A delight for Warhammer 40,000 fans, and strong enough to give everybody else a good time too. How long it’ll last depends on your tolerance for repetition. [Issue#46, p.86]

A lot of fun (and weird storytelling choices) at a reasonable price, with no sweaty jungle of microtransactions, Concord has respect for both your time and your wallet. [Issue#45, p.92]

Time-freezing and self-cloning bring some power-fantasy to the soulslike structure, but invisible walls and overfamiliarity stop it reaching the big leagues. [Issue#45, p.84]

Good Star Wars vibes quickly begin to feel wasted between stiff platforming, clunky insta-fail stealth, and a crew we just don’t learn to love. [Issue#45, p.76]

Energetic and charming, the structure is spread too thinly and too repetitive as it stands, leaving us wishing for more of the more authored stages. [Issue#44, p.96]

In a genre filled with top-tier competition, Sweep The Board’s use of Demon Slayer helps it stand out – series fans will, of course, enjoy it the most. [Issue#44, p.95]

A frantic, chaotic, visually splendid shooter that plays like it came from the mid-’90s. It can be overwhelming, but when the bosses go down, you’ll feel immense. [Issue#44, p.94]

A compelling gameplay loop is held together by glue sticks and masking tape, with a mix-and-match art style that barely conceals its fragile foundations. [Issue#44, p.90]

Optional photo opps for your album keep you curious, and most puzzles are fun to work out while rarely being taxing. Combined with a gorgeous art style, these memories are worth revisiting. [Issue#44, p.89]

With a tactile crafty art style, it’s fun to bumble around for an hour or two, but there’s not much variety or even additional missions. [Issue#44, p.89]

For a puzzler like this, some sections are surprisingly freeform when it comes to the route you can take to progress (occasionally this confuses the button that shows your objective, though). At times it feels like this freedom chafes with the potential for great puzzle design, like a level where you’re navigating by sparse light and few shadows, while cracks of lightning shift them dramatically… though it’s almost a non-factor as a navigational challenge. Even at only a couple of hours long, it can feel overstretched, but it’s well worth jumping into even so. [Issue#44, p.89]

This small-scale creature collector is a breezy flight of fancy offering infectious excitement about the natural world. Pass the binoculars; it’s time to touch some grass. [Issue#44, p.88]

Though the battle system is refined, the lacklustre structure feels needlessly slow and repetitive. We’d rather play the first one – not a good omen. [Issue#44, p.86]

A lighter take on the soulslike formula that’s generous with its toys – just don’t expect them to be crafted with the godlike precision of FromSoftware’s classics. [Issue#44, p.83]

V Rising is flawed, and bits can drag, but in a world where great vampire games are more elusive than actual vampires, there’s a lot to like here. [Issue#43, p.101]

The activities are pretty simple, but charming characters accentuated with manga techniques makes your brief time in this Japanese seaside town a memorable one. [Issue#43, p.100]

The writing and the design butt heads a little too often, resulting in an expansion that keeps getting in its own way. There is gold; just not enough. [Issue#43, p.98]

Matchmaking and communication could do with some work, but they’re can’t drag down what is undeniably a joyful experience… with the right people. [Issue#42, p.98]

An interesting curio from Japan that’s too short and shallow to carry any real weight today, though it hasn’t aged at all badly considering it’s from 1992. [Issue#42, p.97]

It’s not often that games are genuinely too short, but Neurodiver is over before any of its ideas or characters can develop, making it oddly dissatisfying. [Issue#42, p.96]

It may feel like a weak alternative to a genuinely new action-based Monster Hunter game, but Wings Of Ruin still stands on its own merits as an RPG. [Issue#42, p.94]

A gaming pill best swallowed with a heaped spoonful of nostalgia, this is good but not great. In space, no-one can hear you scream ‘Where do I go now?’ [Issue#42, p.92]

Who knew a house in the north of England could make a great setting for science fiction? A smart twist on time travel that shines despite room for improvement. [Issue#42, p.91]

This four-hour foray into faith is unlike anything else you’ll play this year. Both incredibly bleak and beautiful, put your hands together for Indika. [Issue#42, p.90]

