Super Wiloo Demake is a well-meaning indie platformer that fails to be anything but derivative and a little generic. One to grab if it’s on sale. There’s better Ratalaika games to spend your money on.

Tetsumo Party does offer some thrills, despite the small package and cheap price tag. There's fun to be had with a chaotic coop mode and single player does offer some returning value. It runs out of gas fairly quickly but, in short bursts, it can be enjoyable. I do wish the game was more pleasing to look at but there's definitely something to this. Pity there's not more meat to it.

If you can get past the almost hostile learning curve, and that's a BIG if, then They Are Billions offers a unique take on the RTS genre and one of the most thrilling, and scary, zombie experiences you can have in a game. There are concerns over the lack of a tutorial, the effectiveness of the map generator and the absolutely mad difficulty curve but if you survive, maybe you'll catch some of this Stockholm Syndrome too.

Solo: Islands of the Heart tries to intertwine block puzzles with an introspective look at love. In reality it is a puzzle game which asks you questions about love but never combines the two effectively. This stops them, and the other optional portions of the game, from feeling cohesive.

Streets of Rogue is derivative and initially uninspiring but somehow comes out addictive and rises above. Just a shame there's no Vita port as it would be a great fit.

FIA European Truck Racing Championship is an excellent glimpse into a facet of motor racing seldom seen. It might lack the glitz and glamour of Formula One or Moto Gp, but don't hold that against it. We're going to keep playing this quite a while yet. Recommended.

Hoggy2 is a fun kid friendly puzzle game with the usual easy double platinum for not very much cash. The level editor is an added sweetener as is the kids mode. Recommended.

Great little puzzle game with Vita crossbuy for a great value package. You'll be playing well after the last trophy has unlocked.

Songbird Symphony is a sickeningly sweet platformer with tons of personality, fun and music. Joysteak Studios have done an amazing job of creating such a unique blend of platforming and rhythm action that will surely have players coming back for more after the credits roll.

Darksiders III - Keepers of the Void is a puzzle-centric DLC with some unique rewards in the form of sub-weapons and armour. Unfortunately the puzzles and environments are very repetitive and so long after release it doesn't really do enough to warrant reinstalling the game.

Concerns over longevity aside, Sairento offers you a unique twist on the old 'be a ninja, kill everyone' style of game and uses PSVR effectively to make you feel like a high level ninja assassin better than any game since the original Tenchu.

The core gameplay of Pool Nation is sound and offers a good set of modes for pool fans. It's slick, well-presented and enjoyable to play too. A little playtesting and maybe a few upgrades over its six year old PC version might have gone a long way though.

Bouncy Bullets is the latest Ratalaika release. This time we have a puzzle platformer with light shooting. As per usual, it's a crossbuy with both PS4 and Vita versions included, the latter port being not quite so fluid due to control scheme issues. Overall though, great value and good fun over its eighty four levels.

Blazing Chrome does a really good impression of a Contra game but 32 years later, Contra is still king and that probably says as much about the granddaddy of run and gun games as it does about this very capable, but not quite as good, upstart. It will definitely have its fans though.

New Star Manager is a bit of a triumph as a console game. It doesn't need the pomp and circumstance of the big football games. Instead it just relies on being a lot of fun, giving just enough complexity and realism to make it recognisably a football game but adding a big dollop of enjoyment that this genre has maybe forgotten about in recent years.

An annual update just in time for the 2019 edition of the Tour De France with a few new added features. If you're a fan of the previous games, by all means go right ahead and buy this. Anyone else should steer clear even if your a fan of the sport in real life.

A fun action puzzler that you’ll feel compelled to keep playing long after the last trophy, moreso on Vita. Exactly what it says on the tin, Toy Tanks in abundance.

Paradox Soul is another Ratalaika title that offers two platinum trophies for the price of one. A quite simple and straightforward Metroidvania, but for the price you can't complain too hard about the run time.

