Hidden Dragon Legend offers a feast of combat action and platforming with a beefy challenge but comes with a host of irritations too.

Outlast 2’s backwoods territory has a real passion behind it’s visuals and sound but the skew towards the chase quickly strikes me as overbearing. The story tropes sit with a tale that’s been told before and, whilst the antagonists are memorable, their relentless nature adds frustration rather than genuine fear. Stealth remains enjoyable but it seems pushed to the periphery. This game will polarise, depending on your priorities.

Caverns of Mars: Recharged adapts the original game's gameplay and improves it but the repetitive action and somber presentation do rather suck the energy out of this shooter.

Forgotten Hill Disillusion deals in some great, heavy atmosphere. It's suitably oppressive and I think the rough and ready visuals add to the grim aesthetic. The puzzles are inventive but there are times where they feel relentless. In smaller sessions, it's bearable and there's plenty of hints and information on hand to get you through. Unfortunately, I found the game dragged in the final act and some puzzles required genuine precision that a controller can struggle to give.

Bullet Beat's mix of shoot 'em up action and booming music works well initially but the simplicity of the gameplay and a general lack of features soon take the shine off of what could have been a decent effort.

Tour de France 2021 feels so, so familiar. Whilst the upcoming 2021 tour is replicated in its entirety, there's little new here. Tweaked Peleton behaviours will improve your experience but it's an experience wrapped in the same tired engine. The license brings a lot with it but I'm still puzzled by a roster of identical riders that show a real lack of individuality. Fans will enjoy the mountain of content but it doesn't really feel fresh to me in any major way.

Bone Marrow is an RPG-flavoured take on the popular mobile game 2048. While it tries to update that game's mechanics, ultimately the new wrinkles to the gameplay don't improve it in any way and you aren't incentivised to play fairly against the AI at all.

Orbibot offers physics based puzzles whilst controlling a ball. Unfortunately the controls never feel right, making achieving what you're trying to do harder than figuring out what you have to do in the first place. Still, another easy platinum (or two).

Amazing Princess Sarah is a simple and basic action platformer. Throwing the bodies of your enemies at other enemies is a fun mechanic and after beating the game once the gimmicks introduced in subsequent playthroughs are great ideas. Unfortunately the level design isn't that interesting so the game wanting you to play through them over and over again to face the true final boss is asking a lot of the player.

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.

Whilst The Dwarves has an enjoyable, well presented story, the RPG it tries to present has limited character-building and uneven combat. It’s not deep or robust enough for me to truly endorse. Those that persevere might find a tale worth seeing but be prepared to suffer against a troublesome camera and some worrying technical stutters.

Whilst I don't doubt this game's authenticity, I found Hunting Simulator to be a frustrating experience. A substantial campaign does make each prey feel unique with their own behaviours and the environments are well rendered. Sadly, getting to the shot requires so much time investment for a reward that doesn't feel too fulfilling. It's one for the enthusiasts. Novice hunters may have better luck elsewhere.

Earth Atlantis is a different kind of shoot 'em up that may well win fans with its excellent art style but will no doubt lose plenty due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay. It is a solidly put together game but one that is a few design choices away from being one we can truly recommend.

A Bastard’s Tale prides itself on being tough and that’s certainly what it is. It’s also repetitive but rewarding. The feeling of just one more go will get you through it eventually but the trial and error gameplay will test your last nerve.

Doug's Nightmare uses up most of its good ideas and intentions on a weird story about a sleep-deprived banana and while there's some fun to be had from the game's weird and wacky world, as a twin-stick shooter the game feels quite pedestrian and a little dull.

Mystic Gate is an okay twin-stick rogue-like in a marketplace full of better ones and is just a few design decisions away from being a decent example of the genre but, for now, there's some fun to be had from it.

If you're not put off by the game's stark minimalism and brainbusting puzzles, then Salary Man's unique charms may well be right up your alley but gamers looking for a puzzle game with a more casual appeal, and perhaps more of a sense of fun, might want to look elsewhere.

Some people might enjoy the challenge Masters of Anima brings but it requires a lot of patience and luck for little reward. Controls are clumsy on a pad and your adversaries don't offer much in the way of autonomy. It's well-made but unbalanced encounter design results in some long struggles against enemies that will regularly make short work of you.

At its best Killsquad can be a competent co-op shooter that's just about tough enough to create a compelling challenge but it's quite repetitive, ordinary, fussy and bland too. It feels like what it is, a barely optimised port of a cheap four year old PC game but if you can find a co-op buddy or three, there's some fun to be had.

