The Journey Down: Chapter One limits itself to simply laying down the premise of a promising narrative but, unfortunately, limits itself to just that and is altogether over fairly quickly. It does nothing else wrong in terms of gameplay or presentation, though, even if the choice of character art is a bit out of left field and hard to adjust to, at first. Player interactions with the humorous plot and colourful cast of NPCs are what build the sympathy towards Bwana, the protagonist, and his companions.

Sonic Mania's Encore pack gets away with having not much to offer because of its almost irresistible price. Super fans will lap this up in an instant, appreciating the addition of two new characters with unique abilities and slightly adjusted zones to put them to use in, but this isn't enough to entice the less hardcore Sonic Mania owner. Completely fresh zones would have really changed that. Guess that's a job for Sonic Mania 2.

It's not clear why Code of Princess on 3DS was ever a cult hit; maybe because it was the only action RPG on the 3DS at the time? Organising a local multiplayer session ends up taking up more time than the time spent playing together since the core gameplay of Code of Princess EX is very shallow and very tedious. Battles just drag on for an eternity as heroes constantly wail on goons, making everyone who is playing feel only regret. What a waste of excellent character designs that they have to be used in such a milquetoast beat 'em up.

This is the Police 2 is presented well, featuring a great visual style, accompanied by an equally great score, but a poorly penned script, coupled with gameplay that is not engaging, keeps it from realising its full potential.

From its story, to its aesthetic, to its gameplay, War Tech Fighters feels like a traditional mecha anime brought to life. It's by no means perfect, often falling into the tedium of repetitive as far as its combat is concerned, but its presentation and novelty are more than enough to keep it a memorable experience all throughout. It perhaps also could have benefited from a story that felt more appropriate and in sync with the genre it's paying tribute to, but, as is, War Tech Fighters is a charming take on the giant robot niche with plenty of love to give around.

In terms of looks alone, One Piece: Burning Blood has great presentation, as it feels like it came right out of a manga. In terms of gameplay, though, it's just a decent, and relatively unpolished, fighter of no importance.

The fan outcry for a physical version of Sonic Mania was enormous, and while it did take a year for SEGA to act, it has ultimately delivered a package that is simply outstanding. After so many bad outings in the series, Sonic's legacy was beginning to turn to dust. Many mistakes have been made in trying to emulate, yet evolve the 2D adventures of yesteryear, with failed projects, such as Sonic 4. Sonic Mania Plus, however, restores the series back to the gold standard. It will be revered for decades with the community who will no doubt set this as the benchmark for any future sequel to the series.

Madmind Studios has successfully created the definitive version of videogame Hell: humdrum, uninspiring gameplay, frustrating level design, stuttering frame-rates, soft locks and crashes galore, unpolished textures, ugly character modelling, sudden inexplicable deaths, and irritating glitches. It is a painful experience from beginning to end, with the only real highlight being the uninstall. An absolute stinker; Agony is most definitely Hell!

In spite of all the odds against Yoko Taro's career, he has finally delivered a true masterpiece that finally delivers on all fronts, including gameplay. Environmental detail aesthetics lacking aside, Nier: Automata is an unbelievable game and one that just might make even the most stone cold hearted gamers well up into a weepy emotional mess. This is a landmark in storytelling that is one that embraces the fact it is a videogame and does not try to imitate film like the way most story-driven titles do.

This is adventure gaming distilled down to its most essential elements, compounded with a healthy challenge and atmosphere like no other.

Overall, this is a great product with a low price tag and high replay value, and deserves attention. Some more bosses and maybe a mode where aliens are playable would really go a long way for the longevity, though. The lack of any character progression means if the gameplay alone is not enticing enough for some, replaying will not be a worthwhile experience.

While Tetris purists may shirk at this block-matching alternative that messes with the formula a little, Lumines is worth a try. Whether it's high scores on the leaderboards, completing strategic challenges, or just filling the void for a couch-multiplayer title, Lumines Remastered has something for all lovers of arcade-type puzzle games.

A few steps above decent, and a few steps below very good, Episode 3: Ripples is another chapter of The Council that is enjoyable, but at the same time a bit disappointing, as it doesn't seem to know what its strengths are. On the bright side, the story finally decides to move a bit faster, making players eager for the next one in line.

