Chess Ultra

 Switch
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 26
  3. Negative: 9 out of 26

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  1. Wymog
    Sep 30, 2018
    3
    It's a chess game. As a game in and of itself, it's very hard to get chess wrong. But this games isn't marketed as a simple chess game. This is supposed to be a beautiful, premium chess playing experience. I'm going to warn you that it's far from it. The chess pieces themselves look like they're rendered in an unacceptable 360p, and somehow get even blurrier when they move across theIt's a chess game. As a game in and of itself, it's very hard to get chess wrong. But this games isn't marketed as a simple chess game. This is supposed to be a beautiful, premium chess playing experience. I'm going to warn you that it's far from it. The chess pieces themselves look like they're rendered in an unacceptable 360p, and somehow get even blurrier when they move across the board. The couch in one of the available backgrounds actually looks more impressive than the pieces and boards themselves. You'll also have these blurry messes move around at about 20 frames per second. The most atrocious thing is that this game takes a whopping 3 GB of memory on your Switch, I can only imagine that this space is used for whatever high quality shaders and textures they have for all the boards and backgrounds. It's a shame that you'll never be able to appreciate them under the extremely overkill antialiasing applied to the actual gameplay elements.

    Essentially, you get awful antialiasing that blurs pieces to a point where they're hard to look at, which subsequently makes any memory hogging HD textures and shaders unnoticeable, which then unnecessarily bogs down the framerate to an almost unplayable degree.

    An overall terrible experience that isn't worth the money, far from the experience promised.

    If you don't care about graphics whatsoever, it's a functional chess game on the Switch. Be prepared to take a bit of time to even tell pieces apart from eachother, however.    … Expand
  2. lgndsgn
    Jun 7, 2019
    2
    Cons: 1-online multiplayer sucks. Takes FOREVER to find an opponent (and they’re usually VERY new at chess). Online is basically useless. 2-lag is ridiculous, for even minor things like moving menu. 3-very little viewpoint management for 3D. 4-starting a new game is really bad ux. Pros: nice music/atmosphere, some puzzles are good
    Seriously, ALL they had to do was imitate every other    Cons: 1-online multiplayer sucks. Takes FOREVER to find an opponent (and they’re usually VERY new at chess). Online is basically useless. 2-lag is ridiculous, for even minor things like moving menu. 3-very little viewpoint management for 3D. 4-starting a new game is really bad ux. Pros: nice music/atmosphere, some puzzles are good
    Seriously, ALL they had to do was imitate every other online chess app and then just slap the pretty graphics/music onto it. And make sure it runs respectably. I love chess but I wasted money on this app    … Expand
  3. Civiliza
    Mar 5, 2023
    1
    Visually this game is pretty good - indeed the screen shots were a major factor in buying it. The major downside is that it persistently tries to force you into a Nintendo Online subscription.

    I wasn't interested in online play, but every "achievement" be it completing any of the numerous tutorials, solving any puzzle, let alone winning a game brings up the Nintendo Online dialogue.    Visually this game is pretty good - indeed the screen shots were a major factor in buying it. The major downside is that it persistently tries to force you into a Nintendo Online subscription.

    I wasn't interested in online play, but every "achievement" be it completing any of the numerous tutorials, solving any puzzle, let alone winning a game brings up the Nintendo Online dialogue.

    Strictly for those willing to subscribe because without the simple addition of a "Don't ask again" option the offline only experience is horrendous due to the endless nagging.    … Expand
  4. Phaidros
    Nov 17, 2017
    6
    I really like the Idea to have a portable tabletop Chess with me, that has only the size of the Switch. Plus, the graphics are nice too, you can adjust viewing angles and whatnot. But you also HAVE to, because by default, they almost never show the board sufficiently (for my taste).
    The controls are not adjustable, that means you have to tip the control stick or the button EVERY time you    I really like the Idea to have a portable tabletop Chess with me, that has only the size of the Switch. Plus, the graphics are nice too, you can adjust viewing angles and whatnot. But you also HAVE to, because by default, they almost never show the board sufficiently (for my taste).
    The controls are not adjustable, that means you have to tip the control stick or the button EVERY time you want to move the cursor. It gets annoying if you want to cross the whole board.
    At the moment, there is no dlc available, but it looks like there will be in the future (option available in menue). However i would prefer to see more configuration options, rather than more design choices for the pieces and the board. I always use the standard board an pieces, because I sometimes have a hard time figuring out which piece is what, and that annoys me a lot.
    So, some more options, some dlc, and Chess Ultra could make it to a 8....    … Expand
  5. Kakadu
    Apr 30, 2023
    9
    Solidly made and nicely looking chess game, with several difficulty levels and modes and relaxing background music.
  6. Obsid1anWolf
    Dec 7, 2020
    6
    Great game, but I wish the DLC store (eshop) was not such a big f**king button. I scroll over on accident all the time and hit that button on accident. It makes me mad and I just want to bash my switch into the wall.
  7. JeremyReveiws
    Feb 4, 2023
    0
    I think the could make the game more balanced may be state with the horse I think it moves to well
  8. PetarSvacic
    Jul 14, 2023
    0
    It's everything but beginner friendly. You can't take back moves, the controls are weird and not intuitive. Often you make the wrong move by accident and you can't take it back and so you have to restart the entire game. Just annoying

Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Worth Playing
    Jan 3, 2018
    85
    Chess Ultra is a great chess game and a welcome addition to the Switch's digital library of titles. Its in-depth tutorial offers a useful starting point for those new to the sport, while challenges, AI difficulties, and customizable matches ensure that established players have the tools needed to improve their game in a variety of formats. While the lack of a real-time filter for matchmaking is a bummer, Chess Ultra more than justifies its budget price tag of $12.50. Whether you are a grandmaster or a complete novice, Chess Ultra is a worthy entry into the world of virtual chess.
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  2. FNintendo
    Nov 17, 2017
    80
    With the challenge lying mostly on the difficulty levels and on the game modes, Chess Ultra performs remarkably on all fronts thanks to its variety of game modes, its difficulty levels adjusted to the players' skills and high quality audiovisual environment, with magnificent attention to detail.
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  3. Switch Player
    Nov 16, 2017
    70
    It would be hard to make a bad chess game, but it's not easy to make a beautiful one and that's what Ripstone have achieved with Ultra Chess. It's priced reasonably, plays and looks fantastic and if you are a strategy or chess-afficiando then it's a no-brainer. Unlike some of the matches you might play...
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