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.

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.

Monark has some good ideas and systems in place but the low budget presentation and enforced grinding stop this from being more than an interesting experience.

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.

Dyna Bomb evokes memories of old console and computer games but is reasonably unique. Unfortunately it looks and feels like what it is, a cheap and cheerful port of a 2016 budget PC game.

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.

A barely-known top-down racer from 33 years ago might seem like an odd choice for a 2022 port but while it might not make much sense now, this is clearly a decent retro title and one that deserves another fifteen minutes of fame. It's let down by some careless trophies though that don't really push the player to play it better.

The Humans is a decent port of a fairly obscure retro puzzle game and it's given a very respectful treatment here with the PC, Mega Drive and Game Boy versions all included. However, it can test your patience with some unforgiving levels and controls that will most likely frustrate anyone who attempts to play it but with a lot of patience and concentration there is fun to be had here.

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.

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.

Breakout: Recharged doesn't do anything new or particularly interesting with this take on the classic bat and ball genre but it is enjoyable enough and certainly addictive. We'd have liked to have seen a bit of eye-candy but we're happy enough with the gameplay to make this a game we can recommend.

Kansei: The Second Turn HD expands nicely on the groundwork of the first title. The intriguing plot continues to impress with some nuanced character work and some good voice acting. It's still a little short for my liking but the other endings make a replay worth it. The art is nicely made with a real sharpness to it and the leisurely piano score give investigating a relaxed pace. It's a pity the interface can sometimes feel sluggish and hamper the flow of proceedings. Still, I enjoyed it and I'm keen to see how the series ties up.

We're not too sure about the new visual style and cheesy story but we've always loved this series and OlliOlli World has elevated and improved the gameplay a huge amount.

Rise of the Third Power attempts to replicate a SNES era JRPG and does a very good job of it too. The combat is interesting and characters likeable which makes for an enjoyable adventure.

We are very used to seeing old arcade games used as a basis for lazy indie rehashes but Okinawa Rush is one of the few that elevates the source material to new levels.

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.

Kinduo is a small, forgiving effort that I think new, inexperienced players might enjoy. As short as it is, there's an idea here that doesn't get explored fully. It's cheap, light and short but I do find it difficult to talk about a game that's over so suddenly. It's an okay little thing that maybe doesn't reach for more. At times, this feels like a polished prototype. Sometimes it's nice to blast through the dozens of levels but I'm not feeling challenged in the process. It ends up passing me by, to be honest.

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.

Vagante is a fine roguelike that’ll kick your arse over and over. Yet you’ll want to keep on playing over and again. We sure did. The difficulty is perhaps a little harsh for a strictly singleplayer experience, this is definitely balanced to be played with friends.

Cake Invaders takes the classic Missile Command formula, applies it to Japanese people defending German cakes and ramps up the action so much that really it all burns out in an hour unless you're up for some leaderboard action. It's cute, fun and entertaining though and that's good enough for us.

Demoniaca is an interesting and unique mix of metroidvania exploration and deep fighting mechanics that benefits from much higher presentation standards than the usual 2D indie efforts. It's let down a bit by an unfriendly interface and clumsy platforming but it has enough depth and quality to make it worth trying.

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.

Reverie Knights Tactics is a strategy RPG with plenty of mechanics to play around with. Unfortunately the battles became overly similar very quickly, with the optional challenges and odd puzzle here and there not doing enough to alleviate the tedium.

Cannibal Cuisine is an enjoyable spin on the whole Overcooked style of party gaming. It's a bit basic in terms of gameplay and presentation but its simplicity makes it a good choice for random co-op larks.

Dysmantle does everything you expect a good zombie survival game to do and more. It's a huge game filled with great ideas and is more addictive than chocolate-covered brain slices. Dysmantle is great.

Where the Insanity DLC seemed like a great change of pace compared to the main game and was perfectly suited to the subject matter, Control lets the side down by just being a retread. However, the action is still great and fans of the series will enjoy how it fills in aspects of Pagan's story.

