Children of Morta (Switch) Review – Battling With The Bergsons

Children of Morta Switch Review

There comes a time in every game’s life cycle when it undergoes some big changes. After some shedding, molting, and a little quality cocoon-time, every game makes the long journey to its final home on the Nintendo Switch. That time has finally arrived for Children of Morta, and it’s a beautiful fit! For the most part. In spite of any hiccups, this is one more game that feels like a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console.

If you’re not on the Morta train yet, here’s the breakdown: You play the Bergsons, a whole family of monster-slayers. Corruption is spreading throughout the land, and it’s up to you to push it back. Every family member fights differently, with their specialties in battle. While you do have several skill trees to flesh out, they take a back seat to your own organic growth. You’re discouraged from leaning on one family member for too long, as the Corruption fatigue eventually wears them down. Which is a terrible shame, because Lucy is truly terrific. Why waste time with fists and daggers when there’s someone rocking infinite fireballs? Plus, if you’re worried your slow progress will keep you from taking in the story, don’t be. Narrative development occurs in spite of any roadblocks or bottlenecks you might be trapped in. Every crushing failure is another chance to see one more charming interaction between various members of the Bergson clan.

Primed For Portable Play

I won’t bog you down with endless minutiae about Children of Morta. Our original review is the perfect spot to get well-versed on the narrative, the combat, and the unique approach to roguelite gaming. No, we’ll focus here on the game’s viability as a Nintendo Switch port. To that end, it’s mostly a slam dunk! The inputs sync with fluid grace to any control setup. Both the Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller feel designed for this game in particular. This is more of a testament to Morta’s fabulous design, but still. Beyond my own intermittent drift issues, the controls feel perfect.

On the graphics front, Morta is built from the bones for hopping from PC to console. The pixelated visuals are a seamless fit for either the handheld or the docked modes. The clean design meant I was never lost or confused about what was happening, even when I was busy watching TV at the same time. Furthermore, the whole dungeon system is perfect for handheld gaming. Transit is the right environment for getting a good dungeon run in, or at least getting killed on the third floor for the eighth time. The one major downside so far, is that it doesn’t always run great.

Let me be perfectly clear: Children of Morta runs amazing on the Switch at least 90% of the time. There are only a few points where things will stutter or seize up. Unfortunately, one of those places is right when you’ve finished a dungeon run. I had to beat the first boss for the first time twice in a row. I was treated to an error code after the first success, while waiting for the home base to load. This happened to me twice in two days. It turns out the loading screens are a source of terrible strain for this version of the game. Aside from these occasional tragic snags, Morta runs smooth as butter on the Switch.

Occasional Hiccups and Snags

I can’t put too much stock in technical issues, especially with a port. There’s always a chance these lingering troubles will be swept away by a patch, after all. And a prolonged gaze at my scattered woes belittles the many hours of engaging fun I’ve had. I’m a little morose about the lack of Switch-specific features, but this is quickly forgotten in the face of all that dungeon-running to be had. The portable element also can’t be overlooked. Dungeon runs feel hand-crafted for a portable console. Between the dungeon size, the bite-size story chunks, and the clear objectives, this is a game meant for picking up at a moment’s notice. Ultimately, players torn between this version and a home console one are choosing either function or form. Dedicated Switch gamers, on the other hand, would be fools to pass this one up.

***A Nintendo Switch code was provided by the publisher***