Unfortunately, Lost Song stumbles hardest when trying to engage players outside that sphere of pre-existing investment, and in some ways ends up an even less suitable jumping-off point for newbies who want to get in on enjoying the franchise.

Despite some disappointing and frustrating moments, there’s enough compelling stuff that I can still recommend In Sound Mind to fans of adventure-leaning indie horror games. Overall, I dug this team’s ambition, and I was excited to see where it was headed. I just wish the game ran better and streamlined some of its level and puzzle design.

If you’re a big fan of the Lego game formula and either love Horizon Zero Dawn or have no interest in ever playing through it, there’s some fun to be had blasting through the game, especially if you have someone to co-op it with. But for me, I quickly found the entire experience very repetitive and not a true representation of what makes Horizon special. Look, I’m a Lego fan. But this time around, I feel it really doesn’t do the source material justice.

The best advi[c]e I can give you is to treat the game as a platform that will be more fleshed out in the future. If you are a fan of tower defense and FPS mechanics it's definitely worth checking out.

Nom Nom Galaxy isn't particularly exciting, but it's a whimsical little journey that does a decent job at world building. Despite the fact that people are probably clamoring for "more PixelJunk Monsters" as we speak, I'm glad that Q-Games continues to try new things.

A thrilling, hectic vehicle shooter that's quite a bit deeper than the forebears that inspired it.

Fans of traditional RPGs will be turned off by the minimal exploration elements; fans of anime babes in skimpy costumes are unable to get their fix, while fans of generic cutesy anime nonsense really don’t command the buying power to make Atelier Ayesha anything more than a niche title.

PAYDAY: The Heist is a classic example of a diamond in the rough, a game that is just too enjoyable at its core for any of its issues to remain unforgivable.

I absolutely do miss those days. I can’t get on with realistic racing games, so I crave a steady diet of the stuff that Cruis’n Blast gives. At the same time, I normally rented racing games on the N64 and rarely bought them. The same would have held true for Cruis’n Blast. It’s too fleeting to really grab hold of my grey matter and make a home there. I had a lot of fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to return to the beige, carefully curated modernity.

At the end of the day, Liberation is the first true portable entry into the Assassin's Creed franchise, and thus, is naturally going to be a little rough along the edges. So long as you can deal with some technical limitations, you should enjoy yourself while you wait for Abstergo to craft more simulations for you.

Nintendo made a good attempt to salvage Steel Diver with Sub Wars, but other than the solid implementation of free-to-play, it doesn't really do anything exciting.

I can only recommend Resident Evil: Revelations to die-hard fans who missed the game on its initial release, or those who just want to experience every chapter of Resident Evil lore. Whilst the game commits no specific new crime, it is a lazily-handeld port of a title that doesn't hold up well to big-screen modern scrutiny, with the ultimate revelation being, how right Capcom were to steer the course of the series in an entirely new direction.

The game is a solid, creative FPS that brings a lot of new ideas to the genre, despite its minor flaws. Unfortunately, due to the short story, and multiplayer overshadowed by better games, spending more than you'd need to to rent this thing from Blockbuster would just be a waste of money that you'll probably need to purchase food, or paper towels for some reason.

Really, the thrill of the crawl is this game's only reward. For me, that's more than enough as the dungeon crawling play fits the bill exactly as a Vita game. But if you're new to this genre, there are many better places to start.

It delivers a solid and enjoyable experience from beginning to end. It isn't going to win anyone over for its finger-blistering difficulty, either, so fans looking for an old-school challenge should check their expectations accordingly. But super sharp visuals and clever writing make this a collection of Batman adventures you won't want to miss.

Perhaps if it was balanced better, had more meaningful upgrades, or strove to play as well as it looks, it might be worth it. As it stands, I’d say wait for a sale and don’t bother paying more than $15. It’s a fun way to kill an afternoon and gives you a taste of the genre, but that’s about it. Here’s hoping that developer KeelWorks can learn from its debut effort and bring its gameplay design to the same level as its visuals.

Yes, you have to put up with missing Spec Ops missions, a lack of refinement in the online modes for now (add a point onto the final score should the lag issues be properly fixed), and some textures that look like they might have been drawn in Paint. On the other hand, you gain the thrilling speed and fluidity of pointer-based aiming (PlayStation owners ought to start petitioning Activision ASAP for Move integration in the next patch) and a slightly different, possibly better balanced, version of the acclaimed online multiplayer modes.

Maneater squanders some of its potential, but it's perfect for a rainy weekend when you're craving something original.

A morbid, humorous romp filled with life lessons which should be apparent already to all but the total sociopath. While there are some niggling issues with overall polish, it's a fun time for fans of adventure games that should set you to giggling and, hopefully, feeling just a little bit guilty about that glee.

Aside from the self-contained story arc in a new land, Minecraft: Story Mode: Order Up! serves up exactly what is expected.

If you weren't a fan of the past Senran Kagura games and considered them far too raunchy, Peach Beach Splash isn't going to change your mind. But for me, it manages to balance fan service with fun and engaging gameplay; albeit not very challenging or complex gameplay, thanks in part to some of the worst AI I've experienced in a long while. If large wet anime chests float your boat, you'll be right at home with Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash.

Fantastic idea after fantastic idea, let down by failed implementation after failed implementation. It's a confused and messy experience, though it's not because the game itself is sloppy. It's very well made, but it seems that the developers tried to make it do so much at once, that it manages to achieve nothing successfully. EyePet is like a quadriplegic genius. You know he's brilliant, but he's thoroughly useless to society.

Ironically for a game about undead vampires, there's a strong pulse and beating heart at Code Vein's core.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One should have been about $15, five hours shorter, and released on the PlayStation Network. It's a game that does a disservice to the high pedigree of the Ratchet & Clank series and takes too far a departure from what made such an excellent series. It's sad to see these fantastic characters appear in a poorly structured, mediocre game, full of camera issues and silly bugs that add insult to injury.

This spin on Tokyo is breathtaking to view and full of memorable moments, all of which are worth dying over and over for.

Cotton Reboot! is a very pretty and highly enjoyable remake of one of the shmup genre’s most pioneering cute ’em ups — as endearing today as it has ever been while featuring surprisingly deep mechanics for score attack fanatics. It’s a shame a threadbare package, a subjectively high price, and distracting visual issues frequently threaten to spoil the party. For dedicated shmup heads, however, Cotton Reboot is an enjoyable blast from the past that comfortably paves the way for the sweet series’ incoming revival.

As dynamic and challenging today as they ever were, Turrican Flashback offers an authentic compilation of games from this classic series, without a single dud among them. Unfortunately, wafer-thin presentation, missing titles, and a complete lack of side-features (in addition to a subjectively high price-tag) let down what could of - should of - been an encapsulating tribute to one of history's most influential and beloved shooter franchises.

While those of you who played it before are probably better off not double dipping, everyone else who's a fan of lighthearted simulations will most likely want to give this a shot.