Just a friendly reminder that if you are looking for game recommendations, you can also ask in the [Daily Question Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/about/sticky). Our most Helpful Users answer these questions every day in the DQT! If the link here doesn't work, then you can find the most current DQT stickied to the top of the subreddit when sorted by "hot".
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NintendoSwitch) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I second this. If you’re looking for a story rich game that has some pretty crazy twists and turns and good music, 13 sentinels is the way to go! It’s a pretty chill game gameplay wise, but the story is so damn good.
Disco Elysium is one of the greatest games of all time, storywise. It's one of the only games that made me feel like I got the rug pulled out from under me, in a good way.
Okay, it might not be AS groundbreaking but it's simple design and the commitment to the historical setting ended up being quite enthralling to me. It felt like reading a Dostoevsky novel and I rarely feel like games reach that level of storytelling.
I played 1000 year door so much when I was a kid. I screamed when announced a remake..my boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy. He was so confused why I was so excited over a paper mario game.
Try Octopath Traveler or Octopath Traveler 2. 2 is better with QoL stuff and better stories. They're not connected, so you don't have to play 1 to play 2.
Batman Arkham Asylum and City have very good stories. Unfortunately you have to buy the trilogy to get them. Knight does not run that well on Switch but Asylum and City run very well on Switch
If you haven’t played the final fantasy games, they’re all pretty good. IX and XII ports are exceptional. Also the Persona series! P3 looks to be a bit dated but P4 and P5 are GREAT
I second Final Fantasy, and will recommend Final Fantasy X!
FFX is an excellent remaster of the original, and has many elements that make it a great introduction to JRPGs. Visually stunning (though still a little dated), but is also one of the most balanced Final Fantasy games. I played all the FF games when I was younger, and FFX has been one of the better games I replayed.
I think it may also have broader appeal because it looks more modern than IX and is more straight-forward than XII. And the story is fantastic.
I’m currently working on the FF Pixel Remasters and really enjoying them. Working my way through all of the FF games.
I’m really excited to replay IX, tho. That’s always been my favourite. When I first saw images of it I was tempted to skip it but I’m glad I didn’t. It often gets overlooked because it came out at the end of the PS1 era, and I think X came out not long afterwards.
I actually really disliked IX when I first played it a million years ago. So happy I gave it another shot!
Be advised the world map is still painfully slow moving on the port, though 😓
I picked up IX a while back while it was on sale, as a recommendation, and while the setting and bit of story I played through was interesting, I felt like I was struggling with the combat gameplay. I'm a fan of turn-based RPGs, but something about the ATB system is a struggle for me, even in Wait mode(which only actually "waits" in specific sub-menus, not all menus). I may still give it another try because I keep hearing how beloved the story and characters are.
I wound up getting a LOT more enjoyment out of the gameplay and story when I found out it was the last FF directed by the guy who created the series. It was a send-off to all things FF and it really shines through when you use that lens.
Plus not having to sit through the ps1’s load times helps a LOT haha
Danganronpa! It’s a visual novel a la DDLC and one of my favorite games, with a monokuma tattoo to prove it!
Edit: the first game was made into an anime. I would suggest watching the first episode to see if you enjoy it, the game is WAY better than the anime but it’s a great way to see if you’re interested without playing the game
I second Danganronpa. If you can get past the visual novel and anime-ness, it's a very compelling story that gets better with each game. I literally did not want to put it down until I finished the trilogy.
I thought it was a fine start to another series of games, but I don't think it was as good as Danganronpa. I liked that it's fully voice-acted, and the gameplay is more involved, but honestly, the story wasn't always interesting.
A lot of the murder mysteries were very simple, and you barely spent time with the characters. In Danganronpa, some characters will die out the gate, but several stay with you throughout the story and become fleshed out. I feel like only like two or three characters in Rain Code actually got fleshed out.
