Returnal sets a new standard for Housemarque and delivers a must-play game for fans of roguelike titles while offering everyone else a genuinely unique experience. The game masterfully blends arcade-inspired gameplay with AAA quality chops usually reserved for a first-party PlayStation developer.
At the end of the day Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World is a no-frills remake that at times feels a little rough around the edges but ultimately does a well enough job in modernizing the 1994 classic.
With over a dozen games in the long-running series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart still manages to feel fresh and exciting, taking full advantage of the PlayStation 5 by delivering what, for many, may be their first taste at a definitive next-gen feeling game for the still-budding platform.
No More Heroes III is a blast to play and a well-conceived sendoff to the series, one which stumbles on a technical level but delivers enough on the gameplay front to carry most players to the end credits of what may be the Switch's wildest exclusive to date.
DEATHLOOP won't be a game for everyone—however, if you are a fan of sandbox styled titles or if you just like games like Dishonored, DEATHLOOP is a familiar feeling experience presented in a unique way that makes it feel fresh and fun to play.
Sable borrows a popular and tried and tested approach to open-world game design and gives it a truly unique feel indicative of the works of the French artist Moebius. The lack of combat may turn some off from playing the game—however, for those looking for a casual game where exploration and light puzzle-solving comes first, it's hard not to recommend Sable.
Death Stranding the Director's Cut is the definitive way to experience the game and is worth checking out for those who may have missed it on other platforms.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a solid game that hearkens back to titles of the sixth generation of games, with a coat of paint indicative of modern gaming that should appease younger players while offering enough gameplay variety for anyone to enjoy.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl often feels hollow and commercial; however, at its core, it remains fun and engaging enough to warrant its $40 price tag.
Shin Megami Tensei V is an excellent Switch exclusive worthy of its name, with the game feeling like the natural next step in the long-running series while introducing new elements that elevate it above even its contemporaries while not straying too far from its roots, offering fans a must-play experience and for everyone else, a JRPG worth jumping into.
Colors Live is a surprisingly capable piece of software that utilizes the Nintendo Switch's unique form factor to deliver a fun and accessible drawing experience that can appeal to both younger and older audiences thanks to its limited but flexible toolset.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a par for the course port of a surprisingly deep and well-realized fighter that, despite being a spin-off title, knocks out the competition, even nearly a decade later.
DNF Duel takes a popular but somewhat dated MMORPG and successfully reinvigorates it into a quick to learn but hard to master fighting game.
Stray is a game oozing with charm and can be considered a must-play for cat lovers looking for something new to pounce on and sink their teeth into.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an exemplary JRPG on the Nintendo Switch, improving on the already great titles that came out before it while still welcoming newcomers.
Soul Hackers 2 is a worthy successor of the 1997 game, modernizing the series and putting it closer to games like Persona 5 and SMTV.
A Plague Tale: Requiem finishes the brutal and often forlorn story of the De Rune children in a sequel that feels imperative to fans of the original but adds little to those not convinced by Asobo Studio's first entry into the series.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher won't set the world on fire with its monster breath, but fans of the source material will surely appreciate their time taming giants.
It Takes Two joins the Switch's growing library of excellent ports and offers players a version of the game that holds up on its own, considering the hardware limitations.
Sonic Frontiers may not be the best game released this year, but it is one of the best 3D Sonic titles released in recent memory and should not be missed by fans of the series.