I don't hate The Elder Scrolls: Blades, at least conceptually. Bethesda's lightweight F2P Elder Scrolls game has all the hallmarks of the franchise but delivers them all in such a hollow way that it loses everything that makes the franchise beloved. You might find some enjoyment in the game, as I have done, but you will inevitably become weary of the dungeons, frustrated with the timers, and on Nintendo Switch, you will find the performance to be at times unbearable. Fans of The Elder Scrolls deserve better than this, but it's all they will get until The Elder Scrolls VI launches years from now.

Roguelikes aren't for everyone, but The Persistence manages to show that a few tweaks to the usual experience can make wonders for accessibility. With a great atmosphere, intriguing setting, and great mechanics that allow for a variety of play styles, The Persistence is a more than worthy game for both roguelike diehards and those looking to finally get into the genre.

Void Bastards is a roguelite puzzle game that just happens to give you a gun and two cheese and onion sandwiches before sending you out to your doom. The beauty of Void Bastards is learning how to be more efficient without having to be more deadly.

Deep Rock Galactic features everything a first-person shooter needs to be great: excellent mission variety and character design, an engaging gameplay loop, smooth co-op and huge amount of content. New players will feel a little overwhelmed by the various customization options, but those willing to invest time in learning all of the gameplay systems will find an extremely polished experience that will keep them engaged for a very long time. These dwarves are a little rowdy, but they are tough, and they are here to stay.

Fallout 76: Wastelanders is a clear improvement on Fallout 76, with NPC's actually making West Virginia feel like it's worth exploring and doing things in for the first time since the game was released. The new quests are entertaining and engaging, featuring characters that are genuinely enjoyable to interact with and will put a smile on your face. Sadly, these are still too far apart and the core problems that held Fallout 76 back remain, particularly as a new character has to play the interminably dull and lifeless original content just to experience what was brought in with Wastelanders. It also doesn't help that this is riddled with bugs and the game has a number of issues with the mechanics that are only fixed by microtransactions and a subscription service.

My concern with Predator: Hunting Grounds is a simple one. If Illfonic doesn't fix the issues with getting in a game and a few bugs like AI enemies glitching into the floor, as well as develop some content to actually liven it up, it'll become another Evolve. If the issues are fixed and a bit of content is made, I could genuinely see this having a decent following. I know I'd come back to it.

Streets of Rage 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but honestly, that’s okay. The game’s dazzling visuals, silky-smooth action, varied level design, and sexy sense of cool more than make up for a few minor old-school irritations. Veteran Bare Knuckle brawlers will get the most out of Streets of Rage 4, but it should provide a satisfying thumb workout for players from all eras.

Sakura Wars isn’t for everyone, but fans of quirky Japanese imports, or those simply looking for something a bit outside their comfort zone, ought to give it a shot. The game’s action is run-of-the-mill, but its heartfelt character-driven story and polished anime-infused presentation largely make up for that. Sakura Wars may not win every battle, but it stands tall in the end.

Gears Tactics is, simply put, an excellent turn-based tactics game that stands up well against titles like XCOM and others at the top of the genre. While it has some slight issues, such as disappearing characters and a story that can best be described as "more Gears of War", the character development is better than the series' average and most importantly, it makes slight changes to the genre that make it a tactical joy to play. From extensive character customisation letting you specialise characters and teams, to gameplay tweaks, like adding a slight movement boost if you end in cover or removing the idea of a movement and attack phase of a character, Splash Damage has created one of the best RTT games in quite a while.

Chimera Squad experiments with smaller encounters, more unique characters, and a change in the combat order with remarkable success. Although still weighed down by the traditional issues of the series, Chimera Squad excels in what it set out to achieve and is an incredibly satisfying tactical game.

Trials of Mana reworks the classic tale of the Mana Sword into something that feels completely fresh. Even if you already know the story beats by heart, this is a remake worth considering.

Playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is like jumping back in time, and it's wonderful. The gunplay, action, and setpieces of Modern Warfare 2 all hold up incredibly well in the modern day, though the controversial content feels more harrowing than ever. For nostalgia, and to see a piece of media from a very different time, Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is definitely worth the price of entry. A shockingly good Call of Duty campaign.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a masterful modernization of the series' classic formula. The game is an extremely solid JRPG that looks, sounds and plays great, despite some pacing issues and linearity. That said, the unexpected story twists may sour the experience a bit for those who expected a faithful remake.

