15 Best Nintendo Switch Open World Action Adventure Games

The Nintendo Switch has a lot of grand adventures for you to partake in. So if you’re wanting some action and open worlds to explore, these twelve games will do that for you.

#15 Hogwarts Legacy

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S – February 10, 2023 | PS4 Xbox One – May 05, 2023
Release Date: Switch November 14, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

When you read the books or watched the movies featuring Harry Potter and his friends, your greatest desire was likely wanting to be in that world and see all it has to offer.

The good news is that Hogwarts Legacy gives you that desire in spades. You’ll transfer to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and be able to explore the grounds therein. You can wander the castle and seek out its many hidden rooms.

Then you can head to the grounds, fly on hippogriffs, or delve into the Forbidden Forest! You can even go to Hogsmeade and have unique adventures there! So jump in and wander to your hearts’ content!

#14 Red Dead Redemption

Platform: PS4 Switch – August 17, 2023
Release Date: Xbox 360 PS3 – May 18, 2010

PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

One of the things that made the Wild West such an “inviting” place was that many felt the land would go on forever, and there were plenty of places to try and set up shop or home and attempt to live in peace. One such person was John Marston, who left his life as an outlaw to become a family man.

However, when the law caught up with him, he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse. He’s now forced to hunt down his former outlaw crew to get his freedom.

To do this, he’ll venture across America and Mexico to get them. You’ll see this older version of America and beyond like never before and get to enjoy many adventures and quests along the way.

#13 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Platform: Switch
Release Date: May 12, 2023

Nintendo
What made the previous entry in The Legend of Zelda franchise so special was that it was the first game in the series to embrace the open-world aesthetic. Previous titles had dabbled in being open-world but never committed.

But now, with Tears of the Kingdom, we’ll get the next evolution of that. The Hyrule from before is where we are in the sequel, but it won’t be the same Hyrule. After Ganondorf reemerges, he rips the realm apart with his power. This creates Sky Islands and underground chambers for gamers to explore!

With so much to do in Hyrule, you’ll happily get lost while trying to see all the game offers.

#12 Dying Light Platinum Edition

The Dying Light Platinum Edition is easily the best version of the zombie open-world game. Although, mainly because it fixes many of the original title’s problems, it adds in the DLC that many will want to participate in.

The game puts you in a zone where zombies run rampant, and the locals try to survive. You’re sent in by your commanders and have to decide if you follow orders and complete the mission or try to help those in the path of destruction.

How you handle yourself in the game is up to you. Be a wrecking ball or a parkour expert to flee attacks. It’s all up to you.

#11 Assassin’s Creed IV

Despite the series not having a lot of entries on the Switch, the one that you will definitely want to play is Assassin’s Creed IV. Hailed as of the more “fun-focused” titles, the game puts you in the golden age of piracy through the viewpoint of Edward Kenway.

He’ll fight off British oppression and take to the high seas to be the best pirate he can be. As noted, the title focuses more on gameplay than the overarching story of the franchise. That means you’ll spend more time on a pirate ship than you will in the future.

Have intense naval battles, fight alongside pirates like Blackbeard, and show why pirates aren’t meant to be messed with.

#10 Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

The journey to get Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition was not easy. But through this updated port, fans finally got to experience the original game in the franchise in all its glory.

After all, it originally came out with the Wii, which was underpowered. The 3DS port wasn’t much better. But the Switch version allows you to enjoy the open-world gameplay and the combat system like never before.

You’ll play Shulk, a young hero on a quest to avenge the loss of a friend and stop the war between the people of two titans. With the Monado in hand, you’ll use special abilities alongside your friends to fight off the machine hordes and learn the truth about your world.

#9 Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey may not seem like an open-world title, but when you go into the multiple kingdoms that Mario will visit, you’ll see the truth. The game features Bowser kidnapping Peach to throw the biggest wedding the galaxy has ever seen.

Alongside your new friend Cappy, you’ll go to kingdom after kingdom chasing the king of koopas and powering up your ship to get to the next spot.

It’s here where the open world shines. Each kingdom is vast and has plenty of challenges to do. Some involve fighting, others are puzzle-solving, and there’s more beyond that! Plus, you can possess other creatures and items through Cappy!

