It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch has brought an overwhelming series of fantastic games with it. From some of the best first-party titles in the company’s history to a couple of great second- and third-party games, everything has popped up. Let’s not forget about the indie scene, though. The Switch has welcomed a wide variety of indie games already, but a new wave has been announced that truly has something for everyone to enjoy.
Hyper Light Drifter
For fans of 2d action games, Hyper Light Drifter’s quick and clever combat will give you that “That was awesome! I’m awesome!” feeling. If you’ve never seen the gameplay, think Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo put in a blender, and then insert a few twitch reflexes and a gun into the mix. You might walk through a beautiful abandoned street in utter peace for a few seconds, but sooner or later, enemies will pour in like ants. Then it’s time to get dashing, slashing, and shooting while the enemies move in to tear you apart limb from limb as fast as they can.
Finally, we have to acknowledge the themes of Hyper Light Drifter. The dark, dystopian tones are reminiscent of the Dark Souls franchise, though significantly more colorful. Drifter fills an interesting niche in this combination that no other game captures in quite the same way. If you haven’t yet, Hyper Light Drifter deserves a playthrough.
Samurai Gunn 2
Like Hyper Light Drifter, Samurai Gunn 2 also has a well-proven history. The original Samurai Gunn came out back in 2013 and presented itself as a fun little platform brawler. It uses the standard jump-and-shoot mechanics, then throws in a samurai sword. Matches in the original game worked with players jumping around the map, dodging bullets and swords, until only one person remained standing. Think of it like Super Smash Bros.,but with more blood.
The second entry in the series promises a refined multiplayer mode as well as a single or co-op story campaign. From the gameplay we’ve seen so far, it looks to mostly stick to the solid concepts of the first game. If you missed the first Samurai Gunn and the idea of samurai with guns fighting to the death appeals to you, keep an eye out for Samurai Gunn 2.
The World Next Door
In case you thought this list was going to feature solely indie games that involve guns and swords, this one should stand out. The World Next Door promises a visual novel/puzzle game that focuses on storytelling and character. The art style and design look like the standout element so far, striking an evocative combination between webcomics and more traditional RPGs.
Gameplay wise, The World Next Door manages a curious type of puzzler. From what we’ve seen so far, the battles of the game will take place on floors made of match-three boards. To defeat enemies, the player moves from one glyph to another to switch them out while dodging enemy attacks. If that sounds like an interesting take on the formula, The World Next Door might be worth a try.
Levelhead
If you want some proper platforming, Levelhead should deliver. Likely taking some inspiration from such games as Super Mario Maker, Levelhead gives players all the tools necessary for designing interesting platforming levels. From the looks of it, it also promises solid controls to make the system work as well as possible.
Just as with Super Mario Maker, the community play in Levelhead looks like its biggest selling point. With the amount of creativity that level builder games encourage, this could become a game that produces a truly remarkable group of players challenging each other and mastering the engine. If you want to be a part of this, keep an eye on Levelhead.
Wasteland 2
Originally released back in 2014, Wasteland 2 carved its way into a niche that not many indie games attempt: the XCOM style shooter. With all the usual bells and whistles of that system, the Wasteland franchise sets the strategic action in a post-apocalyptic Earth bearing some resemblance to the worlds of Fallout or The Walking Dead.
Just like XCOM, Wasteland 2 sells itself with smart gameplay above all. With a careful combination of tactics, character progression, and team building, the player must guide their team through the nuclear wasteland against a variety of foes, including other survivors and hostiles. If you’ve been waiting for an XCOM fix — and Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle didn’t quite scratch the itch — then keep an eye out for Wasteland 2.