Observer Finally Comes to Nintendo’s Console – Review (Switch)

Observer originally released in 2017 on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. After nearly two years it finally makes it way over to the Switch, adding a new sense of portability to the game. But how does it translate on Nintendo’s less powerful console? The answer is a mixed bag.

Story

Though not a true Walking Simulator, Observer is unmistakably a story driven game. You take on the role of a detective named Daniel Lazarski who is sent on an unraveling case initiated when his estranged son reaches out to him after quite some time. Worried for his son’s safety, the detective soon locates his last known whereabouts and begins to explore the building. Murder, intrigue, and deceit set the stage for Lazaraski’s investigation where he meets all kinds of characters both dead and alive. After finding a body in the apartment where he believes his son lives, he now is on a mission to determine whether his son is dead or alive and to find out who is committing these heinous crimes.

Gameplay

Most of the gameplay involves finding clues in order to advance the story and move on to the next chapter in the game. The further you get into the game the more “gameplay” will be opened up to you, but mostly you’ll be walking around searching for clues and solving light puzzles.

The controls feel a bit stiff, but that could be partially due to the Switch’s button configuration. A simple task like opening a door feels clunky because it requires you to interact with the door holding ZR while using the right joystick to physically open the door. The Switch uses the same letters for the buttons that Microsoft uses for the Xbox One, they just put them in a different order. Because of this, anyone familiar with any iteration of Xbox controllers may find themselves hitting the wrong buttons from time to time and crouching when they should be doing some other action.

As you investigate locations, you’ll switch between 2 separate plugins. One of these is for organic matter and the other for mechanical items. In 2084, humans are more machine than man – so most of your body is enhanced beyond your basic biology. By interacting with the L or R buttons, you can choose between your Bio or EN vision and then analyze the item by holding down ZL until the item is identified. This will help you identify bodies and various machines throughout your investigation.

On occasion you’ll need to access the memories of a victim who may not be able to tell you their tale, thus you’ll need to hack into their memories and play out a nightmare of random events that eventually lead you to another clue. This is interesting at first but, like most of the gameplay, it just becomes monotonous by the end.

Graphics and Sound

Observer on the Switch really looks dated on the big screen. Though it looks better in handheld mode, the smaller screen makes it much harder to search for clues. I found myself ultimately docking the Switch and playing that way. With all the button combos that you’ll use, it felt better using a pro controller anyway.

They really nail the Dystopian aesthetic and the world truly feels bleak. Unfortunately, partially because of the Switch’s capabilities and the fact that the game is a couple years old, it never reaches it’s full potential and can even look downright ugly at times. I had to adjust my TV settings a couple times just to be able to play through it and had multiple headaches during my playthrough.

The music really shines and sets the tone for what is happening. It makes you feel as though you’re the last person alive that still has hope in anything. With minor horror elements sprinkled throughout the music is the glue that ties everything together – setting the mood and foreshadowing what’s to come.

The voice acting here is superb. Through much of the game you’ll talk to the tenants from the other side of their door and the voice acting will keep you engaged even though you never see the person to which you are speaking. For a game like this they had to nail this aspect of the game and they’ve done so.

Recommendation

Observer does a lot right, but it’s hard to shake the fact that it all feels so familiar. It’s one part Blade Runner and another part Detroit: Become Human. Yes, we know Observer technically came out first, but this review is specific to the Switch version which released nearly a year after Detroit. With dated yet distinctive visuals, Observer is sure to suck people into the Dystopian world that Bloober Team created, but it won’t be for everyone. Equal parts detective game and walking simulator – fans of narrative driven games will love the story that unfolds even when the gameplay becomes cumbersome and repetitive. If this sounds like your cup of tea, there is plenty to like about Observer.

*Observerwas provided to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion*

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Phil Neyman

Philip is better at buying video games than he is at playing them. He was once told “it must suck to love something so much and be so terrible at it.” As a boy he would write terrible poems about himself and Ross Perot. He enjoys the best and worst of all forms of media, but nothing in the middle. Puyo Puyo Tetris has almost caused unreconcilable differences between him and his wife. He’s never had a hangover, but not from lack of trying.