Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 feels a lot like opening a time capsule. It has so much in common with games from a decade ago that it might have been released back then. Fun moments are there to be found if you don't mind fighting a camera, frame-rate stutter and sifting through menus and load screens as you fight wave after wave of hard-hitting health sponges.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night shows how the Metroidvania genre can appeal to both purists and more modern players, offering something new while giving hearty nods at its roots.
Conan Unconquered presents some cool ideas but doesn't provide enough weight or substance to keep you coming back for more punishment.
Warhammer Chaosbane looks every bit like a hack and slash contender but misses too many of the nuances that make other games in the genre fun and addictive.
Rage 2's greatest system gets bogged down by a middling experience, making for a forgettable trip through an open world that looks like it came straight out of something a decade old.
Rise of Shadows makes Hearthstone feel more interactive again, but that might just be certain sets rotating out. While the new mechanics aren't great enough to build decks around, several cards add great value to existing archetypes.
Mortal Kombat 11's fighting, story, graphics and mechanics should have the game piercing the stratosphere, but the persistent online direction the progression systems have taken feels like something belonging to a free-to-play game.
Anno might have gone backwards in time, but don't let that fool you. This is a step forward in terms of management and keeping players thinking and responding to multiple issues all at once. Settlements look vibrant and alive, with the music helping you while away the hours (until the narrator reminds you it might be time for a break)
The Division 2 is a product of years of love, labour and listening, iterating and reiterating on what worked in the previous game, and adding and changing based on developer and community feedback. Everything feels polished and thought out, making you come back for some more.
Devil May Cry 5 feels like playing your favourite PS2 hack and slash, but with amazing current gen graphics. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of style as you pummel, slash and blast your way through all the devils.
Anthem has moments that shine out and feel amazing, but you have to push through too much drudgery to reach those moments.
Metro Exodus proves that you can have atmosphere and tension in above ground, open areas, but it still shines best in confined, dark spaces. Despite all the modifications, most weapons end up feeling very similar, and you will probably stick to the weapons that you can craft ammo for in the field anyway.
Fans have been waiting a long, long time for Kingdom Hearts III and the wait was worth it. Smoother movement and combat, better graphics and large worlds for players to explore feel great, while the story finally ties up many many loose threads that the various prequels, sidequels, alsoquels and the like have added to this spiderweb.
Mutant Year Zero is full of fun and tense moments. If you enjoy being challenged at almost every turn, this tactics game is something to cut your teeth on. If not you might find the game too frustrating as you hit the load game button once again.
Darksiders 3 has heart, but a lot of the organs around it are failing, detracting from the experience. So much has been stripped away from the other Darksiders games, making it far too easy to stare at the flaws.
Fallout 76 added survival and multiplayer elements to the game at the cost of pretty much everything that drew players to Fallout in the first place. No NPCs or dialogue trees leaves the game feeling empty and sterile, with exploration eventually feeling pointless as your tiny inventory and stash hit maximum weight.
Battlefield V is a level playing field, with no gadgets in boxes to buy to be better, no map packs to fracture the player base. Great gunplay, fun maps and enough guns for everyone to find a favourite will keep players coming back for more, especially if they have a squad that can take advantage of all the new features.
Diablo III on the Switch creates a whole new way to play the game that makes it work in tiny sessions all the way up to marathon runs. Great for newcomers and old salts, you will find yourself competing in the next season before you know it.
In a market full of fighting games that deliver nuanced single-player and multiplayer modes, having a solid fighter just isn't enough to rely on. While the fighting is fun, fast and full of varied technical layers, SoulCalibur VI doesn't offer enough beyond the core vs aspect to set it apart as something special.
Clever, beautiful and more intricate and expansive than I expected a card game to be, you will scratch your noggin for some devilish puzzles, while following on a story of one of the biggest threats the Northern Kingdoms ever faced: the armies of Nilfgaard.