The Nintendo Switch remains as a go-to console for casual gaming,
but lately the new games dropping out soon demand more than just simple gaming experiences.
Here are Whatoplay’s 10 most anticipated Switch exclusives coming out this year and
beyond. To see the complete list, visit our page on all Exclusive Switch Games.
1. Bravely Default II Square Enix continues to support their captivating
RPG with this latest installment of their beloved fantasy series that’s not Final Fantasy. As usual,
Square’s love for head-scratching naming schemes live on with this THIRD major entry.
The Brave and Default tactics make their much needed return and it comes with a
few improvements fans will appreciate. For new players, there’s a steep learning curve here,
but for the veterans or anyone with a Master’s Degree in classic JRPGs will
find themselves in an adventure with enough challenges, surprises and so much more
once it releases this 26 of February. Try the demo out if you want to know more.
2. Monster Hunter Rise
The hunt continues and it comes with new gear to take out monsters with style.
Rise is the Switch’s first original MH title built exclusively for their machine. Yep,
now we can finally coop up in our friend’s place and hunt Elder Dragons all night. The addition
of the wirebug and increased verticality brings more room for experimentation on the table. The
weapons aren’t far from its MHWorld counterpart, but the addition of new monsters and a stunning
open-world locale is enough to lure hardcore fans of the series into this fresh adventure. The game
is up for pre-orders and a demo is available to play, co-op or alone. Rise rises this March 26.
3. Shin Megami Tensei V Step aside, Persona fans.
The original SMT game gets the sequel it finally deserves. In V, we are once again caught between
humanity’s perpetual struggle for morality. Fusing demons and forcing High School students
to kill a god are just a few of the outlandish philosophical concepts ATLUS has to offer in this
fantastic JRPG. However, the game’s main story and the new mechanics are still a mystery as of now.
The trailer did give us a taste of what to expect. It’s slated to come out early this year,
maybe we’ll see more information soon.
4. New Pokemon Snap Nintendo is cooking up a lot of content this year.
This familiar Pokemon entry takes ‘Capturing Monsters’ to a new level. This is an upgrade to
its N64 roots. Instead of throwing our balls at poor pocket monsters, Snap introduces a
more peaceful way to appreciate the creatures: Photography. Explore a brand new Region filled
with hundreds of Pokemon, each with their unique habitat. It’s like Pokemon Go, but this time we
don’t have to go outside. So bring out your inner naturalist when the game comes out on April 30th.
5. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin CAPCOM is also taking inspiration from Pokemon’s
success with more complex organisms within the MH universe. Fans of MH Stories know that this isn’t
the usual monster hunting we do in the original series, this spin-off has always been lighthearted
and full of cute things to do instead of killing them and carving their body parts for weapons.
Befriending these unique monsters is the game’s central theme. There will be a few battles here
and there, but this sequel is definitely targeted to their young audiences. It’s aiming for a Q3
2021 release date, so maybe we’ll hear more info about this game once Rise comes out.
6. No More Heroes III Travis Touchdown may only
be just a Mii fighter in Smash Bros, but he’s getting his own game sometime this year. It was
initially scheduled for a 2020 release, but it was delayed to this year due to the pandemic.
This third mainline entry will take Travis on a new journey with more science fiction shenanigans.
Expect a refined hack and slash combat this time around,
especially with the Switch’s handful of technological gimmicks. If you don’t want to
miss out on this latest chapter, the first 2 games are available for you to play on the platform.
7. Rune Factory 5 Amnesia has never been more
therapeutic and life-changing than in Nintendo’s Rune Factory series and the trope survives in
this newest Rune Factory title for the Nintendo Switch. Fans of the popular Harvest Moon series
will find this spin-off much more challenging since it involves more than just farming. Expect
fast-paced hack and slash combat, fishing, and a quest to find your one true soul-mate.
There’s not much information available yet since the game’s development was also
hampered by the pandemic. However, the 2021 release window remains unchanged.
8. The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2
One of the biggest upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusives, this might rack up all the Game
of the Year awards when it releases this year, or early 2022. If you loved Breath of the Wild
or its unlikely twin, miHoyo’s Genshin Impact, this sequel is just brimming with ambitious
features that you, and us from Whatoplay, aren’t ready for. Unfortunately though,
just like the rest of these titles, details are scarce. The only thing we have are unreliable
media rumors and a cryptic teaser trailer that only gives us more questions than answers.
9. Metroid Prime 4 Samus Aran will make
her grand comeback after a long, long time. With such scant details who knows what lies
in store in her adventures this time? Knowing Nintendo, we expect some game-changing mechanics
that will maximize the Switch’s features. We’re pretty much scavenging every little
info we can find about 4, but alas, the game isn’t slated to come out until… at least 2023.
It will be an agonizing wait, so for now we just have to return to her old games
and enjoy the science fiction goodness the series has to offer… OR main her in Smash.
10. Bayonetta 3 Speaking of female leads who can kick ass…
let’s not forget about this other upcoming Switch exclusive that fans have been dying
to play since its second outing in 2014. Is it me or is it getting hotter in here? Bayonetta
will make her much-awaited return to show her enemies what a femme fatale is. However, it’s
still in development stages and sources are mum about what to expect. One thing’s for sure, this
new chapter will stick to its Biblical themes and its unforgettably stylish hack and slash combat.