Biomutant is a bit of a slow burner. It took a while to get its hooks into us, but it sure did. It's not startlingly original and is a bit overburdened by its sheer scope, but we don't feel shortchanged by our forty plus hours playing it. You could do a lot worse.

Polished and mechanically interesting, Two Point Campus does a really good job of making further education seem exciting. The charming presentation and relaxed tone makes the grind of management easier to swallow, even with pressures like money and student satisfaction. It's not perfect with AI pathing being a slight concern, but there's enough here to keep me engrossed. It's a very likeable effort with plenty of depth to discover.

As close as you're going to get to Animal Crossing on a non-Nintendo console. Addictive as hell but ultimately it turns into a bit of a grind.

A lovingly recreated homage to Monster World IV for the Mega Drive. Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World captures everything that made the original release so much fun to play, while introducing quality-of-life improvements that keep the action/RPG fun coming in a streamlined fashion. There has never been a better time than now to give this underappreciated gem a try.

A series that was in danger of going stale has managed to take time off and re-evaluate what bedrock the foundations were built upon. Whilst more reserved in presentation, the racing recovers a serious edge that heightens the peril associated with one of motorsport’s more enticing arenas. Whilst I do miss the crutch of quick rewinds and don’t quite fancy the new Landrush mode, the majority of what’s on DiRT 4’s menu is served up exceptionally well.

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.

Cake Bash is a delightful party game with a good variety of minigames and unlockables. Couch based as well PSN multiplayer is a given, this deserves to be played by many.

If strategy games seem boring or scare you off with all their micro-management nonsense, then this strategic city-builder might be the game to win you over. It's polished, deep, accessible, addictive and it will challenge your character more than any game we've played in years.

Turbo Overkill feels surprisingly dense. The shooting feels visceral and the movement at your disposal is very swift. Platforming can be a pain, especially on controller but the moments of frustration are worth toughing through. Pacing does take a hit when the enemy counts balloon in the third episode but I still enjoy this gory ascent into a dumb, cyberpunk world.

Chivalry 2 takes some cues to make the sword and shield combat feel a touch more accessible. I feel it's for the better with a fairly decent tutorial leading you right into the fighting. Whilst it can feel daunting, I've seen myself contributing to battles very quickly. The combat is deep with an importance on positioning and timing. It is slightly undermined by trying to keep the players together but, even if duels are harder to come by, the chaos of a full battlefield is hard to ignore. It's fascinating, fun and fluid.

Sheepo is a great Metroidvania with a novel twist. You don't directly engage in combat with anyone but bosses though in defeating them you gain the ability to shapeshift into their species. It's short, sweet and hard to master. Despite that, it's quite lovely.

Door Kickers: Action Squad may look like just another retro-styled 2D shooter but the game's tactical gameplay really elevates it beyond the usual indie efforts.

Bluepoint have done a fantastic job of remastering Shadow of the Colossus from the ground up. Taking down giants has never looked, sounded or felt better. Some niggling issues remain from the original such as the controls and pacing, however this does not take away from the sheer cinematic spectacle that more than makes up for it.

Galacide's mix of shoot 'em up and puzzle mechanics works very well. The only problem is that it's just a bit short on content.

Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is a neat, if almost too familiar, take on the Left 4 Dead formula. Bring some friends and there will be plenty for you to do and enjoy. With thirteen missions and plenty of loot to unlock this could be a firm favourite in the making. Especially for those waiting for Valve's zombie smasher to return.

While no-one will be thrilled about having to buy their favourite tables again, the combination of Zen's excellent pinball know-how and VR is a winning one.

Mothergunship has lots of action, a good sense of humour and the best gun customisation we've ever seen. The uninspired enemy design lets it down a tad but there's still a lot of fun to be had from this roguish FPS.

Mother Russia Bleeds does a great job of bringing the beat ’em up genre to modern consoles. It suffers from the old fashioned problem of repetition as these games always do but, if you can stomach the violence, it gets a lot right in terms of enemy and location variety.

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.

Trigger Witch is a great mechanically sound dungeon crawler with lots and lots of guns. It's really quite good, even if the story is all sorts of nonsense. This PS5 update is essentially the same as that which released on PS4 in August, with added adaptive trigger support and a 120 Hz mode. It's still a proper laff.

Cursed Castilla manages to capture the feel of the old arcade games it references perfectly. Tough but fair gameplay is inviting enough to not scare away the less hardcore among us but there is enough content for more skilled players to chew on as well.

