Since the NES, Nintendo has always relied on their own IPs to sell their consoles. This certainly hasn't been a bad strategy, as iconic franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon have been responsible for millions of console sales. But something that is becoming more prevalent with Nintendo is for them to release ports of other AAA games. The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Dark Souls, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Divinity: Original Sin II all had critically acclaimed releases on other consoles before coming to the Nintendo Switch.
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One AAA game series that hasn't had many releases on Nintendo's latest console is Fallout, with just the free-to-play Fallout Shelter being available. Moreover, with Microsoft's recent $7.5 Billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company, there may never be another Fallout entry on a Nintendo console. Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch has plenty of other excellent RPGs, particularly JRPGs, to scratch players' role-playing itch.
Updated May 13, 2021, by Jack Pursey: According to Nintendo's Doug Bowser, the Nintendo Switch is around halfway through its lifespan. Considering that Skyrim released on the Switch shortly after the console hit stores, and a new Fallout game is yet to have been announced, there's a good chance that Fallout Shelter will remain IP's only release on Nintendo's latest console. Thankfully, there's no shortage of other excellent games to play on the Switch, so we've expanded this list by a further five entries.
15 The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the same company that developed the critically acclaimed Fallout: New Vegas. This title originally released on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 in 2019, before coming to Nintendo Switch the following year.
This action RPG lets players explore meticulously designed sci-fi environments, while indulging in various side quests and a fantastic over-arching story that helped the game win the Game Writing award from the Nebula Awards. The Nebula Awards weren't the only institution to recognize The Outer Worlds' quality. The game also picked up the Role-Playing Game of the Year accolade from the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
14 Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
Wasteland 2 was developed by inXile Entertainment, and originally released on PC and Mac in 2014. The following year, a director's cut came out, which eventually made its way to Nintendo Switch in September 2018.
Wasteland 2 is a post-apocalyptic RPG that differentiates itself from the Fallout series with its turn-based tactics combat. A sequel, Wasteland 3, released in 2020 to a positive reception from fans and critics. However, this game hasn't made it to Nintendo Switch as of yet.
13 ATOM RPG
Atom Team's 2018 indie game Atom RPG takes players to a post-apocalyptic iteration of the USSR, in an alternative history where it was crippled by a nuclear war. The game doesn't hide its influences from the Fallout franchise, particularly the series' older releases.
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Atom RPG struggled to impress critics, exemplified by its 65 Metascore for Nintendo Switch. However, the game still deserves a spot on this list. The reception from fans was far more positive, exemplified by an 8.6 User Score on Metacritic and Very Positive All Reviews mark on Steam.
12 Smoke and Sacrifice
Smoke and Sacrifice is a survival RPG developed by Solar Sail Games. The game puts players in the shoes of Sachi, a mother who hopes to find her son.
There's an oddly beautiful charm to this title. Despite the morbid story and often disturbing visuals, the fantastic art design elicits a sense of wonder. The game can be tough at times, but it's worth persisting. This beautifully-written story is a great, continued payoff for the hard work.
11 Morphite
Most of the games on this list are fast-paced with countless tasks to complete. On the other hand, Morphite decides to slow things down and offer a more meditative approach to exploration and adventure.
Morphite features a beautiful low-poly game-world with numerous planets that players can explore at a meditative pace. Many of the game's planets are procedurally generated, though there are 15 that are hand-crafted to give a more focused approach to parts of the story.
10 Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Tales of Vesperia is a fantasy RPG developed by Namco Tales Studio. It's the tenth entry in the Tales series that has included many fantastic games such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Xillia.
The game received praise upon release for its excellent battle combat system and intricate story, but some criticism for its lack of postgame content. Gamespot in particular praised the game's story and nominated it for their 2008 Best Story award.
9 Octopath Traveler
Most games on this list appeal to fans of the modern Fallout games like Fallout 4 and Fallout New: Vegas. On a different note, though, Octopath Traveler's HD-2D will appeal more to fans of the series' first two games.
Octopath Traveler takes players to the fictional land of Orsterra. Players will follow the interweaving stories of eight separate characters over the game's impressive 60-80 hour runtime.
8 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The iconic Legend of Zelda series received its 19th main series entry in 2017. The game received incredible praise from fans and critics upon release, many of whom branded it as the best Zelda game yet.
Breath of the Wild differentiated itself from the vast majority of games in the franchise by bringing the series back to its roots. Much like the original NES game, there is very little hand-holding. Players can freely complete quests in any order that they choose. Along with comparisons to the series' original, many critics pointed out similarities to FromSoftware's Dark Souls.
7 Dark Souls Remastered
Speaking of Dark Souls, the modern classic came to the Nintendo Switch with the recent remastered version. Unfortunately, the remaster offered very few changes from the original, but it's still the best way to play the game if you haven't picked it up yet.
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Despite receiving little acknowledgment and marketing at the time of its release, Dark Souls has quickly become of the most beloved and influential games of the 21st century.
6 Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
One aspect that brings this iconic series is acclaim is the unique playstyle and themes that differentiate them from the competition. Consequently, the juggernaut gaming series Final Fantasy may not have many direct similarities to Fallout. Still, when talking about great RPG's, it would be remiss not to include Square Enix's legendary franchise.
Final Fantasy XII, one of the most critically acclaimed modern entries to the Final Fantasy series, came to the Nintendo Switch in 2019. The remastered game vastly improved the game's visuals, and also expanded the soundtrack.
5 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
From one remastered RPG to another, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition came to the Nintendo Switch in May 2020. Despite the cartoony art-style, Xenoblade Chronicles has many similarities to the Fallout series.
The game's huge open world is filled to the brim with items to discover and sidequests to complete. Furthermore, the game gives players all the time in the world to explore the landscape. There's no pressure to get back onto any sort of linear pathline.
4 Xenoblade Chronicles 2
If remasters aren't your thing, then Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is your better bet. The game was one of the Nintendo Switch's most highly-anticipated titles when it was announced alongside the console, evidenced by its huge sales figures totaling over 2 million units.
Similar to its predecessor, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a huge open world that is begging to be explored. The game wasn't as well-received as the original Xenoblade Chronicles, but it still scored a respectable 83 on Metacritic.
3 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age - Definitive Edition isn't just long in name, but in the runtime too. According to HowLongToBeat.com, the game has an impressive completionist time of 129 hours.
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The latest release in the main series of Square Enix's Dragon Quest, the game was universally praised by critics and picked up the 2017 Titanium Award for Best Role-Playing Game.
2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Complete Edition
The crown jewel of the recent Xbox One and PS4 generation, CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 released early in the consoles' life-spans. This title blew players away by showing off the developer's true hardware capabilities.
Just over two years after the Switch's release, the game found its way to the Nintendo console. The game released as a Complete Edition, which included the game's two expansion packs, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
1 Skyrim
Bethesda hasn't released any of their Fallout series on the Switch. However, their most recent entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim, released on the console in 2017. Despite releasing a few months after the console, it was an important game prior to its launch. It featured heavily in the console's trailers and press-releases.
Realistically, if you're a fan of Fallout, you've probably completed Skyrim as multiple different characters by now. But for the few that haven't given the dragon-slaying alternative to Fallout a try yet, players will be in for a treat.
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