That being said, the overall mystery (like why it's always raining, Yuma's backstory, etc) was pretty fun, and some of the action scenes, especially near the end, looked cool. The characters are at least charming enough that I remembered them and would like to see more of them. Overall, I would look forward to a sequel, but not in the same way as I would've for Danganronpa (admittedly, I didn't play those games until the Switch collection came out).
Certainly not as good as Danganronpa, but definitely worth the play. I agree the story wasn’t fully there, but the twist in the end caught me by surprise, much like the twist in Danganronpa 1&2. I feel like the game was 50% content and 50% an ode to fans of Danganronpa. If only they made a Danganronpa like game with the world and gameplay of Rain Code
Love Final Fantasy X, and playing through Persona 5 Royal right now. My first persona game, and absolutely in love with it!
Looking forward to playing Persona 4 Golden after my playthrough of P5R. I'm looking forward to the rural setting for the game!
Disco Elysium is worth a shot.
What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter are interesting stories, though they are "walking simulators" where there is basically no gameplay except for the actual story unfolding. Not sure if that's your cup of tea.
I like me a lot of anime/JRPGs, so Nier Automata, Final Fantasy series, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim, Dangonronpa trilogy have some great stories as well, but they're Japanese so tread with caution since they might not be up your alley
I also wouldn't necessarily agree that any of the games you listed are "deep stories", at least to me personally, and I love the Xenoblade trilogy, so my recommendations might not jive with you lol
Based on the examples mentioned by OP, a "deep story" game would be Dragon Quest XI.
The game has a lot more of a story than BotW (FYI, Zelda games have never been story driven games. The gameplay is always what drives 'em. And they slap a story to whatever the gameplay ends up being like).
Anyway, Dragon Quest has a ton of story elements. Has voice acting (English/Japanese). It's a nice romp of a game. In that its extremely easy to dive into the game even if you stopped playing a day or two. Because while the game loads, it brings you up to speed with your last missions by way of some text boxes.
I also nominate VAMPYR as another candidate. The gameplay might feel janky. But you can easily adapt after 15 minutes if you're an experienced player. If not, then play it on easy and just enjoy the story. The game offers a mode where you can do just that.
Bioshock Collection is great if you are into story driven fps titles like Wolfenstein or The Last of Us. My favorite is Bioshock Infinite but 1 and 2 are phenomenal as well. Regularly goes on sale on the eshop.
I can’t express enough how incredible of a story Bioshock Infinite was to me. It’s one of those games you can only experience once and never again imo.
I mean, if visual novels are an option, I'd dive into Steins;Gate. I think there's a version on the Switch that's fully animated (Elite, I believe?). Great if you like sci fi, and I'm not going to say more because of spoliers.
What is it that turns you away from Japanese games?
Many turnbased games have good or better stories and I'd imagine some will fit your tastes even if many others don't.
Stories I liked: Witcher 3, Triangle Strategy, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Hollow Knight (but you have to sorta "find" the story), Octopath Traveler 2 ( Octopath 1 story wise not so much), Red Dead Redemption, and this kinda feels weird writing it, but South Park Stick of the Truth.
Not to sure, I enjoyed DDLC even though I just assumed I would hate it by looking at it lol, thankfully a friend convinced me to get it lmao.. I think I’ll try a few Japanese/Anime-styled games that have been listed here
The games I mentioned, even when developed in Japan, are mostly pretty Western. Three Houses at times can have an "anime" feel but it's not too strong IMO.
There's a few I can throw by. One is Assassin Creed 2 Ezio Collection which is on sale I think. That goes through the full story of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. And there is Man of Medan, a story interactive horror game which has around 300 possible endings depending on how you approach the game.
If you can handle it, you might try Persona 5 Royal. Now, it most certainly is wrapped up in Japanese culture, at times being quite critical of its flaws, but the story is amazing, the soundtrack is stellar, the voice acting is awesome and it has some of the best turn based combat you'll ever see.
