Nioh 2 is an absolutely Herculean effort from Team Ninja that shouldn’t be overlooked as we approach the busy season. They’ve managed to make a game that stands on its own beside some of the best From Software games, a soulslike that is brimming with ambition and brave new ideas.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes close to being the perfect sequel. While the new combat focus admittedly doesn’t fit well with the story, it’s still a ton of fun, and coupled with the new autosave feature, ensures a more fast-paced and fluid style of play.

A lengthy story mode, a host of characters to play as, and numerous online modes to fight your way through ensure Granblue Fantasy Versus definitely won't leave you wanting in terms of content. Learning through playing locally and online is distinctly better than relying on the game’s own resources. But if you’re looking for a casual, relatively simple fighter to play then it definitely fits the bill. Character designs may turn off a few people, but existing Granblue fans will definitely want to see their favourites brought to life through Arc System Works’ fantastic engine.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is an excellent remake which improves upon the original duo of games in myriad ways, yet still remains woefully underbaked when it comes to meaningful mechanics with enough depth to keep you going. As a roguelite dungeon crawler for young players it's really impressive, but genre purists might be let down. Beyond that, this is yet another delightful game which works a treat on Nintendo Switch.

Metro Redux is yet another triumphant port for the Nintendo Switch, presenting a duo of brilliant survival horror shooters to an audience who might have never experienced them before. While they've been burdened with noticeable visual compromises, they still look and perform competently enough that you'll hardly notice the difference.

Opening a game engine for the first time can make you feel like you’re in a sweaty-palmed nightmare. But Dreams isn’t like that – not only is diving into the game engine and learning how to create stuff fun, you’ll also never feel lost in the navigation and controls. Moreover, it gives you access to a bunch of minigames that you can’t find anywhere else.

For a reasonable price you can own two of the greatest action games ever made, and they've aged like a fine Japanese wine, proving exactly why PlatinumGames is the best in the business when it comes to character-driven action experiences.

Planet Zoo is a fantastic zoo management game that I wholeheartedly recommend, whether you’re looking for some Zoo Tycoon nostalgia kicks, or simply love animals. It’s admittedly not a massive leap forward from previous zoo games, but the conservation focus and gorgeous visual polish revitalises the genre for modern audiences.

Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Switch doesn't feel suited to Nintendo's latest portable, with the awkward use of the stylus and flimsy handwriting recognition sapping the joy from sharpening your smarts. There's still plenty of fun to be hand with the brain-teasing puzzles, but limited content ensures this is a far cry from the Nintendo DS original.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers a new beginning to a spin-off series that deserved more attention, trading a few elements that made it stand out at first with a more ambitious take on multiplayer without abandoning its roots.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind is an excellent expansion on the existing RPG, building upon the original ending in some fascinatingly unexpected ways. However, it's one that only hardcore fans will truly benefit from, otherwise you'll be lost in an endless deluge of complicated character motivations and frankly silly plot developments.

Journey to the Savage Planet offers an atypical open-world feedback loop with some small bits of clever detail but there’s not much else going for it. The writing is tired while the combat is uninspired, with pea shooter guns and a variety of frustrating enemies. Despite this, there’s still no sense of difficulty or tantalising mystery to distance it from its peers or keep you exploring beyond the short narrative – and the addition of co-op feels pointless.

If you don’t mind encountering several glitches along the way, then you’re sure to have a blast with Assassin’s Creed: Rebel Collection on Switch – particularly with Black Flag which remains one of the best entries in the Assassin’s Creed series.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners is an enjoyably immersive foray into the iconic undead universe, only occasionally held back by a handful of rough edges.

For diehard fans of the series, Dragonball Z: Kakarot is a fanservice-littered romp, full of your favourite characters. It has the most well-realised Dragonball world there has ever been. Be warned however, as side content in this game is a pure afterthought, and there is often little payoff for doing so outside of nostalgia-related reasons.

It's a delight to see one of the JRPG genre's hidden gems find a second home on Nintendo Switch – and, hopefully, a much larger audience with it. While it doesn't make perfect use of the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchises it blends together, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore remains a solid adventure with plenty going for it.

You’ll not only be entertained by Monster Hunter World: Iceborne for hours, but you will be in awe of its complex systems, and how they align so well to create an unforgettable expansion to an already fantastic game.

It's heartbreaking that Avicii isn't around to experience a project that he had so much passion for come to fruition, but he'd be proud of what's been accomplished here. It harkens back to rhythm gaming greats while scorching ahead on a path of its own, and for a good cause to boot.

Phoenix point is a little rough around the edges, but if you manage to look past its bugs you'll be treated to one of the most nuanced and entertaining turn-based strategy games to arrive in quite some time.

Shenmue 3 would have been well received in 2003, but we’re 18 years on from the last entry and Shenmue hasn’t budged an inch. If you weld your nostalgia goggles to your face, you’ll be able to slog through the story, but it really is a chore. Poor game design and a complete lack of innovation are the killers, but even the continuation of the story is a meagre offering thanks to ludicrous levels of padding.

While it underwhelms in its visuals and underbaked use of new ideas, the act of exploring Galar and catching creatures remains as delightfully compelling as it’s ever been – and that’s what really matters in the end.

While it underwhelms in its visuals and underbaked use of new ideas, the act of exploring Galar and catching creatures remains as delightfully compelling as it’s ever been – and that’s what really matters in the end.

While it underwhelms in its visuals and underbaked use of new ideas, the act of exploring Galar and catching creatures remains as delightfully compelling as it’s ever been – and that’s what really matters in the end.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is far from a masterpiece, but to say it could’ve been one without some of its basic flaws may not be so far fetched. As it is, you can look past the tame story and inconvenient bugs and instead revelling in joyous combat, awe-inducing cinematics and fluid platforming.

I feel like an accessory to the crime by awarding Need for Speed: Heat such a high score, given the blatant theft of Forza Horizon’s entire schtick. But, at the end of the day it works and the few additions that Heat does bring to the formula help it stand apart. Need for Speed: Heat is a return to form for the series, and a great foundation to rebuild the tattered franchise on.

With a charming campaign, dynamic score and pleasing graphics, this 2020 instalment is a worthwhile purchase for fans of the series looking for more Olympic fun. Yet, given the fluidity of the focused sports games already available on the Switch, and the brilliance of those on previous Nintendo systems, it pales in comparison and becomes a hard sell unless you particularly enjoy the mini-game structure – or want a game that will keep a sports-mad family busy this holiday season.

Death Stranding is unlike anything else out there right now. It's huge, innovative and utterly unashamed in what it wants to be. Kojima Productions is heavy-handed in its implementation of modern political themes, but they tie into the narrative and involve the player in ways that feel compelling.

The Outer Worlds is the Bethesda RPG you always wanted – it just so happens to be made by an entirely different developer. This sci-fi adventure is one of the best RPG examples of a choose-your-own adventure, allowing you to take the steering wheel for both the storyline and how you tackle each objective.