Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an incredible blend of story, gameplay and world design. I don't think it trumps Bloodborne, personally, but it may well be the next best game that FromSoftware has created. It definitely has the most experimental aspects and rises above so many of its peers because it dares to punish you for not paying attention. As ever, the elation you find when overcoming a challenge is unparalleled. This is one for the masochists and the hard-headed, but it will welcome any who have the patience to learn it. Sekiro is bloody brilliant.

It takes elements from other Milestone games such as the improved visuals and track deformation, adds a few unique features of its own and provides a perfectly acceptable dirt racing game experience. But, in a world where acceptable isn’t quite good enough, I wish more developers dipped their toes into the bike racing arena to really push Milestone to another level. MEAS2FWCTOVG is solid but uninspiring.

The Princess Guide is an adorable, energetic game. It has gorgeous art and fun, well-written characters. It's just marred by grinding through messy and poorly designed combat. The AI squad-mates that are so integral to the action have terrible AI that make it impossible to consistently coordinate any of their actions. There's massive heart and care put into the narrative and visual design of The Princess Guide, but that is weighed down by how frustrating it is to play the game.

Fate/Extella Link is a major step in the right direction for this Dynasty Warriors spinoff series. It takes the ideas of the original and executes them all even better than before. Unfortunately, the story still flounders a bit, putting too much focus on new hero Charlemagne and not enough on the beefy supporting cast, and it's still a little repetitive at times, but the new Skill systems help ease that monotony a lot. Fate/Extella Link is fun and flashy as hell, and even though it still has some issues and annoyances, it's guaranteed enjoyment for any Fate fan.

Whilst Everspace does repeat itself, you can quickly brush through the more repetitive aspects in favour of its combat. This is where the game focuses and it is pretty great, with plenty of options to choose from when you happen upon them. If a little repetition doesn't put you off, then you could probably do worse than Everspace on Switch.

Steins;Gate Elite lays down the welcome mat for newcomers whilst providing a much-needed excuse for eager fans to lose themselves in this stirring tale once more. Long-winded, technical dialogue segments are remedied with engaging animated scenes that keep you more thoroughly ensnared in it’s compelling story.

Reverie is a game that suits the Switch very well. As a simple dungeon crawler, it does the job well with a steady difficulty progression as the story goes on, but it's the puzzles that provide most of the challenge, with some solutions require quite a bit of thinking outside the box. This is a short and succinct game that's great for those looking for something quite light.

While fans can likely find enjoyment in spending time with the One Piece crew, there are far better open world adventures out there.

Left Alive is an ambitious new development from Square Enix. Unfortunately, that ambition is squandered. The gameplay is dreadful, the enemy AI is broken, and the visuals are bland as all hell. Those issues are complemented by a boring story and a slew of audio and gameplay bugs that simply make Left Alive a failure on all fronts.

Sky Gamblers - Afterburner is the latest game from a studio that has spent 10 years churning out similar phone-only dogfighting games, and it absolutely shows. Every visual and 3D model in the game looks like something that would be running on a five year old iPhone. The story is simply...there, and has little care or thought put into it, but I can appreciate that the gameplay is successful, and the visual customisation is a fun touch, too. If you just want to get in a jet and shoot down some bogeys, Sky Gamblers - Afterburner is fine, but certainly not ideal.

Beat Cop is one perp that’s best approached with caution.

while True: Learn () is a novel and interesting puzzle game that is well worth a look for anyone interested in the thought processes behind computer coding. The comprehensive history of machine learning is a fascinating context, and the quest to teach a computer to understand the thinking process of a cat is as silly as it is effective.

Dick Wilde 2 is a fun game and not much more than that. What it lacks the complexity of other VR shooters, it makes up for it with co-op, but it's very much one of those games where once you've played one level you've played them all. It doesn't reinvent the world of shooters, but is good at the small slice it chooses to take part in.

Swords & Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon is a fantastic RTS addition to the Switch's library, and thanks to its portability and the addition of touch controls, Nintendo's console is once more the best place to play.

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn brings one of the Wii’s most underappreciated gems to a new audience on 3DS. In and of itself it remains a great game and the new features are mostly successful additions. The lack of 3DS specific controls does beg the question as to why this isn’t on Switch, but if you do still have a 3DS, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn stands up as a system highlight and deserves more success than it found in its previous incarnation.

