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When a game made for one platform suddenly is adapted for another, we often see compromises made to make it happen. This is especially true when a game goes from VR to a more traditional system. The Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked Switch 2 port is a perfect example, as it brings the strategic RPG to the console while still allowing folks to journey with others on VR headsets via cross-platform play. It works! Reasonably well, even. However, as a result of the various compromises, it can feel awkward at times.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is at complete parity with the VR versions of the game. This means it includes the additional heroes from past updates like the Druid and Warlock ready to unlock. Both the Embers of Chaos and Crown of Frost campaigns are present. You can assign different characters, which you can customize via choosing their appearance, secondary attributes, and abilities as they level up, to different players. In-game chat is supported, so you can communicate with folks you might be cross-playing with and don’t need to rely on the Switch 2 built-in GameChat. In general, it’s great for getting into the game and playing with anyone who already owns it. I saw rooms available right away, and it was simple to create an open room, get a room code for anyone to join, or even directly invite folks on my in-game friends list.
Gameplay in the Switch 2 version of Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is identical to the VR ones. Allies attack first, and can perform two actions per turn. (This can change if you get certain cards or perks.) Things that use up one of your action points include moving your character’s figurine on the map to reposition them to get to a new spot/open a chest/open a door, moving them to an enemy to directly attack them, or using one of the cards in your hand to perform a special ability. Up to four characters can be active at once and assigned to up to four players. (So you could have one per person, two characters for two, one person managing one and another three, and so on.) Each map has a goal to accomplish, such as defeating a certain person or reaching a specific spot. There will also be situations in which you can roll for things like a strength or wisdom check for new information or to make something happen.
There are a few ways in which you can tell that Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is definitely made for VR headsets and feels slightly awkward on the Switch 2 as a result. Some of these don’t feel like a big deal as you get adjusted to the different platform. I found it looked sharper on the Meta Quest 3. This is most noticeable for character and enemy models. But every element looked a little more crisp there. Working out the different control scheme after playing it with the Meta Quest controllers and essentially a modified mouse-based selection system is another element. I basically found myself playing in handheld mode and tapping on character portraits for selecting the character sheets for leveling up or delaying turns.
But the real awkwardness stems from the camera and some controls. This also was a bit of an issue in the VR version, though I found it’s currently compounded in the Switch 2 release of Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. Sometimes, I couldn’t get the position just right to properly target certain individuals or get a better view of specific spots. In some instances, I wouldn’t be able to zoom in on one part of the map in the same way I could another. I found when I’d drag and drop a card sometimes, the camera would shift far to the bottom left or right corner of the map at that moment away from where I initially intended to perform an action. It’s like you need to double-check before every action to be certain you’re really targeting the individual or environmental element in order to proceed. Part of this I believe also comes down to the control scheme being different than the dragging and dropping mechanics in VR. But it takes a bit of getting used to at the moment.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked does work on the Switch 2 and makes it a lot easier to get more people involved in a campaign, but the nature of its design means it can feel a bit awkward. The camera perspective and way dragging and dropping units and cards are the biggest examples. Both take getting used to, especially if you first played on a VR headset. But it does work and seems to make it easy to hop into campaigns with others.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is now on the Switch 2 and originally appeared for the Meta Quest headsets, PC headsets via Steam, and the PS5’s PSVR2.
