This title is fun and encourages you to replay tracks and get the best scores, it misses a huge opportunity with multiplayer, and while players may not care in the short run, in the long run, this could have an affect on the game and the player base.

A funny social commentary trapped between frustration and poor game design.

New Horizons is simply the best Animal Crossing game to date. New features have been expertly developed, the pacing is perfect whilst retaining the magical charm the series has always been based upon. The latest in a growing line of must-own Switch titles.

Overall this is a nice title and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun but short game.

While Virgo Versus The Zodiac does have its moments, it loses steam the longer you play. The inconsistent tone gets in the way of any serious storytelling, and an initially engaging combat system ends up being underutilised. It’s still something worth checking out if you’re looking for a shorter RPG with some unique ideas, as long as you can put up with its shortcomings.

Corruption 2029 has great gameplay and graphics but the writing and lore for the game felt rushed and underutilised. Missions and maps tend to be recycled making the game feel repetitive.

Square Enix deserve another standing ovation for resurrecting this classic in the manner they have done so. Let’s just hope we don’t have decades of waiting before we get to play Part 2.

There’s nothing novel with this release; much like the droning ten-note melody that punctuates the menus and all too much of the gameplay, it’s repetitious and bland. Memories of Mars asks for too much player commitment and offers too little in return. Whatever this game does well is done better elsewhere.

The Warlords of New York expansion not only added plenty of enjoyable content to The Division 2, but also sets up the foundations for all updates to follow. Anyone looking for more third person, loot and shoot gameplay will find plenty to enjoy here, with players new and old able to jump in and explore Lower Manhattan.

Aside from a less than stellar control system for combat, there’s very little negative to be said about Saints Row IV: Re-Elected. You get a tonne of content that will keep you occupied for a very long time. It’s a really good port of the game and does it justice. This is the sort of game that reminds you that even though it might not have the grunt of its competition, the Switch is a very capable system and can produce complex games.

A Totally Reliable Delivery Service has its share of technical bugs that's for sure, but what it delivers is a lot of fun. I think if you had a couple friends to coordinate the chaos with, the game would be on another level of goofy multiplayer fun.

At best, Disaster Report 4 recalls the mundane and absurd human dramas seen in Yakuza and Deadly Premonition, though shares more of the latter’s rough low-budget execution. Ultimately, it’s an acquired taste but might just scrape through on its peculiar charms to be a cult favourite.

As stylish as ever and filled with tons of new content and improvements, Persona 5 Royal is the very best JRPG of this generation that deserves to steal all of our hearts.

If this was a flash game in the early 2000s on Newgrounds then it might have been worth a quick play for half an hour, but as a chargeable game on Steam, even at a rather generously budget price, I just can’t find enough to recommend it. It feels like a proof-of-concept demo that’s been released without adding the actual game to it. The fact that writing this review has taken me longer than it took to complete the game speaks volumes. At least completing this review will give me a sense of satisfaction, which is more than I can say for The Game We All Have To Play.

Silent World may not be as broken as its English, but I think I’d rather take an advanced grammar lesson than limp my way through this uninspired, tensionless game again.

Performances are mostly solid aside from the main protagonist, but the lacklustre script with a severe lack of character development aside from large amounts of exposition make it difficult to really care about any of them. Some of the endings are quite abrupt, leaving an unsatisfying finish. I find it unlikely that The Complex will win fans over to the genre, but those who do have a dedication may find something to enjoy.

Fans of the mobile title will enjoy this, if you have a dislike of anime style games with fully voiced Japanese dialogue, you won’t get any enjoyment out of this.

With how disappointed I am in the final product, it’s still hard to call One Step From Eden a bad game. The boss fights are memorable, it has an appropriately fast-paced soundtrack, and for brief moments it can feel like a complete, cohesive experience. However, the roguelite elements are just not implemented well enough to make each run feel fresh, and actively work against the decent core battle system.

Dezatopia is a spectacle that gets more impressive the better it’s played. With the most satisfying-to-use weapons this side of DOOM and a seemingly endless variety of enemies to use them on, there aren’t many stronger cases to be made for the return of the 2D scrolling shooter.

Worth a playthrough. The cases are fun and engaging, even if they don’t all pan out in the clearest endings. Could use more work to stand out though.

Having 150 players slows down the game too much for my liking, but additions like the Gulag and the new game mode Plunder are great ways to keep the experience fresh instead of copying old trends.

Will of the Wisps isn’t just a fantastic follow-up to an already great game, it’s a brilliant metroidvania in its own right, and arguably the year’s first major must-play release.

