Kentucky Route Zero is a fascinating story with a thick atmosphere and themes which will leave you thinking long after playing each act. It's one of the best stories I've ever played or read in a video game, and I implore everyone to play it. Kentucky Route Zero is something special.

Anybody pining for more Metroid Prime needs to put Journey to the Savage Planet at the top of their list. The game has a few rough edges and its sense of humor might not be to all tastes, but it captures that inviting, adventuresome Metroid spirit better than anything I’ve played in a while. This Savage Planet will pull you into its orbit if you give it half a chance.

EarthNight has some novel ideas when it comes to making an auto-runner worth coming back to time and time again, but the inconsistent difficulty spikes and RNG elements can quickly put an otherwise good run into freefall.

The Surge 2: The Kraken offers a new area to explore, new enemies to fight, new items to find and new side-quests to complete. Sadly, the new content is not particularly meaningful, and the short length makes the DLC a worthy purchase only for those who love the main campaign.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a mixed bag. If you're a Dragon Ball fan, this game will offer so many nice moments and make you occasionally beam from ear to ear. But then during exploration and combat, things quickly become tedious. At full price, it's hard to recommend this game, but when it becomes affordable in a sale, it'll be hard for fans to resist.

Eclipse: Edge of Light has a few neat ideas, but nothing that isn’t done better anywhere else.

Mandate of Heaven is a strong DLC for Total War: Three Kingdoms, offering a selection of new mechanics for particular factions, a host of new units and a brand new scenario for you to begin with, one that seamlessly fits in with the rest of the game. There are a few issues that have been exasperated, such as diplomacy and the AI can't seem to handle the new mechanics well, but overall the DLC is still well worth picking up as for the most part, it offers even more engaging stories that allow for emergent gameplay and just more of Total War: Three Kingdoms, one of the best strategy games ever made.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore is definitely the definitive version of the game - who needs the Wii U GamePad, anyway? JRPG fans and those who love idol culture will find a lot to love here, but this certainly won't convert anyone who hasn't liked JRPGs in the past, like Persona 5 and other games might. A great title to have in your Nintendo Switch library.

AO Tennis 2 is most certainly a great step in the right direction, with large improvements to animations, physics and general gameplay. In addition to these improvements, the career mode here is one of the more personal and engaging career modes you'll find in a sports title, up there with any other sports title, especially thanks to the extensive character customisation which lets you create just the person you want. AO Tennis 2 isn't perfect though, there are still some issues with the general feel of the fall and some game mechanics like movement being tied to the aiming of your shots, causing an overlap, but the improvements are there and there's no doubt that Big Ant Studios are making large strides.

Unity of Command II makes for one of the most tactically engaging and challenging strategy games ever, enhancing an already excellent original with new features such as special attacks, a headquarters system which adds a levelling up system - working with the myriad of side objectives - and a very different type of war found on the western front to the east. It has quite the learning curve and may seem as impenetrable as the Maginot Line, but with a little time you'll come to love exactly how it works.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries tries to be inclusive, but unfortunately makes the mainstream issues with the genre all the more apparent without doing anything truly new or exciting to really draw the player in.

Railroad Corporation is a mixed bag, to be generous to the game. While it has certain strong points like the corporation building aspects, featuring a large variety of structures and businesses to supply and even own, as you utilise them to expand your corporation and develop the towns and cities around you. These cities react to your network of railways and businesses, creating the feeling of a living world. The problem, however, is that fundamental basics like even building your tracks is finicky at best, most of the time just annoying. Railroad Corporation can absorb you into it, it's certainly stole hours off of me, but the best I can say is that it's left early access too early and could certainly have done with a little more time.

Rune II lacks the imagination, experimentation and fleshed out mechanics that would have made stomping through the Viking end times a fun experience.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a six year old game that is showing signs of its age, and has not been brought in the modern generation gracefully. The visuals are often ugly, and the gunplay is below the standard seen on Nintendo Switch or anywhere else. For your money, you can play a much better game on this console. I could only possibly recommend this game for people nostalgic for the game, but even then it's likely to ruin those rose-tinted memories.

Transport Fever 2 is a toothless but still ultimately enjoyable simulation of all things infrastructure. As you set up resource lines, passenger routes and more, you'll see the world develop and grow around your inputs and influence which is enjoyable and even an addictive thing. Simple and easy to get into, the core problem is that it takes simple a little too literally, with the game offering no real challenge throughout any game mode. Still, if you enjoy this sort of game, you could do a lot worse than Transport Fever 2.

