Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

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Tokyo-J
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Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Tokyo-J »

Raiden V Director's Cut on Nintendo Switch will be released July 25th.

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/r ... #game-info
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xxx1993

Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

There isn't going to be an "Ultimate" version of Raiden V, is there?
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by NeoStrayCat »

xxx1993 wrote:There isn't going to be an "Ultimate" version of Raiden V, is there?
Doesn't seem to be as the Director's Cut version seems to be the "final" updated version, like how Raiden IV Overkill was.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

I heard rumors, that’s why.
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Austin
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Austin »

Bumping this thread here instead of dumping it into the general Switch shmups thread.

Got a Switch over the weekend and picked this up at Best Buy. Figured I'd give my two-cents on it.

Managed a rusty one credit clear on my first go. I recall feedback on this being mixed when it came out, and while it's not a replacement for other versions, I'd say this is a worthwhile port when you account for the fact that it can be played on the go as well as in TV mode.

The image is lower resolution than other versions and as a result is softer overall, but I was still able to see everything just fine. Texture quality is obviously lower but that's not really something I paid much attention to when the action was busy on screen. The bloom effect seems worse in spots to the point of detriment, so certain sections are harder to deal with.

The framerate in-game is rock solid, with the only hiccups being during non-playable cinematic moments. The input latency is minimal and the game feels very responsive. As a result the game played great (TV play, I haven't messed with portable mode yet).

The biggest issue I could tell is the sound mixing. Sound appears to be in mono and the mixing between sound effects and music had to be massively tweaked in the options menu to get a decent balance (I had the SFX around 20%). Disappointing, but I can live with it.

I will have to test it in portable mode to see how it runs, as I know a lot of Switch games run worse in that mode. For TV mode I was using the wired Hori Switch Pokken Tournament controller and it played great. I couldn't tell any input latency difference from the PS4 and PC versions I normally play. All the options from the other versions are still here as well, including online rankings and the cheer system, but I'm pretty sure the online functionality requires the Switch online service (which I paid for right before playing just to make sure my score posted).

The physical version comes with an art book and a mini-CD soundtrack sampler. This was pretty nice to see, considering more expensive games (like Mario Odyssey) come with nothing.

Side note, I have to say that it was really cool being able to walk into a major big-box retailer like Best Buy and be able to purchase this in person instead of ordering it online. It takes me back when shmups were regularly available at physical retail locations.
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Jonpachi
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Jonpachi »

It definitely does suffer quite a bit in handheld mode, but I can't hate on it too much. My main gripe with the game is their decision to move away from a vertical display and into the letterboxed "tv tate" mode. It's ok on a big TV, but still seems like a shame given the series' legacy.

Side note: I love that Pokken controller! One of the better d-pads you can get on the system.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by FRO »

@Austin - how the heck did you get a 1CC on your first try? I banged my head against the wall for weeks with this game, and barely made it to stage 4! I salute your gaming skills, they are obviously superior to my own :lol:

I will say that some of the color choices make the Switch version a touch harder, because there are spots where it's harder to see some incoming bullets, because they can blend into the background somewhat. And yes, the sound balance is pretty bad. Seems like they rushed this out the door, which is a shame. The game already has a mediocre reputation, and it didn't need to do itself any more disservice.
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Special World
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Special World »

How does Raiden V stack up against IV? I thought 4 was solid, but didn't care for 3.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Austin »

Special World wrote:How does Raiden V stack up against IV? I thought 4 was solid, but didn't care for 3.
I enjoy it more than IV now as a game, but in reality it's vastly different--they really aren't that comparable, which I suppose is a reason the game was so divisive when it came out (I personally hated it at first).

Raiden IV wants to pummel you into the ground every inch of the way through the game, while Raiden V is more about a journey ala classic shooters from the 16-bit era. Scenic vistas, lots of small rhythmic encounters spacing out the few intense parts, an epic soundtrack, etc. It's a slow burn.

Don't get me wrong, there are nods to the previous games in the series (such as fast bullets on bosses and a lot of micro-dodging on them), but there are so many differences it turns into a totally different gameplay experience.
Jonpachi wrote:It definitely does suffer quite a bit in handheld mode, but I can't hate on it too much. My main gripe with the game is their decision to move away from a vertical display and into the letterboxed "tv tate" mode. It's ok on a big TV, but still seems like a shame given the series' legacy.

Side note: I love that Pokken controller! One of the better d-pads you can get on the system.
Interesting. I will definitely have to try it in handheld mode then to see for myself! I heard about performance issues when it came out, but there hasn't been a patch that I am aware of. I was thinking to myself while playing, "This is really smooth...", but that was in TV mode. The issues must be in handheld mode then.

And yep, that Pokken controller is *great* for games with 2D gameplay. My biggest complaint is that there is no Home button on it! I have to remove the console from the dock or plug in a different controller to get back to the Switch dashboard.
FRO wrote:@Austin - how the heck did you get a 1CC on your first try? I banged my head against the wall for weeks with this game, and barely made it to stage 4! I salute your gaming skills, they are obviously superior to my own :lol:

I will say that some of the color choices make the Switch version a touch harder, because there are spots where it's harder to see some incoming bullets, because they can blend into the background somewhat. And yes, the sound balance is pretty bad. Seems like they rushed this out the door, which is a shame. The game already has a mediocre reputation, and it didn't need to do itself any more disservice.
Ha! To be fair, this has been my most played shooter of the last year. I've probably cleared it a dozen times now between the Steam, PS4 and Xbox One versions, maybe more, so I was able to jump into the Switch one without issue. I also just did a straight run through with the Swing Vulcan, which is a lot easier than going for a TFB clear where you upgrade all of your weapons.

