Nintendo Switch Sports is an admirable attempt to fill the void left by the Wii Sports series, but a lack of offline progression and small selection of sports means it doesn't quite reach those heights.

Crysis takes a minimalist approach to the space/sci-fi shooter genre, dropping you in fierce combat with few tools at your disposal. The first game remains a challenge to get through for the wrong reasons, but Crysis 2 is still fun to play, despite not capitalizing on the series’ strengths. Crysis 3 is the highlight, but if anything, it just underscores how much better Crysis 4 could be. Re-releasing the trilogy on modern consoles makes it more accessible, sure, but I’d rather see how the series can continue evolving instead of re-experiencing its struggles to define a clear identity.

For new players of 1v1 fighting games, this is the one to pick. With a command input system that’s slightly easier to grasp than many of its contemporaries and a brilliant visual style, Guilty Gear Strive is a solid first foray into the genre. You’ll still need patience though. If you’re desperate to get good, this game will allow you to, but if you’re looking for a super casual experience, Strive still falls into the same pitfalls as other games of its type.

The Switch 2 upgrade of Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a beautifully crafted 3D platformer that brings a familiar, yet fresh, adventure for the pink puffball. The new edition enhances the experience with improved graphics, a smoother 60fps framerate, and the addition of the Star-Crossed World DLC. While the core gameplay of sucking up enemies and objects with Kirby's iconic "Mouthful Mode" remains a constant delight, the game's overall simplicity and the safe nature of the new content might leave veteran gamers wanting more.

The effort made to offer a wide range of units across the player and piglin faction is appreciated, but these old bones yearn for a more traditional Minecraft RTS instead. Minecraft Legends is certainly worth a try if you're subscribed to Game Pass already, but like Minecraft Dungeons, this one truly is for the franchise fans out there. There are stronger alternatives for the older gamers who simply enjoyed Minecraft for its early survival RPG vibes.

More reliable passing, improved defending, and balanced attacking options mean FIFA 23 is a lot of fun to play. It’s an improved overall package, even if FUT’s main additions are underwhelming and the other modes have been given little love once again.

A chaotic, vibrant combat racer with excellent visuals and multiplayer potential, shining strongest in Air Ride and City Trial, but stumbling slightly with uneven pacing and weaker modes. Fun, frantic, but occasionally overwhelming.

Aside from that, though, Rune Factory 5 is a solid revival of a franchise without a new entry for the best part of ten years. It pushes the formula forwards thanks to its 3D perspective, and nails the gameplay that made the series such a hit in the first place.

Rainbow Six Extraction is a uniquely enjoyable entry in Team Rainbow’s history, though the significant crossover with its predecessor makes me feel like Ubisoft could’ve opted for a Siege expansion instead. It's not a huge problem for Ubisoft+ or Game Pass subscribers, sure, but it's a steeper ask for everyone else...That said, Extraction remains great fun, and the new settings meant my time with the familiar operators still felt fresh and interesting. It’s surprisingly challenging at times, and while missions do require trial-and-error, the level design is excellent. Extraction won’t set the genre alight like Siege did, though if you’re after a new PvE experience, I’d still give it my recommendation.

Total War: Pharaoh asks you to spend a lot of time learning its new and complex mechanics, but if you do, you'll feel like a true Bronze Age battlefield commander.

A certain level of scrappiness can be charming, but it’s harder to excuse in a big-budget project like this one, and three crashes in an hour is far too scrappy to be overlooked. Still, I do have a fondness for Rift Apart, perhaps because I do get the sense that this was a project built with love, yet not so much love that it wasn’t willing to experiment and try some new things. Once all the many, many bugs are fixed, this’ll be a pretty good game for families to enjoy, and a superb showcase for what the PS5 is capable of.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's shaky story and reliance on grinding let down one of the most satisfying soulslikes on the market. This proves Team Ninja is more than just the sum of its parts, even if it may need a sequel to get the most out of it.

