I love the classic Dragon Quest titles with a passion, but there is nothing that redeems these poor ports. They fail as an archive of classics, since the redesign fundamentally changes them. They fail as pieces of entertainment, because they're so ugly and poorly made. Finally, they fail as Dragon Quest, because Dragon Quest fans will be insulted by this trash being passed off as their memories.

As JRPG’s have become more of a niche genre and have been steadily downgrading to be focused experiences, here comes Square Enix to deliver a Dragon Quest game that’s packed tight with the gameplay we know and love. While it doesn’t innovate much on the formula and might be a hard sell for those who can’t stand turn based combat or long, meandering plotlines, it is also comfort food for those who love this kind of play. It’s a testament to the robust qualities of the traditional JRPG genre, which arguably started with the original title in this franchise, that these mechanics are still so captivating and compelling 33 years later.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is the kind of game which opens my eyes to new possibilities that games can provide, and I’m desperately awaiting this style of design to properly take off.

I feel that more could have been done to explore the colonial theme, as GreedFall tends to rely too heavily on the personal responses of De Sardet to make grander statements, but nonetheless, Spiders has one again crafted a universe that is fresh enough, and offers a compelling narrative. It is only held back a little by the fine tuning that was needed around the combat mechanics, but then that's par for the course with this developer, and the grander ideas have always make the minor technical issues worthwhile.

If you've never played Puzzle Quest before, The Legend Returns will be a nice surprise. Sitting underneath that humble presentation is a game with an awful lot of content to it. Existing fans would do well to jump in and remind themselves why Puzzle Quest is such a great game, as this release on Switch suggests, to the very subtitle of the name, that it's an active franchise again, and we may well see a new one in the near future. However, it's clear that Puzzle Quest is aging with anything but grace, so The Legend Returns also shows that this next Puzzle Quest, should it come, will need to do things significantly differently to have the same impact.

Capcom’s Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion is a prime example of what an expansion should be. Containing its own new story, weapons, gear and monsters, it doesn’t forget the previous content and it blends seamlessly with it and by blending with it, it’s entirely possible that going forward there may not be a Monster Hunter 5. Further expansions could simply be added on for a more unified experience in a title that could simply keep on giving instead of having to restart every time.

Untitled Goose Game is the most charmingly misanthropic game that has ever been created - and that's something I didn't even think was possible.

Anyone who has never played Link's Awakening before should absolutely play Link's Awakening. It's a damning reflection on the entire industry, in terms of the respect that it shows for the artistry of video games, that a remake, rather than a re-release, was ever even contemplated as the way to give people renewed access to this classic.

There’s no denying that Marvelous can make a game, but to make a mech simulator of this calibre... That I didn't expect. I was pleasantly surprised and Daemon X Machina is proof of just how well Marvelous can execute on great ideas. With the Armored Core series currently on hold, the void of its absence can finally be filled with this highly customisable and equally story-driven experience.

Toys for Bob has clearly done an excellent job bringing Spyro to the modern audience. The story, world, characters and gameplay are exactly as they were twenty years ago with just the right amount of new paint to dazzle both veterans and newcomers alike. The inclusion of all three games in the trilogy provides the player the opportunity to see how the series grew and developed, and creates hours of fun in the vividly colourful world of dragons.

NHL 20 is a sharp, polished game that has become more fluid and fun to play in recent years, but most of what is new this season will depend heavily on the modes you prefer to play. Fans of the multiplayer experience will have more to chew on, while those who tend to grind away at the single player modes might come away feeling somewhat neglected. The presentation has received a welcome facelift both in the audio and visual departments, and those are welcome changes for everyone. This year's iteration of the long-running NHL series is a solid if unspectacular offering that hockey fans will enjoy.

For the price, Star Wars Pinball is a fantastic package for fans of the science fiction franchise as well as those who just like a good game of pinball. Sure, some of the new features are better than others, and any time you have a large collection of themed tables, some are going to be more enjoyable than the others, but they are more the exception than the rule. With all kinds of tables offering a variety of sound effects, music, visual flair, ramps, multiple levels and a nice sense of progression, there is a lot to enjoy here. That makes it an easy to recommend package that I am going to spend a lot of time with in the coming weeks, months, and probably years.

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.