Tactics fans are well catered for on the Nintendo Switch

The September Nintendo Direct brought a plethora of announcements, both expected and unexpected. Alongside the unveiling of several highly anticipated first-party titles from Nintendo, which undoubtedly feature on many players' wishlists, numerous promising third-party games were also showcased. Among these announcements, a surprisingly high number of titles fell into the category of tactical role-playing games, a genre that is already well represented on the Switch. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, the new game from the original Suikoden developers, along with the brand-new Unicorn Overlord, Wargroove 2, and the Switch version of the PC title Wartales, are all tactical role-playing games or role-playing games with tactical-oriented combat that fans should look forward to.

It makes sense that both RPGs and tactical RPGs are genres that have a wide selection on the Switch, due to the dual nature of the hardware. The ability to play in both docked mode and handheld mode suits games that often have playtimes of over 100 hours. After a significant delay, the system saw the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp earlier this year, joining other great tactical titles on the system such as both Fire Emblem games, Triangle Strategy, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Wargroove, XCOM 2, and others. With several more games of the genre recently unveiled and set to arrive on the platform soon, there has never been a better time to be a fan of tactical games and a Switch owner.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a True Spiritual Successor to Suikoden

After originally planning a release date in 2023, the development team behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes recently confirmed a delay, only to fortunately announce a confirmed release date within the trailer of the September Nintendo Direct. Although the development team includes several key members of the legendary Suikoden franchise, and Eiyuden Chronicle is a spiritual successor to those games, it is clear that Eiyuden Chronicle is a more tactical affair. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes follows in Suikoden's footsteps while simultaneously integrating new, tactics-oriented mechanics such as building a home base and developing party members through the utilization of its facilities.

Unicorn Overlord Looks to Successfully Blend Two 32-Bit Classics

One of the more surprising announcements at the Nintendo Direct was the unveiling of Unicorn Overlord, a new tactical RPG developed by Vanillaware and published by Atlus. At first glance of the gameplay footage, it evokes memories of classics from the 32-bit era such as Suikoden and Dragon Force on the Saturn, with the implementation of both individual battles and large-scale tactical warfare. With the incredible art style that Vanillaware games are known for and an appealing tactical gameplay, fans won't have to wait too long to enjoy Unicorn Overlord, as it is set to release on March 8, 2024.

Wargroove 2 Follows-Up One of the Switch's Best Indie Tactics Games

Before the excellent Advanced Wars games finally made their way to the Switch, the best available alternative was Chucklefish's Wargroove. With the success and praise of the original, it was only a matter of time before a sequel arrived, and Wargroove 2 promises even more excellent tactical battles with a variety of new unit types and maps. With a shift from the medieval aesthetic of the first game to a pirate theme, Wargroove 2 is definitely a game that tactics fans should keep an eye on.

Wartales Provides a Unique Open-World Spin on Tactics

One of the new tactical games announced for the Switch was actually brought to the system during the broadcast of the Nintendo Direct as a surprise release. Wartales has already achieved great success on PC, thanks to its unique combination of open-world RPG and turn-based tactical gameplay, and it fits perfectly into the Switch library. With captivating tactical combat, a vast open world, and some light survival aspects, Wartales is now available to help shorten the wait for the other tactical games announced this week.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be available on April 23, 2024, for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.