Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Nintendo Switch 2 retains all of the core experience of Ubisoft’s premier open-world game, but it is a cut-back version compared to its more powerful rivals. While it doesn’t reach the same heights as the Star Wars Outlaws port, it's still a decent way to experience Naoe and Yasuke’s epic story.

With NBA 2K18 we’ve reached an inevitable crossroad, though the signs should have been seen a while back. The on court action is still the best available, but there is now room for another franchise to come and steal an audience that will be sick of the costs of simply being able to compete in the 2K series. The grind isn’t fun and paying gives advantages over those who won’t or can’t afford to. You absolutely cannot ignore how NBA 2K18 is a full price game that also integrates the business model of a free to play/pay to win title and the way that the enjoyment you get from it suffers because of it.

Coming off the back of Thomas Was Alone, Volume is a much more ambitious and expansive project, and there’s little sign of this being a difficult second album. It can miss the mark in a few areas, depending on how you play, but this is a clever distillation of the classic stealth genre wrapped up in an excellent retelling of a classic English legend.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is packed full of exciting content, memorable characters, and unforgettable adventures.

If you’re looking to move beyond the most obvious of the Nintendo Switch’s launch line-up, you could do far worse than to invest in the Joy-Con and Snipperclips bundle. It captures the essence of the likes of Overcooked!, but with a clear emphasis on using shapes to solve the physics puzzles. Yes, there is a limited amount of content and that hampers the appeal somewhat, but it’s a great icebreaker at house parties.

Perhaps the most successful aspect of the game is how well tension and fear are crafted, and Resident Evil 4 is still a terrifying experience, even for an audience who know what each twist and turn in the game will bring.

It's a compelling experience that takes what you'd expect from Assassin's Creed, refines it and then adds some stellar new features. And when it all ends, you'll experience the closure of old plot threads and the paving of new ones. Until that story is explored in the next game, you've still got the rest of Revelations to get on with – side quests, multiplayer, renovations, recruiting Assassins and much more.

We’ve been primarily reviewing the game on PlayStation 4, twiddling and tapping with our thumbs while patiently waiting for the ability to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version of the game, but have also had access on Xbox Series X. While it looks as good as you’d expect from the recent series on PS4 Pro and performs nicely, there’s a healthy step forward for resolution and frame rate with the next-gen console. Load times are shorter, shrinking down to around 10 seconds of Eivor standing in a watery void, while the world is crisp and sharp at 4K and runs with a 60fps target. The only real blemishes are some light, but noticeable environmental pop-in, and ripples of screentearing down the screen that seem to occur more commonly during cutscenes, but can also happen during regular gameplay at times.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the most ambitious Ys game to date, delivering a larger focus on narrative and a much more involved and organic world to explore. The game stumbles under its ambitions a bit, with a slow opening chapter and a consistently struggling framerate. Despite those issues, though, this is easily one of the best entries in the long-running franchise, and while veteran fans will get a lot out of the callbacks sprinkled throughout the game, newcomers are still in for one of the best action RPGs of the year.

Subnautica is a perfect example an open world survival game that doesn’t rely on action, horror or combat elements to excite. Whilst these classic gaming features are involved to an extent, they take a back seat compared to the story, crafting and surviving elements. And this is what sets Subnautica apart from other survival experiences out there. Don’t let this be the one that got away.

The multiplayer is the life and soul of the game, and lives up to and improves upon what Battlefield 3 had to offer. There’s greater variety of vehicles, maps which push off into new and interesting directions with changeable elements thanks to Levolution...Yet finding a score is tricky. The single player is quite frankly poor.

Disney Infinity 3.0 steers the series back on track after last year’s small spanner in the works. It’s a fun and enjoyable game that never outstays its welcome while also striving to innovate within the existing framework.

Transpose is one of most unique puzzle games that has crossed my path, and I’d definitely recommend it if you own one of the major VR systems. It’s an experience that looks to show people that can do what seems impossible, and holds a message of positivity at its core. Transpose is a puzzle game that deserves the attention.

Overall PIX The Cat is incredibly fun and addictive.

While not striking the same feeling of EA’s golf games of old, PGA Tour 2K25 is HB Studios' best effort yet. There’s enough here to keep you going for a while and if the PGA Tour 2K series continues on this trajectory, might just have the best take on golf games in years to come.

Football Manager 2023 is the most complete football management simulator yet, offering players tons of depth, but also letting them decide how deep they want to go. Just like real football, Football Manager 2023 captures the highs and lows of match days while engrossing you in this virtual football world.

