Thoughts on Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Switch 2, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Resonance: A Plague Tale Story and much, much more.
It’s been an absoltely bonkers few months of video game releases, and you’d be forgiven for thinking’s it is nigh impossible to catch up. But to help work out what exactly might be worth spending your hard-earned dollars on, here are 10 of the biggest video games to recently drop onto physical and digital store shelves…
1. Elden Ring Tarnished Edition (Switch 2)
Elden Ring set the gaming world on fire when it first launched back in 2022. 4 years later and the game has finally made its way to the Switch 2 and it’s an absolute triumph. After a number a swathe of negative feedback in early previews, FromSoftware smartly delayed the release by almost a year and it’s a gamble that has absolutely paid off.
In case you somehow missed the beloved action RPG first time around, the game sees you take the role of a Tarnished in search of the titular Elden Ring. But in classic FromSoftware fashion, that’s a path filled with a lot of blood sweat and many, many tears as you encounter some truly devilish foes that’ll put all your gaming skills to the test. But just like the developer’s other popular titles, the satisfaction of besting these beasts is immense and you’ll find some of the highest highs here.
Arguably Elden Ring’s biggest boon was the truly shocking size of its sprawling world, but above and belong ground, so the good news is that travelling the lands between on Switch 2 feels as seamless as it did on the mainline systems. No the resolution is unable to match its PS5 counterparts (meaning some darker environments can be a tad more challenging), and the game is largely locked down to 30fps, but that never impacted the moment-to-moment gameplay and is a worthy trade-off for the level of portability on offer here.
It’s also worth noting that this Tarnished Edition also includes the incredibly beefy Shadow of the Erdtree DLC making this an exceptional value proposition. So whether you’ve never played Elden Ring before or a true devout fan, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is an excellent investment and well worth adding to your library.
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2. Resonance: A Plague Tale Story (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Resonance: A Plague Tale Story is an incredibly interesting proposition. The first two Plague Tale series focused on incredibly tense stealth moments and a world filled with disease-ridden, flesh-eating rats. This brand new prequel, set 15 years before the first mainline game bravely tosses both of those core elements aside.
Instead, Resonance is a combat-heavy third-person action game, but despite the dramatic pivot it somehow manages to successfully chart new territory for the series. With the main series’ protagonists out of the picture, it allows Resonance to focus on Sophia, a character first introduced in A Plague Tale: Requiem, who we find plagued with visions of the mysterious Minotaur Island where much of the game is set. It doesn’t sound like much but developer Asobo have done well to create a pretty cinematic experience here that does well to add to the lore of the world it’s been building.
Outside of a slow start, the gameplay also manages to impress as you jump between platforming, puzzle solving and combat encounters. It feels a hell of a lot like Uncharted which is a fun change of pace for the series, even if it’s not as polished as those comparisons. Some performance issues also tarnish the experience a little, but if you can accept those, there’s plenty of enjoyment to be found here.
3. Star Wars Zero Company (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
If you crave Star Wars content, highly tactical gameplay or both, then boy is Star Wars Zero Company going to satisfy your hunger and then some. With a studio founded by former XCOM developers behind the scenes, it should come as no surprise to you that this looks and feels about as you’d expect.
Smartly set in during Star Wars’ Clone Wars, you embody former Republic officer Hawks – leader of Zero Company. As is often the way, the ragtag group of professionals are quickly recruited for a galaxy-saving mission that requires them to do the impossible and defy the odds – provided you make the right calls on the battlefield. It’s an intriguing backdrop that makes for a pretty engaging narrative, especially for serious Warsies. Hawks and co might not be quite ready for the big screen, but do well to lure you in and become invested in their plights, which is exactly what you need when the threat of permadeath lingers over all of your operators.
Fans of XCOM will feel immediately at home here with the gameplay – having access to three action points with each of your turns. These points can be used to move, perform certain actions or go on the offensive with enemies. All actions are not created equal though, meaning it is in your interest to prioritise according to your strategy.
4. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (PS5, PC)
If you’re looking for a game with style, Marvel Tokon Souls positively oozes it. The first thing you’ll notice is just how good this game looks on PS5, with an exceptional artstyle that embraces the anime-style depiction and masterfully carries it across to every animation. Even better is the fact that, at least on PS5, the game runs buttery smooth. Commands are incredibly responsive.
The good news is that the actual fighting mechanics are also incredibly polished. Tokon’s hook centres around its 4-person tag mechanic, which doesn’t play out as you might initially think. With only one shared life bar, your tags are more strategic than ever, but you can’t trigger them from the outset. Instead, your additional members must first be unlocked during fights via an assembly gauge, meaning it’s your call if or when you tag in, or purely use your team for assists. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once it does click, Marvel Tokon feels unique in its approach.
You can duke it out online or take part in single player “episodes” which focus on an all-important tournament in order to ultimately best The Champion. Most character episodes follow largely the same path but it’s still enjoyable to bash about with the CPU if you don’t feel like jumping online.
Ultimately Marvel Tokon Fighting souls is fast, flashy and full of styles. This is a must-play for fighting game fanatics or if you’ve just really been itching to go a few rounds with some of your favourite superheroes.
5. Big Walk (PS5, Switch 2, PC)
Co-op games have had something of a resurgence lately and A Big Walk might just become 2026’s best. Made by Aussie the team behind the now beloved Untitled Goose Game, A Big Walk starts off by nailing its simple premise.
