Since its initial release on PC in 2023, The Exit 8 has reached a level of popularity that was unthinkable, selling 2 million units across every platform imaginable. The game has even seen a film adaptation which hit theaters in Japan in late August 2025 and is set to release in North America at some point in 2026. To coincide with the release of the movie, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, complete with some new updates based on anomalies from the movie, are available now to everyone. Is this Switch 2 edition or the update worth your time? Let’s get into it.
Gameplay
If you haven’t played The Exit 8 before, the premise is simple. The game places players in an underground walkway somewhere in Japan with the goal being to escape. It’s not as simple as proceeding forward. You are tasked with spotting anomalies around the area. If you see something strange, you need to turn back. If nothing seems out of the ordinary, keep moving forward. Starting at Exit 0, you’ll need to work your way up to Exit 8 by successfully identifying whether or not there are anomalies in the area. Some of these are fairly simple to spot, while others are quite tricky. These aren’t always visual either, as sound can come into play. The Exit 8 is a walking sim, however there are some light horror elements that can be found throughout the game. While I think it’s sequel, Platform 8 (you can check out our review here) is quite a bit creepier than this one, The Exit 8 still offers plenty of jump scares and unsettling anomalies.
Controls are very simple in The Exit 8. You move with the joystick and can initiate a run with ZL. A menu can be accessed with the press of Start that allows access to control sensitivity, language options, motion blur (under video) and audio levels.
The Exit 8 is a short game and doesn’t stray away from that fact. If you’ve played the game before, you can potentially get to the final exit in 10 or 15 minutes. However, the main draw here is to check out the anomalies and enjoy the ride.
Additions from Film
A special update for the game is available now for the Switch, Switch 2 and Steam and is scheduled to come to other platforms in a future update. This adds a few new anomalies that are featured in The Exit 8 film starring Kazunari Ninomiya. While I won’t get into specifics, there are five new anomalies that have been added to the game. If you have already cleared the game previously on the Switch 1, you will be able to pick up from where you left off and see a count down of what you have yet to see. These aren’t going to blow you away, but it’s great to see some new content added to the game.
Speaking on the film here briefly, I checked it out during the opening weekend here in Japan and was impressed. It’s quite a bit more than just the main actor, Nino, running around the underground passages. It introduces story elements that are nowhere to be found in the game, however, it’s done in a way that still fits into the general feel. When it comes out in theaters or video near you, it’s worth checking out if you enjoy the game.
Visuals, Audio & Performance
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Exit 8 is a significant leap over the version released on the Switch 1. The environments look sharper, the lighting is more realistic, the game runs at a higher resolution and the frame rate has been beefed up considerably. Even with that said, there are some issues. Some elements look a bit fuzzy, especially the man that you encounter in the walkway. The character model appears to be an upscaled version of the Switch1 asset, which makes the hair look a little bit strange. Not only this, but the text on posters behaves strangely with the motion blur turned on. While moving, the text gets bolder, but upon stopping, this effect stops, showing a non-bold font type. I’m not exactly sure what is happening here, but it’s something that you may notice when playing. Thankfully looking at text while moving isn’t the main gameplay conceit here, so this is more of a nitpick than anything.
Handheld mode looks sharp, but suffers from some of the same issues that you will find in docked mode. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad per se, and it does look quite a bit better than what was on the Switch 1. When it’s all said and done, I’m not too bothered by many of these graphical deficiencies. The increase in framerate is quite nice and the lighting is a lot more realistic now. Just note that there are cleaner looking versions of the game available elsewhere.
How to Upgrade from Switch 1 to Switch 2
If you already own a copy of The Exit 8 on the Switch 1, it is super easy to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. You’ll need to head over to the eShop on your Switch 2 (or browser version of the store) and find the game. If you find the product page for the game, you can see that you have a few options - purchase the game in full on Switch 2, purchase the Switch 1 version, or pick up the “Upgrade Pass.” If you already own the game on the Switch 1, this Upgrade Pass is the way to go. It’s pretty easy to do, so hopefully you won’t have any issues. I can’t comment on the pricing in ALL rerrirotires, but for Japan (where I am) it’s ¥100 while in the United States it’s $1.
Conclusion
The Exit 8 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a beefed up version of an already great game. While I did run into some issues regarding the text and some other visual hiccups, the game runs well and is just fun to play. If you haven’t played the game or are looking for a visual upgrade on your Switch 2, I think the asking price is low enough to take the plunge.
But, let’s turn things over to you guys. Did you play The Exit 8 on the Switch 1? What do you think about the visual upgrade on offer? Are you interested in The Exit 8 film? Sound off in the comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
Final Score: 8.0
by Danny Bivens
No comments:
Post a Comment