The London Heist always felt like it was leading to something much bigger, and here it is. Blood & Truth is a thrilling romp that puts you at the helm of your own blockbuster, dripping with over-the-top action as you blitz your way from one set piece to the next.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a great time. The remaster is exactly as you'd expect and the new game on top of it is better, more polished, varied, and refined. It's almost converted me to a 3D Sonic guy, which is shocking, and, because it's about Shadow instead of Sonic, you don't have to put up with anywhere near as many obnoxious voice performances. Shadow himself is just a bit broody and says things like "the ultimate power" in an almost-Keanu Reeves voice which really makes me laugh – especially with the Keanu voice pack coming in December for some top tier silliness.

Demeo is a fun and accessible digital board game, evoking games like HeroQuest with its turn-based dungeon-crawling. In VR it's a pleasingly tactile experience that's great to share with co-op friends, but if you need or prefer to play on a TV screen? Well that's still good too.

Going Under is an excellent roguelite that is challenging, rewarding and hilarious at the same time. It takes a little while to get going, but once it does it's a delight. As a scathingly satirical look at tech startups and culture it's likely unmatched, helping it to stay fresh and funny for a long time.

I started Everspace 2 deeply unsure about a space looter shooter. Tens of hours later I don’t want to play anything else. Everspace 2 is a towering achievement of space-based thrills and spills. It absolutely deserves your attention.

Vertigo 2 is a decent and lengthy VR shooter, but it comes up short when compared to other PSVR 2 games. It's a big game by a solo developer, filled with varied environments, weapons and enemies, but it's just not as refined as the best VR games. Still, it's well worth a look if you fancy a bit of a VR shooter romp.

Powerwash Simulator VR is the ultimate evolution of Futurlab’s astoundingly satisfying smash hit, effortlessly translating the calming clean 'em up to virtual reality.

Disgaea 7 Complete clearly is the ultimate version of Vows of the Virtueless. The story is as quirky and fun as ever, and the bonus content is an absolute must for die-hard fans. Being able to play it on the Switch 2 on the go is also great, with the game looking and feeling fantastic in both handheld and docked mode. The only knock is the uphill struggle for newcomers with reams of tiresome tutorials – hopefully NIS will have figured out by the time Disgaea 8 rolls around.

A really good experience. There’s enough here for fans of action, stealth and survival to enjoy. Though the series seems to have moved on from being scary the majority of the time, it does this progression in a way that feels natural.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has a lot going for it, from a fun and quirky protagonist to snappy combat and gorgeous visuals. Above all else, though, it's one of the most immersive and rewarding farming experiences in gaming. To slowly toil through each step of the process and eventually reap your rewards is a delight, and even if the combat encounters can sometimes become a frustrating chore, the slow process of cultivating the rice harvest is always a treat.

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete pulls together two classic RPGs that are as endearing and enjoyable as they were two decades ago.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a great portrayal of the space-faring heroes and a good game. We encountered some annoying bugs that are hopefully alleviated with patches, and it's pretty linear, but this is an interstellar romp that you can enjoy across a few evenings.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a good JRPG that sadly falls short of greatness due to missteps that you wouldn’t expect to see in a modern game.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black offers a comprehensive remake of Team Ninja’s finest game, rendered in beautiful modern visuals. Combat is as bombastically brilliant as it ever was, though the awful camera will put off many of those new to the game, it really hasn’t aged well. Still, as a reminder of how good Ninja Gaiden can be, this remake offers a tantalising taste of what we can all look forward to when Ninja Gaiden 4 is released later this year.

The best rendition of the Warhammer 40,000 universe we've ever seen. Bombastic, brutal and brilliant fun from start to finish, though those who are already invested in Games Workshop's sci-fi world will get the most out of it.

It's still an incredibly fun new adventure, and the Pokémon selection and variety is the best it's ever been. That said, it would be incredible to see the Wild Area become the new norm for the series, but as it stands, many of the new features feel more like spraying your sofa with Febreeze when really you need to buy a new sofa. Sure, it smells and feels new, but it's not, and you should really just commit to moving on from what was normal, and forge a new path into a new sofa. Look, just go with it.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a huge amount of great 2D Mario (and Luigi) platforming and it’s at its easiest to pick up and play on Switch, but even with the sheer volume of content this doesn’t really feel like a ‘Deluxe’ game. Toadette’s easier gameplay comes at the cost of a regular difficulty fourth character, and makes for a token appearance of Peach as a playable character, while the best all round multiplayer fun has been left behind with the Wii U’s GamePad.

