Capcom's Switch 2 games are showing just what the console's capable of
Gorgeous graphics, superb sound
The Switch 2's graphical capabilities might have been dissected when the console first arrived last summer, but it's fair to say that we still don't necessarily know the full limits of its power. After all, countless console generations before it have proved that only when skilled developers have had time to adjust their games for hardware in a bespoke way do we get to see what the limits really look like.
I think we're likely still years away from that point for the Switch 2, in all honesty – even Nintendo's first-party games for the system have largely looked like they probably started life as Switch 1 titles. The next generation of Pokémon games, Winds and Waves, might just move the needle, but relying on their graphical performance isn't very responsible.
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While there's obviously a massive drop-off in resolution and fidelity compared to performance on a top-end RTX 5070 Ti rig like mine, the Switch 2 version nonetheless looks genuinely great. It's also completely portable, making for a remarkably immersive experience on the go wherever you might be.
You might not get ray-tracing, but the game's visual flavour is entirely preserved, and its exremely playable 30fps performance impresses, too. Best of all, the much-improved sound chip of the Switch 2 means you get all the directional audio to ensure that Requiem's scariest sequences are adequately terrifying.
I only really have a single note for Capcom in terms of improvements, and it's a fairly obvious one – cross-progression! Being able to use cloud saving to pick up a PC or PS5 playthrough on your Switch 2 would be amazing, as would having shared progress in the many challenges you can complete.
After finishing Requiem, though, I've moved over and played about five hours of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, which continues Capcom's turn-based RPG spinoff series. Again, it's a simultaneous release with other more powerful platforms, and again I think the visual work being done is mega-impressive.
The lush world of Twisted Reflection is teeming with detail and monsters, and while there are some fairly obvious shorcuts to make it run on the Switch 2, the overall presentation is still pretty ruddy great.
You'll notice easily that the game has a lowered resolution and runs at a pretty uneven frame rate compared to PS5, for instance, but the fun cartoony visual design helps to keep things looking really fresh and clean. Crucially, cut scenes run at 60fps and look really sharp, so you don't feel like major story moments are compromised at all.
The game's battle system is really intriguing, as someone who hasn't played either of the previous titles in the series. It uses a rock-paper-scissors system of strengths and weaknesses, but doesn't give you as much help as some other games to remember which applies in a given scenario. There are also about 15 extra systems to layer onto this as you get deeper into the combat system, which will reassure those who love to tinker with tactics.
I've written before about how I've been having a great time using the Switch 2 to play games as they've been given upgrades or performance patches, but it's fair to say that there's nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a brand-new title at the same time as it releases on all platforms.
If Nintendo and its development partners can keep this up throughout the console's life-cycle, it'll be might impressive. Credit where it's due, though: Capcom seems to have cracked the code right now, and the streak it's on really does only get more impressive with each passing release.
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