If musou titles haven't been your bag in the past, it's unlikely Samurai Warriors 5 will break new ground. It's still, by its nature, a button-mashing battler. If you've been looking for a little more depth, though, then you'll be pleased to know that you'll have more fun carving through hordes of enemies than you have in any prior game in the series.

I came away from Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster with mostly positive feelings. There’s a great game here filled with exciting battles, head pumping music, and interesting themes. However, I really wish that there were simply just even more quality of life changes and modern conveniences implemented in the game. It’s fantastic that a new generation of players has better access to this title now. But in many ways, it still feels like it’s stuck in the past.

Interface issues aside, Shadowverse Champion's Battle offers a fresh new spin on the card-battling genre (unless you've been playing the base game on PC). Its mechanics are an interesting amalgam of all that came before, but timing an evolution effect to clear a path to victory remains exciting every time.

A decent enough game that fails to innovate in the same way Legends Arceus did, Pokemon Legends Z-A feels like a wasted opportunity that may only be worth it for die-hard fans.

I enjoyed my time with The Lonely Assassins, though it loses some immersion with this console port. There’s only a short adventure within - one you can beat within 2-3 hours - but I found myself drawn in until the very end, wanting to see this mystery through. It’s not a game designed for replayability, and you could finish it in one sitting, though that’s more forgivable considering the low price point. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, this one’s worth looking into.

Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is a surprisingly deep dungeon crawler mixed with RPG, that clearly comes from a place of deep love for its superpowered cast of heroes.

Despite having amazing core gameplay, 2K25 offers half-baked content that brings down the experience, with The Island being an egregious example of a predatory mode designed to make players spend even more money than they already did for a full priced game.

Synapse is at its best when you are flinging enemies around and shooting them from the sky. Unfortunately, poorly paced-difficulty changes and an unsatisfying endgame left me wanting a little more.

While Wrath of the Druids isn’t Assassin’s Creed at its most exciting, it’s certainly passable in a month as quiet as this. Burn a weekend burning druids and make the most of it all, before waiting to see when they'll get back to the actual plot. Seriously, I need closure on that ending, Ubisoft.

So, would I recommend Survival Kids on the Switch 2? Yes, but only if you plan on playing the entire game with friends. The solo experience here just isn't enjoyable, and it highlights the game's issues that are negated while having fun as a team. I hope groups of friends take a chance on this game and play it through, as it can be very fun. Younger players may enjoy it too as their first steps into the survival genre, but for those who don't play online, you would be better off playing the original on NSO.

FBC: Firebreak is Remedy’s quirky dive into co-op extraction shooters, blending the surreal world of Control with chaotic missions best enjoyed with friends. While it lacks polish, online features, and content at launch, it’s an ambitious but currently incomplete experience that can only be better with a full squad.

Overall, Plants vs Zombies: Replanted is an enjoyable trip down memory lane. Do I recommend buying over other versions available elsewhere? No, I don't. But if you're a Nintendo Switch user and are willing to pay the $20 entry fee, you'll likely find some decent enjoyment out of it.

Gimmick is a delightful retro platformer, brimming with challenge and quality-of-life features to make it worth trying.

Mario Tennis Fever is a visual powerhouse that showcases the Switch 2’s potential with vibrant graphics and lightning-fast load times, yet it struggles to find its footing on the court. While the "Fever" mechanics and chaotic multiplayer modes make it an instant party-night favorite, veteran players will be disappointed by floaty physics and a lack of mechanical precision compared to Aces. Without the heart of a deep story mode or a robust tennis engine, it stands as a polished, high-octane spectacle that prioritizes casual fun over competitive depth.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver combines point-and-click exploration with an emotionally intelligent cast of vibrant characters. While clumsily paced at times, with minor bugs and errors, the overall experience is punchy, evocative, and memorable.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fresh dawn for the franchise, spinning expectations on their head to great effect. It's a bright and charming storybook blast.

