'>observer_' Nintendo Switch port
The Nintendo Switch's library gets a new addition with >observer_, the cyberpunk title from indie dev Bloober Team that brought us Layers of Fear. The game was initially launched last year for PC, Xbox One and PS4, and we even reviewed it for PS4. So how well does the Nintendo Switch port fare?
In this dystopian cyberpunk world set in 2084's Krakow, the mighty Chiron Corporation practically runs the world after all hell broke loose in wars and implant bearers got infected with the Nanophage. As Dan Lazarsk, a secret agent called an observer doing the dirty work for Chiron Corporation, you hack into people’s mind to get to the bottom of investigations. However, following the disappearance of his son, Dan must act on his own and unravel this mystery while a bigger plot unravels.
As an obvious love letter to Blade Runner and the cyberpunk genre as a whole, >observer_ does quite well in the aesthetic department. Machine-enhanced humans, neon lights flooding streets and buildings, tech-infused homes and the myriad of details in the environment do add up to help the player feel immersed in what one would expect of a cyberpunk world. While the game looks better in handheld mode, it looks fine graphically, although I suspect that it looks even better PC and other consoles.
Controls can be a tad cumbersome to get a hold of at first like having to tilt the right analog stick while holding the ZR button to open doors or having to switch between vision modes to find clues. Some improvements would have been welcome in this section and some are actually present like the support of the Switch's touchscreen in Dan's smartwatch thingy's menu. Having to tilt the joystick while holding a button is not something I'd expect in a 2019 game and could have well been replaced with a touchscreen action or at least a single button's action. However, the game is still the same as the one released last year. It’s essentially a walking simulator interspersed with light puzzles and jump scares. As a port, it fares well, with some minor frame drops here and there but nothing really game-breaking.
>observer_ is now available on the Nintendo Switch for $29.99 USD/€29.99. If you’re into the cyberpunk genre, >observer_ is an okay game to try out but don’t expect much action from your part as the player save for walking around and tackling some puzzles. The environment and details are gorgeous though, but I wish there were more to the gameplay for the asking price. Maybe wait for a price drop before jumping in dystopian Krakow.
>observer_ eShop link >observer_ Offcial GBAtemp PS4 review 