The Sinking City shows a real lack of polish but the investigations provide a likeable adventure. I found cases to be engrossing and the politics of Oakmont, whilst well-travelled and strictly Lovecraftian, give the city a sense of place. The combat is cumbersome but those keen on the sleuthing might be encouraged to tolerate it.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is a well produced point and click adventure that wears its influences in plain sight, but somehow comes up short of its lofty predecessors. Perhaps nostalgia simply ain't what it used to be.

Top drawer Metroidvania action from one of the genre’s key innovators. What’s not to love? From great gameplay, a superb soundtrack to one of the most moreish campaigns available for the genre, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is nothing short of a bloody good time.

F1 2019 had the potential to finally bolster a career mode showing its age. Unfortunately, they make only a fleeting appearance with the real meat coming in their own standalone season. Driver transfers at least give the grid a sense of fluency and the on-track action remains solid. It looks great and polished but there's some missteps that make the new additions feel somewhat undercut.

Monster Jam: Steel Titans is aimed at fans of that particular sub-genre of driving games but does very little to win itself any new fans.

Super Neptunia RPG is a spin-off that makes a lot of changes to the usual formula and suffers for it. It's very easy to play and the exploration is servicable but the combat is over simplified and there are technical issues which irritate. The characters don't get the chance to shine like they normally do either so even fans of the series may struggle with this one.

A fun if short platform brawler. Vita cross-buy makes this worth considering if you have one.

Lapis X Labyrinth is an excellent hack and slasher with glorious visuals and some decent looting and RPG mechanics.

At its best, Riverbond is a simple, charming dungeon crawler with good pacing. Unfortunately, the experience is short-lived with the simplistic combat lacking any real depth or challenge. Whilst there's variety in the locales, it doesn't extend to mission structure or encounters. It can be fun to thrash through an area with friends but there's little reason to return to something that feels so disposable.

Judgment offers more of the same for Yakuza fans, with a slight hint of detective gameplay. Those looking for a deviation from the formula may be disappointed but it has the same strengths as Yakuza, with a new set of enjoyable characters and a strong, gripping crime drama narrative.

It might be hard to sell the idea of a two-way Space Invaders clone in 2019 but Horizon Shift '81 offers some great shoot 'em up action and is easy to recommend.

A fantastic arcade hockey game for all the family. OK, maybe if you turn down the violence sliders. Great fun.

Contra Anniversary Collection offers a selection of games from the Contra series all in one package. There could have been more in here and some titles, although interesting, feel like padding but what is here delivers some of the best run and gun gameplay out there.

Electric space bricklaying is fun. Who knew? Embrace the aesthetic.

Big Ant Studios have continued to make a comprehensive cricket sim without especially making great strides over previous efforts. The customisation is extensive and the content on offer covers almost everywhere in the cricketing universe. The sport itself plays well but the presentation lacks a little, especially when it comes to atmosphere. Load times seem to suffer but, for fans, Cricket 19 offers more than enough to keep them happy for a while.

Super Cane Magic Zero is an utterly daft game with a surprising amount of depth. Some minor technical issues and oversights get in the way of the fun, but overall this is an enjoyable adventure to play when you have a few friends over.

Konami rightfully get criticism for not treating their old series' with respect. Castlevania Anniversary Collection does manage to rectify that. Eight fantastic classics are under one roof and, whilst the bonus content doesn't go far enough, there's some care to this that I wasn't expecting. M2's efforts have been astounding and fans should go home happy with this accurately recreated effort.

Super Tennis Blast is an old-school effort that nails that mid-'90s tennis game feel but we're not sure that's what we want in 2019.

Sony take the brilliant London Heist and turn it into a brilliantly compelling full game. Blood & Truth is one of the most essential PSVR titles so far.

A great indie platform puzzler with distinctive graphics and a compelling gameplay hook. Recommended despite a few niggles.

I found a fun, brainless quality to Warhammer Chaosbane that I could zone out to. Its inspirations are clear and imitates well without surpassing expectations. I found the story to be too self-serious and the presentation too bland. The loop of combat, loot and levelling always rewarded, though. The base content lacks some variety but the endgame should hopefully provide an enduring quality.