Pankapu is a decent platform game which plays it very traditional. It has a lovely art style and a lot of charm which goes a long way to make this game very enjoyable to play. Whilst I found the story elements of the game mostly missed the mark the platforming was more then enough to keep me engaged.

There is an awful lot going right in Vertical Drop Heroes HD. As a roguelike, it works really well and the gameplay loop is both rewarding and enjoyable. Vertical Drop Heroes HD is a game which is easy to recommend.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is a good job simulator, but the repair manual being a nightmare to navigate on console, as well as the clock still running as you read instructions is harsh. Download the manual on PC and you might stand a chance. Just a few quality of life improvements on console would help here. Once you’re up to speed with how to maintain modules, you’ll really start to enjoy this, but it’s harsh sledding until then.

Kero Blaster is a surprisingly enjoyable game to play despite looking retro to a fault. The graphics and excellent music work together perfectly to give the game a style not much seen nowadays. While this graphical style may not be to everyone’s liking, happily the core running and gunning is tight and it is this aspect which will keep you coming back for more.

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood represents cheap thrills for people prepared to let go and buy into the scares. If you can do that, this is one of the best games out there for PSVR. A short and linear light gun game but spectacular, scary and oh so satisfying.

Kylotonn continues to improve with WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship. It remains a great drive and the career mode, whilst a little stagnant, does offer you plenty to get on with. The anniversary content feels like a well-rounded mode that, although steep in difficulty, allows you to enjoy the series' more iconic vehicles. The DualSense is put to good use and it's nice to hear your co-driver has some more personality this time around. It's not taking large strides but remains a fantastic rally experience.

The Escapists 2 offers you the chance to try your hand at escaping prison. Turns out that's not as easy as it sounds, with lots of trial and error and failed attempts guaranteed. If you can get in the right mindset however you'll have plenty of fun figuring out multiple ways to break out of the ten levels, both in single player and multiplayer. A great sequel.

Hardspace Shipbuilder is a glorified recycling simulator with okay visuals, repetitive gameplay and a bleak setting but that doesn't stop it being our new go to chill out game. Its relaxing, compelling, satisfying and worryingly addictive.

Sagebrush is an excellent story-based game with a great climax and payoff at the end. Perhaps a little short though. Recommended.

It's EDF as we know and love it but instead of focusing on new experiences, Sandlot have just turned a miserable grind into a near-unbearable grind without bringing all that much new stuff to the table. If you're a diehard fan, you know what to expect but even for seasoned campaigners like us, it's not as much fun as it used to be.

Subject 2923 adds a whole new area to Remnant: From the Ashes in its own mini-campaign. With that comes new environments, events, enemies, bosses, loot and story which is all you could ask for really at such a respectable price. If you just want more content then this DLC adds exactly that.

Rogue Aces takes an old formula and spins it into one of the most exciting and fun shoot 'em ups on PSN right now.

Fight'N Rage is what you want from a retro-inspired game. It does what you'd expect if the game had been released thirty years ago but then adds a load of extra content in order to keep you interested. If you're a fan of scrolling beat 'em ups, this is as good as it gets.

Exo One is a beautiful exploratory journey of a game. It isn’t massively deep but it is contemplative. The sci-fi influences are fairly clear to see, particularly 2001, but it’s none the worse for it. The speed run trophies are a little unrealistic to all but the most dedicated. We could’ve done with a level select too.

RogueCube is a better than average Ratalaika release with fun gameplay and four player local multiplayer. There's a few flaws, but when an indie dev can turn out something with this longevity with a small team, it's a good thing. Recommended.

Deep Sky Derelicts is a wonderful turn based card battler with RPG mechanics you’ll go back to again and again. Hidden dice throws are still a git though.

Sektori is a return to a style of twin-stick shooters that we don't see nearly enough of these days. Addictive, exciting and set to a banging soundtrack, this is what we've been missing. It's just let down by being a bit too tough for its own good

ECHO is a game with a compelling central idea, a top notch sci-fi plot and some excellent stealth mechanics. It also demands you understand its rules and play it at the pace it dictates. If you can either get on with, or get past, the plot you’ll experience some fantastic gameplay moments.

Lumines Remastered doesn't take many chances with the classic Lumines formula but elevates it with some lovely presentation. If you've still got unfinished business with the Vita version, this doesn't do much to make it an essential purchase but if you're a fan of the genre, and the series in particular, this won't disappoint.

