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.

Cursed to Golf is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Very much a rogue-like with a golfing twist. You might bounce off like many do the Soulsborne games, but you might get hooked like we are too. Unflinchingly tough at times but also gives you hope you might prevail. It's the hope that makes you have another go. Recommended despite being harder than Henry Rollins and Jimmy Nail combined.

The Cub is a fair platformer with a great sense of place. The plot loosely follows the Jungle Book but comes to a conclusion somewhat bafflingly. The platforming is generally alright though jumping is maddeningly inconsistent at times. Over its brief lifespan you’re likely to be entertained by it for the most part.

Still Wakes The Deep is more than just a walking simulator in the tradition of Rapture or Esther. It nails the feel of bleak 1970’s Scotland to a tee and while everything goes to hell in a handbasket, your man Caz somehow managed to maintain his composure. Very much recommended.

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.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page is an excellent exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandmother with superb voice acting for the lead character. Very much recommended.

This collection of classic arcade shoot 'em ups really just boils down to three unique games and while each one is well-presented here and offers some great old-school action, the asking price for this compilation seems a bit much, especially when it isn't the complete collection that it pretends to be.

Despite the occasional clashes in tone, Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers does a good job of showing how to manage a group of strong personalities. The humour's not my cup of tea with a heavy reliance on references but there's enough minutia from the dating to keep someone interested. The presentation is colourful and, whilst some characters can be somewhat cartoonish, the voice acting gives them plenty of life.

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.

KeelWorks have done well to deliver such a polished entry into the shoot 'em up genre and we're pleased to see them focus on quality. That said, the game can feel a bit messy and complicated at times.

The Swords of Ditto combines some great visuals and decent gameplay with overly long and slightly tedious dungeon exploration. The lack of anything truly rewarding carrying over makes those long sessions difficult to stomach.

It's an interesting concept that's perhaps undercut by a lack of modes and content on release. The core of deduction and the heist motif works wonders. I also enjoy the vibrant locales and light-hearted tone but it's clear the package is slim. For a cheap price tag, not many will complain and I did enjoy the tense gameplay that leads to a lot of second guessing. There is a strong hook here. All that's missing is the bait.

Atomfall is a lot of fun although the central conceit is as daft as any seen in many other videogames. Combat is a little underwhelming as is the stealth, but the worldbuilding and sense of place are second to none. We look forward to playing through all over again given the double dip on PS4 and PS5 for the trophy set.

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.

The question of whether Accounting+ is for you comes down to how much you like Justin Roiland’s brand of humour and whether you are willing to support this monetarily. It is no doubt a hilariously entertaining game and a great start to Squanchtendo’s aspirations on PSVR, but you are simply not getting enough for the money with the minimal length and stunted translation to the PSVR platform.

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.

Chorus is a surprisingly traditional space combat game with great combat and an engaging, if dry, story. No multiplayer nonsense, no ship skins, no in-game purchases just a solid single player space shooter and we're here for that all day, every day.

Phantom Doctrine offers a different approach to the XCOM formula and is unique enough for genre fans to give it a chance. The missions do become repetitive and progress is slow but the ability to fully stealth levels is very welcome and rewarding.

Crysis Trilogy Remastered is a fantastic value proposition with three full campaigns to play through. Perhaps a little dated mechanically, all three games are solid shooters with loads to do. A good example of how to do remasters, despite only the first supporting RTX.

Call of the Sea is a case of great plot, beautiful surroundings, mixed puzzles. Some puzzles require such leaps of logic that you may struggle to progress. Despite that, this is worthy.

I find the horror falls flat but Amnesia: The Bunker delivers a surprisingly open experience full of experimentation. It's freeing to be given the opportunity to blow a door wide open or circumvent challenges in an ingenious way. It visually shows its age and I feel the storytelling is bland but the atmosphere remains taught and tense. The monster doesn't quite hold a threat but the ticking time pressures and compromised nature of your tools did make for an interesting game. It's short but there's definitely room to replay with a different approach.

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.

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.

This renaissance of old school first-person shooters has really given us some gems. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun can comfortably add itself to that list. The combat is tight and frenetic with an ensemble of effective weaponry. Levels feel large and varied, although the lack of a map can lead to some confusing moments. The fiction and lore has never been my thing but it does seem to fit this very straight-forward, no nonsense effort. Enjoyable and rewarding from start to finish.

Shio isn't perfect, but offers the right type of player a challenging platformer which rewards patience and tenacity.

