Alright gamers, let’s talk about a wild week for RPGs and souls-likes. Final Fantasy XIV Online just landed on Switch 2, and reviewers can’t stop talking about it. Meanwhile, Mortal Shell 2 dropped as a surprise highlight of the souls-like genre. Add in some unfair internet negativity toward Marvel’s Wolverine, and you’ve got a packed roundup. This story follows Final Fantasy XIV Switch.
Final Fantasy XIV Switch: What’s New
Final Fantasy XIV Online made the jump to Switch 2 this week. That’s a genuinely surprising feat, given the sheer scale of this MMO. We’re talking about a game with years of content packed into a handheld device.
Nintendo Life gave it an 8 out of 10, according to the outlet’s review. Writer Mitch Vogel praised the combat and class systems specifically. The publication also launched a reader poll asking gamers for their own Final Fantasy XIV Online score, tapping into the community’s passion for Eorzea.
On the souls-like front, Mortal Shell 2 arrived with some big shoes to fill. The original Mortal Shell carved out a niche as a tighter, shorter alternative to Dark Souls. This sequel expands that formula without losing its identity.
GameSpot‘s review calls it a fresh shake-up of familiar souls-like conventions. You’ll still find dark fantasy environments, gothic architecture, and punishing combat encounters. The bonfire system returns too, here reimagined as beacons that let you rest and recover health.
Dying still costs you your currency, forcing a tense retrieval run back to your death spot. It’s a classic souls-like tension, executed with real confidence this time around.
How It Plays
Let’s start with Final Fantasy XIV Online, since portability changes everything for an MMO this dense. Playing a game built for years of raids and story content on a handheld feels almost absurd. Yet Switch 2’s hardware apparently handles it well enough to earn genuine praise.
The class system remains one of the game’s biggest draws for newcomers and veterans alike. You can swap jobs freely, experimenting with different playstyles without starting a new character. That flexibility is part of why Final Fantasy XIV Online has stayed relevant for over a decade.
Mortal Shell 2 takes a different approach to depth. Instead of one customizable character, you’re playing a nearly powerless husk at first. Progression comes from discovering ancient heroes and absorbing their unique shells and abilities.
GameSpot‘s companion guides dig into this system in detail. One guide maps out every shell location across the game’s world. Another catalogs all the weapons and sidearms, including some unusual soul-draining effigies and machine gun-like contraptions.
That variety matters because Mortal Shell 2 rewards experimentation over grinding. Finding the right shell and weapon combo can transform how a boss fight feels. It’s less about leveling up endlessly and more about discovery.
The Wolverine Discourse Problem
Not every story this week involves actual hands-on impressions. Marvel’s Wolverine finds itself already labeled dead on arrival by parts of the internet. GameSpot points out the irony here directly.
Critics are slamming the game for being linear instead of open-world. That’s the exact opposite complaint people had about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 before launch. Back then, gamers voiced open-world fatigue and wanted something more focused.
This contradiction says more about online gaming discourse than about Wolverine itself. Nobody has fully played the game yet, but judgment arrives anyway. It’s a pattern we see constantly ahead of major releases nowadays.
The Verdict
September looks stacked, and Marvel’s Wolverine deserves a fair shot before anyone writes it off. Judging a linear action game harshly, right after asking for less open-world bloat, doesn’t add up.
Final Fantasy XIV Online earns its 8/10 through sheer ambition and technical execution. Getting an MMO of this scale running smoothly on Switch 2 is impressive. If you’re a portable gaming fan, this one deserves a spot in your portable gaming backlog (paid link).
Mortal Shell 2 might be the real sleeper hit of the week, honestly. It takes souls-like fundamentals and adds enough new ideas to feel distinct. The beacon system, the shell progression, and the varied arsenal all click together nicely.
If you’re diving in, GameSpot’s shell and weapon location guides will save you serious time. Souls-like fans hunting for every hidden shell should bookmark those resources.
Final Fantasy XIV Switch: Quick Takeaways
- Final Fantasy XIV Online scores 8/10 on Switch 2, praised for combat and class depth
- Mortal Shell 2 refreshes the souls-like formula with beacons and shell-based progression
- Marvel’s Wolverine faces unfair backlash before release, mirroring past Spider-Man 2 criticism
- Comprehensive guides now exist for every weapon, sidearm, and shell in Mortal Shell 2
This week proves something simple. Great games can come from unexpected places, whether that’s a handheld MMO or a scrappy souls-like sequel. Don’t let internet noise decide what you play next, kupo.
The Final Fantasy XIV Switch story is still developing, and the details above capture where things stand today.
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