A stunning action game that relies on story and performance over padding and tacked-on game modes, The Order: 1886 will nonetheless divide gamers with its short run time and reliance on cinematic dazzle.

An almost prohibitively complex roguelike without enough guidance for new players. If you're able to invest the time to the ins and outs of Dungeon of the Endless (or use a guide) there's so much unique strategy/tower defense gameplay to sink your teeth into.

A solid remaster of a good game means that Gravity Rush genuinely feels at home on the PS4.

A second chance to try Tequila Works’ side-scrolling zombie classic, but not essential if you played the original.

What Insurgency: Sandstorm is offering here is a welcome change of pace, and a genuine alternative to the established norm.

A great exploration game, but beyond the wow factor of infinite travel and discovering unique creatures and planets, there is little else to really do.

Solid AI and intelligent level design add up to one of Cyanide’s best games, and hint at the possibility of future greatness for this fledgling franchise.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a good sequel with some excellent acting and gorgeous visuals, but the pacing struggles quite a bit.

While Platform 8 isn't quite as ground-breaking and special as Exit 8, it's undeniably a much scarier game and a lot of fun to play.

Ad Infinitum balances engaging gameplay with a deep, dark, and fascinating story that tells a tale of a family torn apart by war.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain has a lot of good ideas that mostly come together well but it still doesn't feel as fun to play as the mainline series.

Flinthook would have been a much better game with handcrafted levels as opposed to being a roguelite and one that needs some tweaking visually.

Sand Land is a by-the-numbers anime adaption that is filled with great character design and some enjoyable vehicular combat.

Gods Will Fall is a solid adventure with some cool ideas that will satisfy your craving for challenge while it lasts.

Goetia is a difficult point-and-click adventure that tests your resolve, with an engaging story and some beautiful visuals.

A decent puzzle game that doesn't overstay its welcome.

Wavetale is a simple adventure with a sweet story, featuring satisfying traversal, although it never steps out of its comfort zone.

While the combat is clunky and systems aren't explained as well as they should be, Withering Rooms is a great entry into the horror genre.

It has derivative elements, undoubtedly, but they’re clearly meant as homage and built upon rather than outright aped. It’s not a showy, flashy, trailer-friendly game..., and it’s not going to set the universe aflame with its functional, stock storyline – but it is immensely compelling all the same. Dark, brutal and challenging, Lords of the Fallen is a surprisingly deep and playable game, and could be one of this year’s most promising new IPs.

It's certainly the best version of the game to buy, and Capcom Heores is fun, but their are some technical issues, and it does make you wonder just how many more games Capcom can get from a fading franchise.

It’s Quiz Time is a welcome return to the quiz games of old, made a lot easier thanks to mobile phones. It’s a fun quizzer to play with either friends or family, even if the host is a bit annoying.

Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly is a relaxing visual novel, but make sure you've played the first game before starting this one.

WRC 5 really is the most fun I’ve had with a racer this year, giving you a phenomenal handling model, sticking you on a course and largely leaving you to attack it. What more could you want?

Completely Stretchy is a silly exploration game with fun movement and a great vibe, but it has a few issues that might frustrate you.

A love-letter to games gone past and to games in general, Lumo is a delightful if sometimes frustrating little puzzle platformer.

H1Z1 may well have been inspired by the original version of PUBG, and it shows, but in Auto Royale it provides one of the most fun battle royale modes out there.

Cavern of Dreams has a few issues, but if you're looking for an old school 3d platformer and like collecting things you'll probably love it.

Bringing out the wicked side of everyone who plays, Ultimate Chicken Horse is great for party gaming.

As an ode to classic racers, Hotshot Racing is a fast, fun game. It’s just let down by limited content and some frustrating AI.

The lack of minigame variety brings the score down a few notches, along with some confusing menus and lack of tutorials. The kids won’t care about any of that stuff, though.

Despite being a fun, challenging platformer, The End is Nigh is too similar to Super Meat Boy and the comparison does it no favours whatsoever. It does work very well on Switch though, especially in handheld mode.

Should Nintendo support Kirby's Dream Buffet it with updates, new courses, then it’s only going to get better. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s the kind of fun you can’t quite see yourself returning to over and over again.

It suffers from various issues that make the experience feel more padded, but Danganronpa 3 still has memorable characters and a kickass soundtrack holding it up.

Hardcore Mecha doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it is extremely enjoyable. While having Japanese-only VO could cause you to miss dialogue in heavy action sequences, you might be having too much fun flying around shooting things to even notice.

The Typing of the Dead is stark-raving bonkers, yes, but it’s that lunacy that keeps you wanting to play.

