Curious to hear what everyone's favorite RPGs are for Switch. Share one or share many choices, and a little bit about why you like those games.
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What are your favorite RPGs for Switch?
- Thread starter DarthGohan1
- Start date
ribbitribbon
“Ridiculous.”
well my answers won’t be shocking but here we go
-Fire Emblem
really got into rpgs by playing fates. the different stories element and being able to marry my units really appealed to me. now i am a fan of the gameplay as well, but it took the other two to grab my attention.
-Xenoblade Chronicles
consistently has the best story and music out of any game i play. i haven’t played the other xeno games since i don’t have the consoles to do so, but i can vouch for the switch saga!
-Cat Tails
random mention but i got the game for a dollar or two and it’s worth it. it’s like an rpg cat harvest moon? if you were into warrior cats you’d probably like it.
-Fire Emblem
really got into rpgs by playing fates. the different stories element and being able to marry my units really appealed to me. now i am a fan of the gameplay as well, but it took the other two to grab my attention.
-Three Houses
by far the best written entry. adding gambits to gameplay was brilliant. all of the characters are completely fleshed out and it’s one of the few entries that takes war seriously. it’s like fates in that it has different routes, but without needing to pay to play the other ones. the second half was done really well, and the game definitely deserved its dice award.
-Engage
though i was skeptical at first, i ended up really liking engage. it’s lighter than its predecessor, but once the story picks up it ends up being really good. the art style and animations are great; i feel like graphically the switch was holding it back. the somniel feature is more entertaining than three houses’ monastery. the gameplay i really liked as well. my only complaint is the lack of paired endings. that’s a real knock off of how much i could have liked it. i also wish the bond conversations were better, they had a lot of potential. but overall, i enjoyed it a great deal.
-The Blazing Blaze (Fire Emblem)
this one is only available if you have a subscription. it’s imported from the gba and the first translated entry. the art style and graphics are my favorite out of the series. story and characters are all great, gameplay is great, what a good game! the game feels a lot tighter because there’s no breaks in between chapters, which is good or bad depending how you like that. i appreciated this one as a break to the new entries because the avatar in here isn’t important to the story at all. i find it a bit annoying in the new games. if you like gba games definitely give it a go.
by far the best written entry. adding gambits to gameplay was brilliant. all of the characters are completely fleshed out and it’s one of the few entries that takes war seriously. it’s like fates in that it has different routes, but without needing to pay to play the other ones. the second half was done really well, and the game definitely deserved its dice award.
-Engage
though i was skeptical at first, i ended up really liking engage. it’s lighter than its predecessor, but once the story picks up it ends up being really good. the art style and animations are great; i feel like graphically the switch was holding it back. the somniel feature is more entertaining than three houses’ monastery. the gameplay i really liked as well. my only complaint is the lack of paired endings. that’s a real knock off of how much i could have liked it. i also wish the bond conversations were better, they had a lot of potential. but overall, i enjoyed it a great deal.
-The Blazing Blaze (Fire Emblem)
this one is only available if you have a subscription. it’s imported from the gba and the first translated entry. the art style and graphics are my favorite out of the series. story and characters are all great, gameplay is great, what a good game! the game feels a lot tighter because there’s no breaks in between chapters, which is good or bad depending how you like that. i appreciated this one as a break to the new entries because the avatar in here isn’t important to the story at all. i find it a bit annoying in the new games. if you like gba games definitely give it a go.
-Xenoblade Chronicles
consistently has the best story and music out of any game i play. i haven’t played the other xeno games since i don’t have the consoles to do so, but i can vouch for the switch saga!
-Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
i played this after the second one. i liked the main characters a bit more here than in 2. story of course is a banger, (which is what you can expect from the series) the story builds upon itself and has a lot of twists. i liked the gameplay here the least, though. it was very difficult, i didn’t understand how the combat system worked until i had already finished. as such, i had to put it on a lower difficulty to beat it. i didn’t do any side quest besides the required one because they weren’t appealing to me and there were too many. the game still has some of my favorite characters in the series, and does a good job with character relationships.
