Nintendo
The 10 best Switch games of 2022 according to Metacritic
Let’s take a quick look back at the year that’s just gone, to see the best that the Nintendo Switch has to offer, at least according to Metacritic and millions of users.
2022 has come and gone, so right now it’s a great time to look back towards it and see how the gaming industry did during the year. This time we’ll be talking about the Nintendo Switch, that wonderful hybrid console that has seen amazing titles for all kinds of players since its release back in 2017.
From action games to shooters, to strategy and some outstanding JRPGs, the Switch has gotten a constant flux of releases during these past 12 months. Metacritic has gone ahead and analyzed all of its data, gathered from hundreds of professional reviews and public opinion, to figure out who the best of the best were. While their whole list is a “top 40”, we’ve chosen to slim it down to only the Top 10 titles in the console.
The top 10 Switch games of 2022 (according to Metacritic)
- Portal Companion Collection
- Persona 5 Royal
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- NieR: Automata – The End of YoRHa Edition
- Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
- Neon White
- Tunic
- Cuphead in the Delicious Last Course
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
As a quick note, for a title to qualify for a position on the list they needed to have at least seven reviews on Metacritic, and they’re all required to have been released in the time period between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
The list is certainly a bit of a surprise, given that there is only a single Nintendo-published title in the top 10 (Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in number 3). The rest of the list is almost entirely comprised of long awaited ports to the console (like Persona 5 Royal and NieR Automata) and other kinds of re-releases. The ones that break the mold are Neon White and Tunic, two of the highest scoring indie releases of the past year, but it's always good to remember that the Switch audience has been mostly welcoming to the indie scene since launch.
That’s not to say that Nintendo didn’t publish any good games last year. On the contrary, it was an amazing roster: Pokémon Legends Arceus, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and many more are shining examples of the innovation and creativity that goes hand in hand with the Nintendo brand. And besides, we know that 2023 is going to be an incredible year for fans, if only because of the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.