Despite a few problems with the game's responsiveness when in the ring with multiple people, and a couple of lacklustre modes, there's plenty in WWE 2K22 to keep you very happy indeed, especially if you've played wrestling games before. The real pleasure with WWE 2K22 is in the hilarious community creations and chaotic action in the ring with friends. Download someone's crude rendition of Queen Elizabeth II, jump into an Extreme Rules match, and take them down from the top turnbuckle. At its best, it's an absolute joy.

Atlas Fallen is a solid if unspectacular addition to the much-loved open world RPG genre.

The characters and writing aren’t as strong as they are in the original, but Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals still tells an interesting story that’s punctuated by some truly intense and creepy moments.

Bayonetta 3 may not reinvent the wheel, but its lightning-fast action and engaging gameplay push the Switch to its limits.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a welcome return for the sub-series, with engaging gameplay that papers over the thin variety of modes.

While Velan Studios has created a competent multiplayer experience, Knockout City’s not especially thrilling. There aren’t many games that use dodgeball as a core mechanic, making it somewhat unique, but it feels afraid to take risks, creating an entertaining but ultimately safe experience. If you can gather up some friends, there’s silly enjoyment within and considering it’s got a free trial – to say nothing of Game Pass/EA Play – I’d recommend at least trying it.

Layers of Fear is an enjoyable horror romp, but fans of the series may be left yearning for a bit more innovation and narrative satisfaction.

I loved playing Invincible VS. It's something fans of the IP will likely get a kick out of for a few hours despite the disappointing length of story mode, and those deep in the trenches of fighting games likely trying to come up with the most degenerate strats you could conceive. If Quarter Up can build on the early excitement shown by both the FGC and the casual Invincible audience, they might have a big hit in their hands, one I hope they aim to improve and make a more complete experience in a fighting game market that's surprisingly starting to feel a bit overcrowded.

Greak: Memories of Azur is certainly a game platformer fans will want to check out, especially at a low price point.

If you’re a newcomer or existing Gen 4 fan, you’ll still have plenty of fun with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. There's noticeable quality-of-life improvements, the Grand Underground is enjoyable, battling against friends is always a joy and there remains an entertaining story. Personally, I just think there’s room for improvement.

Gold Road is an exciting expansion in isolation, though it disappointingly passes up the perfect opportunity to innovate on The Elder Scrolls Online's now-predictable formula.

If you’re a newcomer or existing Gen 4 fan, you’ll still have plenty of fun with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. There's noticeable quality-of-life improvements, the Grand Underground is enjoyable, battling against friends is always a joy and there remains an entertaining story. Personally, I just think there’s room for improvement.

Overall, Tides of Tomorrow stands on its own as a very interesting narrative-driven game that will take you roughly 10-15 hours to complete on your first playthrough (there are several endings based on the choices you, or the person you're following, make). The Story-Link is a neat novelty, but the concept doesn't hit as hard as I would've wanted.

Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to survival horror, but it's an engrossing thrill ride nonetheless.

Compared to Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard has a vastly improved multiplayer that feels like a solid foundation for Sledgehammer Games to build on throughout the seasons of post-launch content but with an underwhelming campaign and Zombies mode that seemingly needs a lot of work to win back the hardcore fans, it's not a bad Call of Duty title but it's certainly not one of the very best...Having spent several hours playing all three modes, I can safely say that it's definitely worth buying, specifically for the multiplayer which is surprisingly good for a change.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a surreal social sim that trades environmental creativity for hilarious Mii antics. Though it boasts deep character customization, the gameplay eventually settles into a repetitive cycle of maintenance that feels more like a quirky virtual pet than a game.

While As Dusk Falls’ story is full of thriller cliches and tropes, if you can look past the unique animation style, playing around with the well-written characters’ lives can be a lot of fun.

Consistent and accessible, and still a lot of fun, but Mario v Donkey Kong fails to innovate anything new and exciting. A decent addition to the franchise soaked in the undeniable charm of the classic Mario-verse.

The Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 collection brings two all-time great Mario adventures to the Switch 2, offering their best visual presentation yet, with a crisp 4K docked resolution. While the package is a great value, the port is severely compromised by Nintendo's choice to retain the original Wii-era motion controls—clumsily mapped to gyro and touchscreen—instead of fully remapping them to buttons. This results in frustrating and unintuitive gameplay in handheld mode. Despite these "shackles from a previous generation," the sheer quality and inventive design of the two core games shine through, making it a recommended, though imperfect, way to experience these masterpieces.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a competent 3D platformer that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but provided plenty of fun.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is another fun entry in this series. The improvements made to battles add some much-needed depth, while the Special Story is well-told. History Mode is disappointing and more new characters would have been nice, but this is a good step in the right direction.

While ticking all the boxes of another strong Soulslike title, Lords of the Fallen's difficulty will be off-putting to those lacking expertise in the genre.

Forza Motorsport's 2023 reboot is definitely the best one yet. Improvements to graphics and audio result in a fully immersive racing experience. Despite a few niggles, the race against Gran Turismo is truly back on.

Steelrising is a familiar game with just enough to really stand on its own two feet. It's not a revolution but it could have been the start of one.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a rare Sonic game which is sure to appeal to existing fans and newcomers alike. Players who previously experienced it on the Wii won’t find much new here, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had in revisiting it. Sure, there’s a few flaws with the wider visual presentation and finnicky 2D sections, but Sonic Colors: Ultimate presents an entertaining package that still comes recommended.

The crowd who’ll be left out in the cold with New World are those looking for a rich narrative adventure akin to your typical MMO. That’s not really here right now, and it's unclear what plans Amazon has in store for it. Maybe in the future, with ongoing updates, New World can evolve into something truly special.

Rise of the Ronin is charged by Team Ninja’s beloved combat gameplay from recent years, with a politically-charged story where decisions actually feel like they matter. Unfortunately, Team Ninja’s talents lie within gameplay, and the open world design leaves a lot to be desired.

Diablo 2 Resurrected should have been a remake. The approach might be more streamlined than most modern RPGs, and combat is just as enjoyable as it ever was. However, it's also difficult to recommend for those unwilling to push back against the game at almost every turn. If you're familiar with the original and know its quirks already, the visual refresh is enough to warrant yet another playthrough.

A great family introduction to the sublime space of wholesome RPGs, Fae Farm successfully simplifies the cosy crop ‘n craft genre but accidentally dilutes the whole experience, resulting in an average adventure that struggles to stay engaging for solo players beyond the first few sessions.

An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs is unlike anything I’ve ever played, for better and for worse. The originality and creativeness of the concept shine through because they’re accompanied by incredibly strong writing. Sadly though it left me at times feeling how we all do once we’ve shopped at duty free and are waiting at our gate, quite blasé about the whole affair.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is a great standalone work that holds its own in a fantastic series. An exciting whodunnit plot is the basis for a whole lot of action, some solid storytelling, and characters you sort-of know and will grow to love.

Switchback VR is an impressive showcase for PSVR2 and its new features, I just wish it was scarier.

Dying Light 2 presents a detailed and engaging open world that’s genuinely breathtaking in its size and ambition. Excellent parkour traversal makes exploring thrilling, and the extra tension added to night missions improves upon the first game’s horror elements. The action is somewhat dated, however, and the choices you make are rarely reflected in the world in a satisfying way. There’s plenty to enjoy, and if you’re looking for a big action game and a huge map to clear you’ll find a lot to love in the world of Villedor.

While Impulse Gear has laid the groundwork for a solid 6v6 shooter, several design choices hold it back from greatness and having to unlock the entire specialist roster is unnecessarily limiting. There’s room for improvement but ultimately, Larcenauts offers an enjoyable arena shooter with friends that makes you strategize. While it’s not exactly Overwatch in VR, shooter fans willing to grind it out will find an entertaining experience within, one that I’d argue is worth a look.

The Isle Tide Hotel is a mightily fun detective adventure packed with interesting characters and choices to make, though the gameplay itself can be occasionally clunky.

