Guilty Gear Strive on Switch is sturdy, but lacks crossplay

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In 2021, if someone had told me I’d be playing Guilty Gear Strive on a Nintendo Switch when it was released, I probably would have chuckled. At that time, Arc System Works hadn’t ported any of their games beyond Guilty Gear XX Accent Core R onto the Switch. Even Guilty Gear Xrd was missing. But here we are, with a functional version of Guilty Gear Strive on Nintendo Switch that performs surprisingly well across the board. The only drawback is that it lacks crossplay, which means while it’s great for travel, it may not connect you with many matches against other players.

All of the Gear is here

This edition of Guilty Gear Strive is quite comprehensive; it encompasses everything Arc System Works has made available for the game up until Queen Dizzy. This includes additional stages, music, all characters from Seasons 1 through 3, special features like the Digital Figure diorama mode and an extended Story Mode. Essentially, it offers everything Guilty Gear Strive has to provide in terms of content, ensuring you won’t miss out on any aspect of the game.

From the get-go, I must confess that Joy-Cons weren’t ideal for this game. Instead, I opted for my PDP Rematch controller, a budget-friendly choice boasting a Pro Controller layout, which perfectly complemented Guilty Gear Strive’s gameplay. In no time at all, I found myself back with Johnny, deploying cards and launching Mist Finers left and right. To my delight, the other characters moved smoothly too. For me, Ky, Anji, Axl, Baiken, Bridget, and Slayer felt just as responsive as their PS5 counterparts.

One significant difference you’ll notice is the user interface (UI). Given that this game was designed for both TV and handheld modes, some aspects of the visual display have been adjusted. For instance, health bars are larger and more conspicuous at the top of the screen. Additionally, it appears that certain effects, such as wall-cracking before someone is sent through a stage, seem less high-quality compared to other platforms. Nevertheless, the characters move with the same crispness and smoothness as in any other game I’ve played.

From top to bottom, this rendition of Guilty Gear Strive delivers well on gameplay and features. It includes everything one might anticipate, right up to the conclusion of Season 4.

But what about online?

In the digital realm, I’m encountering some troubles with Guilty Gear Strive on Nintendo Switch, particularly in multiplayer modes. However, let me clarify that it uses the same rollback netcode as other versions, ensuring a smooth gameplay experience even across varying connection speeds. It’s amazing how well it handles matches at most ping levels without significant lag. I managed to engage in a few ranked Tower battles, and surprisingly, from 70ms up to 200ms latency, the matches ran as smoothly as they do on other platforms.

The issue lies in securing those matches, as the Switch edition of Guilty Gear Strive boasts numerous features from Arc System Works. However, it lacks crossplay, leaving you to engage in online battles exclusively with other Switch users. This limitation seems like a significant compromise that negatively impacts this game version more than anticipated.

Despite Guilty Gear Strive offering up to Season 4 content and plenty of activities, the absence of online play is disappointing since it’s expected to be available after completing other tasks. Consequently, we rely on fellow players purchasing this Switch version and participating in Tower or Player Match lobbies.

Everything but one of the most important things

It’s truly unfortunate that Arc System Works decided against incorporating crossplay into the Nintendo Switch version of Guilty Gear Strive, given how enjoyable it is to play this game both at home and on-the-go. However, without crossplay support, you’ll primarily interact with players using PS5, Xbox, or Steam versions, which significantly limits your online gaming experience. Even though the game functions well, the lack of crossplay means that you won’t be able to engage extensively with most of the player base. Interestingly, Guilty Gear Strive is playable on the Steam Deck where crossplay is possible… In essence, while Guilty Gear Strive on Switch remains a functional and portable game, its lack of crossplay may make it more suitable as a training tool for when you’re traveling and want to spar with Sol, Ky, and other characters in the cast.

The opinions expressed here are from playing the digital Nintendo Switch edition, which was generously supplied by the publisher. As of now, Guilty Gear Strive is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and personal computers.

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2025-01-29 20:57