Take this review with a pinch of salt as I'm not a cycling nut. Tour de France 2018 is a game for very specific, patient enthusiasts. The license is used to great effect with every rider, team and stage of the marathon event covered. Unfortunately, there's a lack of visual polish and some baffling decisions that hold this game back. There's a lot to do but, as with most endurance sports, newcomers have to deal with a lot of waiting before the action really starts.

We can appreciate a compilation of some of retro gaming's deepest cuts, especially when the emulation is well-executed, but the three games offered up here just aren't any good.

2064: Read Only Memories is a difficult game to recommend. Whilst the story being told is decent, the sheer quantity of text and somewhat overdone approach to sexuality distracts from the actual limited gameplay present. The art style and presentation of the game is also spectacularly retro, and whilst it stands out from the crowd its not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

Defenders of Ekron may not be the most exciting shoot 'em up on PSN but its thoughtful take on the genre definitely works. Unfortunately, technical issues with the game really spoil the party.

Whipseey and the Lost Atlas tries very hard to emulate some of that Nintendo charm, however, the game is unable to reach that echelon. What results is a short Kirby clone with some merit, yet not enough to warrant anything other than passing interest.

Fated: The Silent Oath is a very short experience with limited interaction. The ability to nod and shake your head to communicate with characters is fun and the visuals are appealing but in the short running time I struggled to bond with the characters or get invested in the story. Hopefully a second chapter will improve on things as there is a lot of potential.

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.

Bouncy Bullets 2 is another Ratalaika sequel where none was really needed. Uninspired stuff but a typical rinse with unique trophies on both PS4 & PS5.

Danger Zone hints at the delicious chaos we now expect from Three Fields but delivers a strangely vanilla product that actively seems to be tempering any excitement the gameplay delivers.

Disco Simulator's approach to management is incredibly simple. Whilst you can tinker with a few facets, the two resources that matter can be easily acquired. Turning a profit requires little effort and reputation does tend to be handed to you. What remains is a game with very few stakes and, as such, I wasn't encouraged to change my gameplan. That led to something that felt tedious pretty quick.

Milli & Greg is a no-frills 2D platformer with a retro aesthetic and a whole lot of difficulty, made especially tricky because it throws a lot of inertia into the mix. We've seen it all before but we've seen it done a lot worse.

The Little Acre has great art design and voice acting. The actual story though feels under-developed and rushed, and for a point and click adventure this is very disappointing.

Terra Trilogy is a compilation of three shoot 'em ups that take a lot of inspiration from some early arcade titles and they all have potential but are let down by some horrible difficulty spikes and cheap level design.

Ancient Amuletor is a fun VR shooter/tower defence hybrid. Unfortunately it’s incredibly short on content and variety at only four levels. Online co-op could enhance the experience if you can find a game but in single player you’ll see all the game has to offer in one session with only higher difficulty levels hoping to tempt you back in.

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.

Shootvaders does a good job of making the static screen, Space Invaders format more dynamic and it's a pretty good game. But it's also beset by some terrible design decisions when it comes to gameplay.

Battalion Commander would make a pretty good free iOS run and gun shooter. But it's on a PS4 and isn't free. The autofiring makes it all feel a bit unsatisfying for our liking and progress is more about brute force rather than skill. But the game has an addictive quality that makes it oddly difficult to put down.

Despite all the above though, there is a decent enough game here and if you aren’t someone that habitually plays platformers all the time then there is some value to find. This is especially true when you consider the low-cost barrier even when out of a sale. However, there is also an argument to be made that there are plenty of better experiences out there for a similar price. This makes Glam’s Incredible Run: Escape from Dukha very hard to recommend, it simply offers nothing new to the table and while not every game has to do this, it needed something to carry it outside of mediocre territory.

Ayo The Clown is a below average take on Nintendo's 1995 classic Yoshi's Island. There's just too many rough edges and mechanical issues for this to be worth persevering with. It's a bad cover version at best.

Super Mutant Alien Assault is a short-lived arcade shooter that offers up some interesting weaponry and a big challenge but not a whole lot else.

Stay takes an interesting idea and does some good things with it but there's not a lot of gameplay here and what's there can sometimes be awful which means that this game is a very mixed bag. Some of you will love it, some of you will hate it.

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story offers a shallow but addictive gameplay loop. Every element, from the RPG to the management to the action, is overly simple making it easy to play for short sessions but lacking much in the way of depth.

