The best Switch games for 2024

Those looking for a throwback RPG more similar to Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG than to Baldur’s Gate 3, Dragon Age: Origins, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will love Sea of Stars. A prequel story set in The Messenger’s universe, it tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

Monolith Soft has yet another hit on its hands, this time with JRPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This massive open-world game features many familiar mechanics from previous entries, but with some new additions, like the ability to have parties of up to seven members. This gives each battle plenty of variety, especially since you can swap between party members whenever you’d like. The combat is unique in that it occurs in real time, but each of your attacks must be selected, with cooldown timers between your strikes. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also has a tremendously engaging story that is bolstered thanks to its lovable characters. If you’re looking for a huge JRPG to sink your teeth into, look no further.

Pardon the pun, but the Monster Hunter franchise is on the rise. Go back just a few years ago, and Capcom’s action RPG franchise was a bit of a niche experience. It was wildly popular in certain parts of the world, but the west simply hadn’t caught on. The tides started changing in 2018 with the release of Monster Hunter World. The game was a wider hit that started piquing more people’s interests. Now Capcom has capitalized on that success with Monster Hunter Rise, bringing the franchise to the Nintendo Switch. The latest installment is one of the best entries yet. New features like the wirebug and Rampage quest types bring fresh content for fans who have already played hundreds of hours of World. The real key to the game’s success is that it’s a little friendlier for newcomers. The main problem with the series has always been its complex RPG systems that can totally alienate anyone who’s never played a Monster Hunter game before. Rise is a better entry point, making it one of the best games in the series for both old and new players.

If you’re in the mood for a new role-playing game that combines human and machine elements, Xenoblade Chronics Definitive Edition might be a good place to start. The game puts players in the position of Shulk, who attempts to understand his place in the world as he battles with others in his party against machine enemies. The game, which is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, has an open-world feel but generally follows a traditional role-playing game feel with a variety of battle maneuvers, health points that grow with XP boosts, and more. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition also features more than 90 music tracks.

Serving as Kirby’s first fully 3D adventure since the Crystal Shards on N64, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a major change of pace for the series. Sure, it still feels like a Kirby game, allowing you to consume enemies to gain new powers, but its presentation is more polished than ever. You might not realize it at first, but this game is actually set in a post-apocalyptic world, mirroring the likes of popular AAA games like Horizon Forbidden West. But of course, this is a Nintendo game, so you won’t be battling creepy zombies or anything like that. Instead, you’ll enjoy new mechanics like Kirby’s Mouthful Mode, which causes the character to take the shape of objects he consumes. For instance, you can eat a car, and in doing so, Kirby is sort of molded around the vehicle in a humorous way. As expected, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is absolutely brimming with personality and is an approachable platformer that will no doubt make you smile.

For over two decades, Nintendo fans begged the company to make a sequel to Pokémon Snap. The N64 classic was a beloved hit thanks to its intuitive photography gameplay and charming use of the franchise. It was a long wait, but it was worth it in the end. New Pokémon Snap is a delightful follow-up that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch. For fans of the original, it doesn’t stray from what made that version work. It features relaxing, on-rails gameplay that lets players lay back and take some cute snaps. The sequel really shines when it comes to content. The original game was extremely short, making it a perfect Blockbuster rental. This new version is much more robust. There are over 210 Pokémon to snap, each of which has four distinct poses. There are way more courses to explore, which have several variants. Side requests give players around 200 bonus goals to complete on top of the already beefy 12-hour story. To top it all off, the game has a photo editor and an online social component where players can share their best snaps. For those who just want to live in the world of Pokémon, it’s a much more fully realized version of Snap that’s perfect for lazy Sundays on the couch.