Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

I could talk for hours about the things I love about Slime Rancher. The addictive Slime-collecting gameplay, the varied selection of quirky and exotic Slimes, the mysteries of the vibrant world, the whimsical and warm-hearted vibe… it’s a real ‘feel good’ game to play that will quickly hook you in thanks to its wonderful gameplay. Trust me, I would know; I’ve spent close to eighty hours with it on the Xbox One. This review will focus on the game’s release on the Nintendo Switch though, with Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition marking the four-year-old game’s debut on a Nintendo console.

Check out a gallery of screenshots down below:

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Certain releases can see shortcomings when they make their way to the Nintendo Switch, but I’m happy to report that Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition is a pretty impressive port. The visuals are as vibrant as ever (even if it’s obvious that they have taken a hit in some areas, though it’s nothing significant), the resolution and clarity are sharp in both docked and handheld modes, whilst the frame rate consistently stays above 30fps. I only suffered a handful of frame hitches during some of the game’s more busier areas so far, but I was impressed with its consistency. My ranch was packed early on, but no real slowdown was suffered at all – it’s actually really impressive.

If you wanted to nit-pick, there were some imperfections. Things like pop-in in some of the larger locales, the frame rate could take a hit when speeding through areas and quickly turning at a swift pace, the load times did feel lengthier than other platforms, whilst the Joy Con controls when playing handheld could lack precision thanks to their small sticks. These are the sort of issues you’d expect on the Nintendo Switch though, whilst there was nothing that felt like it significantly deterred from the experience or made it feel bad to play.

“If you’ve never played the game before and love farming-style (or in this case, ‘slime-farming’) titles that are packed with content, you REALLY have to check it out.“

It seems to perform better when playing docked, so that would be the way to go if you want the best resolution and performance. That’s not to say that it’s bad when playing handheld, though. In fact, I’ve spent most of my time playing handheld so far and it has been really impressive, with it still looking pretty throughout and running at a consistent frame rate. It’s at 720p though, so it’s definitely not as crisp as it would look when playing on your TV. But hey, it’s a small price to pay to be able to play Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition on the go, which is a real treat.

That portability (or plortabilty if we’re going to be more accurate) was the best thing about Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition for me. As mentioned, I’ve spent plenty of hours with the game in the past, but have moved on to other titles since. Having it on my Nintendo Switch means I can conveniently jump back in when I got a moment spare here and there or when I just want to relax with a game in bed. It’s meant that I’ve been able to reignite my addiction and get back to exploring the Far, Far Range, grabbing all of the most luxurious Slimes, getting back in the plort business (I’ll never stop loving that I’m selling poo), and, of course, dealing with those damn Tarr Slimes.

Oh, Slime Rancher… how I’ve missed you. If you’ve never played the game before and love farming-style (or in this case, ‘slime-farming’) titles that are packed with content, you REALLY have to check it out. What better time than now with its release on the Nintendo Switch?

Developer: Monomi Park
Publisher: Monomi Park
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Website: http://www.slimerancher.com/