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The Drifter has everything you want from a modern point-and-click adventure – a banging story, excellent characters that are unabashedly Australian, and expertly designed puzzles. It's one of the best adventure games you'll ever play and it feels like an evolution for the genre, and Powerhoof deserves all the acclaim about to come its way.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a game so committed to its premise you can't help but revel in the gorgeous, destructive genius of it all. Constantly building to a spectacular finish and incorporating the most comprehensive post-game experience I have seen in a Nintendo game to date, this is a proper benchmark of brilliance for what a first-party Switch 2 title should be. The world is your oyster – so why not punch it into pieces.
An unassuming but essential bit of art preservation, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is an excellent way to experience one of the best RPGs of the 21st century. Team Asano's love letter to the genre remains a fresh and engaging medley of systems and theme, even if the new Switch 2 minigames add little to the already wonderful experience.
Ruffy and the Riverside is an impressive debut title and a top-notch 3D collectathon adventure. The texture-swapping gimmick adds a rich layer to the canvas that more than makes up for some spotty platforming, and Riverside itself is a wonderfully weird and gaudy locale well worth exploring.
Yakuza 0 doesn't do enough to justify its director's cut title, but the main story arc remains a benchmark for a franchise that has only grown in popularity, so what better time to give it a run on a console that can do it justice.
Raidou Remastered is an enjoyable MegaTen curio that needs a few more ideas to give its real-time combat any lasting appeal.
Immensely self-assured in the quality of its foundation, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach masterfully iterates and refines, while introducing considered additions that complement the experience, not complicate it.
Siren's Rest is an enjoyable, if a little short, dive beneath Still Wakes the Deep's waves that doesn't capitalise on its strong narrative, leaving players a little unsatisfied. The premise and setting do manage to build some solid tension, but it never elevates to a genuine scare factor that would take the experience to the next level.
TRON: Catalyst is a solid top-down action-adventure for TRON fans to experience more of the digital world. Despite its back-and-forth nature with the looping feature, it has simple controls, fun abilities, fast combat, and a detailed story to uncover, and of course, it has that precious Light Cycle.
Date Everything! is an addictive sandbox dating simulator where you'll Love, Friend, or Hate all 100 voice-acted objects in your home. It features simple controls, is full of quirkiness, secrets, and has a fun-loving story that will keep you entertained for countless hours.
11 Bit Studios strikes again with a fresh take and setting that borrows from the brilliant mechanics of This War of Mine and sends them into space.
Mario Kart World takes Nintendo's racing series to the open road with uneven results as charming character animations and a killer new mode in Knockout Tour collide with a sparse open world and new pacing tensions thanks to tracks melding into one another. A solid enough, if exorbitantly priced, new platform for a new generation, Mario Kart World has a bit more distance to cover before it can cross the finish line.
Players in To a T will live the life of a teenager while they navigate their town in perpetual T-pose. The game boasts wholesome themes of diversity and body positivity wrapped in a layer of brightly coloured weirdness, but its gameplay and story may not be engaging enough to keep both children and adults spinning along. Those with an interest in cooking and singing giraffes, having a dog sidekick, and becoming invested in a whacky plot-twist may find this a refreshing opportunity to turn their brain off for a few hours.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma does a little bit of everything, and thanks to some very complementary core gameplay components, the whole is remarkably cohesive and a good deal of fun. There are plenty of aspects requiring a bit more polish, though, so don't go into it expecting a masterpiece.
A fascinating precursor to FromSoftware's multiplayer pivot, Elden Ring: Nightreign offers us a glimpse at the thrills, and pitfalls, of adapting the studio's signature style to meet contemporary standards. Propulsively fun gameplay loops and a killer art direction gently usher in one of the least considered efforts from the studio to date.
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is another excellent addition to Capcom's remastering efforts, keeping all the interesting tension and charm of the original title while allowing it space to flourish with quality of life improvements and gorgeously realised art.
You can't argue against the value of free DLC that expands on an already classic RPG. With more inventive, enjoyable combat and a compelling additional story, Throes of the Watchmaker is tougher, perhaps a tad short, but just as entertaining as the main campaign.
Occupying a cosy space between video game, simulation and interactive wallpaper, Lushfoil Photography Sim offers some gorgeously enticing locales to virtually visit and snap – and just enough outside the frame to keep you playing.
As a VR-optional walkabout adventure, The Midnight Walk is light on thrills or variety, but it makes up for that with some of the most arresting and artistically accomplished visuals inside a headset.
Forever Skies fails to live up to my (admittedly high) expectations, but it does offer a new and exciting perspective in the survival/crafting genre. I enjoyed my time cruising around in my airship, but I definitely feel this could have used a few more months before releasing out of Early Access.