Nintendo's brand-new console is already getting pushed to its limits in Donkey Kong's latest outing, and if you were hoping for a rock-solid framerate - well, you might want to lower those expectations. Voxel-juggling comes at a cost, especially when, like in Bananza, pretty much the entire world is destructible. That's something game director Kazuya Takahashi is fully aware of, and in an interview with La Vanguardia, he explains exactly what's going on.
"We intentionally used effects like hit-stop and slow motion to emphasize impacts. Second, because we use voxel technology, there are times when there are major changes and destruction in the environment."
He goes on to say that the framerate is mostly stable, but that slowdown can occur during intense moments, a deliberate trade-off, as the team decided to prioritise fun over raw performance.
"We're aware that performance may drop slightly at these times. However, as you say, overall the game is smooth, and at points where large-scale changes occur, we prioritized fun and playability."
It's a bit surprising, honestly as Nintendo is usually the gold standard when it comes to squeezing every last drop of power out of their hardware, especially with first-party titles. And the fact that this is happening on brand-new hardware makes it even more eyebrow-raising. Maybe Nintendo should've packed a little more juice into the Switch 2?
What do you think? Smooth framerate or chaotic fun, which would you choose? And how do you feel about the Switch 2 already being pushed to its limits?