A very good role-playing game and one that not only is a proud addition to the Xeno series but also adds another great game to the library of the already buoyant Switch. That said, the discrepancy in performance between the docked and portable versions of the game is somewhat unfortunate and may limit your enjoyment.

Overall, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an excellent collection and remake of a pair of highly regarded Game Boy Advance strategy games. This game may look cute and simple in terms of its artstyle, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth in terms of its technical and exacting strategy-based gameplay.

Overall, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a stunning rebuild of a classic PlayStation role-playing game. The stop-start aspect of the short story structure is still there, but definitely improved. However, despite its technical brilliance, it feels a little soulless at times and doesn’t hit you the way most Dragon Quest games do. So I can only really recommend this to die-hard fans of the original game, who will no doubt love it.

I feel like this game is just…a bit much. A bit much so soon after Odyssey, and a bit much where it literally takes almost 60 hours to complete all four main questlines and hit level 50. That’s without 100%ing the map in the least, which would take a few dozen more hours I’m sure. For some, especially the “dollar per entertainment hour value” crowd, that’s a good thing. For others, this may be a game that you may not finish by next summer, given how much time it requires. For me personally, it was a tad exhausting.

It’s a vibrant world, more upbeat and less cruel than what we usually see in the genre, and its main characters finally seem like they’re having fun as a goofy group of hackers should. Combined with improved gameplay systems, and you will also be having fun eventually. It took me a few hours to realize that Watch Dogs 2 really had turned a corner, and after a full playthrough, I went from high skeptical to undeniably impressed.

Vampire Crawlers is an exceptional game that manages to retain its progenitor’s frantic gameplay while putting an invigorating twist that’ll keep you glued to the screen. Its simple mechanics are surprisingly deep, but also quite easy to get a hang of. There are so many secret unlockables which will keep players busy for a long time, and every second is just a joyous bloodbath of pixelated fun.

Black Ops 6 innovates in incredibly effective ways with the Call Of Duty formula, while returning to many of the foundations that made the series great to begin with: A strong campaign, well-crafted 3-lane maps, excellent gunplay and round-based Zombies mode. Most of all, it’s really fun.

While combat could still use some fine-tuning, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a master class in turn-of-the-century-esque exploration awe, and I hope this serves as a springboard for Lara into the next generation of gaming technology.

F1 2016 succeeds where many racing titles fail because it effectively weaves in some personality to accent the hardcore racing details and car mechanics. The gameplay is phenomenal and the presentation is the main positive that drives the aforementioned personality.

NHL 19 is still a fun virtual hockey experience, and that’s the biggest thing. The World of CHEL adds a much-needed layer of personality, playability, and lightheartedness to the franchise. The depth of each mode goes a long way toward meeting almost every virtual hockey fan wherever they are with their fandom. On the downside, there is a lack of customization, some collision-detection issues, as well as some dated and less-than-impressive presentation elements.

As someone who plays this genre more than any other, there is too much that The Division 2 does right to ignore, and it’s doing it right from launch, which is a mountain of points in its favor. I have sunk in 60 hours in a week and a half and I have no plans to stop playing any time soon. This is a big win for Massive, Ubisoft and players themselves.

This feels like a missed opportunity and while the respective games are great to play, the collection as a whole feels somewhat lacking in a technical sense. With any luck, Nintendo could patch the collection to have all the games run at 60 fps and at 1080p, but I am not holding my breath on that one.

It’s been an absolute blast playing through these games again, and it’s also served as an extended gaming history lesson.

Visually, Dirt Rally 2.0 is stunning in most areas. The cars have excellent weight and feel, and while the feature set isn't stacked, including a limited online multiplayer suite, the cupboard isn't bare. Dirt Rally 2.0 is for hardcore fans of rally racing who demand the most authentic experience from a video game that dares to emulate their sport.

There is no such thing as a perfect game, but there can be a perfect experience with a title because the slight issues you may experience don’t drastically hinder your enjoyment. The latest UFC game is very close to that rare benchmark. In this day and age where release day is just the beginning of the game’s journey through patches and tweaks, EA UFC 4 is perhaps an update away from its own brand of perfection.

Yes, there are many frustrating elements, amplified by the fact they feel unnecessary and out of character for the series, but the journey this game takes you on is a worthwhile one. Unlike any other series of games I know, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and now The Last Guardian each give you a real sense of place in a foreign landscape and you always come away from that feeling, “you were there.” In this day and age, that is still special I think but I genuinely hope the next game in this series doesn’t take another decade to make.

EA College Football 26 won’t be judged as softly as last year’s game because fans aren’t simply fired up to have college football back. That said, EA’s dev team hasn’t rested on its success, and they’ve delivered a strong follow-up with noteworthy improvements. The issues are mostly out of the dev’s hands and based on the handling of legends or legalities that limit in-game customization.

There are a few desirable features missing when you compare The Show 18 to other sports video game titles, but if we were to judge the features and core gameplay that are present, the latest entry to the series maintains its impressive hitting streak. The game looks better, plays smoother and is easier to navigate behind the scenes. Despite the missing pieces, it's still a winner. There's just too much to like for it not to be heavily appreciated by baseball fans.

Overall, Octopath Traveler 0 is a worthy prequel to the first two games, and the new town-building setup is an engaging addition to an already very solid role-playing game.

Whether you're a person who plays single-player, multiplayer, offline or online, this is the most complete sports game I've ever played. There is no such thing as a perfect sports game, but this is as close as it gets.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard may not be worth an entire decade-long wait, but it's very fun in its own right and a unique exploration of the world and a new set of memorable characters.

This is a really good football game that you will probably enjoy, but you will also likely still have some gripes. Madden 18 takes noticeable steps in gameplay and depth, but it's still teasing us with true greatness.

This is still the fantastic game I remember playing back at the start of 2016 and one that works brilliantly on the Switch.

Ninja Theory, you moved me. Hellblade’s gameplay is polished, the writing is fantastic, the acting is superb, and the ending managed to make me cry. But even then, all of this pales in comparison to everything this art piece truly represents. What you’ve built, what you’ve accomplished here, is extremely important. It’s probably the most realistic portrayal of mental illness I’ve yet seen in a video game, and it works its magic without being patronizing, without stooping to exploitation or condescension.

Overall, this is a great platformer done better than most of the competition out there.

While it's not a full-fledged AAA title, SMB 2 blurs the lines with its fantastic gameplay and mode depth.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the best Star Wars games I’ve ever played and one of the best “Soulslike” games out there, surprising as that may sound.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection delivers a grand adventure while building upon its predecessors to create something that not only will appeal to fans of the genre, but one that stands out amongst its contemporaries. With a touching story, charming cast of characters, in-depth combat, and crunchy RPG mechanics, this is the best entry in the series so far.