Diofield has all the elements that should make it a great tactics RPG, but it squanders them on a bland story, simple combat, and unengaging characters. [Issue#20, p.86]

Starts promisingly, but becomes frustrating the further you progress. Are you prepared to spend dozens of hours and untold reserves of patience for a good story? [Issue#16, p.129]

Serious skaters will appreciate the impressive commitment to realism, but a serious lack of polish stops Session from sticking the landing for a wider audience. [Issue#20, 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]

It’s a game that can feel unfair and frustrating; most of it would work better if you had full control of movement and momentum. SMB Forever is ultimately a victim of its own legacy – the first game demonstrated that a Meat Boy game can, and should, be much better than this. [Issue#2, p.73]

By far the biggest flaw, however, is the lack of fully translated text. There’s no translation for what’s written on key items for solving puzzles, such as the compass, so you’re left doing a quick Chinese language lesson or brute-forcing your way through. It’s a shame, as Paper Dolls has promise, but it’s an ectoplasmic mess in its current state. [Issue#12, p.75]

So, what keeps us on board to the end? The story. It has a fun (but cheesy) sense of humour, is unafraid to touch upon deeper subjects, and Achtli undergoes substantial personal growth. There’s plenty to like in this six-hour campaign, and we commend Aztech for exploring Mesoamerican culture, something rarely seen in gaming. It’s packing great ideas, but rough execution hampers it. [Issue#12, p.85]

It’s a shame as there’s charm to this time travel adventure. Cartoony takes on all the usual suspects – a haunted graveyard, a wild west town, pirate ships, and so on – are pleasing to hop around. While many jokes fall flat, often thanks to stiff animation, some do elicit a chuckle (vampire boss Vlad The Impala, for instance, is a terrific pun). But sadly this platformer doesn’t quite stick the landing. [Issue#25, p.83]

Away from the strategic elements, the game offers the frenetic combat we’ve all come to expect from the Warriors series. Unfortunately, a range of performance issues in the PS4 version and a general lack of variety lessens the impact of otherwise serviceable action. In the end, this is fighting a losing battle. [Issue#12, p.85]

Nice idea, shame about the game. The 5 shop’s quite fun but the fantasy world is frustrating and boring – if anything, shouldn’t it be the other way around? [Issue#2, p.89]

Slighty improved over the PS4 edition, and featuring the fun Infiltrator DLC, Terminator: Resistance Enhanced never makes use of PS5’s power. A missed opportunity. [Issue#2, p.88]

Constructing harder builds becomes frustrating owing to the controls. The camera and cursor both are unwieldy at best, verging on nightmarish when you’re 50 bricks deep. There’s no way to view the underside of your work, making top-down builds more guesswork than science. Worst of all is the inability to move multiple bricks simultaneously; you’ll experience pain akin to stepping on a Lego brick upon realising you’ve built something just one grid notch too high. It’s a shame as the concept is strong, a throwback to playing with the bricks as a child. Unfortunately, this is not the videogame realisation of those halcyon days, as it’s hamstrung by finicky systems, and too mechanically inept to achieve the laid-back vibe it aims for. [Issue#21, p.88]

It’s got promise and plenty of atmosphere, but with unlikeable characters, lacklustre story development, and average activity, The Chant hits a bit of a bum note. [Issue#22, p.76]

While there are some highlights in the visuals, sound, and accessibility, this never breaks free of its inspiration to do something interesting and fresh. [Issue#21, p.78]

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]

Admittedly, it is refreshing to see this classic style of game brought back to modern consoles, and some players may even appreciate the way this feels like an at-times-terrifying ’90s throwback. But even if you can look past its unoriginality, the lack of polish in stiff voice acting, character animation, and numerous bugs break the immersion. Retro revivals are cool, but if a game brings nothing new to the table and ends up worse than the existing ones it’ll inevitably be compared to, you may as well just dust off the old PlayStation and play those instead. [Issue#6, p.88]

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]

Battles present a good amount of challenge from the off, too. You constantly have to weigh up which troops to recruit and swap in depending on the enemy you face. Sadly, while both the combat and character work are decent, the PS4 version of the game struggles with framerate at almost every camera turn – to the point that it never stops being a distraction. King’s Bounty II simply lacks much of the visual flair and polish we’ve come to expect from modern high-fantasy epics. [Issue#6, p.88]

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]

Neat zombie bashing mechanics are woefully under-served as it loses its way more with each hour, making the shiny hyper-violence yawnworthy by the end. [Issue#27, p.68]

The enhancements aren’t enough to save this rather unique mystery game from being washed away, like tears in the rain. If anything, they bring a downpour. [Issue#17, p.88]

The character designs are charming and the different locations are nicely presented with some pretty music for each different type of area. There are a few characters who can fight alongside Yuu, but, as useful as they are, they don’t bring a huge amount to the two-person party in the way of substance or uniqueness. The visuals really are the bulk of the game’s appeal and it’s hard to think of another RPG where even the enemies are so darn adorable. If you’re looking for something light and sweet, The Cruel King And The Great Hero certainly fits the brief. But so does a nice pavlova. [Issue#13, p.79]

