Shadow Labyrinth is often experimental, surprisingly expansive, and intriguingly designed with easter eggs and secrets deeply buried and coded into its DNA. The game is often at its best when it takes a more linear approach and does come a bit unstuck by its ambition when it tries to take on too much. Despite its challenging difficulty, and some control frustration, there’s a lot to unpack and enjoy with Shadow Labyrinth that makes it a must if you’ve been a long-term fan of the yellow dot and Bandai Namco games, or you’re just looking for an interesting new Metroidvania that tries to do things a little bit differently.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is the perfect summer game, whether you want the full blown 4K TV experience or something to take with you to the parks and jam with. This game is a delight that continues to thrill with a kick-ass soundtrack, fun-filled objectives, fantastic environmental variety and a deep roster with compelling cross-platform multiplayer. Removal of some beloved songs and THPS 4 Career Mode may upset some folks, but what’s been added here is an awesome package that will suit series newcomers as much as vets who have been craving a bit of something old with something new
Nobunaga’s Ambition Awakening Complete Edition is the best edition of arguably the best instalment in the series to date. With Switch 2’s JoyCon Mouse 2 support and the extra processing power and visual output, you now have the best way to play a very deep and complex strategy classic. If you want a really challenging, intricate and involved scenario based campaign, this is definitely one of the most interesting games for Switch 2 out there.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is such a wonderfully pure, energising game that has good, ecological messages and a cozy vibe, while also giving you plenty of action and layers of mechanics to sink your teeth into. With the management system of the villagers allowing automation to happen in the background, a rich story and cast with vast worlds to explore, there’s hours of enjoyable content here, whether you’re on the go or sat on your sofa. It’s found the perfect home on Switch 2.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an absolutely fantastic RPG with a compelling core loop, much improved combat over the original and some smart, clever ideas that still translate well years later. Despite some age-old backtracking, this is a must-play if you love the Shin Megami Tensei franchise or are looking for your next great RPG hit.
It’s quite simple – Mario Kart World is essential owning on Switch 2. Not only is this the best and biggest Mario Kart ever made, the Knockout Tour is a game-changing new addition that feels like it always should have been here, the courses are among the best ever seen in the series, including a system-defining moment with Rainbow Road and the vast potential that’s opened up with the map mean you could be playing this through the entire console lifecycle and beyond. You quickly realise that this is a game that could only work on this hardware and it feels like the developers have relished being free of the shackles of previous hardware to create, frankly, their magnum opus. One of the best racers ever made, easily the best Mario Kart of all time, and frankly, the perfect start for a console that feels like it could seriously change the landscape of gaming over the next few years.
Despite the mouthful of a name, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is absolutely the definitive experience of a masterpiece. There are few launch titles that are as important and impactful as this one and to re-release it with Switch 2 is not only a masterstroke, it completely transforms the game with silky smooth feel, stunning visuals and a lovely novelty Notes upgrade that adds to the game rather than takes anything away. While the game does show some age in some areas, this version also shows us a timeless product with a high quality bar, making it comparable – and in some cases better – than anything we’ve seen in the last eight years. And somehow still making us gasp in wonder at its scope. An absolute must-play whether it’s your first time and third.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a really interesting release with some clever mini games and cool ideas. It gives you a really thorough look at the console and provides opportunities to see exactly what it’s capable of. There is a chaotic presentation to some of the materials, some games don’t really click and the difficulties are a wild mix. Plus there’s that price tag discussion. But this game really has a lot going for it and does do a great job of giving enough variety to the Switch 2 launch lineup, offering some surprises along the way.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic collection of quality content that beautifully celebrates the legendary journey of the blue hedgehog. All complimented by one of the best modern 3D Sonic / Shadow adventures to date with fast-paced tracks, intriguing story, a compelling overworld and a wonderful aesthetic. The lack of full HDR when docked and a true upgrade path between Switch 1 to Switch 2 is a bit disappointing, but this is a wonderful first point of entry for a truly excellent game that anyone with history with the Hedgehog must experience.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 might just be one of the greatest fighting game collections in history. There’s so much quality here, so much value, but also complete respect in its restoration with solid online capabilities, loving recreation with display and sound options and a real look into Capcom’s incredible history, showing both the best and worst. All at a value price. Some minor weaknesses aside, this is a must-play for fight fans and a deeper reminder of just how good Capcom are and how much they’ve influenced an entire genre for years across multiple generations.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a thrilling new addition to this blockbuster franchise, that wonderfully dovetails the classic original with the new-age formula, all while adding in a fresh, exciting new approach to combat and exploration. Some content gets a bit bloated midway and this won’t necessarily convince those who didn’t enjoy the previous games, but the inclusion of a shield for blocking and parrying, the dragon and mech missions freshening up the action, as well as a more sandbox, open-ended nature to the missions, gives players old and new plenty to sink their teeth into. All while bopping their head to banging beats and getting their eyes melted by some of the most impressive visuals this generation!
