Building on every aspect of Blind Forest – from art to music right the way through to level design and combat – this is a sequel worthy of celebration. In just two games, Moon Studios have proved itself to be one of the most creative, exciting and invaluable studios in Microsoft's wider roster – worthy of celebration alongside the masters and creators of the Metroidvania genre.
Nioh 2 builds in a meaningful way on everything that Team Ninja established in the first game.
Atlus and Intelligent Systems' bizarre collaboration proves that, once again, there's still space for experimental RPGs in 2020
Pokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and a modest amount of post-game content, Sword and Shield can only be called ‘good’ Pokémon games… not ‘great’ ones.
Indivisible is one of the best RPGs of the year. A masterclass in game design, Indivisible is funny, challenging and creative in equal measure.
Gears 5 is a return to form for Microsoft’s hardcore series, delivering fans the roadie-running, head-bursting, visceral joy that made the franchise such a success in the first place.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is a must-play for anyone that appreciates horror gaming at its finest, for anyone that enjoys picking away at how a game is put together, for anyone that's got even a passing interest in finding the best storytelling vidoegames have to offer.
As it stands, we think series veterans will be able to find enjoyment in this game, but we find it difficult to recommend it to newcomers.
Beat Saber is the perfect recipe for a rhythm game. Easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and a wealth of complexity to explore once it has you hooked.
A loyal and heartfelt remaster, but no matter how much Square Enix polishes Final Fantasy XII, the company is never going to wear down those occasional bumps that affected the overall package the first time. New RPG systems, rebalanced enemies, UI updates and speed options all boil down to a much smoother, nicer (prettier!) version of the game than the original European release. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a wonderfully nostalgic, but undeniably flawed, return to Ivalice.
Mortal Kombat 11 - Flawless fighting marred by tedious grinding and content gating
Yoshi’s Crafted World hasn’t done much wrong, but held up against the other better (cheaper!) platformers you can currently pick up on Nintendo Switch hardware, it’s hard to recommend. It’s charming, it’s sweet, it’s peddling a message of kinship and harmony… but it does it all so dryly.
This is the best Devil May Cry yet. Each character has enough depth to fill a game by themselves, the story does exactly what it needs to, the twists and turns keep you on edge and the combat sets a new benchmark for action games as a whole. Capcom has made a masterclass in stylish combat gaming here, and there’s enough content to keep players happy — even if it takes another 11 years for a sequel.
Fluctuating like a Geiger Counter between nihilism and utopianism, this game’s muddy morality is a thing of beauty in the current climate and could be one of 2019’s most important games as a result.
Thanks to these improvements — alongside the entirely different flavour this JRPG offers compared to the other fare available at the moment — this is a game that, by all accounts is still worthy of your attention.
There are no two ways about it: this is one of the most impressive games on the Nintendo Switch and represents some of the best value for money we’ve seen in video games in years, whether you’re into single player or multiplayer. Buy this game, you will not regret it.
If you own a Nintendo Switch, you need to get Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s as simple as that. It’s the crown jewel in Nintendo’s party game line-up - the ‘Infinity War’ of video games… the most ambitious crossover episode of all time.
Toys for Bob has done an exemplary job of bringing Spyro into 2018, and we hope to see Activision continue to experiment with remasters like this and Crash.
A stripped back hit of nostalgia ideal for Pokemon Go aficionados
A fun distraction from the mainline Final Fantasy games, this is a game you're going to want to digest in small pieces. World of Final Fantasy Maxima is so sickeningly cute and twee that it sometimes comes off as unbearable (thanks to the main characters) but when you get past that, there is a compelling and intelligent battle system waiting for you.