At its core, Blair Witch is a great horror game. A slow burn experience, it’s far from perfect but it has some nice ideas and an oppressive atmosphere that just grows and grows. The downgraded visuals on Switch take much of that atmosphere away, however, and also get in the way of the gameplay. If you have a lot of patience there’s some joy to be found playing in handheld mode, but otherwise you’re best giving it a wide berth or playing it on another format if possible.

It’s a niche product, Hunting Simulator 2 – it comes with the territory. It’s good at what it does, though; portraying a popular, albeit taboo, pastime. Hours can be spent tracking prey before taking decisive action, and even if you’re not successful in your hunt, the scenery is so picturesque that you don’t really care. Hunting Simulator 2 lets you enjoy the outdoors, indoors. It’s lets you enjoy dog ownership withing having to pick up its poop. Animal murder may be the aim of it, but it’s mostly beautiful otherwise.

It’s the fact that Burnout Paradise Remastered works so well with the Switch’s digital triggers that really seals the deal though. There’s no need for nuanced acceleration and braking; you just keep hold of the accelerator, tap the gas when you want to drift around a corner, and that’s it. Unlike many racing games available on the format, Burnout Paradise Remastered feels like it was made for Switch, which instantly propels it ahead of the competition. Factor in the attractive visuals, flawless performance and an abundance of content, and you have a package that’s not to be missed.

Assetto Corsa Competizione isn’t a racing game for all. It doesn’t provide quick and easy thrills, with a career mode focused on building a garage full of cars and customising them to your liking. It’s a serious game for those serious about racing. Thankfully it’ll hit most of the right notes that sim fans look for. It’s just a shame that graphical fidelity has been prioritised over performance. Other than that, there’s not much to dislike here unless you’re a newcomer to the sport, or are stuck with playing with a controller.

Ultimately Disintegration feels like a hollow shell of what it could have been.

Rehydrated still feels like the classic version – for better and for worse. The voice actors for SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mrs. Puff and more help to bring the game to life and, with its wonderful new graphics, Bikini Bottom has never looked better. Due to its issues, though, it isn’t likely to pull in a new wave of players. It barely managed to keep me invested – and I’ve been incredibly excited to get my hands on it. For those who played it as kids, it’s a joy to see it looking so shiny and new, but don’t go in expecting to get too much fun out of it.

Very quickly, Westmark Manor managed to impress in almost every way. Despite a couple of technical hiccups – I’ve had the game freeze on me twice, causing me to lose progress – the game’s threatening yet alluring atmosphere and intriguing narrative has kept me coming back. If you enjoy horror games, particularly the likes of Resident Evil or Silent Hill, then Westmark Manor is well worth adding to your collection. Just be prepared to jump out of your skin from time to time.

Ultimate Fishing Simulator has its share of flaws, but it’s the constant grind that really sinks this game.

It’s a real shame that Summer in Mara subjects you to such monotony, because it’s a beautiful game. Its characters are delightful and its world is a joy to explore. The music, too, is wonderful, if slightly repetitive; some of those tuns will get well and truly stuck in your head. But there’s no looking past the fact that its core gameplay makes Summer in Mara a chore to play. It’s enjoyable in short bursts, at least to begin with, but being little more than everyone’s lackey doesn’t stay fun for long.

All three games in Borderlands Legendary Collection are very nearly flawless. There’s perhaps just a little too much to-ing and fro-ing; and as you go from one game to the other you’ll find that the series hasn’t evolved all that much over the years. Still, if you’re into looting and shooting, you really can’t go wrong. Gyro aiming is built into the Switch versions of these games, too, adding a new gameplay dimension. Needless to say, whether you’re a fan of the series or someone interested in jumping in, Borderlands Legendary Collection is outstanding.

Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a niche title that will thrill the people it needs to thrill. Meanwhile, the casual crowd will rightly scoff at its price. There’s nothing wrong with this collection apart from that it’s a bit by-the-book, though as a collection of Darius games released on console, you could take the absence of Super Darius and 2009’s PSP exclusive Dariusburst to task. Still, if you aren’t averse to spending a considerable bit of dough to acquire some of the best shoot ’em ups ever made, consider picking it up.