Bloober Team have made some important strides with Layers of Fear 2. Visually, there is a sharper, clearer look on display. Pacing is improved with scares not being laid on so thick and heavy. It does seem to lack some atmospheric qualities but the chase sequences do offer the player something to beware. Failure can hamper the flow and the storytelling is a little heavy-handed. For the most part, Layers of Fear 2 is a good effort.

If you can get past the fiddly controls, the underwhelming first level and the occasional progress-stopping glitches, Killing Floor: Incursion is an occasionally funny, often scary and generally fun VR shooter.

Slay the Spire is a very difficult but hugely rewarding roguelike built around deck building and card battling. Each failure is a learning experience and the desire to succeed will keep you playing for potentially hundreds of hours.

A good retro-styled puzzle game across multiple themed levels. Great fun and better yet if you have a Vita too.

Rage 2 is a truly excellent shooter with big, beefy weapons and some huge, challenging battles to participate in. However, it is wrapped up in an open world which is quite bland and too generic to separate it from all the post-apocalyptic sandbox shooters that have come before it.

Back in 1995 seems to offer a homage to survival horror titles of the 32 bit era but it's only surface deep. The gameplay and story were surpassed over twenty years ago which makes this tough to recommend unless you're simply looking for another platinum trophy.

There's an intelligent execution to Darkwood. The gloomy aesthetics and effective sound design heighten your senses and place you precariously on edge. The unflinching challenge adds weight to encounters and each trip to new pastures carries great risk. There is a fantastic confidence with how Darkwood lets you dictate the pace of exploration and it's enticing me to keep coming back.

An accomplished homage to GTA games of old with some interesting mechanics. Sometimes less is indeed more. We're going to go the distance with this one.

Observation is a science fiction thriller with a solid concept that puts you in control of an AI on a space station. The presentation is top notch and the story goes places but I found the pacing and lack of true interaction to be frustrating.

A no-thrills hack and slash platforming rogue-lite effort that doesn't do much wrong, but never tries to do anything spectacular either.

Team Sonic Racing is a solid kart racer that suffers from some unfortunate drawbacks. The team-based racing works well and mixes up the usual kart formula. However, the game is marred by game modes that lack fun, missing polish and an inescapable feeling that this is a downgrade of what has come before.

A well done story-driven indie game in the classic JRPG style. Worth seeing out rather than skipping through.

UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure is pretty inoffensive, just like the film it has the licence for. It's alright, but just like the film it's hard to garner much enthusiasm for it unless you're already a fan. A by-the-numbers movie tie-in with a straightforward platinum trophy.

AngerForce: Reloaded is a very playable, and enjoyable, shoot 'em up with well-considered roguelite elements but is let down by a flawed difficulty curve and some rough loading times.

Taito have done great things with the Space Invaders series so copying the original and ignoring the brilliant sequels seems kind of lazy. If you want cheap platinums while looking at something that kind of looks like a MAME rom then this will serve that function but if you want anything approaching a good game then this isn't for you.

Think 'Race the Sun' but more minimalist in terms of style and content. More meaningful than some of Ratalaika's more blatant platinum bait games but this into the screen endless runner variant is a little too limited to provide real value.

I still can't find myself comfortable within the genre but at least Fade to Silence offers people like me a foothold. Despite a more casual experience and some welcome co-op, combat feels sluggish and shallow. The world is wonderfully bleak but the storytelling fails to capitalise on the setting. There's some intriguing systems at work here but they don't combine in a way I can enjoy.

At its best Mortal Kombat 11 is everything we want. It's enjoyable, deep, violent and funny and it has enough content to keep players entertained for way longer than the usual fighting game. When it's doing what it should, this is the best Mortal Kombat yet and up there with Mortal Kombat X as the best fighter of this generation. Unfortunately, the other stuff the game does is an issue. The customisation is locked behind a lot of random grinding and the multiple in-game currencies complicate the experience enough to spoil the party a little.

An accomplished shoot-em-up with rogue-lite elements and an addictive core gameplay loop.

World War Z's a competent, fun squad-based shooter that really showcases the swarms very well. There's a swift pacing to the missions which can snag when playing alone. As a multiplayer effort, it finds its footing more confidently. The progression should help keep players involved although I'd love to have more episodes to play through.

