While everyone is yapping about the first-partyNintendo Switch 2exclusives, the raw number of banger third-party titles coming to the system is far less discussed for some reason.
From brand-new and upcoming titles made by big faces in the industry, to ports of well-loved games that Nintendo players get to try out for the first time, there’s a ton of new stuff to be excited about.
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This is a massive departure from the launch of the original Switch, which only had a handful of mostly first-party titles to get excited about, as they let third parties come to the system eventually.
This did work out in the long run, but it’s refreshing that we already know of a massive number of upcoming titles, and I want to discuss some of the most interesting and unique future releases.
10Shadow Labyrinth
A-Maze-Ing
Shadow Labyrinth
While a darker take on a family-friendly franchise typically only results in the worst horror games you’ve ever seen, Shadow Labyrinth seems to pull that off somewhat tactfully with its use ofPac-Man.
Instead of being needlessly grotesque, it uses the core mechanics to make a maze-like Metroidvania where you consume your enemies to gain power, and ride along the walls to get new items.
I think this is a neat concept, and a game I’ve actively been looking out for that I haven’t seen anyone talking about, and considering it hit me out of nowhere at the Game Awards, I don’t understand why.
It’s a July release, so it’ll be something to be on the lookout for right after launch when your wallet has just barely recovered from thehundreds spent on just the consoleand its launch titles alone.
9Cyberpunk 2077
Cue Intense Electronic Riff
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is CD Projekt Red’s open world RPG. The game is a sequel to the setting of the iconic tabletop roleplaying game, Cyberpunk 2020.
Fextralife Wiki
Admittedly, the main reasonCyberpunk 2077is here is that it’s incredibly impressive to cram this entire release onto a single 64 GB cartridge when everyone else is doing physical cartridges that download the game to your system.
That said, it’s also a great open-world game nowadays, since the game has been in activedevelopment since the day it came outto a rousing boo from the audience, and those efforts paid off tenfold.
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Now, instead of walking around low-poly freaks of nature, the city feels genuinely alive, and from what they’ve stated, it should run pretty well on Switch 2, at least on par with the other console releases nowadays.
It’s also a launch title, meaning people who never gave the game a chance or never had the chance to play it can hop on now that it won’t have you clipping out of bounds into the void every so often.
8Split Fiction
Return of Sideways Joy-Con
Split Fiction
I enjoyedIt Takes Two, and I’ve since found out the Switch port is a massive visual downgrade, which is a real shame, as it seems like the perfect game for the console’s built-in multiplayer focus.
Luckily, the successor to that game is going to be on the Switch 2 with slightly more comfortable-looking sideways joy-cons. It’ll be an even better experience to hop on with whoever’s next to you.
Hazelight’s games are almost guaranteed bangers, andSplit Fictionis an especially great follow-up to everything that made It Takes Two a great time, beingone of the best co-op experiencesout there.
It’s just a ton of somewhat disconnected, fantastical experiences in fictional worlds, and I absolutely love how much gameplay and mechanical variation goes on between new segments in Split Fiction.
7Witchbrook
In A Spell
Witchbrook
While I may have gained a bit of a reputation for hating one of Chucklefish’s premier titles,Starbound, I genuinely think they can be one of the best creators when they aren’t employing unethical business practices.
Namely,Wargroovewas an awesome return to the Advance Wars style of gameplay, which was pretty neglected at that point, and Eastward is an incredibly unique take on the typical indie RPG and farming game format.
That said, these titles give me full faith that Witchbrook will exceed expectations, namely due to its incredibly polished and charming aesthetic, which looks better than most other pixel art games I’ve seen recently.
The idea of life-sim elements mixed with spellbinding witchery is pretty engaging, and it seems like it’ll be the perfect game to have in a portable form factor and dive into whenever you feel like it.
6Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Rebirth, Rebound
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
I think it’s hilarious thatFinal Fantasy 7went from the biggest title that was historically never on a Nintendo platform, to a Switch port of the original, and now a port of the “Remake” of FF7.
It is essentially a reimagining/sequel/entirely different game with a somewhat unique plotline, but now you’ll have access to both this and the original on the same system, so playing them is probably wise.
