AI: The Somnium Files is such a superior storytelling experience that its hit-or-miss puzzle action is hardly an issue. By turns witty, sharp, horrific, nasty, and even at times sexy, AI: The Somnium Files is one of those games that very few people will play, but an awful lot of people should. As far as the noir genre goes, it's every bit the example of it that Judgement is. Sure it has lower production values (and those anime fan service moments that a section of players just love to rip on), but it's also deeply intelligent, frequently hilarious, and impossible to put down.

Utawarerumono Zan is obviously a limited game, but as the first attempt to expand the Utawarerumono property beyond its roots, it's a good first step. The action is as fluid and enjoyable as we've ever seen in a Tamsoft game, and your favourite Utawarerumono character's personality and fighting style has been recreated expertly. It might be one for existing fans only, but I would hope that anyone who plays the original visual novels (and you really should) is an "existing fan," and will therefore also love this.

Telling Lies easily falls into the category of my top-three FMV titles, the others being Her Story and The Shapeshifting Detective. Its downright genius use of a computer interface allows a remarkably in-depth narrative to shine. The difficulty level means you'll spend hours upon hours in front of your screen... but quite frankly, the time passes as though it were minutes. It's a deep rabbit hole, but worth the trip regardless.

Torchlight II is a cleverly designed game which is decidedly good at what it does – even if it is following a fundamentally flawed design philosophy. Its gameplay is compulsive and honestly a little bit vapid: the incessant grind and push forward is neither intellectually stimulating nor conducive to big, memorable moments. My time through Torchlight II is really just a blur of primary colours and explosions of gibs. If that’s what you need, and you’re able to look past the very deliberate shortcomings, then this will be a game that you will find hard to put down.

If My Heart Has Wings does such a good job of being emotive and evocative in its nostalgia. It's just that beautiful, heartfelt, and well-written that I can't think of a better example of youthful drama across all of the visual novels that I have played over the years.

NBA 2K20 is a fun game that has tweaked a handful of different modes, provided a better story than usual and modified the gameplay in a challenging new way that takes some getting used to.

Whether going about your adventure solo, with friends or with two random strangers, Remnant: From the Ashes is a fairly well built experience. Taking the well known formula of a Soulborne and turning it into a third person shooter works as it provides a different experience from the norm. Assume (or just hope) that the bugs go away, but otherwise, this one is genuinely enjoyable.

Vambrace: Cold Soul is by no means a bad game. It's far too derivative and simple to reach the same league as Darkest Dungeon as a classic, but it's an enjoyable time waster, with superb production values and neat, clean, classical turn based combat action. The best way to play the game is probably on the Nintendo Switch, too, since it's the kind of background noise that works while you've got the sport or a movie on TV.

I admire what the developers were trying to do with Headliner. It might be under siege, but journalism continues to fulfill a critical role in society. A game that explores the many and varied tensions that media outlets need to juggle is one way to demystify the media for people who are, increasingly, told outright lies about what the media is and what it should do. Sadly Headliner’s lack of depth, subtlety and nuance undermines the point that it was driving at. That its core design principle is also so derivative of one of the most lauded “art games” of the last decade doesn’t help it, either.

Wales Interactive has quickly become the publisher of excellent FMV titles. Headspun, developed by Superstring, is no exception. It is incredibly creative in its use of live video, and is this incredible combination of FMV + point-and-click + management sim. Who knew that could possibly work without being too bloated? But it's all seamless here (okay, minus the bugs). Headspun does a wonderful job of explaining brain trauma without being a textbook, and personally is a welcome reminder that trauma can linger, but we can still recover.

Root Letter is still a gorgeous story, told beautifully. I highly recommend players turn the photo-realism mode off and enjoy every second of the vibrant anime vision. Finally, while I might have my issues with this realism art, one thing can't be denied; it is so great to have this to play on the Nintendo Switch.

Catherine is a rare game - it's one that handles sex themes with maturity and nuance, and then folds gameplay elements into the narrative themes that are enhance the core narrative. There's nothing superficial about anything in Catherine, and while I can't compare to the original release on PlayStation 3, I can say that, for anyone who cares about games as an artistic medium, it doesn't get much better than this.

Obviously Final Fantasy VIII looks technically primitive today in comparison to the newer titles out there. However, all the elements of a truly great JRPG are in there. There’s the incredible, nuanced, and philosophically valuable narrative, the wonderful characters (aside form Zell), a vivid art direction that shines through, even if the technical blocks are basic, and a soundtrack that will never age. Final Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece, and I’m glad that it’s now properly accessible on newer consoles.

