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.