I’m playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 at the moment. I played the game when it first released and got to 3/4’s of the way complete in the second to last chapter before I put the game down due to life distractions. By the time I got back to it, I forgot nearly everything. Thus, I decided to start a fresh play through and it has reminded me of how incredible not only this game but the entire series.
That begs the question - what is your favorite RPG on the Switch, and why? My answer will probably be the first Xenoblade Chronicles, but I’m keen on the responses from others!
My favorite RPG on Switch is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. It is my favorite RPG and probably tied as my favorite game of all time.
The reason I like it so much is because the story, gameplay, battle engine, characters, writing, music, the worlds, the badges, leveling up system, and pretty much everything else about the game is so well made. It makes me sad we never saw another game in the series after TTYD (2004) similar to it, and after 20 years it has finally returned.
Miitopia
Why? Because...
1. I like quirky and cute RPG games.
2. The game have unique relationship system which affect in battle either the support from each other or quarrel / tension during the battle. The drama in battle looked ridiculous funny and little bit annoying at the same time.
3. I can use my Mii for Miitopia so I can be creative by using my Mii avatar as main hero and other Mii from my fictional RPG heroes Planetary Xaviors from Mercury until Pluto as my friends. II also assigned the Dark Lord, Sage, Elf Sisters based on enemies from my Planetary Xaviors (Infinito for Sage as Final Boss, Clotho + Lachesis + Athropos for the Elf Sisters)
I’m currently replaying Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the first time since beating it around launch (7 years ago).
Back then it was my first foray into the Xenoblade series. Now, revisiting it after having experienced the other games in the trilogy made me realize it’s still my personal favorite, flawed as it may be.
Sure, the story has some real bad pacing and tonal issues, it just doesn’t hit the same heights as the original or 3.
Despite all that, Xenoblade 2 delivers a breathtaking world that feels varied and alive. It is, in my opinion, the most well realized setting in the series. There’s just something so whimsical about having a game take place on colossal creatures swimming amidst the clouds that appeals to me on a really personal level.
Gameplay-wise, the combat system is probably the deepest and most customizable one in the series.
As for the gacha, yeah, it can be annoying, I don’t really mind it though. I actually enjoy collecting Rare Blades and seeing their interesting designs (despite yknow, the ridiculously disproportionate ones).
All four XC games are must-play as they're some of the main reasons to own a Switch.
Me personally? Valkyria Chronicles 4. I champion that game whenever possible. The best Sega-published game not named Shin Megami Tensei and/or Persona.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,536 games (as of December 14th, 2025)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 4 games (as of December 8th, 2025)
Xenoblade 3 is probably my favorite JRPG on switch. I've been itching to replay it- but have been holding off because I have so many other games I need to beat first. I really love how well the characters in 3 are written, and I like how the story isn't one that spells everything out for the player. There's so many things that I'm still discovering about 3 on its own, and it kept me engaged and talking about it/thinking about it ever since the game released.
"It is fate. Many have tried, yet none have ever managed to escape it's flow."
If Fire Emblem: Three Houses counts as a JRPG, then that's my favourite. To me, well-written characters and their (changing) relationships are the most important aspect of a role-playing game, and no other JRPG on the Switch (not even the Xenoblades or Persona 5) has such a great ensemble of unique, memorable characters with their own individual arcs.
Reading this thread just goes to show how the Switch could be someone’s only console and they’d still have a whole life’s worth of quality JRPGs to play. (Specially considering how lengthy most of these get!)
Without love, the truth cannot be seen.
Currently playing: Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda TotK
It technically is a SNES game not a Switch game, but I suppose it would still count and that would be Earthbound. It's a neat series, I wish Nintendo would do something with it.
The first game especially could probably benefit from a remake, it does feel a bit outdated in some aspects.
@Polvasti Yeah, I'd count Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The Fire Emblem series in general is usually categorized as a tactical RPG, so something of a hybrid between turn-based strategy and RPG, but Fire Emblem has an additional level of social sim to it, thanks to the monastery sections. I'd think that that firmly tips the balance into RPG territory. It's also the Switch game I've spent most time playing outsize the two open world Zeldas, so highly recommended from me.
Fire Emblem: Engage is also a pretty good game, but I'd think that it's got a much weaker story and a lot less of the RPG mechanics. In terms of the tactical combat though, it's excellent.
Another name I'll throw out there is Baten Kaitos, particularly for the fans of Xenoblade. In particular, there are a lot of parallels between the stories of XC2 and the first BK game. Anyway, they're a couple of earlier games from Monolith, that were made alongside Xenosaga in the early 2000s. The remaster isn't the best, with some occasional slowdowns and the lack of an English dub, but they did a great job with the HD backgrounds and textures, and they're still good games to play.
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Topic: Favorite (J)RPG for Nintendo Switch?
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