#8 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Now let’s talk about an action-adventure game that just came out, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

While the first game wasn’t open-world, the sequel definitely is. You’ll get to be in five different worlds, each with its own things to do and monsters to fight. You’ll make your team with Mario, his allies, and Rabbids to overcome challenges and save the Sparks from the vile Cursa!

The game is so fun in its experience you won’t even realize that you’re doing a completionist run until you notice you’ve been doing everything but the main story. So dive into these Rabbid-filled places and see what they have to offer.

#7 The Outer Worlds

Obsidian Entertainment knows how to make games, and they love making games with deep worlds. The Outer Worlds was their attempt to capitalize on past experience and deliver something new.

You are someone who has been in cryo sleep for a very long time. You awaken on a colony that corporations run, and they aren’t doing a good job. The people want to rebel, and they want you to join them. Whether you do or not is up to you.

Choose who your character is, how they play, influence the story by making key decisions, and more! The team put a lot of effort into this title, and it’s getting a sequel! That should prove how quality it is.

#6 Xenoblade Chronicles 2

If you can’t tell, we’ll have the entire trilogy on this list.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was the first of the trilogy to be on the Switch, and it was the title that truly elevated the game to “franchise status.”

The game puts you in the role of Rex, a salvager who makes a pact with a legendary Blade known as the Aegis. But you can call her Pyra. Together, the two must find a way to climb the World Tree and learn the truth about the Titans and why the world is slowly dying.

Another deep story and combat system await you, so don’t miss out on this game if you haven’t played it yet.

#5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

To talk about classic open-world games, you must talk about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While it is an older title by this point, it’s still one of the bars that have been set regarding open-world games. The title was Game of the Year for a reason, ok? It gave you so much to do that you could ignore the main storyline for countless hours and not fear missing out on something.

Why? Because you had so much to do! Do sidequests, upgrade your class, find a new class to be, explore dungeons, hunt monsters, etc. That doesn’t even count the DLC that gives you even more content to do.

The only reason it’s lower on this list is that it was ported to the Switch long after the game came out.

#4 Monster Hunter Rise

One of the most successful 3rd-party games on the Switch, Monster Hunter Rise puts you in a new area where monsters must be hunted! You start as one of the protectors of your village to stop the stampede of monsters that often comes your way.

Then, explore outside your village as you take on quests to find and slay monsters. Granted, the main game doesn’t give you a complete “open-world experience,” but there are plenty of expansive areas to explore. Plus, with the Sunbreak DLC, you’ll get new lands to check out, monsters to fight, and more.

So build up your hunter to be the best they can be and slay everything in sight!

#3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt shines in its open-world experience because it offers many places to explore. Between the main storyline and the two expansive DLC expansions, you’ll not be wanting for places to go.

You’ll once again play as Geralt of Rivia on a quest to save your adopted daughter in Ciri. But that’s only the tip of this action-packed iceberg. You’ll be facing all sorts of monsters, beasts, and people as you try and unravel the mystery of what’s going on. Plus, you can play into Geralt’s wilder side regarding the ladies in his life.

A different kind of “action,” if you will.

#2 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Another recent title for the Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, earns its way to the #2 spot for multiple reasons. One, it has a massive world that’s begging to be explored. Even if you go through the main storyline, there are areas you won’t naturally go to unless you explore them yourself.

Second, the game’s story is easily one of the most heartfelt, detailed, and emotional games you will play this year. The tale of life and death that they have is so gripping you’ll be crying by the time you get to the final cutscene. Yes, we’re speaking from personal experience on that.

Finally, the combat system is deep and full of customization. So tailor your team your way and have a grand adventure.

#1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Why wouldn’t we have this game at the top of the list? The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the launch title for the Switch and remains one of the best-selling games on the system. It turned many people’s heads with its expansive open world and how it handled the story, characters, and combat.

You can spend over 200 hours in the game doing sidequests, beating all the mini-dungeons, seeing everything there is to see, playing the DLC, and more. There’s a reason why its sequel is so highly-anticipated. Because if the sequel can live up to the original, we got another Game of the Year on our hands.