Within the realm of visual novels, Jisei: The First Case HD does deliver a refreshing change of pace. The singular focus leads to a tighter narrative with very little in the way of excess writing. The characters are well-written with plenty of intrigue although the story runs its course far too quickly. The art is well done and the voice acting does help make the cast convincing but, once the curtain falls, there's little reason to return to it.

Othercide brings some great ideas to the table to differentiate it from similar titles. Unfortunately what content is here gets repetetive quite quickly. It does have its moments, such as the boss battles, so fans of the genre should give it a try.

Lost Wing is a decent into-the-screen avoid 'em up that looks slick and cultivates a real 'just one more go' addictiveness. Minor niggles around performance and variety spoil the party a little but at this price it is easy to forgive any small failings it has.

Superliminal is a great puzzle game with soul. There’s tons to do besides the nine levels on offer, especially when you go looking for collectibles.

Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break manages to add some creativity to the familiar framework. Unfortunately a frustrating, repetitive campaign stifles any real sense of progression. The level editor can feel cumbersome but persistence can lead to some interesting creations. Multiplayer and the community levels deliver the more intriguing content but that might not be enough to keep fans invested.

Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful open world game with satisfying stealth and combat. It does little different to other games of a similar nature and the combat camera needs some tweaking but those who like exploring and savour filling in a map are in for a treat.

Fans have been clamouring for the return of Crypto for some time and Destroy All Humans for PS4 is their chance to relive the bygone PS2 era and relive those ill-tempered, extra-terrestrial antics from fifteen years ago. The remake looks great but unfortunately, THQ Nordic’s 2020 effort introduces more issues than it solves; keeping repetitive audio while adding in lengthy loading times, performance issues and poorly implemented gameplay updates. For the one small step of increased graphical fidelity, this version takes one giant leap back for overall quality.

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.

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.

Aircraft Evolution is a fun, arcadey shoot 'em up with a nice gimmick and some decent playability but it's also quite short and maybe a bit too easy. The cheap price means it is a fairly safe bet for shoot 'em fans looking for something a little different to play for an evening or two.

Ultra Hat Dimension is a ultimately harmless diversion that you’ll likely enjoy. Bonus in that it’s cheap.

NASCAR Heat 5's racing remains compelling and customisable. The visuals aren't perfect but they've retained a wonderful style and character. It's a shame the new additions like testing sessions feel so slight and career mode has stayed largely the same. Some of the technical hitches become more noticeable as time goes on but, if you're after some new NASCAR, this will suffice.

Radical Rabbit Stew is a fine puzzle game that only occasionally resorts to cheap shots. The fact that you could tear through all the levels in an evening is very much a good thing. We'll pass on the speedruns though.

SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE is more SUPERHOT with a semi-roguelike twist. The skills and new enemy types keep things interesting even as things can get more furstrating towards the tail end. Those who are invested in the story get more of that too, the rest of us can just shoot and slash in slow motion as the whole world shatters around us.

F1 2020 manages to breathe new life into its single player content with the My Team mode. Managing your own team is compelling and feels more involved than the usual career options. The game's visuals are starting to look long in the tooth and the load times feel lengthy. Despite this, the core of the game remains intact. Racing is aggressive and enjoyable and there's plenty of sink your time into.

After spending twenty six years stewing in a dark vault, Dice's lost 16-Bit shooter now gets the airing it deserves. Ultracore is a worthy run'n'gun retro experience with some great visuals, music and gameplay. Yet, some aging aspects of the game do get in the way of a good time and demonstrate reasons why this game was lost for so long in the first place. While it can frustrate, it is still one i would recommend to play if you grew up with the Mega Drive.

A Summer with the Shiba Inu has a narrative that shows some early promise. Sadly the main mystery is sidelined for some more focused character work. It's welcome but it makes the ending feel presented without much effort to earn a conclusion. It's written well enough although I found the dog puns insufferable and Syd's accomplices are all very accommodating. It does feature some strong art and the portraits convey a great degree of charm and character. Sadly, the genre does struggle to show action and this game takes ample opportunity to imply dog on dog violence. It's clumsy but there's things to enjoy from this.

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

While the years haven't been kind to the graphical fidelity, Star Wars Episode I: Racer still stands up well as a fun sideshow to the more traditional war games set in the series. The quality of life improvements to the PS4 port makes the game a more enjoyable racer to play overall, but the lacking difficulty and replay value makes this a shortlived experience. If you enjoyed the game back in the nineties and fancy a double dip, it will surprise you just how easy it feels now, but if you didn't enjoy the game then this port will do little to change your mind.

Hunting Simulator 2 might as well be called Misery Boredom Simulator as we spent ten+ hours playing it and came away wanting shoot ourselves to end it all.

Assetto Corsa Competizione gets so much right. The spectacular physics have made their way to console untouched and the license allows them to focus brilliantly on so much. The sights and sounds feel in service of giving you knowledge and the feedback is all on hand to make you a better racer. It's not exactly accessible but it is rewarding and addictive.

Radio Squid has some admirable ideas that are somewhat at odds with some claustrophobic level design. Friendly fire does frustrate but at least it's offset by plenty of money to allow for extra lives. If nothing else, you're kept in the fight, despite how clumsy it can feel. Unfortunately, I struggled to truly enjoy this, although the look and soundtrack is charming and nostalgic.

Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is a great example of how to do a remaster. A great graphical upgrade and addition of a new multiplayer mode make this a welcome, if unexpected addition to the realm of remasters. Rather this than another Crash Bandicoot anyway.

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.

This compilation of classic '90s shoot 'em ups is great for fans of the series and genre alike but while the game needlessly focuses on regional variations of the same games, it misses out important titles from the series and the cost is a little bit too much for what you get.

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

Edna & Harvey - The Breakout: Anniversary Edition is a remaster of a 2008 game with a fresh new look, but very much a PC point and click adventure of the era. A few bugs don't help any.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is another enjoyable game in the Shantae franchise. The open world and exploration could be streamlined a little but the characters and gameplay are as enjoyable as ever with great animations and abilities.