You see that mountain on the horizon? You can go there! That old gaming chestnut has been around for a very long time now, but for old-school gamers who remember the compartmentalised kingdoms of yore, there’s a special magic still to be derived from being able to trek your way to a distant summit in modern open worlds. Video games, eh? Marvellous.
Despite the console’s diminutive size, Nintendo Switch has accrued a selection of vast kingdoms and open worlds to explore and enjoy since launch, and below we’ve collected our picks of the very best open-world games on Switch.
How do we define an ‘open world’? Well, exploration of a large overworld is fundamental, preferably with as little gating as possible. The non-linear ability to go anywhere, anytime, is a key part of the titles below — whether you’ve got the chops to survive or not. If you’re after 2D platformers that gradually reveal a large open map to explore, you should check out our guide to the best Switch Metroidvanias.
So, let’s take a look at a selection — in no particular order — of the best open worlds on Switch.
We begin with one of the most impressive ports on Switch. The fact that CD Projekt Red’s action RPG runs on Nintendo’s console at all is a minor miracle, but the experience the studio served up in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt holds up incredibly well thanks to the efforts of Saber Interactive.
Geralt of Rivia’s epic adventure through an enormous open world is a pleasure to play on a handheld, and cross-saves with the PC version of the game is the icing on a tasty little cake.
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What it lacks in epic narrative and lore it makes up for with tight, satisfying combat and the scope of its open world. Dragon’s Dogma might not be perfect, but Capcom’s action RPG still manages to shine on Switch.
This port of the Dark Arisen update won’t convert you if you didn’t get on with the 2012 original, but it still gets a strong recommendation from us.
Thanks to the inclusion of exclusive Star Fox content, Ubisoft’s multiplatform Starlink: Battle for Atlas is best experienced on Switch and is the closest thing to an open-world Star Fox game out there.
Comparisons to No Man’s Sky are valid, and while the game didn’t set the charts alight when it released — arguably thanks to its reliance on bulky toys-to-like accessories at a time when most of us were up to our eyeballs in plastic peripherals already — it’s one of the most enjoyable dogfighting/space exploration games money can buy.
You can find it for a pittance these days, and we strongly advise you pick it up next time you see it discounted.
The game that set the standard for the modern open-world experience with its scope and ambition, the appearance of Skyrim on Switch was a welcome surprise when it popped up in the reveal clip for the console back in October 2016.
If you’re after seamless, polished perfection, you’ll find Zelda further down this list; if you’re after an epic adventure filled with guts, glory, and not a small amount of jank, this remains one of the very best examples out there.
In the continued absence of any 3D Grand Theft Auto post-San Andreas on Nintendo consoles, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected stepped into the frame and delivers a knowingly silly, thoroughly entertaining take on the urban open-world game.
It runs far better than its predecessor on Switch, and while its sense of humour won’t gel with everyone, it’s definitely worth investigation if you like open-world games that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an expertly crafted revamp that gives us all the bells and whistles we could wish for in terms of graphical upgrades to this enormous open world. However, it’s actually Monolith Soft’s attention to clever gameplay revisions that impresses most here.
This is X streamlined and modernised, carefully recast and reset in order to play better than ever. Additional characters, a new ending, and all that snazzy stuff is all well and good, and fans will be excited by the fresh revelations that occur, but it’s in how everything flows so much better now that we reckon the hardcore will find themselves most impressed.
And for newcomers a recommendation is even easier; this is up there with the all-time great sci-fi RPGs and an absolute must-play.
Switch owners have a couple of options when it comes to Assassin’s Creed games, but there’s a clear correct answer if someone asks you which they should play. Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection contains both Black Flag (number four in the mainline franchise), plus the series spin-off/interquel Assassin’s Creed: Rogue.
A feast for the eyes and ears, sailing around the high seas as Edward Kenway feels not dissimilar to the voyages of a young cel-shaded sailor we enjoyed first back on GameCube, and the beauty of the Caribbean waves and pirate settlements is displayed in fine portable form in this excellent port of one of the series’ high points.
And Rogue’s not bad, either.
The procedurally generated open worlds of Don’t Starve give it the feeling of an unforgiving Minecraft, with pleasure coming from confronting and conquering the hardships and challenges of surviving in the wilderness.
It might not be for everyone, and it can get a little repetitive, but the Switch version is a great way to experience the game, and once Don’t Starve sinks its teeth in, you’ll find it very difficult to shake.
The open-world approach of Burnout Paradise had a profound influence on the driving genre, although Nintendo platforms haven’t been blessed with an abundance of open-world racers. Criterion’s excellent Need for Speed: Most Wanted came to Wii U, but didn’t make the splash it should have thanks to that console’s disappointing sales. Having this precursor on Switch — and any entry in the beloved Burnout franchise — is a treat sullied only by the substantial price tag it carried at launch.
However, it runs at a lovely 60fps and despite various elements showing their age a little, it’s still a super slick ride that performs well on Switch. We’d recommend keeping an eye out for a sale with this one.
Battling Skyrim for the title of ‘Most Painfully Obvious Inclusion’, if you own a Switch and it’s not simply an Animal Crossing portal, you owe it to yourself to get Breath of the Wild. Its version of Hyrule is one of the most cohesive, polished, and watertight open worlds on any platform and we’ve lost literal real-life days exploring its hills and dales, peaks and valleys, nooks and crannies. It’s one of the best games Nintendo has ever made; of course it’s here.
And once you’ve finished with this one, you can always return to the same world to explore the sky and underground, too.
