For people who didn't play through the DLC on the Wii U version, or want a portable version of Hyrule Warriors that doesn't feel like a one massive compromise after another, Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is essential.

Conan Exiles is enjoyable enough, but it does reveal some fundamental weaknesses in the survival genre; it’s not one that can be tuned effectively to storytelling, and that means that if you’re using a storytelling property, such as Conan, you’re going to need to exhibit a great deal over control to bring the necessary focus into the experience, and unfortunately the developers weren’t able to quite get there with Conan Exiles.

This is a game which taught me to love the feeling of being lost, and I’m sure it’s one I will return to for a long time.

If I had to sum everything up in one thought, it would be to stop what you’re doing and dive into the Deadfire archipelago. With brilliant storytelling, character development, places to see and many ways in order to do what is needed, there’s no shortage of adventure to be had. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is a fantastic experience and honestly should be a must for any admirers or lovers of the RPG genre.

The teams behind these Warriors games are also clearly comfortable with the Nintendo Switch as a piece of hardware, and One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 might be three years old now, but the Switch “ultimate edition” really is the ultimate edition.

An interesting, albeit incredibly hard, journey. It's a game made for people who are willing to play and replay the same levels over and over again because they simply won't let it beat them, and while that might be a niche audience today, it's hard to argue that Cast of the Seven Godsends doesn't do it in style.

Hello Kitty Kruisers isn't a great game from an adult's perspective, and that's a bit of a wasted opportunity as there are plenty of adult Kitty fans out there. But where most games made for children are brutally bad, I don't think Kruisers is that. In fact, I think the developers have cleverly stripped back the elements of a kart racer that children struggle with, while leaving the elements that they're inclined to enjoy. And for parents that are dragged into playing this with their kids, just think; soon enough they'll graduate to Mario Kart.

There is no respect from the developer in this game. Not for the genres, nor for the time that the game asks of its players. There is no greater insult that an artist can direct at their audience.

It really is little more than a direct port of a really wonderful game, with only the most superficial of enhancements. That being said, Dragon’s Crown Pro is a direct port of a really wonderful game, and it’s still the most sublime, brilliant fun, and it only gets better the more people you share it with.

Time After Time had me on the edge of my seat—it wasn't just the novelty of hearing English swears transliterated in Japanese dialogue. This is a game with so much to say, and such a creative way of saying it, that I couldn't put it down.

Ultimately, TurbOT is a game with interesting ideas held down by very poor execution.

Timberman Vs is such a confused and poorly thought out game, I wouldn't recommend it if it was free (and it is free on the iPhone anyway).

If you want an otome game that isn't quite as dense as Otomate's usual fare, you can't go wrong with Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. Between the mysterious thriller at the game's heart and the romantic side stories, this is a game that kept me turning page after figurative page.

A strong contender for my favourite game in 2018 to date.

It's time to broaden the horizons, but in the meantime, Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is as good as platformers get on the Nintendo Switch.

Late Shift is still enjoyable enough.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is delightful and easy to recommend. As I mentioned in my original review of the game, as flawed as I find them to be, I enjoy the personality and tone of the Donkey Kong games more than any other platformers out there. That still holds mostly true to this day. Though I now do turn to Shantae as my primary source of bouncy fun, I’ll always jump at the chance to get some more Donkey Kong on. I’ve greatly enjoyed the chance to play through Tropical Freeze again, though as one of the few that does own a Wii U, and a copy of that game I’ve got to also accept that I’m not really the target audience for such a vanilla porting effort.

While the loot grind is generally enjoyable, and the randomised missions help keep the missions from becoming rote, Sky Rogue does struggle to give you a reason to care about any of it.

Saturday Morning RPG is enjoyable. It's a clean, cheap, pleasant RPG for people who either grew up in the 80s, or have developed an appreciation for what passed as entertainment back then. Either way, the heavy reliance on nostalgia does wear thin and lose its comedic appeal, and from there you're only left with a workable, but very limited, turn based combat system, and not much more.

Unless you really love the music of BlazBlue (and you might be better off purchasing a soundtrack if that’s the case), it’s pretty difficult to recommend Eat Beat DeadSpike-san. It’s a polished rhythm game with a really enjoyable look to it, but there’s just little replayability for a genre that is built upon that principle. This certainly won’t give anyone their Elite Beat Agents fix, but it does show that the touch-based rhythm games are right at home on the portable.

This game is memorable. It's one I'm going to keep referencing back to, both as an example of really clean, effective writing, and an intelligent concept executed with startling precision. It works as discussion on social interactions, the role technology has on our lives, and a critique of the increasing reliance we have on social media. It's superb, different, and an essential experience.

In contrast to its beautifully elegant and minimalist cousin, Proteus, which I referred to at the start, Rememoried is hauntingly beautiful and has a far greater depth of emotional substance. But it is begging us, as players, a little to hard to embrace it and recognise its genius.

By building upon universal human experiences, Team Gotham have created a poignant game which distills romance without being sappy, compassion without ulterior motive and self-reflection without the fear of others’ expectations. Perhaps it’s not the most exciting or enjoyable of games, but I’m sure Solo will find a core audience which will appreciate it for what it does best.

This is a game that knows it’s nothing more than light-hearted fun, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Sure, it can feel a little too cheesy to be palatable at times, but the developers have cooked up a perfectly satisfying meal for the enjoyment of you, your great-grandchildren, and your great-great-grandchildren after them.

It's not an accessible game. Of course it's not. Drive on Moscow might just be the most niche title on the PlayStation 4. But the historical accuracy and the way that the game has taken one of the most important military campaigns through World War 2, and turned it into something so fascinating, makes it very, very worthwhile.

The Bunker weaves a decent plot, is well cast, and certainly has its moments of intensity. This was a genre that people thought was dead and buried back in the early era of CD Roms, thanks to the inaccessibility of talented actors, cinematographers, and story writers leading to trash like Night Trap dominating the genre. What a difference a few decades make. If The Bunker is anything to go by, there might be a bright future for these experiences yet.

Megadimension Neptunia VIIR is an odd duck, being sold heavily on the VR features, even though they are so overtly tacked-on, but whatever the development story behind that, Compile Heart has gone back and substantially improved the gameplay engine, to the point that this is genuinely one of the better JRPGs out there. Making it all the more pity that a lot of people won’t see past the low budget these games are made on, and their love of underwear.

Mutant Football League is a cheap and poorly executed arcade sports game. I think the developers went in with all the right intents, because there really aren't enough sports games being made for people who aren't willing to put a major commitment into the game in order to be able to appreciate it on any level. But for all the good intentions this game needs so much refinement, polish, and a complete graphical overhaul that I can't see myself busting this game out the next time I've got guests looking to play a game, either.