There are good ideas at work in Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days, but it's a shame that one of the most intense and shocking indie movies ever made has spawned a game that's neither. At its best, it's a tight, engaging twin-stick shooter with an element of strategy and a cool rewind mechanic, but it never manages to be anything more than that.
While other console Minecrafts have it beat on resolution and maximum map size, the Nintendo Switch Edition is the only version to give you all the authentic Minecraft goodness wherever and whenever you want to play.
Like Lords of the Fallen, The Surge is another rock-solid souls-a-like, losing a little of its predecessor's strong storytelling and atmosphere, but gaining from the change from fantasy to sci-fi and the ingenious mech smashing and harvesting upgrade system. It's not quite on the same level as the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne or Nioh, but that's more down to the lore and art style than the brilliant gameplay. If you like the sound of a gritty dystopian take on Dark Souls, The Surge is an easy game to recommend.
I won't lie to you: Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is an acquired taste. It helps if you've acquired a taste for either Dragon Quest or the Warriors series previously, preferably both. That said, it's easily one of the most accessible and enjoyable games Omega Force has produced, and a real joy to play if you already know and love Dragon Quest.
So, do you really want to splash out on an old-fashioned arcade puzzle game? Surprisingly, the answer might be yes. It's not much to look at but it's brilliant fun to play, particularly as a handheld solo game and TV-based party game on the Nintendo Switch. It has great single-player and multiplayer modes not to mention slick ranked and unranked online play, while the Adventure mode does a great job of keeping you entertained while stretching your skills. In fact, there's just one problem. At £20 on PS4 it's brilliant value, but at a stonking £35 on the Switch? I'd argue that it's still worth the money, but if it was selling for around the £20 mark there's be another half star on the score.
There's still something a little old-school about Dawn of War III's RTS action, but when it scratches those same old itches so well, there's very little reason to complain. It's a game that takes new influences from the MOBA and uses them well, mixing up powerful Elites with tactically interesting units to create great battlefield moments, while spinning an interesting yarn from three different perspectives.
While it isn't quite the neglected classic some claim, Bulletstorm was always a fantastic, hugely entertaining FPS. Nothing about that has changed: this remaster does a good job of bringing the visuals more up to date, and if you’re an FPS lover and haven’t played it, you really should.
I love PaRappa and his ‘I gotta believe’ attitude, but this early rhythm action game no longer holds up. That’s no slur on its charming visuals, great music and superb animation, all of which look great in this HD update, but the gameplay just doesn’t really work. Enjoy PaRappa in your memories or on YouTube if you must, but this remaster will leave you thinking bad of the rapping pup and, really, who wants that?
There might not be a lot of competition for the best baseball sim title, but MLB The Show 17 knocks this one out of the park. It's a massive, multi-mode effort with fantastic graphics and a flexible approach that lets you enjoy it in your own way, and with Retro mode and Diamond Dynasty it has both casual gamers and the hardcore baseball fan sewn up.
Has-Been Heroes is an interesting attempt at a new kind of puzzle/strategy/brawler hybrid, but it’s never as much fun to play as it looks like it should be. It’s a game that has good ideas and strong visual design in its favour, but it never manages to balance the high difficulty level with rewards that make the hardship worth your while.
Put it all together and you have a game that’s good enough to keep kids busy on a rainy Sunday afternoon, but nowhere near as absorbing or addictive as Minecraft (which some parents may think is a good thing).
If you're looking for a really big, extravagant sandbox game that's great fun solo and hilarious in co-op, don't be shy. Wildlands isn't Ghost Recon as we know it, but it's the wildest party in town.
Halo Wars 2 suffers a little from its console limitations, but it’s a solid RTS with a strong campaign and a good overall feel for the Halo universe. After a slow start the mission design grows much more interesting and while there’s little here you won’t have seen in a StarCraft, it’s all handled with variety, pace and drama. There’s potential too in the multiplayer modes, particularly Blitz with its unique hybrid style. It might not be the Halo sequel that you asked for, but it’s a fine one to be getting on with.
Nioh can’t match the gothic grandeur of a Dark Souls and the boss battles may give you nightmares for all the wrong reasons. All the same, by merging aspects of From Software’s classics with elements of its own ninja hits, Team Ninja has crafted its finest game in years. Nioh is every bit as compulsive and challenging as its inspiration, but is smart enough to add some interesting new twists. Love Dark Souls? Love samurai, ninjas and weird oriental fantasy? Jump onboard and prepare to die, cry and experience the magic in-between.
If you missed out on the original Woolly World, don’t make the same mistake on the 3DS. This is a beautifully made, brilliantly designed 2D platformer with lots of charm and some fantastic levels. It gives Mario’s dino chum his best outing since the original Yoshi’s Island 20 years ago.
With a good storyline, great characters and a fantastic, action-heavy combat system, this is a high point for Bandai Namco’s JRPG series – but it lacks the attention to detail, great design and polish that could elevate that series to the big leagues over here.
Gravity Rush 2 takes the strange, quirky style and gameplay of the original and lets it loose on a larger canvas, dishing up its gravity-twisting action with real imagination and verve. It has the original’s charm and personality but more ambition, with a bigger setting, bigger set-pieces and a storyline to match. If Gravity Rush gave us a great heroine, some interesting mechanics and a different take on the action adventure, the sequel puts then centre-stage in a tale that does them justice.
If you have a 3DS, love RPGs and never played the PS3 original, consider Dragon Quest VIII an almost essential purchase. If anything, its easy-going style and accessibility make it a better fit for the handheld console than for the original platform, and you’ll struggle to find a JRPG that’s easier to pick up or harder to put down.
Be prepared for some huge irritations but buy The Last Guardian despite these. It's the kind of game you won't forget.
Ubisoft Annecy has crafted a gorgeous-looking winter sports game with a strong foundation of exploration, enjoyable gameplay and a feast of events to unlock. What it hasn’t done is create a pathway through that game that will keep you playing through to the end. Despite the variety of events and sports the action and scenery grows repetitive, while some minor issues keep on cropping up. The result is a game that’s close to brilliance, but not quite close enough.