Alien Isolation is an essential horror game, and the Nintendo Switch version might even be the very best place to play it, as long as you can ignore the caveats mentioned above. With excellent picture and audio quality, thick atmosphere, and a beautiful aesthetic, it is one of the most interesting licensed games ever released, and a great stealth horror title to enjoy.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York left me feeling hungry. The game is certainly well-written, but its truncated story doesn’t quite do its complex, captivating world justice. If you’re a dedicated VTM devotee, Coteries of New York is a solid appetizer, but you’ll have to wait until next year for something to truly sink your fangs into.

Phoenix Point offers a great return to a more complex, more involving, if not a little too slow (at times) version of the XCOM style of game. Featuring a massive amount of customisation and personalisation, from the building of your own personal Earth-saving force as well as diplomacy with the surviving factions, you have a massive amount to sink your teeth into. Add onto this some of the best tactical gameplay around and a very replayable nature, you have something that will suck you in. There are issues, it can grind to a halt at times and it can also feel a little repetitive with repeated side-missions. In the long run, this is a great game and one that is well worth spending your time with.

Calling First Departure R a full remaster is a bit of a disservice. Though the new character artwork and Japanese voice track are nice additions, this is still very much the same Star Ocean game that fans played a decade ago.

This final episode of Life is Strange 2 showcases the powerful emotional storytelling that video games can harness. It is a fantastic example of the medium and the perfect end to a series that continues to deliver on its high expectations.

Darksiders Genesis manages to twist the series' formula successfully, offering plenty of engaging puzzle-solving and treasure hunting, both elevated by the good mission and location design. Repetitive combat, lack of a true loot system and a few other issues prevent the game from being a must-buy for everyone, but Darksiders fans will surely enjoy their time with the game, even more if they have a friend to play with.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts offers a completely unique shooter, far better than its predecessors and absolutely noteworthy in the FPS genre as a whole. But players will need a love for stealth, slow gameplay, and the patience of a saint in order to properly enjoy it.

Arise: A Simple Story is a beautiful, moving experience I couldn’t stop swearing at. The game delivers a lovely yarn and some clever level design, but clunky controls and an infuriating camera leave this platformer stranded in purgatory. Arise’s story may be worth your time, but only if you’re the patient type. Simple as that.

Narcos: Rise of the Cartels is the perfect example of one decision ruining any chance a game had of being reasonable. An X-COM style real-time tactics game where you can only use one character per turn, which limits tactical options and essentially grinds the game to a halt as soon as you take to the field. Compounded by moronic AI in repetitive missions that are made so easy the squad-building and permadeath is rendered pointless. The game has a few interesting aspects, such as a unique third-person shooter twist on overwatch mechanics found in other games. All in all, this isn't the way to experience Narcos - watch the show instead.

Pokémon Sword and Shield have a few problems which prevent them from attaining classic status, but what's here is an incredibly fun, pretty, and enjoyable RPG that is hard to put down once you start playing. The loop of fighting trainers and catching Pokémon is one that works incredibly well here as it ever has, but I can understand why hardcore Pokémon fans will feel let down. Still, if you're not bothered by Dexit, this is a great Pokémon game to pour a couple of dozen hours into, at least.

Pokémon Sword and Shield have a few problems which prevent them from attaining classic status, but what's here is an incredibly fun, pretty, and enjoyable RPG that is hard to put down once you start playing. The loop of fighting trainers and catching Pokémon is one that works incredibly well here as it ever has, but I can understand why hardcore Pokémon fans will feel let down. Still, if you're not bothered by Dexit, this is a great Pokémon game to pour a couple of dozen hours into, at least.

Pokémon Sword and Shield have a few problems which prevent them from attaining classic status, but what's here is an incredibly fun, pretty, and enjoyable RPG that is hard to put down once you start playing. The loop of fighting trainers and catching Pokémon is one that works incredibly well here as it ever has, but I can understand why hardcore Pokémon fans will feel let down. Still, if you're not bothered by Dexit, this is a great Pokémon game to pour a couple of dozen hours into, at least.

Is Shenmue III dated? Absolutely, but the game proves that, like most genres, open-world adventures still have a thing or two to learn from the past. Shenmue III isn’t always as player-friendly as it could be, but its lively, uniquely-handcrafted world is truly absorbing. Here’s hoping this isn’t the end of Ryo and Yu Suzuki’s epic journey.