The Nintendo Switch 2 already has a slew of great first-party titles. While Mario Kart World proved to be a tad divisive among fans, it’s hard not to feel a tinge of joy when playing it, owing to its refinement of an already captivating formula and fun new additions. Donkey Kong Bananza is a more critically acclaimed gem and pushes both our expectations of a Nintendo platformer as well as the hardware it’s running on with its destructive environments and freeform approach to exploration.
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However, with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond well and truly in our rearview mirrors (and that’s perhaps for the best), it now rests on the shoulders of whatever Nintendo’s first-party studios have cooking to deliver a truly groundbreaking experience akin to Breath of the Wild. It still feels as if the Switch 2 is lacking the masterpiece it needs to be a truly worthwhile console, even if its current selection of exclusives is enjoyable. Fortunately, there’s one studio we’ve yet to hear from that could deliver the game we’ve all been waiting for.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Needs A Big Game
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been off to a questionable start when it comes to exclusives. Not only have the majority of Nintendo-published games released in 2025 and beyond been cross-gen titles, but those that have launched exclusively for the platform have delivered competent, often great, experiences that don’t quite reach the same heights as Breath of the Wild. It may seem like an unfair comparison, but BOTW launched all the way back in 2017 as a cross-gen title and still managed to exceed everyone’s expectations and then some.
The Switch 2 lacks a game that fans can point to as the defining reason for picking up the console in the first place. Donkey Kong Bananza is novel and genre-defining, but it doesn’t quite have the same mass appeal as an open-world adventure title (or a new entry in a more popular Nintendo franchise), or even a more story-focused experience. That’s not to say that those types of experiences should be Nintendo’s bread and butter, as they are often better served elsewhere.
However, when PlayStation and Xbox are offering up bigger and more varied experiences with compelling plots and nuanced gameplay, it’s hard to see the barely-innovative Mario Kart World and a Donkey Kong-focused game as reasons to rush out and spend hundreds of dollars on a new console. The Switch 2 needs its Breath of the Wild moment, a game so momentous that those new to the console and those still stuck on the last-gen system will have to invest. Fortunately, there’s a developer perfect for crafting such an experience.
Monolith Soft’s Next Game Could Be Huge For Switch 2 Owners
Nintendo’s next big game, whether it’s another sprawling open-world epic like Breath of the Wild or a story-driven adventure like Xenoblade Chronicles, should be developed by the legendary studio, Monolith Soft. While most first-party Nintendo studios have managed to elevate the respective genres they work within, Monolith Soft is capable of achieving both that feat and pushing the hardware it’s working with to its absolute limit. Xenoblade Chronicles X was almost too big for the Wii U, and the original Xenoblade Chronicles was a revolutionary experience for the Wii.
The Nintendo Switch can barely run Xenoblade Chronicles 2, despite it releasing at the start of the console’s lifespan, and it’s a miracle XBC3’s stunning visuals and complex world design exist, considering the limited hardware they’re running on. Monolith Soft is more than capable of delivering a jaw-dropping experience that makes those on other platforms envious of what the Switch 2 is capable of delivering. It is also the studio that can create a truly next-gen-feeling experience for the Nintendo Switch 2, something it has yet to receive.
While Monolith Soft has remained tight-lipped about its next game, rumors are floating around claiming thatXenoblade Chronicles 4 is in development. In a 2022 Ask the Developer post on the official Nintendo website, Genki Yokota, a producer at Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 2, exclaimed, “Yes, it will still go on! I want to keep it going as long as possible!” when asked about the franchise’s future. So, it seems likely we’ll get more XBC games on the Switch 2, even if it isn’t Monolith Soft’s next title.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Has To Be More Than A Third-Party Simulator
The Switch 2’s undeniable lack of power will always make it the worst option when it comes to playing third-party releases. While it is novel to play Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows on a handheld device, the tradeoffs needed to get games like them running on Nintendo’s new hardware are just too great to make it worthwhile. With PS5’s and Xbox Series Xs costing less than a Switch 2 these days, it doesn’t make sense beyond the form factor to invest in the latest console.
Even the Switch 2’s unique selling point will be made redundant once the upcoming PlayStation handheld and Xbox’s own rival device release. That’s why it is so important for Nintendo to focus on first-party exclusives that deliver something no one else is offering. Breath of the Wild did that in spades when it launched in 2017, and went on to define an entire genre, reshaping players’ expectations across all platforms. Nintendo needs to do that again, and Monolith Soft, with its best-in-class cinematics, world design experience, and storytelling capabilities, may just be able to pull it off.
Hopefully, Switch 2 users will soon finally get to see what the console they’ve invested so much money into is capable of. It is just a shame that it is taking so long to reach that point. From what we’ve seen, the Switch 2’s upcoming lineup, while assuredly impressive, lacks the excitement and buzz that its rivals are delivering with the likes of Fable and Marvel’s Wolverine. Hopefully, Nintendo is just playing its cards close to its chest and has yet to reveal the best to come.
Do you think Monolith Soft will be the one to deliver the Switch 2’s next big game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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