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.