Double Switch - 25th Anniversary Edition

Its great that this was re-released and the audio/visuals were updated. I really enjoyed this game as a kid and playing back through it is amazing. There are some annoyances though:

Playing on Steam Deck the game will randomly crash, even after a reinstall the issue persists and prevents progression past the first act.

Playing from a PC Im use to pressing Esc to pause, this causes the game to immediatly crash back to desktop.

However if you were a fan of it before or just a fan of FMV games this is one of the most enjoyable.

This was the second ever game that I bought for my Sega CD. I'm a sucker for FMV games, so I played the hit out of it. Although the game can be beat in 40 minutes, I'd still pick it over Night Trap. Also epic cast.
Warning!: broken on Windows Vis7a

I wish there were more games like this, graphics are super realistic, the characters in the game look exactly like real people, animations look so natural, they most likely used mocap for that, imagine FNAF, then imagine if it was actually fun to play, this game is exactly that, If like me you are a fan of slapstick comedy and ham chances are you will love this game, you can't really watch the story because you need to catch the intruders, some events you just have to memorize the best moment to switch there and use the traps or watch the janitor, you will get game overs a lot at first, but trust me you get better at catching intruders and doing the key events, It is so much fun to catch people with booby traps, I feel like this game helped me understand fred from scooby doo better. Also I recommend using the third view option for the cameras and also make the notifications video, this will be really helpful in figuring out where you should be watching.

It's a good game it's like a movie but you help Eddie get out!!!!!

Typically extremely lazy Unity game. It's also completely broken on my machine, and none of the controls actually work - do not recommend if you have Windows 11. Also extremely annoying how it's *supposed* to be played, having looked at a guide, but can't ask for a refund or get technical help because Steam itself is broken. Dumb.

I just love these 90's FMV games.

I say we bring back this format of games for nostalgia's sake's. "At Dead of Night" is a recent one with a crazed hotel manager stalking you through the halls with a baseball bat, but we need more!

I remember years upon years ago hearing about the Sega Mega-CD through the internet. Through all the trash it had, especially. So many people bashing it because "haha these games look bad and are dumb". Years later, after gaining a serious fascination and subsequent appreciation for those CD based consoles, I just passed off these games as not worth my time. Later on, after hearing about remasters, I got quite excited. Not because I thought it was gonna be good, but because I wanted to see just how cheesy these games were. So, I waited for a steam sale.

I'll tell you one thing is definitely for sure, this game is not about strategy. This game is about memory. You will be replaying parts over and over and over again (mostly Act II, Act III ironically gave me the least amount of trouble). It will be frustrating. For this fact alone, had I written this review last night, I would be panning this game hard because of how infuriating replaying Act II was. I will say, however, the one time I was about to win, I killed the game by pressing the escape key because I'm so used to it being the pause button. The ESC key killing the game is a real detriment if you're not used to it as you can kill a massive amount of progress by just hitting it to pause the game or yuo bump it by accident.

But one thing is for sure about Double Switch; this game is cheese to its end. It is the pinnacle of overacting. Corey Haim's investment into Eddie is something you can feel, it actually feels like he's mad. The way that Lyle (played by R. Lee Ermey) looks to help you after you trapped him multiple times in Act I feels genuine. Funnily enough, Deborah Harry is in this game, the same Deborah Harry of Blondie fame. Admittedly, if someone was able to recut the original film, I'd be happy to watch this as a short drama film, even if it's just a short film. The acting and the general way that the actors' performances feel over-the-top is really enjoyable and possibly the biggest reason to play this game, if not just watch someone play it themselves.

Speaking of film, that's one thing that I was seriously disappointed about with this game. I was told, or at least, I had heard that these games were remastered. The FMVs sure don't look or sound the part, as it feels like I'm playing a VHS capture (like this game was made for the NEMO system like Night Trap was originally) or a poorly upscaled version of the Saturn or PC cutscenes. It looks really, really bad. I'm not sure if the source film is even still around or if it was recorded onto VHS, but either way, it just looks terrible and the video compression applied to it makes it a lot worse. The audio is really crunchy with how there's so much hiss. Audio compression often seems to take out hiss in a very unnatural way, so it generally sounded terrible too. Not unplayable, but it's really poor quality in terms of audio and video. Really disappointing too, since this game is a good 4GB.