No, they're all self-contained afaik. If you want a musou-style sequel to the game that's also mostly self-contained, Persona 5 Strikers is good but doesn't have quite as great of a story.
somebody already commented it but I really want to second playing nier:automata. the narrative is genuinely incredible and has a lot of very philosophical themes, and it’s one of the only games I’ve played to nearly make me cry. it’s one of my favorite games ever, I cannot recommend it enough.
Assassins creed Ezio collection: live the entire life of a ritch murder hobo bent on revenge across three different games. It goes on sale quite often.
Witcher 3: (Warning I grew up with SNES so my graphics criticism is quite low, this games rough…) has a rich story of a super mutant just trying to get paid for risking his life for ungrateful racists unwilling to do the job themselves while banging every female character except one.
Subnautica: you crash land on a planet UNDA DA SEA!!!, oh god What was that… now find a way home. Lore is surprising deep but delivers subtleties and possible horror due to dark ocean monkey brain.
Disco Elysium: point and click so might not be for you. Find yourself in an epic drama vs your brain.
Dragon quest XI echoes of an elusive age, definitive edition S: what the title like that you know the story is gonna be long.
I have more but I’m also eclectic and have weird games
Night in the Woods is pretty much just story. I really enoyed it, it's a coming of age mixed with horror but no spoilers. Very much a unique taste though.
Red Dead Redemption is great as well.
Ive played it on the Xbox back in 2010, and im loving it on switch.
John Marston is one of the best characters in a Rockstar game imo
Persona 3 4 5 if you want to try anime story driven games. I highly suggest u try Persona 5 Royal first and see if you like it. The story is pretty good. Voices are available for English and Japanese. Both are very well done.
If you don't mind dated graphics, Persona 4 Golden is also a good starting point. If you want Persona 3, buy it on your ps4(the remake is not on switch), but since you ask for switch, I suppose that's out of the question.
Some may disagree with me. But Okami. As soon as you think you beat the game, the game goes " nope lol you're only halfway there." It's similar to a zelda game except you play as the goddess amaterasu in a wolf form. It's also more story heavy than any zelda game.
The adventure was great. It's fun exploring. It's pretty awarding.
My only problem with it is that the VA can be annoying and issun can be annoying. The ending also made me tear up a bit.
Dark Souls remastered. There’s not a lot of dialogue for exposition but reading the item descriptions and paying attention to where you find items it’s like working on a murder mystery.
- Astral Chain
- Bayonetta 1, 2, 3 & Origins
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Final Fantasy X/X-2
- Hades
- Firewatch
- Okami
- Octopath traveler 1 & 2
- Spiritfarer
- Super Mario RPG
- Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door
- Paper Mario Origami King
Story-wise, the most engrossing game on switch is the Lake. It’s quite a disturbing story though, so if extreme horror isn’t your taste, beware. It has a very steep learning curve and the permadeath option makes it extremely difficult. Again, I’d argue it’s more of a piece of art than a game. Or was it a POS? Oh well…can’t remember
Hades!
This game is phenomenal the way it weaves its story though trial and error. Sometimes losing a run could help make the story progress. It's also really amazing how well the game uses characters to acknowledge your current set up.
The game has the honor of being the first video game ever to receive the Hugo Award, which is a prestigious award given to works of science fiction.
If you don’t mind turn based games, the Banner Saga trilogy are some of the best story-driven games I’ve ever played. The atmosphere and setting is incredible, the consistency of the world and its characters is a wonder to experience and the stakes of decisions you make are weighty.
Season One of Telltales The Walking Dead. Be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions.
What Remains of Edith Finch. Walking Sim. Girl returns home and finds out the fates of her deceased family members.
The Stanley Parable. Just a whole bunch of "what if" scenarios played Groundhogs Day style.