Old Skies both feels like a true throwback to classic point and click adventures from the 90s but also benefits from creative new ideas and a stunning visual style that helps it stay relevant and eye-catching in 2025. A fantastic bunch of stories, great characters and wonderful voice acting make this one a game to remember and a must for point and click adventurers, old and new.
South of Midnight is a beautifully crafted, delicately designed, story filled with heart, soul and positive energy. The world is stunning, the characters and the story they drive are memorable, and there’s a lovely mix of puzzles to keep you invested. While combat is the weaker point of the game, the boss battles coupled with the player progression do help bring this back up to a level of a game that deserves your time and attention.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is the finest addition to the series in years. It adds just the right balance of content, pacing and progression to keep you invested, gives you just enough but not too much so you don’t feel overwhelmed, adds a total overhaul of combat that offers both a satisfying challenge but makes the game stand apart from its brethren and offers perhaps the most captivating environments the series has ever had. Despite some uncertainty around certain mission objectives, a quite brutal difficulty curve and some repetition in content, there is no finer current open world offering on the market right now. Especially if you’re pining for a visit to Japan and need more cherry blossoms in your life!
Two Point Museum is without question the best Two Point game to date, but is also one of the finest strategy games in recent memory. With approachable design that plays effortlessly on controller, mouse or keyboard, easy to learn mechanics with a suitable amount of depth and gameplay with many intriguing layers to delve into, minutes will become hours and you’ll find the game charms your soul and feel a smile creeping onto your lips again and again. Just a wonderfully designed video game from top to bottom and one I cannot recommend heartily enough.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the definitive Open-World Monster Hunter experience. Where Rise feels a more traditional game that fans of the classics will appreciate more, Wilds truly opens the door to everybody and continues to build on the success of World. From the grand, epic battles that leave a lasting impression, to a surprising story that compels, an enjoyable abundance of quests and items to find and combat variety unlike anything else out there. Monster Hunter Wilds is just starting life as the game you’ll keep coming back to in 2025 and once more establishes Capcom as the most consistent, reliable, and high-quality AAA publisher in the world today.
Civilization VII is undoubtedly the most divisive instalment in the series to date. Removing the classic formula of play for the new Age system is a bold stroke that, for the most part, does pay off for the series. It rebalances the gameplay to make it more approachable for a wider audience pool – feeling surprisingly comfortable on controller – gives players more chance of winning conditions in a gameplay style that feels appropriate for them, and the objective based system really diversifies each playthrough to make it unique. However, some UI issues, lack of a classic mode offered and a shortened end date than expected mean this one isn’t going to be what everyone wants, even if it’s mostly, the Civ you know and love.
Lost Records: Bloom sets the scene for a very intriguing finale with good character and story build-up but it does take time to get there and the episode ends just as the story is taking a turn. In that build up is some brilliant characterisation across two periods in history, world-class acting that makes these characters feel truly three-dimensional, compelling writing that keeps you hooked and a truly stunning depiction of Michigan that glows and glistens with beautiful, natural scenery. Swan’s recording adds an interesting approach for players to tell their own interpretations of the memories and this is a pleasant trip that often feels soothing and wholesome, but you feel Rage has quite a bit of work to do to stick the landing.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a true sequel in almost every regard. Bigger, bolder, more expansive, better story and characterisation with a world brimming with stunning visuals and detail. But it maintains many of the original systems and mechanics that proved divisive last time and in case of combat, saving, and lockpicking, doubles down on them to the point where they become even more frustrating. What Warhorse have accomplished here is astounding and in many ways have raised the bar for Open World RPGs across the entire industry, yet you can’t help feel the game’s often times obtuse, unintuative systems and tutorials hold it back from its full potential.
Citizen Sleeper 2 is a very special game indeed, a rare indie sequel and an even rarer one that betters its predecessor in almost every single way. From its writing, to its characters, exploration, contracts and surprisingly deep systems, it is a total package. I could not put my pad down, even if I wanted to, and adored the challenge right from the word go. While it definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, you simply must see and experience to truly believe how damn good it is and why it’s the first must-play game of 2025.