It could have, and should have, been so much more than just a bigger version of the original. The new characters would have been problematic in 2015, let alone 2021.

Dodgy combat aside, Die Young is a pleasing little survival adventure on a beautiful Greek island. If only the locals weren’t so “stabby”.

Resident Evil Village is an expertly-crafted narrative that seamlessly weaves subtle horror into action-driven sequences and backs it up with an excellent story supported by even better characters. An exemplary merit that Capcom still hasn’t lost its creative spark.

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is a must play game for anyone who loves point-and-click adventure games, especially with a supernatural mystery theme. If you enjoyed the first game you obviously must play this title!

The Uncertain: Light at the End is a game that interweaves everything through its narrative. Sadly, that narrative is frustratingly tedious, meaning the rest of the game’s building blocks fall apart without a strong base.

Rain On Your Parade is a super cute and fun game full of great references and amazingly cute characters. Who doesn’t want to see a cute vengeful cloud with a frog on his head?

The inclusion of popular Vtubers’ isn’t enough to save Neptunia Virtual Stars, as it ends up being an underwhelming mess that fails to deliver.

Bravely Default 2 on the Switch is a competent JRPG that doesn’t really try anything new, but it does everything so well that it doesn’t even matter.

A compelling found-phone horror title which demonstrates a real love for and understanding of the Doctor Who universe.

Ignoring leaks and datamines, the return to Switch feels like a revival and if this is supposed to be the B-Team’s game, I think I know what games I’ll be more interested in moving on. But that said, for a Monster Hunter game, the core game is only just better than World at launch but is open about stopping you from progressing further until a later date.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a super cute and pun filled game starring an adorable Turnip who is in financial trouble and obsessed with ripping any paper he can get his hands on. Will he ever pay off his debt?

Outriders is a boring game to play solo, with a lack of any real end-game content and bugs that may wipe all of your progress it’s probably best to wait for a sale for this one.

Star Wars: Republic Commando on Switch is the worst way to play an outstanding and incredibly likeable game.

This is a cool twist on the story of Adam and Eve. With great music, graphics and a great story Smelter combines the platforming and real time strategy genres with great success.

An improvement in every sense, NieR Replicant is an absolute blast. You’ll love the characters, the world and every little detail you can think of. Prepare yourself for another one of Yoko Taro’s wonderful, yet emotional, rollercoaster rides.

There’s no knowing that you’ll go nowhere in life not knowing your no’s! Though sparse by way of gameplay and mechanics, the game’s strength lies within the commentary on social norms by over-exaggerating “yes-man” culture and self-sacrifice most of us can relate to on some level.

Oddworld: Soulstorm refines a lot from the previous games, but it comes at the cost of adding in new mechanics that never really click. The core element has improved, and it’s easy to see the franchise continuing to improve going forward, without needless additions. Soulstorm just falls that little short of great this time around, sadly.

I’d love to give Red Ronin a stronger recommendation since some of the opening levels provided a fresh spin on a subgenre that many people find too daunting. In fact, the game launched at such a low price that I’d still urge curious parties to check it out, if only to experience the fleeting brilliance of the first half. Unfortunately, whatever players are looking for in Red Ronin, they’ll likely only get an incomplete version of it.

Under the Jolly Roger is hard to recommend. It may offer entertaining ship battles, but these lack enough depth to compensate for every other aspect being a drawn-out slog.

Some of the game’s mechanics are poorly explained and the difficulty curve can be unforgiving. These can be overlooked when a game is just so well crafted and fun to play as this. A must for all RPG fans but have Google on standby.

Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 is an alright game, but lack of customisation options and a lot of repetitive animations, music and levels make it get boring very quick. It doesn’t make you want to come back for more.

Gal*Gun Returns is a return to form for the series and a shining example of refined on-rail shooter, arcade action, albeit with a bit of lewdness thrown into the mix.

With impeccable detail and character work, this twisty tale manages to combine heartfelt down-to-earth character relationships and truly fascinating science fiction conspiracies without dropping the ball on either count.

There are issues with odd choices or explanation of game mechanics, but overall this is a great sequel to a cult classic. If you like the original then it’s highly likely you’ll be able to overlook the slight foibles like I did and have a great time with Evil Genius 2.

A short 2D platforming game with very unique gameplay. It’s an incredibly artistic game with a great soundtrack and voice acting to compliment a story that adults can really relate to. If you are an emotional person, like me, be prepared for tears.

Overall, Maquette is a solid and unique puzzle game with a sentimental, well-performed story that may hit a little too close to home for some, while maybe providing some closure for others. If only the developer found a way to intertwine the puzzles and the story together to feel more complete.

Room to Grow stands apart from anything else available in the puzzle game market. It may not inspire a whole new era of puzzle gaming, but it does provide a novel and genuinely challenging experience.

Harvest Moon: One World is quite fun when played for the first 20+ hours. However, the lack of relatable characters definitely stands out here. The game also stumbles after completing the story to pull me back into the game for a long play session.