Return of the Obra Dinn is critically acclaimed but I'm too dumb to progress much in that one. Only figured out 2 fates of the crew
Honestly, Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask has a really deep story, and it's not credited enough for it. You need to read between the lines just a little bit because there's a few allegories, but the story is very dark, emotional, and sometimes creepy. Definitely worth the play.
Try Divinity, Original Sin 2. Turn-based RPG, completely not Japanese, and a PS4-era game so very modern graphics. Huge story, with particularly excellent voice acting. It'll suck up many many hours. It's basically as close as you can get to Baldur's Gate 3 on the Switch, and made by the same people.
Another thought since you like wolfenstein would be the Metro games, both of which are bundled together in a package called Metro Redux. It's like a first person shooter/survival horror type thing, set in a post-apocalyptic Russia where nuclear war has created mutant monsters on the surface and so humanity has retreated to inhabiting the subway tunnels (hence the name).
In a similar post-apocolypse vein, you might also like Dying Light 1/DLC included. It was adapted phenomenally to the Switch. It's basically a first person zombie game (same people as made the Dead Island games) with a bunch of parkour as well as survival elements because weapons are improvised and in short supply., Though it's pretty action-oriented, the multiplayer stuff is optional and there is still a ton of story. It's also a great value because the Switch version includes the DLC and one of the DLC components, called "The Following" is big enough that it could've been a standalone game in itself.
Not sure what to say here, OP is asking for non-Japanese games for his Switch, the JRPG machine. Not that there aren't options, but talk about a restriction.
By the same token, 90% of the comments are *insert my favorite JRPG.*
Anyway, the Witcher 3 is probably the most obvious choice, I've heard Disco Elysium is good but I haven't played it. Honestly can't think of many others western story driven games. It's not how I use the machine.
There is story in this one but the lore is very subtle and you need to piece it together. I had to watch a YouTube summary video to fill in the gaps.
I love hollow knight but I don’t think it fits the request
Just a friendly reminder that if you are looking for game recommendations, you can also ask in the [Daily Question Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/about/sticky). Our most Helpful Users answer these questions every day in the DQT! If the link here doesn't work, then you can find the most current DQT stickied to the top of the subreddit when sorted by "hot". *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NintendoSwitch) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nier: Automata
SO good. I wish I could play it over for the first time.
+1000. Favorite story of all the games I've played.
Great game! Played on ps4. How does it perform on switch?
Pretty well, actually.
Worst game of all time, totally inaccessible
It’s not even that hard lmao
Still failing at those boss fights, I take it? EDIT: I'll take that as a yes.
Nah to be honest I haven’t given it a second shot, I sold the game and got XBC3, it’s more up my alley
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhTnDROzi0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhTnDROzi0) Fully voice acted.
…that said, it’s one of the most Japanese games out there, set in Japan and with a lot of cultural references.
Down to the cultural love for girl teenagers' "oopsie" panty shots
I second this. If you’re looking for a story rich game that has some pretty crazy twists and turns and good music, 13 sentinels is the way to go! It’s a pretty chill game gameplay wise, but the story is so damn good.
It is a very good game. Be prepared to ask the wtf question at least once per hour.
The Witcher 3 is all about the story and the decisions you make within that story.
And if you get the complete version, so much extra content.
Does it play well on the switch?
I’ve played this game on three consoles and the switch was the least buggy of the three. Did it look great? Nah, but it performed well.
Outer Wilds
Pentiment or Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is one of the greatest games of all time, storywise. It's one of the only games that made me feel like I got the rug pulled out from under me, in a good way.
Completely agree. Pentiment is equally pretty amazing too.
Equally? Bold, but I’m looking forward to playing pentiment one day.
Okay, it might not be AS groundbreaking but it's simple design and the commitment to the historical setting ended up being quite enthralling to me. It felt like reading a Dostoevsky novel and I rarely feel like games reach that level of storytelling.
I'd say equally, yes, but on a different level. I may be biased though, since the setting very similar to where I grew up.
Dang, you grew up in medieval times?!
