You’re bound to make mistakes with such an emotionally-driven narrative at play, but with some hope from beyond the grave in Closer the Distance, you can help Yesterby move on. And if you had as wonderful a time as I did and are wondering how you can do things differently, there’s nothing stopping you from going back in time and trying to pick up the pieces all over again.

Really, Echoes of Wisdom feels like the perfect sign-off for the Switch with new hardware reportedly on the horizon. It’s a colourful, accessible epic that pushes its console to the limit, with all of the mechanical depth and invention, artistic design, whimsy, and spirit of adventure that you expect from a first-party Nintendo adventure.

It’s safe, but very welcoming. I can even see it developing into sequels if Microsoft chooses to support it and the fans embrace it, which I have no doubt will happen – some games are just made to cosplay. For those that were disappointed with Fallout 76 going online multiplayer, this is the single-player RPG you’ve been looking for. If you’re hankering for somewhere you can while away the hours talking shit, chuckling and prodding at the locals, you won’t be disappointed.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a step up from its predecessor and brilliant fun, as long as you don’t let that collectible-obssessed plunderer take hold of you. It is not a narrative masterpiece, nor is it the most engaging action game in the world. But it does nothing badly, and excels where it matters. It represents the Star Wars universe accurately and places emphasis on the aspects of it that keep even jaded Andor-lovers like me interested in the IP, even after all this time. An obvious recommendation to Star Wars fans, and a hearty thumbs up to anyone else that may be even remotely interested.

Starfield is not greater than the sum of its parts. If you add all its misshapen, under-developed pieces together, you get kind of a ramshackle kitbash, with a few extra bits left over. Some of those pieces are cleverly crafted and engaging, representing a developer at the peak of its power, though they often get lost in Starfield’s sprawling scope. What remains is often enjoyable, but often frustrating. There’s no denying this cosmic behemoth is special, but with a more focused vision, and some extra narrative daring, Starfield could’ve been something truly incredible.

While there are no less than five other versions of Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is now the definitive place to play a bonafide classic in a way that feels both accessibly modern, but still authentic to the original experience.

Launch games are rarely remembered as earth-shattering experiences years later, but at the time, elements of them always feel magical. On PS5, Miles Morales has both of these feelings down – it’s familiar and unsurprising, but some of its technical presentation will wow you nevertheless. If you’re picking up a PS5 on launch day, for that reason this will surely do.

Tunic comes at a perfect time; in the middle of a packed release schedule dripping with titles that delight in killing you, it’s a calmer, more mild-mannered take on the adventure game that wants to engage in a friendly dialogue. It doesn't want to yell at you – it wants to encourage you. To explore, engage, and experiment. It’s the perfect palate cleanser, taking anywhere between six and 20 hours, and absolutely essential if you’ve got a fondness for adventure games with a potion in their pocket, a cape around their neck, and a twinkle in their eye.

Playing KoF 15, I recall one of my favorite memories – one where I spent multiple hours playing fighting games at an arcade during a trip to Japan. By staying true to that identity as an arcade fighter and focusing on what it is are good at, rather than making sweeping changes in the hope of appealing to crowds other than the communities that have risen around these games for decades, SNK has created a game that reminded me of the quality that can be found in a simple, honest fighting game without too many bells and whistles.

Jusant is another banger in a year of endless bangers, as notable for everything it isn’t as much as what it is: a meditative, evocative odyssey up a big tower, with plenty of time to reflect and ponder deftly weaved through the experience by master storytellers who want you to feel every pore of the rock as you ascend, and every ache of the heart that its residents left behind.

Between musings of transhumanism, capitalism, power, and technology are human stories about real people. No space wizards, no ship shootouts, no heroes. Just the everyday reality of folks trying to survive. It’s incredibly grounded, and something I wish we would see more of in sci-fi. Citizen Sleeper’s world belongs to its junkyard scavengers, grubby engineers, repair technicians, cargo haulers, and everyone else on this ramshackle asteroid belt. I don’t want the glitz and gloss of Starfield, Star Wars Outlaws, or Cyberpunk 2077. I want grounded, punchy stories about nobodies, and that’s what Citizen Sleeper 2 is. What a fantastic start to 2025.

I find it difficult to ask more from Nioh 3. It’s a game that proudly announces its goals at the outset, and trusts the player to discover how well it’s going to nail every one them over the course of its 45+ hour runtime. It is the confident result of shaking up Nioh’s near decade-old formula that’s only outshone by Team Ninja’s steady hand in crafting it.

Octopath Traveler 2 is an easy recommendation for old-school Japanese RPG nerds - and might even entice the odd newcomer. I wouldn’t quite recommend it over Live A Live, another 2D-HD gem - but it’s pretty lovely nevertheless.