The bloom definitely makes things harder to see at particular points, but ironically it actually made things easier to see right before launching into space on Stage 7. The bloom blew out the clouds so much that it was basically a solid white background, and the bullets stood out perfectly, haha!
xxx1993

Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

FRO wrote:@Austin - how the heck did you get a 1CC on your first try? I banged my head against the wall for weeks with this game, and barely made it to stage 4! I salute your gaming skills, they are obviously superior to my own :lol:

I will say that some of the color choices make the Switch version a touch harder, because there are spots where it's harder to see some incoming bullets, because they can blend into the background somewhat. And yes, the sound balance is pretty bad. Seems like they rushed this out the door, which is a shame. The game already has a mediocre reputation, and it didn't need to do itself any more disservice.
When did the game have a mediocre reputation? I thought this game was good... If it's because of the voice acting, then I'm sorry. I'm probably one of the few people who actually tolerate it.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Austin »

xxx1993 wrote:
FRO wrote:@Austin - how the heck did you get a 1CC on your first try? I banged my head against the wall for weeks with this game, and barely made it to stage 4! I salute your gaming skills, they are obviously superior to my own :lol:

I will say that some of the color choices make the Switch version a touch harder, because there are spots where it's harder to see some incoming bullets, because they can blend into the background somewhat. And yes, the sound balance is pretty bad. Seems like they rushed this out the door, which is a shame. The game already has a mediocre reputation, and it didn't need to do itself any more disservice.
When did the game have a mediocre reputation? I thought this game was good... If it's because of the voice acting, then I'm sorry. I'm probably one of the few people who actually tolerate it.
You can go back and read the early threads for it, starting with the original Xbox One release of Raiden V. There were some proponents for the game, but I think negativity towards it was more common, at least around these parts.
xxx1993

Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

Sometimes I feel like I was the only one who didn’t mind. Though to be fair, some of Eshiria’s comments do peeve me, mainly the negative ones. Especially the “kindness leads to defeat on the battlefield” quote in Stage 6.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by dwn_013_crash_man »

xxx1993 wrote:Sometimes I feel like I was the only one who didn’t mind. Though to be fair, some of Eshiria’s comments do peeve me, mainly the negative ones. Especially the “kindness leads to defeat on the battlefield” quote in Stage 6.
I kind of like the little comments here in there but I get this one glitch where even if I destroy all enemies in the second part of the first stage I get the text for the all clear but still get told that I missed a few through audio.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

Though for some reason, even though I clearly destroy as much as I can in Stage 4, she keeps telling me I let too many enemies escape.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Austin »

xxx1993 wrote:Though for some reason, even though I clearly destroy as much as I can in Stage 4, she keeps telling me I let too many enemies escape.
Turn off the voices and you'll forget she even says it. ;)
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by FRO »

xxx1993 wrote:When did the game have a mediocre reputation? I thought this game was good... If it's because of the voice acting, then I'm sorry. I'm probably one of the few people who actually tolerate it.
I should have clarified - it has a mediocre reputation among hardcore shmup players. I think more casual players enjoy it, and I've seen a fair bit of love for the game on Twitter, but I think its divergence from the Raiden formula, and not being an extension of Raiden IV/Overkill has hurt the game. No tate, even though the game wasn't designed for it, the story being shoehorned in, and somewhat unavoidable, etc. all contribute to the game being somewhat divisive. I quite like it, myself, but I know it's not well loved across the board.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Jonpachi »

"TV Tate" really kills it for me, especially on the Switch as it renders handheld mode nearly unplayable. I do enjoy the long-form level design reminiscent of the 16-bit era of console shmups, but the all the noise on the HUD is just fluff and only detracts from the core game.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

Shame. It was still a great game in my eyes.
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Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by Austin »

FRO wrote:I should have clarified - it has a mediocre reputation among hardcore shmup players. I think more casual players enjoy it, and I've seen a fair bit of love for the game on Twitter, but I think its divergence from the Raiden formula, and not being an extension of Raiden IV/Overkill has hurt the game. No tate, even though the game wasn't designed for it, the story being shoehorned in, and somewhat unavoidable, etc. all contribute to the game being somewhat divisive. I quite like it, myself, but I know it's not well loved across the board.
Great way to sum it up. I agree 100%.
Jonpachi wrote:"TV Tate" really kills it for me, especially on the Switch as it renders handheld mode nearly unplayable. I do enjoy the long-form level design reminiscent of the 16-bit era of console shmups, but the all the noise on the HUD is just fluff and only detracts from the core game.
I really dig all the stuff on the left. I'm constantly looking at what my shield energy is at, where my score currently sits on the ranking graph, and what my weapon levels are at.

All that junk on the right though.. Yeah, I could do without it.
xxx1993

Re: Raiden V Director's Cut (Switch)

Post by xxx1993 »

By the way, I should also mention that this year, probably next month, will be the Raiden franchise's 30th anniversary. I hope MOSS has something special cooked up for the franchise.
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