-Future Connected: i thought it was an interesting concept but due to not caring for the gameplay and wanting to play 3, i stopped after i got the nopon kids.
-Xenoblade Chronicles 2
my first entry and the one with the most hours! has the best gameplay imo out of the three and doesn’t get tiring. i can pick it up and play it again even after beating it. the story is good but it’s better after you’ve played torna. when i played again, it really resonated. i realized a lot of things that i didn’t the first time. the blade concept is a neat idea, and i always like filling out their charts and doing their quests, but the sheer amount of them forces all character interaction with them to be the main party. it could’ve been better in that regard. i also hate all of the skin. though some designs were amazing, some in particular fell off to me because of how inappropriate they were. the heart-to-hearts were a nice touch, and this entry remains close to my heart.
-Torna: The Golden Country: battle!! is the like best song ever it sends me omg— but BESIDES that banger this story was nice. it takes a turn near the end though… ;-; gameplay changes were cool! only complaint were the forced side quests to increase the entry’s time. big fan of all of the characters here. the story lays a good foundation for the main one.
-Xenoblade Chronicles 3
unique story that brings in the two while adding an element of a dystopian world. i thought this one had the best story playing through it until the end. i have a lot of issues with the ending, particularly right before the ending. gameplay is much more balanced than the previous ones, and though i prefer 2’s, i don’t get sick of this one’s and it’s fun in its own right. i think the heroes were the solution to having extra characters without overcrowding it like 2. reaaally like the music in this one especially.
-Future Redeemed: i’m almost done with it now! i think i liked the dlc better than the main game. the designs are great and the story is really engaging. it’s a great farewell to the series i’ve come to love.
i played this after the second one. i liked the main characters a bit more here than in 2. story of course is a banger, (which is what you can expect from the series) the story builds upon itself and has a lot of twists. i liked the gameplay here the least, though. it was very difficult, i didn’t understand how the combat system worked until i had already finished. as such, i had to put it on a lower difficulty to beat it. i didn’t do any side quest besides the required one because they weren’t appealing to me and there were too many. the game still has some of my favorite characters in the series, and does a good job with character relationships.
-Future Connected: i thought it was an interesting concept but due to not caring for the gameplay and wanting to play 3, i stopped after i got the nopon kids.
-Xenoblade Chronicles 2
my first entry and the one with the most hours! has the best gameplay imo out of the three and doesn’t get tiring. i can pick it up and play it again even after beating it. the story is good but it’s better after you’ve played torna. when i played again, it really resonated. i realized a lot of things that i didn’t the first time. the blade concept is a neat idea, and i always like filling out their charts and doing their quests, but the sheer amount of them forces all character interaction with them to be the main party. it could’ve been better in that regard. i also hate all of the skin. though some designs were amazing, some in particular fell off to me because of how inappropriate they were. the heart-to-hearts were a nice touch, and this entry remains close to my heart.
-Torna: The Golden Country: battle!! is the like best song ever it sends me omg— but BESIDES that banger this story was nice. it takes a turn near the end though… ;-; gameplay changes were cool! only complaint were the forced side quests to increase the entry’s time. big fan of all of the characters here. the story lays a good foundation for the main one.
-Xenoblade Chronicles 3
unique story that brings in the two while adding an element of a dystopian world. i thought this one had the best story playing through it until the end. i have a lot of issues with the ending, particularly right before the ending. gameplay is much more balanced than the previous ones, and though i prefer 2’s, i don’t get sick of this one’s and it’s fun in its own right. i think the heroes were the solution to having extra characters without overcrowding it like 2. reaaally like the music in this one especially.
-Future Redeemed: i’m almost done with it now! i think i liked the dlc better than the main game. the designs are great and the story is really engaging. it’s a great farewell to the series i’ve come to love.
-Cat Tails
random mention but i got the game for a dollar or two and it’s worth it. it’s like an rpg cat harvest moon? if you were into warrior cats you’d probably like it.
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Absolutely the Xenoblade series for me. Each one has such a deep and interesting story with cool real world inspirations. I really love the characters, too (Melia being my favorite, poor Melia ;v
.
