Beacon Pines is a well-thought-out and adorable little mystery narrative game that is a perfect way to relax and unravel an ever-changing story that you control.

Despite some delayed modes and some missing features, Guilty Gear Strive is still a masterful fighting game filled with brilliant moves, perfect controls and some of the greatest art I’ve ever seen in a fighting game. All it takes is watching one fight in this game and you’ll need to own it.

Combining a hearty single-player campaign with interesting new combat mechanics, decent netplay and a character creator that’s honestly worth the price of admission alone, Soulcalibur VI takes its rightful place on the stage of history as one of the best fighters out right now.

Hogwarts Legacy is the game we were promised with smooth gameplay and gorgeous graphics of a world of magic. While there are moments of choppy fighting mechanics, this game opens up the possibility of sequels and DLCs exploring more of this magical environment.

Resident Evil Village is a great addition to the beloved franchise mixing the best of old and new to create a balanced addition for fans of all types. The end will leave you with your jaw on the floor and anxiously awaiting the next chapter for the franchise. I am excited to see what lies ahead.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are fine games by virtue of being Pokemon games. They have the same fun battling and collecting mechanics you’d expect and offer an opportunity to re-explore the gorgeous and lore-rich Alola region. But their butchered retelling of Sun and Moon’s story and the addition of the obnoxious RotomDex should once again have you questioning why you would pay full price for almost the same game a year later.

Minus some occasional glaring AI issues, it's off to the races with yet another stunning simulation racer.

Resident Evil 3 has swapped out the horror genre for action-adventure, which makes for a short, yet highly-enjoyable campaign. Resident Evil: Resistance will leave you wishing the story was much longer than six hours and the cut sequences from the original game had made it to the final product.

Assassin's Creed: Origins marks a new beginning for the series as this open-world prequel successfully merges the old and new. While not perfect, the result is still a deeply satisfying Egyptian playground that will revitalize your love for a series that was starting to fall by the wayside.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a bold step for the future of the franchise. Despite lacking a traditional story campaign, there’s no shortage of entertainment or value in this year’s installment of the popular first-person shooter franchise, which finally puts multiplayer front-and-center where it should be.

At the end of the day, what’s even more important than aesthetics and game mechanics is: Did I have fun? And the answer is yes. I had a great time playing Fear the Spotlight. It was a fun, relatively short survival horror game that is great for anyone who wants a retro throwback, or just a plain old fun spooky time. Plus, it’s priced at just $20, so as far as video games go, it’s a relatively cheap investment and is perfect to complete over a single weekend.

Ghost of Tsushima is a beautifully crafted samurai adventure filled with elegance and marvelous treasures to discover. The combat is engaging, yet challenging, and it has yet to get old. Despite a few hiccups in the lackluster AI and a few glitches, I managed to continually get lost and awe-struck at the truly extraordinary experience Sucker Punch has created.

Guacamelee 2 takes but never quite gives; it amps up the difficulty without making the necessary changes to keep the game interesting. The result is a test of patience rather than a test of skill.

While your first glance at Loop Hero will revela what appears to be a barebones game, you’ll soon discover it is a very complex structure that’s simple to learn and an absolute blast to try and master. If you’re looking for a good time killer on your Switch, I can’t think of a better pick up and play than Loop Hero.

Kingdom Hearts III is a welcome return of the Disney action-RPG epic and the best game in the series to date, making you really want to see the next chapter in the series as soon as possible.

With lots of things to see and do and unlock, Splatoon 3 delivers exactly what people want from the franchise and so much more. Despite a few disappointing decisions, like the removal of the rhythm game, a near-perfect Splatoon experience.

Wayward Strand is a game that celebrates the fact that everyone has a story. Beyond some minor annoyances, it’s an absolute gem in the world of storytelling and fans of the medium should not miss out on this.

Splatoon 2 provides a second chance at life for the Wii U’s best game, drawing in a new Switch audience with the staples that made the first game great and adding just enough quality of life adjustments and new modes to entice veterans. Robust launch content and a steady stream of promised updates should quickly soothe series naysayers, even if there are still a few desired features off the table. Above all else, Splatoon 2 radiates silly, squiddy fun throughout; a don’t-miss title when you take the plunge and pick up a Switch.

While Yakuza 6 takes a small step backward in its combat, sidequest content and presentation, its attention to detail with its engrossing, dynamic story paired with its near-infinite replayability makes this a thoroughly enjoyable, if only slightly disappointing, chapter of Kazuma Kiryu's life.