Amongst the most generous expansions of all time, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country is one of the year’s best RPGs.

Super Mega Baseball 3 is a good upgrade over its predecessor. The new franchise mode and player traits add depth, but it's still built around accessible baseball fun. If you want a sports game to enjoy with friends, something a bit less hardcore than MLB The Show, then Super Mega Baseball 3 is a great shout.

Infinity Ward was never going to recapture the magic of the original Modern Warfare, but this is still their most memorable Call of Duty game of the past decade. This is a bold new spin that’s uneven in places, but proves there is still room for innovation within that core template.

Where the original console release of Assetto Corsa Competizione had some huge caveats hanging over it, the game's release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S brings it up to spec, effectively matching the PC version. It still has some weaknesses in presentation and structure for new players in particular, but once you get into the groove, it's one of the best sim racers you can buy right now.

It’s still definitely worth playing, but there’s a nagging feeling that it could have been better...Yes, it’s visually stunning – definitely a showcase for what Sony’s first party studios can do – but it simply doesn’t quite draw you in like it should and without that investment from the player it’s one set piece after another.

While it’s not perfect, that extra time has given Telltale room to breathe life into a new and interesting cast of admittedly flawed characters, build new relationships and present them with new and immediate dangers, always with the threat of zombies in the background.

A great game and the user-created DLC is better than watching someone fail to win a penny on Millionaire.

It doesn’t always get that blend quite right, and the price of entry is very high, but it’s an excellent first attempt that’s full of nostalgia and more than a few moments of brilliance.

The astute Civ player can shape the history of their nation and craft a story for the ages with with pinpoint accuracy. The Gathering Storm enriches this experience by giving you more ways to add subtle realism to how the world evolves around you and how you can directly affect it. With so many new and returning features, it’s hard not to recommend this expansion to Civ fans, turning an already great game into one for the literal ages.

It's a remarkable title and yet another shining example of the excellent quality we’ve come to expect from the PSN Store when developers put their mind to it.

The Sly Cooper Trilogy on Vita is one of the best collections available, and it remains so much fun. Sure, the first game does seem a bit dated and repetitive, but the other two titles really open up the gameplay options.

Dropsy manages to subvert your expectations, and has managed to create a main character you can feel for, even though he doesn’t speak. Dropsy just wants to make people happy in a world that is filled with problems, and by helping them he can achieve his goal.

NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is a big step forward for the franchise and easily the best version of this year’s basketball franchise. There might be the feeling that features were shorn from the current gen release to give it more impact, but from the inclusivity of featuring the WNBA in MyPlayer, to the sprawling The City online hub and the stunning graphics and gameplay improvements, this will keep you and your new console happy well into 2022.

Ready Or Not is an incredible co-op experiencing, blending tough-as-nails encounters with hilarious co-op shenanigans and dynamic objectives. It isn't nearly as much fun singleplayer, but it's definitely just as tense.

Honkai: Star Rail isn't a groundbreaking experience or a massive new open-world action game, but it's still full of promise and potential as a polished, pretty, and easy-to-master RPG experience.

It's still an incredibly fun new adventure, and the Pokémon selection and variety is the best it's ever been. That said, it would be incredible to see the Wild Area become the new norm for the series, but as it stands, many of the new features feel more like spraying your sofa with Febreeze when really you need to buy a new sofa. Sure, it smells and feels new, but it's not, and you should really just commit to moving on from what was normal, and forge a new path into a new sofa. Look, just go with it.

Puppeteer is, at its heart, a charming adventure, though not without its issues; it may have wasted the potential required with the interchangeable head idea to become something really special, but you will no doubt find yourself joining in with the audience laughing along to the antics on show and warming to the characters, be it hero or villain.

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late is a welcome addition to the fighting genre, and whilst there are a few rough edges, and a barmy plot, its welcoming but deep mechanics, enjoyable characters and solid performance should see it gain as many fans on this side of the world as it did in the East.

Metro Exodus provides an immersive FPS experience that marks a new milestone for the franchise. Its survival-horror, sandbox and shooter elements are remarkably well balanced, constituting an engaging and thrilling game that’ll leave you no stranger to a good jump scare. The once linear horror franchise has been reformed, introducing expansive environments to indulge in without derailing the narrative. Metro Exodus is a must play.

