Bohemia Interactive announced this week that they will be setting up a closed beta for their upcoming game Vigor on the Nintendo Switch next week. A couple of weeks ago, the game was announced by Nintendo during their Mini Direct that the game was going to be headed to their console. What we didn't really know at the time is what that would fully entail and how long it would take to get there. Now we know the game will be holding a closed beta starting on April 9th and running until April 16th. The company has set up a registration page for those looking to participate. Here's a quick quote from the release of this beta info.
'After the successful period that Vigor spent exclusively on Xbox, we feel it's time to take another step forward and bring post-war Norway to a larger player base — This first step being Vigor's launch on the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo players will be able to hop into a special version of the game, while Xbox players will enjoy the release of Season 3,' said the Project Lead Petr 'pettka' Kolář.
To be able to play Vigor on Xbox with your switch friend(s), they’d need to create the same layer through a Vigor specific or Bohemia Interactive specific account so you can add friends outside of the Microsoft or Nintendo environment. Jul 31, 2018 Free-to-Play Shooter Looter Vigor Coming to Nintendo Switch. Vigor - Nintendo Switch Release Trailer. Vigor - Season 4: Warlords Trailer. Vigor Review – Tense looting and shooting comes to the Switch July 30, 2020 / Dustin Murphy Bohemia Interactive’s fun gunplay and survival game has come to the Nintendo Switch as a free-to-play loot and shoot title. Now, it’s turning on the Switch and taking players on the go as a worthwhile title for their bug-out bag. Summary: Vigor is an upcoming free-to-play shoot 'n' loot game where you build the Shelter in post-war Norway. Switch version of loot and shooter game Vigor is far from perfect, especially because of its technical problems. Yet it is full of potential. Given enough time, testing and care, Vigor won’t have much of a competition on Switch.
Vigor Nintendo Switch
If you're unfamiliar with the title, Vigor is an online, third-person, multiplayer, shoot-and-loot game. You will have to compete against fellow Outlanders for precious resources. You have the option to take on everyone or find others to work with to loot for resources, fight for airdrops, and escape to your Shelter. There you build improvements and level up before going back into the fray. The game has had some decent success on Xbox One since it was released back in August 2019. In fact, considering the kind of game it is, we're surprised it wasn't released to PC by now with cross-play. But hey, that just means Nintendo Switch players can get first dibs after Xbox.
There’s a bit of sick irony in the release of a video game dealing with the horrors of an apocalypse while the reality of the frailness of our society is brought to light due to the ravages of a real-life pandemic. However, if any research could be made from the source material, Vigor could easily be added to that list.
Originally released in 2019 for the Xbox One, a Nintendo Switch edition was announced during a recent Nintendo Direct sizzle reel with a closed beta announcement not far behind. While my time with Vigor on the Xbox One was admittedly brief, the prospect of a competent shooter releasing on the Switch certainly grabbed my attention.
Set in 1991 post-war Norway, Vigor tasks players with plundering the ruins and countryside in search of supplies and loot with the primary goal of upgrading your shelter. In your way stands the unforgiving elements, deadly radiation, and other human-controlled players all in search of the same scarce resources.
Vigor‘s gameplay is largely unchanged from the Xbox One and those familiar with third-person shooters will be able to adapt to the controls with relative ease. Within the battle royale genre, the gameplay is pretty familiar, with one key exception; There is no requirement to fight at all. Among all the shooting and looting, Vigor‘s main objective remains to find resources to upgrade your shelter, meaning player vs player combat is not a requirement for victory.
Where Vigor shines is in allowing the player to truly play the way they want to, turning the game into a role-playing game of sorts. For those uninterested in the prospect of combat can avoid it altogether and instead focus on resource gathering and exploration. Living your life as a Raider? Traverse the tundras, eliminating players and plundering their hard-earned loot.
While rounds are timed, there is no closing circle to hinder your progress leaving you free to explore as you see fit, however, you will need to remain close to a stage exit, less you become devoured by an impending radiation storm. With this freedom of exploration, each game includes several decision points. Do you loadout with your best gun and potentially lose it? Do you need weapons at all this session?
With the threat of combat constantly lurking in every building, each game is a suspenseful game of “cat and mouse. For those brave enough to face danger head-on, each game rewards players with a single random airdrop of potentially rare loot. However, there’s only one drop available so combat is almost assured.
Recent releases of Warframe and Witcher 3 have proven the Nintendo Switch can handle its share of robust titles. While some obvious concessions are made in the visual department, Vigor performs quite well on the portable console. Visually, I found handheld mode slightly less jarring than when played on a full-size television, however, the Joy-Con to be a death sentence when faced in a high-pressure combat scenario.
Vigor Video Game On Nintendo Switch
Playing docked (or on a stand) allows you the benefit of a pro controller, however when played on a television, I found the initial shock of the visuals a bit jarring. Textures are muddy and structures jagged, most notable in the crashing water of a waterfall which seems to exist in its own dimension, appearing to run at a lower frame rate than the rest of the game. Initially, movement can be a bit stiff, and aiming (especially pistols) feels imprecise and floaty, but nothing that can’t be compensated for with a few games under one’s belt. However, anyone expecting the frantic combat of Call of Duty or the precision of Halo will be disappointed.
Nintendo Switch Games
Underneath the layers, Bohemia Interactive truly has the potential for an emotional, memorable experience, however, a conflicting feeling developed during the initial release reemerged during my time with the beta; that Vigor would perform far better as a narrative-driven experience vs a battle royale. Story elements exist within Vigor, however, the main draw is the microtransaction and battle pass driven economy of the battle royale.
On the Xbox One, the shooter genre is king and competition exists in the hundreds. However, as stated above, the Nintendo Switch is absent a competent, mature shooter experience and Vigor is more than capable of filling that void. For those interested in combat, there may be a bit of a steep curve due to the randomness of loot and the existence of a battle pass, but the core concept of the game remains sound. Vigor is a welcome addition to the Switch library and one I intend to revisit as reality slowly churns towards fiction.
Vigor Nintendo Switch Review
- Genre: third-person shooter
- Release Date: 2020
- Studio: Bohemia Interactive