That said, this thing can struggle to run at a stable 60 on the Steam Deck, so I wouldn’t expect anything above a solid 1080p 30 FPS experience, even if most last-generation gamesare getting framerate bumps.
It’ll still be a great experience with the choice between turn-based and action combat, plus it’s an actual native port, something Kingdom Hearts fans will never be able to lay claim to on a Nintendo platform.
Superb Sequel
If you’ve playedHades, you probably already expectHades IIto be an absolute banger that lives up to the original and more. Luckily it is, as PC players already get to run through it before anyone else.
It’s still in Early Access, but it shows so much promise as the sequel to one of the best roguelite hack and slashes out there. In terms of console ports, the Switch and Switch 2 are going to be the only options for a while.
Just like the Epic Games deal with the first game, Supergiant has once again nabbed an exclusivity deal, but I suppose the majority of their audience is on Switch and PC, regardless, so get that bag, king.
Even in its current Early Access state, the game is incredibly fun, mildly addictive, and will be a problem if you find yourself easilyhooked on engaging roguelikes, as the constant updates make it a genuine productivity murderer.
4Street Fighter 6
Sure, You Can
Street Fighter 6
Easily the biggest and best traditional fighting game franchise, Street Fighter has been going incredibly strong, andStreet Fighter 6is one of the best, most stylistic and expressive triple-A games I’ve ever seen.
The aesthetics are incredible, the music is great, and I love the style change to represent each unique character. Plus, the ability to make a custom character with any move in the game is an awesome thing.
The only thing I’m particularly concerned about is performance, as this game only maintainsgreat performance on the Steam Deckat the lowest and ugliest settings, and I’d assume the Switch 2 will fare similarly.
Capcom is a loose cannon when it comes to optimizing their games, so who knows? Maybe they’ll surprise me, and we’ll get a great fighting game experience at 120 FPS, which would be the absolute best case scenario.
3Elden Ring
Incredibly Acclaimed
Elden Ring
Fextralife
While everyone’s talking about the new FromSoftware game we know barely anything about, I’ve seen barely a peep about the leading third-party announcement ofElden Ringon the Switch 2.
I don’t know why I haven’t seen a single soul talking about this release, as it’s one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed games of all time coming to the newest console on the block. That’s a huge thing.
Elden Ring is great, and provides an enormous open-world Soulsborne experience that’d be even better to chip away at on a handheld, especially if they make pausing actually pause the game without having to navigate through buried menus.
I don’t see any reason why they should prevent pausing on a handheld system where it’d be ridiculously easy to power off the system or go to the home menu, so maybe we’ll finally see that ridiculous restriction lifted.
2Deltarune
Hype Incarnate
Deltaruneis already on the Nintendo Switch, but the Switch 2 edition is going to be the only version of the game with a unique control scheme for a little minigame, and it’s a launch title for the system as well.
If you’ve seen the Deltarune fanbase at all recently, you’d think we were a ton of feral weirdos who go insane over every little announcement, and that would be accurate. Deltarune is Tomorrow, after all.
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After Chapter 1’s release in October 2018, we’ve been waiting so long to finally give Toby Fox our money. The game is finally getting a paid release on June 5th, with the Switch 2 being the main reason we’re seeing a release date.
This has been one of the most hyped-up indie game releases of all time, and for good reason. The first two chapters of Deltarune are some of the most fun I’ve ever had in any RPG, and I cannot wait to dive back in.
1Hollow Knight: Silksong
God, Finally
Hollow Knight: Silksong
After an eight-year-long wait for the sequel toHollow Knight, with a playable Hornet campaign promised back on the game’s original Kickstarter campaign, we’re hopefully experiencingSilksongthis year.
As long as this isn’t another 2023 type of deception in release date chicanery, we’re going to be allowed to buy this game, play it, and not have to stare at the scraps of news day after day.
The Hollow Knight fanbase has been going mad for so long, and it will genuinely be hilarious if we get Silksong before GTA 6. Also, I’ve never seen so many people excited over a 5-second clip of a game.
I think it’s crazy work to have put theSilksong trailer in the sizzle reel, but as someone who’s been waiting for years to finally delve into Farloom, I’ll take anything I can get, and I’m elated to see a vague 2025 release window.
