The Nintendo Switch 2 is now a little over a year old, and in that time, Nintendo’s newest console has built an impressive game roster. Whether it’s a first-party exclusive or a third-party port, the Switch 2 has expanded the reach of its predecessor in a huge way. From a hardware standpoint, the Switch 2 is a huge leap beyond Nintendo’s previous generation, and the game options clearly reflect that.
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Some of the best Switch 2 games aren’t even Nintendo exclusives. Of course, there are plenty of awesome first-party options, but the Switch 2, boasting similar capabilities to the Xbox Series S, expands port possibilities. Switch 2 owners who are looking for the next game that they can spend tons of hours on don’t have to look too far, because the console has a few great choices that can easily take over 100 hours to fully complete.
No Man’s Sky Knows How to Do Open-World Space Exploration Right
An Open-Ended Sandbox Among The Stars
Completionist Time: 154 hours
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for No Man’s Sky. This game was one of the industry’s most notorious and disappointing launches, but the continuous No Man’s Sky updates that developer Hello Games has offered for free have turned it into the ultimate space exploration experience. This open-world space adventure has risen past its initial state and now boasts hundreds of hours’ worth of content.
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No Man’s Sky recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and Hello Games confirmed that players have barely even explored 1% of the game’s planets. The game utilizes procedural generation in a great way, making each player’s experience unique. Whether you want to be a space pirate or simply to tend to your settlement, No Man’s Sky allows players to choose their own path.
Depending on how one approaches the game, No Man’s Sky can be a vastly different experience from player to player. Hello Games’ sci-fi title can be a fun cozy space sim, a fight for survival, or all about exploration. Whichever path is chosen, No Man’s Sky is an easy game to sink plenty of hours into.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Nintendo’s Quintessential Cozy Life Sim
Sit Back, Relax, And Build That Island
Completionist Time: 109 hours
The Animal Crossing games have been part of the Nintendo library for 25 years now. As the wait for a new Animal Crossing game announcement for the Switch 2 continues, the most recent entry’s port is a great way to pass the time. Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched right when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the world to shut down, introducing a lot of new people to the series.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an easy-going game where players get to manage their dream island. Decorating and socializing are at the heart of New Horizons, but its simplicity shouldn’t be underestimated. The laid-back energy is what makes it so easy to play for hours.
It’s soothing, funny, and deeply charming. Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ addictive gameplay loop left me wishing I could actually live on my island. There are a few great cozy games available for the Switch 2, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the best.
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The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild/Tears Of The Kingdom Takes Player Freedom To New Heights
An Impressive New Era For The Zelda Series
Completionist Time: 193 hours (Breath of the Wild); 247 hours (Tears of the Kingdom)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild laid the groundwork for what made Tears of the Kingdom so special, but both have the same addictive quality, thanks to their in-depth exploration and player freedom. A Breath of the Wild completionist run can take around 190–200 hours, while Tears of the Kingdom takes things even further, with an estimated 250 hours to reach 100% completion.
What makes Breath of the Wild so great is experiencing the game’s amazing open-world physics for the first time. It turns Hyrule into a true playground. Tears of the Kingdom greatly expands on Breath of the Wild’s concepts and even upgrades the gameplay in a huge way with the Ultrahand’s building mechanics.
Between Breath of the Wild’s open-world exploration and Tears of the Kingdom evolving the experience with a robust building system, these two games are some of the most technically impressive in the entire Legend of Zelda franchise.
Final Fantasy 14 Is The Longest Game In The Franchise
A Marathon, Not A Sprint
Completionist Time: 1,000+ hours (including all expansions)
The Final Fantasy series features plenty of lengthy entries, but Final Fantasy 14 takes the cake as the longest in the entire franchise. Since the game is an MMORPG, it’s not out of the ordinary for the most dedicated players to hit the 1,000-hour mark. Now that gamers can play Final Fantasy 14 on the Switch 2, an online world with hours upon hours of content is waiting to be explored.
What’s even better is that Switch 2 owners don’t need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the game. Final Fantasy 14 has been going strong for 15 years now, and in that time, this MMORPG has become packed with content.
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Because of its MMORPG status, Final Fantasy 14 is meant to attract players who are in it for the long haul. There is an overarching storyline, but there aren’t plans to end it any time soon, so its recent Switch 2 launch presents the perfect time to jump in.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Is A Completionist’s Dream
Mira Is Full Of Discoveries
Completionist Time: 252 hours
If games with giant maps are your thing, then Xenoblade Chronicles X might be well worth checking out. The game’s map is vast, but it also has plenty of verticality that balances the sheer scope of the world. A completionist run of Xenoblade Chronicles X can take roughly 250 hours because there is simply so much to do.
Beyond the main story’s 12 chapters, Xenoblade Chronicles X is packed with interesting side content. Don’t let the size of Xenoblade Chronicles X’s world scare you off, though. Players will unlock mechs around the story’s 20–30 hour mark. This adds a completely new layer to the gameplay and makes traversal far easier.
Even though it’s an 11-year-old game, Xenoblade Chronicles X holds up. The Switch 2 specifically supports the Definitive Edition, which makes a lot of UI and quality-of-life improvements to the original version.
Cyberpunk 2077 Gives Players The Ultimate Dystopian Role-Playing Fantasy
A First-Person Fight Against A Power-Hungry Corporation
Completionist Time: 128 hours (Ultimate Edition)
Experiencing 100% of what Cyberpunk 2077 takes around 128 hours, but just because it’s one of the shorter games on this list doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the time and effort. Like No Man’s Sky, Cyberpunk 2077 managed to move past its controversial launch state and is now one of the best RPGs of the decade.
The Switch 2 supports the Ultimate Edition, which automatically gives players access to the Phantom Liberty DLC. This expansion was a turning point for the game, and its extra content feels essential to the overall experience.
Even once all the side missions have been completed, Cyberpunk 2077 is also just a great game to explore and take in the sights. CD Projekt Red did a great job at bringing a dystopian, crime-riddled metropolis to life. Protagonist V can either work towards taking down Arasaka or simply drive around Night City listening to great music. The choice is yours.
