through your Microsoft journey. How did you end up on this team?
You know, it’s kinda interesting. I’ve basically worked my entire adult life with Xbox, except for a few brief places early on (classics like delivering pizza). I was hired as T1 Support in July 2011 out of an old call center in Beaverton, Oregon. I spent around five years in the support channels moving my way up the ranks.
I started like anyone else at a new job, but I was pretty good at it and had some experience with Networking, so that’s where they put me. From there I was one of the original Xbox Rangers, and I’ve been a member of Tier 3 tech support, a Case Manager, and a Mentor Lead. Oh, I also moved to Washington during this time!
Then, in 2016, Jon [Note For Readers: Jon is also on the Xbox Insider Team.] pings me and says he’s leaving the Rangers to come to XIP. He wanted to see if I was interested in being interviewed to be his replacement to join the Rangers again. I got that gig and worked for the Rangers for another five or so years before Jon tells me about an opening on this team. So, I started here in 2022 and have been working on OS Flighting ever since.
I’m sensing a pattern here.
Haha. Yeah, if Jon moves to another team, I’ve got a 2-year countdown that automatically sits above my head like a boss-timer.
Amazing. I’ll make sure we don’t party wipe. But that’s interesting, I didn’t realize you were the newest on the team besides me. I assumed everyone had been here since the dawn of time.
It’s really cool how easily everyone slots into their niche. We’re really a well-oiled machine. I took over OS Flighting from Jon and he became Team Lead, and I was really able to hit the ground running.
Speaking of, with our big 10th Anniversary coming up, is there anything you can share with the Community about what you’re working on?
Absolutely. I think you may have touched on this in the last Community Update, but my current project is giving the release notes some TLC. Updating sections, making sure we’re giving as much info as possible, lots of little things to make sure the experience is best it can be. That plus the daily feedback triage stuff is what I’m focusing on right now.
I’m super stoked about everything we’ve got going on with Release Notes right now. I think this is going live before the [Big Change In Feb Community Update], but if I had a camera I would turn to it and say, “It’s almost like we planned this.”
Yeah, I think it’s a great change.
In a similar line of questioning, do you have a particular favorite moment or favorite thing you’ve worked on since you started?
Hmm. Let me think. I don’t think there’s a like particular, big, huge moment. But last year we did this project around mapping keyboard keys to controller buttons, and I got to work really closely with that team on the articles and rollout. It was just a really fun experience and anytime we get to expand our accessibility efforts is always great.
Dude, that’s awesome. We love to see it.
Okay, let’s switch gears a little bit. Some rapid fire questions.
I’m ready. Let’s go.
What’s the game that has impacted your life the most?
That’s your rapid fire?
Haha, point taken. I like this one more than “favorite” game.
Well, luckily, I have an immediate answer. Secret of Mana for the SNES. It was one of the first games that I played through with my dad, and I have just amazing memories I’ll never forget from that experience.
That’s so awesome dude. I played a ton of SNES games with my parents as well. I still remember when I accidentally erased my mom’s Super Mario World save file and spent a fair amount of my formative years getting her back to 96 stars.
Wow, that’s tough love.
Definitely, but I was dumb kid, and this probably ended up making me better at platformers in the long run.
Okay, maybe this one will be quicker. Favorite album you’ve been jamming recently?
Oliver Tree’s entire discography. Just every song is a banger and I love watching his music videos too. They all have this “low budget” feel while still looking amazing and having great direction. That said, my music is pretty often ‘just hit shuffle’ and I’m into it. Anything from Taylor Swift to Heilung, Tommy Cash to Johnny Cash, and everything in between. Of course, I still sometimes end up listening to the same songs for six months until I never want to hear them again. You know, like a normal human.
Do you have a show that you keep on repeat for those six months as well, or something you always go back to?
Aqua Teen [Hunger Force]. Easily seen every episode of that show dozens, if not a hundred plus times.
Excellent choice. An absolute classic. That opening song is legendary.
Okay, let’s move out of tech/gaming/multimedia. Do you have any hobbies that don’t involve electricity?
I love to cook, but I don’t have a gas-range, does that count? I also read a lot. I recently went through all the Drizzt books from R.A Salvatore, and I’m two books deep into the original Dune trilogy.