You, alongside a team of 1 -3 friends set out on an Australian outback-inspired landscape, discovering new items that’ll help you solve a range of devious puzzles. But where Big Walk deviates from most of its genre is in its communication. You see, even though Big Walk is a cooperative game, they don’t want you to be in the same room. Instead, the game asks you to rely on proximity chat – meaning the further away you stroll from another player, the less you can hear.
This one minor twist adds an incredible amount of joy and creativity which is what makes this gem shine. Leaning on items like binoculars, walkie talkies and various horns quickly becomes essential, especially once the night falls and you find yourself stumbling around a forest all by your lonesome. Learning how to communicate or the sheer chaos from failing to do is the real magic of Big Walk. Sessions with friends will quickly devolve into a barrel of laughs and celebrated triumphs as you work together to pass a ticking timer through the windows of a convoluted maze.
But with no primary objective ever really displayed, the exploration and journey becomes the centre of Big Walk, and that makes it something special indeed. Easily recommended if you have a group of friends to play with.
6. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
Continuing the glow up of the Xenoblade franchise we see this Switch 2 edition enter the scene. The most evident change you’ll notice is to the game’s presentation – offering support for 4k resolution and 60fps gameplay – a marked improvement over the original’s sketcher presentation.
Fans of the original will know you follow a new band of adventurers this time around, largely centring around rex amidst an incredibly ambitious and sprawling story that even gets a little existential.
If the visual refresh wasn’t enough this switch 2 edition also scores a new action battle mode and rare blade to dig into. Neither may be a single selling point to invest, but as a package deal it’s an appealing proposition that does well to breathe new life into a Switch RPG classic needing some love.
7. Lies of P: Complete Edition (Switch 2)
There’s certainly no shortage of Soulslike titles vying for your attention, but when Lies of P first launched in 2023 it managed to cement itself as one the best not made by From Software. This Switch 2 port is no different and impressively manages to capture all of the magic that made it a huge hit.
As you’d expect the core story remains completely intact here, following the plights of P (read: Pinocchio) in the world of Krat, where a Puppet Frenzy causes puppets to revolt against humankind. It’s an ingenious take on classic source material and manages to fit shockingly well within a soulslike aesthetic, both visually and mechanically.
Much like Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, Lies of P manages to make the move to the Switch 2 remarkably well. This Complete Edition looks darn respectable on Nintendo’s system and can achieve a relatively consistent 60fps in performance mode, even if it isn’t perfect. It also includes the recent Overture expansion as well as quality of life updates, new challenge modes and difficulty modes.
It’s a remarkable package that is great for any existing fans looking for another go or newcomers wanting to jump into an intriguing yet deadly world.
8. Blood Dungeon (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
If you’re talking about classic indie gems, Nidhogg unquestionably has to be right towards the top. Its simple but colourful art style and playful chaotic nature was infectious. Much of that DNA is present in the team’s latest efforts, Blood Dungeon – a creative riff on the Vampire Survivor’s ballistic approach to rougleikes.
But while there is a lot of similarity to Vampire Survivors, Blood Dungeon’s creativity stems from its layout. Thrown into a platformer environment, your character must do its best to run, jump, scale walls, swim and everything in between in the ultimate quest to stay alive amidst the threat of up to hundreds of enemies. The more you run the more upgrades you can score – allowing you to get stronger and delver deeper.
It’s an addictive loop helped along by Messhof’s intentionally budget Microsoft-paint-esque art syle that is equal parts bloody and bonkers. It feels at home with the likes of Nidhogg and brings a level of chaotic charm to the whole endeavour. It’s also nice that it always feels as though an inherent level of skill is involved here, and you cannot simply leave your overpowered protagonist to continuously blast away foes uninterrupted.
This leaves Blood Dungeon to be a refreshing indie that is well worth looking into for those wanting to try something a little different.
9. Pictonico! (iPhone, Android)
Now here’s a game you likely didn’t have on your bingo card. In what can only be described as WarioWare on mobile, this chaotic, oddball title is about everything you’d expect it to be… minus the presence of Wario himself.
Intriguingly though, the star of the show instead becomes you – or at least your photo album. That’s because Pictonico! actually trawls through your device’s photo album (though you can set various restrictions to not give it full reign). From there the usual random microgame madness begins and it’s bound to elicit more than a few giggles, especially with some family and friends.
Nintendo has to be commended, the format works exceptionally well on mobile, but it is slightly tarnished by some slightly expensive packs to keep the limited content going. That said, it’s still a better option that pesky microtransactions.
It may surprise you, but Pictonico! Is worth looking into if you are keen to expand your mobile library.
10. Mortal Shell II (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
The original mortal shell was a respectable attempt at cracking into the increasingly large Soulslike genre, but still wasn’t quite able to reach the lofty heights it aimed for.
Mortal Shell II on the other hand, makes some marked improvements from its predecessor. Sure the usual souls like trappings are found here once again, like a hefty difficulty, and lofty attempt at building lore. But it also introduces a much grander interconnected world this time around that is incredibly atmospheric. Mortal shell II also tries to tweak the classic formula by interestingly removing the well-known stamina meter, allowing you to go hell for leather with your attacks. In its place rests a break meter, meaning you still can’t soak up every flow for eternity.
It gives Mortal Shell II an intriguing pace that feels unique in amongst the landscape. Discovering each of the game’s shells is consistently engaging as is their abilities like invisibility or grapple hooks.
For the Soulslike faithful or somebody looking for a new twist on the formula, Mortal Shell 2 is well worth a look.
