The 6 Most Underrated Nintendo Switch Games To Play In 2022

With the next generation of gaming cementing itself further in the industry, fans can expect big titles across the board in 2022 and beyond. That includes the Nintendo Switch, especially with Pokémon Legends: Arceus freshly released to both critical and commercial success. However, even aside from the major blockbusters already out and yet to come, several great games are more than worth playing today.

These games have been successful in their own right, but have comparatively gone under the radar for one reason or another. Whether it’s a smaller-scale spinoff of a much bigger mainline series, a long-awaited sequel to a cult classic, or a new indie gem, these games all bring something to offer to players on the Switch.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin

While the aforementioned Legends: Arceus finally reinvigorated the Pokémon IP after years of poorly aged mechanics, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin brought to the table things that most of the recent games in the former franchise lacked. This now-series started back in 2016 on the Nintendo 3DS, and though it wasn’t groundbreaking, it did provide a solid foundation to the monster-collecting JRPG approach for future entries.

Developers Capcom and Marvelous’ Monster Hunter Stories 2 is certainly the franchise’s continued take on Pokémon, and while it’s still not revolutionary, it received deservedly strong critical reception. It blended the core fundamentals of its parent mainline action-RPG series while crafting a turn-based monster-collecting combat system that’s equal parts in-depth strategy and beginner-friendly. Likewise, its beautiful art style bolstered the visuals of this colorfully vibrant world.

Bravely Default II

Publisher Square Enix and Silicon Studio’s Bravely Default on the 3DS back in 2012 proved to be one of the most underrated JRPGs of its time. Though it did get another half-step successor in the form of Bravely Second: End Layer, a direct sequel has been a long time coming. Claytechworks released Bravely Default II last year to a solid reception despite some mechanical missteps. Critiques were mainly aimed at the tedium of side quests — partly due to the absence of a quest log to keep track of them — and the removal of auto battles that made grinding more frustrating.

However, the pros generally outweighed the cons, as reviews praised its advancement of the original’s strong class system, rewardingly strategic combat, and compelling level of challenge. Making the graphical jump from the 3DS to the Switch was also largely in its favor, with Bravely Default II having some wonderfully stylized visuals. It still makes an argument for being one of the best modern JRPGs to play in 2022.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Capcom’s The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a ported collection comprising of The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and its sequel Resolve. The cult-classic adventure series puts players in the shoes of protagonist and defense attorney Phoenix Wright in a series of court case battles where he must deduce contradictions and foil lies in the opponents’ testimonies after sleuthing for clues.

Even among the publisher/developer’s IP giants like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry, Ace Attorney‘s absurdly engaging cases have made it an international success on its own merits. This collection is a great way to package two well-received entries from the series in an accessible way for fans internationally. 2017’s The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve was previously only available in Japan before Chronicles‘ worldwide release.

Eastward

Publisher Chucklefish and new developers Pixpil released the delightfully immersive Eastward last year. It’s an action RPG that pays homage to gameplay elements from the classic The Legend Zelda games with its puzzle-solving and combat sequences. But even more to its credit, it does so while building an impressively layered fantasy world centered on the profound, heartfelt story of its duo of protagonists. Sam and John are two people who grew up in an underground mining community that was ingrained from childhood to be fearful of the aboveground.

After the two are exiled to that outside world, Eastward uses its fantastical setting as a vehicle to drive home real-world commentary to players. Both Sam and John’s action roles as support/healing and damage-dealing respectively help keep the moment-to-moment gameplay engaging and simultaneously letting players value the dialogue-driven moments with the duo and the NPCs around them. Efforts like Eastward are proof there’s plenty to enjoy outside of triple-A blockbusters too, with plenty of great Switch indie games coming up in 2022.

Cyber Shadow

Publisher Yacht Club — who developed the indie phenomenon Shovel Knight — teamed up with developer Mechanical Head Studios for a nostalgic, 8-bit take on the classic Ninja Gaiden formula. Cyber Shadow is a side-scrolling action-platformer game that emphasizes high-octane action and demands pinpoint-accurate platforming skills that will surely test players’ mettle.

Should fans feel like high difficulty and nostalgic throwbacks to the early ’90s are appealing, Cyber Shadow is a solid retro-inspired experience. The game proudly embraces the older tentpole titles it draws influence from, combining the aforementioned grueling gameplay of Ninja Gaiden with the older Castlevania games as well. Cyber Shadow‘s intense pacing also invites a great degree of replayability.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

When the term RPG comes to most players’ minds, they think of dense fantasy or sci-fi settings in sprawling worlds. However, publisher/developer ZA/UM’s critically-acclaimed Disco Elysium takes a smaller-scaled fantasy-realist approach in a run-down urban city with fantastical elements. This game is part of the revival of the niche CRPG subgenre and manages to be thoroughly engrossing with no combat mechanics.

Everything is handled through dialogue choices and investigation, as the player is in the role of an amnesiac detective in a grimy, morally ambiguous world. The amount of attention to detail, customization, and ways to approach practically every narrative situation in Disco Elysium is astounding, and The Final Cut finally brings this game to the Switch. It’s already one of the greatest modern CRPGs, and the handheld form factor of this console makes it an excellent way to play Disco Elysium.

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