This science-fiction journey won’t be to every modern player’s tastes, but it translates almost flawlessly to PS4, providing you can stomach the weird controller latency. Overall, this is full of fresh sights and sharp dialogue. [Issue#3, p.127]

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]

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]

Eerie, with nice lighting – you’ll want to see what horrors lie in wait. Thanks to The Presence, even replaying brings brand-new frights. Worth a scare. [Issue#3, p.128]

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]

Mars itself doesn’t feature as much as it probably should, but this is made up for by engaging characters, purposeful traversal, and a heartfelt message. [Issue#25, p.77]

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]

Blunt, limited, and lacking deeper features, this remains a curiosity rather than essential. But for diehard fight fans this makes Dimps’ brawler all the more endearing. [Issue#22, p.87]

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]

Something special. A quick jaunt that lingers in the mind thanks to breezy movement, picturesque locales, and a story that offers plenty of tasty food for thought. [Issue#7, p.79]

With reams of text and choices, and lovely environments, this is a narrative slice-of-life that lingers in the mind, and gives some pause for thought. [Issue#4, p.89]

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]

There’s also a lot of grind, which obviously can get tedious. You find yourself repeatedly tracking Alpha Aphids to mine resources2 in order to craft certain upgrades to progress the story (often arbitrary given that these aren’t abilities you’ll strictly find yourself using). But in the end, despite the suite of upgrades on offer, it’s never enough to make Stonefly feel particularly fun or intuitive. [Issue#3, p.139]

The platforming leaves more to be desired, but Little Orpheus is a vibrant adventure through dazzlingly dangerous worlds. Ivan is keeping true to his namesake. [Issue#20, p.71]

Matches are absolute dino-might but the progression system misses the mark. There’s a lot to love here, but the story gets in the way of the best bits. [Issue#31, p.90]

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]

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]

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]

Alas, a battle pass and premium skins are already ruining the simplicity, with the paid ones giving you special skills that encroach on the meta, some cheaper tactics already becoming commonplace. There’s potential in this, but just as much chance of it becoming tired at this rate. [Issue#3, p.155]

What was already a good game proves to work excellently as a VR adventure. Grab plenty of ammo, plenty of armour, and don’t wear anything that’ll stain. [Issue#1, p.83]

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]

Don’t expect a successor to Arkham, slavish to the memory of Rocksteady’s games. This 6 isn’t that. It is a good game in its own right, despite some mistakes. [Issue#21, p.74]

It’s no chart-topper, but the funky flows of Soundfall resonate. However, the constant reprise of its best moments causes the orchestra to miss the beat. [Issue#16, p.131]

Out at sea, it’s a lovely vibe just sailing to the other half-a-dozen or so islands, each with its own quirks, from a maze-like bamboo thicket to ancient glowing structures that can be used as warp points. But while there’s an intriguing mystery bubbling beneath the surface, you’ll have to work through more arbitrary crafting checklists to uncover it. With limited inventory space, it’s no surprise our boat quickly piles up with junk, a sight that’s less than chill. [Issue#26, p.81]

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]

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]

This online-focussed squad shooter recreates the feel of the Aliens movie perfectly but rarely gives us something original to do with all that pitch-perfect fan service. [Issue#6, p.82]

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]