Hellpoint is certainly cut from the all-too-familiar Souls cloth when it comes to character progression and combat, but it's the sense of exploration that makes this one Soulslike that shouldn't be missed.

Yoshi's Crafted World is a game utterly dripping with charm, but not that much challenge. It definitely can keep experienced and younger gamers occupied for hours, but this isn't a Switch essential. If you've got a soft spot for the green dino, then this might be worth your while. A great game for kids and younger gamers, but if you're looking for a challenging 2D adventure, this ain't it, chief.

More action than RPG, Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire focuses everything on the battlefield: story, character development, and the choices that will affect the entire kingdom. The unique take on ATB combat is perhaps Fallen Legion's greatest strength.

DNF Duel is a broken fighting game that lives by the philosophy of "Everyone's busted, so it's balanced." The game is going to push the right buttons for a lot of fighting game enthusiasts. At the same time, its mechanics are easily approachable for casual audiences who want to see cool moves executed easily. I believe that the game will be in the same category as games like Fantasy Strike in terms of accessibility (it will also be better than Fantasy Strike overall).

Despite a few minor hiccups, Yonder offers a beautiful world to explore at your pace. You won't be fighting legions of demons to save the island, but you do collect cats and the likes.

With its extremely faithful rendition of the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is a dream come true for all those D&D fans who also happen to love video games. However, strict adherence to this ruleset is also the game's main flaw, as it results in an overwhelming experience for all those who do not live and breathe Dungeons & Dragons. Those who power through the initial difficulties, though, will find a solid cRPG featuring great tactical combat and amazing depth.

Combining a well-realized dark fantasy setting inspired by Claymore and Berserk and an engaging story with solid action gameplay inspired by some of the best character action games, Soulstice is a competent action title. Unfortunately, issues like the horrible camera and the mediocre handling of color-coded enemies and mechanics impact the experience, preventing it from being the great character action game it had the potential to be.

Pokkén Tournament DX is a bit odd, because although I can’t help but sing its praises, not much here is new, and I don’t actually know who was asking for a resurgence. Still though, the Pokémon fighter is loads of fun and still looks like a great spectacle in motion - the supers just look fantastic. But if you’re looking to play this by yourself, you’re likely to be very disappointed.

Darksiders III is a fun game with an engaging combat system that can be very satisfying, particularly thanks to the dodge and counterattack system in place. All of this is surrounded by a surprisingly compelling storyline with interesting characters. There are issues in the game, with a few bugs and other technical problems as well as a pretty damn cheesy script, with the biggest issue being some downright irritating puzzle sections which are less about logically working something out than slamming your head into a wall repeatedly until something gives.

Visions of Mana is a fun JRPG for the first thirty hours but the continuous backtracking and overall padding left me feeling like my time wasn't being respected by the time Val's journey came to a close

With its excellent level design, challenging gameplay, and twists on the classic formula, Contra: Operation Galuga offers a compelling reimagining of one of the most beloved arcade games ever made. However, despite its strengths, the game's short campaign length, limited amount of content and lack of online multiplayer may deter some players, especially considering its price. While the inclusion of extra characters and a Challenge Mode adds some variety, they fail to provide a good reason to continue playing the game after having gone through the eight stages multiple times.

Omega Strikers is a fun experience with an excellent presentation. While the game doesn't have much else besides its standard versus modes, it's an incredible game that's very easy to get into and tough to master. The game's free-to-play structure could use some work in terms of the kinds of goodies you get for free, but other than that, it still can be a fun time for most players.

The hunt for elusive Bugsnax is an interesting tale, requiring the patience of a fisherman and the experience of a Pokemon Snap master. This is one delicious adventure, though it might be an acquired taste for some.

While it may not be the timeless classic that the original Valkyrie Profile strived to be so many years ago, Exist Archive takes that inspirational gameplay and infuses it with more modern tropes.

Perhaps the softest launch in Activision Blizzard's historic FPS series, Call of Duty Vanguard shows that there's much potential for this year's entry to grow. However with the weakest Zombies mode in series history, a shortage of cosmetics and upgrades for anything save your primary loadout, and a Campaign that could've offered so much more, Vanguard is a tough sell if you're looking for anything than your next TDM fix at the moment.