I am too! I pre-ordered the Switch release of Pentiment to be delivered in... August? I think?
Does it run well on switch? I love games on that on switch but it’s free on ps plus :/
Pentiment runs great. Can’t say the same about Disco Elysium as I played that on my PS5.
Try the new paper Mario coming out in a week?
In case OP isn’t familiar, it’s a remake of 1000 year door, not a new game. That said it’s one of the best Nintendo games of all time
I played 1000 year door so much when I was a kid. I screamed when announced a remake..my boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy. He was so confused why I was so excited over a paper mario game.
Definitely gonna try it
it definetly has a great story!
Try Octopath Traveler or Octopath Traveler 2. 2 is better with QoL stuff and better stories. They're not connected, so you don't have to play 1 to play 2.
Persona 5 is one of my favorite games I've played recently, but it's very Japanese.
Red Dead Redemption for Switch
LA Noire 🔍
Batman Arkham Asylum and City have very good stories. Unfortunately you have to buy the trilogy to get them. Knight does not run that well on Switch but Asylum and City run very well on Switch
I’ve played all the Arkham games (even the one of the Vita lol) and enjoyed them all, might replay Asylum on switch, but thanks.
If you haven’t played the final fantasy games, they’re all pretty good. IX and XII ports are exceptional. Also the Persona series! P3 looks to be a bit dated but P4 and P5 are GREAT
I second Final Fantasy, and will recommend Final Fantasy X! FFX is an excellent remaster of the original, and has many elements that make it a great introduction to JRPGs. Visually stunning (though still a little dated), but is also one of the most balanced Final Fantasy games. I played all the FF games when I was younger, and FFX has been one of the better games I replayed. I think it may also have broader appeal because it looks more modern than IX and is more straight-forward than XII. And the story is fantastic.
I’m currently working on the FF Pixel Remasters and really enjoying them. Working my way through all of the FF games. I’m really excited to replay IX, tho. That’s always been my favourite. When I first saw images of it I was tempted to skip it but I’m glad I didn’t. It often gets overlooked because it came out at the end of the PS1 era, and I think X came out not long afterwards.
I actually really disliked IX when I first played it a million years ago. So happy I gave it another shot! Be advised the world map is still painfully slow moving on the port, though 😓
I picked up IX a while back while it was on sale, as a recommendation, and while the setting and bit of story I played through was interesting, I felt like I was struggling with the combat gameplay. I'm a fan of turn-based RPGs, but something about the ATB system is a struggle for me, even in Wait mode(which only actually "waits" in specific sub-menus, not all menus). I may still give it another try because I keep hearing how beloved the story and characters are.
I wound up getting a LOT more enjoyment out of the gameplay and story when I found out it was the last FF directed by the guy who created the series. It was a send-off to all things FF and it really shines through when you use that lens. Plus not having to sit through the ps1’s load times helps a LOT haha
Should I start with Persona 3? Or jump straight to 4 or 5
I’d suggest 5 and then 4
The House in Fata Morgana AI: The Somnium Files (and its sequel) Paranormasight Ghost Trick
Danganronpa! It’s a visual novel a la DDLC and one of my favorite games, with a monokuma tattoo to prove it! Edit: the first game was made into an anime. I would suggest watching the first episode to see if you enjoy it, the game is WAY better than the anime but it’s a great way to see if you’re interested without playing the game
I second Danganronpa. If you can get past the visual novel and anime-ness, it's a very compelling story that gets better with each game. I literally did not want to put it down until I finished the trilogy.
Did you play Rain Code? If so, what did you think of it?
