Gift of Parthax is an enjoyable title, just not a spellbinding one.

One Piece: World Seeker isn’t the most inventive open world game out there. It’s not the biggest or the most varied in terms of mission design and structure. But it is a delight to play, thanks in part to its wonderful characters, well-written story and absolutely stunning-looking world.

Sitting somewhere between Dead Cells and Blasphemous in terms of structure and gameplay, Dark Devotion lurks in their shadows, failing to stand out. It’s simply inferior to both, and while some ardent players may eke some grim enjoyment out of it, it’s hard to recommend, especially on Switch.

The fact that it’s free if you have the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove means it’s worth giving a go, but don’t expect it to keep you going back for more.

I wouldn’t go as far as calling Hot Garbage, well, hot garbage. But it’s certainly not great, and it’s somewhat tarnished my otherwise excellent experience with Journey to the Savage Planet. By all means, give it a go if you’re desperate for a new area to explore – you can’t really go wrong with its £6/$8 asking price – but don’t expect too much. And be prepared to get very frustrated.

If you don’t mind forking out for a spooky experience that you’ll complete in an evening and then perhaps never think about again, you could do a lot worse than Insomnis. It is genuinely unnerving at times, and its puzzles are rewarding to solve. It’s just a shame there isn’t more to it.

While its mobile game roots are still clear to see, the simplicity of Cat Rescue Story on console somehow adds to its charm. Caring for cats in need is wonderfully relaxing, and if you want a basic game to unwind with, you can do much worse than this.

With its old-school gameplay and lack of guidance, Killing Time: Resurrected isn't a game for all. This fast-paced first-person shooter does have charm, however, and it's at least an interesting curio thanks to its clever use of full motion video.

Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers isn't as rewarding to play as, say, Streets of Rage 4, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. Inconsistent visuals and a poorly localised story will be the biggest gripes with the game for some.

Ultimately, the success of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl lies in how lively its online community is. We’ve found players easily enough so far, but who knows if they’ll stick around. It’ll be a shame if they don’t though, because this is a competent brawler. Its pleasant visuals, varied roster of beloved characters and surprisingly deep combat make it one of the better Smash-type games out there. But if there’s nobody online to play with, its offline content will quickly lose its fun.

If the idea of sitting through up to an hour of pointless chit-chat before you can get into a bout of entertaining action doesn’t put you off, then you might get some enjoyment out of Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it doesn’t strike a good balance between story and gameplay. And the story itself isn’t worthy of taking up so much of your time. Still, as Switch ports go this is a good one, and the additional difficulty options are very welcome.

It’s the narrative you discover through exploration that holds The Crow’s Eye together; reading and listening to people slowly lose their minds – as perhaps your character does too – makes the psychological thriller element of the game take centre stage. It’s just a shame that the horror never quite gets there.

The lengthy loading times wouldn’t be as problematic if they were easier to avoid.

Orwell’s Animal Farm is a pleasant retelling of the 1945 novella, and revisiting the story again after reading it in high school has been lovely. As a lover of literature as well as video games, I couldn’t help but smile seeing the story come to life. Not everyone will feel the same way though, and as an adventure game or even a visual novel, Orwell’s Animal Farm is unlikely to grab players that don’t already have a vested interest in the original story. Still, it’s a valiant effort in bringing a classic novella to new audiences, and might just be a valuable tool for students.

As a concept, Night Call is fantastic; a narrative noir where you play as a cab driver on the dark streets of Paris is something that many people will want to pick up and give a try – and they definitely should. But I’m not sure how many people will be able to really stick with it and master it. As intriguing as its cases are, after you’ve played a few they all blend together, making it even harder to figure out what you’re meant to be doing. Give Night Call a try if you’re looking for a challenging narrative game about crime and investigation. But if you’re wanting an easy-going mystery, you won’t find it here.

Ultimately, there’s nothing really bad about Trinity Trigger, but there’s also nothing that makes you excited about playing it. Its story is enjoyable but very predictable and clichéd, the combat is solid but very typical of the genre, and it looks and sounds just fine. If you’re after a fairly breezy, light-hearted action RPG to work your way through, it’s worth considering, but the experience is not likely to stick with you.

