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Publisher: Rockfish Games / Developer: Rockfish Games
Release Date: 11th Dec 2018 (USA) / 11th Dec 2018 (UK/EU)
Everspace is a roguelike slice of solitary space combat that has you constantly weighing the cost (or benefit) of exploring versus scarpering before enemy forces show up. A narrative hook means frequent death is expected (and even required), and while you’ll lose your ship, the credits you earned can be spent before your next try; persistent upgrades and unlocks turn failure into progress.
Sure, you bought the farm in a spectacular dogfight or embarrassing collision, but at least you’ve got something to show for it.
Publisher: PLAYISM / Developer: Petit Depotto
Release Date: 4th Mar 2021 (USA) / 4th Mar 2021 (UK/EU)
You take a place on a spaceship currently under siege from Gnosia, humans who have been infected with an alien presence and are compelled to wipe out humanity and spread the infection to the rest of the cosmos. The only way to defeat Gnosia, it seems, is through good, old-fashioned democracy.
Between the surprisingly deep plot for such a simple game, the clever narrative explanation of the mechanics, and enough chaos going on in the discussions to keep you guessing, we had a lot of fun with this one.
Publisher: Vertex Pop / Developer: Vertex Pop
Release Date: 6th Apr 2017 (USA) / 6th Apr 2017 (UK/EU)
Graceful Explosion Machine is a masterful example of how to do an arcade shooter right. Eye-catching visuals and extremely fine-tuned gameplay combine to make this a memorable and compelling experience for anybody looking to get into a faster-paced, action-focused game.
It may “just” be a side-scrolling space shooter, but much like any good sci-fi, it tries to break the mould with rich colours, bold geometry, and a chaotic-yet-minimalist aesthetic. After all, why would space be boring?
Publisher: inkle / Developer: inkle
Release Date: 28th Jan 2021 (USA) / 28th Jan 2021 (UK/EU)
In Heaven’s Vault, you play an archaeologist, travelling across the riverways of a fictional galaxy to discover what happened to a lost civilisation through fragments of their writings. It’s a unique take on spacefaring, in which an entire race of people is made to exist through nothing but what they left behind.
Publisher: Aspyr Media / Developer: PolyKnight Games
Release Date: 16th Jan 2018 (USA) / 16th Jan 2018 (UK/EU)
InnerSpace takes you on a seemingly isolated adventure; you’ll be travelling (almost) alone through a world where the physics are inverted, exploring a number of strange, foreign planets that are inside-out. Each planet is made up of once-inhabited islands surrounded by water, where gravity pulls outwards from the centre and little hints of former life can be seen.
The whole idea feels rather majestic and the aesthetic styling of the game supports this perfectly; the worlds really do feel like they’re wondrous places.
Publisher: 505 Games / Developer: Typhoon Studios
Release Date: 21st May 2020 (USA) / 21st May 2020 (UK/EU)
Journey to the Savage Planet is a wonderfully unique mixture of No Man’s Sky-style exploration, first-person shooting, and Metroidvania-esque platforming with a dark sense of humour that arrived on Switch in a slightly compromised but still eminently playable state.
ARY-26 is a fantastically vibrant planet to explore, filled with cute creatures, bizarre flora and fauna, and super-slick platforming and environmental puzzle design. The monolithic tower that sits in the middle of this alien planet is a compelling mystery to work towards and the game doles out plenty of fun new tools and toys at just the right rate to keep you highly entertained as you jump, grapple, boost and blast your way to the secret at its core.
There have been obvious graphical concessions made on Switch and the frame rate does wobble from time to time — performance definitely feels worse in docked than handheld — but overall Typhoon Games created an adventure that’s strong enough to transcend any of these technical shortcomings.
Publisher: Asteroid Base / Developer: Asteroid Base
Release Date: 3rd Oct 2017 (USA) / 3rd Oct 2017 (UK/EU)
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is one of those chaotic couch co-op games that’s great for parties and partners alike. It doesn’t go super hard on space themes, but it’s on this list as a take on the space shooter genre that does things a little differently — with love, bunnies, and teamwork.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Retro Studios
Release Date: 8th Feb 2023 (USA) / 8th Feb 2023 (UK/EU)
With Metroid Prime Remastered, the seemingly impossible was achieved: a masterpiece was made even better.
The minor issues we had with the motion controls and the occasional visual hiccup pale in comparison to the enhancements that were made in this 2023 overhaul. The visual improvements are extensive, right through to the tiny details, and it all comes together to create one of the best-looking games on Switch, remaster or not.
The new twin-stick control setup works flawlessly for both veterans and newcomers, too, but if you’re itching to go back to the original GameCube controls, that option is there. With an expanded gallery feature to round things out, Metroid Prime Remastered felt like a new benchmark in how older games can be thoughtfully revitalised for the modern age.
Of course, don’t forget the fantastic Metroid Dread, either. Planet ZDR may well keep Samus inside for most of the game’s runtime, but those creatures are the perfect space fodder for Samus’ arm cannon. And then there’s Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, too.
Publisher: Hello Games / Developer: Hello Games
Release Date: 7th Oct 2022 (USA) / 7th Oct 2022 (UK/EU)
No Man’s Sky on Switch is a fantastic port of a game we genuinely didn’t believe could make the transition to Nintendo’s console without some serious technical issues. Hello Games has made the necessary cutbacks and downgrades to get this intergalactic survival sandbox playing at a super solid frame rate and the colourful, chunky graphical style here ensures that it all still looks pretty fantastic to boot.
With all of the game’s previous updates and content included — barring multiplayer — and a plethora of customisation options courtesy of the massive Waypoint update, which arrived soon after release, this is an easy recommendation for survival fans and an impressive Switch port.
Of course, on Switch 2 via the free upgrade, it’s even better.
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