OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition (Switch eShop)
OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a lovely game, an emotional adventure that represents the apex of the series to date and easily one of the best story-driven games on Switch. It's also excellent value for money, offering around ten hours of game for its low price, more if you really take your time and soak the whole thing up the way you really should do. While the character designs are a little too familiar, the characters themselves are complex, interesting, and likeable, and the story told with them is a complete, satisfying tale.
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Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Switch)
With its exclusive use of some substantial Star Fox content that gets you in the cockpit of an Arwing on Switch, Nintendo's console got the best version of Starlink: Battle for Atlas — and with a more accessible and ultimately enjoyable version of No Man’s Sky's gameplay mechanics (certainly compared to that game's launch versions) and Mass Effect’s original vision, you’re getting one of the best dogfighting/space exploration games you can buy outside of Elite: Dangerous. Its gameplay loop does run out of steam after a while thanks to the required grind, but with a surprisingly ungreedy approach to content access and toys-to-life integration, Starlink makes you think there might be some life in the genre yet. What's more, you can pick it up for a pittance now — it's certainly worth investigation if you're a Star Fox aficionado.
The Artful Escape (Switch eShop)
What if Ziggy Stardust had literally gone to the stars? David Bowie seems so terribly mundane compared to Francis Vendetti, who is plucked from his creatively stifling life as a folk cover musician to instead become a rock star to the stars. The literal stars. Space can be so incredibly grey, but in this punky re-imagining, it glows neon-pink against the black of the night.
Alien: Isolation (Switch eShop)
Every facet of Alien: Isolation is superbly detailed and it's this slavish attention to detail that sees it successfully transfer the fundamental spirit of Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece to video game form for the very first time. The superb 1970s Sci-fi stylings from the classic movie are intact here; it's all leather-clad walls, swishing automated doors, CRT screens, blinking lights, smoke and flickering light-filled corridors, as well as the constant plinking and plonking of retro-futuristic technology. It's an Alien theme park, and you just happen to be thrown into it on the day a real-life Xenomorph has been let loose.
Citizen Sleeper (Switch eShop)
Citizen Sleeper is a tabletop RPG-style game which places you in the role of a synthetic robot-person—called a Sleeper—who awakens on a grimy space station bustling with all kinds of morally and legally grey activities and organizations. Your character escaped from working at a colony for a megacorporation who literally owns their body and now has to contend with the consequences of this break for freedom. The atmosphere is top notch; Citizen Sleeper does a great job of immersing you in this dark and diverse community.
Subnautica (Switch eShop)
Kicking off with your silent protagonist crash-landing on the alien planet 4546B, Subnautica immediately throws you into this heady mix as you fight to extinguish a fire aboard your tiny little escape pod before getting your bearings and coming to the realisation that you need medical aid, sustenance and an explanation as to what's just happened. Subnautica digs its hooks into our most basic, primal fears of the ocean, of drowning, of getting lost in treacherous underwater caverns or succumbing to some great monstrosity in the deepest, darkest depths.
Journey to the Savage Planet (Switch eShop)
Journey to the Savage Planet is a wonderfully unique mixture of No Man's Sky-style exploration and Metroidvania puzzling and platforming with a wonderfully dark sense of humour that arrives here on Switch in a slightly compromised but still eminently playable state. ARY-26 is a fantastically vibrant planet to explore, filled with cute creatures, bizarre flora and fauna and super-slick platforming and environmental puzzle design. The monolithic tower that sits at the middle of this alien planet is a compelling mystery to work towards and the game doles out plenty of fun new tools and toys at just the right rate to keep you highly entertained as you jump, grapple, boost and blast your way to the secret at its core.
No Man's Sky (Switch)
No Man's Sky on Switch is a fantastic port of a game we genuinely didn't believe could make the transition to Nintendo's console without some serious technical issues. Hello Games has made the necessary cutbacks and downgrades to get this intergalactic survival sandbox playing at a super solid frame rate and the colourful, chunky graphical style here ensures that it all still looks pretty fantastic to boot. With all of the game's previous updates and content included — barring multiplayer at this point — and a plethora of customisation options courtesy of the massive Waypoint update, this is an easy recommendation for survival fans and an impressive Switch port.
Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
With Metroid Prime Remastered, the seemingly impossible has been achieved: a masterpiece has been made even better. The minor issues we have with the motion controls and the occasional visual hiccup pale in comparison to the enhancements that have been made here. The visual improvements are extensive, right through to the minor details to enhance those gorgeous space environments, and it all comes together to create one of the best-looking games on Switch, remaster or not. The new twin-stick control setup works flawlessly for both veterans and newcomers, but if you're itching to go back to the original GameCube controls, that option is there too. With an expanded gallery feature to round things out, Metroid Prime Remastered feels like a new benchmark in how older games can be thoughtfully revitalised for the modern age.
Of course, don't forget the fantastic Metroid Dread, either. Planet ZDR may well keep Samus inside for most of the game's runtime, but those creatures are the perfect space fodder for Samus' arm cannon.
Radiant Silvergun (Switch eShop)
Radiant Silvergun remains, despite its uncompromising nature, deservedly celebrated. The game wears its hardcore credentials on its sleeve, and its depth in both technical and artistic terms is astonishing. As stimulating and rewarding as it is exhausting, it’s a labour that has transcended not only the genre but the medium to some degree. Regardless of its difficulty — and in that difficulty, its lack of immediate connection — those who learn to fell the game proper can say they truly lived Radiant Silvergun. That’s an experience worth fighting for.
Ray'z Arcade Chronology (Switch eShop)
Ray'z Arcade Chronology is the best of it in regards to home ports of the Ray series, spit-polished by M2’s dedicated commitment to quality. It offers very accurate arcade ports of three superb, nuanced shoot 'em ups, famous for their fantastic soundtracks, engrossing gameplay mechanics, and visual showboating. Lag is minimal enough to have no impact, and the HD upscaling is wonderful. With no training modes, historical bonuses or rearrangements, however, it falls shy of being the ultimate package. But only just.
They say there are no worlds left to conquer, but hopefully this list can show you that there are plenty of worlds left to conquer. As long as you make them up.
Did we miss your favourite off the list? Let us know in the comments below!
This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.
Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!
If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games To Play In 2023 should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.
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Comments 51
Echo of Starsong seems to have vanished from the UK eShop, any idea why?
I am tempted to make a file on sci fi games on my Switch though it can be a wide embracing category. I love sci fi in general. I have 8 of the games mentioned which I have enjoyed with Gnosia standing out for me in particular. I have a couple here on the wishlist too that I will more than likely get. The two, Citizen Sleeper and Artful Escape, I suspect will be enjoyed by me as much as Gnosia when I get around to downloading and playing them
You could also add Into the Breach, Metroid Dread, Axiom Verge, LEGO Star Wars, Hyper Light Drifter, Doom series to this category really, couldn't you?
I prefer the second subnautica game. Haven was a nice Sci-Fi game for me.
No Metroid? Either Dread or Super, but I guess that series has it's own list anyway.
Some other great sci-fi games I can think of are, Hyper Light Drifter and Machinarium.
@ChessboardMan It's something to do with the rating. It's coming back soon. It's still on the NA eShop.
https://twitter.com/sigonogames/status/1544253063166566400
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is a great game. Sometimes I'll dive into it just to have a good game of pool.
I’d say Planet Alpha was a pretty solid platforming/stealth experience in a great atmosphere.
I should play it again on the OLED.
I'm not really clear on the rules for this list. About half the games on it have been on my wishlist for years, though. The Way Remastered is another pretty cool space game.
Really glad to see Citizen Sleeper on the list, it's my GOTY so far and I'm not sure anything can topple it tbh. Can also vouch for Void Bastards, that game is so fun and has a good sense of humour and amazing style to it.
Life Force and Thunder Cross from Konami's Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection are both great space shmups imo.
@OldManHermit Yeah the list lacking the three Metroid games Switch is bizarre.
Where's Doom at ????
Super Mario Galaxy. Boom. Done.
Void Bastards looked neat but the lack of gyro aiming made me pass on it.
Let’s not forget Outer Wilds, which as we know is caught in a deep space Summer ‘21 release date time loop ..
I dig these lists.
And, of course, 42.
@Ewaldus Yes, I enjoyed Planet Alpha.
Gnosia I have on my wishlist but somehow I haven't played a single game on this list despite owning 200 Switch games and playing lots of demos. I feel like Pikmin 3 should be included here.
Eagerly waiting for No Man's Sky, The Outer Wilds and Metroid Prime 4!
Okay, I’ve played Everspace and Starlink, enjoyed both of them. But I am surprised by the inclusion of Inner Space. I remember wanting this game but passing it because of the Nintendo life review:6/10. Rereading the review, I have to wonder why it is included in this list?
