Summary
TheNintendo Switchwasn’t just a make-good on the Wii U; it was a celebration of other consoles that came before it, like the Famicom, the Japanese version of the NES. That system had two controllers organically attached to it, building multiplayer right into the system.
With two Joy-Cons coming on every Switch, it’s easy to get a local co-op or versus game going on the go or at home. Of course, the Switch also has online functionality for broader multiplayer sessions. Honing in on theRPG genrespecifically, along with games featuring RPG elements, let’s rank the best multiplayer RPGs on the Nintendo Switchbased on quality and their range of online options.
Collection of Manais a packaged deal exclusive to the Switch that comes withFinal Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana,andTrials of Mana.Final Fantasy Adventure, aka thefirstManagame, has no multiplayer, butSecret of ManaandTrials of Manado as they did when they were first released on the SNES.
Once players reach certain points in each story, they can play with two other friends locally. It’s not as grand as other multiplayer options on the Switch, but these are classic SNES RPGs that fans need to play, so the limited co-op options shouldn’t dissuade them.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Orderis another Switch exclusive, and another series that Nintendo helped bring back from the dead, thanks also to a collaboration with Koei Tecmo.
Players can play asdozens of Marvel heroeslike Spider-Man, Deadpool, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, and more to go through dungeons with up to four friends locally or online to fight Thanos. It’s a standard top-down dungeon crawler, but the number of Marvel characters on the roster more than makes this game a worthy time-sink.
Risk of Rain Returnsis a remake of one of thebest roguelikes on Switch, now with enhanced graphics and better gameplay options. Four players can jump into matches locally or online to survive as long as possible.
Characters can level up during a match, which resets upon death (hence the roguelike elements), but there are progression mechanics that unlock fully when enough time is put in. It’s not the most RPG game on this list, but the elements are there. More importantly, it’s a very good multiplayer game.
Mercenary Kings: Reloadedis another game that supports four players locally and online.It can best be described asMonster HuntermeetsMetal Slug,as players will tackle missions with a variety of quick objectives, from collecting objects to slaying a big boss.
The pixel art is out of this world, the gun customization is effective and funny, and the gameplay loop is solid. With tons of missions to dive into, this indie game will keep friend groups occupied for a while.
4Borderlands Legendary Collection
Three Games, One Good Time
Borderlands Legendary CollectionfeaturesBorderlands, Borderlands 2,andBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel. AllthreeBorderlandsgamessupport two players locally via split screen and four players online.
Visually, they’re a bit of a downgrade compared to their counterparts on other consoles, but they still run pretty well on Switch. There’s simply no better trilogy of games that offers this much content and this much loot in a shooter, or this amount of oddball comedy during gameplay.
Monster Hunter Risewas an exclusive sequel toMonster Hunter Worldfor the Switch, but it was later ported to other consoles. Since it was initially designed for the Switch exclusively, it was optimized to create a memorable co-op experience on Nintendo’s console.
While theMonster Huntergamescan be played alone, they’re easier and more fun with other players. Some of the later monsters can be quite challenging, even for a group of well-equipped friends. However, the best thing about the game is the Palicos and Palamutes, and showing them off to some friends is always a good time.
Of all genres, the Switch might have the most brawlers with RPG elements, and chief among them isTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.It pays homage to theclassicTMNTarcade daysbut with innovations like leveling up, a world map, and six-player co-op locally or online.
From the four Turtles to Casey Jones, Splinter, and April O’Neil, there are a lot of characters to choose from, each with their own attacks and abilities, which makes any team-up of four a unique blend of heroes. Other good brawler RPGs includeCastle Crashers, River City Girls 2,andFull Metal Furies.
Diablo 3: Eternal Collectionis, without a doubt, the best multiplayer RPG on Switch. The port is a masterclass lesson in how to do adapt games for the Switch, and it runs just as well as other consoles and looks decent too. It even had some Nintendo-themed content, like a Ganondorf armor set.
With tons of classes to choose from, plenty of loot, and a gripping story,thisDiablogameis fun the first, second, and third time around. Action RPG fans may also want to look intoDiablo 2: Resurrected, Torchlight 2,andBaldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2,but they don’t quite match up to Blizzard’s Switch port ofDiablo 3.