Hideaki Itsuno, my hat goes off to you and your crew. It's only March, and yet Devil May Cry 5 is another clear Game of the Year contender. The silly arguments on whether the original DMC or DmC is better can stop now, because DMC5 is here and it’s bloody brilliant. This is a proper return to form for the series, something that fans of both can get behind.

Whilst clunky controls and uninspiring visuals hamper proceedings, Attack of the Earthlings nonetheless offers an intoxicating mix of satisfying strategy, well designed levels and guffaw inducing humour.

Horizon Shift '81 is simple, stellar fun. The arcade shooter inspired gameplay puts a fun twist on the classic genre that provides hours of pure, flashy entertainment. Boss fights bring a fun, modern twist to the game, but could have used some sound effects in order to make them even stronger. Overall, if you've got a Switch and have the itch for some old-school arcade blast-em-up fun, Horizon Shift '81 is a great way to feed that craving.

Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight is a pretty decent aerial combat title with engaging battles and a bit of variety, but it also becomes repetitive quickly and the grinding nature when it comes to unlocking new planes is a bit too impeding. Perfect for those short bursts of gaming when you have little time.

Oniken does a few things right, but flounders when it comes to the most important parts of the experience. The visuals and audio of the game are a faithful and accurate tribute to the style of classic NES action games, sure. All of the artistic flair in the world can't help a game that simply isn't fun to play, though. Action in Oniken is consistently stiff and frustrating, and while boss encounters can provide brief moments of gratifying gameplay, only the most dedicated of action platformer fans will have the patience to reach those encounters.

The Occupation has a premise that is really intriguing in theory. Trying to spy on a powerful entity and taking them to task with your questioning is the kind of experience that can be great in the game, and taking inspiration from current affairs makes it feel much more authentic. It's a shame that various bugs, even when updated to the most recent build, can make the experience feel lacklustre, and at times a frustration to play.

The simplistic set up helps to distill Space Pirate Trainer's essence as a score attack shooter. Later waves are certainly frenetic, but even with powerups, explosions and shields it doesn’t result in complete sensory overload, allowing you to concentrate on besting your previous effort. Topping your best scores is addictive stuff, let me tell you! At one point I managed to get the 31st best arcade score in the world. It’s dropped and I now linger in the 70s, but I’ll get it back. I’ve nearly finished my training.

As ever, Dead or Alive 6 is a polished 3D fighter that will likely still struggle for acceptance on the ‘serious’ fighting circuit thanks to the excesses of its character’s costumes.

There's a great deal to like about Fimbul, from its luxuriant vector inspired visuals to the solid combat and an interesting interpretation of Norse Mythology. Whilst the delivery of the plot in a comic book format disappoints, it is the failure of the frame rate that provides Fimbul's fatal and final blow. Without this issue being remedied, despite the many reasons I like the game, Fimbul is difficult to recommend.

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a hard sell. If you loved the originals, then there might be enough here to spirit you back to the days of the Mega Drive, but without knowing the source material, you are left with a good looking but fairly generic walkabout game.

A throwback to the bad old days of movie tie-ins, this uninspired and dull reskin of LEGO Worlds takes all the good parts of the LEGO games and tosses them in the bin. This is the game that President Business would have designed, full of static environments and boring construction. Everything is far from awesome with The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame.

Arcade Spirits is a successful experiment in creating an inclusive and immersive visual novel experience, it just needs to nail the "novel" part of that experience. Yet, for as flawed as the line-to-line writing of Arcade Spirits can be, I still found myself really enjoying the overall story of the game. Arcade Spirits already won a lot of points with me for being a relatively bite-sized adventure, but I also loved the cast of characters and the casual nature of the entire experience. Unfortunately, a lot of rough writing and dialogue in the game keeps me from truly loving it.

Singularity 5 is one of those rare games that looks so good it shouldn't play well, but still does. It's an incredibly aggressive piece of interactive art, one that you can only fully experience if you're willing to don a VR headset and fight through hordes of robots with great feeling weapons. I don't know if this is a must-play game, but it's definitely a must see game. It's the kind of world that you'd happily get stuck in. Well, if it weren't for the angry robots.