A spectacular battle system that adapts to heroes you meet on your journey is trapped in a package that hasn’t been polished enough to make it shine. [Issue#42, p.88]

Not since Silent Hill: Book Of Memories has a horror series spun-off in such a strange direction. Sadly, Sker Ritual is about as successful as that game too. [Issue#41, p.99]

A charming but flawed metroidvania that had the poor luck to be released in a year which has already seen two outstanding examples of the genre. [Issue#41, p.90]

Adds so many ingredients to the proverbial pot that ultimately you can’t really taste any of them, resulting in a forgettable dish on an already crowded table. [Issue#41, p.88]

You’ll want to get lost in the well-realised world. No single element is a revolution, and it’s sometimes a little thinly spread, but it’s still a successful adaptation. [Issue#41, p.86]

Lana might be pretty but there isn’t much going on under the surface. Play Inside, Celeste, or the criminally underplayed The Last Guardian instead. [Issue#41, p.85]

The strong shell-switching hook and charming writing float to the top, while a myriad issues at launch drag down this treasure chest of promise. [Issue#41, p.84]

It’s hard to say no to a sunny adventure with Clive and friends, especially with a neat new combat style. But, slight on things to do, this isn’t a must-play addition. [Issue#41, p.82]

The campaign requires patience and a high tolerance for internet searches, but the creative elements are full of possibility if you’re able to put in the time. [Issue#41, p.80]

A game that copies the ARPG masters – but isn’t as interesting. Souls-infused combat and a massive unlockable wardrobe are what keep us coming back. [Issue#41, p.76]

A return to form, for better and worse. Though we enjoy our time with this sleuthing pair, the mystery they’re chasing runs out of road all too quickly. [Issue#40, p.95]

The building blocks are all there, but As Dusk Falls veers between going overboard and playing it safe so frequently that the end result is just okay. [Issue#40, p.94]

Seabound play is great fun, initially at least, but the longer your voyage lasts, the more Skull & Bones struggles to provide new, interesting things for you to do. [Issue#39, p.98]

By not wandering far from the first game, UNIB2 provides a beat-’em-up experience that’s enjoyable, but much weaker in 2024 than it was in 2020. [Issue#39, p.97]

When it comes to horror games, you could do a lot worse than this, but you could also do a lot better. Its great puzzles belong in a much better game. [Issue#39, p.86]

A sleekly presented, satisfying selection of sorting and stacking puzzles is let down by stressful wobbles. Still, this cat sparks joy more often than not. [Issue#39, p.83]

We’d hoped the series would be more polished by now, yet this short stint of horror sleuthery will still appeal if you’re seeking the macabre and unusual. [Issue#39, p.82]

There’s fun here, and you can maybe add a point if you got this for ‘free’ on PS Plus. May be worth checking on later, when hopefully it’s scrubbed up a bit. [Issue#38, p.98]

Definitely an acquired taste. It takes a while to make sense of, but once it clicks, it becomes a trippy arcade shooter that gets right inside your head. [Issue#38, p.97]

Literally the old games running under new skin. The Modern controls are dreadful and III is stretched and frustrating, but the first game remains a masterpiece. [Issue#38, p.94]

In desperate need of repair work, Pacific Drive is a patchwork of glorious, memorable moments held together by the duct tape of frustration and technical issues. [Issue#38, p.88]

Executes all common elements of open- world RPGs with confidence, but it falls short of the games it emulates and is weakened by its bland protagonists. [Issue#38, p.84]

Stopping and starting time adds an extra dimension to this compact metroidvania. A fine palate cleanser between the likes of Ultros and Prince Of Persia. [Issue#38, p.82]

Fairly fun writing and shooting let down by almost everything else. This is merely a live service treadmill looking for a reason to exist that doesn’t yet satisfy. [Issue#38, p.70]

We don’t want to call this the Dark Souls of potion crafting, but in this game the journey is the destination, and your path will be littered with failed potions. [Issue#37, p.93]

A fairly basic collection of ports that we’re glad exists, but these aren’t must-play classics so much as curios for the gaming palaentologists only. [Issue#37, p.92]

