40. Persona 5 Tactica (Switch)

Persona 5 Tactica is a thrillingly varied tactical RPG that fans of the Phantom Thieves and the genre should take note of. It's a little on the easy side, but the varied gameplay, excellent soundtrack, striking visuals, and lovable characters all make for a very easy recommendation.

We’d especially suggest you pick this up if you really enjoyed Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, as we noticed a lot of parallels. It remains to be seen if this is the last time we’ll be seeing the Phantom Thieves don their masks, but if this does turn out to be their finale, Persona 5 Tactica is a massively enjoyable sendoff for the beloved crew.

39. Batman Arkham Trilogy (Switch)

Rocksteady's phenomenal Arkham series needs no introduction at this stage — three of the finest superhero games you'll ever play with a top-notch cast and writing, and sublime gameplay that put you right into the bat-boots of the Dark Knight. Asylum is an all-timer, City still stands up as one of the best open-world games we've ever played and Knight, although slightly less successful, is still a strong final chapter. It's a shame that Knight is completely unplayable on Switch. Very little TLC has been shown to any of these games and better decisions weren't made when it became clear just how poorly one of the games here ran on Nintendo's console. If you only have a Switch and have never played the first two games, Batman: Arkham Trilogy is still a decent way to play those two titles, at least.

38. Batman: Arkham Knight (Switch eShop)

We had our doubts about this Switch port from the moment it was announced and, unfortunately, they proved to be well-founded. With Batmobile sections which tax not only Nintendo's hardware but also your patience, it's hard to see how this version of Batman: Arkham Knight can be fixed to a satisfactory degree.

It feels like a step too far to have even included this third chapter in the collection for Switch, though fortunately the three games were made available separately for purchase in November 2024. Technical issues aside, this is a decent ending to an amazing trilogy, but as a final part of an otherwise serviceable port package, Arkham Knight's broken state came as a huge disappointment.

37. A Space for the Unbound (Switch eShop)

Despite the runtime being padded out by some meandering requests, A Space for the Unbound is a perfect little adventure title to curl up with on a rainy day. The myriad puzzles, while never overtly challenging, switch things up often enough to keep from growing tedious. At the same time, we wholeheartedly recommend it for its bittersweet, sombre narrative alone. It never veers too far into melancholic territory yet handles some heavy topics with grace. We didn’t come away gloomy from the potentially depressing themes depicted via the wonderful inhabitants of this beautifully rendered snapshot of Indonesia. Rather, we came away genuinely touched and inspired.

36. Mortal Kombat 1 (Switch)

Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch manages to deliver this superb game's Story and Towers modes in a state that's playable, but only if you've got plenty of patience. There are frame rate issues, big resolution dips, input and timing problems related to performance drops, missing content, game-breaking bugs in Invasion mode, long loading times, and unresponsive menus. If you are a huge Mortal Kombat fan whose only option is Switch, you may be able to press through all of this. However, if you have any other option, we suggest you stay away from this one.

35. Blasphemous 2 (Switch eShop)

Blasphemous 2 sticks with the exquisitely dark and gory style of its predecessor whilst building on the core combat and improving upon the platforming we saw the first time around.

The Game Kitchen could have served us up more of the same and we'd have been perfectly happy. However, the developer made meaningful upgrades here, with deeper and more satisfying combat and three upgradable weapon sets that combine perfectly with environmental puzzling that feels more cohesive and fluid overall, making The Penitent One's return to Cvstodia an absolute banger.

34. Astral Ascent (Switch eShop)

Astral Ascent is a prime example of a game that amounts to more than the sum of its parts. Its strong character design, hi-bit visuals, tight combat, memorable bosses, and broad build variety have all featured in games you’ve probably played before—there’s nothing ‘new’ here.

But to write it off as just 'another one of those' in a crowded genre would be to miss out on one of the most delightful and surprising releases of 2023. Astral Ascent is comfortably one of the best roguelites available on the Switch. Don't miss it.

33. Tales of Symphonia Remastered (Switch)

We’re a little mixed on Tales of Symphonia Remastered. Though the story is compelling, the character building is satisfying, and there’s lots of content to experience, Bandai Namco’s near-nonexistent efforts to sand off the rough edges of this older game definitely hold it back from greatness. Things like the stiff combat, dated visuals, and awkward writing limit the appeal here, which makes this remaster feel like a missed opportunity. It’s easier to recommend this to those who have nostalgia for the original and want to relive those memories, but it's tough to say whether newcomers should pick it up. This is far from the best action RPG on Switch, and it’s arguably not even the best Tales game on the Switch. Its positives do just about outweigh its negatives — having this game easily accessible on a modern console is a boon — but this remaster could have been so much more.

32. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Switch)

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is an utterly addictive, perfectly tuned celebration of all things Final Fantasy. It’s a deceptively simple-looking game that, once you get under the hood, you’ll discover it has teeth and demands practice and patience if you want to unlock everything.

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary, and this makes it a must-buy for Final Fantasy fans and rhythm game enthusiasts. How other storied, sprawling game series’ haven’t followed suit with their own rhythm games is baffling when the results can be this magical.

31. Quake II (Switch eShop)

Quake II arrives on Switch in the form of one of the very best remasters we've ever had the pleasure of digging into.

With enhanced graphics and audio, refined AI, all-new animations, the iD Vault, a brand new episode, and all previously released DLC in the mix — plus the N64 version — this is an exhaustive package that Quake fans are absolutely gonna eat up.

Add in crossplay support, gyro controls, and lots of co-op and competitive ways to play locally and online, and you've got an outstanding release.