I really struggle to get into a flow state with Extinction Rifts. The ingredients are there with short and sharp levels that challenge your ability to remember and react. Unfortunately, there's just enough downtime between encounters to make maintaining a combo tricky. Aesthetically, it's got some colour but lacks style and bombast. There's a solid idea here but it's not polished or truly focused.

Mekabolt+ is a rehashed take on Mekabolt from 2019, only for some reason this time only on PS5. It's OK, but hardly the usual value proposition we've grown used to.

A short-lived, rhythm action title that somehow doesn’t feel like one. Beat Souls is one of those games that does just enough to be fine, with a decent enough gameplay loop and forty-five levels to play through. However, beyond the easy trophies, it does little to stand out as memorable or interesting enough for replay value.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find myself in a good flow with Micetopia. The potential is there for a simple, decent platformer but Rich is never fully equipped enough to feel handy in combat. Visually, it's well-made and has the occasional flourish but the gameplay doesn't offer me much excitement. Progression leads to some late-game grind and the level design does falter in giving you too much to do between checkpoints. On paper, it looks fine. In execution, it becomes clumsy and frustrating.

Ninja Shodown is a party game with a sense of fun and chaos to it but the truth is that it's just not as much fun to play as it should be.

Mages and Treasures is painfully derivative of lightUP’s prior release Milo’s Quest, amounting to not much more than a reskin. As ever, double platinum trophies for all in short order. Daft balance issues dog the early part of the game, plus melee is a mess.

Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity is overly simple to the point of providing no challenge. It’s not broken but almost every element could be improved in some obvious way to make it more interesting.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a re-release of a ten year old portable title and it shows. Apart from being weak on a technical level the combat is basic, the story is lacking and the side quests are repetitive. Not a patch on the sequel, but major fans might get some joy out of it.

Unturned is a sandbox zombie survival game that presents as if it was made in a day but does more depth and detail than you might imagine. Ultimately though it's just a bit too slow, empty and pointless to really ever be engaging. It's pretty expensive too considering it is free on the PC.

Whilst it can be appealing to nose around the lives of others, Eternal Threads' cast are lacking in some believability. The writing is fine but the delivery varies in degrees of confidence. Confining the game to a single household should breed some intricate knowledge but the time manipulation removes any stakes from the equation. The butterfly effect of decisions can make things hard to decipher, especially if you're trying to dig for further information. As it is, Eternal Threads is a good premise let down by poor execution.

Fans of Dungeons and Dragons will enjoy the characters and setting of Dark Alliance but the game doesn't do much with its combat, exploration or looting elements and ends up feeling underwhelming in all areas. If the game gets the technical improvements it badly needs and can tighten up the gameplay, then this could be a decent co-op brawler. But for now it all feels a bit unfinished.

Shadow of the Orient has a solid, reliable approach to its platforming that almost works out. Level design can be occasionally smart, although the final act relies too much on gauntlets. It's not masochistic but my room for error dwindled and led to irritation. For anyone skilled enough, this game is very short and I don't think it does anything too special. I felt frustrated by the later challenges and some of the relentless stage hazards.

Pets Hotel feels like a first step. The basic management tools and cluttered interface certainly take the edge off something that could've offered more. It lacks depth, although dealing with the regular stream of clients can make the hotel feel busy. I appreciate the active approach that makes players feel like a participant in the wellbeing of their residents. Unfortunately, it's very surface level. Scenarios can offer more structured progression but it often lacks the pressures and challenge that usually come with this genre.

Paleo Pines is a dinosaur-rearing farm simulator with some good ideas but it's mired in badly explained, fussy mechanics and asks you to figure out too much for yourself which makes it probably a bit too complicated for the young audience that'll buy into its kid-friendly presentation while lacking the sophistication and precision of other games in a genre that is becoming a little bit crowded now.