Weird West has a lot of interesting systems working under the hood to let you play as you like. With this comes a certain amount of jank which undermines the immersion somewhat but the multiple character stories and many choices still make it worth playing.

One Night Stand isn't a great showing, a Ratalaika game worth swerving, straightforward trophies or not.

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.

Big Ant have managed to enhance last year's effort with some official licensing and, whilst the presentation feels familiar, the player animations look improved and authentic. Fielding remains something of a worry but the batting and bowling experience remains thoroughly engaging and satisfying to succeed at.

South of the Circle is an exquisitely produced dramatisation of the rampant paranoia present at the height of the Cold War almost sixty years ago. It shows how it affected the world geopolitically as well as on a more personal level for the wonderfully depicted protagonists of the piece. Special mention must go to Ed Critchley's excellent score and the stellar voice cast.

World to the West is a charming adventure game with an interesting character swapping dynamic. The gentle pace of the adventuring and the environmental puzzles make this an easy game to like. Whilst not without some small niggles these are easy to look past and they aren’t game ruining.

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.

As with most reboots, there's a sense of compromise running throughout GRID. The fundamentals are there. Racing feels fantastic and action-packed with a great emphasis on presenting the races as genuine occasions. Unfortunately, you see where the icing has been spread thin. The career mode can feel repetitive and lacking in variety. As a racer, it's sound but it feels like an appetiser.

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.

Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is a linear, cutscene heavy RPG so people's mileage may vary. I enjoyed the story and characters despite the clumsy translation and the action combat is decent if unremarkable. Importantly it runs well, with only the odd hiccup, which after the last game wasn't a given.

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.

Mages of Mystralia is a decent action role playing game with an excellent spell crafting mechanic. The presentation and story set this apart from a lot of other indie stuff and make the game feel grander than it actually is. Unfortunately samey combat and plenty of backtracking stop this from being a truly great game.

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

If you like buddy cop point and click adventures, then Bear With Me: The Complete Collection makes for a good palette cleanser. It goes a bit overboard on the film Noir style but makes up for it with genuinely well-designed characterisation and locales that get better as you progress further into the episodes.

Neversong is a delight that lends itself well to a leisurely stroll. Maybe a little too sinister for kids, so be prepared for “what’s a coma?” questions if you play it with them around.

While it was interesting to play such a rare shoot 'em up, Mamorukun ReCursed! feels a bit clunky, quite dated and not actually all that impressive. It's a capable enough game but not the best example of the genre.

I do think Forgive Me Father 2 nails the atmospheric presentation. I don't care much for the Priest's gruff narration but the visuals are impressively stylised. The music helps reinforce it and the gunplay is solid. The campaign has a steady pace that rarely lets up and multiple endings and difficulty settings allow for plenty of return visits. I do wish movement was sharper but the arsenal shows a good variety of weapons.

LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 is one of the better LEGO games. The range of characters available is staggering and the attention to detail is to be applauded. Whilst the range of actions and movement abilities may cause problems for younger players, the ever present co-op is a wonderful addition to help younger players out.

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.

Eagle Flight does a pretty good job of simulating flight in a natural setting. It is also one of the more relaxing VR games out there if you are just looking for a simple fly over. The controls are tight, the visuals are great and multiplayer is great fun. This is definitely one to try.

Demon Gaze II offers a friendlier introduction to the first person dungeon crawler than most. More story and less customisation will upset some but the colourful characters and enjoyable gameplay loop will win over new players.

City building games don't usually find their way onto consoles and rarely are they as well-executed as Aven Colony.

Ready, Steady, Ship! provides an accomplished and enjoyable experience. The variety within the level design means a new mechanic is just around the corner and the pacing of the campaign feels swift. The solo campaign lets the puzzles shine but co-operative play offers just enough moving parts for things both players to feel involved. Vehicles can be tricky to deal with but I was rarely frustrated by this charming effort.

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.

The Surge adds some new elements to the Souls formula that for the most part work well. It fails to live up to its inspiration in the design department, with samey environments and a lack of enemy variety but the combat holds your interest to its conclusion.

With a name like eFootball PES 2021 Season Update, I was expecting last season's game with updated leagues and kits. Cosmetically, it's exactly that but the action on the pitch has seen some interesting changes. The matches are a touch more physical and new animations show that some work has gone into the engine. It plays differently from last year and is compelling to learn. Away from the pitch, things feel largely stationary and it's clear that's where the compromises lie. I enjoy it but it's clear this falls short of feeling like a fully-fledged sequel.

