The Best Switch Games of 2021

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 2, 2022

Which Nintendo Switch games impressed professional reviewers the most during the past year? We rank the best-reviewed Switch games released between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 by Metascore. Games must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion. (All scores listed here are from January 1, 2022.)

6 of 14 photo by Capcom

88 Monster Hunter Rise

(#8) The first of two Monster Hunter titles released in 2021, the one-time Switch-exclusive Rise (which gets a PC release in a few weeks) brings the fantasy action-RPG series into the new "ninja-inspired" locale of Kamura Village. Gameplay is similar to that of 2018's Monster Hunter World (albeit with new additions including a new "Rampage" survival mode), and you can hunt on your own or with up to three companions.

“Monster Hunter has gone from strength to strength over the years, and Monster Hunter World in particular felt like a high point for the series. But Monster Hunter Rise manages to one-up even that ambitious game. A renewed focus on vertical level design and mobility take everything that makes Monster Hunter work to new heights (pun absolutely intended), and the Japanese inspiration gives this latest outing a very different, very impressive new sense of style, but without forgetting the series’ roots. Truly, Rise is Monster Hunter at its absolute best.” —Shindig

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