This mix of direct and indirect combat is at the heart of the game, but you will also investigate mysteries and solve puzzles along the way. Rather than the post-apocalypse, though, you’re in a bustling stylized sci-fi city that is under attack by mysterious interdimensional forces, and it’s up to you to stop it.Īstral Chain gives you simultaneous control of the protagonist and several Legion characters. Automata lead designer Takahisa Taura got his first chance to direct with the Switch-exclusive Astral Chain, which doubles down on the insane action that Platinum Games has prided itself on for the last decade. Platinum Games has established itself as one of the best action game studios in the world, with critical darlings like Bayonetta 2 and the existential Nier: Automata.
Read our full Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity review Astral Chain With more characters, weapons, and secrets to uncover, Age of Calamity is a high-quality action game that sets a new bar for Nintendo spinoffs. While the game presents itself as a Zelda version of Rogue One where you know that Hyrule is doomed, the story takes some unexpected twists that make for an exciting Zelda side story. It acts as a pseudo-prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and tells the story of the Great Calamity. Unlike the first game, Age of Calamity is part of the actual Zelda cannon. Nintendo capitalized on that promise with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a more fully realized entry that opens the doors wide open for the series’ future. It wasn’t a replacement for mainline Zelda adventures, but it showed that the franchise had some untapped potential when it came to side games. The hack-and-slash game turned Zelda into Dynasty Warriors with larger-than-life battles. When the first Hyrule Warriors game was originally released on the Wii U, it didn’t seem like much more than a niche spinoff. That fact is especially apparent in Hades taking home the Game Award for Best Action game, beating out massive titles like Doom Eternal. The art, voice acting, and music are without peer, and they give Hades a blinding sheen of polish that even big-budget AAA games often lack.
It doesn’t hurt that Hades, like past Supergiant Games efforts, has stellar production values. Even when you die, you’re swiftly returned to the start, giving you a chance to try again after only a brief pause to check out any upgrades you might’ve unlocked. You’ll often die, but you’ll also often feel like an absolute rock star. So, naturally, you want to do the impossible - escape. It’s dark, cramped, depressing, and your dad is a real peach. As it turns out, you’re not so keen on the place. The latest from indie hit factory Supergiant Games, Hades is a rogue-lite action RPG that puts players in the shoes of the prince of Hades.
This list of the best Nintendo Switch games also includes the best free Switch games for those players on a budget. Some recent highlights include Paper Mario: The Origami King, which retains the original look of Paper Mario and the quest to free Princess Peach’s castle, as well as the newly completed Kentucky Route Zero, which has something for those who like to settle down with a classic point-and-click adventure. There are plenty of other games to enjoy on the Switch right now.
Plus, there’s an all-new Switch model out now that features a better OLED screen. Things picked up eventually, though, thanks to hits like Metroid Dread. Big first-party exclusives helped build the system’s success early on, though that momentum slowed in 20, with a lighter release schedule. The console-handheld hybrid has been on the market since 2017, and a slew of promising ports in the first few months of that year gave early adopters a healthy diet of new titles to enjoy. The Nintendo Switch has had a lot of success in the four years since its release.