Reminiscence in the Night suffers from being an incredibly brief experience. With a fairly heavy-handed tone, not a lot is really done with the premise. It has a fantastic look and really compliment's the main character's malaise. The soundtrack stumbles as they try to regain memories and your decisions do feel impactful. It's just a real shame it's over before the game really plants its feet.

Lightfield is a beautiful looking game that unfortunately falls short. Whilst the movement options give this racer an interesting twist on getting from A to B, they present their own problems with disorientation being an unfortunate by-product. The vast spaces on offer feel underused and the lack of content results in something short-lived and a touch hollow. The premise on paper doesn't translate well to a finished product, sadly.

Primal Survivors is (at least) the third attempt for this developer to get in on the survivors-like genre and it's definitely a step in terms of gameplay and ideas for them. The execution lets it down a bit but we actually had a little bit of fun with this one, so they're heading in the right direction.

As an homage to Super Sprint, Race Arcade does everything it sets out to do but Super Sprint wasn't even that interesting thirty years ago. Putting out a game with such basic visuals and gameplay in 2018 feels like a tough sell for racing fans.

As a concept, there is some merit to be found in Pong Quest. The marriage of RPG mechanics with simple retro tennis is fun enough in the early stages, but fatigue soon sets in with the predictable repetition that comes from playing Pong for more than a few minutes. Your mileage will vary on this game, but if you don’t think Pong will entertain you for more than an hour, then chances are this is not the one for you.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is a disappointing misstep. It handles fine with some mildly interesting track designs. Sadly, it struggles to really, really lean into the cartoons' individuality. This is a simple ride that won't offer much in the way of challenge and, overall, it lacks some care and attention that could've provided something more compelling.

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.

Twin Robots struggles to elevate itself beyond an average experience. The lack of a narrative and the constant laboratory setting leave something lean and stagnant. Basic by design, there's little to recommend here. Local cooperative play might squeak some extra time out of what's a functional but bland effort.

Drunkn Bar Fight is a very silly game that barely holds together as you swing punches, stools and beer bottles at bar patrons. It's these unexpected moments that make the game fun however, especially if you have other people to play with locally. There's not a huge amount of content though and the joke struggles to hold your attention for too long.

Tinker Racers starts promisingly with a great home-made aesthetic and some inventive track design. Unfortunately, the restrictive campaign hampers a game that barely moves beyond a clever concept. The racing is competitive but success in the latter stages seems to require more than a slice of luck. Local multiplayer could at least deliver some longevity but the lack of vehicle and race options result in a very narrow, frustrating experience.

Prominence Poker gets two things right. It's free and it knows the rules of poker. It's a serviceable poker game with a focus on online play and player customisation. What it probably needed to do is concentrate on giving players an uncluttered interface but instead it's all about the custom suits and silly hats which is odd given how ugly the game is. But it's a poker game and it isn't going to offend anyone and the game has an odd self-confidence about it. It may be bluffing though.

Autumn's Journey is a story of friendship you've already heard before. In spite of the cheery visuals and pleasant tone, there's nothing refreshing on offer. The story barrels along into an inevitable conclusion with very little meat to subsidise the fluff. Having characters that are otherworldly dilutes any chance of a more relatable, human interactions and it starts to feel very contrived. It results in relationships between characters that are all too accommodating to go along for the ride.

Subject 13 lacks polish but might just scratch that itch if you’re looking for a puzzler that feels like it’s from the past. A lack of hand holding will be welcomed and cursed in equal measure but if you’re intrigued the price point is right to make it a relatively risk free purchase.

There’s a lot of potential in DOGOS which acts on many lessons from the developers learned with their previous game Project Root, but this twin-stick shoot ’em up still has a few more lessons to learn about fun and boss battles. Drop the difficulty, ignore the trophies and enjoy it for what it is but don’t expect to fall in love with the game.

There's potential in Eternal Radiance but it all seems undercut by simplistic combat and some fairly forgettable surroundings. The story doesn't really grab me, although Celeste's enthusiasm pushes things forward. Ultimately, I just found Eternal Radiance to be fairly average. There's systems in place with the combat that don't really feel completely utilised and it can lead to a fairly bland experience.

