Metacritic revealed the 10 worst Nintendo Switch games of 2021 earlier this month, with the more high-profile offenders including Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition and the Square Enix slip-up Balan Wonderworld. Now, the site has revealed its best-rated games, many of which come from third-party developers. The only first-party Nintendo titles to rank were Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury, sitting at #3 with a score of 89, and Metroid Dread, coming in at #9 with a score of 88. Impressive scores though they may be, it’s interesting to see Samus not sliding into the top spot.
Check out the top ten highest-scoring Nintendo Switch titles for 2021:
- The House in Fata Morgana – Dreams of the Revenants Edition – 96
- Tetris Effect: Connected – 95
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – 89
- Death’s Door – 89
- Dusk – 88
- Fez – 88
- Overcooked! All You Can Eat – 88
- Monster Hunter Rise – 88
- Metroid Dread – 88
- Quake Remastered – 87
Sitting pretty in the top spot is The House in Fata Morgana – Dreams of the Revenants Edition, an anime-style visual novel that also made PC Gamer’s ‘Top 100 PC Games’ list in September. While some may not even consider this title a ‘game’ in the standard sense, those who have the patience for 40-hours of story and the strength to deal with the incredibly dark subject matter will likely agree with its place at the top. Originally released in 2012 in Japan, The House in Fata Morgana has been ported to various consoles over the years, finally making its way to the Switch.
It’s no surprise to see Monster Hunter Rise on the list, with many fans of the series claiming it as the best Monster Hunter release to date. Acid Nerve’s beloved indie title Death’s Door placed high at #4, while the therapeutic game Unpacking just missed the list with a score of 87, placing it at #11. 2022 promises to be a big year for Nintendo, with Bayonetta 3, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild due out soon. Expect to see fewer third-party titles on next year’s Metacritic top ten list.