Trials Rising takes us back to basics with the real world inspiring a long series of new and inventive trials, but losing none of the challenge or RedLynx's dark sense of humour. The menus are a bit messy, the loot boxes pointless, and it doesn't really advance the series, but when you get into it this is the series back to its addictive, infuriating, "one more go!" best.

A solid port of what is easily Paradox Interactive's most accessible grand strategy game. While Stellaris has evolved and grown over the past three years on PC, the base game is still a good solid grand strategy title with some intriguing ideas for storytelling and managing an endgame, though without some of the depth of their other titles. More importantly, wrapped a controller and TV friendly interface around the game that puts control over even the grandest of empires well within your grasp.

Anthem is a song that we've heard a few too many times before. Here's a game that promises a grand vision of an open world, of a co-op RPG shooter that you can play for dozens of hours with your friends, but at launch it simply doesn't live up to expectations. The core exosuit flying, the Javelin design, the interwoven combat and the gorgeous world BioWare have created are all excellent, but at launch it's lumbered by bugs, technical hitches and odd or uninspired design decision. I want to like this game, but sometimes it doesn't make it easy.

Just as Codemaster’s competitors were starting to creep towards the digital rallying crown, Dirt Rally 2.0 puts them firmly back in the rear-view mirror. Utterly convincing, enthralling and punishing, Dirt Rally 2 is an exquisite racing sim.

Project Warlock is a Doom-like that packs a punch. The levels are full of secrets, the enemies have a great range of behaviours, and the weapons – boy, the weapons – are a joy to use. Add all of that to the 60 levels to learn and explore and the challenges provided by the higher difficulty levels and you have a winning formula. Even if the pixel graphics aren’t your usual cup of tea, Project Warlock is more than worth your time.

Fight of Gods was bad on PC and it's still bad on the Switch. It looks horrific on and off the dock, controls terribly and lacks any variety in modes to keep you interested. There are a lot of good fighters already available on Switch, and this has no place among them. It’s just a bad game and there’s not much more to be said than that. Do yourself a favour and save your pennies. Avoid at all costs.

Compile Heart set out to prove they could do something different by making Death end re;Quest, and they absolutely succeeded. Unfortunately, the interesting ideas at the heart of the game are undone by the groan-inducing and lengthy dialogue that often tries too hard to be taken seriously. Edgy writing aside, Death end re;Quest has marvellous gameplay that kept me glued to my controller. It's a strong package for JRPG fans, but you might end up wanting to use that skip button during cutscenes.

This child-friendly dungeon crawler has brief moments of brilliance, but descends too often into dull drudgery. Plus, for a game about flying a dragon, actually flying your dragon is a lead weight.

Crackdown 3 manages to escape its troubled development in style, offering up a somewhat safe return to the superhero cop action of its predecessors in a bright and unpretentious campaign. It feels like the perfect antidote to some of the more bloated open world experiences of recent years. You can also briefly revel in the Wrecking Zone’s glorious destruction, even if all that fancy cloud tech simply leaves you hungry for what the game could have been.

Far Cry New Dawn isn't bad by any stretch, and judged on its own it's a pretty good game. Its combat is still satisfying, capturing outposts never ceases to be entertaining, but the issue is that it both isn't different enough from or as good as its predecessor. Far Cry 5 is a better game and New Dawn is too similar to recommend unless you literally just want more of the same, but with less vision.

Crossover games are nothing new to Bandai Namco or Shonen Jump, so it surprises and disappoints me to see that none of the good aspects or successful mechanics of these previous games made their way into Jump Force at all. Jump Force is a visual mess, It lacks the fun and charm that a wild crossover like this should embrace, and It's just a technical mess from top to bottom. Jump Force is a huge celebration of some of the most iconic manga in history, but it fails to do any of them justice.

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.

As much as OlliOlli Switch Stance brings back the greatness of these games, hopefully exposing them to a new audience on Switch, I hope it’s a gateway to seeing what Roll7 can come up with in a third game.

Conarium is a good example of a Lovecraftian game. It focuses on the atmosphere and lore that characterises the genre whilst mostly avoiding the worst excesses. It tells an intriguing story well despite the slightly dodgy voice acting and presents a good approximation of the impossible non-Euclidean geometry of the Elder God’s world. If you like a touch of Cthulhu in your life, then you could do worse than venturing into Conarium’s brand of madness.