It plays like Dragon Ball. While it plainly owes a lot to MVC3, Dragon Ball FighterZ manages to strike a balance between tag versus fighter ideas and the iconic imagery and designs of its license to create the best Dragon Ball game there’s ever been – and arguably one of the best licensed games ever.

If you’re new to the series, I’d still absolutely recommend starting with the original. For fans, though, it’s more Valkyria Chronicles, and that’s reason enough to pop a giant red exclamation mark above your head with excitement.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a little safe at points to make it a proper all-timer, but I’m not sure that was ever the intention. It’s a game that is easy to like, can be played by everyone, and sits nicely alongside other Switch exclusives from Nintendo. If Kirby becoming a car is everything you want in life, good for you and welcome to your new favorite game of all time. For me, Kirby remains just below A-tier, which is still a great place to be. It’s often where some of the tastiest snacks are.

If you liked any of the Witcher games, novels or Gwent, then I would implore you to buy Thronebreaker. It’s like a 30-hour long easter egg, filled with references, inside jokes and an engaging story with an empowering lead.

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a little less consistent when compared to the two collections that preceded it, but it's still doing the good work of bringing a gem of a series to new platforms and audiences at a time when these games otherwise risk being left behind. Whether its slightly shaky attempts to position itself as a stand-alone trilogy will prove an effective draw for new players remains to be seen, but of course it's an absolute must-play if you're already a fan of the series — and if you were drawn into the franchise through the last two remastered collections and haven't encountered these three games yet, you're in for a particular treat.

It’s a shame, then, that some of the level design choices don’t really pair up with the engine Toys for Bob has built this love-letter to 90s platforming games in. Loose and floaty physics, an abundance of different mechanics that often feel part-baked, and some design choices that feel sadistic – rather than simply difficult – leave this approach to Crash Bandicoot feeling less like a true sequel, and more like a licensed spin-off.

In a world where we've seen Square Enix fall down with remasters (examples include the lacklustre Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters and the egregious Kingdom Hearts on Switch), Tactics Ogre: Reborn highlights something special – a change of the guard, so to speak, that bodes remarkably well for the rest of the publisher's classic RPG oeuvre.

In spite of all the niggling problems, for Pokemon fans, those who skipped Sun and Moon or kids looking for their first Pokemon experience this is a fantastic package.

Shin Megami Tensei 5’s combat is great, punishing and rewarding in equal measure without ever tipping the scales too far in one direction. Mixing and matching your deck of demons makes for great fun as well, and spurs you to look to all corners of the ruined world for allies of all shapes and sizes. It’s everything outside of the battling and grungy soundtrack where Shin Megami Tensei 5 badly misses the mark, with one-note characters that you’re never given the chance to better know, and a paper-thin plot that feels dragged out over dozens of hours. Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a good RPG battler, but it’s not good at much else.

It’s a strong campaign, then, and one made better when you play with friends – as is always the way – and the suite of features that accompany it will likely keep you busy for some time.

By dodging the eager game-as-service guff, Guardians of the Galaxy can focus on being something more compelling - even if you won’t play it for as long. For its ten-plus hour runtime, you’ll enjoy a thrilling, gripping, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt adventure. The game built around that narrative framework isn’t earth shattering - but it is enough scaffolding to allow the story to shine. You have to understand what Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is going into - but if you do, one of the finest narrative games of the year awaits. Switch your brain off, give yourself over to its story, and you’ll find much to enjoy.

Obviously, if you love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you’ll love Shredder's Revenge. As hinted at in the intro to this review, it’s built for you! If you’re like me and don’t have that history, you’ll still find a polished, super enjoyable experience here. With up to six player co-op, it’s the perfect game to slap on in the living room with some friends crashing round, plug in a few controllers and have a bash. I did, for important critique-related reasons, order some pizza while I was testing it out. I can confirm that it does, in fact, make the experience that much more enjoyable. Additional toppings aside from cheese were not tested.

Taken alone, any one slice of the game – like a single house, the village itself, even the way combat handles – has its issues. But combined, it merges into something that’s still special – even if it isn’t quite as brilliant as Resident Evil 7 or 2 Remake. It’s an easy recommendation – though if you didn’t back in 2017, you might want to play RE7 first.

These games include a stupidly large amount of content and Sun and Moon remain the most compelling, charming and interesting world Pokemon has presented since it was brand new back in the the 90s. For its audience, this enhanced edition is well worth the price of admission, though I’d be lying if I said my eyes weren’t firmly towards the future when Pokemon arrives on the big screen via Switch.

The PC version of Nioh is the very definition of functional. It works well enough that you can enjoy your time with it, but it’s unremarkable everywhere that matters.