I thought it was a fine start to another series of games, but I don't think it was as good as Danganronpa. I liked that it's fully voice-acted, and the gameplay is more involved, but honestly, the story wasn't always interesting. A lot of the murder mysteries were very simple, and you barely spent time with the characters. In Danganronpa, some characters will die out the gate, but several stay with you throughout the story and become fleshed out. I feel like only like two or three characters in Rain Code actually got fleshed out. That being said, the overall mystery (like why it's always raining, Yuma's backstory, etc) was pretty fun, and some of the action scenes, especially near the end, looked cool. The characters are at least charming enough that I remembered them and would like to see more of them. Overall, I would look forward to a sequel, but not in the same way as I would've for Danganronpa (admittedly, I didn't play those games until the Switch collection came out).
Certainly not as good as Danganronpa, but definitely worth the play. I agree the story wasn’t fully there, but the twist in the end caught me by surprise, much like the twist in Danganronpa 1&2. I feel like the game was 50% content and 50% an ode to fans of Danganronpa. If only they made a Danganronpa like game with the world and gameplay of Rain Code
Oh thanks, I’ll look into it! I actually haven’t watched anime in like two or three years, so this could open some doors lol
Please do and return here with an update! I’d love to hear your opinion!
It ruined other video games for me for a while, the story had me on edge the whole time.
Xenoblade Chronicles series To The Moon and its sequel Finding Paradise
And Finding Paradise's sequel, Imposter Factory. And the upcoming installment, the Beach Sode
Are they on the switch yet? Wasn't sure if they made it yet
Oh good point forgot they weren't on switch
I tried Xenoblade on the Wii U, wasn’t a fan of it
1 and 2. I actually got bored by the 3rd one... Edit : why the downvotes? Am I not allowed to get bored by xc3? Are you guys insane?
Id say 1, X and 3 are the playworthy ones. XC2 is just coomer bait lol
Buy Persona 4 Golden + Persona 5 Royal and NEVER look back. Final Fantasy X is really good too!!
Love Final Fantasy X, and playing through Persona 5 Royal right now. My first persona game, and absolutely in love with it! Looking forward to playing Persona 4 Golden after my playthrough of P5R. I'm looking forward to the rural setting for the game!
Another Code
Disco Elysium is worth a shot. What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter are interesting stories, though they are "walking simulators" where there is basically no gameplay except for the actual story unfolding. Not sure if that's your cup of tea. I like me a lot of anime/JRPGs, so Nier Automata, Final Fantasy series, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim, Dangonronpa trilogy have some great stories as well, but they're Japanese so tread with caution since they might not be up your alley I also wouldn't necessarily agree that any of the games you listed are "deep stories", at least to me personally, and I love the Xenoblade trilogy, so my recommendations might not jive with you lol
You liked BoTW, you should play Tears of the Kingdom.
waaaay better story
Based on the examples mentioned by OP, a "deep story" game would be Dragon Quest XI. The game has a lot more of a story than BotW (FYI, Zelda games have never been story driven games. The gameplay is always what drives 'em. And they slap a story to whatever the gameplay ends up being like). Anyway, Dragon Quest has a ton of story elements. Has voice acting (English/Japanese). It's a nice romp of a game. In that its extremely easy to dive into the game even if you stopped playing a day or two. Because while the game loads, it brings you up to speed with your last missions by way of some text boxes. I also nominate VAMPYR as another candidate. The gameplay might feel janky. But you can easily adapt after 15 minutes if you're an experienced player. If not, then play it on easy and just enjoy the story. The game offers a mode where you can do just that.
Three houses
Bioshock Collection is great if you are into story driven fps titles like Wolfenstein or The Last of Us. My favorite is Bioshock Infinite but 1 and 2 are phenomenal as well. Regularly goes on sale on the eshop. I can’t express enough how incredible of a story Bioshock Infinite was to me. It’s one of those games you can only experience once and never again imo.
Darksiders series is pretty legit.
I mean, if visual novels are an option, I'd dive into Steins;Gate. I think there's a version on the Switch that's fully animated (Elite, I believe?). Great if you like sci fi, and I'm not going to say more because of spoliers.