Far Cry 6 is exactly what you'd expect from a Far Cry game. It's big, open and full of things to do but there's a lot of fun to be had and some excellent combat to enjoy.

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.

Yesterday Origins updates the point and click genre and manages to tell a great thriller story at the same time. With good presentation, excellent voice acting and well thought out puzzles Yesterday Origins is a game which I can easily recommend.

Raiden V is a very accomplished shoot 'em up that offers a suitable challenge to players of different skill levels but the visuals can obscure the action and death can come very cheaply.

Nidhogg 2 does just enough to improve on the original. The new weapons and visuals keep things fresh and the action is gloriously chaotic but outside of a room full of people, the game lacks lasting appeal.

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.

Immortal Redneck offers plenty of shooting and upgrading based fun that will appeal to fans of rogue-like titles. However, progress feels like it comes from putting in the time rather than improving your actual skills.

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.

Speed Limit's tough, and frustrating, gameplay might mean it doesn't flow quite as nicely as we'd like but you have to admire the way it combines a heap of classic gameplay styles into one cohesive title.

Ninja Gaiden Master Collection offers three games of varying greatness in one set. It's not quite the all inclusive package one would hope for and the enhancements are limited but seeing each game back to back really shows the strength of each and highlights the fact that the controls and combat were always top notch.

A game about hunting vampires in the Wild West that has the design fundamentals of an Xbox 360 title? Count us in every single time.

The Inner World is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure game. The art style is distinct and the story is both funny and engaging. The puzzles are typical to the genre but the hint system will allow everyone to see the end of it. Some minor technical issues are the only things that stop this from scoring higher.

Sneaky Bears is a fun, playable and amusing PSVR shooter but is over far too quickly and gives you no reason to come back.

Heroland is a great localisation of a interesting twist on the JRPG format let down slightly by a few mechanical issues. Yet its pedigree shines through. p.s. Trophy whores need not apply.

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

Corpse Party (2021) is a visual novel with some exploration gameplay and a horror theme. Graphically it's very weak but it has a strong atmosphere and sound design that will draw in fans of the genre that can stomach it and haven't played one of its previous iterations.

If you put 40 meter tall monsters in a fully destructible environment and have them duke it out, you're in for a good time no matter what and this party game gets that stuff right. However, to really get the most out of GigaBash, you'll need a sofa full of mates to play it with.

Meet Your Maker is a first-person outpost raider where you get to make your own levels and unleash them on whatever sorry bastards try to take them on. It's a great concept and the execution is pretty solid at launch. It'll only be improved by the promised future content too.

The Gap is nothing to do with the clothing brand, but it is a fair walking simulator with an interesting time travel gimmick. It’s good but due to the very plot driven play, is effectively a one and done with limited replay value.

While we would have liked to see these games celebrated a little more, this compilation does offer up seven rather unique and different Neo Geo titles that should appeal to existing fans and retro gamers. However, if you're unfamiliar with Neo Geo games as a whole, you might find these titles to be a bit too challenging.

Fortune Hunter: Erza's Wheel of Fortune can be quite cosy at times. The game doesn't lean so much on challenge and exploration can feel rewarding. Whilst it's not doing anything new or special, the ability to tinker with gear helps propel some individuality into the hectic combat. Movement and fighting feels good and, whilst the map is expansive, you can traverse it at a swift pace. Sometimes it's a visual treat and, despite the plot not grabbing me, there's enough in the gameplay to keep me interested.

Styx: Shards of Darkness continues the series with as much enthusiasm as its predecessor, and builds upon what made Master of Shadows work so well - the stealth aspect. The fact that Cyanide Studio didn't pay attention to the negative reports on the combat, and kept the mechanic the same as before is practically the only thing that lets the side down in terms of playability. If you want to have to think about getting from point A to point B, and don't mind getting frustrated at times, then this is easily the best way to spend 15-20 hours.

Sparklite is, for the most part, successful at being an accessible, enjoyable roguelite. It falters in terms of pacing and, whilst the tale can sometimes feel brisk, the final area really forces you to hunker down for the last challenge. It's a fun ride that stalls towards the end but there's a good sense of progression as slice and save towards the big upgrades.

Headmaster is silly, repetitive and simplistic. It’s also possibly the most fun you can have with your PSVR headset, at least in short bursts. A party game that anyone can play, it takes a chance that the core concept is strong enough and pulls it off.

Tricky Towers may look like the sort of unwanted freebie that PS+ owners have been bemoaning for years but this is good. When you get over the fact that it isn’t quite Tetris, the clever game engine makes Tricky Towers the most addictive puzzler on PSN and with its well-populated online community, this is the perfect pick up and play game around.