Dark Atlas: Infernum has most of it's horror implied rather than seen. Whilst I do enjoy the implications, the game itself lacks a connection to the world at large. Natalia is a suitably distressed mother but the English voice acting is a touch overdone. Crucially, the checkpoints aren't best placed and, if you take intended experience of having monsters accompany you, that may lead to a lot of repetition.

Dusty Raging Fist is a great looking side-scroller with some creative ideas. However, aesthetics can only take a title so far. Underneath it all is a finicky combat system and poorly finished platforming that quickly drags the game into infuriatingly bland territory.

A sloppily implemented PC port that ultimately should have stayed in early access longer to iron out the kinks.

Once you get over how limited it all is, Chambara does offer a tense and tactical set of sword battles for wannabe samurai. However, the appeal wears off fast and it’s just a bit too sober to be a decent party game.

Clash Force is another Ratalaika release which offers an easy platinum. It's a brief and ultimately forgettable experience but you'll get some entertainment from it whilst it lasts.

Bears Can’t Drift?! They can, but they just aren’t very good at it. The controls are good and there is lots of content but silly interface choices, unfair AI and surprisingly poor drifting let the whole thing down. Not a bad option if you have three mates over (and you don’t own a Nintendo console).

Smash Hit Plunder is an accessible looting game that sticks to one simple concept, which is smashing everything in sight. It works well for a while but fell a bit flat after repeated play sessions. The asynchronous multiplayer options are a nice addition but you might struggle to find players who want to play this more than once.

Special Delivery is a VR take on the old arcade game Paperboy and it succeeds in recreating some of that old school gameplay. However, control issues, a serious lack of variation and sluggish pace stop the game from being as fun or exciting as it should be.

Ultimately, this is a game that leaves us feeling conflicted. The controls and, to some degree, the visuals are enjoyable but this gameplay and concept deserves a better, more substantial game. We like short games, especially on PSVR where it can be uncomfortable to stay in the headset for too long, but this is really a twenty minute game with a couple of minor hurdles that may extend your stay a little. Anyone’s Diary is impressive but it’s just not particularly good.

Mark McMorris Infinite Air is a strange beast with strong social elements and great ideas that are hampered by a clumsy control scheme. It’s something that may be tightened with time and practice but I never got the sense this could truly be mastered. It’s a sparse genre so boarders might decide to take the plunge.

Aces of the Multiverse is a thinly spread soccer effort. The fast-paced nature of the game does deliver a great tempo but there's no challenge here. There's charm to be had from the environments and character designs but there's so little content to keep children and adults entertained for long. It works, it has ideas but it all feels like a proof of concept rather than a fully-fledged effort.

The Station is an atmospheric mystery adventure set on a space station. However, the game is disappointingly slight and over just as it starts to get interesting.

Infestor offers a couple of hours of gentle puzzling and platforming and is relatively enjoyable. It's not going to turn any heads with its graphics or gameplay but it doesn't ask too much of you either.

Butter & Friends: Babysitter Sim is a throwaway party game. As a solo experience it doesn't really have any legs, but if you've got friends who'll be willing to play locally with you, there is fun to be had here.

Project Motor Racing clearly wants to emulate the likes of Project Cars but simply doesn't have the breadth of content or options to live up to that expectation. It's tricky handling model can be a handful on controller and I just don't quite get the oomph from the throttle that I'd like. That said, I did enjoy trying to figure that out. It's surprisingly tense and sharp to require that much focus behind the wheel. The career mode lacks some flexibility and, on the technical side, there's a lack of polish that can make things look and feel dated.

INK is a basic but competent platformer with an interesting colour splashing hook to get things going. However, after some time with the game, it is clear that the gimmick alone is not enough to keep things fresh. In the end, Ink just feels like it would be better suited as a mode in another game, rather than one that warrants a price tag alone.

Toxic Commando feels just like World War Z and that ship sailed a while ago for us. It's an adequate shooter but just lacks excitement. And originality. It's got none of that.