Atomfall is a thoroughly enjoyable game which looks and plays well, and offers a compelling narrative with surrounding exploration to keep you entertained. It's well-polished, offers good replay value, encourages you to do things a little different, and isn't bad on the eyes either, with a good design that allows it to both look good and support last-gen consoles. The score likely doesn't reflect the game as well as it should, as I would heartily recommend this to anybody, with the added advantage that it's coming to game pass.

The game is excellent in terms of gameplay mechanics, graphics, and music. Unfortunately, there isn't much variety anywhere else to warrant a higher score. This game knows that it's essentially here for versus matches and as such, will only be engaging for players who are going to play against each other locally or online.

One of the most detail-oriented military shooters available today. With some amazing visual and sound design, it's impressive looking and sounding yet also a fun, tactical and tense shooter for players who really want a challenge.

Shredders fills the void left behind by SSX and Amped with its beautiful visuals, easy-to-pick-up nature, and a story that knows (and pokes fun of) the limitations brought by the indie space. While the game might be a bit jank in some areas, it's still a decent experience that's easy to recommend for Game Pass owners.

Aragami 2 is another enjoyable sneak ‘em up and a solid improvement over its predecessor, but an overfamiliar world and mechanics make it hard to get too excited about the game. Aragami 2 gets the job done cleanly and efficiently, and is worth a shot if you’re into old-school stealth, but its memory may quickly fade into the shadowy recesses of your mind.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora pulls you in with its dazzling world, then pushes you away its frustrating combat. After a play session I 80 percent enjoyed, I’d leave with a sour taste in my mouth after repeatedly banging my head against some maddening RDA outpost. If you can handle this push and pull, there is plenty to enjoy here. Frontier of Pandora’s main campaign will take you around 20 hours, more if you’re easily distracted, and 100 percenting the game is at least a 40-hour effort. Whether you’ll actually want to explore until your face is blue is up to you.

BPM: Bullets Per Minute is an old-school shooter with a twist, adding in roguelike mechanics as well as rhythm-based gameplay. Jump, dash, shoot and reload to the beat to advance through a host of monster-filled levels, collecting keys, coins, equipment, and stats to try and get through the seven stages that constitute each playthrough. The gameplay is fun, fast, and frantic, it looks good and sounds great, with a perfect heavy-metal soundtrack, though there are a few flaws. A lack of enemy variety, particularly bosses, as well as level variety starts to show quickly.

Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds is an enjoyable JRPG which brings back features that are difficult to find in modern games, such as a turn-based combat system enriched by action and tactical elements, mini-games and more. Sadly, SEMISOFT didn't bring anything truly new to the table and, as such, fails in being more than just a well-crafted tribute to the golden era of JRPGs.

With its humorous writing, nice level design, smooth gameplay and multiple references to classic games, Rad Rodgers: World One is a title that fans of the genre will surely enjoy, despite its lack of true innovation, short length and some performance issues on less powerful system configurations.

Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind certainly offers some great quest lines and a fantastic nostalgia trip for those familiar with Vvardenfell. However, it feels a lot emptier, with monsters being simply unexciting and the new PVP being abysmally balanced. The new Warden class, however, offers an interesting new way to play.

Zanki Zero drops the investigations for average survival RPG gameplay and explores themes of life, death, and rebirth with a sadistic story that goes places that Danganronpa wouldn't dare explore.

Lemnis Gate is a game at odds with itself. Its well-executed time loop mechanics could potentially appeal beyond the usual hardcore shooter crowd, but the game’s matchmaking shortcomings and lack of single-player content will keep that wider audience at arm’s length. Lemnis Gate is fun, but it feels like a concept that needed more resources to fully realize its promise. That said, if you are a dedicated shooter fan looking for something a little different, you may find yourself doing the time warp again (and again and again).

For being a game that has been in development hell for over ten years, Dead Island 2 turned out alright, thanks to the wacky atmosphere and characters, fun combat, and acceptable quest quality. All of these features, however, become progressively worse as the campaign proceeds, making the game nothing more than an acceptable experience that may not be worthy of its full price tag for those looking for something a bit more involving.