Machi Knights: Blood Bagos is often a game which grates in long play-sessions, and does little to set itself apart from other games on the market. This is a very hard sell for anyone who wants something more than a button masher, and even then, it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re just settling for this game over a better use of your time.

Both transgressive and subversive, Hotline Miami and its sequel are both much smarter games that I’ve seen some quarters give them credit for, and brought together into one package for the Switch is a good bit of the ol’ ultra-violence.

Supermassive Game's high concept - an anthology of horror stories - is off to a great start with Man of Medan. We don't get nearly enough horror that aims to be thoughtful like this. The challenge will be to make sure that each game in the series is different enough to reflect a different approach to horror, but things are off to a good start.

Astral Chain is both beautiful and mesmerising. You’re not likely to come across a better action gameplay system for quite some time – likely until PlatinumGames’ own next effort. Truly this is a developer that understands the principles of movement in action better than any, and while its games might struggle in other areas to meet the brilliance of the action, every second with that action is satisfying, exciting, and a very pure form of entertainment.

For the most part, Control is a resounding success. It carves out a unique identity in its gameplay, and its interconnected story receives the torch passed from previous titles by its studio. It wears its influences on its sleeve, and is all the better for it. Even if the run time is a little shorter than other big budget games, there is a density and richness to Control’s design which is easy to appreciate, and the game tends to linger in your mind for much longer than any other Triple-A game of recent memory. Even if it has its flaws, and even if it left me wanting more, I put down my controller as the credits rolled feeling deeply satisfied: and that’s something we should cherish if we ever want the gaming medium to move forward.

With Erica, Sony shows it's got something different up its sleeve, and its eye on the genre, both things I quite appreciate. The replay value is reasonable. I'll probably play at least once more to make all the opposite decisions. Erica is a solid addition to the FMV world, and I'm excited to see if the developer (FlavourWorks) continues with this genre in future games. The acting is solid, the companion app is a delight to use, and the story is intriguing.

For the very small niche of people who care that much about Snooker, however, Snooker 19 does deliver. There are more accessible Pool titles out there - including on the Nintendo Switch itself, but as an attempt to go the full distance with a deeply authentic simulation, Snooker 19 is a good and genuine effort.

If the developers bring a lot more focus Pantsu Hunter, and more carefully consider how to make the various gameplay and narrative elements fit together, this could yet become something special.

After Lost Sphear and I am Setsuna, it is clear that Tokyo RPG Factory wanted to ramp up its gameplay credentials. Everyone already knew that it could tell a beautiful if sad story, but it seems like the criticisms about the less-than-engaging combat systems in efforts past got to the team. Sadly Oninaki is still not a particularly interesting game insofar as the button pressing side goes, and the increased focus on the combat is draining. With that being said, move past the combat and you’ve got yet another powerful and deeply human story, told in such a way that it’s pure poetry to behold. Oninaki is three for three as far as sad, but beautiful tales from Tokyo RPG Factory go.

Rogue Singularity is perfect for the Switch. Levels are short and sharp, making it ideal for instant pick-up-and-play, and if you're going to invest in this one, you're going to need every moment to refine your skills that you can find. As I said, this really isn't my genre, so I don't know where it will sit in the estimation of those who do play a lot of platformers that set the difficulty level to "sadistic," but I can say that I had a great time with this particular example of that sub-genre.

Really, the only thing that RAD is missing is Richard Simmons. As a game, there's a bit of a misfire in that the one area where RAD looks to distinguish itself from its peers actually hurts more than it helps, but the core action remains sound, and the nostalgia trip back to my childhood was like a precious gift. I question just how many 30-somethings are out there looking for a new time-draining roguelike to play, but regardless of just how niche RAD's audience turns out to be, I'm very glad that Double Fine gave it a crack.

It's a pity that Pix the Cat hasn't grown into a larger property over the last five or so years, because Pix is a great character, the neon aesthetic is pleasing, and the action is of a very high standard. While the game itself is simple, Pix the Cat is feature-rich and comprehensive, and the bonus modes really do add fresh new looks at the game, extending its worth further. This is the kind of game that works for short in-between more sustained games, and is something that you'll keep coming back to for that reason for years into the future.

So this is a very short review, but since the developer doesn't have enough respect for players or the source material to include a core part of the original experience, I'm going to show them as much respect in return.

The Church in the Darkness has much more value as an idea and as a story creation tool than it has as a game.

Plague Inc is destined to be remembered as a classic. Yes, it's a simple, accessible, "casual" strategy title, but it's also one with some incredibly strong and pertinent themes, and it has an almost maddening habit of getting you to think through its implications long after you've you've put the console down. I'm glad it has come to Nintendo Switch now, because this is the perfect home for it.