While Tesla vs Lovecraft continues to be a truly excellent twin-stick shooter and we're loving having a reason to go back to it, this DLC doesn't add enough to be truly essential but as an addition to a great game, it is well worth the cheap asking price.

War Theatre has a good amount of content and offers decent tactical gameplay but the lack of variety in units makes each mode and campaign feel largely the same.

A fantastic sci-fi adventure game from Germany. Very good and definitely worth playing.

This third collection of Williams tables is the best yet, marrying the usual excellent FX3 visuals and physics to some interesting, and varied, real world tables.

As the cheaper of the two recent snooker titles released on the PS4, Snooker Nation may lack all of the official licensing and real life venues and players of its main competitor but if you want a really playable snooker game with great controls and none of the fuss, this is the one to go for.

Snooker 19 does enough to be a snooker game, but not nearly enough to be THE snooker game. A lack of aiming and viewing options mean this may alienate players looking to participate in some relaxed break-building but are instead forced to remember just how poor at snooker they are in real life. And at four times the price of a competing snooker title released in the same week, this doesn't feel like a game we can recommend yet.

Sword and Fairy 6 would be a fun but quite simple Chinese RPG if it wasn't for all the technical problems. The frame rate is a constant issue, making the PS2 quality visuals look even worse and impacting the controls, but there are worse game breaking bugs in here that make it impossible to recommend.

Daydream Software have delivered a competent sports title in eCrossminton. Content is sparse with modes being basic but the core components do provide an enjoyable time. Applying direction takes effort but timing your shots feel rewarding. Presentation lacks some flamboyance and the ICO licensing adds very little. It's a shame what content is there needs to be unlocked in a relatively slow rate and the roster lacks some personality.

Iron Snout is an enjoyable one-screen beat 'em up that has slick controls that help you keep up with its frantic but fun action. Its mayfly like lifespan is an issue though.

Barring a few janky moments, My Time At Portia remains an engrossing, vibrantly colourful Sim-RPG with tons of charm, surprises and discoveries around each corner. There is plenty to see, lots to do and a fair amount to love about this charming and rewarding adventure.

Interesting gameplay mechanics and cute retro styled graphics belie a fierce challenge. Sadly Super Weekend Mode is another easy Ratalaika platinum that deserves better than its probable fate of a one and done. A good game with trophies that let the side down.

If this was the first EDF game, we'd likely be falling over ourselves to praise it but EDF5 exists and does everything this does but better. Yuke's have done a solid job with it but EDF is Sandlot's baby and they are who you should go to for your alien insect slaying fun.

A brilliant spiritual successor to the Burnout series that we want to play instead of anything else. Worth 'working at home' for.

Vaporum is an interesting steampunk themed dungeon crawler that will draw inevitable comparisons to Bioshock, but that's no bad thing.

Daggerhood offers a solid, challenging platformer that is slightly undermined by an easy platinum. You'll have played around a tenth of the game by the time you've unlocked all the trophies which is a shame as although not up there with the greats of the genre it has some good ideas and provides interesting new obstacles to overcome as you progress.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice changes up the Souls formula whilst keeping important elements like exploration. The combat is quite possibly the best swordplay I've ever seen in a game which is difficult to start with but incredibly rewarding when you're going toe to toe with a boss and the stealth gives you the option to take out most minor enemies quietly if that's how you want to play. Another From masterpiece.

I find Generation Zero to have an interesting, stealthy core that sadly is undermined by a somewhat empty world. The technical issues might lead some to hold off and I do hope Avalanche keep supporting this blueprint. There is an appeal to this that does want me to return, providing something more is on the horizon.

A pretty sloppy port of an unimaginative platform shooter. This game's mobile roots are pretty evident and while the game has a couple of decent ideas, it isn't executed at all well.

Submersed ultimately makes some key decisions which will frustrate. Enemies are relentless and inventory management feels botched, leading to you require prior knowledge to advance. Stealth is functional but, more often than not, you're tasked with running from foes that are simply quicker and deadlier than you. There's a punishment on offer here that doesn't fit the crime and, whilst the game tries to do well with a small budget, it can't execute on much of it.