As far as Picross games go, this game is middle of the road. It offers nothing new and devolves into basic pictures of birds and animals once it goes through a few Hatsune Miku puzzles. As far as a Hatsune Miku game though, it’s a huge disappointment. None of the iconic songs are present nor the animation quality. It’s just a Picross game with pictures of Hatsune Miku taped over it.

After a long and exasperating day at work, Bye-Bye Boxboy! is the kind of relaxing mindgame you want to come home to. It’s cute and laidback while being devoid of the design-based frustrations that plague many puzzle platformers. By remaining user-friendly, Bye-Bye Boxboy! promises that you’ll remain engaged in your journey with Qbby from start to finish through the game’s hundreds of brilliant, physics and geometry-based platforming puzzles. Though Bye-Bye Boxboy! plays it safe in a way that makes it less than memorable, you’ll nonetheless find its gentle challenges rewarding.

A treat for the eyes and brain, Triangle Strategy is a delightful and deeply engrossing experience. It perfectly balances each of its gameplay aspects and is elevated with a rich lore that makes you want to keep playing. A masterfully crafted game from bottom to top that any Switch owner needs in their collection.

A unique, immersive mystery adventure game that is a standout in its genre. The amount of detail present in nearly every aspect of the game makes for a challenging but accessible puzzle solving experience. The game brilliantly combines time-loop mechanics with clever and mysterious puzzles that will put you on wit’s end, while smoothly balancing a creepy plotline with a colorful art style and dry humor. This indie title is a hidden gem that fans of mystery and puzzle games alike will greatly enjoy.

Danganronpa 1 & 2 Reload provides a powerful and gripping experience that will keep players addicted from the opening sequence until the final credits begin to roll. If you enjoy disturbing visual novels, odd characters, and solving murders, then Danganronpa 1 & 2 Reload is well worth experiencing.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers an epic journey with a great cast of characters on the go for your Nintendo Switch, but some may find a handful of glaring flaws and system complexity a slightly high barrier to entry.

If you liked the original Advance Wars games back on the Game Boy Advance, this is everything you wanted the re-boot to be. The battles are still deceptively clever, the strategy is still in full force, and the character designs still slap.

At times, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a prime example of a compilation done right. Smooth gameplay and plethora of extra content are just a few button presses away. However, the lack of other features that have been in previous Street Fighter re-releases leaves a pretty large void. Combine that with shaky netcode, and suddenly the value of the entire package is diminished even further.

Despite some minor graphical issues, Game Freak has managed to build the kind of living world I’ve always wanted from a Pokemon game. The Pokemon feel alive and filled with personality, from the adorable Snorunts to the hyper Aipon to the playful antics of Gengar. And they all exist in a fully realized world with neighboring clans and memorable characters.

Whereas most DLC works as a throw-in gameplay experience that complements the main game, Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City places itself in the role of an unforgettable farewell. Whether you enjoy the haunting vistas, the myriad of new combat encounters, the expansion of the weapon, armor and items catalog or the fond memories of the series at large culminating into a fitting conclusion, it’s hard not to argue that Miyazaki’s level of excellence has persisted throughout the series.

Hitman 2 is a new coat of paint and an updated model of the previous year’s racing car. Sure, it may look similar to its predecessor, but it is improved in almost every facet of production, allowing the player to marvel in its familiar excellence.

An amazing murder mystery and conspiracy story is told through awesome gameplay in Lost Judgment. Smooth combat, amazing cities to explore and fun side quests will keep you coming back for more.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva Mega Mix+ isn’t quite the PC port we would hope for but it is a great start for the series or for PC players to dip their toe into the Weeb-fueled rhythm game.

Shadow of Tomb Raider tells an outstanding coming of age story Lara Croft has so desperately needed to propel her into the next chapter.

While I would have loved to see the addition of online elements that allow you to see your friends’ horses or compete against their best scores, this is still a phenomenal time killer of a game. The bizarre isekai story mixed with the adorable graphics and the occasional dark humor makes for so many elements I never thought I’d see in a solitaire or horse racing game, let alone an amalgamation of both.

Despite some hiccups with the ambitious new story mode, Madden NFL 18 remains a solid entry in the franchise.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is arguably the high point of the series with great and varied tactical action and customization. However, its attempt at being a serious drama about the high cost of war on both sides is undercut by a ridiculous amount of gratuitous objectification.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is more than a solid port of two Nintendo 3DS games, let alone, one that was localized for Western regions. Its enhanced visuals, twist-filled and exhilarating story, and orchestral score create a package that will definitely give fans of the franchise or the visual novel genre a bang for their buck. It’s a game that will test your wits, memory, and logic skills to solve the various cases at hand.

