There is something quite relaxing in sword fighting games. Not in what you can see, of course, since you chop off enemies and can sometimes behead them. But the sword combat gameplay isn’t as stressful as shooting games, as you don’t need to aim to defeat your opponents. If it is easy to find a good FPS, sword fighting games don’t have their own category so it is harder to find games with decent sword combat gameplay. Here is a selection of 10 great sword fighting games available on Nintendo Switch.
#11 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Platform: Switch
Release Date: May 12, 2023
There are many reasons to want to play Tears of the Kingdom, but one of the newest reasons came from the gameplay Direct that revealed a key aspect of Link’s abilities. Specifically, for the first time ever, he can combine items in his bag to create fusion weapons that he can use in combat.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not! You’ll be free to “Fuse” just about anything, giving you a whole new edge in combat. If you were tired of weapons breaking in the previous game, fuse together weapons and items to increase their durability!
The possibilities are endless, so try out whatever comes to mind!
#10 Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a remake of the nine Star Wars movies with the humor of the Lego games. And what would be a Star Wars game without lightsaber fights? If they are not classic swords, lightsabers behave the same way swords do, but with extra sparkles.
There is a total of 380 characters in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Of course, they don’t all carry a lightsaber. Some prefer shooting with blasters or using the Force. But lightsabers are the best weapons, and there is a large variety available, from the Jedi and Sith classic lightsabers to the double-bladed ones.
#9 Nidhogg 2
Nidhogg 2 is a fighting game pitting two players against each other. To win, you must reach the end of your opponent’s side first. But of course, they have the same goal, so crossing the line first won’t be as easy as it seems. Each player has a variety of moves to move quickly, such as sliding and leaping.
The game features fighting with four weapons: daggers, bows, rapiers, and broadswords. Besides the rapier, each weapon is strong against a weapon and weak against another one, just like rock-paper-scissors. The dagger is strong against the bow but weak against the broadsword. The bows are powerful against broadswords, which are the perfect counter to daggers. The rapier is average against every weapon and is the go-to choice when you are not sure what to pick.
#8 Blade Strangers
Blade Strangers is a 2D fighting game pitting heroes from various licenses against each other. Just like Super Smash Bros. or Multiversus, the goal of Blade Strangers is to beat another character until they are KO. But the best part is that the two characters shouldn’t normally meet, as they are from completely different universes.
If each character has its own fighting style, they all carry various weapons – including swords. The gameplay of Blade Strangers relies on various combos to unlock special moves. The game features a single-player mode and supports local and online multiplayer battles.
#7 Goblin Sword
Goblin Sword is a retro 2D platform game with some RPG elements. An evil wizard is launching its army of monsters in your hometown and you have to slay as many monsters as you can to save everyone.
Sword fighting is at the heart of Goblin Sword, as you don’t have many alternative options to slice the demons coming at you. You can still choose among various swords, with different attack power, speed, and range. Some swords even have special powers, allowing you to throw magic orbs or perform deadly attacks.
#6 Ghostrunner
Ghostrunner is an action platformer set in a cyberpunk universe. A cataclysm destroyed most of Earth and Dharma Tower is humanity’s last shelter. Your goal is to climb to the top of this tower to confront its leader. But of course, you aren’t the only one in this tower and there will be plenty of enemies to defeat.
The gameplay of Ghostrunner is fast-paced, and every hit can be fatal. To slash your way to the top you can count on Izanami, your katana. The game features a total of 15 paint jobs to customize your sword and be the most stylish Ghostrunner as you chop off your enemies.
#5 Swords & Bones
Swords & Bones is an action-adventure platformer that takes its inspiration from 16-bit games from the 80s and 90s such as Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Castlevania. You play as a nameless hero who is the only one able to defeat the Wolf Demon and save humanity from the demon world invasion.
You only have a sword to defend humanity against the demons. The 2D levels are filled with traps and enemies you can slash with your sword. Swords & Bones features over 50 levels with pixel art visuals that give a retro feeling to its dark medieval fantasy world.
#4 Samurai Shodown I & II
Samurai Shodown is a series of fighting games that began in 1993. The first game takes place in 1787, during the Tenmei Era in Japan. The country is not in its best shape, with ruin and famine plaguing the archipelago. And a bigger threat is looming over Japan: a demon threatens to destroy the country.
You play as one of the warriors coming to end this threat. There are four kinds of attacks: weak, medium, and strong blows with weapons, as well as kicks. As the game is set in 18th-century Japan, the characters all have swords. There are even techniques to disarm your opponent and take advantage of the situation.
#3 The Legend of Zelda Franchise
The Legend of Zelda is an iconic games series. The first game came out in 1986, and gamers all around the world are now looking forward to the release of the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, set to release in 2023.
The primary weapon of Link in these games is a sword. He gets a sword in every game, starting with The Legend of Zelda in 1986. In this game, an old man gives Link a wooden sword, saying “it’s dangerous to go alone.” This quote became a meme, and Link’s sword gameplay is a staple in all The Legend of Zelda games.
#2 Onimusha
Onimusha is a series of action-adventure games developed and published by Capcom. The idea behind this series was to create a ninja version of Resident Evil set in Feodal Japan. The first game was meant to happen in a ninja house similar to the mansion from Resident Evil. And instead of firearms, the main weapons available in the games are swords and shuriken.
The original Onimusha: Warlords game came out in 2001. Capcom remastered this game in 2019, making it available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Sword fighting is at the heart of the game, as you play as a samurai fighting against demons.
#1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most popular RPGs in the last decades. It even led to the creation of a Netflix series starring Henry Cavill. But if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt made its way to this list, it is of course for its sword fighting gameplay.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you don’t carry just one sword, but two. Geralf wields a steel sword to fight against human enemies, and a silver one to slice monsters. Sword fighting is at the core of The Witcher game series, as Geralt is a monster slayer for hire who tends to fight often.