PC gamers with a passion for action need to check these games out, and existing Yakuza diehards might want to consider grabbing a PC copy of Kiwami for future playthroughs. With a gamepad.

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.

Thea: The Awakening has lots of interesting ideas, but shoves them into a compilation and order that stop them from being enjoyable. It isn't bad, so much as it is sure to cause a state of befuddlement in all who play it. It's also very hard to recommend this over, say, Civilisation VI. Add in the slight technical bumps and you have an awkward Switch port of a weird game. It just feels like someone through darts at a list of genres and went for it. 10/10 for ambition, not so much for the end result.

God Eater 3 boasts fantastic monster hunting combat and the best visuals we've seen from the series, but hangs onto too many of the previous game's hang-ups.

Certainly, The Grand Tour Game is hard to recommend if you are looking for the final word in virtual racing. Technically, this is far from polished. It also wouldn’t be appropriate to give it a score either though, seen as at the time of writing on a Thursday evening less than 30% of the game is available. What I do know is that in the morning there will be a new episode to watch and a new episode to play through. The trailer has pick-up trucks and explosions, and you know what? I can’t wait.

Unruly Heroes is a solid game, a good game, a fun game, it just isn’t a brilliant game. All of the components are fun, the visual style is lovely, the characters are easy to use and the puzzles don’t make you want to throw your Switch at the cat. Those are all good qualities, but it just lacks that little bit extra that would turn it into a great game, a must-play. You aren’t going to walk away with a new appreciation of life or Journey to the West, just a feeling of “Yeah, that was a laugh.”

In a world bereft of a new Advance Wars, Wargroove is a worthy successor. Its fantasy retro strategy stylings mark it out as a wonderful amalgamation of the classic Fire Emblem and Wars games, and while it doesn’t revolutionise the genre in the way that the modern Fire Emblem games have it nails the feel of Intelligent System’s best games – while standing proudly on its own.

8-Bit Hordes has attention grabbing visuals but little else on offer. This is Real Time Strategy by the numbers and entirely forgettable, though other developers would do well to remember and adopt the 8-Bit series control scheme. In that regard at least, Hordes might have some of its own ideas pilfered, rather than liberally borrowing everyone else’s.

Genesis Alpha One mixes the spirits of FTL and No Man’s Sky into a solid space simulator cocktail. Your success is dependent on your approach, with playing it safe all but guaranteeing you reach a Genesis, but a little recklessness can lead to ship invasions and desperate measure. Its unpredictable nature means you’re always on the lookout for danger and celebrate every little victory. Genesis Alpha One is recommended if you’re looking for a new challenge among the stars.

Shadows: Awakening ultimately fails to be the action RPG that fans of the genre need. It has some interesting ideas and decent writing, but the story shifts to the backburner after a while and the side missions and combat aren’t enough to maintain interest through the grind it turns into. It’s not bad, it’s just not particularly inspiring either. If you need a new diablo-like and a lack of polish or a glut of grind doesn’t bother you, there are definitely worse options out there.

A Fisherman’s Tale succeeds in being one of the most interesting games on VR. It is charming, magical, and awe-inspiring. It manages to do all of this with you playing as a puppet, and feeling a huge amount of warmth towards that little puppet. It is just a shame that the playtime is so short, even just an extra couple of hours would have made this impossible to miss. As it stands, it is a wonderful game that deserves playing, but the play time is such a drawback to an otherwise impeccable game.

Episode 2 continues the strong start that Life Is Strange 2 made all the way back in September of last year. Once again, while this is a story that features the supernatural, it’s a very human drama at its heart and one that’s well worth enjoying. Given the long wait between episodes, though, you might prefer to hold off until the season has been concluded.

This Resident Evil 2 remake is a phenomenal update of a classic game. It combines the best of the original's narrative and puzzles with the ammo crafting of Resident Evil 3 and the action gameplay of Resident Evil 4 to create a hybrid that still manages to feel like classic Resi. Old fans will enjoy the nostalgic retread of Racoon City in all its newfound glory, whilst newcomers will get to experience one of the finest episodes of the series as it should be. The remake has been more than worth the wait, and the evil of the Umbrella Corporation is back in residence at the top of the survival horror pile once more.