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]

The story keeps you guessing, and the twisty plot is the main highlight. From the moment you meet Zed, you’re drawn into a heart-wrenching and humorous tale, and the strong narrative and whimsical characters will draw you to stick it out to the end. But you need to get through an awful lot of battles, and with a combat system that takes too long to show its good side, the Complete package may be too much. [Issue#17, p.89]

Technically unstable, the writing and performances carry things. Disappointing, but perhaps a springboard to better things. Sam and Max deserve better. [Issue#13, p.78]

Fun visuals aside, this is a bland and boring shooter that pales in comparison to both Doom and its own predecessors. Back to the shadows with you. [Issue#13, p.91]

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]

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 are at least able to turn on Infinite Lives to make a playthrough more bearable – honestly, it must’ve been a miracle that we beat Miracle World back in the day. While some players may be charmed by the power of nostalgia, for others it’s a reminder why Sega sacked Alex as mascot. [Issue#4, p.77]

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]

While everything is perfectly playable, for a game that absolutely nails the toy’s aesthetic it’s almost remarkable how removed the gameplay feels from the fiery, fast-paced action that has come to embody the brand. Never mind hot, these little wheels are lukewarm at best. [Issue#7, p.90]

Everyone enjoys a tropey anime from time to time but Dyschronia pushes its luck. Familiar beats gain a new lease of life in VR, but it can’t keep its head above water. [Issue#31, p.84]

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]

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]

Lacklustre if played solo, but if you can reliably scrape together a squad of friends for online play the budget asking price isn’t a complete robbery. [Issue#30, p.88]

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]

Altair Breaker’s replay value leans heavily on weapons looted from chests and the joy of seeing numbers go up, but these things can’t take the weight, and so the game falls with great force onto its blankly staring face. It’s not bad, but it’s certainly not good. If you want to pretend to hit robots with a sword and get some light upper body exercise, then great, this will do the job, but don’t expect much more than that. [Issue#26, p.87]

The gap between what Lightfall promised to deliver, and what it has actually provided, is unacceptably wide. There’s plenty to do, but you’ve done most of it before. [Issue#26, p.78]

Being able to use sheep as transportation across rolling fields is a real highlight – however, hearing ‘Yeah, Baby!’ every single time you boost your fluffy friend will haunt you in your dreams. [Issue#8, p.94]

Some extra touches, such as camera repositioning and a cheat menu, are nice, but this trip down memory lane has lost some of its charm. There’s no doubt the foundations of a great platformer are here, but after three decades Zool’s ninja skills aren’t as sharp as they were. [Issue#28, p.84]

All of this could be pretty much forgiven if the game offered a quick dose of eccentric JRPG fun, but our biggest issue is with the pacing. Elements outstay their welcome before even getting anywhere. The narrative (with frequently bloated dialogue) is painfully slow, and even its Imaginary Chain battle gimmick2 drags. While the idea of previewing your characters’ moves and shuffling them around so they interact like layering tracks in an audio mixer is thematically on point and great in theory, you’ll probably find yourself mashing (X) or using auto-battle just to save some time. You can teach an old musician new songs, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a hit. [Issue#8, p.90]

The premise (a WW2 FPS with an interest in realism and a limited HUD) is sound. But snipers have an unreasonable advantage over every other unit, and while communication is important to the experience, there’s no decent alternative to voice chat (which almost nobody uses). For a large-scale WW2 shooter, try Enlisted instead – it’s more fun and is free to play. [Issue#8, p.97]

COH3 plays out not with a bang, nor a whimper, but with an indifferent shrug. There’s very little spark for something with so many explosions. [Issue#29, p.88]

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]

In terms of visuals and tone, Frogun is a delightful tribute to PS1-era platformers, but a clunky core mechanic makes this upbeat adventure fall flat. [Issue#18, p.78]

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]

There’s some enjoyable fast-food gaming in here, but it’s buried beneath a painfully unfunny script and unambitious mission design. This ET should go home. [Issue#19, p.80]

Dusk Diver 2 offers the idea of cool systems and a fun combat system, but never really delivers on it, despite some wonderful waifus and husbandos. [Issue#19, p.90]

The concept of a melee-focused battle royale has promise but in such a competitive genre Rumbleverse pulls too many punches to survive in the ring for long. [Issue#19, p.98]

he character creator still shines, but frustrating mission design and a disappointing plot make this reboot difficult to recommend. Far more sinner than saint. [Issue#19, p.92]

Thymesia makes us feel like the soulslike genre is completely played out already. A poor and needless Bloodborne substitute. No substance, little style. [Issue#19, p.81]

One of the most generic open-world racers ever made. Add in server issues, uneven AI difficulty, level grinding, and visual woes and there’s very little to love.[Issue#46, p.84]

Ultimately this lacks variety and depth, despite the cute idea. [Issue#2, p.73]

It’s a shame, because Wonder Boy is fantastic to look at, and the original soundtrack is sweepingly sumptuous. This title opens up a dialogue as to whether these games should mechanically look to the past, or partly adapt to modern gaming conventions in order to make for a more pleasing experience. [Issue#2, p.83]