The Resident Evil multiplayer curse continues. Resident Evil Resistance presents some promising ideas, and messing with people as the Mastermind has its moments, but unsatisfying action, clunky level design, a lack of content, and manipulative microtransactions snuff out the game’s potential. Sadly, trying to wring more than a few minutes of fun from Resident Evil Resistance is futile.

Persona 5 Royal is the definitive version of the Phantom Thieves' rise to infamy, however, Atlus asks a huge commitment of time from the player to see what's new.

In Other Waters is engrossing, beautiful and perfectly balanced both in terms of immersive gameplay and intriguing narrative. It's relaxing without being boring, and thoughtful without treading the same tired sci-fi tropes.

Bleeding Edge is an interesting combination of features taken from Overwatch, MOBAs and character action games, featuring a solid character roster, a good map selection and two modes that feel varied enough. The limited amount of content and the lack of a ranked mode, however, make it difficult to recommend the game as a stand-alone purchase as of now. As an Xbox Game Pass game, though, Bleeding Edge works much better, as players can keep playing while waiting for new content to drop without having to purchase the game right away.

Resident Evil 3 is the franchise’s best action-driven entry since the glory days of Resident Evil 4. A beautifully-balanced combination of white-knuckle mayhem and satisfying old-school tension, Resident Evil 3 is compulsively-munchable popcorn entertainment that, unfortunately, disappears all too quickly. If you’re looking for value, there are certainly meatier games out there, but few that will leave you licking your fingers as happily as this one.

Iron Danger is a compelling real-time tactics game that's held together by its core feature and a few interesting characters. Sadly, the story is bland other than a few interesting characters and while the core gameplay elements result in a strong tactical game, the controls frequently frustrate and impede the fun you can have.

It is a brilliant game, one that is a worthy successor to the previous release. While the game does stumble here and there, trying to be something that it really shouldn't be, the outstanding gameplay more than makes up for any issues. Going by the campaign alone, Doom Eternal is well worth your time and money, particularly so if you liked Doom. Multiplayer, I'm not sold on it, with it feeling just a bit too threadbare.

Broken Lines is a game that frustratingly misses nearly every shot it tried to make. While there are moments of fun to be found, they are unfortunately buried in trenches of tedium and disappointment.

My Hero One's Justice does so much right with a fun combat system and some lovely anime-style visuals but lets the whole experience down by a lackluster story mode, a lack of performance polish, and some serious repetition in the single-player content. Having said that though, these games keep improving, so if we're lucky, we'll be impressed by My Hero One's Justice 3.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the biggest reinvention of the series' mechanics and core gameplay loop, and that also makes it the best entry yet. This is a completely new kind of Animal Crossing experience, while retaining everything you loved about the previous games. You'll spend hours catching fish and bugs, making money to pay off your loan, and do it while having more power over how you customise your experience than ever before. I adore Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and this is quickly becoming one of my most-played games on Nintendo Switch. If you've ever had a love slow-paced social sims like Animal Crossing or The Sims, this game is essential.

MLB The Show 20 keeps the franchise’s Cal-Ripken-like streak of solid annual releases intact without swinging for the fences. The on-field action is as satisfying as ever, but developer SIE San Diego mostly plays it safe with a series of modest gameplay tweaks and new features. A bigger shakeup is likely in store when the series goes multiplatform next year, but for now, MLB The Show 20 still touches all the bases.

Katanakami: A Way of the Samurai Story is on the easier side of the spectrum for a Mystery Dungeon title, but the way it infuses the genre with decent swordplay.

Nioh 2 builds upon the successes and failures of its predecessor and offering new tools to battle with the role of a half-yokai as the player character. Some may say this iteration is even more brutal than the first!

Ori and the Will of Wisps is a truly delightful and devastating game that blends new ideas into a solid foundation, all topped off with an incredible score and even more breathtaking levels to explore.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX doesn’t really set out to bust expectations. It’s a decent little remake of a decent little game. While a lack of challenge, so-so presentation, and an unsatisfying approach to Pokémon collecting limits Rescue Team DX’s potential, exploring the game’s dungeons has an undeniable Zen appeal and there’s certainly a ton of content to work through. This Mystery Dungeon is worth unraveling, provided you don’t mind a roguelike that’s more relaxing than rigorous.