Subnautica: Below Zero feels like more of Subnautica, and that is only a good thing to a certain extent. Where it falls short by copying its predecessor is in the story and thematic department, making it feel like an uneventful and unimportant step in the series.

There’s no denying that Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy are all masterpieces of their time. But without modern trimmings, this is a series that will only fully be appreciated by incredibly hardcore fans. Newcomers to these games may find themselves quickly turned off by the limitations of older software and controls. So while fun, the lack of effort put into Super Mario 3D All-Stars is very disappointing.

Beyond a few lacking voice actors and a somewhat unnatural tone at moments, this is a well-made piece of psychological horror. Simulacra shines in its storytelling, and many of the haunting visuals serve their purpose quite well. Kaigan Games has crafted a relatable and frightening thriller for the sleuth in all of us. It is a surefire pick up for those seeking a puzzling and frightening mystery within the confines of a black mirror.

The Banner Saga 3 fails to deliver the complexity of choice some were hoping for, but the compromise allows for a deep narrative enhanced by intelligent combat additions, excellent art direction, and its melancholic soundtrack.

Horace is an enjoyable game filled with interesting platforming mechanics. Unfortunately, its fun platforming and brilliant pixel art are buried beneath a pile of constant pop culture references, an obsessive need for close-ups and a plethora of free domain music.

Laying an excellent foundation for a new IP, Control features a well-crafted world that ignites the imagination. It’s dark, twisted, and a little bit weird in the best way possible.

Little Nightmares 2 is gorgeous and disturbing with smooth controls and a cute little collectible system that allows you to collect hats throughout the game and change them at will. Aside from some random clipping during gameplay, this game is practically perfect with beautifully terrifying environments, helpful AI, scary sound mixing and a story with villains that will give you nightmares.

Some minor flaws aside, Neo: The World Ends with You greatly fixes the hot mess of a control scheme from its predecessor and delivers a worthy sequel with excellent art and storytelling. Constant changes to gameplay and twists in the story will keep you engaged throughout.

MLB The Show 18 is a must-buy game for baseball enthusiasts. And if you’re a casual fan simply looking to dip your toe in a baseball game this year, you probably won’t find anything better than MLB The Show 18.

Make no mistake, Tekken 7 is a game for diehard fans of the series. It features solid combat and a story that, while not very strong, can justify fans wanting a solid conclusion to the nearly 25-year-long Mishima Saga. Unfortunately, this installment falters when it comes to everything else.

Mega Man 11 is a must-play adventure for series fanatics, but not an essential adventure for everyone else. It's a paint-by-numbers experience that offers more of the same game content you've come to expect from over three decades with the Blue Bomber.

Burnout Paradise Remastered is an enjoyable revisit to one of the best arcade-style racers of the era. For PS4 owners who may have missed out or want to go back to Paradise City, this is the package for you.

Even though the puzzles and enemy encounters don’t deviate much from their fundamental structures, there are enough variations to support a frightening yet alluring world where every corner leads to fresh, captivating possibilities.

Dragon Quest Builders is a charming game that is great on the go and provides a satisfying loop but is burdened by absolutely terrible combat mechanics.

Call of the Sea is a visually beautiful story of a woman’s road to self-discovery and acceptance against a backdrop of Lovecraftian lore and storytelling. The great length and colorful graphics make for a medium-sized adventure, as long as you don’t rage quit from one of the puzzles.

Disgaea 5 Complete on Switch is the best way to play and to experience Disgaea 5. If you are ready to sink another couple of hundred hours into a game this summer, then let Disgaea 5 Complete satisfy your needs.

Danganronpa V3 doesn’t manage to completely shake that feeling of “been there, done that” for anyone who is a little bored of the formula, but that won’t be a problem for anyone new to the series. Anyone craving a wacky murder mystery/grand world conspiracy fix would do well to check out this latest entry, which while definitely iterative, is the most well-tuned to date.

Live a Live is a rare and unique title that was already terrific but made even better with an extreme amount of love and hard work put in to drastically improve the experience. To live a life in which you haven’t played Live a Live is a life less lived.

Though lacking the difficulty, complexity, and ribbing humor of its successors, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions is an aesthetically pleasing and fun enough remake of a beloved GBA title.

With Seasons, EA has delivered one of the most robust, complete expansions for The Sims 4.

