Bruising, bonkers and frequently brilliant, Yakuza 0 is Sega's cult favourite at its very best.
A fascinating setting and fizzing gunplay make for a lean, thoughtful exploration-led shooter.
Three years on: still a classic, and with its biggest weakness fixed. If you own a Switch it's a no-brainer – especially if it's your first time.
Far from the quick-and-dirty update it might have been, Shadows of Valentia is no Awakening, but an enlightening and worthwhile history lesson.
An accessible and captivatingly strange new breed of versus fighting game, Arms is another Nintendo knockout for Switch.
Just deserts.
Slight in form, but deep and consistently satisfying. Nex Machina is a gem of a shooter.
It's like, how much more Nidhogg could this be? And the answer is none. None more Nidhogg.
An entertaining but slightly unbalanced remake whose biggest draw is a regular distraction from one of the series' best stories.
A timely overhaul that should take a great game to new heights - though it's not quite on peak form this year.
Not just for the masochists, Cuphead is a demanding but supremely rewarding modern 2D shooter that looks and sounds fantastic.
The series' dwindling popularity has proved a tough nut to crack for its publisher in recent years; COD: WWII proves that maybe a Sledgehammer really is the right tool for the job.
A one-trick pony of a multiplayer fighter, Gang Beasts is sometimes hilariously messy but often just a mess.
A flimsy remake of a flawed 16-bit favourite that exacerbates all the original's problems while failing to recapture its strengths.
Kazuma Kiryu's final outing is an emotionally charged tale of familial bonds and the violence that threatens to rip them asunder
Messy, varied and inadvertently hilarious: A Way Out is an unusual but uneven tandem ride.
Familiar, lightweight but almost impossible to dislike, this is an effortlessly enjoyable action RPG.
Made with affection and artistry, this retro appetiser is a very pleasant surprise.
A blend of mismatched genres that somehow works, Yoku's Island Express is a beguiling game of modest brilliance.
A daring, exciting and bleakly powerful payoff that handsomely rewards your investment in its characters.