The Outbound Ghost Dev Releases Video Statement Regarding Switch Performance Issues

Update [Fri 9th Dec, 2022 13:30 GMT]: Just last week we heard from the team behind the 2.5D Paper Mario-like, The Outbound Ghost, that the version released to Switch had not been approved and was suffering from performance issues.

The lead developer, Conrad, has now issued a full video statement claiming that these problems stem from a difficult relationship with the game’s publisher. While the partnership has been dissolved in the ensuing week, the developer claims that the publishing studio is continuing to profit from the situation.

The statement also makes clear that those who backed the game’s Kickstarter campaign will be receiving all that they were promised when the team is happy with the final product. It seems that Conradical Games plans to self-publish the title in the future, though it is unclear as to when this will be while the team studies “the appropriate legal actions” to take against the publishers.

You can watch Conrad’s full statement in the video below:

Original article [Fri 2nd Dec, 2022 15:30 GMT]: We have been hotly anticipating the release of The Outbound Ghost for a good few months now. A 2.5D Paper Mario tribute with an adorable little ghosty as the main character? What’s not to like! Unfortunately, it seems that the game which was released on Switch yesterday is not the version that the developer, Conradical Games, ever wanted to see the light of day.

Published in a post on the game’s official Twitter account, @OutboundGhost, the developer apologised for the state that the game currently finds itself in. According to this message, the lead developer received a number of comments concerning issues with the game at launch and has now gone public, stating that ” I never wanted this version of the game to come out”, but the release was out of their control.

You can find the full statement in the following tweet.

Reading through the replies in the time following this announcement, it appears that the issues with the game stem from it being released in a rushed state without time for sufficient testing. Although we are still yet to get our hands on the game itself, the problems seem to be surrounding the absence of language options and issues with performance.

Those who pre-ordered the game will still receive their copy, but the developer has stated that it is not up to its quality standards.

Responding to one customer, the developer seemed to suggest that it was not able to test the game itself, potentially pointing towards the publisher as the pushing force behind the game’s rushed release.

What runs clear throughout all of the messages and responses in the announcement thread is that Conradical Games is doing everything that it can to amend the situation and ensure that the game is patched as quickly as possible. Here’s hoping that the team can get the issues sorted and release the title as it was intended.

For the moment, it seems, the only version of The Outbound Ghost which has been approved by the developer is the one available on Steam. Switch users will have to wait for a patch before knowing what the game is like in its intended state.

What do you make of this news? Did you have the game pre-ordered? Let us know in the comments!