What are the bestARPGs? There are many fantastic ones out there, but I’m here to talk about the best of the best. The genre has a wide variety of great entries on both Nintendo Switch and mobile, with many role-playing games today falling under this banner. It’s an absolute treat, as you know you’re in for the adventure of a lifetime with fierce combat in an ARPG. Still, the ones on this list have their own charms that push them ahead of the competition, be it the story, aforementioned combat, characters, or the world in which the game takes place.
Of course, some of the best RPGs don’t actually fall under the ARPG banner. Instead, they belong in other guides, such as our best JRPGs list. Speaking of which, you should really check that out if you enjoy Persona games and Final Fantasy games. Or, if you’re just after the A from ARPG, read our best action games article; here, you can find Tomb Raider games, Resident Evil games, and more.
Here are the best ARPGs on Switch and mobile:
Genshin Impact – mobile
The king of mobile ARPGs, Genshin Impact is one of the most popular games on the planet right now and has been since its release in September 2020. Considering how much content Hoyoverse continues to release and how much momentum the game has, we don’t anticipate this changing anytime soon. So, what makes Hoyoverse’s game one of the best ARPGs out there today?
Well, it really embraces the action in ARPG, offering fluid combat full of possibilities thanks to its diverse cast of characters, which you can pick and choose between for your party – assuming you manage to pull them from the Genshin Impact banners, anyway. You see, each character has an affinity with one of seven elements, and they specialize in a single weapon type, giving each of them a unique style in combat. Truly, Genshin Impact spoils you when it comes to comrades, so make sure you mix and match to find the right party for you.
Beyond the combat and characters, the world of Teyvat is stunning, as is each nation you find within – check out our Genshin Impact Sumeru review, and you’ll see what we mean. As for your incentive to explore this world (beyond its general beauty), you’re on a quest to find your twin due to your separation after arriving in Teyvat.
The Witcher 3 – Switch
Hands down, The Witcher 3 is one of the best RPGs ever. Period. So it’s unsurprising that it finds itself on this list. Plus, I have a rather unhealthy obsession with The Witcher 3’s Geralt (and The Witcher 3’s Triss), though that’s a discussion for another time.
It’s fair to say that some of the most iconic videogame faces come from the lineup of The Witcher 3 characters, with many holding a candle for the main cast, as they each have a pivotal role to play in the story and world. You don’t even need to play the previous games to make sense of The Witcher 3, though it does admittedly help to explain certain dynamics. The long and short of the story is that Geralt is looking for The Witcher 3’s Ciri, who is on the run from the Wild Hunt.
Naturally, Geralt gets the help of his friends, though, as with any good RPG, certain relationships have the potential to be a bit messy, courtesy of The Witcher 3’s Yennefer and Triss. As for combat, you get two swords, one steel and one silver – you use the former to kill your fellow man and the latter to slay hideous beasts. Mind you, they can be one and the same at times, for humanity can have a monstrous nature.
Diablo Immortal – mobile
No, there isn’t a Diablo 4 Switch port, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a Diablo game on mobile (or Switch, thanks to Diablo III). Diablo Immortal first hit the scene in June 2022, and as our Diablo Immortal review explains, the game has a lot of promise and there’s a lot to love for ARPG fans. However, its approach to microtransactions is questionable at best, being quite overbearing – still, you might choose to part with your cash, and that’s fine.
When it comes to combat, there are six Diablo Immortal classes, each of which has access to 12 unlockable skills, ensuring that the game caters to everyone’s playstyle. You can create multiple characters, so make sure you experiment and see which class suits you the most. Mind you, you can also alter your character’s class at any given time, but we like to have multiple characters to experience everything with a single class. I’m a fan of the Barbarian and Necromancer classes; one is a melee brute, while the other uses the most dastardly spells.
As with other Diablo games, there’s a primary storyline for you to follow. It takes place five years after the events of Diablo II in Sanctuary, but it’s still before Diablo III, making it a great in-between game for fans of the series. In a nutshell, you need to travel the world in search of shards of the Worldstone, which you then need to destroy to prevent the apocalypse. The world is at stake. No pressure.
Dark Souls – Switch