Wish the Mass Effect series was on Switch!
Smaller game but was still a really good game was Manticore. Predictable, cheesy storyline aside the gameplay was strong and the graphics were pretty good.
Starlink is honestly one of my favorite Switch games, really underrated
In Other Waters, the first title from the maker behind Citizen Sleeper, certainly deserves a spot on this list.
I really wanted Void Bastards, but I returned it (the only time I’ve asked for a refund on a Switch game) when I found out that it had a download code in the case for the DLC. Considering that it was a delayed physical release, why the hell did they not just put the DLC on the cartridge instead of wasting resources producing and printing all those codes?
I’m not crazy about sci-fi games generally, but as others have mentioned, I particularly like Metroid and DOOM. Commander Keen 5 is also my favourite in the series despite criticisms of it being bland due to the sci-fi setting, but I love it (in particular the unique enemies).
Pretty random list (no Metroid?), but I guess the point of such listicles is just to have some arbitrary fun
@SteamEngenius I have it on my laptop. Other than left and right, there's not really up/down aiming.
@Silly_G Wait. You refunded a game over a slip of paper?
I guess this article works as a companion piece to the flight sim and space shooter list. More to add to my wish list/backlog 😱
I can strongly recommend Starlink, it’s especially fun in Co-op mode with younger family and great value when (frequently) on sale. And Manticore (from the space shooter list) list is a massive blast as well.
No Nier Automata? Really?
Nice bump. Makes me wonder how Kate is doing?
@KateGray no Pikmin?
For suggestions to the list, I'd offer up Warframe
I'd suggest Among Us too but that might not count as much.
@Friendly Kate left NL back in February. I assume Damien or one of the other editors bumped the article.
@Magician Are you certain she left as she's done a few reviews since February such as story of seasons and ghost trick.
@Magician oh no! I didn’t even know. Sad to hear, I really liked the features she wrote. (Should have paid a little more attention afterwards tbh).
@UltimateOtaku91 @Magician Yeah I thought she was always just freelance and wrote articles/reviews here and there?
@UltimateOtaku91 She wrote a forum post back then saying her goodbyes. Besides, leaving NL doesn't remove her ability to collect freelance checks.
Blatantly missing Steamworld Heist. It's a weak system for space games, though what console isn't compared to pc.
Starfield when it comes to switch
Starlink is underrated, Subnautica is overrated. Also, is The Outer Wilds still coming at any point? Or is it now just some poor developer saying "this definitely won't work on Switch", followed by their manager saying, "Well it has to" over and over until one of them dies?
@ChessboardMan Nope, just had a check and it’s still there in its Full Bloom Edition form, dated 11 May ‘22 Took a screen grab if you need it.
I know not everyone is into the series, but Borderlands the Pre-sequel is one I'd recommend. Borderlands is already sci-fi, but this one feels more sci-fi with zero g segments, moon buggies, more laser guns, and tons of sci-fi references. The 2001 Space Odyssey monolith was great. 2 may be a better game in many ways, but TPS has better level scaling and the Claptrap dlc is great.
Where is Pikmin? Nothing cozier in all of gaming than flying up into space at the end of each day in Pikmin 3 with your onion. And it is fun to think of this mysterious planet you're stranded on as being similar to earth, but not actually earth. In fact the continents clearly aren't earth when you view the maps. Very much a sci-if space adventure to me, and one of my favorites.
Too bad Mass Effect 1-3 never made it to the Switch. Mass Effect 3 on Wii U was the closest we ever got.
@Coffeemonstah You're replying to a comment from over a year ago.
We can find some other titles (apart from too old games that are not remasters nor remakes):
And maybe we could consider Xenoblade series?
Starlink is so good! I think it got overlooked by a lot of people. If you haven’t played it definitely check it out.
@Coffeemonstah That was an old comment, from July last year. At the time, it had vanished, but since then it had reappeared. This is an updated/reposted article.
Now, if we could just get the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron trilogy, that would be amazing.
@luciobar1980
Totally agree, Starlink is serious a great game.
I think its on sale now, for people looking for a great space game, where you can play as team starfox. Loved that.
I guess the Xenoblade Chronicles games count more as fantasy than scifi, otherwise you'd think they would be on the list? Nier: Automata's omission is more baffling, since that game is science fiction through and through, and it's easily one of the top 5 games available on the Switch, with an excellently made port to boot.
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