Take God of War, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, put them in a blender along with some new elements such as being able to craft weapons and target specific body parts, and you have Blades of Fire. Its map design can be devious at times, and its enemy placement a little questionable, but overall it's an engaging, and rather epic, adventure.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an open-world action RPG that fans of the likes of Skyrim are likely to fall in love with. It has some technical issues and bugs that can annoy, but they're easy to overlook thanks to its enjoyable and rewarding gameplay systems as well as a genuinely interesting story with important choices to be made.

There’s no doubt in our minds that Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break is the best game in the series yet. A lengthy campaign laden with Monty Python-esque humour is bolstered by a powerful course creator that offers perhaps unlimited replayability. And the gameplay itself remains as enjoyable as ever; an eclectic mix of action and strategy that is accessible and fun for all. If you’ve ever found yourself enjoying rolling boulders through a gauntlet, this game is a must-have. Even more so if you also enjoy a spot of tower defence too.

Please Touch The Artwork 2 is a short experience, but one that leaves a lasting impression. It’ll likely only take you an hour or so to complete the game, unless you’re determined to not utilise the hint system. Either way, it’s bite-sized creative fun — and best of all, it’s completely free. You simply can’t beat it.

Enhanced for modern consoles and PC, Heretic + Hexen bundles together two first-person shooters that still manage to feel somewhat unique three decades after their original release. These truly are the definitive versions of these games, with Nightdive Studios even taking steps to alleviate Hexen's hub level woes.

It’s clear that Tempest 4000 is pretty good then. But there’s just one thing wrong with it: it costs too much.

Dying Light: Platinum Edition looks surprisingly good on Switch, and even more impressive is that load times are kept short and the framerate stable. So, with a journey to Harran being as captivating today as it was in 2015, there’s no reason why those who love exploring open worlds filled with zombies wouldn’t want to pick this up. Add in a whole smorgasbord of additional content, features and modes, and you have a package that’s a highlight in the Switch’s extensive catalogue.

There are a few moments of frustration, but there are also times where it – dare I say it – surpasses Dark Souls in my mind. At the very least, it’s a colourful, compelling, sci-fi Souls-like, and a great way to pass the time while waiting for FromSoftware’s next announcement.

So yeah, go with the Switch. You’ll die, die and then die again, but you’ll always go back for more.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is yet another challenging but rewarding Metroidvania for genre fans to sink their teeth into. It suffers from many of the frustrations typical of the genre, such as difficulty spikes and troublesome backtracking, but its unique visual style and intriguing world make up for it.

Even with its short length and minor sound issues, I still enjoyed every moment of The Little Acre. Its subtle humour, art style, and heartwarming story wrap up into one of my favourite games of the year.

If you’ve never played Saints Row: The Third before and can’t imagine playing a game on anything other than the Switch, The Full Package is a must-buy despite its technical issues. To be fair, when docked, the Switch version probably falls in line with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions anyway. It’s also a must-buy if you use your Switch pretty much exclusively as a handheld device.

Golf Club: Wasteland is a golf game that will appeal to more than just golfers. With its range of difficulty modes it caters to all skill levels, allowing it to be something to chill out with, or something to really challenge yourself with. The crazy-golf-on-steroids structure of later levels means it really will test players’ skills on harder modes, too. And alongside the easy-to-pick-up-but-hard-to-master gameplay sits an engrossing narrative sandwiched between eclectic yet always enjoyable music tracks. All in all, it’s unique and rather compelling.

Don’t expect too much from the single player mode, but if you’ve got a friends who’ll enjoy puzzling with you, I highly recommend picking Shift Happens up.

It’s fast, it’s frantic and it’s hairy, but Neon Chrome will undoubtedly keep you coming back for more!

Despite some unforgivable frustrations created through some of the quests though, the overall experience of Dragon Quest Builders 2 is very gratifying. It builds on the success of the first game by adding a range of new features and materials. Building feels effortless and allows for the player to be as creative as they can be, while each island offers a whole new world of adventure. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is close enough to being the building canvas you have always hoped for, and it gives you the power to be the creative builder you’ve always wanted to be.