Digital Eclipse has proven once again that they do a great job of porting classic games into museums of retro gaming. The only issue is that the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a little short on actual classics. However, there are more hits than misses in this somewhat eclectic mix that should please most, especially fans of Ikari Warriors and the many self-made clones that followed the series.

Block-a-Pix offers some very pure puzzle gameplay but is let down because the game feels more like painting by numbers than anything that will really challenge your brain. Puzzle game fans might find it lacking but it does have a certain relaxing quality to it.

From Russia with bugs. A below average run & gun platformer you'll tire of quicker than a cold weather front.

Skyworld is a fun strategy game for PSVR with tactical battles. The mechanics are too oversimplified to leave a lasting impression but the UI manipulation will hopefully inspire other VR developers to think outside the box.

Peasant Knight is a different take on challenging platformers with your character's constant locomotion acting as one of the obstacles to success. It's a super quick platinum and the overall game is short too but it's so cheap that you can't complain that it doesn't leave much of a lasting impression.

Verti-Go Home is big, bold and brash and while the exciting presentation may be masking some serious issues around the lack of depth the gameplay has, this is fun, immediate VR title that burns brightly but probably a little briefly too.

Capcom continue their winning pace with Devil May Cry 5. The game is everything a fan would want it to be and there is plenty of style, character and consideration made for newcomers also. Make no mistake, beyond nostalgic feelings from the past, this is the best Devil May Cry experience out there and one that should be enjoyed by as many devil hunters as possible.

I wanted to give Crimson Keep the benefit of the doubt and, whilst the technical troubles that plagued the Switch version appear to have been rectified, the more fundamental problems remain in sharp focus. The adventure might be short in nature but I just don't find perseverance particularly satisfying. There's no sense of depth or a foothold to be gained from a game that's a little too bare to flourish.

Fans of off-road and muddy racing, and gamers who just like arcade-style motorbike action, are well catered for with this very competent motorsports title. A year's worth of patches have answered many of the issues from the 2018 release and we like seeing all of the DLC included on the disc too.

The Wizards offers a slight change of pace from the wave based shooters PSVR is flooded with. You're still taking out waves of enemies as they run towards you but this time you're using gestures to conjure spells and it works very well. It's quite short and even then the constant battles do become repetitive but the spell upgrades do give a decent incentive to replay levels.

Emerald Shores has the interesting idea of adding RPG style levelling to a platformer. Unfortunately in practice this is far less fun that it may sound and even the basic controls leave a lot to be desired.

A dreamlike puzzle platformer with cats, hedgehogs, sheep and bees. Definitely worth taking your time with rather than abusing the hint function. Cracking value with Vita cross-buy too.

The Walking Vegetables is a fairly average twin-stick shooter that is elevated by a great selection of weapons and upgrades but is let down by tired visuals and samey gameplay.

The second Williams collection adds more predictably solid tables to Pinball FX3's ever-growing stable and while these have a great heritage and proven quality, the might be a tad too taxing for beginners.

Another polished Artifex Mundi hidden puzzle game with a fairytale twist and added alchemy. A worthwhile way to spend a few hours.

The Fall Part 2: Unbound manages to retain the atmosphere, dark humour and themes of the original whilst bolstering the narrative with an ensemble cast and their own journeys. It works, even if the pacing does lag compared to the short and sharper first part. I feel Arid's combat doesn't strike me as necessary whilst the hub connecting the levels feels too empty and linear to justify being there. That said, there's an anticipation here to see how this story wraps up.

A sympathetic interpretation of the trials and tribulations of a Syrian refugee. An unexpected surprise.

There are many free to play Battle Royale games out there that are vying for your attention, but Apex Legends takes the genre to new heights with its superb gunplay, Moreish game loop and a superb communication mechanic.

Access Denied is an unfussy puzzle game that offers some satisfying puzzles but may be too simplistic for many gamers.

Dick Wilde 2 is a VR shooter that is average in every respect and is just a few decisions away from being a game we'd recommend but for all of its failings, it is redeemed by its fun online co-op.