My favorite gaming experiences are the ones that elicit a pure and physical response from me. Whether it’s a horror game making me clench my cheeks or a story-driven game dropping my jaw and pulling a tear from my eye, those kinds of experiences are the ones that stick with me the most. With Pikuniku, I was smiling and laughing throughout the entire thing, and too few games get that kind of response out of me. Pikuniku is a treasure of a game, and I can’t wait to see more from this team.

Override: Mech City Brawl is an indie mech arena brawler that gets a lot of things right. The single player is often a little on the easy side, but the great character designs and weighty combat help to make up for it, with local multiplayer proving to be a hell of a lot of fun. It’s perfect for fans of giant mechs and kaiju brawling, and easily one of the best additions to the genre in a while.

Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is a breath of fresh air after the fumbles of the last few games in the series. I got on board with this franchise for the unique characters and addictive combat, and this game has both of those things in spades. It’s a treat to see the origins of the cast redone on home console, but if you’ve never played a single game in the series before, Burst Re:Newal is the best this franchise has to offer for you.

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.

I would be genuinely angry if I had paid money for this RollerCoaster Tycoon game. There is none of the tycoon fun of the original game, the rollercoasters are overshadowed by the shooting and the VR is slapdash at best. The entire experience feels like an alpha build of a rail shooter that someone decided to slap the Tycoon name on to sell more copies. I cannot, in good faith, recommend this game under any circumstances.

If you love No More Heroes, or any work of Suda51’s, then Travis Strikes Again is a must-play game. It’s a creative explosion of fanservice, callbacks and classic Travis Touchdown charm that will make any fan grin from ear to ear. If No More Heroes was all about the combat and gameplay for you, then this might be a harder sell. While the combat in Travis Strikes Again doesn’t surpass the gameplay from the originals, the variety of gameplay styles and genres that Travis Strikes Again explores and dips its toes in more than makes up for it. Travis Strikes Again is a love letter to gaming, and the perfect way to whet fans appetites before No More Heroes 3 gets made proper.

For the relatively low asking price Onimusha Warlords is worth a look if you’ve ever been interested in the series or just want to slay demons in historical Japan. Just bewware you’ll have to contend with some game design elements that belong in the early 2000s. It’s not a terribly long game and you can get through it in a few hours, but it’ll keep you entertained throughout.

It is safe to say that even after a dozens of hours of play, I only scratched the surface of what there is to do in My Time At Portia. Combine hunting, mining, building and romancing with a fascinating setting and an involved narrative, and I can see myself continuing to go back to play more. My Time at Portia is more than a worthy alternative to Stardew Valley and one of the first must have games of 2019. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some more mining to do.

Octahedron was easily one of the standout indie games of 2018 – that it wasn’t featured in our Game of the Year voting was a real shame. It’s not quite on the same level as the blend between sound, music and player actions as the work of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, but it’s easy to immerse yourself in the neon lights and trance. Whether you’re now picking it up on Nintendo Switch or playing on PS4, Xbox One or PC, it absolutely deserves your time and attention.

Just Deal With It! is a largely pointless virtual deck of cards that is more likely to annoy than to provide family or group entertainment. The small range of games, the overly wacky presentation and the non-existent online presence makes this an experiment that ultimately fails to improve on the simple pleasures of a deck of cards. I would recommend digging out a deck and buying a book of card games instead.

Battle Princess Madelyn has some lovely animated cut scenes to enjoy, the plot begins in a charming manner that brings to mind the Princess Bride, and its retro inspired pixelated graphics are on point. If only they were attached to fun and compelling gameplay, then Battle Princess Madelyn really could have been a contender to capture the crown of Ghost ‘n Goblins. As it stands, it’s probably best to avoid this one and break out your SNES from storage instead.

London Detective Mysteria does a few things new within the genre of otome dating sims, but at the end of the day, it isn’t anything revolutionary. If you’ve played an otome game before, then this one will be more of the same, for better or worse. The silly cast of characters and attempts at dramatic detective plotlines are interesting, but not executed entirely well. Fans of the genre will be able to happily add this one to your pile, but if you need convincing to try out a game like this, London Detective Mysteria isn’t the one for you.

It’s a huge relief to find that Tales of Vesperia hasn’t just aged well, but continues to prove itself to be amongst the best games in the Tales series. The enhancements made to the Definitive Edition tidy up and expand on an already enjoyable game, bringing the characters to life more effectively than ever before and making it more than capable of enthralling both returning players and newcomers alike.