We could say more, but this is best seen for yourself. Excellent performances and mostly solid period-pastiche production design make this hard to look away from. [Issue#37, p.81]

The central hook almost carries this dungeon crawler, but it struggles to stand out in a crowded field. There’s loot to be found here, but more like a puddle’s worth. [Issue#37, p.78]

Going full detective on figuring out these languages can be joyous, though other, duller, modes of play can get in the way more often than we’d like. [Issue#36, p.81]

An enjoyable Age Of Sigmar campaign, nicely presented and newcomer-friendly, but convoluted controls hamper yet another RTS game on console. [Issue#36, p.80]

A new dungeon with some trimmings, only the new boss fight truly impresses. The rest offers some fine though non-essential worldbuilding. [Issue#36, p.77]

A larger, varied zombie shooter sequel with an emotionally resonant story about a man and his dog, but equipment frustrations mean it’s short of VR greatness. [Issue#36, p.74]

Visually stunning, this is a fun but undeniably flawed visit to the superbly recreated world of Pandora. It should have been better; we’re left feeling blue about that. [Issue#36, p.70]

RoboCop is dreadfully buggy but an obvious love for the licence plus some brilliantly realised shooting pushes aside any doubts you might have; it’s just FUN. [Issue#35, p.94]

An interesting premise meets outstandingly written characters, but the gameplay is lacking. Might have made a better visual novel than a dungeon crawler. [Issue#35, p.90]

At once stylish, clever, frustrating, and messy, Ghostrunner 2 isn’t simple to enjoy or recommend. But there’s no denying the quality of the design. [Issue#35, p.88]

Tactica lovingly translates Persona 5 to another format, but once you grasp the basic activity, the lack of variety both in action and story make it drag. [Issue#35, p.87]

While admittedly a little buggy in places, this is a clever use of Isaac Asimov’s genre- leading science fiction, with enough invention and immersivity to impress. [Issue#35, p.83]

The problem is that these mechanics don’t evolve. [Issue#35, p.82]

Justice’s greatest problems lie at a technical level. It doesn’t fall down often, but when it does, it falls hard. Power through these issues and you’ll find a bloody good vampire adventure. The ending hints at a sequel; we hope it gets made. Justice is bat to the bone. [Issue#35, p.82]

The VR game’s as short-lived as the PS4 version, while the optional objectives that pad out a level rarely have anything to do with killing spiders, though completing them does earn you upgrades to make mass arachnicide easier. If you’ve killed them with fire once already, however, the promise of doing it again in virtual reality isn’t quite so tantalising. [Issue#35, p.82]

Little Goody Two Shoes is a colourful gift of genuine uneasiness tied up with a bow and laid out as a tasty and fully worthy ritual offering to nostalgia. [Issue#35, p.80]

It’s always good to see Kiryu again, but the lack of other recognisable faces and fun side-quests makes this a mere time filler until Infinite Wealth arrives. [Issue#35, p.76]

Fantastic monochrome style and chilling writing makes this a great horror to spend time with, though it struggles to maintain the mood across lots of runs. [Issue#35, p.75]

A series high for PvP, a series low for Zombies and the campaign. Worth it for multiplayer, but paying for the whole package leaves a sour taste. [Issue#35, p.70]

If you’ve already played Payday 2 and its DLC to death, this is your logical next step; if you haven’t, go and play that first. It’s cheaper and chonkier. [Issue#34, p.96]

Doesn’t veer far from the original’s winning formula, but the high gloss and family-friendly action mean there’s much to champion. Not essential, but beautifully slick. [Issue#34, p.95]

Trepang2 certainly delivers as a single-player FPS when it comes to loud, bloody action and tactically smart enemies, but it’s a little short on personality and variety. [Issue#34, p.94]

An interesting science adventure with plenty of style, but with little opportunity to influence the outcome it’s hard not to feel like an outsider in this story. [Issue#34, p.90]

Glimmers of a great throwback are here but nothing holds up upon close inspection. Missions lack depth while this combat was better left in the past. [Issue#34, p.86]

A repetitive Dark-Souls-by-numbers is livened up by a universe-swapping idea. Hey, why doesn’t FromSoft steal that idea for its next game? Seems only fair. [Issue#34, p.84]