When it comes down to it, Chaos Code needed to pick one thing and really excel at it. Instead, they’ve presented an acceptable effort that stands out for all the wrong reasons. There are signs of genuine inspiration – like the ability to customise your character style with unique moves and movement options – but they’re weighed down by the poor port and ultimately confusing presentation. If airdashes are your thing and you’ve got to have them all then you’ll probably have a good time for a few hours, but for everyone else, Chaos Code is nothing more than average.

Prehistoric Dude is a short Metroidvania-style title with an easy platinum trophy thanks to Ratalaika. You'll have forgotten all about it after a good night's sleep but it's enjoyable enough whilst it lasts.

Rainbows, Toilets and Unicorns offers a unique take on the vertically scrolling shoot 'em up genre but spends its very short lifespan telling just one joke and the gameplay is a bit of a one trick pony too.

The idea of a story-driven pinball game has some appeal but some poor physics, presentation and table design lets this one down.

A remaster of a forgotten, and failed, Atari IP from 1982 is a tough undertaking even for a veteran like Jeff Minter. There are ideas here that could work but with these controls, visuals and difficulty spikes, Akka Arrh is a tough sell for all but the most die-hard of llama lovers out there.

Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a very slim package. Whilst the car count is high, the track variety is not and the campaign will whisk you through them in short order. Whilst the racing can be competitive, it lacks some excitement. Handling is mostly fine but some of the narrower sections can really pinball vehicles around. The aesthetics are there but the lack of fidelity makes for a muddy, harsh appearance. Even the vehicle tinkering underwhelms.

Spheroids never really rises above being average. It has ok presentation and offers some gentle platforming and shooting fun. It suffers from some technical issues, particularly on the Vita. Couple these technical issues with a lack of any kind of difficulty and the game is distinctly average.

Alchemic Jousts is a fairly simple game and it is definitely a one trick pony of playing​ rock, paper, scissors. The ability to unlock more permutations of elements as you progress is a nice aspect to the game, and adds some longevity. Unfortunately the enemy AI can feel super difficult and unfair on the harder settings, but on the easier settings there is some limited gentle fun to be had here.

Drone Striker is the kind of on-rails shooter that you can enjoy without having to use too much brain power but this is a title that you can happily buy or ignore and neither is the wrong decision.

If you're in the market for a cheap and brightly presented Space Invaders clone, Super Destronaut DX-2 will keep you entertained for an hour or so but it's just as limited as its predecessor.

We quite like relaxing island-based puzzlers but this one frustrated us more than it should have. It's not bad but there's much better options out there.

V-Rally 4's biggest problem is a lack of identity. You're given plenty of disciplines to try but a narrow set of locales wear thin quickly. Whilst these areas do look nice and there's a decent array of vehicles, their handling feels suspiciously off. It all combines to be a frustrating effort. You'll get some enjoyment tackling human opponents but I'm not sure how long it'll last.

Red Death has moments where it is a rewarding and fun shoot 'em up but the dated visuals and chronic lack of longevity are huge issues.

VR Ping Pong may be basic in design but it is a gruelling challenge in every other way. Whether it is enduring the boring soundtrack, the based in realism control scheme or the battle with jittering move tracking it is one hell of a test of patience and skill. There are some redeeming qualities such as the arcade mode, however I couldn’t recommend this to anyone other than Ping Pong fanatics.

Thunder Paw has some interesting ideas but most of them are actually for the worse and the basic gameplay doesn't do enough to make up for it. You'll get a PS4 and Vita platinum out of it very quickly and it's cheap as we've come to expect from Ratalaika.

Extinction lacks a significant amount of execution and polish that could've seen an enjoyable game come to fruition. As it stands, you have a traversal system that doesn't have the environments on hand to really flow. Mission design starts to feel repetitive and, whilst you can find moments of joy in Extinction, it all feels smothered by design choices that don't gel.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a prime example of why there’s never been a roguelike based on the Turtles IP. Repetition breeds familiarity and ultimately contempt. Don’t play this unless you’re a massive TMNT fan. Everyone else, play a decent roguelike instead of this. Like Hades for example.