There's literally not reason to try out Kingdom Come: Deliverance - From the Ashes. It's pretty weak DLC that, instead of breathing new life into the core game, just adds a short, and not that engaging (or rewarding), quest line.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana does have some light, frustrating moments that await the pure completionists out there, but that comes with the territory. It is a fully realised artistic masterpiece, both visually and even more so in the audio department, and deserves a place in any serious Switch player's collection. To crown it all, everything is tightly packed into one cohesive package that, at retail, requires no additional download and even comes with some neat little bonuses.

There's a surprisingly vast amount of content to discover and unlock in what many may assume could have been a shallow selection. It's a refined package that, whilst still harks back to the Wii era, feels more in-line with the Nintendo Switch offering for the most part. There are some odd control decisions for solo Joy-Con users, and some odd mini-games in the pot, but Go Vacation is a solid destination to visit.

This is one of the best strategy games in years, with engrossing combat and a fantastic story. The difficulty is almost perfect, making the battles rewarding without being trivial and players may find themselves actively seeking out more fights. It is entertaining from top to bottom.

Shelter Generations is a considerable disappointment. This whole package seemed filled with promise but each and every element is terribly flawed in its execution. Shelter 2 feels like an empty world, meaning it regularly begins to feel dull, and even when the world has enough content, there isn't enough development in the story or the core gameplay to keep things interesting.

Bomb Chicken isn't going to be breaking any molds. What it does, countless others have done before, and better. That doesn't mean it isn't a ton of fun, though, if a little brief. It is an ideal new title for speed-runners to stream, and all-in-all a fun, addictive, crazy, little arcade experience. Based on this, Nitrome is one to watch; it certainly has a promising future ahead.

To its credit, The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker does work far better than it should given how much the randomness holds it back, but it could have been significantly better with a more focused storyline.

MOTHERGUNSHIP is tons of fun to play, but it's also that kind of FPS that doesn't really evolve the more you play. The ability to create weapon cocktails is simply awesome, but the action itself is way too repetitive to let that shine.

A mixed bag of emotions and gameplay sum up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. A lot in the way of graphical fidelity has been hacked away at in order to get this on Nintendo Switch, but it is quite clear those who are interested in this FPS know exactly what to expect on that front. Despite the obvious visual downgrade, coupled with the pacing and storyline issues, there is still a solid arcade game here that can sit alongside DOOM (or maybe the next shelf down).

Octopath Traveler is an extremely satisfying storytelling experience vastly different from other traditional JRPGs out there. The eight stories followed over the course of the game are all compelling in different ways, and each is engrossing in different ways. The combat is simple, yet nuanced, and building party compositions never stops being a fun exercise as the adventure presents each new challenge. The pacing does have some small missteps here and there, especially as the world opens up between each major act, but it's a tiny hurdle in an otherwise magnificent experience.

There is nothing so innovative about Super Destronaut DX that it becomes a recommendable title to friends, but it makes for a good half an hour break from more interesting games. The challenge mode is worth a playthrough and a few may be excited to try and secure a place on the global leaderboards in the classic game mode. If only there was more visual clarity that made the game feel a bit more skill-based and not visual-ability-based. The very worst case scenario is that players will listen to a really cool soundtrack while changing up the gaming session for a few minutes.

Ultimately, I Hate Running Backwards is a fun, worthwhile experience. At the same time, though, it is largely a fleeting sort of fun. For some reason, it feels eerily reminiscent of those mobile games that people play in brief spurts while waiting for something better to do. It is that same kind of hectic, fast-paced fun that sadly doesn't really last and is forgotten about almost as soon as it gets turned off. It is sort of the videogame equivalent of being chased by a bear.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Donkey Kong Adventure turns out to be much less focused on strategy this time around but more on the actual enjoyment of the story and universe with more laid back battles that are easier to approach than the rest of the full package, in no small part due to how powerful Donkey Kong and Rabbid Cranky are in battle. The base game had lots of charm with its colourful and humorous universe and this is all intact here, if not even more pleasant than ever before.

Yes, combat wise, The Banner Saga does nothing new, but it does the basics very well, and the difficulty is well-judged for the most part. Clunky and poorly-explained HUD aside, this is a worthy addition to most Switch libraries, and fans don't have long to wait until The Banner Saga 3 is also released.

Fortnite on Nintendo Switch is a well done port despite its graphical downgrades. It contains the same great Battle Royale gameplay the title is known for, and it's just as addictive and exciting as ever. Collecting materials, swapping out guns, and building forts never gets old, even though you are going to be dying a lot. If you have never played the game before, then this is the perfect time to give it a shot, especially since it's free to play.