It may be based on a particular brand of die-cast toy cars aimed at kids, but Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fun arcade-style racer suitable for all ages and, for the most part, skill levels. Bursting with content, it’ll be a while before you’ve grown tired of its many tracks and unlocked all of the 60-plus cars that it offers. Throw in online and offline multiplayer, a track builder, and gameplay that’s easy to pick up but has some additional depth for more skilled players, and you have a package that’s easy to recommend.

Post Void won’t be for everyone: you only need to look at screenshots or watch a short amount of gameplay to realise that. But for those into fast-paced retro shooters that offer a great deal of challenge, it’s very easy to recommend, especially given its price. It doesn’t have complex mechanics or a deep story, but those are its strengths. This is all about offering short bouts of intense action with a style that makes you feel like you’re on a bad trip. And at that, it succeeds with gusto.

It’s not perfect, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best that a Spider-Man game has ever been, knocking even the long-lauded Spider-Man 2 off its perch. Fast, fluid and webtastically fun, Spider-Man will appeal to Spider-fans and newcomers alike.

It's wholesome, harmless fun — it's just a shame there isn't more of it.

I feel the greatest mistake that Project CARS 3 makes is being called what it is. Fans of the previous two games probably won’t find what they expect here, while those who disliked them could possibly be put off by the name. This is essentially a paradigm shift for the series, taking it into new territory with mass-market appeal. And for racers like me, who like a game that controls well, has rewarding progression, and who aren’t particularly bothered by the absence of serious sim elements, it’s Slightly Mad Studios’ best and most accessible game yet.

With its great presentation and pounding soundtrack, Super Destronaut DX is one hell of a retro inspired title.

Tents and Trees doesn’t reinvent the wheel: I’ve played the same types of puzzles before under a different guise, in puzzle books and on mobile apps (The ‘Charge Up’ puzzles in Puzzle Page, if you’re interested). But none of them have been as elegant and beautifully presented — and downright plentiful — as Tents and Trees. This is the type of thing I can see myself diving into night after night, as a way to unwind (and challenge my brain) before bed. And if you’re a puzzle fan too — particularly of Picross and its ilk — I’m rather certain you’ll love this.

Caverns of Mars: Recharged is the type of game we can see ourselves diving into again and again; it’s the sort of thing we’ll intend to pick up for just 10 minutes, but find ourselves still fixated on two hours later. It’s a simple concept, but it’s incredibly enjoyable – another roaring success in Atari’s ‘Recharged’ series. Just stay away from the co-op mode until its bugs have been ironed out.

It’s short enough to play through in one sitting, but that’s for the best: once you get started with Fort Solis, you’re going to struggle to pull yourself away. It’s a tense, haunting journey that will have you hooked from the word go, keeping you on your toes as you wonder what awaits around every corner. Perhaps its overall story could have packed a bit more punch, but we still lapped up every second of it as we explored the fascinating and eerie titular space station.

For all its linearity, Mainlining does a fantastic job of making you feel like a detective. It’s as much a puzzle game as it is a point-and-click, and the continous light-hearted humour keeps the experience from feeling too drab.

The PC version of Days Gone is a solid port of a great game. It doesn’t go above and beyond by delivering anything extra, and some additional features such as DLSS support would have been nice, but as it is, it performs just fine. Stick with it past its mediocre first few hours, and Days Gone is an excellent open world adventure. Beautiful yet bleak in equal measure, its world is a pleasure to explore – and once it gets going, its story won’t let you go.

Move over, Kevin McCloud: there's a new architect in town, and it's me. Architect Life is a great deal of fun for anyone who likes to get creative with designing houses. Career mode provides structure while free play lets you go wild with your ideas, and whichever mode you opt for, it's bolstered by intuitive controls and easy-to-learn mechanics.