The Best Upcoming Switch Games in 2022 That We Are Looking Forward to Playing

We’ve covered many genres in our SwitchArcade Special Editions so far including retro collections, ports, new games, JRPGs, and much more. While this year has been great for Nintendo’s hybrid system already, there’s still a lot coming. Many ports have even been recently announced, and now is a great time to highlight the games we are looking forward to on Switch in 2022. These range from new releases to ports of older titles. Narrowing this to just 10 was difficult with so many new announcements of classics, but here are the best upcoming Switch games for 2022 that we are looking forward to playing.

Bayonetta 3 ($59.99)

The wait for Bayonetta 3 has been very long, and while we did get ports of the first two games, Nintendo and PlatinumGames are finally set to bring Bayonetta’s newest action game to Switch this October. The newest trailer looks excellent, and the new characters look interesting. I can’t wait to see what song we get with Moon in the title as well. If you enjoy character action games, Bayonetta 3 should be on your radar. If you haven’t played the series yet and would like to try an earlier entry, the first Bayonetta is getting a physical release this September as well. Bayonetta 3 releases on October 28 worldwide.

Harvestella ($59.99)

The Nintendo Switch has been a great home to life simulation games, and it keeps getting more from across the world. While most people likely are familiar with Rune Factory, Stardew Valley, and My Time at Portia, Square Enix’s upcoming life simulation game, Harvestella, looks like a lovely blend of farming, fantasy, and more. Harvestella is out on November 4th for Nintendo Switch with its gorgeous aesthetic, and it looks like a lovely relaxing experience to dig into after the busy month of releases in October.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero ($49.99)

We finally had Nihon Falcom’s longrunning Trails series hit the Switch through The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III and IV. There are still many games that either never got ported over or haven’t been localized yet. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a game most Falcom fans have been waiting to play for many years. That wait is finally ending with it releasing in the West for the first time on Nintendo Switch on September 27th. This is a great entry point into the series by all accounts, and it is a game I’m very excited to play for its cast that I’ve experienced through other games to some degree and also the brilliant music.

NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition($39.99)

NieR: Automata is another game I never expected to ever come to Nintendo Switch given how PlatinumGames’ action RPG ran on PS4 when it debuted back in 2017. It looks like halving the frame rate was all they needed to do for it to be feasible on Switch when it arrives in October this year. NieR: Automata is an unbelievably good action RPG that brought Square Enix’s lovely NieR from a niche series to one of the best selling action games in years. It has amazing characters, one of the best soundtracks ever, and exclusive costumes for the Nintendo Switch version. Launching at a budget price also helps.

No Man’s Sky ($59.99)

When I wrote about the best games to play on Steam Deck, I was impressed with how well No Man’s Sky felt on it. While the Switch version due on October 7th will likely not be as nice as it feels on Steam Deck, I adore No Man’s Sky enough to play every version of it. I’ve been doing that so far, and think the structure of the game perfectly suits the Switch with its pickup and play nature. The Switch version of No Man’s Sky will also arrive with all prior updates included. Hopefully it ends up being as good as it is on other systems.

Dragon Quest Treasures ($59.99)

Dragon Quest Treasures is a new spin-off entry in the beloved series launching on December 9th for Nintendo Switch bringing some familiar faces to those who played Dragon Quest XI to a new adventure involving mysterious islands, treasure, monsters, rival gangs, and more. I wasn’t initially sold on Dragon Quest Treasures, but I try and play every localized Dragon Quest game. This one is getting a worldwide release before the end of the year, and it looks like it will be a fun and relaxing adventure.

Splatoon 3 ($59.99)

Splatoon 2 was a fantastic game held back by some online-related issues. I still can’t believe they expected people to use a standalone app for features that should’ve been in the base release. Splatoon 3 is looking to build on Splatoon 2, and I hope it delivers with a robust online experience at least. I’m confident in the team’s gameplay, characters, and aesthetic, but the online aspect is the only aspect that we haven’t seen much about yet. Splatoon 3 will likely be one of the biggest games of the year in general, and I hope it delivers in every way as someone who played hundreds of hours of Splatoon 2.

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection ($39.99)

While we just had the brilliant TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge from Tribute Games and Dotemu, I’ve been looking forward to revisiting some classics from my childhood in Konami’s TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection. This collection arriving at the end of August brings multiple classics including some that I haven’t played in any format before to all current consoles and PC with online play across select titles and many extras. It still feels surreal that these games are being re-released in any form this year. Hopefully the emulation and online work well on Switch.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 on Nintendo Switch is beyond a meme at this point. After all the years of it likely being the most requested Switch port, Persona 5 Royal will finally hit Nintendo Switch this October (why are there so many October releases?) with all prior DLC included. The Persona games perfectly suit portables, and hopefully Atlus and Sega do a good job of translating the PS4 game to Nintendo’s hybrid system. While most people including myself played Persona 4 through its PS Vita enhanced release, I played Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal on PS4. I’m looking forward to revisiting it on Nintendo Switch on October 21st.

Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival ($49.99)

The Nintendo Switch has been my favorite platform for rhythm games, and I continue to try and buy most multiplatform ones on Switch. One of my favorite franchises in the genre, is Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Taiko no Tatsujin franchise. We’ve already seen multiple games hit Switch so far, but Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival is special with how it is handling DLC. While you get a ton of content in the base version on September 23rd, it will feature a paid subscription promising over 500 songs. Given how well the prior game and its DLC seem to do on Switch, Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival might be a nice platform for Bandai Namco Entertainment to build on for a long time.

Interested in more lists? Check out our other Nintendo Switch recommendations!