Nonetheless, if you have a lot of patience to redo things all over again and find yourself with time to kill, or just want to experience what these games used to be like, pick this game up on sale. Otherwise, you can pass on it.

And Im crying at the moon, and I call that tunnel vision and Im scratching for the truth

I always liked FMV games and this one is very fun and simple to play, although I admit it is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is in the same style as Night Trap, but more challenging. The only thing I don't like is that it is impossible to follow the main events of the story without losing too many points or even getting a game over screen, since there is too many enemies coming all at once It would be nice to have an easy setting with less enemies to trap at once in order to enjoy more of the story and the funny characters, such as Lyle the Handyman, which is the best of the game.

Such a great game. Love the fact that they redid this for the PC. I bet there's a bunch of people who can't beat this game.

This game appears to be incompatible with Windows 7.
It is unplayable. The videos do not load, it stutters and crashes. BEWARE!

This game is brilliant and more people need to give it a shot. I can't believe how good it looks compared to the original Sega CD version. The acting is camping and fun and there's just a gloriously classic score attack feel to the whole thing. It's thrilling to get a bunch of traps with super tight timing. It almost feels like a rhythm game at points.

Great stuff and I'm so glad I bought it.

When I got my raspberry pi, i learned about the sega CD. I LOVED Night Trap so i thought this would be a good one to play. I was not disapointed! i have a slight problem on the setup i have that it will sometimes not recognise that i trapped someone and cut off my controls, but other than that this game is perfect!

Game play is repetitive. You'll have to die and start over multiple times. Continue points are placed in approximately three points in the game and the bonus material is locked behind an, A rating at the end of completing the game. (I finished with an F)

But still, I recommend this game for those who played it 25 years ago and have a soft spot for FMV games of yesteryear. The improved video quality is a welcome improvement from the, Sega CD. It's great seeing a young Cory Haim in his youth along with a younger R. Lee Ermey. Double Switch for me is a time machine to my youth when I hadn't a care in the world:)

Now bring on, Ground Zero Texas!:)))

I've been waiting for this ever since the remaster of Night Trap came out. It does not disappoint. Every bit as addictive as it was when it came out 25 years ago.

literally a game i can pick up for a quick 10-15 min gaming session and be completely fulfilled. few games sit in this pocket of entertainment, TRUE diamond in the ruff,

On Win7 this game is an absolute BROKEN MESS. It is really a Fucking shame because I was godamn looking forward to this after playing the Sega CD version for years . I'm willing to bet the Android version works better, and if I got credit to own THAT version as well since I PURCHASED a game I thought was going to work with my system, I would totally play it on my shield and it would redeem this whole thing for me personally, no questions. Given THAT version does not play like THIS. I really want this game to be playable, and not just a messy tease that gives me Blue Balls. Throw me a copy of the Android version and I would not only erase this negative review, but likley write a positve one. I don't want my money back, just a game that works .

Wow, was this a nostalgia trip! Have been having fun revisiting it with the higher quality video (I had this on Sega CD originally)

I haven't encountered any game breaking bugs like some people seem to have. I was able to do a complete playthrough. You can tell however that this was a bit more slapped together than the Night Trap re-release was that was done by the same company. For example, there are typos all throughout the instructions pages.

There is an In Memorium video at the end of the game that was quite sad to see. Other than Corey Haim, I hadn't realized so many people from this game have passed; most fairly young too.

I can't comment on the bonus content as you need to complete the game with a grade of A to unlock it, which seems near impossible. Makes me think there probably isn't a ton of bonus content? The theater mode though is really nice; allows you to just watch each video clip in its entirety without worrying about trapping.

This game was one of the best of it's type at the time, though the format itself has problems. It was quite a bit better than Night Trap (made by the same people) in terms of its production value and execution, it just slid under the radar in terms of popularity. (It didn't have any controversy fueling it) Side fact: It was directed by Mary Lambert who directed the original Pet Semetary video as well as several high profile music videos like Madonna's Like a Prayer. You can see a substantial rise in quality of the production value.

