On the Game Cube app, there is Mario Strikers. That is an excellent example of a time where Nintendo and its party sports developers had a handle over the balance between capturing the basics of the sport and making it arcade fun. Now, though, they’ve lost the plot entirely. I genuinely don’t understand who this is for, but it isn’t me. Or anyone that I know who loved what Mario Tennis once was.

Tacoma gives the player space to get to know its characters, and really know them deeply, which is why its moments of melodrama become so much more compelling than anything else we’ve seen in the gaming medium. It is indeed short, I will concede that, and it is not open even by walking simulator standards, but what Fullbright has delivered is rich, affecting storytelling that’s truly worth experiencing.

As a horror aficionado, and someone who also likes the extreme ends of horror, I find Carrion to be fascinating. It's not the kind of game I generally like playing, but it's pitched at the easy edge of the Metroidvania "genre". The exploration and puzzles are fluid and in service of the game's main purpose, which is the most unapologetically visceral thing I've played in some time. Not everyone will be able to stomach Carrion's atmosphere and gleeful violence. But those that can will find an experience that is beautiful in being so grotesque.

Unlike the remake of Final Fantasy VII, Trails of Mana doesn't take the opportunity to rework the story, nor does it aim to add to the existing world that anyone who played the original will experience. It's more akin to Nintendo's own Link's Awakening remake in that it's a traditionally-minded remake that simply seeks to give fans a beloved experience through a modern lens. And yet, it still goes well above and beyond what was strictly necessary for a remake. This is a game that feels decidedly modern and could (and should) appeal to a much broader audience than "existing Trails of Mana" fans. If the lengths that Square Enix has gone to with this remake prove to resonate, then dare I hope for the same treatment to Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI?

There’s a narrative that not only follows on from one of the finest stories ever written (and I'm not just talking in terms of video games) but succeeds in actually enhancing it. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and does some amazing things in remixing music that was already peerless.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is a return to form for the series. What had become a formula so bloated that it lost sight of what actually made the series good has been simplified to make it more engaging. What you get here is an efficient and clean historical action game. One that gives you the chance to explore a less-travelled part of history from a part of the world that people are usually too busy demonising to explore as a setting. Ubisoft would benefit from writers who understood how to convey narrative efficiently, but in every other way the more focused and streamlined experience that Mirage offers makes it the most cohesive entry in this series for a very long time.

No matter how strong the writing is, or what it makes you feel, it’s ruined by those final few minutes at the end of the game. It felt as if the whole experience, whilst rather short, left me in an inconsequential role, like I was simply listening to an argument between two people in an elevator.

To be frank, here, I don’t think enough was done to make Planet Coaster 2 enough of a sequel. Adding water parks and slides, and more rides in general, were all perfectly rational ways to expand on the Planet Coaster experience, but we’re in an era now where DLC is getting Game of the Year nominations, and I do think that this feels more like a massive DLC drop at 50% of the price of a base game than a new, full-priced game. And as fun as the emerging “Frontier Simulation” formula is I also can’t help but wish that the developers would challenge themselves to try and create an actual simulator at some point. Make something with teeth, folks! You might be surprised just how invested your players get when their decisions have consequences for their parks, too.

I'm all for retro compilations giving players the option of making games more accessible, so players can set their own experience. Rewind features in old arcade shooters and platformers are great. But imagine if a retro re-release of Castlevania (or whatever) made it impossible to fall down a gap or get killed by a boss by automatically rewinding the mistake. Now imagine they gave players no way of turning that off? To deny people an inherent, defining quality of a game in favour of something that fundamentally changes the experience, without completely redesigning the game so that the new experience makes sense... Nah, it hurts this to say because I love Monkey Ball, but this is all terribe decision-making by everyone involved.

Thanks to a deep narrative, exquisite morality mechanics that make every decision equally weighty and meaningful, and sublime characters, inXile has given the game a genuine shot of living up to the legacy of one of the greatest games of all time.

Aside from the lack of co-op, I can't really think of a more engaging action game than Apotheon. Equally, I can't think of a game that fans of ancient Greek mythology will find more interesting than the story that this one weaves. Sorry, Kratos, but you've got nothing on Nikandreos.

At first glance, Polaris Sector does not look like anything terribly new or innovative. While it does not reinvent the proverbial strategy genre wheel, credit is due for some of the more innovative systems and balanced, clean UI.

I think I would have appreciated My Next Life as a Villainess so much more if I was an existing fan of the property. Otomate seems to have created something that is a fascinating observation of the otome genre and a very funny, character-driven “romance” story to go with it. Unfortunately, too much of that washed over my head. While I totally respect that developers of games can assume that players have read or seen something else first, and that their game is a continuation of an existing story, I would suggest that giving newcomers the option of a 10-minute summary to catch up first would be a helpful way for those of us coming in fresh to at least understand the basics before we’re thrown in the narrative deep end.

