Chill gameplay, plenty of content and a surprisingly deep management system – it’s an impressive package, it’s just a shame the latter isn’t quite as robust as it should be.

For lack of a better term, this Nocturne port is a “hardcore” game. The gameplay is dense, repetitive, may be difficult for newcomers to engage in, but ultimately rewarding if time is dedicated to it. This is a smoothed out port of a fantastic PS2 game, but comes with all the troupes and technical limitation of days gone with limited effort to bring it into the modern era. If you are a Persona fan or a newer RPG gamer looking for an intro into the SMT series, you might want to wait until Shin Megami Tensei V. But if you want a dark, punishing, intricate experience and don’t mind the rough edges, pick this one up.

BIOMUTANT has a lot of charm, and a lot of promise when you first boot it up. But after a few hours, you start to see the cracks, the lack of depth, and the magic melts away. If you’re up for an outpost clearing, kung fu adventure it might be fine for you. However many of us were hoping for something more.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids is an incredible DLC and brings an enormous amount of new items, abilities, cosmetic items, and locations for players to discover. Ireland makes for the perfect location to expand the Valhalla experience, keeping true to the region’s history, culture and beliefs. I’m especially fond of how much replay value has been encapsulated into Northern Ireland thanks to an endless supply of challenging side quests. In addition to the new raid locations, “Wrath of the Druids” takes the nice elements of the main game such as stealth and poison and brings out their full potential in amazing ways. Wrath of the Druids has pushed the bar even higher for the Assassin’s Creed series and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who has Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.

The best way to play a cult classic and experience the wonderful storytelling abilities of Yoko Taro. Nier Replicant is a worthy version upgrade to accompany 2017's successful Nier Automata.

The graphics in this game bumped up for the latest in consoles as noted. The environments are actually very pleasing to the eye. The hunting grounds that you get to traverse are varied. From the plains of Colorado, the Texan desert and the forests of Europe. All beautiful to behold. So much so, that it is a shame that while you are hunting and looking at the ground for tracks and animal signs you may miss the vistas. Overall, you may find yourself enjoying this game. Even more if you are a hunting enthusiast. Hunting Simulator 2 is a step into the world of hunting, in a safe way.

Both Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are fascinating remaster projects. They both tell deep, interesting stories and they both look and sound like state-of-the-art visual novels, but both games play like a clunky edutainment adventure game you might find on a primary school computer. Despite the ceaseless issues that I have with the clunky gameplay, I enjoyed my time with both The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind. The narratives are compelling enough for me to brush aside some archaic gameplay flaws, and both games have a tremendous aesthetic that hooked me from the start.

Both Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are fascinating remaster projects. They both tell deep, interesting stories and they both look and sound like state-of-the-art visual novels, but both games play like a clunky edutainment adventure game you might find on a primary school computer. Despite the ceaseless issues that I have with the clunky gameplay, I enjoyed my time with both The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind. The narratives are compelling enough for me to brush aside some archaic gameplay flaws, and both games have a tremendous aesthetic that hooked me from the start.

R-Type Final 2 is sadly the classic example of form over substance. On paper, it provides fans of the beloved R-Type series what they would want in a modern sequel. In reality, it is simply an unenjoyable, below average title with little allure to wade through it.

The gameplay of Journey of the Broken Circle almost caused me to throw my controller across the room and quit several times over its brief journey. But I kept coming back to it because I was charmed by the story and the atmosphere. Those expecting a decent platforming experience might want to look elsewhere, but there is a lot to like.

I want to stress this point: Effie is not a bad game. Strong platforming and charming world and characters make this a valid option for those looking for a bite size 3D platformer…if you are playing on PC or PlayStation. Once I accepted the fact this port was flawed, I was able to see through the bevy of technical issues to a solid core and enjoyed my adventure. However, in its current state, I simply cannot recommend playing Effie on Switch; its technical issues are too grave and crippling to make it a rewarding and non-frustrating experience. Hopefully these issues will be remedied, but at this moment, Galand couldn’t do that.

Compared to animal crossing and other farming sims it is relatively basic. There isn’t that much to do and I found myself spending a lot of time waiting… I love the graphics and soundtrack and I really did enjoy playing Deiland. But felt it was more appropriate as a pick up and put down type of game rather than one that involves longer gaming sessions.

More unique events, more little plot threads to pull on and a greater variety of hazards, would all go a long way to elevate the climb. For now though, Insurmountable is a fun, if simple little experience, that’s perfect for those who want something chill to fill an hour or two.