While you can appreciate Boundless Trails’ handheld roots, this is a fun action romp that transcends the platform it was originally created for and delivers an adventure worth undertaking. [Issue#34, p.82]

It doesn’t completely derail the gothic vibes. You use a special lantern to reveal hidden clues or images beneath the paintings hanging on the walls, for instance. The game’s most impressive trick is the use of real actors captured with an impressive 3D volumetric technique, lending a fun, campy theatricality to proceedings, the ghostly visions of these past guests unlocking as you complete each puzzle. We could have done with more this aspect, rather than the usual lore collectathons and audio logs, but this isn’t a bad way to reimagine a classic ’90s FMV puzzler for VR. [Issue#34, p.82]

Neither particularly exciting nor even safe, Superstars’ greatest Sonic sin is being really quite boring, and not very suited to multiplayer antics at all. [Issue#34, p.70]

Great writing meets interesting characters, but less interactivity and a more sedate pace than even the wordiest of visual novels make this a bit of a slog. [Issue#34, p.68]

Infuriating. Fun sea exploration, but we can’t help wondering if Quantic Dream published this to make its own horrible writing look better by comparison. [Issue#33, p.92]

Great set-pieces and acting carry an uneven yet inventive campaign, and new skills complement 2.0’s combat tweaks – though it’s not quite a revelation. [Issue#33, p.88]

Squint a little and you could be playing Bloodborne. So why not just play Bloodborne with your eyes open? Nevertheless, a solid B-tier soulslike. [Issue#33, p.86]

The Kampaign is the one of the best we’ve seen in years but stripped-back side-content and a barebones online mode hold this reboot back from greatness. [Issue#33, p.82]

The core experience is superb, but the same is true of the now significantly cheaper NBA 2K23. Unless the latest rosters are important to you, buy that instead. [Issue#33, p.77]

Although its combat can be finicky and it’s not the smoothest execution of VR, RuinsMagus’ charming characters and story makes the dungeoning not so dreary. [Issue#33, p.76]

This feels – and arguably is, given First Contact’s emphasis on post-launch updates– unfinished, rendering what could have been fantastic merely ‘good’. [Issue#32, p.92]

A rather old-fashioned bike sim that focusses purely on racing beautiful bikes in a solid and smooth game engine. It’s not riotously fun, but the quality’s there. [Issue#32, p.91]

Great performances and some good writing, but never tops the opening scare of how much money it’s asking for four hours of frustratingly limited activity. [Issue#32, p.89]

A disappointing followup filled with gimmicks to validate its existence that end up getting in the way of the core appeal. Perhaps Moving Out 2 was a pivot too far. [Issue#32, p.89]

All the ingredients of a great open-world RPG are here, but the lacklustre combat, bugs, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it story leave an unpleasant taste. [Issue#32, p.86]

The premise seems silly, but thought has gone into this chess-shooter mashup. However, difficulty spikes and lack of replayability mean it struggles to hold attention. [Issue#32, p.81]

An enjoyable mystery in keeping with the Hercule Poirot you know and love, but not one with much interactivity beyond smashing together evidence. [Issue#32, p.74]

An aggravating mix of truly gorgeous visuals and some fun platforming challenges with unsatisfying combat. It feels often flat, and doesn’t live up to the first game. [Issue#32, p.72]

A misjudged leap forward. While refined and polished, its fresh ideas cannot disguise the fact that we’ve passed that one parked car on Edwards Island before. [Issue#30, p.95]

Although it feels like there’s a lot of padding to justify another instalment, Reverie nonetheless gives the Trails series’ Crossbell arc a satisfying conclusion. [Issue#30, p.91]

A competitive version of Crash Bandicoot’s platform template is a great idea and realised with style, but it really is just the same activity on repeat, for now. [Issue#30, p.89]

Bland and glitchy scenery does nothing to endear you to the one-note gameplay. It’s decently playable, and controls well, but the magic of the first game is gone. [Issue#29, p.97]

The one-two combo of violence and strategy works well… initially, at least. The further you progress, the more it seems that luck and grind play overactive roles. [Issue#29, p.91]