Many were delighted when EA confirmed that it will be bringing FIFA 18 to the Nintendo Switch. While existing FIFA fans are excited to play the soccer sim on the go, the release would also be one of the biggest third-party launches on the Switch so far.
But the Nintendo Switch version of FIFA 18 isn't quite the same as the PS4 and Xbox One version since it doesn't use Frostbite. Frostbite is the much-touted game engine that powers many of EA's blockbusters but Andrei Lazarescu, a developer of the Switch version, explains that "as much as we would have wanted to (use Frostbite) you can’t without making the whole engine work."
The team chose to create a custom engine rather than "end up having to downsize things and making it just a smaller, lower-quality version" of the PS4 and Xbox One release. The Nintendo Switch version of FIFA 18 is "a full FIFA that players players will enjoy" and stands on its own two feet instead of a "sh***y, second-rate game," says Lazarescu. The developer also assures fans that the Switch release is unrecognisable compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, offering physics based rendering that the last-gen versions don't have.
But despite Lazarescu's comments, some fans may still have concerns about FIFA 18 on the Nintendo Switch. Although the developer calls the Switch version a "full FIFA" and says that the decision to drop Frostbite was to avoid making the game smaller, that isn't necessarily the case. FIFA 18 on the Switch does miss two crucial features in comparison to the PS4 and Xbox One version and some will be asking whether the team has done enough on that front.
While die-hard FIFA fans will likely still buy the PS4 or Xbox One versions of the game, EA will be waiting to see if the lack of Frostbite support and those missing features are not dealbreakers for most. The publisher is considering bringing more games to the Nintendo Switch but this entirely depends on whether or not FIFA 18 does well on the platform.
Although the Switch has seen huge sales success already, EA needs proof that Switch players would actually buy its games and that it is worth using the resources to make more ports. Nintendo would also benefit grateful from EA's Switch support and it too will be keeping an eye on how FIFA 18 does.
FIFA 18 is set to launch on September 29, 2017 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source: Dream Team Gaming