CastleStorm VR’s gameplay is simple and has that one more go ethic that will appeal to some gamers. For those who haven’t played it on the previous generation, there is a fun and varied real time strategy meets Angry Birds formula that proves basic yet satisfying. However, if you have given CastleStorm a go before, then the PSVR implementation doesn’t really bring anything to the table and hardly warrants a double dip. Especially considering that the VR version commands the same price as the definitive.

KARMA: The Dark World is an interesting debut from Chinese dev Pollard Studio, set in an alternate East Germany in which you play among a cast of characters with non-German names. It’s fun enough and graphically sumptuous to boot, just not particularly long. We kinda get why they set it in Europe as opposed to the actual oppressive regime they live under, but a little more effort in that regard would’ve helped.

As far as racing games for kids go, Cars 3: Driven to Win is surprisingly good. It looks good, handles well and has enough content to keep you and your young 'uns entertained for a long time.

Robocop: Rogue City is the closest thing you'll get to a good third Robocop movie and it plays pretty damn well too. If you're not a fan of the first film then this might not be for you but if you're a normal person, there's a lot to like about this game.

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.

88 Heroes makes a great first impression with its old-school platforming game mechanics and sense of humour. Ultimately, the gameplay and the jokes wear a little thin but this is still well worth checking out.

Need For Speed Heat takes the series back to its roots which means night time racing, angry cops and plenty of car customisation and is all the better for it.

When it comes to remasters, few studios can offer the same level of comprehensiveness that Night Dive have here. Lovingly resurrected, Shadow Man: Remastered offers the definitive edition of this classic yet forgotten horror adventure. They don’t make them like this anymore and while nothing can remaster the niggling tropes of yesteryear like the backtracking, overly precise platforming and lack of handholding, there is a ton of game here to enjoy and discover, if given the patience it deserves.

Steredenn is a shoot 'em that is simultaneously a bit plain in terms of the levels and enemy designs but then overly fussy with a lot of weapon choices to juggle, weak upgrades and a control-system that doesn't always feel that intuitive. It's still quite good fun but it tries to be clever in all the wrong areas.

Housemarque take their twin stick expertise over to the run and gun genre and nail it, just as you knew they would. The game's short lifespan and bullet sponge bosses take off a little bit of the shine but the excellent controls and gorgeous presentation make the game a must-buy for arcade connoisseurs.

GreedFall is the very definition of a decent action RPG. It does nothing drastically wrong but doesn't blow you away either. What it does manage is to be an enjoyable experience which is sometimes all you need.

A point and clicker which is easy to forget. It looks gorgeous and has a great voice cast but does nothing to stand out from the crowd. If you like your fantasy clichéd and ponderous this could be for you.

One of the best RPGs of the previous console generation, Kingdoms of Amalur, is back and as good as ever. Don't let its previous commercial failure fool you, this is a very solid RPG with a ton of story and it has the best combat system in the genre.

The characters will annoy many but this game has it where it counts. The mission structure keeps you doing “just one more” whilst the ‘Game Settings’ truly feel like rewards. If you’re already a fan of the series then you’re in for a, albeit slightly shorter, treat. Others' mileage will vary depending on their tolerance for the cast.

With a hand drawn art style which needs to be seen to be believed, Jotun plays an enjoyable game of killing Icelandic gods. Unfortunately the short playing time and lack of real replayability stop this game from reaching it’s full potential.

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.

Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is a stylish and well written visual novel which uses the interesting concept of the anime well. Little variety in the artwork, no animation at all and the two characters' stories being a little too similar stop it from attracting non-genre fans however.

Tiny Trax is a racing game that uses VR in a brilliant and clever way. There's not much content here though and the single player campaign can be just too unforgiving which is at odds with the game's cheerful atmosphere.

Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars offers a unique blend of RTS and tower defence which is fun to play. The single player campaign offers a nice distraction and plays well enough, but it is with the multiplayer that things really brighten up, although you may struggle to find a game online.

The main game Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is just fine, but Dynasty mode is a fumbled snap returned for a touchdown.

Kill It With Fire is a very silly, very fun depiction of an escalating arms race against a bunch of tiny spiders. It’s a bit short, yes, but you’ll have a ton of fun playing it.

RetroMachina is a solid action puzzle game with vividly realised enemy designs, a great mind-control mechanic and beautiful art. A technical issue halted our playthrough prematurely, we just hope a patch resolves it.