36 Fragments of Midnight is over before it even has chance to begin. With a single run clocking in at anything from six minutes, this isn't a game with any kind of longevity. Whilst it may be a charming 2D platfomer, and isn't actually broken, it is a hard game to recommend with any conviction.

Smashbox Arena is one of those games that wouldn't really be acceptable outside of the VR market and the PSVR headset doesn't really add enough to make it worthwhile but it also has moments where the battles are exciting enough to keep you interested.

Die After Sunset mixes the rogue-like ideas of Risk of Rain 2 with the cheery, colourful presentation of Fortnite and it has a few decent ideas in there. Unfortunately, the game is hampered by poor design, unsatisfying gameplay and a feeling that whatever small audience it might gain, they'll likely be gone by sunset too.

While Nuclear Corps has promise as a modern take on the puzzle style of Lost Vikings, the clunky game mechanics and buggy environments really let it down.

Vera Blanc: Full Moon is a clunky visual novel with easy puzzles and a forgettable plot. It's not terrible, but neither is it easy to recommend.

InkSplosion's combination of very basic twin-stick shooting and distracting visuals is problematic but there's an hour or two's worth of fun to be had here if you're a fan of the genre.

A chronic lack of difficulty turns this shoot 'em up into a well-made but ultimately meaningless platinum trophy factory.

This just doesn't want to click for me. Skautfold: Into the Fray has some intricate pixel art but the combat is hampered by a small selection of guns and enemy variety. The shooting prioritises precision and I don't think the analogue sticks quite supply it. How you engage with combat rarely changed over my time with it and that results in something frustrating and a little tedious.

Knightin'+ is a simple hack and slasher that takes no chances with the genre whatsoever but may appeal to adventurers looking for a simple to understand retro-themed challenge.

Many Faces' simple, short-lived gameplay and even simpler visuals mean that you'll likely forget this basic platforming shooter as fast as it'll take you to finish it.

Super Jagger Bomb is a Bomb Jack clone where the classic gameplay does its best to shine through despite the visuals and controls letting the side down.

Pandaball is a bare-bones multiplayer five-a-side football game with pandas. Not really much to it. Poor value, especially when you consider the competition.

Super Onion Boy 2 should probably be called Super Onion Boy DX as it doesn’t really amount to much more than a port of the original browser-based game with added trophy support. It’s not very good but neither is it terrible. Bang average.

With its low-poly aesthetic and appealing retro flavour, Thunder Kid has the hallmarks of what should be a solid indie game that apes the classic PS1/Saturn 32-Bit era. Much like Renegade Sector's Breakneck City though, it doesn’t meet the mark of even the most basic games from that time. Instead, it feels like a facsimile, with the only true retro callback going to the poor tanky controls and limited design scope.

Apple Slash is a basic top-down, maze-based hack and slasher set in a fantasy land but it's too short, simple and plainly presented to really be something we can recommend.

It's not Trash Goblin's fault that Trash Goblin is the way it is. It's your fault. It's all our fault. Games shouldn't try to be jobs. I think we should have realised that a while ago.

Akiba’s Beat is a disappointing follow up to what was a flawed but entertaining game. The majority of gameplay involves walking to a location to button through some dialogue or progressing through tedious and repetitious dungeons. What content is here is stretched to breaking point as you’re asked to do the same thing over and over. If you enjoyed the characters from the last game you may find some joy here but others may struggle through the fifty hour playtime.

Has-Been Heroes is just not a great game as it has very complex and confusing controls and a battle system which feels punishing and difficult. There are far better roguelikes out there and Has-Been Heroes just doesn’t have the chops to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Exp Parasite is a challenging platformer with plenty of mechanical variety. Unfortunately the bosses are a weak point and there are some major bugs that need to be endured on top of the difficulty in order to reach the end and complete all those level goals.

