The Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2022

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 31, 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, 2022 and December 31, 2022 by Metascore. Games must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion. (All scores listed here are from December 29, 2022.)

11 of 14 photo by Nintendo

89 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Metacritic's #1 Switch Exclusive of 2022.

(#3) The fourth major entry (including Xenoblade Chronicles X) in the hit Nintendo-exclusive action-RPG series, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 might be the best release in the series to date. Critics lauded the story and the wealth of content—at least 70 hours of gameplay—even if many reviewers had minor qualms about various aspects of gameplay. Several critics were so taken by the game that they called XC3 one of the best JRPGs of all time.

“JRPGs do not get better than this. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is Nintendo's finest to date and a must-play for fans of the genre. The moving story, delightful characters and deep, thrilling gameplay loop set this apart as a title that transcends the sum of its parts. There's so much to see and do and such a powerful story to be told, and it's all perfectly pieced together to result in a title that impresses on every level.” —Cubed3

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