It's an excellent simulation of an excellent sport. With most other sports properties out there aiming for intensity, action, and excitement, having the laid-back, strategic pace of golf is a nice alternative, and this will likely be a game I keep coming back to for some time to come simply for that change of pace and undemanding nature.

If you have a strategy itch, Frozen Synapse 2 is a great way to scratch it. There are some obvious comparisons to be made to the excellent XCom series, and that is great company to be keeping, but Frozen Synapse 2 still manages to to be its own unique experience as well.

Between the lack of personality, inconsistent aesthetics, physics that, accurate or not, look broken, and cynical always online requirements, EA Sports PGA Tour gets just about everything wrong. I found myself jumping right back to Easy Come, Easy Golf almost immediately. Sure, it’s not the most realistic golf game out there, but at least it has fun with the sport and I’m not booted from the game after every other hole. EA’s dour, miserable effort is the “you must be fun at parties” joke/insult manifested as a sports game.

I alternated between enjoyment and stretches of indifference. I am genuinely glad, though, that we have this addition to our growing Western library of visual novel hybrids (!).

While Voice of Cards could be refined as a game, the vision is impeccable, and while the game's not as outrageous or subversive as NieR and its sequel, it still represents Yoko Taro's unique qualities as a game designer and narrative writer: he is forever experimenting and pushing boundaries. Voice of Cards is almost subtle in this, but the way that it aims to work collaboratively with players to share a story, rather than tell it, is a delightful departure from the norm for the JRPG. I don't think anyone expected him to follow up NieR with a "card game," but Yoko Taro has hit onto something very special here.

Those irritations aside, I really had a good time with Outshine. It offers a slick typing challenge with a solid wall of difficulty for the hardcore to sink their teeth into. There’s also the simple reality that a game like this doubles as an educational application, as it teaches speed and accuracy with typing, as well as the ability to touch type. These are all increasingly critical skills in modern society, so that’s an important added bonus with Outshine.

Is this an essential update? Not really. I would argue that the Switch 1 version of Civilization VII isn’t worth playing, and so if you are going to play the thing, you should upgrade. Nobunaga’s Ambition is already an excellent game, but you’re not getting much extra if you already have it and all the DLC on Switch. There’s also no upgrade option like there is with Civ VII, so you’d need to shell out for a full-priced game if you wanted those mouse controls. But then, on the other hand, I’ll still be playing Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening a year (and longer) from now.

As some light fun and a very different kind of VR experience, Tethered is ridiculously charming, bright, happy stuff.

With great music, satisfying gameplay and a lot of replay value, Chime Sharp is definitely a puzzler worth your time. It’s a colourful journey through a world of vibrant melodies, with a degree of challenge sure to test even the most seasoned of genre fans. Whether you’re looking for short bursts of play or an afternoon of high-score hunting, Chime Sharp is not to be missed.

Thankfully the colour and humour of Atelier Marie prevent it from becoming dry, despite the clear parallel to real-world work structures. While the jury’s out on how appealing this will be to the Ryza fanbase (in particular), Marie Remake has been an opportunity for me, a hardcore Atelier fan that came to the party in the middle and who loves the “classical” approach to the series, to catch up with the game that started it all. I can see the progression from Marie to Rorona and beyond, and Gust has definitely gotten better at executing the core idea over the years, but even right back then, at the genesis of the series, Atelier has really been the most wholesome comfort food.

I had a lot of fun playing (or, more accurately, replaying) Mario Vs. Donkey Kong. It’s a brightly-coloured, wholesome good time, and the rare all-ages puzzle game that strikes the right balance between making sure that everyone that plays it feels smart, without being condescending about it. As much fun as it is, however, this is one of the most transient games that Nintendo has published in quite some time. You’ll play it, enjoy it, and very quickly forget about it because it is, ultimately, a remake of once of Nintendo’s most niche titles – a title that was niche for a very good reason.

Mixing, matching, levelling up, and forming strategies across such a massive, Pokemon-like range of monsters to collect and turn into special abilities gives World of Demons a level of depth and strategy that you would never expect at first, given how fast and fluid it is. Factor in the ukiyo-e-inspired art (which, no doubt, will be compared to Okami, but is much more appropriate to this game, given the narrative and visual arts traditions that Hyakki Yagyo belongs to), and a soundtrack that is heavy on the traditional Japanese instruments, and World of Demons is clearly a case of PlatinumGames looking to celebrate traditional Japanese culture and the arts. That is actually something that PlatinumGames hasn't done before, but the aesthetics, theme, tone, and quality of action here suits the developer perfectly, so, more of this in the future, please.

10 Second Ninja X is fun, but I definitely had to limit it to smaller sized doses.

It does what it promises in offering a fast runner-style game, and it's nice that the developers went as far as to offer completely new level layouts each day, but ultimately this is as shallow as the likes of Doodle Jump or Temple Run, and costs an order of magnitude more money.

It might not be the most ambitious spinoff that you’ll ever see, but Piczle Cross is a generous and heart-warming good time. The world needs more Story of Seasons, not less, so the existence of this game is an objective good in the world.