This publisher may have released more shoot 'em ups on the system than any other but this might be their most interesting. If you're up for a shooter that genuinely changes up the classic mechanics of the genre and pulls it off, Schildmaiden MX is definitely worth a look.

The King's Bird is another challenging platformer but the ability to fly adds a twist that makes it stand out from other games in the genre. The presentation is superb and although tough, the difficulty curve is pitched well for those willing to learn how to master its mechanics.

As the eighth pack of Williams tables, this collection features some pretty deep cuts for pinball fans but the tables on offer might not suit new or casual players.

The additions to the Master League don't carry much of an impact but the representation of the sport has a more methodical change of pace. The new camera angles make a difference and inclusion of every European nation does dramatically bolster the player and team counts. I'm enjoying this a lot more with the opposition more willing to chase lost causes, misplace passes and generally feel a touch more human. I really, really like how this plays.

Cat Quest is a good game which is easy to pick up and play offering an enjoyable and idiosyncratic cat based RPG. It has done a great job of offering a streamlined humourous RPG Which is accessible for all. Where it falls down is when the simplicity goes too far, resulting in samey combat and repetitive quest structures. But these faults are easily overlooked as the rest of the game is so darned cute and fun to play.

A great fit for the Lego game template released ahead of the new film. One of the better Lego games in recent memory that shows what can be done when the source material is right.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is a good addition to the series with tons to do. A stealthy approach is just as valid as going in guns blazing, how it pans out is down to you. The x-ray gore porn also returns for those that find it amusing. Yes, even the testicle shot. *sigh*

Beyond Galaxyland takes a fairly inoffensive story and marries it to something startling presentation. At times, it can be a treat to watch but there is also some mechanical depth to the turn-based encounters. I found it to be a very linear experience but one that never lacked forward momentum. It's a pleasant surprise that I quite enjoyed, despite some of the narrative not hitting. I didn't find much of a challenge here but there's some clever ideas on display.

If you can get past the awful UI and PS1-era visuals, Vampire Hunters is a successful attempt at taking the magic of games like Vampire Survivors and Brotato and putting them into three dimensions.

Abriss isn't your grandaddy's puzzle game. This is a feast of glorious physics, impeccable style and smart level design.

WRC9 is a great example of a crossplatform port. Kylotonn should be applauded for their sterling efforts here, especially with regard to using Dualsense. Yes, rallying might not be for all, but this is a fine driving game which utilises the WRC licence to great effect.

With the cheerful overtones of a colourful world and characters, PHOGS! Is as sweet as a game about a stretchy two headed dog can be. The surreal concept provides plenty of chances for a mild and accessible challenge, enjoyable in both single and cooperative play. This is a great option if you are looking for a game with little stakes or something to play with a younger sibling.

If you asked me a week ago, I would've been really down on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The game's uneven difficulty delivers a tough introduction before settling into something more comfortable. Whilst the game doesn't explain itself well, there are many systems here you can prod and tinker with. Hopefully this will provide some varied playstyles. Combat really shines, despite the simplistic movesets. Navigation between missions feels clumsy but those levels are smartly designed. Moving through the world has been compelling and enjoyable, even if I do find the storytelling to be rather hokey.

Jydge remains one of the best tactical shoot 'em ups to hit PSN and is as much a joy to play as it was in 2017 but it does little to leverage the power and features of the PS5.

Ponpu is a fun reimagining of the classic Bomberman formula with just the right amount of weirdness added to make it feel like its own game. Mildly grotesque bosses each requiring their own unique approach just add to the appeal. Bombs on!

Neon Abyss combines fun running and shooting mechanics with decent rogue-like mechanics and puts it all in a quirky setting. We like it a lot.

It's smaller and more focused than usual but Yakuza 6: The Song of Life retains the heart, charm and drama the series loves to dish out. Combat can still feel clumsy but it's rarely troubling or tough. There's a seamless quality to the new engine which helps keep pacing up whilst the story beats and tone remain well executed. It's a welcome installment, if a little lacking in some respects.

Aliens Fireteam Elite is the quality shooter that Aliens fans have been wishing for for decades now. The story may feel a little disconnected from the film that inspired it but the action is great, it gets the details right and we're going to be playing it over and over for a long time.