It was inevitable that the retro-revival part of the indie scene would turn its attention to the low-poly, 32-Bit era for inspiration. Breakneck City tries to bring back the glory days of playing Die Hard Trilogy Arcade and Virtua Fighter. However, it lacks the feel and polish of both. It has some moments to shine, but these are fleeting and cannot shake the overall ropey feeling that permeates throughout.

Guardian of Lore is a buggy horrible mess with baffling design choices peppered throughout, not to mention the fact the white guy is the one guarding the secrets. Much as we'd loved to have completed the storyline, we couldn't face anymore. Don't waste your time. If you want to learn about legends, read a wikipedia page instead.

Battle Brothers is a dense tactical RPG that would really benefit from a more explicit tutorial. It's a hard game to get into but I found my time with it to be tense and rewarding. Preparation before each battle feels crucial and most of the decisions I took felt weighty. Combat is ultimately where most of your money is made and, whilst your brothers are expendable, escaping with a clean bill of health can be satisfying. Presentation is hardly spectacular and it can be clumsy at expressing a ton of information, but there's a compelling game here.

Risk System is a well-presented shoot 'em up with a lot of potential but the boss battles ruin the flow of the game, instantly switching the gameplay from a satisfying mix of intuitive action and risk vs. reward mechanics to tedious and difficult encounters that rely on memorisation. There's something here but the difficulty is just too uneven.

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.

Gardener's Path is a fair little puzzle game that'll nicely tax your grey matter across its sixty levels. Great value too with the PS4 & PS5 versions bundled.

We loved the original Kingdoms of Amalur a lot and so having an extra 20+ hours of unexpected DLC is a real treat but if Amalur wasn't for you, then neither is Fatesworn.

Alwa's Legacy is incredibly well done. Whilst the story can bleed off into the background, the real joy is taken from discovering new items and locations. Your abilities come quickly and it really allows you to move through the world at a decent pace. They compliment each other well and give you options to get from one spot to another. The music and pixel art is top notch. The score is catchy and the background art is really sharp. Overall, it's a pretty accomplished adventure.

Aeterna Noctis is a very tough metroidvania with incredibly intricate platforming sections. The fair checkpoints even out the challenge a little but plenty of design decisions work against the player in ways that are harder to overcome than the difficulty.

We appreciate the nostalgia that comes with this fun Frogger/snowboarding cross-over title but it's just a bit too short, repetitive and flawed to live up to the studio's previous games.

One Hand Clapping is a great puzzle platformer with the novel twist of your voice being as much part of the gameplay as your interaction with the controller. It's really quite something, though make sure your mic is up to scratch or you may struggle.

Serious Sam 4 is exactly what you'd expect from a Serious Sam game but not what we've come to expect from a PS5 game. It's a simple but action-packed FPS that is full of enemies and carnage but it hasn't been ported across very well.

A Year of Springs is a collection of surprisingly well-written visual novels that handle a very personal subject in a provocative way. The tales of friendships, doubts and acceptance are nice to see play out. At times, it's mundane and everyday and the conflicts are small but being able to show those internal conflicts are very effective. It ends up feeling surprisingly wholesome and enjoyable.

Way Down is a truly poor effort that reduces an exciting bank heist into a series of mini games. Visually, it has a very cheap look with very little polish. It's very rough around the edges and sometimes those edges fall away. The multiple protagonists do try to keep things fresh but the final act devolves into a repetitive slog. In safer hands, a game could've brought life to an interesting caper. As it is, Way Down is dreadfully executed.

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.

Terminator: Resistance’s Annihilation DLC is a solid four-hour expansion to the main campaign. While it retains some of the foibles that kept the original experience from reaching a higher score, there is a lot to like about what this content brings both in the narrative and action. For Terminator fans that want to experience every piece of lore associated with the first two movies, this is a treat. However, if you found yourself burned out by the main game, then you may want to give this a miss as it is mostly more of the same.

Rune Factory 4 Special is an updated version of a 2012 3DS game and while it's a faithful recreation, it's let down by some clunky mechanics and the fact it's better suited to mobile play rather than sat on a couch.

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.