How much you’ll get out of Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace really depends on what you enjoyed in the original game. If you’re looking for some humorous antics with a dash of romance, then this is the right place for you. Those that are more into time travel and the serious side of Steins;Gate should really look elsewhere.

A great, if disjointed, continuation of the demon killing franchise. Visually stunning, tight controls and satisfying combat make for an exciting and enjoyable experience.

If your trigger finger is smooth, and you're looking to conquer or free an entire nation, this is the game you've been searching for.

Ego Protocol: Remastered is a tile-sliding Lemmings-like that offers about as much excitement as a geriatric knitting club. Outside of some temperamental controls and poor use of its sci-fi theme however, there’s not much to highlight as a real issue. It’s not offensive enough to incite mass riots but it still feels like a chore every step of the way.

Blink: Rogues is a top-down shooter that tries – and generally succeeds – at doing something unique with the genre. The blinking feature is challenging and can be irritating in the beginning, but becomes fun when you begin to learn the flow and multiplayer could be enjoyable for only a couple of hours as well. But if you’re here for a great story and long hours of gameplay, I’d blink in the other direction.

With some welcome new extras, including a playable Knuckles, SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is another masterful port from M2 and the best version of the best Sonic game yet.

Subversion and innovation marry together beautifully in this sometimes sombre, often clever, take on one of gaming’s oldest genres. Even if the Hero could only live another five days, the memory of Hero Must Die. Again will remain with me for some time.

Puyo Puyo 2 is an invaluable piece of gaming history for the niche but dedicated competitive puzzling community and, provided you don’t already have Nintendo Switch Online, the most affordable entry point to the Puyo Puyo series.

A delightful albeit brief return for Ulala in VR, which while hardly game-changing for the tech, brings back the simple joy of dance for space cats everywhere.

Overall this title may not blow your socks off, but it’s definitely worth giving a go if you enjoy games of this genre. Whilst there are negatives I pointed out in this review, it is still a decent mech game and gives you a decent lengthy game of killing robots.

A set of interesting RPGs set in a unique, fascinating world. Imagery that will stay with you long after you stop playing. Tried and tested combat is a shame but the interesting crafting is worth a look.

ShockRods is a disappointing game that was made with a lot of oversight. While most of the issues can be resolved with software updates and DLC maps, the base game costs £20 and you are getting what is essentially a half baked game.

Devil May Cry 3 may be getting on a bit 15 years later but it nonetheless remains one of the most technically hardcore action games out there, and devout devil hunters will make great use of the additional features for the Switch port.

Within the opening hours of Areia: Pathway to Dawn you can see what the developers were trying to do with its beautiful visuals and overall religious vibe, but it ultimately falls flat due to its repetitive puzzles and assuming the audience is familiar with Buddhism.

The greatest CRPG of the Windows era with some updates and controls from HELL. Buy it.

For me, I can’t help but feel like Deponia Doomsday needed to reset time just once more to undo some of its irritating writing and design so that the good qualities could shine through even brighter.

There is a good variety between levels and bugs that will keep you engaged until the – very short – end, but you’ll be buzzing all about it once you’re done.

An improvement on its predecessors in just about every conceivable way. Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers one of the ‘gamiest’, most carefree and satisfying shooting experiences of recent years. Technical bugs and a lacklustre horde mode prevent this from reaching its full potential, but it’s just so hard to stay mad at a game that’s this much fun.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation is the mobile game you keep meaning to get back into playing - but have decided to just do the daily stuff until you get the time. Except it isn’t on mobile, and it isn’t a game.

I doubt any Great Power could save this game from being the soulless wasteland that it is.

Triangle Studios’ latest release makes a strong first impression with striking visual effects and satisfying shooting mechanics. Sadly, the appeal quickly wears thin, exposing its repetitive gameplay and samey environments. Good for a handful of short bursts, especially with friends, but it feels too much like an unfinished product to fully recommend.

Weakless is a very short game with very easy puzzles. It is set in a beautiful world with good but repetitive music. It has unique characters that forces players to play as both a blind and a deaf character which I found to be very different and fun.

Dragon Quest is a fun, light-hearted JRPG with simple and enjoyable combat and classic Dragon Quest charm, though the lack of play time mixed with its other flaws leaves something to be desired, though at just £3.99 you really can’t go wrong.

There are some heart-warming themes of friendship and scenes of goofy fun that might appeal to someone looking for an optimistic gaming experience, but in many ways these only make the sexual scenes even less pleasant. NEKOPARA is a franchise for a very specific type of person, unfortunately, that’s just not me.

Dead End Job is a great game that takes parts of Luigi’s Mansion and parts from the roguelike genre and merges them wonderfully into this very stylish and surprisingly entertaining ghost-busting game.

