Best Switch Games Like Elden Ring

Table of Contents

Toggle

Key Takeaways

• Elden Ring
  received widespread praise and attention since its release. Its core gameplay is similar to
  Dark Souls 3
  but with an enormous open world and new mechanics.
• Unfortunately, the game is not available on Nintendo Switch, but there are other excellent games on the console that offer a similar experience.
• Games like
  Monster Hunter Rise
  ,
  The Witcher 3
  , and
  The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  offer similar experiences on the Nintendo Switch.

Elden Ring was released in February 2022 and garnered near-universal praise. The game’s core gameplay is similar to that of Dark Souls 3, though it differentiates itself by throwing players into an enormous open world that is packed full of enemies, bosses, NPCs, and dungeons. The game also introduces a handful of new gameplay mechanics, such as summonable Spirit Ashes and the ability to ride a mount.

Unfortunately for Nintendo Switch owners, the game has only been released on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation systems. Thankfully, there are several excellent Switch games like Elden Ring on the Nintendo Switch that offer a similar experience to FromSoftware’s latest masterpiece.

Updated September 24, 2024, by Mark Sammut:Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree likely brought FromSoftware’s project to an official end, and it was quite a great send-off. Unfortunately, the game is not available on the Switch, and that seems unlikely to change. In its place, let’s highlight another Soulslike Switch game like Elden Ring.

1 Dark Souls: Remastered

Setting The Stage For Elden Ring

Kicking off with the most obvious choice first, Dark Souls: Remastered is an action RPG that was developed by FromSoftware, the team that developed Elden Ring. The game fine-tuned and expanded upon the mechanics introduced in its predecessor, Demon’s Souls, and has gone on to become one of modern gaming’s most influential releases.

Among the game’s many influential features were its interconnected level design, bonfire checkpoint system, and lore-based storytelling. Dark Souls also went against the grain of most AAA games at the time, which were becoming increasingly easier and more railroaded, by offering a notoriously difficult adventure with bosses that can feel like mountains to climb for first-time players.

Dark Souls‘ success, along with the continued success of the so-called Soulsborne series, has proven to the gaming industry that there are many people still seeking to play games that offer a rewardingly difficult challenge.

2 Ashen

A44 specializes in Soulslike (or Soulslite) games, with 2024’s Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn coming out to a fairly mixed reception. While that project is not on the Nintendo Switch, the studio’s previous effort, Ashen, is available and, arguably, superior. Now, due to being a few years old by this point, the game shows its age to an extent, and it does feel more antiquated than something like Elden Ring; nevertheless, there is a lot to appreciate here, particularly for anyone craving a sandbox-style Soulslike. Even though exploration is a central component of most of its releases, the genre tends not to go full sandbox or open-world, and Ashen was among the very first to go down this route. Although far smaller, its map structure is similar to Elden Ring, allowing players to mostly go where they please as long as they can face the threats that await.

Ashen‘s combat sticks close to the Soulslike formula, albeit with a smaller range of weapons that mostly revolve around axes and clubs. A44’s biggest innovation or alternative choice was to mostly eliminate traditional stats, instead prioritizing equipment and upgrade items. Ashen supports multiplayer as well, along with providing AI NPCs who tag along for most encounters. The latter makes the game easier than most of its contemporaries, although bosses still pack a decent punch.

3 Monster Hunter Rise

Intense Boss Battles & Addictive Crafting System

For Switch owners who like the look of taking down enormous enemies and bosses in Elden Ring, Monster Hunter Rise is an ideal alternative. As the name suggests, this game tasks players with the perilous mission of taking down dangerous monsters, either alone or with friends, via the game’s excellent co-op features. Monster Hunter Rise sticks to the franchise’s tried and tested gameplay loop of embarking on quests to earn loot and then using that loot to upgrade weapons and armor needed to take on tougher quests for bigger rewards.

Now, Monster Hunter has never focused on exploration, and Rise mostly sticks to that formula. Missions take place in fairly small maps that provide some room to pick up resources, but they mostly just provide a straight shot at the target enemy. The game handles loot differently than Elden Ring as well, with players having to pick up resources to craft weapons and armor rather than receiving the latter as drops. Nevertheless, both games feature fantastic customization and build variety, even if they handle the concept differently.

