Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Switch)

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is not a Zelda game. What it is is a brilliant Zelda-infused Musou experience filled with varied and satisfying combat and Breath of the Wild additions that work beautifully within the boundaries of the Warriors template. The care and attention given to detail here, alongside the exciting combat, is hugely impressive, and it offers a stop-gap opportunity to revisit a world and characters we adore. There's definite catharsis in grabbing the Master Sword, sprinting out there and giving all the prowling nasties a sound thrashing. It's a story of old friends and enemies coming together to triumph over incredible adversity, and despite the frame rate taking a tumble every now and then, it's one of the most consistently entertaining Musou games we've played.

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Darksiders Genesis (Switch)

Darksiders Genesis is, for us, the best entry in the series in terms of its mix of satisfyingly meaty hack-and-slash action and huge levels filled with secrets, puzzles and platforming. With its co-op campaign, unlockable arena mode, and Apocalyptic difficulty feeding into that addictive Creature Core grinding, there's an absolute ton here for fans of the series — and newcomers alike — to get stuck into. This Switch version may suffer some slight blurriness and FPS hiccups in portable mode but, if you can make peace with these problems, this is a highly entertaining action game at a very reasonable price.

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop)

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition puts Heart Machine’s obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs — in portable Nintendo form — and along with a silky smooth frame rate, this is the definitive version of a modern pixel art classic. There are a handful of exclusive features to help freshen up the experience for those who have played it before, while every single boss, secret, and upgrade from the original is waiting for newcomers to experience for the first time. The Nintendo Switch's indie library is even better with this outstanding action game's presence.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time (Switch eShop)

We had wanted a new Samurai Jack game for a long time, and even if this one came a little bit late, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a worthwhile experience that properly celebrates a beloved IP while being a darned good action game in its own right. A striking art style, well-executed combat mechanics, and a challenging level of difficulty make this one an easy recommendation, but with the caveat that it’s a little light on original ideas and uneven performance. Still, this acts as a great companion piece to the legendary cartoon; don’t dismiss this as just another tie-in.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (Switch)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order isn’t a groundbreaking, narrative-heavy reinterpretation of the comic characters you know and love, but then again neither were the first two games. In that regard, it’s a very faithful sequel that mines the vast roster of characters from the comics while including plenty of nods to the current state of the more modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it doesn’t do anything particularly new or outstanding, it embraces the brainless fun of its brawler/hack-and-slash combat with gusto, and it’s at its absolute best when played with a team of player-controlled supers. This one veers well into the RPG arena, too, but given the sheer quantity of action on offer, we couldn't resist adding it here. Feel free to Thanos finger-snap it from existence if you like.

Samurai Warriors 5 (Switch)

As one of the best Musou games on the Switch, Samurai Warriors 5 takes the long-running franchise, gives it a wonderfully vibrant lick of paint, throws in some excellent new combat mechanics and fills its story mode with well-directed cutscenes, resulting in a slick and stylish addition to the series that's sure to please fans and newcomers alike. Yes, it makes a few fumbles here and there, but, overall, what's here is a fine addition to the Switch's line-up of Musou titles. This is a fast-paced, flashy hack-and-slash effort that looks and plays fantastically well and, most importantly, performs almost perfectly whilst doing so.

No More Heroes (Switch eShop)

The Switch version of No More Heroes is something very rare – a game that’s actually better now than it was on its original bow on the Wii, showing us just how little the gaming landscape has actually moved forward. It is certainly, avowedly not for everyone – and you get the impression that’s just how director Suda51 likes it. Artier than most art games, more thoughtful than most think pieces, and cruder than crude oil, No More Heroes uses its own repetition to decisive, impressive effect. Glorious, gore-ious, gorgeous, and gregarious, this madcap anime nightmare deserves your attention.

And again, we can't ignore the excellent No More Heroes II: Desperate Struggle, and its long-awaited (though slightly divisive) 2021 sequel No More Heroes III. Another trilogy (if you're not counting the underrated Travis Strikes Again) all right at home on this little hybrid console.

Furi (Switch eShop)

Furi's series of dauntingly challenging boss fights are capable of turning all but the most committed of players into a gibbering wreck, but it's a deceptively clever game that combines shooter and beat-'em-up mechanics, all wrapped up in a stylish anime-influenced shell. With numerous difficulty spikes and an over-reliance on repetition, it won't be for everyone, but it's hugely refreshing to see The Game Bakers' intense title reward patient observation and persistence, as well as mastery of a carefully calibrated control system.

Bayonetta 3 (Switch)

The latest outing for our favourite Umbra Witch, Bayonetta 3 cranks up the chaos, improves the combat, polishes the level design, and adds a ton of new mechanics to the mix, making it another outstanding entry in this storied series. PlatinumGames nailed it once again, carefully layering on more ways to engage enemies, piling on the OTT gameplay sequences, and giving us multiple protagonists without upsetting the balance of what makes these games amongst the very best examples of their genre. With impressive visuals, non-stop action, and a hugely replayable campaign that's a joy from start to finish, this really is a huge celebration of everything we love about Bayonetta.