Recomended for: Those who played the original and enjoyed it. Younger people who are curious about gaming history and wants to experience this odd little era of gaming; this is a very good example of it.

Overview

Pros

• True to its 1993 roots
  
• Decent story for a game that’s FMV
  
• Neat and fun traps
  
• Little bit of strategy in deciding who to capture and who to let escape
  
• Lots of replay value if you care about achievements
  

Cons

• No replay value if achievements aren’t your thing
  
[*]Very old school and very niche, does not have a large appeal

Summary

There's a spoiler or two at the bottom of this, so if you don't want any clues/hints, don't read past the "final thoughts" section

Like most of you who probably care to read this, I'm a big fan of this one from the Sega CD/Saturn days. US player here - never played the Windows 95 version. I've played the game so often, I've memorized most of the trap patterns and try to get as many traps as I can in a full play-thru. I noticed events happen in a slightly different fashion in this iteration. I'm totally fine with that. It's a fresh take on something I'm already really familiar with. The video/audio isn't fully HD/stereo surround, but it's to be expected. The game was built from the master footage that was shot when the game was created in the early 90's. Compared to what the video footage looks like on Sega CD, the improvement here is off the charts in my book.

Gameplay:
I do find it odd that sometimes the same trap sequence happens twice in a row. In act 1, I trapped a guy at the window and then moments later I got the same sequence. Didn't he learn the first time? Also, I've ran into scenarios where the same person is in two places at once. While this isn't a big deal (kind of funny, actually), this wasn't as obvious on the older systems I don't think.

In my experience playing thru the game, I have never had a problem getting all the code numbers in Act 1. I read someone say that 2 numbers happen at the same time and it's impossible to get both. That hasn't been my experience, and I downloaded and played the game shortly after it released. If that was an issue, it was identified/fixed within 2 hours of release.

Bonus content:
Now that I've unlocked the bonus content - here's the update. The bonus footage isn't great. It's just OK. I'm not going to knock them for it though because there's a good chance this is all they have to work with. Double Switch flew a bit under the radar I think. It definitely wasn't as controversial as NIght Trap, so I'm not surprised at all that there aren't any cast interviews or documentary type videos to put in there. What they do have are some deleted scenes and alternate takes from shooting. The bonus footage is also locked behind other goals such as "playing through the game without missing anyone in the lobby", etc.

Bugs I've encountered:
- In act 1, when you pause the game using a mouse, there isn't a way to quit. When you mouse over "quit" on the pause screen, it won't highlight...only "resume" works. Once you get to act 2, it works as expected. I haven't tried playing with a controller yet.

- On my 1st two play-thru's, there was no audio for the final scene that leads into the ending/credits. I actually tweeted screaming villains to ask them about that. I had to exit the game once when I couldn't quit in Act 1, and on re-launch, I noticed that there was already a small update. On my next play-thru the audio worked just fine. Maybe this one has been fixed.

- On a few occasions, the audio/video scene did some weird things, but it was very few and far between, and not a game breaker, for me at least.

Achievements:
Most of the achievements are to use a trap 25 times, 10 times, etc. I've noticed some inconsistency with that. Things I know I did 10 times didn't pop right away, but do eventually if you keep playing. The "trap lyle whenever you can" achievement also fired randomly when I didn't expect it to, unless I just didn't understand what it is they are asking me to do.


Final thoughts:
FMV's are a niche corner of the gaming world. I've found that most people either love them or hate them. Personally, I love them, and I'm completely happy with this release. Like FMV's, the small imperfections are what make them fun - cheesy acting, campy plot, tongue in cheek dialogue. There are a few bugs, but the game is 100% playable. Take it from someone that's already gone through the game several times.





Spoilers below!!

Unlocking the new traps: In the Sega CD/Saturn version, the traps unlock immediately as soon as Lyle turns the screwdriver. In this release, it's on a small delay. I'm used to getting the new trap and moving on immediately, so this was an adjustment for me. I failed Act 2 a handful of times getting used to waiting on the new traps to unlock.

The scene after the credits - It just bums me out! ... but it's a very nice dedication scene to the actors from the game that are no longer with us . Nice touch.