Super Bomberman R Online suffers from some technical and speed issues but is a blast to play online, offering classic Bomberman gameplay with enough pizzaz to keep the battle royale aspect of the title interesting. While there is a pay-to-win aspect to the game, it is not as bad as it could be, offering free players ample opportunity to earn new characters and cosmetic items. Overall, the microtransaction system and Battle Pass feel wholly unnecessary, detracting from the core Bomberman style of play. Still, Super Bomberman R Online offers enough of a classic Bomberman experience for free and should not be passed up by fans of the series.

BPM: Bullets Per Minute is a fun shooter with a banging soundtrack, but its roguelike elements feel a tad undercooked. Still, where else can you dance around like a demon slayer while tearing through the hordes of hell, shooting on the beat and keeping the party going?

Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 feels like it dovetails with its predecessor nicely like an action movie double-bill. It's got new locations to explore, and long shot locations that add a degree of brainteasing to the otherwise standard-fare shooting, but overall it does what it sets out to do – it's a shooter for those that want to put holes in heads from miles away. And hey, maybe I'm one of those.

Bravely Default 2 is more of the same from the series. The game still keeps what it’s great at, namely its battle system, Job customization, and music. Fans of JRPGs will find familiarity here, but with the transition over to Nintendo Switch, I was hoping that there’d be more sizable improvements. Its tepid story as well as the puzzling omission of quality of life features that were present in previous games left me feeling a bit underwhelmed overall. Bravely Default 2 is a good game, but there are aspects that keep it from being a great one.

Gotham Knights is worth playing for its story and characters, but its RPG stylings feel counterintuitive and clunky compared to the Arkham games.

Grandia HD combines two stunning timeless RPGs into a shoddy package that still suffers from framerate problems, graphical bugs, audio issues and glitches, but as some of the best PS1/Saturn RPGs, it’s worth figuring through these issues to experience something great.

While Last Stop doesn’t give a lot of freedom to its players it creates a compelling enough story that can be enjoyed over a short playthrough. Fans of dialogue-heavy adventure games like Life Is Strange or anything from TellTale will find something here to enjoy.

Evil West isn't a hugely complex game but it's fun enough to recapture both the nostalgia and fun of the early '00s. Though its story and performance can dip, its gameplay doesn't.

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded is a decently fun light-gun-style VR game that fails to offer anything new or groundbreaking. It's a good way to spend a few hours but not much more.

Lone Ruin is a game all about replayability that I saw little reason to replay after the credits.

Assassin's Creed Mirage tries to combine the stealth-focused gameplay of past games in the series, while also integrating the more action-oriented style of more recent titles. Sadly, it fails to deliver on both fronts.

Taking after fairy tales, Witch Strandings manages to tell a predictable story in unpredictable ways. It can often be painful to play but the experience is one I won't forget soon. Witch Strandings is a game I'm glad exists, even if I'm not sure I enjoyed it all that much.

As a multiplayer game, Battle Calculator can get in the bin. As a scientific calculator? Functionally flawless but visually unappealing. Much like before, buying this app is an incredibly questionable decision at £10.49, considering most phones contain a free calculator app. As such, Blacksmith DoubleCircle’s app is an even tougher sell than Sabec’s offering, so I can only recommend this to die-hard fans.

Smart combat makes you think about every move on the game’s impressively varied maps, but until Sumo adds more to do, it’s a tough one to recommend. For now, Hood is best enjoyed with friends or in small doses.

The core gameplay and design of Itadaki Smash make for a zippy beat 'em up, but the lack of extra servings may leave you wanting a bit more.

MotoGP 22 is a faithful and challenging entry in the two-wheeler series, though it may not convert those put off by its gruelling difficulty spike.

SAND LAND looks phenomenal, recreating the late Akira Toriyama’s style with ease, but it’s charming looks can’t balance repetitive gameplay that stretches even minor quests into heavily grating tasks.

While Atomfall presents a weird and wonderful world to explore, it ultimately fails to live up to expectations. Epitomizing a good idea not being executed to its full potential, Rebellion's mysterious spin on the action-survival genre just falls short.