If nothing else, Hannah has a confident style. I love the Dutch angles and the big, intimidating world. She controls well enough but the restrictive camera really impedes the platforming. That said, it's not a difficult game but it will frustrate. The puzzles will lightly jog your memory but nothing felt especially taxing. I wish the story was better presented. Finding segments out of order or missing them entirely can make gaining a complete narrative difficult to achieve. For all the ambition, it lacks polish and care.

Snow Moto Racing Freedom offers a decent snow based arcade racer. There’s a good amount of content, local multiplayer for up to four people as well as online multiplayer. Unfortunately it lacks polish, the snow covered tracks all look the same and the racing isn’t exciting enough to make up for it.

R-Type Final 2 just doesn't live up to the hype, or the weight of its own history. Ultimately, it feels a little unfinished, like they underestimated the initial Kickstarter and had to deliver a game, even if it wasn't the one we all dreamed it could be.

Octonaut does an okay job. It's a shoot 'em up with a bit of charm but not much in the way of innovation.

Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a different beast to the original games from a few generations ago which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the repetitive locations and enemies combined with the dragged out levels turn what could have been a spooky adventure into a tedious one.

It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains is an okay twin-stick shooter with okay gameplay and okay visuals. It's okay. Okay?

The PS4 is host to so many twin-stick shooters and Tango Fiesta does very little to stand out from them. The controls and action aren’t particularly slick and the graphics are very weak but the game isn’t a total dud. Stick with the story mode and you may enjoy the action as your upgrades start to kick in.

Nephenthesys is a vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up that does just enough to warrant its cheap price but nothing more. It's not particularly nice to look at or fun to play but it has a basic level of challenge that keeps it interesting for an hour or two.

DreamBreak manages to remain enjoyable for its short running time, just about. The pixel art visuals are well done and the music is great, but the controls and multiple gameplay elements are flawed making it hard to recommend.

Super Dungeon Bros is the very definition of average, with bland art style forgettable level design and floaty controls. Whilst more fun can be wrought out of the multiplayer, the chances of finding other people to play this game with is near non-existent. As a result you’re left with a single player game which seems to be poorly balanced and liable to crash.

Shuyan Saga disappoints as a visual novel. Whilst the panels are sharp and detailed, the decision points lack any bearing on the overall narrative. Combat has a depth to it but progression feels rigid and and strikes can feel clumsy. The jarring nature of switching between story and fighting sections can feel unsettling but it's not entirely without positives. The voice acting is appropriately hammy and the clearly defined structure makes for a swiftly-paced story. Unfortunately, it's all just too forgettable.

Void Gore is an okay shoot 'em up but one that is let down by some lazy/minimalist (depending on how kind you're feel) level design and clumsy visuals. We enjoyed it while it lasted but that wasn't very long.

Dojoran is the latest 2D platformer to hit PSN and while we've seen it all before, it does have a reasonable level of challenge that will appeal to retro platformer fans.

Two decades on, the Sonic Wings series needed a shot in the arm but this isn't it. With it's bland gameplay and drab visuals, there aren't many reasons to recommend this flawed shoot 'em up.

Vaccine gives a good initial impression for fans of old school survival horror, but a bad first impression gameplay-wise. Stick with it enough to achieve a good run and you might just see the appeal, but it will depend entirely on luck rather than skill.

If you really want a generic version with a thin story, then Rusty Spout Rescue Adventure might be for you. Unfortunately, the only characteristic that the game has is that it is quite challenging but that might not translate to it being much fun.

Recall: Empty Wishes will feel familiar to some. The domestic trauma of the Lin family is a decently told story but it's not an especially compelling game. Puzzles are kept very simple and the experience is linear one. Whilst the pixel art does occasionally drift into the occult, it largely stays within grounded environments. As a result, the whole package can feel technically sound but with very little impact.

The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 is more of the same. The original was already pretty repetitive so to do the same thing over with less interesting characters, randomised dungeons and less gameplay distractions is a big ask. There may be something here for major fans of the first title but if you're looking for improvements then you'll be massively disappointed.

Radio Squid has some admirable ideas that are somewhat at odds with some claustrophobic level design. Friendly fire does frustrate but at least it's offset by plenty of money to allow for extra lives. If nothing else, you're kept in the fight, despite how clumsy it can feel. Unfortunately, I struggled to truly enjoy this, although the look and soundtrack is charming and nostalgic.

You can certainly see some variety in locales and enemy design but the combat becomes very stale. Twins of the Sun's loose melee swings don't really pack a punch. It's not a difficult game but certainly feels better playing as a duo. The wave-based encounters draw a lot of attention to those flying solo, even if the game is very lenient with health pick-ups. This is competent but it lacks a tighter feel.

