It takes a bit of getting used to, as expected, and is a bit heavy-handed with its combat and vague on storytelling. But once you’re getting used to its nuances, Chronos: Before the Ashes opens up into a great little Soulsborne affair.

With a terrific hand-drawn style, an intriguing premise (inspired by a rich vein of criminally under-represented folklore), and solid controls, Tunche does a lot right, but it’s also a game that saves too much of its good stuff for the later stages, which is likely to drive away many looking for more instant gratification. With a more gentle introductory curve in the early stages and more rewarding incentives for progress, Tunche could be the next Castle Crashers, especially if you can rope some mates in. As it stands, it might be too much of a slog at the start to stick with, in order to see the good stuff further in.

This is an easy recommendation to anyone who loves a unique and interesting story and yearns for a casual platforming experience. An adventure to be discovered by many. Little Orpheus has creativity, beautiful visuals and smart witty characterisation. With a run time of three hours split into nine small episodes, it certainly will not disrespect your time.

Everdream Valley is an adorable farming simulator that involves, animals, farming and a bit of magic. What feels like a giant sandbox worth of adventure, is worth the bucket and spade. Whilst it isn’t a perfect game, there is a plethora of farming to be done within the Valley with an interesting story mechanic that is unlike other entries.

A rollercoaster of such highs only to be undone by flying straight off the tracks, Parkitect: Deluxe Edition has too many game-breaking issues to recommend taking a chance on. Its building gameplay, visual and sound design set it to a rip-roaring start, just so the technical performance and save-deletion issues cause this entire ported rollercoaster to derail.

Held up by its superb class system and the intrinsic elation that comes with melting prehistoric lizards with a railgun, Exoprimal is unfortunately let down by a lacklustre story offering, anemic number of modes and a question over its longevity. While those drawbacks will put some people off, those fond of firing a grenade right up a Stegosaurus’ hide will be laughing long into their dozens of hours of playtime.

Offering a modern roguelite spin on a retro-inspired concept, SYNTHETIK is a cracking title from a small team. A fiddly menu system can be a pain at times, but the core gameplay of this robot rampage is absolutely top notch. Either solo or with a friend, there’s hours of fun to be had in trying to overthrow the machine.

As an experience, Milky Way Prince is experimental, entirely unique and one that I’m glad exists. I imagine it’ll hang in the subconscious of most people who give it the time of day, but the subject matter will be too much for some to bear.

A vibrant and violent affair, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is a slice of arcade fun. It’s not aimed at Warhammer veterans, and rightfully so, more for those who like their run-and-gun to be over-the-top. A bit lacking in extra content and polish, but still enjoyable nonetheless. Highly recommend it with friends though.

Crypto’s second return in Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed is another successful remake from Black Forest Games. A few technical issues and poorly aged mission designs aside, this irreverent, smartass alien still has plenty to offer the modern world with hilarious quips and hugely entertaining gameplay. Fire up your death rays, crack a joke at 1960s society, bust down that fourth wall – Cryptosperidium is back and he’s standing tall. Arkvoodle be praised!

Crea-ture Studios have achieved a great feat by making the most authentic skateboarding game to date, seconded only by going out and practicing kickflips yourself. The physics-based controls are incredibly intuitive and satisfying to learn. There’s a steep learning curve that may put players off but if you stick with it, there’s no other game that does skateboarding as well as this. It’s not without its minor flaws, but look past them and you’ll find a game with endless replayability.

An atmospheric detective mystery, The Last Case of John Morley is a compact tale with surprisingly high production values for a game of this size. Unfortunately, it undermines itself by telegraphing its twisting narrative and lacks those 'eureka' moments you'd find in other, similar titles. Still, if you're in the mood for a one-and-done 'whodunnit' that you can start and finish in a single sitting, this is still worth your attention.

Re:Turn – One Way Trip isn’t going to keep you up at night and the small game world undermines the game’s better ideas because of the amount of backtracking and filler. That being said, the story has an interesting arc (despite it being overtly foreshadowed) which will keep you entertained for an evening with creepy but not quite scary content.

Rooftops & Alleys has a great foundation of parkour gameplay. But with a handful of levels and no great variety of missions that'll have you tripping over your feet, this won't keep players around for long; unless they're hardcore into parkour.