Following on from Max and Chloe’s time-twisting adventure was always going to be a tricky task, but Dontnod have pulled it off with aplomb in Life Is Strange 2’s first episode. Sean and Daniel’s relationship, the tragedy that sends them on the run, the contrasting people that they meet and the supernatural twists on a modern day drama all come together in wonderful fashion.

With a compelling historical story as its inspiration, multi-faceted train management and tough small-scale tactical battles, there’s a lot for strategy fans to like about Last Train Home, and I’m keen to keep chugging away with my own journey through the game. [Review in Progress]

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a fresh step forward with just as much charm and joy as the rest of the series. It's an incredible starting point for newcomers and an exciting change of pace for long-time fans.

Doom Eternal is one of my favourite games of this year, and Panic Button has outdone themselves in bringing this unforgettable FPS to the Nintendo Switch. There are some awkward nags like the clunky Joy-Con sticks and playing at 30fps that bring the experience down a bit, but I'm still beside myself over the fact that Doom Eternal manages to work on a Nintendo Switch. Is this the ultimate version of the game? Not by a long shot. But if you only have access to a Switch or you've been dying to bring this game on the go, you'll still have the time of your life.

The whole thing is a delight, and one of the more interesting takes on the deckbuilding roguelike genre I've played since Monster Train, which is apt, because it definitely takes some inspiration from that game. This is one of those games I'll be playing for months and possibly years to come, because it just feels good when you finally get a strong run going. However, the difficulty may put off some players. I recommend pushing through and fighting for those small successes, and those that do so will be rewarded by one of the best indie games of 2023 so far.

It’s a clichéd line but that doesn’t stop it from being true: if you loved Moving Out then you’ll love Moving Out 2. It’s a whole lot more of the same chaotic multiplayer action you’ve come to expect. Sadly, when you get your mates around to play, you’ll likely just focus on the early levels, as the game once again loses its way and gets far too hard in the latter stages. A focus on straight-up non-stop silly fun would be much appreciated if there’s a Moving Out 3.

Remnant II is a fantastic fantasy shooter, offering a dark and enticing series of worlds to explore, loot and conquer. Whether you’re playing solo or in co-op, this is easily one of the game experiences of the year.

In Ace Combat 7 dogfighting games have a new Top Gun. The VR sadly turned my stomach, but the series’ trademark action is bigger and better than ever, with the spectacular weather effects introducing a level of realism and drama that will win over any wannabe Mavericks.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ties up the entirety of the series’ history prior to World in spectacular style, and emphasises why the game has worked so well as a handheld title for all these years. While it leans heavily on the past heritage of the series, here’s hoping that there’s a place for further similar titles in Monster Hunter’s future.

Tequila Works’ efforts these past few years have delivered a game that’s full of beguiling charm and beauty, one that can stand up to many of the comparisons with some of the most fondly remembered games of the last decade. It doesn’t always meet those high standards, but Rime has been well worth the wait.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a lovely return for the series' 2.5D puzzle platforming. It tinkers with and broadens the gameplay options to be more welcoming, and levels can feel a little stretched out at times, but grab a couple of friends and stick it on Classic mode, and this will delight fans of those first two games.

As far as remakes go, you can’t get any better than this. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is exactly how fans envisioned it - an unadulterated celebration of a PlayStation pioneer. With such a weight on their shoulders, Vicarious Visions have pulled it off with such diligence, infused with a streak of their own creativity. Then there’s Naughty Dog original efforts, of course. Even those only acquainted with Uncharted and The Last of Us can appreciate how the studio first made its name, and the journey from Crash Bandicoot to Warped is one of continued innovation. Some two decades later, it’s great to see that some things never change.

Mekazoo is a familiar platforming experience that’s immensely fun. Zooming through the levels is a good time on your own, but really the game is designed for playing with a friend next to you. If you’re looking for an evening or two’s worth of entertainment for platformer fans, then Mekazoo is well worth the price of admission.

Octahedron is a great platforming experience with a unique identity, style, and gameplay. Its dozens upon dozens of levels are a tiny bit on the short side, but mastering those challenges is what kept me coming back for more. It’s one of the more distinct offerings as part of the Square Enix Collective and is something of a hidden gem.

Pixeljunk Monsters 2 is a very solid entry in the tower defence genre. The little things it has changed make for some really interesting choices when it comes to tower placement and co-op play makes it much more replayable. Graphically the game is stunning in it’s own way and will keep you invested in the tree-destroying, tower-building, funky-dancing gameplay as you progress through the increasingly tricky levels until the end. It suffers from the same issues prevalent in any TD game but is a solid entry nevertheless.

