Ultimately, while the Mikado Maniax reworking of Raiden III may not be abundant in terms of new features or modes, it does provide access to one of the most exciting, distinct and dramatic genre works - which may, with luck, earn it the attention in the west it has long deserved. [Issue#384, p.122]

This might well be one of the finest hint systems (certainly in this type of game) that we've ever seen. [Issue#384, p.120]

It captures moments of messy humanity that cut through the wreckage. [Issue#384, p.119]

It doesn't so much break the fourth wall as move effortlessly through it as a spectre might, leading to conundrums that rival the dearly departed Cing's finest work: one more act of resurrection in an ingeniously constructed ghost story. [Issue#384, p.118]

Dredge draws a line between Animal Crossing's pun-laced fishing minigame and Lovecraft's fondness for a seaside locale, and the two prove a surprisingly natural fit. [Issue#384, p.117]

Feels old-fashioned in the least complimentary of ways. [Issue#384, p.116]

Yes, the planet looks prettier than it did before we arrived, but this is a rare act of beautification that leaves a bitter aftertaste. [Issue#384, p.114]

Death himself is an amusingly grumpy fellow, in constant need of a cup of coffee to stay motivated. [Issue#384, p.112]

While Rockfish has created an accomplished open-world experience among the stars, then, it really needn't take up quite so much space. [Issue#384, p.110]

The trappings of high society barely conceal the violence yet to come, and the air crackles with anticipation. [Issue#384, p.108]

The game is as interested in making you laugh as making you think. [Issue#384, p.104]

But if, as the end nears, its unswerving focus seems less of an asset than in its early hours, Dead Island 2 has emerged from development hell in more robust shape than we could have expected. Certainly, there is enough potential in a refined and updated version - one that finds room for more immersive sim-style experimentation - to leave us pondering something that seemed unthinkable going in. Dead Island 3? It doesn't seem quite such a terrible idea after all. [Issue#384, p.100]

Part fishing simulator and part Lovecraftian adventure but while the two concepts work together surprisingly well, they both feel disappointingly undercooked.

During a late cutscene, we detect a certain wistfulness in the eyes of both fawn and pup - as if both are silently wishing their talents had been employed in a better game. [Issue#383, p.122]

So while in some ways it's a pity this most malleable of heroes should be forced to return to old haunts instead of breaking new ground, this 2D homecoming is more invigorating than we could have anticipated. [Issue#383, p.121]

It's a decent enough excuse for some very good times. [Issue#383, p.120]

Whether you're into funk fusion or not, there's no denying that the musical rewards all that fastidious work behind the mixing desk. [Issue#383, p.119]

There's less room for creativity than you might think. [Issue#383, p.118]

Scars Above bears all the hallmarks of a game that was overscoped and steadily scaled back as development went on, with many of its more intriguing ideas sidelined as the story progresses. [Issue#383, p.117]

The genre brings something new to VR, too, the constant cycle of long-term goals and short-term urgencies making it one of the few games that can keep us playing for hours. [Issue#383, p.116]

That's clearly how Call of the Mountain has been designed: as a technical showcase first and foremost, pushing visual fidelity further that we're used to seeing in this medium, and taking players on a tour of some of its most tried-and-tested mechanics. Taken as such, this is an all but essential companion to PSVR2. As for whether it's enough to convince people to adopt the technology in the first place? Well, that might prove a steeper mountain to climb. [Issue#383, p.114]

A game of pleasant surprises. [Issue#383, p.112]

With the RTS genre on the back foot in recent years, it's hardly surprising that it should choose to crib from its turn-based cousins - and it has annexed those ideas without sacrificing the heart of its well-oiled war machine. [Issue#383, p.110]

It's hard not to think how much more memorable and rewarding it would have been had the writers made the effort to intertwine these stories from the outset, instead of making its characters spend so much of their journey walking in parallel. [Issue#383, p.108]

Wild Hearts has inherited just enough from Monster Hunter to keep us on the hook - and when it does sporadically come together, it feels like a worthy rival. [Issue#383, p.106]

Leaving this sun-kissed escape behind really does feel like returning from a holiday. [Issue#383, p.104]

In time, however, it is the parry system that reveals itself to be the game's core point of difference and strength. [Issue#383, p.100]

But perhaps the greatest compliment we can pay to Capcom is that the players who don't have the original permanently branded on their memories and their thumbs will merely have to settle for a supremely varied and expertly paced action game - one that doesn't quite supplant, but makes a fascinating companion piece to, one of the greats. [Issue#383, p.96]