If you like MMOs, you'll love XC1, because it plays like a single player MMO! The other two have some of the same elements game play wise.
I'm so happy the series has gotten more popularity with the 3rd entry!
. If you like MMOs, you'll love XC1, because it plays like a single player MMO! The other two have some of the same elements game play wise.
I'm so happy the series has gotten more popularity with the 3rd entry!
thanks for such a detailed write up. i've neverp layed any of the xenoblade chronicles games before, but they've caught my eye recently, so i'm thinking of picking one up. any suggestion which of the 3 is best to start with for a newbie to the series? also how grind-y are the xenoblade games?
ribbitribbon
“Ridiculous.”
you could play either 1 or 2 first. definitely play 3 last because the other two stories are important to understand the plot. a lot of people online seem to say play 1 first, but i don’t really think it matters.
there is some grinding in all of them but it’s not excessive. you get exp just from running around. if you like side quests than you wouldn’t have to grind much as they give a lot of experience. in 1 as long as i was on level with the bosses i was fine. 2 might be more so, not for your level, but to make your blades stronger you have little goals to complete that sometimes involve fighting something. in 2 and 3 you can claim extra exp though a menu that keeps you on par with where you are in the story. you only might have to really grind if you’ve finished the story and are trying to take on harder enemies or unlock more things.
Most of my favorites aren't Switch-exclusive, but the ones that currently are:
Shin Megami Tensei V
I prefer core SMT to Persona, and while this isn't my favorite entry in the series overall, I still enjoyed it. Great music, mix of new and returning demons, and a decent challenge if you want it to be. I wasn't particularly invested in the story (which is, you know, fairly important in an RPG,) but I love the level grind (even though you can naturally gain the experience you need if you take your time and fully explore areas,) exploration, and the excitement that comes from being able to fuse new demons.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
I liked the social elements combined with traditional battles. For me, it made it more fun to prepare for & do them because I was more attached to certain characters and liked watching how things unfolded in the monastery after a battle.
I did find myself 'slogging' through near the end, but I think it's a good formula that could easily be great if they did something similar in the future. I still played it nonstop after work when it released until I finished the game. It was the first time in a while where I was heavily invested in a game.
Others I've enjoyed in recent years have been additionally released on Steam and/or other platforms. Namely, the Atelier Ryza entries, Rune Factory 3/4, and The Alliance Alive HD.
Shin Megami Tensei V
I prefer core SMT to Persona, and while this isn't my favorite entry in the series overall, I still enjoyed it. Great music, mix of new and returning demons, and a decent challenge if you want it to be. I wasn't particularly invested in the story (which is, you know, fairly important in an RPG,) but I love the level grind (even though you can naturally gain the experience you need if you take your time and fully explore areas,) exploration, and the excitement that comes from being able to fuse new demons.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
I liked the social elements combined with traditional battles. For me, it made it more fun to prepare for & do them because I was more attached to certain characters and liked watching how things unfolded in the monastery after a battle.
I did find myself 'slogging' through near the end, but I think it's a good formula that could easily be great if they did something similar in the future. I still played it nonstop after work when it released until I finished the game. It was the first time in a while where I was heavily invested in a game.
Others I've enjoyed in recent years have been additionally released on Steam and/or other platforms. Namely, the Atelier Ryza entries, Rune Factory 3/4, and The Alliance Alive HD.
this is really helpful, i think i've been convinced. hopefully can pick up 1 or 2 pretty soon
In addition to those stated above, NieR Automata is better on Switch than it has any right to be. It's a noticeable graphical downgrade from its PlayStation and PC counterparts, of course, but if you don't have any other options, it's a perfectly good version of the game. I will warn that the story is extremely depressing, so if you don't find yourself in the mental state to handle that, then feel free to put it on hold for now. But it's one of my favorite games, and it came at a very good time for me. Very cathartic.
I also like Bravely Default II. It's admittedly the only game in the Bravely series I've played, and from what I've seen, a lot of people consider it the worst in the series. But from what I understand, it's "worst in a series that is generally all right." The story is nothing to write home about it; it's just fantasy tropes with very little to set it apart from other games of its type, but it does all those things well enough that I don't mind that's a bit derivative. It's worth a play at least once, particularly if you're a fan of classic Final Fantasy.