River City Girls is clearly the result of a love and passion for the Kunio-Kun franchise and its fanbase. Wayforward has done a great job of translating the classic beat-em-up franchise for the modern audience. While also providing a funny, great looking and audibly awesome game that all beat-em-up fans should try at least once.

Smelter is a tough 2D action platformer with some less engaging strategy elements between levels. The presentation is great and there are lots of hidden items to find and trials to challenge yourself with, but the difficulty does cross a line at times which is detrimental to the fun.

At £13.99, this is a little bit pricier than you might expect but you do get a really enjoyable and addictive game for your money and one that plays differently to anything else we’ve seen on PSN so far. RTS games don’t always perform that well on consoles but by stripping out the tedium and making it more of an arcadey affair, Undead Horde gets things just right.

Yupitergrad is a fun VR title with brilliant swinging mechanics. It's a short game unless you go deep on the time trials but the experience is well worth it.

If Maiden Cops had come out on the SNES or Mega Drive in the early '90s, we think it would have been quite celebrated and you can't say that for a lot of retro throwback titles these days. It might be a bit childish at times, and weirdly suggestive at others, but this is a quality beat 'em up.

A solid, well executed rhythm action shooter that keeps things simple to provide a fun and replayable experience. Metal Hellsinger fires on most cylinders, with only an issue of variety scuppering the overall package. Come in for the blistering soundtrack from some of Metal’s greats. Stay for the moreish gameplay a heavenly combo, despite the hellish subject matter.

Considering the low price and the fact that this is a solo effort, #Funtime is a surprisingly polished and gameplay-packed experience. We've got minor niggles when we compare it to the best games of the genre but this is still a very good twin-stick shooter that is easy to recommend.

Whilst the Playstation 5 improvements don't bring much new, Darkwood remains a strong, compelling horror title. The atmosphere remains tight and gloomy and the day-to-day surviving carries a weight that still brings me some joy. On this revisit, I see more of the strings attached but there is an enduring quality to running around in the dark corners of this hostile world.

We didn't think we'd end up enjoying a F2P Monster Hunter clone ever so the fact we do is a credit to Dauntless' enjoyable combat and thriving online player base.

I'm amazed these iterations haven't gone stale on me. Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 produces a thoughtful distillation of the sport and makes for a slicker, more engrossing contest. Presentation remains held back by the struggle to maintain licenses. I feel online really shows the engine up when you're bombarded with pace and pressure from all sides. An actual game of two contrasting halves, here.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree manages to compliment the base game in some good ways. The sense of scale is otherworldly and the levelling system does allow all players to have a place at the table. It does seem lacking in proper dungeons but the wealth of new gear makes the price justifiable. At times, the map can feel barren but the new bosses provide a stern challenge with plenty of flamboyance. It definitely feels quantity over quality but there was enough here for me to really enjoy.

Supermagical is one of the better casual titles on the Vita and will see you burning through your battery once it gets its hooks in. Playable, charming and powerfully addictive, this is well worth the tiny asking price.

Turrican Collection is a great compilation of four classic run and gun games that, despite their age and difficulty, still hold up to contemporary releases.

Maneater mixes ferocious combat, addictive exploration and great humour into a perfectly-sized open world where you play as a murderous shark. It's the game we never knew that we needed.

Of all of these recent task ’em ups, while Overcooked is arguably the most stylish and professional, we think that Very Very Valet might just be the most enjoyable. It offers you a fun basic gameplay loop and never gets in the way of it by adding too much. The only real knock against it is that it is just a bit too easy to complete but if you’ve got some open-minded friends over and an hour to kill, this will definitely keep everyone entertained.

Brotato might be the best game ever made and while the DLC doesn't necessarily improve it, it does give us another reason to play Brotato until our left thumb falls off and that has to be a good thing.

Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is a really good survival horror title if you like exploration and puzzles. There is combat but it isn't really the focus, with puzzles that require observation and some actual brain work. It's also filled with optional puzzles to really reward thorough players. Highly recommended.

Paper Trail is a fine puzzle game with a lovely origami mechanic that will delight and confound you in equal measure, especially if you’re looking to hoover up the collectibles as you go. Each level has the feeling that the developers expertly crafted the puzzles. On top of excellent presentation, this is a cut above.

As a complete package, Ride 4 finally manages to deliver with a rounded selection of bikes and tracks. The career mode feels substantial and, whilst the AI can feel a little tricky, the game gives you plenty of room to upgrade your wheels and power past. It's a little rough in spots with some tests adhering to a zero tolerance but the actual riding, on and offline feels fun and challenging.