If this wasn’t already so long, I would fanboy with you about Forgotten Realms for another 15 minutes. I adore that setting and the Drizzt books rule. “Come gather ‘round ye hardy men of the steppes. Of heroes bold and friendships fast and the Tyrant of Icewind Dale.” Still gives me chills.
Yeah, there’s so many of them now, but they were all very solid.
Okay, let’s wrap this up. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with the Community?
I think it’s safe to say we’re all fans of gaming, just like most of you are. I’ve been playing games forever, and I still remember getting my original Xbox console / playing Halo for the first time. If I were not working here, that wouldn’t change. I would still stay up way too late playing my favorite games and watching for all the latest games and tech coming out. Being here just means I can channel that passion a bit. With my work on the release notes, I may not be able to provide everything you want, but I’ll always do my best to give you what you need.
Wonderfully said, man. Thanks so much Joshua for taking the time chat with us today, and for being our first interviewee!
Xbox Insiders, be sure to be on the lookout for more content all throughout February including more interviews from the team, a beefy Community Update, a trip down memory lane, and so much more. All of our 10th Anniversary content can be found on our Hub Page (Coming Soon).
Often cited as the world’s most valuable media franchises, Pokémon is a household name that’s been a Nintendo staple since the Game Boy. The beloved series is home to hundreds of amazing creatures, with each new generation bringing loads more to discover. Every console released by Nintendo has had dozens of Pokémon games released for it, and the Nintendo Switch is no exception.
As we head further into 2024, now is a great time to explore the Pokémon offerings on Switch and catch up before new games are released. Below, we’ve compiled every Pokémon game that has been released on Nintendo Switch, and will keep an eye on any upcoming Pokémon titles that may arise.
How Many Pokémon Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?
In total, twelve Pokémon games have released for the Nintendo Switch. This includes both mainline titles and the spinoffs that have released for Switch. For mainline entries with two versions, we’ve counted each as one release. The Pokémon games offered through Nintendo Switch Online are not included in that number but can be found below.
All Pokémon Switch Games in Order of Release Date
Pokkén Tournament DX – 2017
Pokkén Tournament was originally released for the Wii U in 2016. A year later, Nintendo and Bandai Namco prepared a deluxe version of the game for Nintendo Switch, adding new characters and updated visuals to take advantage of better hardware. This three-on-three battle system is a blast to play with friends both in person and online.
Pokémon Quest turns all your favorite Pokémon into miniature cube form. This free-to-play title features a fun and simple combat system where you send Pokémon on expeditions. There are so many different abilities to equip to your Pokémon, which you’ll use at encounters of all kinds,.
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are remakes of the beloved 1998 Pokémon Yellow. These titles were the first mainline Pokémon games ever to release on a home console, since none made it to the Wii U. Set in the Kanto region, all 151 original Pokémon appear with varying forms from previous mainline installments. With heavy accessibility features, these remakes were a great first step for the series on Nintendo Switch for newcomers and veterans of the series.
Pokémon Sword & Shield marked the first installment in the series to feature aspects of an open world. Dubbed the Wild Areas, these regions allowed for free traversal and battles with wild Pokémon. Gyms also made a return for the first time since X & Y. Additionally, Sword & Shield introduced the eigth generation of Pokémon, which included Dynamax and Gigantamax forms of previous Pokémon.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the 2005 titles Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team. Surprisingly, this is the first Pokémon spinoff remake ever, with development handled by Spike Chunsoft. The gameplay consists of completing jobs in different dungeons and unlocking new Pokémon along the way.
The other Pokémon release of 2020 was none other than Pokémon Café ReMix. This title features similar gameplay to other puzzle games like Disney Tsum Tsum, which requires you to connect Pokémon together to solve puzzles. In Pokémon Café ReMix, you and Eevee own a café and must serve the Pokémon who come for food or a drink! This charming title is free-to-play via the Nintendo eShop.
New Pokémon Snap – 2021
After more than 20 years, the Nintendo Switch is the console that finally received a sequel to Pokémon Snap. Developed by Bandai Namco, you traverse around different biomes and areas with an on-rails camera to capture pictures Pokémon in the wild. You can unlock new courses by taking good pictures in New Pokémon Snap, leaving for a sizeable amount of content to unlock and discover. You never know what you might find during each session!