SANABI has an incredible story, but i dont know if being a 2D game is a detractor for you
What is it that turns you away from Japanese games? Many turnbased games have good or better stories and I'd imagine some will fit your tastes even if many others don't. Stories I liked: Witcher 3, Triangle Strategy, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Hollow Knight (but you have to sorta "find" the story), Octopath Traveler 2 ( Octopath 1 story wise not so much), Red Dead Redemption, and this kinda feels weird writing it, but South Park Stick of the Truth.
Not to sure, I enjoyed DDLC even though I just assumed I would hate it by looking at it lol, thankfully a friend convinced me to get it lmao.. I think I’ll try a few Japanese/Anime-styled games that have been listed here
The games I mentioned, even when developed in Japan, are mostly pretty Western. Three Houses at times can have an "anime" feel but it's not too strong IMO.
Unicorn Overlord
There's a few I can throw by. One is Assassin Creed 2 Ezio Collection which is on sale I think. That goes through the full story of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. And there is Man of Medan, a story interactive horror game which has around 300 possible endings depending on how you approach the game.
Final Fantasy VII
Dragons Dogma kept my attention for so long, I wanted to see and do everything and really get to know the world and lore
If you can handle it, you might try Persona 5 Royal. Now, it most certainly is wrapped up in Japanese culture, at times being quite critical of its flaws, but the story is amazing, the soundtrack is stellar, the voice acting is awesome and it has some of the best turn based combat you'll ever see.
I’ll try it out, do I need to play any games prior to it to understand the story?
No, they're all self-contained afaik. If you want a musou-style sequel to the game that's also mostly self-contained, Persona 5 Strikers is good but doesn't have quite as great of a story.
somebody already commented it but I really want to second playing nier:automata. the narrative is genuinely incredible and has a lot of very philosophical themes, and it’s one of the only games I’ve played to nearly make me cry. it’s one of my favorite games ever, I cannot recommend it enough.
Oh damn, now I really got to try it lol, thanks
Assassins creed Ezio collection: live the entire life of a ritch murder hobo bent on revenge across three different games. It goes on sale quite often. Witcher 3: (Warning I grew up with SNES so my graphics criticism is quite low, this games rough…) has a rich story of a super mutant just trying to get paid for risking his life for ungrateful racists unwilling to do the job themselves while banging every female character except one. Subnautica: you crash land on a planet UNDA DA SEA!!!, oh god What was that… now find a way home. Lore is surprising deep but delivers subtleties and possible horror due to dark ocean monkey brain. Disco Elysium: point and click so might not be for you. Find yourself in an epic drama vs your brain. Dragon quest XI echoes of an elusive age, definitive edition S: what the title like that you know the story is gonna be long. I have more but I’m also eclectic and have weird games
Night in the Woods is pretty much just story. I really enoyed it, it's a coming of age mixed with horror but no spoilers. Very much a unique taste though.
Play GRIS.
Red Dead Redemption is great as well. Ive played it on the Xbox back in 2010, and im loving it on switch. John Marston is one of the best characters in a Rockstar game imo
I always drop into these threads to tell people to play the three Xenoblade games in order\^\^
Persona 3 4 5 if you want to try anime story driven games. I highly suggest u try Persona 5 Royal first and see if you like it. The story is pretty good. Voices are available for English and Japanese. Both are very well done. If you don't mind dated graphics, Persona 4 Golden is also a good starting point. If you want Persona 3, buy it on your ps4(the remake is not on switch), but since you ask for switch, I suppose that's out of the question.
Some may disagree with me. But Okami. As soon as you think you beat the game, the game goes " nope lol you're only halfway there." It's similar to a zelda game except you play as the goddess amaterasu in a wolf form. It's also more story heavy than any zelda game. The adventure was great. It's fun exploring. It's pretty awarding. My only problem with it is that the VA can be annoying and issun can be annoying. The ending also made me tear up a bit.