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.

Red Matter is the most immersive puzzle game I’ve played in a long time, thanks in no small part to how well it makes use of VR is utilised. The lighting and textures are staggering, the plot is intriguing and the game is well worth looking into. The caveats to this are that you can’t be the kind of person who gets motion sickness in VR and you have to be reasonably good at puzzles or you will not finish the game. It’s a bit short considering the £25 price point, but still worth a look for VR aficionados and Cold War sci-fi fans.

Kingdom Two Crowns feels more like an extensive update than a new entry to the series, but the base game is still so immensely enjoyable that it doesn’t really matter. This is the perfect starting point for new players, and those who are returning might still be surprised by some of the secrets to be found.

Atari Flashback Collection is a wonderful way to experience gaming history for the first time, or reminisce over your favourites one more time.

Ashen is good, but nothing revolutionary.

Nippon Marathon is a game that is proud to be exactly what it is. There are no pretences or delusions of grandeur, just good clean fun. Playing with friends is sure to bring a fair few laughs as you rain watermelons down on your rivals. Just be prepared to be taken out by sudden barrels and hordes of cute dogs.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition had to go through a lot of visual changes to be able to find a home on the Nintendo Switch. They aren’t pretty changes at all, but they’re changes that helped ensure the gameplay was unchanged and remains as smooth as ever. It’s tough to have to pick between sharp visuals or consistent performance, but when it comes to this kind of game, performance is key, and they nailed it with this port.

A functional but disappointing experience.

The Videokid is one of those arcade titles that can easily eat away at your time if you let. The simplistic but addictive gameplay means you’ll want to keep going back until you’ve beaten the course. Combine it with the colourful voxel art and the humour that permeates the game and you have a verified fun experience on your hands. The Videokid isn’t just an homage to Paperboy, it’s a successor.

RUSH VR is not the realistic skydiving sim some may have expected but there’s still a novelty to it that some virtual reality gamers will appreciate. It’s definitely cheaper than booking the real thing, though given how repetitive races can get after your first few, you’re likely to get more bang for your buck elsewhere considering the bumper crop of PSVR bangers we’ve had this year.

Townsmen is a good game that will keep strategy fans happy for a good while, but it’s held back by some awkward controls and its basic aesthetic. Despite this, it gets a solid recommendation if you enjoy the genre and especially if you are itching for some town building on the train.

Rival Megagun isn’t a perfect package, but it offers a unique gameplay experience that nobody else is trying to create right now. Shoot ’em ups are blood-pumping adrenaline adventures, and adapting that into a competitive game is a feat that Rival Megagun does impressively well. While some gameplay balance issues and a bland story mode tarnish the final product, Rival Megagun is still an engaging title worth checking out if you and a loved one need a new way to settle your arguments.

Storm Boy is an inoffensive and simple experience that would be well suited for a young audience, especially with an adult alongside. It’s much more like an interactive storybook than it is an out and out gaming experience, and keeps everything simple and short. If you want a calming break from the gaming behemoths that are currently out and about, then Storm Boy is a delightful option.

Even as an Ark aficionado, it’s difficult not to slump in disappointment as you play the Switch rendition of what can be a fantastic title. The touch screen may allow for better control functionality as far as the other consoles go, but it doesn’t make up for the ugly visuals and general instability. Ark: Survival Evolved is and will remain one of those titles that shines brightest on PC and only there can it gain the appreciation it truly deserves.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of those brilliant retro throwbacks that captures how games used to feel, but without any of the nonsense that arises from how they actually were. It’s consistently entertaining and a blast to play. If you want something to sink your teeth into – human or otherwise – then this is a great choice for sure.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is an exceptional take on the tactical RPG and the addition of a stealth system certainly sets it apart from the crowd. Both genres blend together in a way that’s satisfying, challenging and well designed, while an engaging and well-written narrative drives the player forward. The difficulty might be an issue for those new to the genre, but for those seasoned in turn-based tactics, this is an absolute must buy.

It’s bright, weird, silly and cute, and is a must play for anyone, anywhere.