This free-to-play title marked Pokémon’s first entry into the MOBA genre. You command and control a team of five Pokémon in head-to-head battles against other players online. There’s a solid amount of Pokémon to choose from, so you can adjust your team to best fit your needs. Pokémon Unite went on to be featured in different eSports tournaments, with multiple championships held for the game.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl are remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, which originally released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. As the fourth generation of Pokémon, Diamond & Pearl feature a wide variety of Pokémon to battle against and discover. The remakes feature a new chibi art style that was created to stay faithful to the original titles while still remaining fresh.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is often praised as one of the best Pokémon games available on the Switch. This original title takes place far in the past, somewhere in the Hisui region. With a focus on exploration, you can freely walk all around the map to capture Pokémon, explore different environments, and so much more. Pokémon can be spotted wandering around all over the map, which requires you to be strategic if you’re looking to avoid battle.
The latest mainline Pokémon titles officially kicked off Generation 9, bringing along an entire new approach to gameplay and world design. In Scarlet & Violet, an open world awaits with freedom to explore wherever your heart takes you. The DLC pass, titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, is now wrapped up, making it a perfect time to check out Scarlet & Violet.
One game and one movie later, the sequel to Detective Pikachu is finally available on Nintendo Switch. Tim’s father is missing, and it’s up to Detective Pikachu to solve the case! This sequel features new puzzles and investigations, where you can investigate scenes and use your notebook to get to the bottom of the mystery. If you’re a fan of both Pokémon and mystery games, this is a great title to consider.
Available Pokémon Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
The Nintendo Switch Online subscription service has additional Pokémon titles if you’re looking for more after completing the Nintendo Switch library. Here are the five Pokémon games you can play with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership:
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium 2
Upcoming Pokémon Titles on Nintendo Switch
At the time of writing, Nintendo has not confirmed any additional Pokémon games will be released on Nintendo Switch. With the Nintendo Switch 2 likely releasing in 2024, we might not see anymore new Pokémon titles make their way over to the Switch.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
Roughly a year after its original release, it looks like Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush is indeed headed to new platforms.
Hi-Fi Rush was released in early 2023 and received strong praise for its distinct art style and unique rhythm-based combat. We wrote in our review, “I swear Hi-Fi Rush could be a premier cartoon series. It’s got best-in-class animation, endearing heroes to cheer for, and villains you love to hate, all wrapped in good-natured humor.”
Hi-Fi Rush Anniversary Update t-shirt texture (platform exclusive designs) datamine seem to suggest that PlayStation/Switch port is happening
Hi-Fi Rush was held up as a solid example of Xbox’s console exclusives strategy, but newly-datamined t-shirt textures appear to suggest it won’t be a console exclusive for much longer. They include a red t-shirt that says “Rock Out! Anywhere” — an apparent reference to the Nintendo Switch — and a blue t-shirt that says “I’m here Baby,” which fans have interpreted as a nod to the PlayStation.
Xbox and Epic Game Store get references as well, with the former being a green t-shirt that reads, “Shadow Dropped” — a nod to Hi-Fi Rush’s surprise release in 2023. The in-game t-shirt are part of a broader collection released as part of Hi-Fi Rush’s one-year anniversary update, which quickly spread among fans on Reddit. Verge reporter Tom Warren subsequently corroborated the datamine on X/Twitter.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has further fueled the rumors by saying that Xbox can be a “good publisher” across all platforms. “We love gaming. In fact, Flight Simulator was created before even Windows. But, we were number three, number four. And now with Activision, I think we have a chance of being a good publisher — quite frankly — on Sony and Nintendo and PCs and Xbox. We’re excited about that acquisition closing and I’m glad we’ve got it through.”
We’ve now reached the end of our IGN First coverage, and to wrap everything up, myself and Casey thought it might be best to sit down and just have an unscripted conversation about everything that we got to experience at Capcom. There will be some overlap with what we’ve already covered in previews and other extended looks, but this is also our opportunity to talk a bit about the story, things we liked, things we didn’t like, and much more.
We hope you enjoyed this month of coverage, and thanks for sticking around.
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
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