Coming from Mimimi Games, the developer of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados III is an accomplished real-time tactical stealth game that is practically flawless outside of some minor technical issues. Those seeking a title that they can really sink their teeth into, learning the ins and outs of its world so that they can master it will find a hell of a lot to enjoy here, especially if they resonate with the Wild West theme. Players will need to accept that failure is a part of the process, however, as is dealing with occasionally fiddly controls.

The lack of customisation options, terrible voice acting and casual sexism do mar the experience, but there’s still fun to be found in starting with nothing and working hard to build your farming empire.

Project Warlock is a blood-splattered love letter to retro-shooters, but still there’s plenty here to hook you even if you’ve never experienced the titles that inspired it. A glorious, gruesome outing, Project Warlock is sometimes unforgiving, but once you push past the first few levels, it’s a bloody joy to play.

Do Not Feed the Monkeys isn’t a bad game by any means. It’s a wholly interesting concept; sneaking a peek into people’s secret lives is darkly exciting, and picking out key pieces of information to pull together a narrative makes you feel like a true vigilante detective. But it’s short-lived, and the unnecessary focus on survival elements takes the fun out of it. A sizeable assortment of camera locations means a second playthrough might show you something new – but it’s debatable whether you’ll be bothered to go through it again.

It’s the best the game has ever looked or played, and is available at a more than reasonable price.

The Last of Us Part II is Naughty Dog’s magnum opus; the result of years spent mastering its craft. It has visuals that defy the generation, audio design that is simply sublime, and a story that is genuinely thought-provoking. It’s more than a game; it’s a work of art.

I loved my time with Beyond Blue. It’s incredibly relaxing being able to swim through the ocean, and mesmerising to reach depths that many of us will never see in real life. From its interesting story, fantastic soundtrack and admirable inclusion of educational elements, Beyond Blue is an excellent title that a wide gamut of gamers will enjoy. It isn’t free of issues, but they don’t deter from the magic of diving into an unexplored underwater world.

Despite its issues, if you’ve had your fill of Streets of Rage 4 and are after another side-scrolling beat ’em up to play, you should definitely consider adding The TakeOver to your collection. Though it does eventually lose some of its shine, its combat system offers more depth than most in the genre, and the package as a whole has some genuinely nice ideas. The fact that it looks so good and has a great soundtrack is just icing on the cake.

It’s a joyful, relaxing compilation that provides a pleasant respite from our hectic, stressful lives.

Ys: Memories of Celceta is a good game. This PS4 port just doesn’t do enough to make it stand out in the current market, however. If you’re new to the Ys series, you’re better off with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, which simply looks and plays better yet isn’t a great deal more expensive. Only ardent fans are likely to go wild about this basic port; at least until it goes on sale, anyway.

While the free update adds enough changes to be worthwhile on its own, Europa Universalis IV: Emperor is an an essential purchase if you want to feel the real struggles of power in Europe.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition isn’t going to blow anyone away, but it’s undoubtedly the best version of a very good JRPG. Those unacquainted with the Wii and 3DS versions of the game will get the most out of it, but thanks to Future Connected, the introduction of many quality of life improvements, and considerably enhanced visuals, fans aren’t likely to be disappointed either. The Switch has just got another mighty fine addition to its library, and anyone in search of a meaty game that will eat up tens of hours of their time should definitely consider picking Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition up.

It’s hard to find reason to keep playing after a couple of hours.

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

Despite its issues, Command & Conquer Remastered Collection provides an excellent trip down memory lane.

What really matters is that the core of The Outer Worlds, a current-gen open-world(ish) action RPG, is intact, and fully playable on what is essentially a handheld. That’s pretty amazing if you ask me.

It can’t be denied that Virtuos has done a great job porting Bioshock: The Collection to Switch on the whole. All three games are complete, look great and perform well. It’s just Bioshock: Infinite‘s problems, both old and new, that let it down. Still, if you’ve never played these games before and have a Switch, you’re bound to have a great time with them. These titles have mostly stood the test of time, and still present some of the best video game storytelling to date.