After spending thirty years in the dark, Clockwork Aquario finally gets released to the public, thanks to ININ games. With solid spritework, excellent music and a satisfying game loop, this is a solid nineties arcade platformer. However, the limited game length and offering may leave a fair amount to be desired. This is one of those that love game preservation and classic Sega titles while others may find this game forgettable compared to their other thirty year old favourites.

So what we’ve got here is a game that’s very short, possibly unfinished and barely a shoot ’em up. Getting through it is really just going to take you an hour once you figure out what it wants from you and then it’ll leave you thinking ‘is that it?’

Very few titles can boast about being as honest or literal as A Short Hike, a game where you do just that. This charming title from Canadian designer Adam Robinson-Yu may not last long, However the pleasure of exploration and discovery is strong in this one. This is one of the best palate cleansers going and a great example of a game where the journey is more fulfilling than racing to the credits.

Rubber Bandits is a well-made brawler that does feel a little light on modes. Heists are fun and frantic and carry a good flow throughout. Combat feels weighty and the destructible environments make for plenty of chaos. Online play can feel a little sketchy at times but the matches I have been involved with have come with a nice brand of mayhem.

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.

Night Lights is a decent 2D puzzle platformer with Metroidvania elements. It just about manages to not overstay its welcome but if you give it the respect due of playing it without a guide, the game's well-balanced level of challenge makes it very satisfying to play through.

Twogether: Project Indigos Chapter 1 is a pretty decent opening. The premise and puzzles are interesting and, despite the short play time, it has me interested in what comes next. There's a strong, clean look to the puzzle rooms that I really like. Mechanically, it's sound with two distinct characters that combine fairly well. It doesn't develop into something complicated but it does lead to an experience that flows well. It's short but I'm intrigued to see what follows.

Beyond a Steel Sky is a modern sequel to a classic point and click and although the mechanics and systems have been updated that original feel is still present. That's great news for fans whilst those who didn't enjoy the genre's more obscure puzzles or slower paced gameplay will find similar troubles here. Lucky for me, I'm a fan.

Toem is a frequent delight with a wonderful photo mechanic and excellent music. Just a shame it's not longer. It's pretty great though. Get to it.

Space Elite Force 2 in 1 offers up two basic shooters with some nice upgrade mechanics and clean retro presentation but it's easy to the point of being trivial.

The promise of hack and slash action and real moral choices is an enticing one but Hindsight's combat is a little bit clumsy and the game's sub-par graphics do let it down. The moral choices are kind of interesting though and give the game an added layer of interest and a sense that the game was created with love.

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.

Bassmaster Fishing 2022 is a glimpse into the pro bass fishing world. Slightly shonky implementation and other issues mar the experience a little bit but it's a solid fishing game otherwise. We can't stop playing despite that.

After sinking in hours and hours into Far Cry 6, we were pleased to see this DLC take the game in a much more focused direction. Vaas: Insanity offers a really good rogue-lite experience while keeping the excellent production values and gunplay of the main game.

The Prince of Landis manages to tell a neat little tale about a small boy growing up in rural Oregon. Whilst there's not a lot of plot to tell, the environmental details and conversations with the locals do manage to add some substance to the narrative. It feels fairly grounded and exploring the town for items doesn't feel overwhelming or tricky. I do wish more effort was made with the soundtrack. Whilst silence was probably intended to hammer home the isolation, it does feel like the game is lacking in it's absence. It's not stellar in its presentation but it mostly delivers.

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.

Porting an obscure 1991 console shoot 'em up may seem like an odd choice but we were more than happy to play through Gynoug for the first time, if only to see its unique take on the horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up genre. It may be more of a museum piece than a relevant game but Gynoug is well worth a look for shoot 'em up fans and retro gamers alike.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One puts the detective into an open world setting whilst giving him plenty of murders and side cases to investigate. There is the odd bit of action here and there but those who like to explore, examine and deduce will get the most out of this adventure.

Backbone is a fine debut from Egg Nut but hamstrung by a high price and a story that outright gallops to a conclusion, overwhelming any feeling of player agency you've built up by the third act of five. The price makes it difficult to outright recommend, but very much a firm foundation for Egg Nut to build on.