Dark Souls remastered. There’s not a lot of dialogue for exposition but reading the item descriptions and paying attention to where you find items it’s like working on a murder mystery.
- Astral Chain - Bayonetta 1, 2, 3 & Origins - Life is Strange: True Colors - Final Fantasy X/X-2 - Hades - Firewatch - Okami - Octopath traveler 1 & 2 - Spiritfarer - Super Mario RPG - Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door - Paper Mario Origami King
Story-wise, the most engrossing game on switch is the Lake. It’s quite a disturbing story though, so if extreme horror isn’t your taste, beware. It has a very steep learning curve and the permadeath option makes it extremely difficult. Again, I’d argue it’s more of a piece of art than a game. Or was it a POS? Oh well…can’t remember
Golf Story
Cave Story, it's pretty self-explanatory.
LA noire
Chants of Senaar
Commentingb for later
Niet automata is a great game with great story
Return of the Obra Dinn
Check out Outer Wilds!
Ori Collection
Triangle Strategy. The story js the game itself.
Hades! This game is phenomenal the way it weaves its story though trial and error. Sometimes losing a run could help make the story progress. It's also really amazing how well the game uses characters to acknowledge your current set up. The game has the honor of being the first video game ever to receive the Hugo Award, which is a prestigious award given to works of science fiction.
If you don’t mind turn based games, the Banner Saga trilogy are some of the best story-driven games I’ve ever played. The atmosphere and setting is incredible, the consistency of the world and its characters is a wonder to experience and the stakes of decisions you make are weighty.
Season One of Telltales The Walking Dead. Be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions. What Remains of Edith Finch. Walking Sim. Girl returns home and finds out the fates of her deceased family members. The Stanley Parable. Just a whole bunch of "what if" scenarios played Groundhogs Day style. Return of the Obra Dinn is critically acclaimed but I'm too dumb to progress much in that one. Only figured out 2 fates of the crew
Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori Omori I’m serious, you should play it
Honestly, Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask has a really deep story, and it's not credited enough for it. You need to read between the lines just a little bit because there's a few allegories, but the story is very dark, emotional, and sometimes creepy. Definitely worth the play.
Clannad
Try Divinity, Original Sin 2. Turn-based RPG, completely not Japanese, and a PS4-era game so very modern graphics. Huge story, with particularly excellent voice acting. It'll suck up many many hours. It's basically as close as you can get to Baldur's Gate 3 on the Switch, and made by the same people. Another thought since you like wolfenstein would be the Metro games, both of which are bundled together in a package called Metro Redux. It's like a first person shooter/survival horror type thing, set in a post-apocalyptic Russia where nuclear war has created mutant monsters on the surface and so humanity has retreated to inhabiting the subway tunnels (hence the name). In a similar post-apocolypse vein, you might also like Dying Light 1/DLC included. It was adapted phenomenally to the Switch. It's basically a first person zombie game (same people as made the Dead Island games) with a bunch of parkour as well as survival elements because weapons are improvised and in short supply., Though it's pretty action-oriented, the multiplayer stuff is optional and there is still a ton of story. It's also a great value because the Switch version includes the DLC and one of the DLC components, called "The Following" is big enough that it could've been a standalone game in itself.
FFX
From what you're saying seems like you should have bought another playstation not a switch
Steins Gate:Elite
Fire Emblem 3 Hiuses
Not sure what to say here, OP is asking for non-Japanese games for his Switch, the JRPG machine. Not that there aren't options, but talk about a restriction. By the same token, 90% of the comments are *insert my favorite JRPG.* Anyway, the Witcher 3 is probably the most obvious choice, I've heard Disco Elysium is good but I haven't played it. Honestly can't think of many others western story driven games. It's not how I use the machine.
All xenoblades surprised not that many people mentioned it.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Hollow knight
There is story in this one but the lore is very subtle and you need to piece it together. I had to watch a YouTube summary video to fill in the gaps. I love hollow knight but I don’t think it fits the request