ESO Blackwood feels and plays more like an interim update than a significant new expansion. That could change with new additions over the next year, but I think it’s time for ZeniMax to step back and take longer than a year to create these new expansions. Fan service is fine, but it should be anchored to something more solid and substantial as well to make it worthwhile. Until that happens, just wait for a sale.

While it ticks all of the boxes for a decent MMA fighting simulator, UFC 5 fails to improve by any significant margin from its predecessor. It will enable you to play as your favourite fighters in the organisation, but will not likely be a memorable title from 2023.

Madden 24’s year-on-year revisions are a mixed bag. It still feels like a somewhat directionless team just kind of going through the motions in the mushy middle of the NFL pecking order.

Monark is a nice debut effort from Lancarse but I wish they’d spent more time balancing it. It’s got interesting ideas and a great combat system but is bogged down by repetitive level design, narrative cliches, and grindy gameplay. If you’re seeking a JRPG with a more horrifying aesthetic, you’ll have fun if you can look past those flaws. Shin Megami Tensei fans will probably enjoy what’s offered but otherwise, I can only truly recommend this to the JRPG faithful.

Darkest Dungeon 2 takes a great many things from the original whilst adapting it creatively into a new world. Whilst not all of its choices feel as weighty as the first, that thematic core is just as oppressive.

Soul Hackers 2 is a light journey into the vast Shin Megami world with vibrant characters and a new story, though it is a little transparent for long-time fans wanting a deep JRPG.

While the future is still exciting for EA Sports’ FC series, this year’s game is new in little more than name. The merging of male and female players in Ultimate Team is a fantastic addition, but with various returning issues dampening the enjoyment of the fast-paced gameplay and the spending of real-world being pushed harder than ever before, EA Sports FC 24 is frustratingly familiar.

The Dead By Daylight Tools of Torment DLC is great conceptually but a strict meta and many mediocre perks leave it a couple of tools away from a full toolbox.

Forspoken is both ambitious, yet incredibly flawed. It pairs hammy dialogue and some poor pacing with a world I want to explore. Forspoken is a game tied between two worlds - losing out by never quite understanding either.

Performance issues severely hamper the experience on Nintendo Switch 2, but there's still some enjoyment to be had with its customization systems and somewhat fun combat

Hell is Us is a fascinating yet strange game, weighed down by its own risks. While it has the atmosphere and mythology for a great sci-fi experience, its ambitious “no objective markers” system turns exploration into tedium. Coupled with a story that ultimately goes nowhere, it stands out as one of the year’s most bizarre cases of wasted potential.

On PC, Madden 23 makes a couple of decent changes to the established formula, but not enough to truly move the chains for the series.

I do applaud Norse Lands for trying to create a playstyle that's so distinctive from the original. I don't think it's entirely successful, but it's fun to try out. As always, the soundtrack and visuals are both excellent, and it'll definitely offer an enjoyable reskin for those who've played the earlier games. However, if you've never delved into the madness of Two Crowns, I'd definitely recommend grabbing the base game before going full-on Norse.

Lego 2K Drive is an interesting experiment that takes just enough from the likes of Burnout Paradise and Forza Horizon to be interesting, but is held back by poor rubberbanding, a downright predatory in-game economy, and a grindy world.

There’s plenty to like about Sable but ultimately, this isn’t for everyone. Due to performance issues, weak endings, lack of direction and a failure to explain key elements, several flaws hold it back. However, by offering strong narrative freedom, enjoyable exploration without combat, and a unique visual approach, Sable still felt quite refreshing in some regards. Ultimately, it’s an entertaining debut by Shedwork and if you can look past those flaws, it comes recommended.

Saints Row 2022 is a time capsule of a game and era many have moved past. Instead of building on the legacy of Saints Row, it feels like a tired retread of a game we already have.

Biomutant’s positives ever so slightly outweigh its faults and with more time (and patches), it could grow into a much more entertaining game. Its unique world, extensive customisation and pool of interesting moves and tricks in battle make this game fun to play but for now, a colourful but empty world, a wealth of glitches, and dull objectives make it a tough sell.