What most 13 Sentinels fans might be curious about is how well the Switch handles Destruction mode. Playing Destruction mode on the base PS4, and even the PS4 Pro at times, would cause a serious drop in framerate when the screen started to fill up with enemies. Before this port came out, I was wondering if the Switch would be able to handle some of the more intense battles. The answer Vanillaware gave me was, yes it can. All in all, the Switch version essentially runs the same as it does on the base PS4, and maybe even slightly better. There also didn't appear to be a reduction in the number of enemies during battles either, which would be one way of helping out the Switch's performance. The various kaiju still fill up the screen, and the infamous "Missile Rain" attack can still lag the game slightly, but I am impressed with the Switch's overall performance on this game.
However, what is more worth discussing is how the Switch version makes some changes to combat overall. Destruction mode was often cited as the worst aspect of the game on PS4. Destruction mode in the PS4 version was rather laid-back. Combat wasn't too difficult, even on Intense mode. The famous Sentry Gun strategy was the great equalizer and rarely did any of the levels feel challenging until the last few maps. However, Vanillaware has adjusted 13 Sentinels' combat for the Switch version, as if to answer those complaints about the battles being too easy. Sentry Guns have been greatly nerfed, eliminating one of the foundations of successful battles in the PS4 version. With much less emphasis placed on Sentry Guns, combat is now more well-rounded, and it feels like each character has a much bigger role to play in battle. Intense mode now feels like a legitimate challenge, and it forced me to change up my strategy a lot from when I played on the PS4.
Part of this comes down to a change that was actually advertised before this port was released: the new weapons. Each Sentinel pilot now has two unique skills that they can unlock and use in battle, and that completely changed how I viewed some of their roles. There are four different "generations" of the Sentinels, and they each have their own part of combat that they're good at. First-generations hit hard, but they lack anti-air equipment, second-generations have a wide variety of equipment for different situations, third-generations are best at crowd clearing, and fourth-generations lend support from the sky. In the PS4 version, only about half of the pilots had some kind of unique equipment that they could use that made them different from their counterparts. Now, everyone feels different, and I believe that these changes make up a net positive in terms of engagement from Destruction mode.
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Vanillaware has handled 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's Switch port with the utmost care and, with some of the changes, may even be better than the PS4 version. While I was hoping that Vanillaware would go back and add in a couple of new scenes that they had previously cut out of the game, I will also happily take the changes to Destruction mode. Now that a Switch version is available, I am hoping more people will get to experience this masterpiece of modern gaming. 13 Sentinels flew under the radar on PS4, so now I'm hoping the spotlight will be on this excellent game after word of mouth has spread. If you love RPGs, have an affinity for excellent stories, are in the mood for some good brain exercise, or just looking for a nice 30-hour experience in gaming, look no further than 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