It's definitely worth a shot if you’re hankering for a bit of old school platforming action.

It may not be the best in the genre, and it certainly has its problems, but you’re given an intriguing mystery to solve in an interesting and unique setting.

Evoland Legendary Edition packages two great titles but I’m pretty disappointed with the performance. Even when you unlock smooth scrolling in the original, it stutters here and there and feels like it has a lot of input lag. If you have another platform to experience these games on, make sure you do. They are absolutely worth your time.

The Adventures of Captain Spirit is an interesting way to generate interest in the Life is Strange sequel. Chris and his alter-ego is a likeable little boy trying to navigate a childhood filled with both imaginary and real-life monsters.

An almost arbitrary re-release of a great game, Dragon’s Crown Pro succeeds on its existing merits but brings nothing new to justify the full price tag.

It’s worth a go if you’re a fan of either series, and you won’t be disappointed by the story – just be prepared to invest plenty of time to see it through.

With its 70s setting and great soundtrack, Serial Cleaner is a unique blend of styles that might not be full of variety but it does offer a decent amount of fun.

A beautifully drawn adventure told by an extremely talented voice actor that suffers a little from its own style.

Little Witch Nobeta is a fun blend of shooting and Souls mechanics, but the Switch port has some framerate issues.

God Wars: Future Past features basic gameplay and simplistic visuals but an intriguing, well told story based around Japanese folklore that makes it a worthwhile experience.

A Machine for Pigs achieves exactly what it sets out to do, and weaves an interesting and engaging narrative around a core of pure terror. It has some shortcomings, and fans of the original may be slightly disappointed with the removal of certain features, but the game is still terrifying, immersive and well crafted.

Metro Exodus feels like a game where its ambitions slightly outstrip its abilities. Visually stunning, it suffers a little too much from an obtuse system of storytelling and maps that are slightly too large creating long periods of doing nothing.

Gato Roboto is a short, sharp burst of Metroid fun, with cats. It sounds daft, but strong level design and a few original tweaks make it well worth a look.

A unique blend of marble madness and tower defence that does become repetitive after a while, but sits nicely in the spot reserved for games that are great to dip into now and again.

Session: Skate Sim on Switch feels better when controlling the board, but the visuals certainly suffer in both handheld and docked.

Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality is an improvement on the original release, but it suffers from weak visuals on the Switch.

Spacebase Startopia is a complex management-sim, but once everything clicks there's plenty of fun to be had. It'll take time to learn everything, and the camera can be annoying, but it's still enjoyable.

Deep but confusing strategy layered over classic Dynasty Warriors.

If you love the Apes movies, this is a lovely little VR tie-in, and if you're looking for your next VR kick, I'd definitely give this a go.

Equal parts puzzle adventure and creativity app, Vandals just relies a little too much on the players imagination for its variety.

Throughout its very short 90 minute run time, Dear Esther creates an atmospheric and engaging experience that begs you to keep playing. If you’ve played it before though, the director’s commentary is all that’s new for the Landmark Edition.

A nice little game, with emphasis on the little. You'll have a great time in its couple of hours of quirky gameplay, but that might not be enough for some, considering the price.

An unsettling and beautiful experience, with a pace that's just too slow. If you can get past the walls of text and all too familiar puzzles though, Moons of Madness is good for a few scares.

Lord Winklebottom Investigates is a charming, funny point-and-click adventure, you'll just need to rewire your thinking to navigate its logic.

Kerbal Space Program is a rare game, an unbelievably good simulator that unfortunately suffers from a being a fairly poor port from PC to console.

Gamers who enjoyed the past Nintendo DS games will find plenty of new content and ideas at play to encourage them back – especially as the extra 3DS development time has brought the features more in-line with the Wii U version.

Hob is very much a case of a game I’m glad got a Switch port so I could experience it. The big question is whether this version is the true “Definitive Edition”. In most cases, people looking for portability are ok with compromises to be able to play on the go. Hob needs some work on the visual side of things for sure but other than that, it is great thanks to various enhancements and additions this release brings.

A genuinely scary on-rails rollercoaster shooter, Rush of Blood takes Until Dawn in a new direction without losing any of the horror.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd has some issues when it comes to the combat, but it's still fun to play, and fans of the comics are going to love diving into a new story featuring the surly yet loveable demon.

Big Pharma’s Marketing and Malpractice DLC breathes new life into the relatively simple strategy sim by playing havoc with your moral compass.

Little Dragons Cafe is a very good and relaxing game about raising a dragon and managing a cafe let down by bad performance on Nintendo Switch.

