I’m pretty sure this is the most underrated Switch game ever, and you can get it for just $21
Ever heard of Silent Hope? It’s a 2023 video game for Nintendo Switch and PC that is, in my opinion, extremely underrated. I barely hear a word uttered about it. Although it’s apt, considering the title and themes of the game, I’m here to bat for its corner — here’s why you need to play Silent Hope right now.
Silent Hope is on sale for $21 at Walmart (a digital copy costs $29 at the Nintendo Store.) Or if you’re a PC gamer, you're in luck — you can get 70% off Silent Hope at Steam, bringing its price down to just $8. That's a lot of game for your money!
I can't stay silent about this one
This RPG deserves way more love, because it’s one of the most enjoyably addictive Nintendo Switch games I’ve ever played. In short, there's an abyss full of monsters that you must dive into — and on each run, you need to try and get deeper and deeper into the abyss without falling in battle. You’ll need to dodge your foes, make the best use of each character’s unique abilities, and manage the cooldown times of your attacks to survive.
There are seven unique heroes to choose from, including a well-rounded swordsman, a fast-footed boxer, and a powerful, slow-moving magician who can teleport through enemies. You can only heal your character twice per run, so if your health is low, you can either return to the surface or swap to another character and keep going.
But the thing that kept me playing long into the night was the fact that if you level up, your health is refilled. That’s right, I was constantly living on the edge, battling foes with one sliver of my health bar left in order to gain enough experience points for a free heal. Hit-and-run combat is the name of the game in Silent Hope, so my reckless playing style worked surprisingly well most of the time and kept me absolutely hooked. I especially loved playing as the Archer, since his long-range bow attacks keep him well out of harm’s way for the most part.
Only one hero can enter the abyss at a time, so while you're out adventuring, the other six characters will be waiting back at base camp. This brings a charming, cozy-game element to Silent Hope: as well as being skilled fighters, the other characters will also help you out by making crafting materials, tending to farm animals and growing crops. If you get stuck on a tough battle in the abyss, by the time you return to the surface, there’ll probably be a new weapon or type of armor you can craft to give you a better shot on your next attempt. And the crops can be used to cook dishes that give you buffs, like extra attack or faster recovery.
I really enjoyed the subtlety of the game’s storytelling. None of the main characters can talk, but the game is narrated by the Princess who watches over the heroes. Her father is missing, having plunged himself into the depths of the abyss for unknown reasons. As you descend, you’ll gather bits and pieces of the story and learn about the King’s motivations. I won’t spoil what happens, but the story went to a place I wasn’t expecting, and I really enjoyed the surprising turn that the game takes midway through.
Unfortunately, everything isn’t all perfect. Silent Hope is a combat-heavy game, but the variety comes primarily from learning the strengths and weaknesses of the different playable characters rather than the enemies. So, when you see the same monster pop up for the third time in a different color, things can start to feel repetitive. It can also be overwhelming to manage inventory and craft gear and armor for seven different characters at once.
The Nintendo Switch is an RPG lover’s paradise, and there are so many other options that I’m not surprised that Silent Hope gets lost in the shuffle. But Silent Hope deserves its time in the spotlight. I can’t stop playing it and I hope more people join the movement.
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