It’s just not particularly interesting to play through. There’s certainly some enjoyment for fans to latch onto, but it’s hard to say if that’s enough when the game feels skin-deep in its appeal.

The studio clearly sees potential in the format as a storytelling platform, and I definitely want to see them refine it in the future.

The characters and the overall art style are cutesy, sure. But that shouldn’t deter you from the solid build-em-up that’s underneath it all. A great game to get into the resource strategy genre with, and just as good for those that are au fait with the genre already.

Even if I’m less than impressed with some of the game’s technical shortcomings and overbalancing, Gang Beasts still delivered some of the funniest moments I’ve had in gaming, and that joy will stay with me for some time.

Having 64 endings seems excessive when the vast majority of them aren’t worth going through the tedious mini-games for.

Idea Factory may have skimped a bit on narrative, but the visuals far exceed anything I’ve seen in any visual novel, and even most games that fall outside the genre. If this your first foray into dating sims, while the narrative can go all over the place at times, you’ll be so lost in the visuals of the world, you won’t mind where it takes you.

If you absolutely can't wait until Bloodlines 2 for your next Vampire: The Masquerade fix, Coteries of New York is a decent enough way to fill the time.

At £8.99, it’s not asking for much money, but it’s certainly asking for too much of a player’s time with the excessive and repetitive grinding.

Spend a few hours winding down with its carefree sandbox or just listen to the ever catchy folksy music, and it’s just the antidote you need after a bad day, a bad year, or hell, a bad decade.

There’s nothing really different here; no new game modes or anything like that. It’s more of the same, so if you liked what you saw first time round, then it’s very likely you’ll enjoy this too.

A fun, but simplified take on the turn-based strategy genre, think "baby's first XCOM" and you're on the right lines. Its flaws are obvious but easily overlooked for newcomers to the genre. If you're a die-hard strategy fan, consider giving Narcos: Rise of the Cartels a pass, it won't have much to offer you.

Easy enough for newcomers to just pick up and play, and providing just enough fun and familiar challenge for veterans of the genre.

I’m definitely going to keep Must Dash Amigos installed on my Switch, but I can’t see myself taking it out unless I have a group of friends looking to come over and enjoy some crazy, tequila-induced races with me.

Playtonic has absolutely smashed it with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. It builds on the team’s experience with platformers and manages to improve on its predecessor in every way. One of the best platformers I’ve played in years.

Taking the series in an entirely new direction, Darksiders Genesis manages to stay true to the prior games whilst delivering in a totally different genre. A fun game let down by grindy character progression.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a great Star Wars game that’s true to the lore of the universe. As a first step for the series into the soulslike genre it feels natural, though it also offers a more hardcore game mode for those that want a real challenge.

I think this is a game that for those liking the overall concept and ideas will be very enjoyable. For anyone not interested in mentally keeping track of things and simply moving counters around on a map, not so much.

It’s a fine line when creating a sequel to such a classic game. Go too modern and you alienate your classic player base, but go too retro and it doesn’t appeal to the new generation of gamers. Taito has got the balance spot on here though, and created a Bubble Bobble for 2019 that feels completely right, but without being mere fanservice. It’s a brilliant game that all Switch owners ought to get in my opinion.

A tremendous game that really pushes the boundaries. Both an excellent educational resource, and a superb time sink. This would be a perfect-scoring title if it wasn’t for a few too many bugs and stability issues, but I still recommend it incredibly highly.

As usual, I find myself wanting to like games which just straight up annoy the shit out of me. There are some nice ideas here but I just got too frustrated after a while trying to get past sections which were just so much trickier than others, and required a lot of swapping of powers, and pulling off what amounted to combos of moves I just couldn’t swing with.

It resembles more of a remaster of a last-generation videogame than a current-gen title. The story can be cool towards the end for Terminator fans as you see how the first two movies began, but it's not worth the boring gameplay, mediocre visuals, and uninteresting characters.

Woven is not a fun game, but it’s certainly a nice story. There are concepts —particularly the body-swapping mechanic— that could have been enjoyable with the right execution, but this game doesn’t even come close to pulling them off.

Bee Simulator is a somewhat enjoyable game but suffers greatly from horrible flight controls and overly sensitive inputs. Younger children may find it to be an enjoyable game and be able to ignore the overacting of the voice actors. However, it is a game that is educational in teaching players about the world of the honeybee and their importance to nature.

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout bring plenty of changes to the series that make it an enjoyable experience for long time fans and newcomers alike.

The patch system is fun to mess around with as well, but it can help with the tediousness and make you feel weak because of the randomized nature. The final fight was the best part of the forgettable journey, but if you don’t have the right patches, Geodia will be doomed.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a great introduction to the MechWarrior series and is primarily a PvE game. Players can expect to be rocking to an awesome soundtrack as they destroy their enemies on the battlefields.

