Xbox Game Studios’ ‘Grounded’ and ‘Pentiment’ confirm Nintendo Switch release

Grounded and Pentiment have received official Nintendo Switch release dates, after previously being exclusive to Xbox consoles.

• READ MORE: ‘Grounded’ review: a grand experiment

Grounded is a survival action-adventure game inspired by Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, while Pentiment is a historical narrative-driven game focusing on character development. Both titles were developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. Previously, the only way to play both games on a console was via Xbox.

However, Grounded is set to be released on Nintendo Switch on April 16 while Pentiment will release tomorrow, February 22. The news was announced as part of Nintendo’s first Direct Showcase of the year.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced its intention to release four Xbox Game Studios titles on “rival” consoles as an experiment. Pentiment and Grounded are the first two games in this learning experience, with Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush rumoured to follow.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer said: “I’m going to learn about our partnership with other platforms. I’m going to learn about what happens with our players. I think it will benefit the games that we’re putting there [but] if the net result is that other things are punitive to the Xbox platform and try to limit our growth, then we’ll have to think more carefully about how we support those other platforms.”

He added that there are no current plans for other titles to make the jump to multiplatform but he’d “never rule it out”.

In a four star review, NME wrote: “Equal parts survival game and horror sim, Grounded is a must-play for those who can handle spiders. Cutesy graphics hide a complex survival game with compelling depth, alongside some truly intense combat encounters.”

Pentiment also received four stars. “With a deeply interesting plot that rewards diligence, Pentiment is a tale of pure brilliance. Using a depth and intricacy that defies the game’s simple aesthetic, Obsidian’s latest proves incredibly difficult to put down until its drama has played out – and when all’s said and done, you will want to do it all over again.”

In other news, Ghost Ship Games and Funday Games have removed an “out of place” line from Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor over concerns it will upset some players.

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