The Dragon Quest franchise has maintained its position as one of the RPG genre's most iconic franchises since the original game hit stores in the late 80s on NES and Famicom. The Nintendo Switch has numerous Dragon Quest games available to players, including the most recent entry in the series, Dragon Quest XI, which arrived on the console in September 2019 in the form of a Definitive Edition.
The next Dragon Quest game, Dragon Quest XII, has recently been confirmed to be in development. However, the release date hasn't been announced, and it could still be many months away. So, to tide players over until the next game releases, here are ten other excellent RPGs to play.
10 Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Tales of Vesperia is the tenth entry in the Tales series, which began in 1995 with Tales of Phantasia and has included critically acclaimed titles such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Rebirth. The game was originally released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (Japan only) in the late 2000s before the Definitive Edition hit stores worldwide in 2019.
Tales of Vesperia implements an altered version of its trademark Linear Motion Battle System, titled Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System, which gives the RPG its own unique feel.
9 Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Koei Tecmo's Atelier series is one of the most densely packed RPG franchises in the genre's history that is still active today, with Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout being the series' twenty-first entry.
The game differentiates itself from other RPGs with its heavy focus on Alchemy. By collecting resources found in the field, players can create a range of items with various recipes. In January 2021, a sequel was released titled Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, becoming the series' twenty-second entry.
8 Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch in 2018, before coming to PC, Stadia, and Xbox One in the years that followed. Players have an important decision to make at the very start of the game, as Octopath Traveler offers players an impressive range of eight different characters to choose from.
Along with its compelling story and memorable soundtrack, Octopath Traveler received tons of praise for its excellent art design, which implements a modern interpretation of classic SNES styles.
7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Nintendo has always had the ideology of trusting their own IPs rather than relying on third-party titles to sell their consoles. The Nintendo Switch kept this long-running tradition going, with their two mascot characters, Mario and Link, leading the console's sales push with Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
However, gamers are now wanting to play more games than ever before, so Nintendo have added some of the top titles from the last decade to their latest console. One such game is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which blew fans and critics away with its incredible visuals and engrossing story that players can heavily influence with their choices.
6 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Another critically acclaimed third-party title that Nintendo has offered players on its latest console is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Granted, most RPG fans will have already played Skyrim with around five different characters on multiple consoles, but a list of recommended RPGs would feel incomplete without 2011's instant classic.
The Elder Scrolls VI has been officially announced, though it's unclear whether the game will be exclusive to Microsoft systems following their acquisition of Bethesda. Therefore, it may be worth booting up another new save file and escaping Helgen once again.
5 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles is the third but not the last definitive/complete edition to make it onto this list. The game was initially released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010 and was extremely well-received by fans and critics, exemplified by its 92 score on Metacritic.
The Definitive Edition of the classic game was released in May 2020 and implemented numerous changes such as a remastered soundtrack and new and improved visuals that made it one of the best-looking games on the console.
4 Monster Hunter Rise
Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise has carved itself a comfy spot in the RPG genre with frequent releases that tend to follow the same gameplay patterns but don't feel too repetitive thanks to the great range of monsters to slay in each game.
Monster Hunter Rise's predecessor, Monster Hunter World, took the series to new commercial heights with enormous sales figures that surpassed 14 million in 2019. Monster Hunter Rise appears to have picked up where World left off, as the game shipped five million units in its first ten days.
3 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III was originally released for western audiences in 2019 on the PlayStation 4 before coming to Nintendo Switch the following year.
The game differentiated itself from its predecessors with alterations to the series' combat. The game's combat was noticeably faster than other entries in the series, thanks to quicker transitions into battle and button-mapped commands. Trails of Cold Steel III was well-received by fans and critics, exemplified by its 84 Metascore and 8.1 User Score.
2 Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
The Final Fantasy franchise has gone hand in hand with the Dragon Quest series since both games debuted in the late 80s, with many people believing that they are the two most iconic and quintessential JRPG IPs of all time.
The high-definition remaster of Final Fantasy XII is one of the best Final Fantasy games available to players on Switch, though there are also other excellent titles from the series available, including the original version of Final Fantasy VII and the remaster of Final Fantasy VIII.
1 Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best RPG available on the Nintendo Switch according to Metacritic, with a score of 93 that also makes it the join-third highest-rated game on the system, beaten by only The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey thanks to their near-perfect scores of 97.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 fully deserves its high praise from critics, as Larian Studios' game is an incredibly enjoyable and engrossing RPG to play alone or with friends.