Stardew Valley is the best of its kind, surpassing the classic titles it shamelessly imitates to create one of the most delightful games of the past decade.
The core of Anthem – being its fearsome gunplay and angelic flight mechanics – are stellar, yet they’re held back by the mission structure that dictates them.
Dead or Alive 6 is an enjoyable fighter, with a lot going for it. Koei Tecmo has looked back on the series' somewhat juvenile history and decided it's time to grow up.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of the best games to emerge this year, adding yet another masterpiece to FromSoftware's formidable catalogue of grim, uncompromising experiences.
Even with all of the impressive enhancements, Borderlands: GOTY Edition still leaves much to be desired. The genre has moved on so much in the past decade that it's hard to recommend this to anyone but true believers.
Mortal Kombat 11 is yet another great entry in NetherRealm's fighting series. The story mode is all too brief, but delivers a frantic action blockbuster that unashamedly hurls fan service all over the place, and is all the better for it.
I wouldn't recommend Iron Rain over Earth Defense Force 5, since it fails to deliver the distilled, charming experience I adore from the Sandlot series.
In some ways, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a triumphant narrative adventure bursting with originality, boasting a setting that we really haven't seen in this space before. However, it's often held back by failing to capitalise on so much potential.
This is the weakest episode of Life is Strange 2 so far, but that doesn't make it a bad one. DONTNOD has decided to tackle a number of brave, progressive themes and explores more of the characters I've come to love.
Team Sonic Racing is fun yet ultimately underwhelming kart racer. It's innovative team-based mechanics can make the solo campaign a joy, but aren't fleshed out enough to prevent things becoming repetitive.
Layers of Fear 2 is an enjoyable horror adventure, but rarely does anything new with the genre. I've seen it all before, and given the excellence of Bloober Team's last project, this feels like a step backward in terms of both ambition and quality.
Judgment is a brave departure for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, temporarily leaving Yakuza behind to craft an engaging detective thriller that not only stands on its own, but introduces a breadth of new ideas I'd love to see expanded going forward.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is an excellent remake of a kart-racing classic, introducing the beloved PS1 mascot to an entire new generation of players. However, this might be a little too difficult for younger gamers, so they’d be better off jumping on easy mode.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a lovely little game, building upon the vanilla experience with a plethora of worthwhile improvements.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a triumphant RPG experience and one of the greatest games you can play on Nintendo Switch right now. It takes the series' formula and propels it forward with some fascinating new changes, and every single system works in tandem to create something rather stunning. Technical blemishes aside, Intelligent Systems has really outdone itself here.
Control is one of Remedy Entertainment’s greatest achievements. As a shooter, it’s lovingly satisfying to play, as all of its mechanics mesh to create a slick, supernatural explosion of paranormal powers and eclectic gunplay. Combine that with open-ended exploration and the package is nearing excellence. So it’s a shame the narrative can be needlessly muddled, stewing at a slow pace before rocketing towards a conclusion that sadly doesn’t feel earned in the end.
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is a solid beginning to what I hope becomes a memorable selection of virtual horror outings. The setting here didn't do much for me if I'm perfectly honest, but the memorable characters, razor sharp pacing and well-placed scares make it excellent fun with a few friends by your side.
Astral Chain is one of PlatinumGames' finest acts this generation, cementing itself as yet another stellar exclusive for Nintendo Switch. It doesn't reach the heights of excellence achieved by Yoko Taro's NieR: Automata, but can more than hold its own thanks to an excellent setting, experimental combat and so, so much style it hurts.
Gears 5 is the series' most ambitious entry to date, bringing with it an endless wave of revolutionary ideas that the franchise has been in desperate need of for years. The Coalition's mark has finally been made, and it's one that focuses on narrative importance alongside bright, energetic mechanics that show that Gears 5 can happily stand alongside this generation's other blockbusters without fear.
River City Girls is so much fun and one of the most enjoyable brawlers I've played in a long time. Developers Arc System Works and Wayforward have made the genre feel surprisingly modern with its anime aesthetic and sharp, tongue-in-cheek approach to dialogue and world design. It's self-aware enough that every joke lands, every location feels distinct and every musical track is an experimental banger. If you're after a charming beat 'em up – grab a friend and help Kyoko and Misako track down their boyfriends. You won't regret it.