Although hardly original in its premise, Dauntless offers an extremely fun and accessible take on the monster-hunting roleplaying game. It wastes no time in throwing you straight into the action and while easy to pick up there’s plenty of depth there for fans of the genre. What’s more Dauntless is completely free to play, gracefully sidestepping those annoying monetisation pitfalls we’re so used to seeing.

As confusing as it is entertaining, Superliminal constantly uses unique mechanics that go against your expectations, even once you've adjusted to what it did last time. It might be short, but it's a genuine delight.

ScourgeBringer has a mostly enjoyable flow to it and some great visuals, if you can see them in the chaos. However, it’s joining the cavalcade of roguelites around at the moment, and brings little new to the table, outside of some often burdensome bullet hell elements. If you’ve got an itch for recurring death and frustration, this will definitely satisfy for a time, but there are far better examples of the genre out there.

Overall, I like Dandy Ace a fair bit, but the story doesn't do quite enough to drive you to do more runs, and there were a few times when things felt grossly unfair due to the sheer volume of enemies that some rooms spit at you. The card combination system is wonderful to use though, and that'll keep mechanically-minded players involved for a fair while with Dandy Ace.

Super Magbot is a highlight in the puzzle platformer genre. It sports unique gameplay that I haven't seen anywhere else, and it's definitely the most fun I've had with magnets in years. The rest of the package isn't as groundbreaking as the gameplay, but it's still totally solid. Some bland writing and so-so music aside, this is a killer addition to any sidescrolling platforming fans collection.

If I could grade Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duels in Magic Terms, I’d give it a Sideboard B. If you love Yu-Gi-Oh, this is probably the pinnacle of the game’s experience, with modern flourishes and easy access to a huge repository of cards. However, if you’re not a hardcore fan and just fancy dipping your toes in the water, this game is probably not for you — by all means give it a chance, but don’t be surprised if you find its complexities impossible to overcome.

I adore so much of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, from being able to play as an undead lich, to how the story adapts to that choice like you're playing through an incredibly detailed dark fantasy book. That's why I'm almost devastated by the game's lack of polish. It's unbalanced, there's bugs that forced regular restarts, and the console UI isn't suited to managing a crusade, which isn't as interesting as kingdom management. If this is your kind of game, you're better off trying to play on PC. Otherwise, you can join me in enjoying the game despite itself, or play Kingmaker until this has had some significant patches.

The Mega Man Battle Network series was a huge part of my childhood, but now I get to appreciate these card-collection tactical RPGs from a whole new perspective. While some of these entries are mostly fun nostalgia trips, most of them hold up just as well today, and the restored content from the Patch Cards alongside the robust online functionality make this collection the definitive way to experience the series.

The Mega Man Battle Network series was a huge part of my childhood, but now I get to appreciate these card-collection tactical RPGs from a whole new perspective. While some of these entries are mostly fun nostalgia trips, most of them hold up just as well today, and the restored content from the Patch Cards alongside the robust online functionality make this collection the definitive way to experience the series.

Hunt the Night is close to being a great Bloodbourne-inspired Souls-like, but it suffers from a midgame area that's a chore to navigate and a late game difficulty spike that goes beyond punishing and straight into sadistic. Some of this could be adjusted in updates, but as things stand, I can only recommend this title to those who really want to challenge themselves. If that sounds like you, then there is much to like.

Everyone has had their edgelord phase, whether they want to admit it or not. Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer is an explosion and poop-joke filled journey through those memories, and I loved it. Zayn is crude, and weird, and narcissistic, and way too easy to relate to - he's a reflection of a dorky teenage past, brought to the surface via a fast, fierce, and unforgettable shooter experience.

Worldless is a fun and challenging action platformer that has a great minimalist style, and a battle system that is fun to master. However, there are bits that need tightening up to make it truly great.

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is without a doubt the funnest fighting game of the year. An already smooth and satisfying fighter has been improved and expanded on so many levels with the new systems, mechanics, and moves this sequel adds. If you're gonna play any 2D fighting game right now, make it this one.

Anomaly Agent is a fun and furious action platformer, mixing fast-paced combat with an awesome soundtrack.

Galacticare blasts Theme Hospital off into outer space, putting its own distinctive spin on a management sim classic. It keeps things light with harmonious alien cultures and streamlined doctor levelling, making for a nice and accessible time.

