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If the good old days of PS2-era JRPGs are still being pined for, Xenoblade Chronicles will satisfy that craving and then some. There aren’t many games of this substance still being produced today, and there is no excuse to not give it a chance with Definitive Edition’s Switch 2 update. While it is disappointing that the 60fps target slips up in heavier situations, the vast majority of the time it delivers a smooth performance that greatly enhances the experience, and the 4K resolution upgrade brings out the best of this beautiful world. The addition of the Ether Jet positively serves to streamline slower parts of exploration and comes especially welcome for handheld questing.

Make no mistake, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a beautiful game top to bottom. Combat is phenomenally varied, fluid and rewarding, alongside customisable perks and buffs for Elliot’s extensive arsenal of weapons. The world map is impressive to an extent, but there is a bit too much repetition across the various time periods, including having the same enemies. Nonetheless, puzzles, exploration and the wealth of combat options make this a must play for action RPG fans, and should certainly scratch the itch for those looking for a combination of HD-2D and old-school top-down Zelda games.

Toll Booth Simulator starts with an…interesting premise and every now and then hints at the sort of addictive routine that makes such games so enjoyable - but it quickly loses focus, burying its most promising ideas beneath a mountain of puddle-deep mechanics that aren’t even particularly entertaining. It’s a repetitive grind wrapped in an experience that feels unfinished and unpolished. Some players may appreciate the sheer variety on offer and enjoy the process of paying a large debt dollar by dollar. Just like in real life. Gee, thanks game.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an absolute masterpiece of interactive storytelling that uses the medium of video games to interrogate the very nature of player agency and narrative design. By expanding upon the brilliance of the original release with an equally sharp, deeply philosophical layer of new content, this package achieves a level of creative brilliance that is secondary to none. It runs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch hardware, delivering a beautifully polished, profoundly funny, and conceptually unmissable adventure that represents the absolute pinnacle of meta-fictional design.

Ember Lab has delivered an adventure that stands tall among the finest experiences available on Switch 2, shaped with care, overflowing with atmosphere and strengthened by a world that rewards curiosity at every turn. The blend of exploration, challenge and heartfelt storytelling creates something that lingers long after the credits roll, and the technical performance ensures that nothing distracts from the journey’s emotional pull. This is a standout release for the system, confidently crafted and easy to recommend to anyone seeking a rich, absorbing and beautifully realised action adventure.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 doesn't get everything right, but, much like the Spider-Men themselves, it puts its best foot forward and tries to be what the world wants it to be. Its enhancements to gameplay distinguish it from what came before it, and even if its story stumbles around, seeing characters like Miles Morales and Venom fully integrated into its universe has an undeniable allure that makes up for some of its faults. Insomniac Games has done it again, and with some further fine tuning, their next game is sure to be another crowd pleaser.

Cities: Skylines – Race Day offers a more layered, involved, and on the whole fun experience than most of the game’s expansions, and it’s always nice to see old games still being supported. That support does come at a cost, and the price tag attached to this expansion might have felt a bit lighter if it had launched with a little more polish. Diehard fans of the city builder will love this DLC, and newcomers will start their cities off with a few new layers of depth and mechanics that feel natural and make cities pop with more life.

Forza Horizon 6 is an absolute tour-de-force that represents the definitive pinnacle of the open-world racing genre. By combining a breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly rewarding realisation of Japan with peerless handling mechanics and spectacular audio design, Playground Games has crafted a driving adventure that is secondary to none. It handles its massive scope with a level of polish and artistic mastery that is rarely seen in modern game development, delivering an addictive, joyful, and deeply immersive package that sets a magnificent new benchmark for the industry at large.

Resident Evil 7 was the revitalisation the franchise needed, with everything suggesting that it may still be one of the best survival horror games in the series thanks to its first-person perspective that brings a sense of dread unlike anything felt before. Played in Switch 2’s handheld format, too, it is a whole other kind of nightmare that becomes the definitive horror pick for the system.

Switching between Patrick and SpongeBob, combined with the game’s smooth, polished playability, easily makes Titans of the Tide’s best features stand out. This is a breezy and enjoyable 3D platformer that will please fans of the cartoon and even fans of 3D platformers in general. It looks great and feels great, but there is no mistaking that it's a surprisingly light package that leaves users wanting.