On paper, it seemed great. A new Soulcalibur game with 20 characters launching on the current generation of consoles! But what we got looks like a copy and paste from something we’ve played before.

This is a big win for Assassin’s Creed. Just about every aspect of the game is better from combat, to hunting (thanks to Senu), to stealth play with a sense of consequence. Top it off with the memorable yet vulnerable duo of Aya and Bayek, and this sequel managed to go back in time while taking several steps forward.

Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition is a worthy purchase for anyone that enjoyed the original or simply anyone that enjoys heartfelt, compelling RPGs. There’s enough new content — weaved in with remastered visuals and remixed locations — to appease even the most stingy of Remaster skeptics out there.

Fans who have stuck with this series for a significant part of their lives will find a worthy conclusion that touches on each character equally and offers some satisfying closure.

It’s a brilliant game that blends survival and horror into one terrifying, tense experience. The story it weaves is well-written, the gameplay — particularly the progression — is perfectly refined, and there are few games as hilariously engaging in their co-op.

I wish I could say Kiryu’s sendoff was the best Yakuza game of the bunch, but last year’s Yakuza 0 still stands out. Yakuza 6 succeeds, though, despite its shortcomings. It’s definitely the best looking, most technically impressive Yakuza game. And The Song of Life is its most heart warming (and heart wrenching!) story.

Octopath Traveler is a gem of an RPG with genuinely brilliant battle mechanics and a world worthy of celebration, but it’s hamstrung by an ambitious structure that doesn’t suit its narrative ambition.

FIFA has its ups and downs, going through years when the company seems to care more about swaying grass and and player celebrations than tactics or responsiveness. Happily, FIFA 19 is one of the good ones.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that will resonate with you deeply if you have a wanderer’s heart and the patience to understand the game’s many intricacies.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider is a bit like an enormous box of Celebrations. There’s loads to binge on and you’ll really enjoy gourging on most of it – but there’s also mini-versions of Bounty bars you’ll have to suffer through here, too.

what Destiny 2: Forsaken offers most is choice. Never before have Guardians had such agency, and the ability to choose between well-balanced PvE components and PvP modes means there’s now good options for all, regardless of individual play style or weapon choice. Whether you play as a clan or as a lone wolf, there’s plenty to do… and best of all, a myriad of ways to do it, too. [Provision Score = 80]

Despite some technical blemishes on the Switch version, including notable frame drops in busier sections, it’s another great addition to a growing roster of quality JRPGs for Nintendo’s system. And of course, this will also serve as a great way to fill the gaping hole in our hearts left by a lack of Switdh Fire Emblem, which isn’t due until 2019. In short, if you’re looking for a new portable strategy game on Switch — look no further.

Basically, it’s George R. R. Martin rules here. The stakes are stupidly high and no character is safe. You may be paying for a full front-row seat to watch one of the most well-realised worlds since the original Mass Effect trilogy, but you’ll only ever need the edge of your chair.

Toys for Bob has done an exemplary job of bringing Spyro into 2018.

Fluctuating like a Geiger Counter between nihilism and utopianism, this game’s muddy morality is a thing of beauty in the current climate and could be one of 2019’s most important games as a result.

There are two types of sequels, those that take the template of the original and improve upon it beyond recognition and those that just opt for the bigger and better approach. Overcooked 2 is undeniably the latter.

More future primitive than highly evolved, there is some fun to be had here, but ultimately it’s a game that adds nothing of substance to either genre or franchise.

Battlefield 5 has nailed the sort of gameplay that drew us into the series in the first place. When you and your crew are clicking, when you’re all playing the objective, taking fights at the right time, popping smokes to cover advances and retreats, resupplying mines for one another in the backfield, and back-capping under the enemy’s noses, Battlefield 5 is unstoppable. Untouchable even.

Battle Chef Brigade is yet another wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch library of games. Its quirky dialogue, clean art style, and clever implementation of gameplay mechanics make the game stand out. That being said, the game is a bit guilty of a monotonous grind and the puzzles become more of a nuisance rather than entertaining.

Despite dashing the dreams of Bowsette fans everywhere, this is a great game made more palatable for gamers of all skill levels, and although sometimes it threatens to be too easy by grafting in characters without really thinking about it, there is a blockbuster amount of content here that is fantastic fun solo, only to be made more exciting by the four-player multiplayer.

For fans, this is a substantial expansion providing new characters, a new continent to explore and plenty more to comfortably fill your boots. Considering the retail copy includes a downloadable code for all the expansion pass content, it’d be a waste not to.

Monster Hunter: Generations Ultimate has some of the best kineticism and game feel of any game you can play on handheld consoles right now. Its graduation from 3DS to Switch is nothing short of mind-blowing.

Pokémon Let’s Go is an experience that’s more concerned about capturing the magic of living alongside these captivating creatures than being a hardcore game — and it’s all the better for it.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm has so far been consistent in its delivery of a heartfelt story with lots of wiggle room for players to craft their own emotional journey. The final episode can’t come soon enough.

Undoubtedly one of the funniest video games ever made. Packed full of more hilarious moments than most gaming franchises manage in a decade and boasting a surprisingly deep combat system, this is undeniably a great little game.

It’s charming, it’s sweet, it’s peddling a message of kinship and harmony… but it does it all so dryly...Sorry, Yoshi – you’re a good boy, but you’ve got to learn some new tricks.

While it may not push the franchise in a bold new direction, Let’s Go feels like the perfect stopgap before next year’s brand new Pokémon Switch outing. And with a whole new generation of kids now discovering Pokémon for the first time too, we can’t think of a better way to introduce them to the wonders of Kanto.

It’s not a perfect port. For those looking to play DOOM purely on the big screen, the Switch version’s janky visuals make it difficult to recommend. Yet, if you’re looking for a portable version of one of the best shooters in recent memory, DOOM thoroughly deserves to be the blood-soaked outlier lurking in your Switch library.