Having landed on the shelves for a few days now, also in the Nintendo Switch version, Immortals Fenyx Rising is the new IP from Ubisoft, but will it have convinced us? Find out in this review!
Videogame is now a market in which being able to make one's identity stand out has become somewhat difficult. Few AAA or Indie titles are recognized as innovative and with their own personality, eventually being remembered over time. Ubisoft is a company that, by now it is known, has certain trademarks that appear in all the titles it produces. What happens if these peculiarities are then added to those of other great videogames?
Well ... born Fenyx Rising Immortals: a nice title, not because of the novelties offered, but because it takes several working mechanics and puts them together. Our test, however, took place on the Nintendo Switch and so the question is clear. Although it was meant for the last generation, at the dawn of the next-gen, this title is also fully enjoyable on the tablet of the big N?
Between Gods & Monsters
I got it? Because the initial name was Gods & Monsters… forget it. What surprised us right away is the storytelling technique used. To describe the events there will in fact be a chained Prometheus (as Greek mythology teaches) and an irreverent Zeus, curious to know the details of all the events that took place. Put simply, we will interpret Fenyx, a warrior (or a female warrior) tasked with eliminating a greater evil that contaminates and destroys theGolden Island: Typhoon.
And yes, even here, albeit miserable, there is one character creation. Through the latter we will be able to determine the sex of our protagonist, as well as some other details such as the hair and the type of beard. Having dictated the aesthetics of Fenyx, we will be shipwrecked on the island starting the prologue and soon discovering that the components of our ship have been transformed into stone. The latter reason, but above all the disappearance of the brother, are the starting point of a plot that, although simple, turns out to be an excellent background to the gameplay.
I characters they enjoy one eccentric characterization and sometimes extreme, aimed at emphasizing one's personality. Although the narrative is led by Zeus and Prometheus, there will be numerous characters who will accompany Fenyx to carry out their deeds, each with their own strengths and (above all) defects. Essentially, Immortals Fenyx Rising takes the Gods of Greek Mythology and turns them into comic actors. We really liked this, after removing some slightly embarrassing lines of dialogue!
The Legend of Fenyx – Review Immortals Fenyx Rising
We know, if you have seen at least one gameplay of the title you will think that it has something familiar. We obviously talk about the similarity to the Nintendo Switch killer app, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and… well, how to blame you.
Leaving without any prejudice, once landed on the shores of the Golden Island (from the very first minutes of the game) we saw how Immortals Fenyx Rising really took so much from the 2017 adventure set in the realm of Hyrule. We are not only talking about the possibility of climbing steep walls, but about various mechanics present at first in Zelda, also reported in the Ubisoft title. Of course, we are aware that it was not Breath of the Wild that introduced these possibilities into the gaming world, but given the similarity between the two videogames, it seems clear to us that Ubisoft has drawn from it.
With this we do not want to criticize the mere "take a cue", however there is a bit of a lack of a more marked personality with regard to the gameplay, which presents itself as a substitute for various other titles. A substitute, however, well done!
Speaking of gameplay, the game is pleasant, with a perky and immediate combat, long-lived but simple puzzles and many possibilities to enhance our protagonist. The combat system it is based on pressing two keys: one for the light attack and one for the heavy attack. While the latter is aimed at carrying out large but equally slow damage (in order to stun the enemy) the light one allows you to deliver faster blows. Then there is no shortage combo, the ability to perform a parade at the right time and that of dodge!
Just dodging will decrease the bunting of Fenyx which, together with the health bar, represent the two essential parameters to keep an eye on in the HUD. The two bars can be increased with the discovery of certain materials present both around the game map and in the "Crypts of Tartarus“: Areas where there are various puzzles (also very similar to the Sanctuaries present in Zelda).
Clearly they could not miss then the skill tree and upgrading of weapons and armor! One thing we appreciated and just the last one mentioned. When we have the necessary materials we will not have to upgrade every single weapon and armor, but we will have a general improvement of everything we have. This not only makes it easier to be able to go and modify our set based on what we will do, but it justifies the plethora of defensive and offensive objects present in the title (and we who love aesthetic customization can not help but cheer).
In addition to the two main weapons we will have other ways of attacking enemies through various objects that we will get during our adventure, which will also be used to complete the puzzles. We will be able to move objects to position them on any platforms, shoot remote-controlled arrows and much more!
In the wrong place at the right time - Review Immortals Fenyx Rising
Let's talk now about the reason for the title: does it make sense on Switch? We don't think so, but lower the pitchforks!
As we have reiterated in all sauces, although the game tries to find an identity, there are too many details that unite it to Breath of the Wild. This would not be a downside, if it could possibly offer an overall performance of a higher level. By this we mean that the title turns out visibly backward on the Switch, with continuous pop-ups, very low resolution texture and a sometimes low and erratic frame rate.
Although the glance is present, unfortunately it is not enough to cancel an optimization that, as much as Ubisoft has tried to define, does not succeed in the intended intent. The drops in FPS are not only visibly annoying, but sometimes they cut off certain animations, making our Fenyx almost teleport. This does not stop only at the playable phases, but also at the cinematics, with little detailed models and facial expressions… ambiguous. (Seriously, the way their eyes widened at times bothered us quite a bit.)
While in the portable version the playability is quite poor, the situation changes in Docked mode. Pad in hand, everything becomes more manageable and we were able to better control our warrior despite the various problems. This says a lot about what is, in our opinion, a title designed precisely not to be played in portable mode. The pro of Nintendo Switch is precisely that of being able to have fun both in portable mode and in fixed mode. If the player (to have an at least enjoyable experience) must be forced not to use the console in the mobile version, it seems clear to us that this platform is not really suitable for the title.
We shoot arrows
If you think about it, tapping into a game that works so damn well wasn't a bad thought by Ubisoft but, on the contrary, it's a great move because Zelda is a Nintendo Switch exclusive of a certain level. A level so high as to dictate new parameters of the open-world videogame as we know it today. Just as Souls Like not only exist, but the market is literally submerged, Sony, Microsoft and PC consoles must also have a certain level of Zelda Like. Immortals Fenyx Rising is THE Zelda Like of a certain level but on Switch it makes little sense. It is clear that if played through the right means, which do not involve such significant compromises… well, the games change!
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7 The Zelda Like ... not for SwitchPoints in favor
- Colorful and flowing narrative technique
- Good characterization of the characters
- Combat system and environmental puzzles well done
Points against
- Sometimes low frame rate
- Too many compromises on the technical sector
- Many mechanics similar to other titles, which give it little identity
