There’s not a moment where it doesn’t feel like the game is funneling you in one specific direction. This, in turn, highlights one of Itorah’s other flaws, which is that it’s incredibly linear for a metroidvania. There aren’t any hidden areas to uncover, no secrets to be revealed: what you see, for the most part, is what you get. There’s the occasional enemy to battle, but for the most part there’s not much to do. Unfortunately, that’s the beginning and end of what makes Itorah interesting – because the gameplay certainly isn’t.įor one thing, even though the world looks gorgeous, it’s pretty empty. There was one moment, in particular, where the titular character was running against the backdrop of a setting sun, and it looked absolutely spectacular. What’s more, it all looks very nice, with obvious care and attention that have gone into every frame. The designs, the costumes, the buildings, the colour palette: they’re all a little different than what we usually see. Itorah’s attempt at standing out is to have visuals that draw from a unique source: its graphics are inspired by Mesoamerican indigenous groups – which, to the game’s credit, are definitely sources that aren’t usually drawn from.Īnd, what’s more, its visuals are pretty nice. Elderand, to continue with that example, tried to be bloodier than its competitors (and failed because Infernax did it better), while Yoku’s Island Express added in pinball mechanics to spectacular effect. As I wrote about Elderand a few months ago, you often need some kind of hook or gimmick to really make it work.
It’s minor but noticeable.Given how many metroidvanias there are on the Switch (and in general), it takes a lot for newer ones to stand out. Even the controls feel slightly less responsive on the Nintendo port. And yes, I fired up the 360 version to make sure it wasn’t just the nostalgia talking.
Large explosions and busy action are commonplace, and they bring the action to a slideshow-like crawl. The framerate takes an obvious hit, and the texture detail (or lack thereof) really stands out.
But throw the Switch in its dock, where resolution kicks up to 1080p, and the story changes noticeably.for the worse. I’d expect a game built for the 360 and PS3 to run better on Switch, especially with such substantial sacrifices made to graphical detail. You can also read the full Saints Row: The Third review, which we gave an 8.5 back in 2011.All of that, and the DLC overload you have to click through when you first start up, can be best appreciated in handheld mode, where it runs acceptably even in two-player local online co-op with lots of craziness going on.
ABOVE: Watch IGN's original 2011 review of Saints Row: The Third for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
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