4 Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Rough Around The Edges, But Comes Together Nicely

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen was released on Switch in April 2019 and is an expanded version of the original game. This iteration introduced several new features, including full Japanese voice acting, new weapons, and a new dungeon. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen boasts a decently-sized open world that feels pretty alive thanks to emergent enemy encounters that add an element of spontaneity, even if most of the map consists of somewhat linear passages.

Due to being roughly a decade old by this point, Dark Arisen does show its age in place, including somewhat clunky combat and occasionally rough visuals. However, the game’s core has aged pretty well, particularly the vocation (class) system and Pawns. The latter allows players to create an AI support character, and they can even hire Pawns created by other people. While uneven at times and coming with a learning curve, the combat improves as players gain access to more skills, becoming satisfying in the process.

A Timeless RPG

Skyrim is an easy game to recommend to any RPG fan as it gives players the freedom to approach it however they want, with entirely passive or ultra-aggressive playthroughs both providing hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Those looking for an Elden Ring-like experience will want to head down the game’s combat-centric routes, which are plentiful and pit players against a wide variety of enemy types. The combat in Skyrim is often criticized for being bland, though the range of weapons and spells available keep things interesting.

6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Direct Opposite Of Elden Ring, But Also A Standard-Setter

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was initially released in May 2014 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 before eventually arriving on Nintendo Switch just over four years later. The game raised the bar for the RPG genre in 2014, with its beautifully designed scenery and castles that showed off the full extent of eighth-generation console technology just one year after the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were released.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action RPG that differentiates itself from Elden Ring with its dialogue-heavy storytelling and narrative-driven world-building, along with a divisive combat system that requires players to really master all of Geralt’s tools. The game’s engrossing writing is one of its strongest features, as almost every quest features an interesting tale that requires players to make a range of difficult choices to determine how it concludes. Ultimately, Elden Ring and The Witcher 3 represent the RPG genre at its best, even if they excel in different areas.

While playable,
The Witcher 3
is, admittedly, at its worst on the Switch.

7 Salt and Sanctuary

2D Soulslike With Great Combat & Setting

Salt and Sanctuary may seem like an odd choice in a list of games like Elden Ring, particularly as it trades the latter’s massive 3D open world for more contained 2D areas. However, the indie game is one of the better examples of an indie Soulslike, with Ska Studios’ release being given the complimentary tag of “2D Dark Souls.“

The game’s combat, level design, bosses, items, and weapons all take clear influence from FromSoftware’s Soulsborne series, making the indie game a great budget option for those looking for their next Soulslike adventure. The game’s 2D perspective, meanwhile, adds an interesting twist to the Soulslike formula; furthermore, Salt and Sanctuary‘s dark lore is fascinating.

8 Hollow Knight

Deep Combat, Brilliant World-Building, & So Much Content

Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight was first released in 2017 and has been one of the most talked about indie games since. The game immediately draws players in with its intriguing dark and gloomy atmosphere and ingeniously designed Metrodvania-style map that is begging to be explored.

Hollow Knight‘s interconnected map can feel claustrophobic compared to Elden Ring‘s wide open spaces, but it certainly deserves a spot on this list for not only its sheer quality but also for its fantastic boss fights, memorable characters, and well-balanced combat that will appeal to fans of FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games.

9 Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Dated But Charming Action RPG

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning can be recommended to any Switch owner craving an action RPG set in an attractive fantasy world. Now, the game’s tone, combat, setting, and storytelling are all far removed from Elden Ring, to the point that fans of the latter cannot go in expecting a similar experience. However, if they want a more easy-going RPG with hack and slash combat and vibrant visuals, Kingdoms of Amalur should more than deliver.

While the remaster does fix a few things, Re-Reckoning betrays its PS3-era origins, resulting in a charming but janky game at times. It is still worth playing, but some nostalgia for the early 2010s might help the project go down.

10 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Ultimate Switch Open-World Game

It wasn’t long after the release of Breath of the Wild that people were debating whether it was the greatest video game of all time. Consequently, the hype and expectations for its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, were through the roof.

Tears of the Kingdom, like Elden Ring, is a rare example of a piece of media that lives up to, or even exceeds, the enormous expectations of fans and critics. The game expands and improves upon Breath of the Wild in multiple areas, most notably with its sandbox mechanics that let players flex their creative muscles in brilliant and hilarious ways. The game is not just a must-buy for fans of Elden Ring but for any Switch owner who wants to sink their teeth into an open-world masterpiece.

Breath of the Wild
is also a good pick, and its omission purely comes down to its sequel’s inclusion.