I also like Bravely Default II. It's admittedly the only game in the Bravely series I've played, and from what I've seen, a lot of people consider it the worst in the series. But from what I understand, it's "worst in a series that is generally all right." The story is nothing to write home about it; it's just fantasy tropes with very little to set it apart from other games of its type, but it does all those things well enough that I don't mind that's a bit derivative. It's worth a play at least once, particularly if you're a fan of classic Final Fantasy.
Aria Nook Violet
Senior Member
I have to say Miitopia. It is still a game that I go back to from time to time. It has a very simple silly story but it is all it needs and works great in the kind of game it is. The main character are your miis. You can costumize them and create your own Ocs or known ips like Batman or the meme face. If you have switch online the game allows you to access a cloud of characters made by other people that you can download to your game and use. So you basically can have a rpg adventure with the most random funny group of characters. In my case I love my Ocs so I use them in this game and see how they will interact.
Torts McGorts
🚫mole cricket szn🚫
I loved Tales of Symphonia back in the day. They released a remastered version for the Switch earlier this. I haven’t purchased it yet, but it’s definitely under consideration (especially after the price drops).
kilusion2011
"Will you go on to victory...or defeat?"
I also can vouch for Miitopia!
It's silly and quite funny, but the mechanics are fun, even if it's a bit simple! The classes you can pick from are unique and fun to play as well, with the Mage being my favorite! I don't have the Switch version, but I've spent HUNDREDS of HOURS on the 3ds version and I don't regret itbut I'm not normal so haha! The Switch version has slight differences, but I can say, the Mii customization is OFF THE CHARTS.
Btw... there's a free demo to the Switch version of the game, if you wanna try it out! You actually get to play through a good amount to see if you like it or not!
Something new that I can recommend is Rune Factory! There's currently three titles on the switch, which are; Rune Factory 3 Special, Rune Factory 4 Special, and Rune Factory 5!
I can only personally vouch for Rune Factory 4 Special because I have the original 3ds version and I can say... it's super addicting! If you've heard of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons or Stardew Valley... Rune Factory is basically a fantasy farming game. Heck, the first game was titled "Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon"! Besides farming; you can befriend villagers, tame monsters, FIGHT monsters, fish, cook, forge and craft, experience a wonderful (and wacky) story line, and get married even!! The dialogue is also very memorable and unique, I rarely encounter the same chat over again.
In Rune Factory 4 in particular, you get to be a prince/princess and rule over a town! You get to set up events, earn prince/princess points, and grow and expand your small town. In the special versions, the graphics are improved and there's bonus events with whoever you decide to wed!
Even though I only played 4, all of the games are equally as fun and I recommend any of them. They're all charming in their own unique ways!
It's silly and quite funny, but the mechanics are fun, even if it's a bit simple! The classes you can pick from are unique and fun to play as well, with the Mage being my favorite! I don't have the Switch version, but I've spent HUNDREDS of HOURS on the 3ds version and I don't regret it
Btw... there's a free demo to the Switch version of the game, if you wanna try it out! You actually get to play through a good amount to see if you like it or not!
Something new that I can recommend is Rune Factory! There's currently three titles on the switch, which are; Rune Factory 3 Special, Rune Factory 4 Special, and Rune Factory 5!
I can only personally vouch for Rune Factory 4 Special because I have the original 3ds version and I can say... it's super addicting! If you've heard of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons or Stardew Valley... Rune Factory is basically a fantasy farming game. Heck, the first game was titled "Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon"! Besides farming; you can befriend villagers, tame monsters, FIGHT monsters, fish, cook, forge and craft, experience a wonderful (and wacky) story line, and get married even!! The dialogue is also very memorable and unique, I rarely encounter the same chat over again.
In Rune Factory 4 in particular, you get to be a prince/princess and rule over a town! You get to set up events, earn prince/princess points, and grow and expand your small town. In the special versions, the graphics are improved and there's bonus events with whoever you decide to wed!
