Unlike some of Nintendo‘s recent home consoles, the Switch has become a shining beacon for a myriad of fun, colorful RPGs of all kinds. And though many of these take the form of multiplatform games and rereleases, it’s tough not to be impressed with the sheer quantity of stellar RPGs as a whole.
Moreover, Switch seems to be particularly strong when it comes to role-playing romps that stress exciting action with their battle systems. These ARPGs certainly fit with Nintendo’s arcade roots and prove a great fit for the handheld-enabled console.
Updated January 19th, 2021 by Thomas Bowen: Ever since the nineties when the company helped to usher in the golden age of RPGs, Nintendo’s consoles have been home to some of the best RPGs around. It seems quite fitting then, that nearly three decades on, the Switch is continuing this proud tradition.
These days, however, the focus has shifted from turn based combat to real-time action; making for a much more exciting and fast-paced experience. Fans of the action RPG genre will find a lot to love in the Switch’s huge library of games and will be surprised at just how hard some of them are able to push this magical machine.
15 Bastion
Thanks to its isometric viewpoint and its beautiful hand-painted art style, Bastion still looks great even when compared to modern titles. That’s pretty impressive really, considering the game will be ten years old in a matter of months. The gameplay also holds up well, as too does the game’s wonderful narrative.
Everything about the game feels like it was made with fun in mind, from its bright color palette to its storybook presentation (complete with actual narration). The Kid could perhaps have done with a bit more character development and the pacing isn’t always as smooth as it could be, but these are just minor niggles with an otherwise brilliant game.
14 Hyper Light Drifter
This charming 2D action RPG might not look like much at first glance, but hidden beneath the game’s stunning sprite-work can be found a wonderful adventure that really should’t be missed. It features some truly fantastic environments and looks and sounds amazing throughout.
Hyper Light Drifter first came about thanks to a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign which saw it raise more than 20 times its original goal. Unlike many other big Kickstarters, however, the team behind the project actually followed through with a great game. The special edition Switch port is probably the best way to experience it too thanks to the inclusion of some additional content and the ability to play on the go.
13 Crypt Of The NecroDancer
Crypt of the NecroDancer is an incredibly unique game that borrows elements from a number of different genres. On the one hand it’s a roguelike dungeon crawler, but its incorporation of action, RPG and rhythm based mechanics makes it something of a jack of all trades. Whatever one wants to call it, it’s a lot of fun!
Although not quite as enjoyable, fans of Nintendo and the Zelda franchise in particular may instead prefer Cadence of Hyrule. It uses a lot of the same ideas and gameplay mechanics as the aforementioned title while adding in characters, locations and items from the Zelda universe.
12 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Zelda games have featured RPG elements since Link’s very first outing, but none more so than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s the most ambitious Zelda game ever made and features a ridiculous amount of content for players to explore and complete.
Much like Windwaker before it, the game’s art style proved to be a little divisive amongst long-term series fans when it was first unveiled, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped anybody from buying it. It’s now sold more than 20 million copies, making it the best selling Zelda game by some margin. With a sequel somewhere on the horizon though, that’s a title that it may not hold on to for too much longer.
11 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
That the team over at CD Projekt Red were somehow able to get The Witcher 3 running on the Nintendo Switch really is an impressive accomplishment. It does beg the question though, if they can do this, then how did they fail so miserably in their attempts to get Cyberpunk 2077 running on the PS4 and Xbox One?
We’ll likely never get a proper answer to that question, but it’s somewhat irrelevant here. What we do know is that The Witcher 3 is one of the most comprehensive action RPGs ever made and a must-play for fans of the genre. With a compelling story, near-endless side activities and a fully fleshed-out romance system, it really is a masterpiece of a game.
10 Trials of Mana
Much to the surprise of fans of this long-dormant series, Square Enix announced a remake of the Japanese-only Secret of Mana sequel at E3 ’19. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of, say, the Final Fantasy VII revamp, the mechanics and visuals proved a step above the sprite-based game of ’95.
This majestic world could now be experienced in the 3rd dimension, complete with some charming and vibrant visuals that exude a more modern JRPG style. The gameplay is equally refined and enjoyable, with thrilling real-time battles, tons of rewarding spells, and a nuanced class system to tinker with.
9 Dark Souls: Remastered
FromSoftware helped spearhead an entirely new subgenre with the grueling “Soulslike.” These games raise the stakes and add to the intensity by putting the player’s life on the line in each fight, drawing from the roguelike mechanic of limited saves. With this polished remaster, Nintendo gamers finally get to experience one of the most intense, dynamic ARPGs in recent history.
