During the EA Play event, EA claimed that it will be bringing seven of its games to the Nintendo Switch over the next 12 months. We figured this would be a perfect time to lay out what would be a few of the most perfect games/series to come to the handheld platform.
Dead Space Series
Dead Space is a survival-horror that puts players in control of Isaac Clarke, a ship systems engineer. In the first game, Isaac joins a mission headed to the USG Ishimura, which has suffered a mysterious communications failure. The game plays as a third-person shooter with over-the-shoulder aiming, just like modern Resident Evil games.
As Dead Space requires players be vigilant while roaming the Ishimura, the game could utilize some sort of motion control mechanics specific to the Switch. To heighten the stress of the environment, this could be something such as making the player hold the Switch a specific way for the flashlight to work. Seeing that motion controls require a bit more focus, it would lend to that palpable feeling of dread before a jump scare.
The whole series is tight corridors and being constantly afraid of any unexplored or dark area. The enemy, the necromorphs, are a tough group of body horror monsters that need to be dismembered to be fully defeated.
While Visceral Games has been closed down, a remaster of the series for the Nintendo Switch could lead to renewed interest in a fourth game, and the series could be reborn.
Mass Effect Series
Fans have been clamoring for a Mass Effect remaster for years now. A remaster could help recenter the series trajectory after a not as great last installment that scored a 3.5 with us.
Mass Effect is an epic space journey from developer BioWare where you play as a self-designed Captain Shepard. Having a game that gave players the character creation of something like an Elder Scrolls cemented the series in gamers’ hearts. The games then took it one step further, considering Mass Effect is a third-person game, you get to see your created character actually interact with others.
Mass Effect is a series of four games. The first three center on Commander Shepard dealing with the remnants of a precursor race that left the mass effect gates (interstellar teleport gates). At the same time, an ancient enemy is once again rising up and threatening the galaxy. Sure, it’s not exactly a groundbreaking story, but it means more to follow through it with your own Shepard.
Dragon Age Series
The Dragon Age series (yes, more BioWare) has come a long way from the first game. The proceeding games moved away from the first’s more click-and-wait combat, but all are good action RPGs. The series plays like Mass Effect with swords, so if Mass Effect is going to receive a Nintendo Switch port, this one only makes sense.
Dragon Age doesn’t have the same character permanence as Mass Effect. Each game starts you off as a different character with a different story. Although, there are some shared companion characters between the games.
We’ve known since 2018 that Dragon Age 4 is coming, with a tiny look during EA Play. With this new installment in the franchise coming, a Switch remaster release would be an excellent way to drum up hype.
The most recent release was Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, so it could use a remaster to remind fans of why it is worth their time/memory.
Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age trilogies are long, epic games that might seem daunting to replay on a home console if you already have gone through them. However, the ability to take it on the go might be what pushes lots of players over the hump and EA would be wise to see if they could get them up and running on the Switch.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Series
This list is a lot of BioWare so far, so we might as well keep that going while also digging up this gem. Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is BioWare before Mass Effect, and is one of the best Star Wars games/series ever made. This choice for the Switch is just the KotOR duology; the MMO is separate.
The combat is of KotOR is closer to Dragon Age: Origins than anything else BioWare has made since. The game still keeps to choices having actual results and the cast of companions is varied enough that they are all interesting.
While the KotOR games released on mobile in 2014, they haven’t seen release on consoles since the second game came to the original Xbox. It’s time for a comeback, especially at a time when Star Wars games are such a hot property.
To add extra fuel to this particular fire, in the Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary, at least some part of KotOR is revealed to be canon.
The Nintendo Switch itself is slightly lacking in Star Wars titles, having not received Jedi: Fallen Order, so this would be a great way to even things up.
The Saboteur
Yeah, this one is out there. For those of you that even know what this is and suddenly had your memory jogged, it’s time to talk about it.
The Saboteur (released in 2009) is a story about Sean Devlin, a former Formula 1 driver that becomes a spy for the French Resistance in Nazi-controlled Paris during WWII.
The game plays kind of like a GTA clone crossed with Assassin’s Creed. You can drive and climb and shoot Nazis. The game’s style is also incredible.
Most of the time in the world is spent in black and white, with certain striking items still being in color, like in the movie Sin City. But as you progress and take Paris back, the color begins to come back to the world.
The Saboteur was a solid open-world game, full of things to blow up (similar to Just Cause) and it deserves another lease on life. It would be a blessing for the Nintendo Switch to kick start a resurgence of the game that has always deserved a sequel.
What do you think, readers? Would these make for solid entries on the handheld platform? Let us know in the comments below.
Published: Jun 19, 2020 04:26 pm