Shinrai: Broken Beyond Despair is an enjoyable mystery that does a good job rounding out the characters. The narrative is compelling and the conclusion feels well-earned. I don't find the presentation especially engaging with some unappealing backgrounds and a soundtrack that is decent but not memorable. Still, the investigative interludes feel worthwhile and should strike a chord with those up for a good sleuthing.

Insomnis is a horror-themed, puzzle-based walking simulator but unfortunately it really only nails the walking bit. With no real scares, a lack of engaging puzzles and no real technical proficiency, this is just an average indie game that doesn't really make a case for its own existence.

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.

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.

QUByte Classics - The Immortal by PIKO is a basic package for two versions of the same game. It does have merit to this day however, with some great set pieces but the adventure is linear and the difficulty can be perverse. Thank goodness for save states.

A fun arcade racer that provides added value for those willing to get their hands dirty. However, those who just want to race might find the experience a limited one. Buy into the whole creative side and it’ll make you feel like a kid again, especially if you’re the type that likes to collect.

While we're always happy to see obscure retro games get a new audience, it's hard not to be disappointed when they get a lazy port like this. As retro fans, we did enjoy aspects of this lesser-seen Mega Drive title, the enjoyment was fleeting and tempered by some core gameplay issues and problems with the emulation.

As with most roguelikes, BPM: Bullets Per Minute is one of those games that you will either love over time or hate immediately and shelve for other things. The variable is within the random generation and contending with whether the game wants to throw you a bone or not. Aside from this, BPM is a solid meld of the rhythm action and FPS genres, combining an excellent metal soundtrack with solid gunplay that has a lot to offer, if you can break the stubbornly difficult surface.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a very cosy farm builder that has a lot to offer. There's very little pressure to do everything but the farming has a compelling loop to it that kept me engaged. The calendar year can drag at times but there's always one more task you can engage with. It's satisfying to see the money come in and your farm grow, although sometimes you have to make your own long and short-term objectives.

Carrion offers up a unique spin on the old Metroidvania concept but is let down by maze-like levels and unsatisfying combat. There's still some fun to be had but ultimately we found ourselves getting more and more irritated with the level design and constant backtracking.

Pacing issues aside, Hermitage: Strange Case Files gets a few things right. The writing keeps things largely focused and the chapters feel tight enough to enjoy on their own. I did feel the logic for the some of the investigations felt slightly misplaced and the potential to miss clues sets you on course for failure. It's all presented very well but I did feel a lack of something to do when the script became especially verbose.

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.

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.

BATS is a fun blood-filled 2D run and gun/hack/bite action title which uses old-school presentation and gameplay but gives it a modern feel. It may be a little too difficult, short and repetitive for some but it's one of the better recent retro-flavoured indie games to hit PSN.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania breathes new life into the franchise by combining classic stages with a modernised visual appearance. However, the remade physics don’t quite live up to the originals and this may put off purists. If you can get over the small niggles, then there is a ton of content to enjoy and newer players should have a blast as this is the most accessible Super Monkey Ball experience yet.

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.

Evertried is a challenging turn based, roguelite. The skills you can get are generally weak and levelling them up requires a lot of busy work but the basic gameplay is well realised, if a little repetitive.

Probe: A Game Dev Experience criminally undersells it's own industry. Whilst I did struggle with the motion controls, the tasks I was given were basic and over fairly quickly. It's the lack of context that troubles me. Adding lighting to a scene or AI to a character is fine if I know why I was doing it. For an education product, it doesn't sprinkle any interesting insights about the workings under the hood. It's far too simple for it's own good.

In Sound Mind is a solid psychological horror game with an interesting gimmick based around tapes that allows for a variety of environments and puzzles. The story doesn't quite fulfil its potential and the frame rate can be terrible but for fans of first person horror, which is light on scares but with a decent range of puzzles then you'll certainly get something out of this.

