After the disastrous launch of the Wii U, it was only a given that the next console that Nintendo would launch needed to be something incredibly special to ensure that the company didn't follow down SEGA's path. Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch was a brilliant piece of hardware that ended up wowing fans and critics alike due to its innovative design and generally being a massive improvement over the Wii U.
As is the case with most Nintendo consoles, the Switch also features a veritable library of truly excellent JRPGs that have enticed many fans of the genre to buy this console for themselves. These titles sport amazing combat systems that will keep fans hooked for hours on end, with the following ten games in the genre being particularly notable in this regard.
10 Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Ideally, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 should be higher up the list. The combat system is incredibly when it's running at full strength, with everything from the Blade Arts to the Chain Attacks playing a huge role in ensuring a smooth and entertaining flow of battle.
Unfortunately, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 should be rightfully penalized for locking most of its battle system behind annoying tutorials for ten hours, if not more! This makes the first few hours of this title a complete slog, and players wouldn't be faulted for giving up on this title before the going gets better.
9 Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
For the longest time, Final Fantasy VIII hadn't received any modern update. This was mainly to do with the fact that Square had apparently lost the game files from its database, which is just ridiculous to even imagine.
So, when Final Fantasy VIII Remastered was finally announced for all major modern platforms — including the Switch — fans couldn't wait to get into an underappreciated title that actually sports an engaging combat system... once the player gets used to the nuances of the Junction system, that is.
8 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
Probably one of the most underappreciated JRPG franchises around, the Ys series is easily an incredible ride that will keep players on the edge of their seats until the game reaches its end.
A big part of what makes the game so special is its real-time combat system, which ends up playing a massive role in ensuring that battles are fast-paced, tactical, and a ton of fun to boot.
7 Tales Of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Speaking of JRPG franchises that are criminally underrated in the West, one can't help but mention the brilliant Tales of... series as well. The series has churned out a bunch of amazing games, with Tales of Vesperia being a fan-favorite in particular.
Featuring an intriguing plot and new combat mechanics that ended up refining the Linear Motion Battle System even further, there's no denying the fact that Tales of Vesperia is a great game to try out for anyone who wishes to game on their Switch.
6 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel IV
The Legend of Heroes is a brilliant JRPG series that ends up taking story and world-building to a whole new level in JRPGs, featuring a level of charm and polish that makes the games incredibly easy to get into for most players.
The Trails of Cold Steel series serves as a great way to ingratiate oneself with the franchise, featuring a simply yet deviously complicated combat system that will definitely keep fans on the edge of their toes. The fourth game in the series ends up taking things to a whole new level with new
5 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
While Fire Emblem might've become a reviled franchise amongst the Nintendo fanbase due to the manner in which most of its characters are almost shoehorned into Smash, there's no denying the fact that the latest game in the series is a tactical role-playing masterpiece.
Fire Emblem is a series that doesn't pull back its punches when it comes to offering a tough challenge through its gameplay, and Three Houses definitely doesn't slouch in this regard. Players who end up going through this title will find a challenge lying in wait that will be quite daunting indeed... yet extremely satisfying when their tactics end up paving the way for victory.
4 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
It's unfortunate that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 takes so many hours to finally unleash the full potential of its combat system... especially since the first game in this illustrious series managed to do the same without any major problems whatsoever.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition ends up being a ton of fun to play through, with its combat system allowing for a balancing act between the various Arts and the Party Gauge to make for a sublime experience indeed.
3 The World Ends With You: Final Remix
The World Ends With You is easily one of the most unique and stylish JRPGs around, and the fact that it finally received a much-needed facelift — along with a ton of new content as well — definitely makes it a worthy contender for must-play games on the Switch.
While playing this game in docked mode can prove to be a massive challenge, handheld mode allows the player to make the most of the Switch's touchscreen and effortlessly enjoy a combat system that is incredibly unique in every sense of the word.
2 Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler wowed fans with its amazing visuals that serve as a callback to a simpler era of JRPGs, yet somehow managed to look and modern and stellar in its own way. However, these visuals were just the cherry on top of the massive and delicious cake that was the combat system.
Using a system of Boosts and Breaks, Octopath Traveler becomes a highly engaging and tactical JRPG that will definitely punish any player that's not ready to tackle its hard-as-nails boss fights... and that's not even mentioning the true final boss of the game, which is simply ridiculous and easily takes over the crown as one of the hardest bosses in gaming history.
1 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
But of course, it would be impossible to talk about excellent games on the Switch and not mention a JRPG that was enhanced specifically for this console... well, until it was ported to the PC, that is.
Regardless, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a brilliant title that is sure to satisfy any JRPG fan due to an amazing art style, a brilliant world, and an engaging combat system that is deceptively simple yet tactically complex at the same time. It's the perfect kind of a battle system that easy to understand... yet exceedingly hard to master — something that becomes a necessity when tackling some of the more imposing foes in the game.