For under a fiver and with around five to six hours of content, the Mask of Darkness is practically an essential addition for fans of The Lost Crown. Offering an intense experience; as well as a surprisingly compelling story that fills in many of the blanks from the original game. Recommended.

I love the idea of Hunt: Showdown 1896, but in practise it's mostly abandoned by people either sprinting all the time or camping all the time. It's hard to "get good" in this game because, one; it doesn't tell you how to, so you have to watch youtube videos and read reddit threads to figure things as basic as what UI elements mean in the menus, and two; because everyone else is already good and you die before you can get anything done or learn anything. I've made some progress, but doing so was a frustrating and gruelling experience that wasn't entirely down to my own incompetence. If you're a glutton for punishment this could be the extraction shooter for you, but it's hard to recommend to anyone that isn't already embedded in it.

Birdigo has the right foundations in place and there is a a great hook to it, but it needs a couple of improvements to make people stick around. Progression is far too slow and being stuck on one migration run for hours is demotivating. Having more feathers and songs may help to realise the charming potential of this game.

Whilst Mimimi Games might be sadly gone, real-time tactics lovers shouldn’t fear as Artificer Games are here to continue their legacy. Not only a brilliant console conversion, Sumerian Six is a thrillingly inventive real-time strategy game in its own right, one that encapsulates much of what made Shadow Tactics, Desperados 3, and Shadow Gambit so great, though this time with the added fun of mauling Nazis.

At £25 this is an absolute steal, and don't listen to anyone saying this is only a demo, it's not - it's worth every penny and is only going to get bigger and better given the support the Japanese version is seeing.

NEO: The World Ends with You is way too cool, way too fun, and way too good. For fans of the series, this is a sequel that goes above and beyond 14 years of hopes and expectations. For newcomers who have never even heard of the Reaper's Game, this is one of the most genuine, polished, and stylish games I've ever played. Personality and style ooze out of it constantly, and in a post-Persona 5 world where society is starting to clamour for more immersive and all-encompassing JRPG masterpieces, this might just be the next big thing.

Having found Tribute Games' previous release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, to be one of the best scrolling beat ‘em ups I’d ever played, I had high expectations for Marvel Cosmic Invasion. How could Shredder’s Revenge with Marvel characters go wrong? Sadly, Marvel Cosmic Version is entirely OK but fails to be anything more than that.

If you can’t get behind the Anime-like over-dramatisation and occasional bit of weirdness, chances are you’ll switch off within five minutes...For those who have the patience, however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a visual novel as consistent on PlayStation Vita.

I really enjoyed my time with Nikoderiko: The Magical World. It's a blast in singleplayer, and after a good few evenings playing in coop with my kids I and can absolutely recommend it as a local multiplayer experience too. If you're a platforming fan, then this is one you won't want to miss.

Not needing to reinvent the wheel, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 delivers the same fun and brilliant mash-up of two of the best drop-puzzle games ever with a healthy dollop of content, both classic and new. The jury's still out on whether the new Skill Battles will change things up, but regardless, this is a great puzzle package for parties or pros, and hopefully a great jumping off point for newcomers to discover the marvel and skill of competitive puzzle battles.

Tales of Xillia Remastered is a wonderful showcase for why the Tales franchise has thrived for the past three decades. It's packed full of charm, strung together with incredible battles, and has me so excited for whichever entry in the series gets remastered next.

Gravity Rush 2 is everything I wanted out of a sequel. It’s bigger, better, it’s drop-dead gorgeous and it never stagnates.

F1 Manager 24 captures the true essence of the sport, focussing on strategy, manufacturing and just how far you can push your tyres. If you’re a fan of F1, this year’s outing is an essential accompaniment to the season thanks in no small part to the addition of Create A Team.

It's still an incredibly fun new adventure, and the Pokémon selection and variety is the best it's ever been. That said, it would be incredible to see the Wild Area become the new norm for the series, but as it stands, many of the new features feel more like spraying your sofa with Febreeze when really you need to buy a new sofa. Sure, it smells and feels new, but it's not, and you should really just commit to moving on from what was normal, and forge a new path into a new sofa. Look, just go with it.

With its piratical new setting and boatylicious battling, Cat Quest 3 is another fun and light sequel in probably the cutest action RPG series out there.

Stories From Sol: The Gun-Dog is a decent visual novel, and a good opening salvo for what is supposed to be the first entry to a wider universe. While most of the story is self-contained, there are major plot points left open to be resolved in later releases. The different visual styles all look good, the story is fine if familiar, and you can get through it in an afternoon.