Under Quarantine? 10 Really Long Switch Games to Pass The Weeks (That aren’t Animal Crossing)

March 18, 2020 Frank Duran Leave a comment

Under Quarantine? 10 Really Long Switch Games to Pass the Weeks

Welcome to March 2020. Most of us are “working” from home, quarantined, or social distancing. Three days in, you have completed Netflix. You have destroyed Hulu. You are out of snacks (but that’s a different problem.) Panicked, but not enough to leave the couch, your eyes scan the room for sweet relief… and lock on your Switch.

“Now’s a great time to start…. a Really Long Game.”

The great news for all of us stuck at home is that the Switch Library is full of Really Long Games! From lengthy to seemingly endless, today I present a list of ten long-ass games to make you forget the Boomer Doomer.

I will be counting down from the shortest game, to the longest to Completionist status, or 100% of the game, as stated by one of my favorite sites How Long to Beat (Howlongtobeat.com)

Stardew Valley

(147 Hours Completionist)

An extremely charming game where you can live out your wild fantasies… of going outside and interacting with other people. Life in Stardew Valley is far less gloomy than our current climate, making it the perfect escapist game.

The game was made by a team of one, and the game just oozes with love from it’s creator. It’s a life sim for people who don’t usually love Life sims, and the graphics are super cute! I am not a big Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing fan but I was head-over-heels for this game. The game also keeps getting free updates, which keep making this great game longer.

Risk Of Rain 2

(149 Hours Completionist)

Sure, you can’t hang with friends in real life…but at least you guys can have a loot party online! Risk of Rain was a fantastic game, but Risk Of Rain 2 does what a good sequel should do, improve on everything and take it that step further. Risk of Rain 2 takes the Roguelike 2D action of it’s predecessor into 3D and it beautifully transitioned. The gameplay is tight and fast paced with plenty of unique loot to acquire. The game is great solo & could lead to plenty of hours by yourself but it really takes off with friends.

With a good team, you can get further through the game faster and get even more sweet, sweet loot, ultimately making you an all-powerful force. It’s dope.

Fire Emblem Three Houses

(166 Hours Completionist)

The game I loved the most in 2019 (self plug here) Simply put, this game tickled my fancy. It combined so many great elements to make a polished and really fun experience. The branching paths of the story mode make this a game you can play again and again, constantly being surprised by the changes between the storylines. With the added DLC, we are up to 4 different Houses to choose from & 33 recruitable students; even your gameplay can be changed up dramatically each play through. I can’t recommend this game enough.

Legend of Zelda Breath Of The Wild

(182 Hours Completionist)

This game is probably the reason you own a Switch. Yet, if you are stuck indoors all day, a good walk through Hyrule might be what you need to fight off Cabin Fever. The open and beautiful landscape will mimic the world that you used to know and sustain you for the weeks ahead.

If you have not put your hands on BOTW yet, I almost envy you! It was an almost magical first playthrough. The game surprises you with the little things, from its storytelling to even just the way the adventure unfolds, everything is smooth and natural. I personally put a good amount of time into the game, over 100 hours, and I was nowhere close to fulfilling all there is to do in this game. Do yourself the favor of playing this game.

6.Diablo 3

(185 Hours Completionist)

The king of Looters seems to have been made for the Switch. The great part about fighting an endless battle to defeat Demons and gather their loot is that you can pick it up and go anywhere, anytime. Diablo 3 is a game that has a great story and cool cut scenes… but we are all there to get the next best sword or armor. A fine solo adventure, but like Risk of Rain 2, this is one that is way faster and fun with friends. Again, the Switch makes it so easy to play with friends that are the CDC recommended 6 ft from you, or your bro that is shut in somewhere across town.

5.The Witcher 3

(190 Hours Completionist)

An RPG players dream. Side-quests-on-beautifully-fleshed-out side-quests will keep you busy during this Pandemic. I am personally playing through the Witcher 3 right now as my Social Distancing game, and I have fallen harder than Geralt does for Yennefer.

After reading the first book and watching the show, I felt I had a good base to jump into Witcher 3. Turns out you can just play Witcher 3 by itself. The game tries to catch you up, but having that base helped me appreciate. All I have to say at the moment is I have played too much Gwent, turned Geralt into a giant TCG nerd. If you want to join in playing with me, let’s chat about it on Twitter! @yupfrank

Skyrim

(223 Hours Completionist)

The game that everyone expected on this list. As mainstream games go, this is one of the longest. Sure, you have probably played Skyrim before, but it is time to take Skyrim handheld, (so your wife can watch TV). Almost every play through can be super unique, and it is fun to hear how different a friends play through can be from your own. Sure, Skyrim is full of glitches, and the Switch port didn’t do anything to fix those glitches… but it is still a super quality adventure that seems to fit better as a handheld game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

(253 Hours Completionist)

My favorite game of 2018 (another sweet self plug) that holds endless hours of fun. This game is so long, I say the game doesn’t get really good till about 20 hours in (!). Imagine that, most games are over by 20 hours but this game just kicks it into overdrive at that point. The main story is about 65-70 hours in itself but there is so much to do in Alrest. I like to describe the main gameplay as Pokemon, but to capture each Pokemon you have to go on cool story quests that pertain to each one. Yes, there are Gatcha elements to some of your Blades, but overall each one has a unique story and quests to be able to obtain them. It leads to you getting really involved in the stories & by the end you will be debating with friends which Blade is your favorite…or most likely, which one is Waifu.

Binding of Issac

(305 Hours Completionist)

Due to the very dark story, but more importantly the gameplay & game length, this game is not for the faint-of-heart. This is a seemingly-endless game that keeps surprising you on each death and rebirth. It features tight-actioned Dungeon Crawling that feels very Legend of Zelda, and that keeps this game fresh for many hours. Like Skyrim, many people have probably played Binding of Isaac by now, as it was released in 2011. Yet, the handheld nature of the system adds the extra element and takes the action all over your very small apartment…which currently is the extent of your world.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

(387 Hours Completionist)

Yes! It’s true! I added Monster Hunter to another list! Yes, I will be saying it once again, Monster Hunter has the best gaming cycle of any game ever. Hunt monsters, kill monsters, use monsters body parts to make sweet new armor. Choose from 14 different weapons that change gameplay dramatically. Then head out, solo or with three friends and fight a series record of 93 different monsters, 20 more monsters than generations. Fight certain monsters again and again to get the right parts, so you can finally build that sweet-ass armor & then take on even more dangerous monsters. It is a game cycle I love and embrace–and you should too. This is the game on Switch with the most gameplay time at a staggering 387 hours to reach 100%.

Honorable Mentions: Hyrule Legends is actually the 2nd longest game to complete but if you don’t like Warriors games, this will be a long 343 hours. If you are looking for straight strategy games and don’t mind a little cringy anime story, you will love any of the Disgaea games, but especially Disgaea 5 at 171 Hours.