Altogether, this is not just a keenly disappointing full-price PS5 exclusive, it’s also particularly discouraging as a female-fronted production with a story focused on the magic of relationships between women, and a rare triple-A game with a Black lead. Its message is almost entirely lost in the pyroclastic flow of missteps and missed opportunities. [Issue#25, p.78]

Kamiwaza just isn’t interesting. What was fun in 2006 feels shallow and dated now. Stealth fans might get a kick out of it but with a high price and bare-bones remaster, we’d struggle to recommend this. [Issue#21, p.88]

Gungrave anime fans might be able to crowbar some fun out of this, but we strongly recommend that they don’t even try. Destined to become dead and buried. [Issue#22, p.86]

While Jay and Silent Bob diehards may get some enjoyment out of this, possibly with the aid of certain cigarettes, most people will struggle to do so. It’s often difficult and frustrating, more down to a rigid determination to mimic 30-year-old game design than by intention. Even when things are going smoothly, it’s all too simplistic to have much fun with. It’s memorable for the wrong reasons. [Issue#3, p.127]

Repetitive survival horror that feels like a life sentence, The Callisto Protocol is as bereft of life as the harsh conditions of the moon on which it’s set. [Issue#23, p.70]

Though the game grows on you with time (more like mould than a friendship), so too does the feeling that it lacks what made the originals great. [Issue#39, p.76]

Wholly uninspired and painfully dull, this is a shambolic effort that squanders the potential of its solid FPS foundations through dated design and technical issues. [Issue#32, p.81]

Has all the hallmarks of a PSVR hit – great ideas, action, and visuals – but playing it will make you feel ill. Even seasoned PSVRers should play with caution. [Issue#6, p.89]

A commendable remaster of an ambitious game. But we’ve come so far in nearly 30 years, it’s dreadful by today’s standards. Not the shooter you’re looking for. [Issue#39, p.89]

Better to look at than to play, it feels mechanically soulless. We’d rather boot up the original, which tells you something has gone wrong here. [Issue#1, p.78]

It looks absolutely beautiful and the mystery is initially intriguing, but where’s the game? Gradually becomes one of the most tedious spacewalks in a long time. [Issue#35, p.74]

All style and no substance. Atomic Heart’s world looks the part but is undermined by poor mechanics and some of the worst writing in gaming history. [Issue#26, p.84]

Unless you’re desperate for a new stealth game, give this a miss. A lot of small annoyances add up to create one big reason to save your money. [Issue#15, p.88]

All-Star Brawl never gets beyond that uncomfortable phase that you normally have to push through with a new fighting game. Instead, that horrifying state of confusion in which you don’t quite know what you’re doing is all you can expect from it. It might be enough to keep younger kids satisfied, but they’re also not going to recognise the characters, so it feels like a bit of a bust. This is not the Smash Bros competitor we’d hoped for. [Issue#8, p.84]

A pretty, interesting puzzle game… riddled with technical issues, and draped with a limp story. The toy soldiers won’t be the only ones to get wound up here. [Issue#28, p.91]

Apart from racing up papery billboards and conjuring spectral trees to propel us over gaps, the platforming bits are spoiled by Gaia’s awkward handling. Combat against the remaining ‘devourers’ is worse, as you run around mashing the trigger to ‘redeem’ your gloopy pursuers. It’s basically a well-meaning but tedious lecture, telling you absolutely nothing you didn’t already know. [Issue#29, p.90]

We’ve said it before when it comes to games that aim to handle like their obvious inspirations: if we’re yearning for the way those games felt rather than what’s in our hands, something has clearly gone wrong. Knowing that in Tony Hawk we’d be able to move around the world with ease, only to be met with Skatebird’s annoying heft and proclivity for us to clip on edges just sucks the joy out of playing. Which is a shame, as move beyond the cringeworthy memery and the writing itself is actually quite delightful. But you never come to a skater for the dialogue, you’re here for action – and this isn’t worth the bails it takes for you to stick the landing. [Issue#29, p.90]

A superb Gollum isn’t enough to save the game he’s been parachuted into, which is by turns dull and frustrating. It’s destined for Mount Doom (the bargain bins). [Issue#29, p.92]

Loop8 isn’t able to present a coherent whole – underwhelming writing, overly simple mechanics, and an annoying loop mechanic simply don’t mix. [Issue#29, p.94]

Hell Pie has some fun mechanics marred by pre-juvenile humour and platforming that always feels a little bit off. It’ll be fun for some, but not worth sinning for. [Issue#18, p.86]

Lacklustre original ideas combine with a dull execution of a classic. You’d need a huge magnifying glass to find what little works here. Please read the book. [Issue#34, p.73]

Wants to be a faithful throwback to the beat- ’em-ups of old with a unique 3D polygonal 3 spin. Unfortunately, the transition to another dimension is far from smooth. [Issue#11, p.89]

An utter disaster. A studio responsible for developing some of the best action games in recent years can now claim to have made one of the worst. [Issue#13, p.90]