The blink mechanic is fantastic and really immerses you in the story, you can work around it if you really want to… but I think the way the game is set out, most players will be willing to let their eyelids dictate the story and let it go where it may. For the price, this is unquestionably a must buy! Humanity in a unique interactive story!

Star Wars Republic Commando could be a very interesting game for the Nintendo Switch but due to glaring performance issues it will be hard for me to recommend the game in its current state. For its flaws it does have interesting gameplay and I for one would like to revisit this game once the performance patch has been released and proven to be working correctly.

MLB The Show 21 on the PS5 doesn’t break what works…and with a new mode, pitching interface, cross-play, also improved load times and framerates. While it doesn’t specifically highlight the new console, it again plays a strong game of baseball.

Breathedge is far from your normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill survival games for a magnitude of hysterical reasons that are worth discovering for yourself. Although the game starts a little slow, the constant slapstick dad jokes break up the mundane repetition that players normally encounter when starting a new survival game. It will take a little bit of the game to build up steam and really get going but it’s a necessary element that pays off later when players are required to solve more creative puzzles. Breathedge is one of those games you can play casually at your own pace and doesn’t require long consecutive amounts of time to play. Sparring 15-20 minutes here and there is all that’s required for a steady progression through the game but still very enjoyable if you’ve got ample time up your sleeve as well. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys easter egg styled dad jokes or wants something oddly rewarding to play at a casual pace.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is a great game. A tough one for all those looking for a challenge. It is both a wholly new experience and a familiar one in the same breath. While a few minor bugs plagued me at times and the games’ difficulty throwing me for a few loops, Soulstorm is a solid experience. It’s a much more thought out experience, much closer to the original idea the team at Oddworld Inhabitants had for it way back in the early 90s. Whilst still retaining some of Exoddus’ flair and charm.

I’m not sure how many new converts this will attract but it’s a fun enough experience for Doomheads, even if it falls short of Doom VFR or the flatscreen experiences; exploring the spooky environment is actually worth your time if you enjoy survival horror but, again, the anachronistic gameplay doesn’t quite work here and the game is definitely showing its age in both design and graphics.

If you’re worried that Disco Elysium might be too slow for you, you’re probably right. It’s a visual novel through and through, where 90% of the gameplay is reading. It doesn’t skip any big issues, it doesn’t mind reminding you about the human condition, right after making you giggle uncontrollably; it wants you to be engaged, intoxicated, and uncomfortable. If you value engaging writing and exceptionally gorgeous graphics over a fast paced RPG, Disco Elysium is an adventure absolutely worth investing in.

Hidden items and passages encourage you to explore every corner. But what you find is never worth the effort. Often, I found myself just wanting to be done with the game and not because it is a poorly made game or even a long game. It is just boring. The stages, the movement, the music just does not make for an enjoyable experience. I would give this try only if you are a super fan of basic, retro, action-adventure platformers. Even then I would try something else out first.

Ashwalkers is nothing but a seedling of an idea that is struggling to grow in the fields of ash that surround it.

I think the main problem with Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 as a whole, is it doesn’t know what it wants to be. It gets stuck somewhere in between wanting to be an arcade style racer, and a Monster Truck Sim, and because of this, it fails in both categories, and leaves no one happy. Skip this one.

To summarize it all. Pac-Man 99 is my favorite of the Nintendo battle royals (Goodbye to Mario 35). It is fast paced; it is fun, and it is addictive. You will catch yourself turning a 10-minute quickplay into a 2-hour power run to be the champion. It may get repetitive as these types of games tend to do, but if you enjoy Pac-Man and miss arcades and high score competitions then please try it. Remember its free… sort of.

Apex Legends on the Nintendo Switch is a full fledge free to play, portable (kind of) cousin to the big consoles and PC version with cross-play but no cross-progression. I enjoy playing it and if you do not mind some blurry graphics and frame drops every so often then give this game a try and join up with some friends.

Samurai Shodown on Xbox Series X is one for the fans or for those who enjoy games such as The King of Fighters or Metal Slug. While it doesn’t offer next-gen glory on the XSX (e.g. all those bells and whistles of next-gen gaming), it does offer speed and gameplay that runs as 120 FPS that enhances the gameplay of this classic. For newcomers, controls are easy, however the gameplay might be a little tougher to master but nonetheless, it’s a fun game and one that I’m sure fans will revisit many times.

Overall, besides the fun powers and intriguing world-building, I have to admit that Outriders isn’t anything special to me as it doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from other titans of the looter shooter genre. However, if you like sick powers and loot, then Outriders was made for you.

Doom Eternal is decent on the Switch and is a great game overall even with its issues. If you must play this game on the Switch, then be aware of what you are getting. If you can get it on another platform, I suggest you do that.