Alan Wen
A striking abstract visual style soundtracked by a jazz freakout as improvisational as its gameplay, Ape Out glories in its primal rage for a wild ride. Give into its rhythm and bloodlust, and just go ape!
A brutally singular and unexpectedly brilliant subversion of what you know about Tetris and battle royale, if you’re a Switch Online subscriber, you absolutely need to download it.
With simple controls but difficult to master, OlliOlli: Switch Stance is a terrific bundle giving you the best modern skating games around. Even if you manage to ace all of its challenges, competing against players on daily leaderboards will be sure to keep you hooked.
Wargroove is a majestic contender, if not outright successor, to Advance Wars, that every turn-based strategy fan should play. Beyond it’s handsome campaign and likable characters, there’s a ton of customisation and content to dig into or create, which makes it a bargain too.
Demon-slaying may feel simplistic compared to Monster-Hunting, but as the pioneer of the co-op loot-chasing dungeon crawler, Diablo III: Eternal Collection is the definitive article on the Switch, packing a wealth of content and variety of ways to slay.
An old classic that’s never quite gotten the audience it deserves, Okami HD’s gorgeous art style and unique brush mechanic is perfect for Switch. Players looking for an equivalent to Zelda with an appreciation of Japanese myths and aesthetics needn’t look further.
With some welcome new extras, including a playable Knuckles, SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is another masterful port from M2 and the best version of the best Sonic game yet.
The reduced visual quality doesn't stop The Witcher 3 on Switch from being an astonishing technical marvel from Saber Interactive. It remains one of the finest open-world games of this generation, especially if you favour rich storytelling over systems and mechanics, which you can now take with you.
An engrossing and compelling piece of interactive fiction whether you just follow one character's thread or read every available node, Closed Hands handles its difficult subject with real nuance and maturity thanks to excellent writing that gets you inside the head of each character.
A larger more ambitious game from Giant Squid that shares influences with Breath of the Wild only to subvert it in clever ways: retooling a bow as an ingenious mode of traversal and puzzle solving, an open world with no map, and a shooter where you don't have to aim. It's an accessible and streamlined approach making for an unmissable adventure to lose yourself in.
A monster-sized expansion that builds on and enhances Monster Hunter: World in every way, Iceborne is an essential upgrade for hunters craving new monsters, challenges, and gear.
Sony London Studio has delivered a PSVR must-buy, a playable action movie packed with guns, grime and gangsters.
With even more tools and features than before, Super Mario Maker 2 is a fantastic level-making package deserving of its number.
Once you get past its daunting and archaic systems, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate continuously challenges you with the most thrilling gameplay and rewarding loop few games can match. Meanwhile, veterans will also feel at home – ‘G rank’ awaits you!
One of the most original modern JRPGs of all time, and beatable at the fraction of the time. Once you get over its primitive aesthetic, you’ll soon realise why everyone else has been so captivated by Toby Fox’s creation.
As stylish as ever and filled with tons of new content and improvements, Persona 5 Royal is the very best JRPG of this generation that deserves to steal all of our hearts.
Tetris Effect, much like the psychological phenomenon the game takes its name from, is about finding order in things, and taking back control.
It’s not just a loving restoration but a temple built on newly solid foundations, with emotional beats that genuinely resonate. It sets a new bar for what a video game remake can be, masterfully marrying nostalgia with modernity without quite being a slave to one or the other