Even though I only played 4, all of the games are equally as fun and I recommend any of them. They're all charming in their own unique ways!
It's considered a very bad port.
Tales of Symphonia is one of my favorite games, so my standards are going to be much higher than I suspect most, but missing animations, poorly upscaled textures, scene transitions not working properly, characters popping in and out of nowhere, among other things make it easily the worst version of ToS by far. I've heard some updates to the game have improved it somewhat, but I don't know if it's enough that I'd seriously consider purchasing it.
Torts McGorts
🚫mole cricket szn🚫
Bummer, that’s too bad.
HeartOfGold_
Junior Member
I like Cattails too! I haven't played much, but it's really cute and fun so far. I think my opinion might've been swayed by my fondness for the Warrior Cats series, though.
Miitopia is also a fun time. Though my experience mainly comes from the 3ds version, I can still vouch for the switch port since it didn't make anything worse. I found the gimmick of creating your own cast of characters to be a lot of fun!
kiwikenobi
GONE FROM TBT
If Stardew Valley counts, that's easily one of my favorite games of all time.
I enjoyed Pokémon Shield a lot, pretty sure that's an RPG.
I absolutely love the original Mario RPG, and I didn't play the Switch remake, but I've seen videos, and it looks and sounds very beautiful and seems very true to the original experience. If I hadn't already bought the original at least twice and played it probably at least two dozen times all the way through in my life, I might have been more inclined to buy the remake. ^o^;>
And I didn't play them beyond the demos, but I watched complete Let's Plays of both Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler 2. They have a very nice retro pixel-art aesthetic mixed with more realistic backgrounds and lighting, the stories are all very compelling with well-developed characters, and the soundtracks are absolute masterpieces, among some of the best music I've heard in my entire life.
I enjoyed Pokémon Shield a lot, pretty sure that's an RPG.
I absolutely love the original Mario RPG, and I didn't play the Switch remake, but I've seen videos, and it looks and sounds very beautiful and seems very true to the original experience. If I hadn't already bought the original at least twice and played it probably at least two dozen times all the way through in my life, I might have been more inclined to buy the remake. ^o^;>
And I didn't play them beyond the demos, but I watched complete Let's Plays of both Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler 2. They have a very nice retro pixel-art aesthetic mixed with more realistic backgrounds and lighting, the stories are all very compelling with well-developed characters, and the soundtracks are absolute masterpieces, among some of the best music I've heard in my entire life.
Good picks! You'd probably really like Live a Live if you enjoyed Octopath.
Tylerhelt14
Senior Member
Super Mario RPG. It is the only RPG I have for the Nintendo Switch.
BobRocks20
Wowzers!
The only RPGs I've enjoyed are the Pokemon games, Miitopia, and the Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythmic Adventure Pack.
I've been a Pokemon fan for a long time, and while I'd like to ramble on about why the games are awesome, I won't do that because this post would already be too long.
Miitopia is fun, and it has a pretty wicked sense of humor even though it can come off as juvenile sometimes.
I'll have to explain the Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythmic Adventure Pack. It's basically two 3DS games released in Japan bundled into one for the Switch. The gameplay has you drumming with the taiko to defeat and befriend monsters to use on your team, kind of like Pokemon. I've enjoyed the other TnT games, so it's no wonder why I really like this one.
I tried other RPGs like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Zelda, but I lost interest after a bit. I think it has to do with their complexity and the fact that I don't like losing in RPG battles
I've been a Pokemon fan for a long time, and while I'd like to ramble on about why the games are awesome, I won't do that because this post would already be too long.
Miitopia is fun, and it has a pretty wicked sense of humor even though it can come off as juvenile sometimes.
I'll have to explain the Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythmic Adventure Pack. It's basically two 3DS games released in Japan bundled into one for the Switch. The gameplay has you drumming with the taiko to defeat and befriend monsters to use on your team, kind of like Pokemon. I've enjoyed the other TnT games, so it's no wonder why I really like this one.
I tried other RPGs like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Zelda, but I lost interest after a bit. I think it has to do with their complexity and the fact that I don't like losing in RPG battles
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