Fire Emblem Echoes is not here to make waves in a tried and true formula–certainly not as a remake of a very old game. But it’s one of the most competent remakes that I’ve seen in years and more than enough for anyone wistfully longing for a new series entry.

One of the best fighting titles in years is now on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s one that if willing to take a beating, you should pick it up. Just be sure to use that Pro Controller, or you’re in for a world of hurt that even Slocap didn’t wish upon you.

Though admittedly light on gameplay, the strength of Finding Paradise’s characters, story and music will easily sweep you into its universe. It’s a worthy successor to To the Moon, telling a distinct, beautiful, and impactful story that will have you in tears by the end … and eagerly wondering what comes next.

It is rare when I find a game that tries to capture real people and nails it so well. Every aspect of Life is Strange: True Colors — from the dialogue to the characters to the paths they took — is real and vivid, and I fell in love with all of it almost immediately. If the ending doesn’t get people talking for the next several months, we’ve failed as a society because the entire final two chapters were impossible to look and walk away from. The game is an absolute gem and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Samurai Shodown does the near-impossible task of blending old and new into an incredibly fun, solid fighting game package.

The wry, self-aware writing remains Nerial’s strong suit, uplifting the gameplay and drawing players in until they, like the game’s protagonist, are eagerly reliving lives over and over again.

Torchlight II offers the same dungeon hacking, loot-acquiring thrills of a big-budget Diablo at a fraction of the price without a paralyzing amount of content. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys this style of game. It's a great fit for the Switch's portability.

The Bayonetta Remaster is an interesting time capsule that didn’t get a whole lot cleaned up for its 10th Anniversary. Stellar controls and excellent enemy design constantly combat a terrible camera and painful cutscenes.

Simple, yet satisfying, Radical Rabbit Stew isn’t a particularly lengthy game, and I would’ve loved to have had more worthwhile collectibles to gather along the way; but, it hits the spot just the way a well-made stew should.

While the lack of a story felt like a ton of missed potential, the gorgeous art and the beautifully complex but fun controls kept me enthralled. The difficulty was ridiculously high but the developers have already stated they’re working to patch that. For people looking for a beat ’em up style game, Sifu offers one of the most remarkably unique entries into that genre, especially if you want more from your beat ’em up than button mashing.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the peak of its genre as it brilliantly combines story, exploration, music and combat in a beautifully organized world.

Catherine: Full Body, like a full-bodied wine, is robust in content and tells a story rich in complexity. Unlike a fine wine, however, it can go sour quite quickly if poured incorrectly, as its more questionable notes can be a mitigating factor in fully appreciating its capabilities.

CONVERGENCE: A League of Legends Story is Double Stallion and Riot Forge flexing over having perfected the 2D side-scroller genre with this title.

A fantastic pick-up-and-play puzzle party game for those who like the genre, but the barrier to entry is pretty high and there is little to make it welcoming to any newcomers.

The battle mechanics do feel a bit more sped up from before which marked an improvement to the quality of life that was needed to keep the pace of the battles up. A large roster also keeps things interesting but there is a locking feature where some characters can’t be changed out, limiting the usage of the expansive roster in the beginning.

While the dialogue, of which there is a lot, can sometimes revel in its corniness, there is a lot to love in this strangely multifaceted game. Much lighter than the dark and brooding trailers suggested, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a game that somehow mixed XCOM’s military strategy style combat with a social sim in which your character helps friends with their personal problems and forges bonds. Small strange slice-of-life options, like having the ability to have characters change clothes every day or customizing various room,s turns this into a game that you almost feel like you can live in. Which is a good thing because I did not want to leave it.

Even if you forgive the nightmarish art style and the dated quest methods, as it is a remake of a decade-old game, it doesn’t forgive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for having awful controls and a complete lack of quality of life features.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin takes the various things that made the first Monster Hunter Stories game such a fun ride and improves upon it by adding a bigger, more gorgeous world, new gameplay mechanics and an easier-to-access multiplayer. From exploring and finding new companion monsties to the engaging battle system, everything this game does is done remarkably well.

While not the most complex game in the world, Penko Park is an adorable ride through a creepy little zoo of the cutest little creatures and a relaxing time for a casual experience.

Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story delivers on the uncomfortable, important, and personal journey it promises. Clever UI design, superb writing, and intricate, complex puzzling weave together to accurately simulate both a lost phone and the world of the real person it belonged to. Though it’s a brief, one-way ride, the takeaways (and music tracks!) will stay with you long after you’ve pocketed the device.

With few bells and whistles, Fast RMX delivers all it promises: it’s a simple, fun, and challenging gravity racer, full stop.