A really fun game for young boys and girls that range from four to eight years old and for any Ryan fan that is out there.

A direct continuation of a classic series that acts like it’s still the early 2000s, for better or worse! For returning fans this is precisely what you wanted. It’s possible for newcomers to enjoy but you should probably play the originals first.

If you’re a Switch owner, there are better mech games, and there are better fighting games. Override is a game best overlooked.

As a fighting game, there is almost no aspect of Skullgirls Second Encore that isn’t an absolute joy to play, and the Switch's portability only enhances those qualities. Fans of fighting games will find so much to love in Skullgirls, but the game won’t create any zealous converts out of those who loathe the conventions of the fighting game genre.

It’s not going to make anybody who didn’t already like the game go out and buy it, but it adds to what was already a pretty addictive game. In short, it’s the kind of thing that you’ll like if you like this kind of thing.

A perfect continuation of what Bugbear has done previously with the Flatout series. They may no longer hold the license to that IP, but they definitely still have the spirit of it. This is a perfect blend of customisation and carnage, with something for everyone. I can’t recommend it enough, and it deserves to be just as popular as the games that came before it.

One can clearly see the ambition in The Beast Inside, but the developer's lack of experience means it doesn't actually reach those heights.

Baldur’s Gate has been left intact and is allowed to shine as a gaming classic. New players needn’t be scared away, with a small amount of patience even D&D beginners will find a rewarding experience here.

It’s certainly not a game for those looking for a more relaxing trip through mythical Japanese inspired locales, but whoever decides to stick with Sekiro through its hardships are bound to experience one of the most rewarding and memorable titles of the year.

A somewhat disappointing expansion for a fantastic strategy game. It adds enough strategic options and variety to combat that If you are already invested in BattleTech then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment from what’s in here.

Like comfort food for fans who’ve loved the Underground/Most Wanted games from back in the day. The day and night system is addictive, the cars feel great and distinct, the visuals are fantastic (especially at night) and the old-school customization is back and better than ever.

Although it is barebones in some departments, the meat of Domiverse is so tasty and satisfying that I’m likely to keep coming back for more.

Some sound and physics shenanigans don’t stop this from being a fun, if occasionally frustrating, game that goes towards redeeming CI Games for the previous game’s missteps.

Death Stranding might be the most unique AAA game of the generation, with an addictive core gameplay loop that manages to combine a new concept with tried-and-true design philosophies, and a story that - while messy - has a sweet emotional core that’s likely to stick with players long after the credits roll.

Like a sober night in the town with drunken friends, it starts off amusing enough, but it wears out its welcome after a while becoming tiring and grating, and towards the end.

Obsidian could have easily fallen into the trap of creating a straight up Fallout clone, but the various planets in the Halcyon solar system and the types of quest available provides a good amount of variety, with excellent splashings of humour and moral dilemmas. It’s not breaking new ground, but it struts its stuff very well.

Link's Awakening is a joyous adventure and a treat for the eyes, marred by some minor performance hiccups. It's truly a shame that this title is following up the most ambitious entry in the series' history and feels disappointingly small in comparison.

Dusk Diver is a beautiful, fun and flawed experience that fails to provide bang for its buck. If you’re a die-hard fan of this style of beat-em-up you may be able to look past the game’s lack of content.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare almost brings the franchise back to its roots with a meaningful campaign that includes memorable characters and a horrifying depiction of war, but falls short when it comes to the traditional multiplayer. New modes like Gunfight and Realism are highlights and the core game still feels as good as ever, but it won’t save you from getting continuously spawn camped.

While it’s welcome to see one of Sega’s most original IPs return to modern consoles, Banana Blitz HD is far from the series at its best and one that purists will find wanting.

I couldn’t help but feel that the greatest time manipulation Aeternoblade II succeeds at was the 15 hours I wasted playing it.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a very fun game but the puzzles and combat can be very simple and straightforward. However, this is made up for with amazing graphics and music as well as fun voice acting.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition might be a limited experience with repetitive gameplay, but long time series fans will find plenty to enjoy in the narrative.

A neat automation game that’s well built with plenty of depth to keep you going for quite some time, and this is only “Phase 1”. The programming aspect is similar to that of the Scratch programming language, and can teach basic programming principles with its visual code builder and “follow me” initial recording of the robots.

A unique and interesting take on the RTS, adding a grand scale feel to proceedings whilst managing to not feel overwhelming. Seeing hundreds of units scurrying around never gets old. Heartily recommend to strategy fans.