Get your head around what this is and Harmonix Music VR is a fun little tool to play with but it has no real value and after thirty minutes, you’ve seen everything. It’s close to being something good but Harmonix need to support this with new modes to make it at all worthwhile.

Spacewing War does a good job of pretending to be a Game Boy shoot 'em up but its low-fi approach, weak level design and complete lack of challenge make it a tough sell even if the extended content does give it some extra value.

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator has potential, but in its current state, that’s all it is. The diagnostic system that underpins the game was broken by the day one patch and remains in a state where the game is effectively unplayable. The gameplay itself is a bit repetitive but no less so than the nine to five grind. We just hope a future patch resolves the issues, because as things stand, we can’t really recommend this.

Cat God Ranch is an odd thing. We suspect the concept was solid when it came to the project brief but the execution leaves something to be desired. Mechanics aren’t well explained at all and you’re guaranteed to hit a solid difficulty wall after a while. Yes, the animals are all very jolly and vocal, but can’t carry this beyond the initial couple of hours. The problem is the game mechanics aren’t clear and bafflement is likely to be your default state rather than enjoyment. For now, avoid this.

VR has been around for a while now and just being in VR isn’t enough. Like any other kart racer we want interesting levels, tight controls and fun power ups. VR Karts doesn’t deliver any of that. The VR is welcome but without it, there would be literally no reason to own this.

Whilst it tries to do something interesting with it's pro-trucker story, time on the road is filled with irritants. The behaviour of the other road users is erratic and obeying the laws of the road only seems shorten your driver's chances for survival. The long hauls only seem to showcase a large, bland map with very few points of actual interest. Truck Driver: The Dutch Connection is a something of a dull mess that doesn't quite stack up.

Sonic Forces may have impressive elements such as high-speed spectacle and graphical fidelity, but it completely falls flat in just about every other area. It fails to better 2011's Generations and to learn from past mistakes in the franchise. Stick with Mania.

It’s quite difficult to ascertain what Riot: Civil Unrest wants to be. The dull and uncontrollable action would fit quite well as a simulator with something to say. However, the title is bogged down with gamified elements that suggest that this product was built for entertainment, with its guitar laden soundtrack and high score chasing elements. Unfortunately, it becomes a mess of both worlds that fails to be either thought provoking or an enjoyable gaming experience.

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

Super Destronaut DX is a colourful take on the Space Invaders formula but is so devoid of challenge and fresh ideas that it becomes impossible to recommend, despite being reasonably well put together.

Diorama Dungeoncrawler definitely tries to do something different in its attempt to mine some nostalgia from its retro-themed presentation and gameplay and we do appreciate that. The problem is that there's a reason why games in the '80s and '90s didn't look or play like this and that's because it doesn't look nice and it's not much fun to play.

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.

There are very few games that live up to their name better than Defunct. The experience is short lived, marred by gameplay issues and is generally unworthy of note.

Truckzilla - Monster Truck Mega Ramp Mania is a game of two halves, the campaign mode is passable but the ramp stages are an unmitigated disaster. Pop-up is very evident, the likes of which we’ve not seen since the original PlayStation. Oh and while there’s a slider for music volume, there’s no music. A bit of a mess all told.

I simply cannot trust Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, at present. For as tense as combat can feel, it can't match the fear of a game seconds from breaking. At the time of writing nobody has finished this game. My save is broken to the point where there are two levels I can't even finish due to scripting errors. If you have to check it out, PC seems to be where the support and community is. Out on Playstation consoles, it's toast.

Graven is a console port stricken with a fatal save bug. For anyone wishing to persist, the remaining product is lacking in a few key areas. I love how the levels are designed with clever shortcuts but the encounters can begin to feel stale. The lack of new enemy types and a small selection of weapons really brings the mood down. Magic doesn't really feel special and can often operate like another key, rather than a tool for combat. There's a good atmosphere but the potential this game wants to invoke doesn't really come to fruition.