Persona 5 Strikers is an absolute love letter to Persona 5 and a worthy sequel. Despite some camera issues and some massive framerate dips in the Switch version, the game is an absolute joy, filled with bizarre villains, fantastic plot twists and fun new mechanics.

Decades after paving the way for later quirky, comedic adventure games with anime influences, the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings the minimal updates needed to touch up an enchanting, silly and timeless collection.

Lost Ark could feel like too much of a good thing and overwhelming with the amount of gameplay mechanics. But it all merges into an addicting gameplay loop filled with exciting set pieces, fun and customizable classes and attacks, and enough varying content to keep you happy for the foreseeable future.

The Champions’ Ballad hits a few stumbling blocks in its execution, but by and large is an excellent coda to the soaring symphony that is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. With a balanced mix of combat, exploration, story, challenge, and discovery, there’s no reason to stay away from the DLC if you, like most of us, enjoyed the game to begin with.

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! is a solid puzzle platformer, especially if you have that itch for short and on-the-go gaming sessions.

Trinket Studios clearly put time into Battle Chef Brigade’s art, story and voice acting, but the gameplay often feels lackluster. The sidescrolling combat is often repetitive, lacking a sense of progression as you continue.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II sets the bar for what a sequel should be. A truly immersive and powerful story experience equipped with graphical and audio prowess never before experienced in a game.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits takes us on a whimsical tale that’s both predictable and familiar, but also something brand new with the way that it’s presented. Between the the back and forth moments of polish and unpolished gameplay lays an absolute gem of a game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a fresh and exciting reboot that feels completely new yet satisfyingly familiar. It breathes new life into the franchise by updating and modernizing what many consider to be one of CoD‘s best sub-series. Not every new addition or tweak lands perfectly, but overall Modern Warfare is a great package.

Cursed to Golf really takes golfing to the next level. The wide variety of holes, traps, and Ace Cards really makes you want to play this game over and over again. With a golf game taking a risk to join the Roguelike genre, it swung and definitely did not miss. You will find yourself playing Cursed to Golf many times over just so you can finally see if you can conquer Golf Purgatory and ascend back to the real world.

Fire Emblem: Engage feels like a massive step backward from both Awakening and Three Houses. Losing many of the features that made modern Fire Emblem games, ironically, engaging, we’re left with a barebones game that barely feels like a Fire Emblem title. Stories are poorly written, characters are barely fleshed out anime tropes, graphics are muddled, and the series’ signature bold and clear tactical battlefields have been replaced with PS2 era maps with indistinguishable tiny 3D models on them that look near identical until the camera swoops in.

If you're craving a slice of digital zen and a dash of creative freedom, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions was made for you. Don’t walk; float to get this game - your soul will thank you for it.

NBA 2K18 is a game that really understands a ton of the community around basketball and what makes it special. Unfortunately, it requires a bit of microtransactions patience and an internet connection to enjoy a lot of it.

Don’t let minor transgressions get in the way of the stronger praise, here, as The Evil Within 2 answers criticisms of the first game with a resplendent title worthy of your time. From the moment you set foot in the unnerving, unsettling city of Union, you are in for a hellacious hailstorm of demonic doom.

Snipperclips is what you make of it. It’s a non-stop puzzler joy that you can share with friends to demonstrate what the Nintendo Switch can actually do. There’s fairly little depth in terms of replayability, but at a budget price, it fits the niche that can serve seasoned players and newcomers, alike. Try getting through this without a laugh or two.

The art style, music, and core gameplay offers players a unique gaming experience unavailable elsewhere. Lady Luck isn’t always kind, however, and when combined with the occasional graphical issue, unwanted frustrations arise. Despite its flaws, it’s still worth the effort for those with patience and determination.

Yakuza Kiwami represents a solid reimagining of the Kamurocho of old.

Blood & Truth from SIE London Studio sets out to put the player in the starring role of an action movie by combining a polished, set-piece driven first person shooter campaign with the immersive qualities of virtual reality.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun-filled cosmic adventure. No aggressive microtransactions, no tacked on multiplayer, just a good ol’ fashioned single-player adventure with MCU-worthy blockbuster sequences and heartfelt story moments. The combat offers just enough variance and depth to remain entertaining throughout your playthrough but the magic truly resides within the colorful cast of characters.

Torna the Golden Country could’ve been a welcome expansion with some insight into the past of several key characters and a welcome twist on combat. However, the new “community level” mechanic that is forced upon you makes a good portion of it just a slog to get through.