10 Best Nintendo Switch Games Of 2020

7. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Switch 2020
Nintendo

If Wii U owners are feeling the pangs of buyers' remorse watching one exclusive after another ported to the Switch, spare a thought for adoptees of the New 3DS. Just one of only six games exclusive to the updated handheld was worth having, and it's been hammered into complete obsolescence by Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.

The N3DS version of the 2010 Wii JRPG was a miniature miracle, but it's eclipsed in every department by writer Tetsuya Takashi's final cut. Monolith Soft actually lent their expertise in creating big fields to Breath of the Wild, so it's no surprise the twin worlds of Bionis and Mechonis look better than ever on the Switch.

The refit goes beyond a graphical upscale to what was already one of the Wii's finest looking titles however; the bafflingly complex UI has been pared back, the sweeping score (featuring compositions from vets Yasunori Mitsuda and Yoko Shimomura) is remastered, and there's now a fantastically forgiving casual mode which cuts out the sort of grind modern players have no stomach for. If that's not enough, there's also a substantial new post-game chapter for those who've been through this once (and possibly twice) before.

The continental colossi that form Xenoblade Chronicles' world are something of a metaphor for the game; it's long been a titan of the JRPG genre left in abeyance through time. This Switch version - at last readily available and geared to a wider audience - sees it finally roar back to life.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.