It’s a shame that more time wasn’t spent on Gear.Club Unlimited 2 as there are a glimmer or two of hope amongst the horror. However, appalling loading times, terrible handling, and moronic computer AI all contribute to a racing game that rolls its way off the assembly line and straight into the scrapyard.

It may be ten years late to the party, but there’s still a solid JRPG here to be enjoyed, whether discovering it for first time or revisiting it after a long hiatus. Square has made some clever, non-intrusive revisions to The Last Remnant and is pitching this remaster at a sensible price. It’s by no means essential, fans of the genre will definitely want to take a look.

Gungrave VR comes across as a game where the devs were hyped for the possibility of VR but didn’t know the best way to utilise it for an engaging experience. It’s very short, there’s no coherent story, the camera feels weird and not well implemented in the third person mode, and it all feels a bit bland. There are much better ways to spend your time and money unless you really have an hour to kill and Gungrave VR gets a very deep discount.

GRIS is a wonderful artistic achievement, with a simply sublime visual style and soundtrack that grows and evolves through the course of an emotional story.

Iris.Fall is a deliberately bite-sized experience and could easily be completed in a single sitting. Whether this amounts to value for money obviously depends on your perspective, but given the relative cost compared to a DVD or Blu-ray I think it is worth picking up to experience the artistry at hand here. The visual design is exemplary and the narrative is pleasing enough. Definitely a game that is worth a look if you like the art style and the idea of the puzzles, but be prepared for a couple of frustrating moments. Iris.Fall shouldn’t be left in the shadows.

Unfortunately 8-Bit Armies’ attempt at console strategy is simplified to the point that it outstays its welcome after a few hours. Whilst the campaign will keep you entertained for a few hours, the multiplayer is too empty to expect any more game time. Perhaps if you have someone who you can rely on to play against it might be worth picking up, but otherwise it’s probably not going to last long enough to be worth it.

Neverout takes a simple premise and packs it into a small package. With just a few hours of playtime, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, but there’s not much variation to the puzzles and it could have done with a story. Puzzle fiends should definitely take a look, especially if they own a VR headset.

Earth Defense Force 5 is as video gamey as they come. No frills, just kills. If you want to unwind after a long day and just blast some baddies and see explosions until your eyes go red, you can get no better than this game. The absurdity of the story and the increasingly opressive odds of the missions make this a hell of an experience solo, and one of the most silly and satisfying cooperative experiences I’ve come across. It’s a shame that a few nagging issues from old games continue to persist in this one, but despite those, this is still a fun, wacky, addictive video game.

Screencheat is a hit of nostalgia for those who are beginning to feel old, and a fun new way to play for those who aren’t. The stream of unlockables and the chance to constantly try and better your old times are a good reason to play on your own, but the game is definitely at its best when played with friends. Screencheat: Unplugged is a fantastic addition to any game night, and will often serve up some genuinely funny moments between friends.

Floor Kids brings freeform fun to the dance rhythm action genre, successfully delivering on a unique gameplay system that provides the player with freedom and the opportunity to improvise. The restrictive chorus sections disappoint and the game is all over rather quickly, but whilst it lasts Floor Kids is definitely a ninja floating nut cracker.

Smash Bros. has often felt a bit like it was trying to do too much and while it has always been a fun series, the disparity between the fighting game and the party game didn't always mesh well. Ultimate is the perfect fusion of the two styles. There are countless additions to it as a fighting game to keep the competitive players happy, but the new items and features make the party game the most exciting it could be. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate feels like one of the best written love letters to gaming that there has ever been, the care and attention given to each of the games represented is incredible. This is quite simply a must-play game, one that will keep you going for hundreds of hours with its single player alone, and with multiplayer that will keep you going for thousands.

The Haunted Island is the perfect way to close out 2018. Playing this game made me happy and giggly in a way so few video games make me, and it’s the kind of video game experience I wish I had more of. In an industry that only grows larger and more expansive every year, this latest release from Grace Bruxner is a standout treat that goes against the tide of video games and delivers a silly, adorable adventure that everyone deserves to experience.

Arca’s Path subscribes to the ‘do one thing and do it well’ school of video game design, making it simple and intuitive to guide your ball through the steadily more complex and maze-like levels. It might lack some of the charm or adventurousness of other VR games released this year, but Arca’s Path is a wonderfully accessible VR game that’s incredibly easy to pick up and play.