Last week, Aspyr released RWBY: Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition. This was a Switch version of the hack and slash title previously available on PC and PS4. The Definitive Edition featured the core game, all the DLC that was released, and new skins for characters including their looks from the latest seasons of the show. This version also features 2-player couch co-op or 4-player online co-op. Cosplayers also benefit from the new cosplay guides on the official website. Aspyr was kind enough to provide me with a copy of the game to review and you can grab yourself a copy for $29.99 if you like.
In RWBY: Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition, join your friends in intense combat action as one of eight students of Beacon Academy and stop the evil forces of the Grimm and Doctor Merlot. Level up your favorite RWBY character and traverse Remnant in new storylines or the Grimm Gauntlet mode. Recruit your friends and team-up to save Remnant!
If you’ve played a previous version of Grimm Eclipse, you know what you’re getting. The game is a classic hack and slash title that allows you to run around as members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR in a canonical story outside of the show. You go around and murder countless Grimm as your favorite characters and level them up to gain stronger and stronger abilities.
The story itself is okay, but not very gripping. The music is alright, but I wish they used more of the soundtrack from the show for big moments like boss fights. It is fun to have voice acting with the voices from the show. There’s not a lot of depth to the game, but I knew that going in. I still enjoy the game for what it is and as a fan of RWBY. The Switch version is a fun way to play the game on the go or if you didn’t get the PS4 version and want to play on your TV. The game runs really smooth on the Switch.
Sadly, there are a number of issues that I have with Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition. First, I’m bothered that Team JNPR didn’t get skins for their Atlas Arc outfits. I love Team JNPR and I especially love Jaune’s look in the last couple of seasons. I would’ve loved to run around as Atlas Jaune. This is a smaller complaint that bothers me but doesn’t kill the game.
However, my complaint that renders this game unplayable is the local multiplayer. I was so excited for Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition because I was hoping my wife and I could play it together as we sat on the couch together instead of at our separate computers. Sadly, this is just what they want you to think. The local multiplayer is pretty unplayable. The camera is still controlled by Player 1 and it’s not split-screen. This means that Player 1 not only has to keep track of what they’re doing but also where they need to put the camera the entire time. Also, players can leave the camera’s view. The camera will shift focus seemingly at random between the two players and it’s 100% possible that the other player will just not be visible which is extremely unhelpful. Either, they needed to lock both players into the frame like many games or they needed to do a split-screen approach. Playing the first level was a giant pain because more often than not, only one character would be on screen and the other would die.
Another weird thing with the multiplayer is that you can activate your own team attack triggers. In the game, there are times where you can create openings for your teammate to exploit and do a team attack, but in the Switch version, I’m finding that I can just create the opening and then do the team attack by myself which feels weird. While this is standard for the single-player campaign, it feels awkward in multiplayer.
At the end of the day, RWBY: Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition is fine if you’re playing online or playing solo. However, the new couch co-op mode is unplayable and I’m sad that only Team RWBY got new skins. I was really expecting more from Aspyr after the great work they’ve done on other games, but this one really hurt. I hope that they can revisit this and create a patch that addresses the multiplayer, but I’m not holding my breath.