A great showcase of how a much beloved series has evolved over nearly a decade. It still has some great moments and can still feel fresh and exciting, but those moments cant hold back the slump into grinding repetition most matches end up being.

More a service to existing fans than a new game in the series, Heroes VII is a huge game that entertains but fails to overwhelm.

A wealth of content to keep you busy, but you need a good group of like-minded, hardened criminals in order to make the most of it.

While Death’s Gambit does borrow from some classics, it struggles to deliver the memorable and balanced experience of any of its inspiration. It does, however, deliver a fun and interesting Roguelite adventure.

Hyrule Warriors is a success. It enables Nintendo to explore the Zelda cast and world in large scale conflicts, while also offering fans an avenue for rampant nostalgia. The game only falls down due to the documented trappings of the Warriors franchise and the fault of being the first of its line, even though it does make some brave attempts to improve on the template with this.

A decent strategy puzzle-RPG that displays all the good bits and mitigates the bad ones, pip pip.

Despite some fun shooting, Rogue Trooper Redux plays almost identically to the original, which unfortunately hasn’t aged too well.

An interesting and great-looking game that blends the visual novel genre with poorly thought-out strategic combat.

Wasteland Workshop is a nice little addition to Fallout 4, even though it only really amounts to a bunch of cosmetic stuff for the build menu and a customarily buggy, yet hilariously entertaining, DIY arena.

Chicken Police: Into the Hive has some particularly charming characters and great visuals, but is slightly let down by the overall story.

At times Full Mojo Rampage gets its wires a little crossed, and some of the roguelike elements can feel a little forced when they’re not really necessary, but it’s still a fun little blaster with a wonderful atmosphere and stacks of personality. It might be trying to elbow its way into a very crowded genre, but it has just enough pluck to earn its place.

A good entry point to the franchise if you want one, but The Nightmare Princess has much more appeal for established fans.

Its humour and quick mission times make it an interesting prospect in a genre filled with far-too-serious stories and long, drawn-out missions; but the constantly babysitting your units drags it back from being anything truly special.

The atmosphere is spot on, and even the less interesting quests offer up some beautiful scenery. And let's be honest, that's why you've come anyway, isn't it?

F1 2017 is perhaps the biggest game in the franchise to date, but still feels strangely empty as its new content doesn’t really change things enough from the previous games.

A Star Names EOS is an enjoyable puzzle game with a cool photography theme, but a lack of hints and slightly nauseating story drag it down.

The voice-acting is one major problem, but the slow pacing of the story is another low point. Overall, the entire package is a fun little distraction.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is an absolute win if you’re a franchise fan and you stick to the multiplayer; if you’re a solo player and the universe does nothing for you, there’s not much here worth exploring.

It brings absolutely nothing new to the existing release besides a slightly updated loot system, but adds a genuinely compulsive survival mode for those who want to play out their zombie apocalypse fantasies without constant calls for help and a mountain of busy-work to get through.

Fling to the Finish is at its best when played with friends, and I’ll happily recommend that you break this out at your next gettogether.

There’s a lot to like about Rock of Ages 3, but its tower defence half simply isn’t one of them. Thankfully, community-made levels will keep the game fresh for a long time.

Apartment Story may be short, but it has some good ideas and offers an engaging story alongside doing the pots or eating a ham sandwich.

If you don’t own Football Manager Touch 2018 then this is the game you want. However, if you do own the previous game then this isn’t really worth the upgrade.

Bard’s Gold is like the bastard child of Rogue Legacy and Spelunky, but it’s more Ramsey Bolton than Jon Snow.

Mixing Sonic-style platforming with Trials-esque, inertia-driven gameplay, Steel Rats is a bold and often fun concept, but some awkward level design holds it back from matching the quality of its inspiration.

Arca's Path is a simple game with some nice challenges and some nice level designs, and never becomes too difficult to allow all ages a chance to enjoy.

Children of Morta is a rewarding action RPG with a lot of heart, providing you can make it through its repetitive opening hours.

Mega Man 11 is exactly what fans will want, but it does nothing to really improve on the old games and make Mega Man relevant in 2018.

Zombie Army Trilogy feels a little less essential than other ports to the Switch, however it is technically a good port of a decent game. Firing slow-motion x-ray shots consistently is always a thrill.

Hyperforma is constantly stunning in terms of looks, but you’ll spend too much time wondering what you’re supposed to be doing.

Planet Alpha is a gorgeous thing to look at and it starts well, but its second half struggles with its level design and can become frustrating as a result.

A solid entry, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 continues the series legacy to provide a fun mix of party minigames.