Romeo is a Dead Man has the style and swagger of a much better game. The combat is nothing you've not seen before, the level design is uninspired, dated and often frustrating, and the story isn't as funny or clever as it thinks it is. But, still, there's fun to be had and the game can be compelling. It just needs to get out of its own way more often than not.

Another Far Cry 6 DLC, another rogue-like with surreal levels but not a whole lot else to talk about. Far Cry 6 was great but it feels like it is time to move on.

Glitch Busters is trying to bring some of that Astrobot playability and feel to the PS4 but even if you can forgive the sluggish action, awful camera and the lack of polish, some real game-breaking bugs could threaten to spoil the party. There's some fun to be had if you can pull together a human squad for some online play but this isn't a game that will live long in the memory and might struggle to hold an online community for long.

Unfortunately, Tour de France 2020 picks up where the series left off and slowly, very slowly, advances. The package bolsters with new classics and features but the same outdated visuals and problems arise. The license isn't used to the fullest with no rider likenesses and a bare minimum approach to presentation. The cycling remains fine but the lack of excitement and personality makes it hard for me to recommend this year's effort.

Tonally, BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW doesn't quite land. I'm always wary about bullying storylines and they can pull punches that make the abuse seem a little hokey. Anne is not the most reliable narrator so it can be hard to trust her words. The social media aspect is decently attempted but the inclusion of a real influencer can make the ending feel very contradictory. It's a visually stunning game but it lacks a cohesion from chapter to chapter and the chase scenes can lead to some early frustration.

Castle Pals is an average platformer with absurdly easy trophies. We’ve not marked it down to due to no Vita port, but some might feel that’s an issue.

GUNGRAVE VR offers a short, outdated shooter that doesn't gain much from being in VR. There is a little arcade fun to be had but the price is far too high for what's on offer.

Whilst GUNGRAVE VR U.N feels a little better to play then GUNGRAVE VR it is also half the length. The side scrolling gameplay allows for more hectic encounters and there is a fun arcade quality to it but it still feels outdated and isn't the best fit for VR.

Knight's Retreat offers a good chunk of Chess-themed puzzle action and is based on a clever concept. The execution and presentation are a little weak though which stops the game from being a must-have but puzzle fans should still get some enjoyment from it.

What you’ll find in Old Time Hockey is a lovingly represented homage to the sport’s yesteryear that is soured by a paltry paring of modes and a challenge which a newcomer like me has found too steep. Take this score with a pinch of salt if you’re experienced and want to see something with a little more personality than the NHL license. Just don’t expect to sink much time into it.

Exo-Calibre is a functional but unimpressive shoot 'em up that doesn't really offer much in terms of longevity, creativity or presentation. We were able to finish the game on our first attempt which suggests an issue with its balance too.

Days of Doom is a game that really needs more variety to shine. The pool of enemies is small and I found myself dealing with them in the same compositions. Rewards for runs is a slow trickle of currency that makes crucial upgrades feel so far off. Whilst the art provides a rare bright spot, it feels at odds with the serious premise. Ultimately, what's here runs out of momentum very quickly and can't really entice me back in for one more go.

When all is said and done, The Song Out of Space feels undercooked. The cast seems interesting enough but they're sparingly used in a plot that's all too short. Couple that with the rather unsightly presentation and I have a tough time recommending this. There are spots of intrigue in the plot that are all too hurriedly tied up and replaying doesn't add that much to the fuller picture.

Small Radios Big Televisions is bold in so far as it offers very little gameplay and is surprisingly repetitive for a game that will last you two hours. There's merit here from an artistic point of view but the game is a victim of its own narrow viewpoint and the fact that artsy non-games aren't exactly rare these days.

With a decently told romantic plotline, How to Take Off Your Mask Remastered doesn't do a lot to stray from the genre's comfortable ground. All the cast seems to play double-lives but it quickly likes to concern itself with just our two protagonists. The splitting narrative does allow players to get more game for their money but, as someone who rarely likes visual novels, this doesn't change my tune.

Thunder Kid II: Null Mission is very much more of the same as the first game that came to PlayStation consoles a few months back. It's short, a little clunky and you get two easy platinums if you have access to a PS4 and PS5. With more dynamic controls and more interesting bullet patterns you could have an intense gameplay experience, as it is this isn't really worth experiencing.