Fans of the original Beyond Blue will get something from After The Storm - so long as they go into it with the right expectations. This isn't Beyond Blue 2. This isn't an improvement on the original game. It's set in the same world, with the same characters, with a similar focus on preserving the oceans. But this is a very different game viewed from a new perspective and while it falls short of meeting the quality of the original, the game still has enough saving graces to save it from the depths entirely.

Grit and Valor - 1949 makes a strong first impression thanks to its setting and the thrill of acquiring the high ground to massacre mechs. Past the initial adrenaline hit however, it fails to sustain a meaningful level of excitement due to a misfiring reliance on meta-progression and underwhelming strategy depth.

Average in every respect, and with little to reward or keep you playing, Immortal Realms Vampire Wars is a dull strategy sim, concealed behind an acceptable veneer. When the night is over and sunlight reveals its true form, it’s your will to play that’ll have dried to a husk.

A worthwhile entry into the DC/Batman game series, Gotham Knights can be a fun experience in single-player or co-op with its strengths lying in variety and its four-Knight team. However, its confusing UI, repetitive stripped-back combat, and lack of stealth options leave it unable to reach the glorious heights of the Arkham games.

Some minor flaws aside, Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues is one of the best beat-em-up out there, easily surpasses Raging Justice and I think can rightly be proud to call itself the second-best beat-em-up’s on the PS4. The Johnny Lawrence of the gaming world.

Even though A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead struggles to build and maintain any momentum by design, it's the perfect Quiet Place game. Sound, and it's absence, are the core of this game, for better and for worse. While some may drown in the quiet from the tedious pace, others will adore the serenity of its methodical nature and immense respect for the source material. Personally, I've never felt more on edge opening a door like I have playing this, and that's my screaming whisper of a compliment for it.

Achilles: Legends Untold is a disappointing game more for the missed potential and flawed execution of some great ideas. Combat quickly becomes tedious, the story is poorly delivered and though it has moments where it shines, they’re bogged down like the souls dwelling in the Styx. Achilles doesn’t need his heel to stumble from greatness in this case.

A trio of twists on a classic, Space Invaders Forever brings together 3 inventive titles that can fill an evening with friends or a weekend score chasing alone. There’s caveats with all 3 games that long time fans will need to consider before purchasing but if you’re simply looking for a Space Invaders fix with a difference, this is the game for you.

Flame Keeper is a truly accessible rogue-lite for anyone new to the genre, or someone who does not want an unforgiving time. Whilst currently incomplete and with some technical issues, Flame Keeper is fun with visually appealing details and offers an addictive gameplay loop.

Crash Team Rumble shows off the crisp visuals and beautiful design we know and love from Toys for Bob and continues to capture the essence we adore from the Crash Bandicoot series. Whilst filled with easter egg fun and nostalgic highlights such as the music, the gameplay suffers from balancing issues that are vitally needed within a live server sports-like game.

Vibrant, colourful, much deeper than it looks on the surface and doesn’t outstay its welcome, Say No! More is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. You’ll likely only play it once and it’s not a hugely interactive game, but if you like a game with a layered narrative, this will certainly deliver.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is an example of how a game has potential to be good. As it stands, it still needs some balance and polish to its core. But aside from that, it shines when it works well. The real joy comes from playing with friends, standing fast against obscene amounts of bugs. It made lack the wit and satire of the film, but for an ambitious mutiplayer shooter, it may not eclipse Helldivers 2 or Space Marine, but it will stand on its own. Let's hope time is kind to this one.

Despite its earnest attempts to deliver Rocky and Creed fans a fun and arcade-like fighting experience, Big Rumble Boxing sadly cannot stand up to the heavyweights or even middleweights of the fighting game genre. Suffering from repetitive mechanics, a shallow content offering and an art style that has great character models but lifeless fight presentation, Creed Champions falters under the softest of hooks.

Closer to Stellar Blade than Code Vein, this anime soulslike does new things with the genre's tropes. Its addictive gameplay loop, stark architecture and world design, swift rewarding combat, and manageable runtime combine into an action title worth your interest.