A Gummy's Life has some very clear inspirations and, at times it can be quite brazen. The colourful presentation does well to set it apart and the game modes remain fun, even if the online portion struggles from a lack of interest. The fighting can be tactile and occasionally chaotic and, whilst the AI seems capable, this game feels more engaging with friends. The map variety gives you plenty to work with although the combat lacks a little impact. There's an enjoyable core here with just a few niggles that can potentially be ironed out.

Train Station Renovation is not looking to surprise you. Through over a dozen environments, cleaning and repairing a deserted area feels very tactile. It's rewarding as an area improves one small step at a time. The visuals look cheap and unpolished but there is some satisfaction and opportunities for creativity here. It's not for everyone but anyone looking for a very relaxed, specific experience, could find it here.

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.

The Eternal Cylinder is a quirky yet ultimately charming survival game with a puzzle slant. It lapses into daftness occasionally, but the earnest narration gives it a gravitas it might be lacking otherwise. Get to it.

While the remaster brings little new to the table other than a fresh coat of paint, cross play and remade cutscenes. Diablo II and its expansion feel as exciting, threatening and as ruthless as ever. The lions share of the quality-of-life improvements are found in the console version, with an excellent use of the controller, added hotkeys and general accessibility. Yet, the remaster does nothing to dumb down or meddle with the overall experience. Instead, for returning players, this is Diablo II as you remember it to be. For new players, while missing a lot of features that most ARPGS have today, there is a lot to love about this aging gem and it is still worth experiencing even decades later.

I found Merek's Market to be a thoroughly enjoyable effort. The frantic daily grind never ceased to be fun as I anticipated and looked to make any gains whilst satisfying customers. There's always one more thing to do and it's presented with a cheeky British charm. Coordinating with friends leads to some more hi-jinks but solo players aren't left out with a lengthy campaign that does well to provide some variety.

The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is Jackbox as we know and love it. A compilation of five party games of which two are brilliant and the rest are okay. We'll be returning to this one over and over.

Underland is a short and simple puzzle game which is enjoyable enough but won't leave a lasting impression. The visuals lack variety and having no music doesn't help but the price is low and the platinum straightforward if that's your type of thing.

Gleylancer is an odd choice of game to revive but this port adds some very nice gameplay enhancements and quality of life upgrades that make it worth checking out if you like decidedly retro shoot 'em up experiences.

This hack and slasher might not be 10tons' best game but it is still a solid rogue-lite that offers some tight, tactical dungeon-crawling but some might find it a little too slow and repetitive.

I've said all I can about Takorita Meets Fries. My biggest fear is to be shown a game I can struggle to talk about. This culinary non-adventure has so little on the table that it's hard to recommend. It certainly feels geared towards a younger audience but even children have higher expectations. The incredibly brief narrative leaves me completely unsatisfied and the impressive presentation can't really save it.

While initially daunting and difficult to get to grips with, Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries is a great attempt at bringing the Battletech mythos to modern consoles. Get past the seemingly endless menus, deep customisation, and management mechanics. Then you will find a satisfyingly destructive walking tank simulator that provides plenty of bombast and fun gameplay across its expansive forty-hour campaign.

While EA continues to leave no stone unturned when it comes to bringing football to gamers, it would be wrong of us to condone the lootbox mechanics that still dominate the Ultimate Team mode. But if you're happy to swerve that and just stick to regular matches, and the game's two enormous career modes, then FIFA still sets the bar incredibly high for football games and indeed sports games everywhere.

The Plane Effect is a stylish noir adventure about a salaryman's commute gone wrong. But it's let down by fussy puzzles and too much trial and error. You solve it the devs exact way or you're out of luck.

G-Darius remains a true late '90s classic and old school, or just old, shoot 'em up fans will enjoy revisiting it but newer players might not enjoy brute-forcing their way through the game's excessively difficult later levels.

I find The Amazing American Circus to be a very unbalanced experience. Simple on the surface, the card playing becomes more of a struggle as audiences turn against you. The lovely sepia look can only do so much as you slog your way through the continent and I don't think the upgrades turn the tide much in your favour. I find it boring at times and the card playing can feel so harsh as you get into longer performances.