Costume Kingdom is Pokémon crossed with Costume Quest but not as good as either. A straightforward platinum trophy and the fact you can beat the game without defeating the cheesy final boss, such as it is, is a bonus. More trick than treat anyway.

Wukong is another PlayStation Talents release that shows promise but doesn't do enough to warrant its price tag. What is here is okay if you're looking for a 3D platformer from many generations ago but you only get what would equate to the first world in a full, professional release. The price is lower than that, but it's still too much for what it offers.

We Were Here Together's basic idea of co-operation and communication is sound but the game's basic presentation, occasional tech issues and needlessly obtuse puzzles mean it often feels like a chore rather than any sort of fun. We liked what it was trying to do but ultimately resented how it did it.

Birthdays the Beginnings is more of a passive experience than a game and some people will love it for it. Others, like me, may find the vague instructions and the lack of interaction a bit tedious and a put off. It’s certainly an interesting curio but will absolutely not be to everyone’s tastes.

ArtPulse isn't really an art tool for VR like the name implies but more of an audio/visual experiment meant for short bursts. The tools don't have enough flexibility for you to get truly creative and my time with it was short lived but I'm sure some people will get some joy playing about with what is here.

I feel The Dragoness: Command of the Flame falters with its pacing. It does well to explain its systems but the bread and butter battles take place on dull playing fields. With missions being on the lengthy side, the repetition did start to wear thin and the basic presentation didn't raise my eyebrows. The roguelike elements do throw some variety in the mix but it's countered with hero progression being reset after each mission. It is a functional tactical RPG but it lacks a little excitement.

Iro Hero is a very challenging shoot 'em up that uses Ikaruga's colour switching gimmick but offers very few ideas of its own and doesn't do a very good job of explaining its intricacies.

Stunt Flyer is an unimpressive port of a 2011 Pilotwings homage that lacks the charm and excitement of the original but, once you relax into it, it can be oddly compelling.

Demon’s Crystals is a twin-stick shooter that does little to stand out from the crowd. It has a degree of confidence and charm but the gameplay is so thin that it makes the game impossible to recommend.

Bite the Bullet gets the basics right when it comes to run and gun gameplay but despite being an interesting idea the eating mechanic feels unnecessary, the levels are overly complicated and long and there are far too many bugs and other issues.

Kill the Bad Guy is a fun concept for a puzzle game but doesn’t fulfill its potential. Unreliable AI and physics make planning foolproof traps a matter of patience and trial and error which quickly becomes tedious.

Whilst there's a surprising amount of endings to uncover in Nicole, the act of getting there feels tiresome and monotonous. There's a decently sized cast to interactive with but it's all handled at a slow pace. The stat building strangles the immediacy and the requirements needed for endings lead to a serious grind. There's some decent characterisations here but this game struggled to hold my attention.

Habroxia is a cross-buy shoot 'em up that has a couple of good ideas but is hampered by being too easy and visually bland. There's definitely some fun to be had while it lasts but that isn't very long at all.

An interesting take on the usual arcade shoot 'em up but ultimately one that isn't as satisfying or rewarding as it should be.

The Legend of Cyber Cowboy is a Westworldian take on The Binding of Isaac, except it's just that bit too rough around the edges for our liking. The RNG can leave you marooned on a level with no decent weapons, which eroded our goodwill rather quicker than we’d have liked. Not having the ability to save progress is the worst part.

Two Hundred Ways is the sequel to One Hundred Ways. It's a port of a PC puzzle game that needn't be on consoles at all. Slow paced gameplay and badly mapped controls make us wish for a PS5 compatible mouse for this game alone. Also a mere seven trophies compared to thirty seven on Xbox makes us wonder why we got the shitty stick on PS4. Not quite Wii-level shovelware, but it feels that way.

Train Valley is an easy-to-pick-up puzzler that offers up some relaxing gameplay and it's fun for a while but then it starts to get a bit repetitive and the fun wears off considerably. It's okay though and if you limit gameplay to shorter sessions over a longer time, it'll be improved by taking breaks from it.

Back in 2002, The Thing was a rough around the edges way to continue John Carpenter's brilliant film but in 2024 it just looks and feels so dated that no amount of remastering can fix it.

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.

Blind Men is a short, easy platinum (or two) in the form of a boys' love visual novel. Being short it's not too deep or engrossing but for the price it'll probably satisfy those interested in the content or the trophies.

Flying Bunny brings a mix of shoot ’em up action and Flappy Bird trickiness to the PS4. While it plays like a mobile game, there is some simple arcadey fun to be had before the difficulty spikes and starts taking the fun out of it.