Bug Fables is a great ARPG inspired in no small part by the Paper Mario games. It's really rather good.

Astro's Playroom is the perfect way to start your PlayStation 5 experience. It's a fun little platformer with lashings of PlayStation nostalgia which introduces you to all the fantastic new features of the DualSense controller.

Project Warlock is a welcome surprise. Buckshot Software have pulled off a rare feat by making a retro inspired game that is not overburdened by modernised elements or oversimplified for the sake of a pixel art style. The gameplay is familiar yet refined and the overall package is sure to tick the boxes of many a classic FPS fan thanks to the inventiveness of the levels, creatures and RPG-Lite customisation.

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is another great addition to the visual novel series. The characters are well written and despite the formula changing little there are some unique scenarios to figure out.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human takes a while to hit its stride but once it does you'll be running across the rooftops with speed and grace. If packed open world games aren't for you then stay away, otherwise this has incredibly fun mechanics after a slow start.

Shadowboxing with a plastic helmet on might not sound all that enjoyable but Creed's simulation of the sweet science makes it one of the most compelling boxing games ever.

Fans of the RayForce series will be very happy with this trio of perfectly emulated classic arcade shoot 'em ups. It's not quite as complete as we'd like but the main thing is that the three arcade titles are here and ready to ruin your trigger fingers.

Ginga Force is a high-quality shoot 'em up that has enough content for you to keep playing and replaying. Shoot 'em up fans will love it and this is the kind of thing we love to see on PSN.

Lies of P is a charming take on the Soulsborne template. Scarcely an original bone in its body but none the worse for it. We liked it despite not being particularly skilled. The title is probably among the worst we've ever encountered, but thankfully the game transcends it.

Convoy: A Tactical Roguelike offers strategic, Mad Max-style car combat with difficult, choice-based gameplay. The gamepad controls aren't perfect but the tactical pause saves any issues this might cause and delivers a replayable challenge.

Assassin’s Creed Origins manages to breathe new life into an old franchise. By going back in time it has found a way to reinvent itself and move forward. The shift to a more action RPG style suits the game well, but the reduced emphasis on stealth may well upset some.

Dread Nautical is a nails hard tactics game with a Lovecraftian flavour. It's really quite good.

The 'Netflix of Retro Gaming' comes to PSN and it works surprisingly well with the streaming performing as it should and lots of features that give you a good reason to stick with the games on offer. We're exciting to see what else they can do with it but what's here already is great.

Torment: Tides of Numenara is a text heavy CRPG with great writing. The world is surreal and interesting and the many characters are rich and varied. The huge amount of choices and interactions you make have consequences both big and small which help to enhance the feeling of a living world. The battles aren’t great and it doesn’t run perfectly on the PS4 with slight hitching and long load times but it’s certainly an adventure worth taking.

I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying this. The simpler approach to Fire Pro Wrestling World allows you to get on with fighting and the rules of engagement seem a lot clearer than its contemporaries. Fighting Road adds a long career mode and there's plenty of reasons and ways to battle, even if I do miss some match types not being catered for.

Definitely an evolution rather than a revolution for EA, UFC 4 continues to deliver the slick, brutal and intelligent combat that we're used to but we're still not sure about its ground game and would like to have seen a bit more of a celebration of the sport.

Warsaw makes its way from PC to PS4 pretty much intact. The controls take a bit of getting used to and the load times are slightly too long but the challenging, tactical combat and uncommon setting translates without issue.

The best way I can describe Yakuza 0 is that it is a jack of all trades. None of the particular aspects of the game could be considered special in their own right. In a lot of cases the various aspects of the game shouldn’t even gel together. However, the mastery on show is just how well that Sega have managed to assemble all of these parts to make an excellent video game. It is a well realised drama, incredibly diverse and has plenty of fun things to do. You can’t ask for more than that really.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a good Metroidvania and a welcome return for this long dormant series. We just wish it had dynamic difficulty as some bosses are just that bit too tough. There’s only so many times we can face failure.

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

Outer Wilds is an exquisitely crafted planet hopping mystery adventure you’ll delight in playing. The seemingly sparse solar system isn’t at all as your journey will take you from one end to another. Even if your current exploration comes to nothing, you can have another go once the loop begins anew. As we mentioned, it is possible to get a bit stuck, but the in-game hints are sufficient you’ll find yourself on track again soon enough.