It should be noted that the Switch version of Dark Souls fails to hit the native 60 FPS benchmark like its multiplatform peers. Still, the ability to explore the vast dungeons and slay countless beasts on the go makes this an appealing title for RPG fans of a grittier, more old-school bent.
8 Cat Quest II
One doesn’t often think of indies when it comes to rich, captivating RPGs. Yet, studio Gentlebros and PQube have quietly crafted one of Switch’s best (and most adorable) ARPGs with Cat Quest. The series features tons of arcade-style action, as players control a cat hero hacking, slashing, and spell-casting their way through baddies.
While the original distilled things down to a more simplistic Zelda-like adventure, this cat-tastic sequel fleshes out the gameplay and offers more expansive, diverse environments. Not only this, but Cat Quest II introduces co-op, bringing even more action-packed fun and insanity into the fray.
7 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana
The Ys series may not be quite as known to Western RPG fans compared to, say, The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy. Yet, many who have stumbled upon this hidden gem have found its visuals, gameplay, and overall quality to reach a level near the likes of Xenoblade and the Tales series.
Newcomers may be intimidated by the fact that this is the 8th mainline game in a long-running series. Yet, Ys VIII is regarded as a great introduction to this respected franchise. This is thanks to its palatable, stand-alone story centered on a deserted island, not to mention some fun and accessible action-based combat.
6 Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
This converted PS2 game tends to be overshadowed by some of the bigger names in FF like VII and X which reside near the same era. But despite its “black sheep” status, this remaster of the ’06 RPG proves one of the more interesting entries in the FF series. It’s certainly worth a look for those who fancy more grounded and nuanced political plots, as well as fast-paced combat.
With the game’s more open-world sensibilities and real-time combat in 3D, FFXII feels more akin to an MMO than a typical Final Fantasy adventure. But for many, this is part of its charm, along with some notable enhancements of this HD remaster.
5 Xenoblade Chronicles 2
After the mech-laden, open-world romp that was Xenoblade Chronicles X, Monolith Soft returned to their more linear, story-driven roots with this sequel to the classic RPG on Wii.
Despite its more traditional structure, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is brimming with depth and lavish, sprawling environments to boot. Each of the aerial land masses surrounding the World Tree comes with its own distinct character, along with a slew of baddies taking on all shapes and sizes. Thanks to the interesting Pokémon-esque Blades system and some thrilling, multi-layered combat, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an endlessly-fun journey.
4 Diablo III: Eternal Collection
With this 3rd entry of the famed dungeon-crawling phenom Diablo, Blizzard lets Nintendo fans in on the monster-slaying action for the first time, and in tremendous form. Not only can players now enjoy this addictive game on the go, but the Switch version of Eternal Collection also offers seamless couch and online co-op.
With intuitive controls and a palatable interface on Switch, this Diablo rendition nicely balances ample depth with accessibility.
With all the included refinements that iron out the rough patches from the initial 2012 release, not to mention many extra challenges and DLC, this is arguably the best way to experience Diablo III on a console. Zelda fans can even channel their inner-villain with a neat Legend of Ganondorf cosmetic armor set.
3 Collection Of Mana
Mana fans certainly have no shortage of choices when it comes to Switch offerings. Aside from the full-fledged remake of Trials of Mana, Square Enix offers this solid collection of the best three games in the franchise.
Fans can enjoy the simple, but charming originator in all its Game Boy glory – Final Fantasy Adventure – and the delightful 3-player journey for SNES, Secret of Mana. But perhaps most significant is the very first Western release of the original Trials of Mana, which may be one of the most dynamic 16-bit ARPGs ever.
Players are also treated to a soundtrack of some particularly great Mana tunes that can be enjoyed in the menu.
2 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade 2 managed to wow fans once again, thanks mainly to its inventive battle system and vast worlds. Still, it’s tough to deny the quality of the original Xenoblade, especially with the added polish and content that comes with this Switch remaster.
Quality of life improvements, such as added waypoints and a more organized interface, remove some of the few blemishes of this RPG gem. In addition, the crispness and vibrancy of the visuals have been dialed up to make the aesthetic more appealing. And with the added challenges and new epilogue content to boot, wielding the famed Monado is more enjoyable than ever.
1 Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
As if this already-robust epic needed to be expanded upon, Capcom ups the ante with this juiced-up installment of Monster Hunter Generations. The game impresses in terms of its performance and visuals, and its exploration-based gameplay lends itself to the handheld sensibilities of Switch.
There are more massive monsters to battle than ever in this social ARPG romp, along with tons more equipment to obtain and resources to plunder. Additional customizations like Styles and Hunter Arts further adds depth to the series. This even gives Breath of the Wild a run for its money in terms of grandiosity, with gameplay that can take a whopping 264 hours to absorb in-full for completionists.
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