If you’re dedicated to Warhammer 40,000’s world you may get some joy out of this but Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr is anything but to-die-for.

Skelattack offers an evening of fun, with ample lashings of frustration along the way.

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle obviously can’t compete with the likes of the Resident Evil series; it simply doesn’t have the same polish or scope of any of the modern remakes. Considering it’s made by a small studio and is delivered at a budget price, however, there’s a lot to be applauded here. This is a massive step up from Daymare: 1998 in many ways, resulting in a survival horror experience that genre fans are likely to lap up despite its numerous faults. And if Invader Studios gets to make another game and can improve on the formula yet again, you can be sure we’ll be paying attention.

Essentially a character action game, Valkyrie Elysium does little to worry the heavy hitters in the genre such as Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. But while many of its components are simply adequate, its frenetic combat elevates it from mediocrity. There’s great fun to be had here, summoning Einherjar, using your Soul Chain to zip around the battlefield and making use of more advanced skills to decimate your opponents. Ultimately, it’s not going to set anyone’s world on fire, but it’s definitely worth spending some time with.

Breakout: Recharged is a simple affair, but it’s a wonderful recreation of a classic game. A great job has been done in modernising Breakout, and the new challenge mode makes it a worthwhile investment. It may be available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox too, but it feels particularly at home on Switch, where the handheld format makes it perfect to pick up and play in short bursts.

Despite its questionable development status, Stranded Deep has a lot to offer. I’d welcome further development, but even in its current incarnation, this compelling survival sim is more than worth diving into.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion builds upon its predecessor in a number of ways, and is undoubtedly better as a result. There's still lots of room for further improvement though, with issues such as drab visuals and a dull open world watering down the otherwise engrossing experience of building your dream mech.

If you’ve played Terminator: Resistance and found yourself wanting more, Annihilation Line is definitely worth considering. It doesn’t really try to offer anything new gameplay-wise, but it does allow you fight beside Kyle Reese and go behind the titular Annihilation Line. Those two factors alone will be enough to convince most fans.

If you’ve never played Zool before, then Zool Redimensioned might not seem that special to you. After all, in the 30 years that have passed, a number of platform games have come and gone, many of them no doubt superior to Zool in numerous ways. But if you do have fond memories of playing the game on your Amiga, SNES or Mega Drive, then you’ll surely get a huge kick out of Zool Redimensioned. This is a true slice of nostalgia, delivered in a perfectly-tuned package. We bet you can’t play it without a smile on your face.

I’m tempted to describe the entirety of Birthdays the Beginning as ‘bittersweet’, actually; it’s equal parts massively addictive yet horrendously frustrating, but it somehow manages to always provide an enjoyable challenge. Despite the exasperation that comes with seeing a species become extinct, the game never feels impossible, and when you do reach your goals it’s pretty satisfying. It’s just a shame several minor issues hold it back from being more than just “good”. Whether it’s trying to find a lost save, figuring out an unclear objective or to getting to grips with the controls, it feels like there’s always something standing in the way of your enjoyment. Sure, I had fun evolving hundreds of species of plants and animals, but having to play the same sections over and over became tiresome. Still, for its mid price point, there’s a lot to enjoy thanks to its unique concept. If you’re heavily into sims or enjoy games that try new things, Birthdays the Beginning is worthy of your attention.

Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ is a bit of a disappointment, then. The core gameplay still shines, the visuals hold up despite their age, and the soundtrack kicks ass, as ever. Event mode pales in comparison to Chronicle Saviours mode though, and the whole affair being presented in the original arcade format does it no favours whatsoever. Throw in a steep asking price, and you have a game that you should think long and hard about before splashing your cash.

TRON: Catalyst gets off to a good start, promising varied gameplay and a neat time-loop mechanic. The trouble is, it soon devolves in a dull affair with way too much repetitive combat, and the time-loop mechanic is mostly wasted.