The Baconing manages to stay as funny and engaging throughout the entire game.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr isn’t perfect, but it’s the first enjoyable WH40K action title to grace the consoles since Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.

Skelattack is a game of exceptional mediocrity, a frustrating adventure with an identity crisis and a balance problem. It screams potential that it never even comes close to reaching as it draws obvious inspiration from numerous places, but fails to capture the charm and intention behind those progenitors. Its story and art is its strongest aspects, but the stagnant gameplay drags down what could have otherwise been a pretty good concept. There’s a core of a good idea here, but like it’s lead character, there’s simply no meat on these bones.

Just Cause 4 is just a better Just Cause 3, and that’s not a bad thing, but it feels that many elements were added just ’cause rather than seeking to revolutionize Rico Rodriguez’s many revolutions.

It translates the core game over to Sony’s portable system without any major gameplay issues. That said, it is a downgrade in every possible way. The atmosphere is diminished by poor graphics, controls are slightly clunkier, and it just makes the experience less special.

Blood Stone is an enjoyable game if you can see through the bland driving action, forgettable story and the shoehorned multiplayer mode, but at the end of the day this ambitious game has a lot of unfulfilled potential that could further add onto the promise that this series has going for itself.

When looking back at my time with the game, I don’t feel horror at its revelations. I feel disappointment in light of what it could have been concealing, and simply wasn’t.

Eat Them! could have been a truly amazing game – the visuals are impressive, the destruction based gameplay is very enjoyable, and the customisation can add depth to the title. But Eat Them! misses the mark, and sadly by a long way: repetition, a lack of variety, and a faulty health mechanic, make the game often more painful than enjoyable.

Trillion: God of Destruction is a bold experiment by Compile Heart, but unfortunately, it’s one that doesn’t work all that well.

There’s not much to Fairy Fencer F beneath the surface. You’re out to reluctantly save the world, and combat quickly becomes too easy.

Despite the major frame-rate drops and the repetitive quests and gameplay, Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is fairly entertaining, thanks to a fast-paced combat system and a large amount of weapons and skills to pick from.

Uninspiring AI combined with numerous technical issues makes for an occasionally frustrating experience.

More than seven years after its initial announcement, Ray’s the Dead just doesn’t feel like a finished game. Clunky gameplay and numerous bugs don’t do the imbalanced and overly difficult encounters any favors, while certain other concepts in the game feel underexplored and go unutilized. It’s potential to delve into unique puzzle mechanics is overshadowed by obnoxious and frustrating combat segments and bugs impacting critical elements of the gameplay. Ray’s the Dead might have a lot of heart, but that heart is contained within a cumbersome rotting corpse crawling with bugs that make coming back from the dead more chore than triumph.

Dynasty Warriors 9 is more of a foundation for the next title than the dawning of a new era for the franchise. That’s perfectly acceptable, too, given that series like Dynasty Warriors inevitably must evolve to stay relevant. Right now, there are just some growing pains, and anyone who was interested in the newest iteration because of its new gameplay features would do better waiting for the next one instead.

As a simulation, Birthdays the Beginning is a fairly unique approach to the open-world sandbox simulator. It does a fantastic job of demonstrating how important it’s to maintain balance within an ecosystem, in order for life to thrive. It also helps to drive home how even the smallest of organisms can make a gigantic impact on the world around them. The main issue is that the campaign is so focused on introducing new mechanics that it seems to lose sight of this unspoken thesis. In turn, this leads the player on a mission to track down answers that should instead be provided to them at a glance. Due to this, it’s hard to shake the feeling of being thrown into the deep end of an algae coated swamp, without a life raft.

The game doesn't come out unscathed, as the long load times kill much of the flow in the game and could leave some of the more impatient kids/families searching for something else to do. This, along with other minor technical issues hamper this game from realizing its full potential.

The stealth gameplay is satisfying, but a game can’t be this difficult while also being unfair to the player. The technical issues that bring down publisher tinyBuild’s latest game are disappointing and really tarnish a solid base.

The gameplay — while not perfect, is appropriately difficult and makes you think about your actions even if I wasn’t exactly a fan of having to redo dungeons due to simple mistakes.

A good tactical RPG that never gives you a wow factor but stays solid throughout.

Sketchcross is a solid game that fans of puzzle games should definitely find enjoyment in. Sadly, its interface is not super intuitive and there isn’t a tremendous amount of puzzles. Throw in the difficulty curve and this might not be the best game for players who never experienced nonograms before.

Far from a bad title, as it does a great job of keeping some tension with its lite roguelike design, and it contains more than enough content to warrant its $14.99 price tag. But, if you’re like me, and are particular about how a game should feel on a fundamental level, then you may find that this one is lacking where it matters most.

Smash Hit Plunder is an extremely entertaining game. However, if you’re playing the game in single-player exclusively, expect to get burned out rather swiftly. Unfortunately, aside from keeping onlookers busy, the social screen mechanics don’t deliver much more than an interactive distraction until they get their next turn under the visor.

Ultimately, Blair Witch is an intriguing story plagued by unsatisfactory gameplay, with a few neat ideas sprinkled throughout. Your canine companion presents some interesting mechanics, along with altering time through the camcorders, but in the end, even these features aren’t enough to save Blair Witch from being a chore to play. There’s still some to appreciate like the characters and story, which make Blair Witch almost enjoyable.

Alpha Protocol does have its flaws in almost every corner, with its frustrating mini-games to the way the game handles combat as well as pretty poor AI. However, this game is a fresh take and face on a new franchise which includes an involving storyline paired with a new twist on character interaction making Alpha Protocol a fairly enjoyable game.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn feels like it could do with some fresh mechanics, and maybe a jump to next gen could offer the capabilities needed to improve it.

Even when taking the game’s minor foibles into account, Cloudpunk provides a brief journey into a deceptively fascinating city in the clouds. Rushing through the story means avoiding the game’s best bits, because Nicalis’ real stars are its residents. Now that a patch has addressed the major bug that blocked progression, there’s little reason not to recommend a foray into the dark world of this futuristic dystopia.

While StarDrone is enjoyable at first, it quickly becomes repetitive and tedious. Level design seems to actively encourage gamers to replay levels to unlock high scores, but the linear puzzle elements and simple levels make replaying levels unappealing.

Shadow of the Beast hits many right notes for that old-school difficult feeling, even with infinite lives.

The Silver Case is definitely not for everyone. While it’s visuals and presentation may prove interesting to some, the issues with its gameplay and some of its storytelling could turn off others. Those unfamiliar with Suda’s style may find the themes and pacing of the game remarkably slow. But fans of Suda’s work will definitely enjoy The Silver Case as it showcases his unique style incredibly well. Regardless of its setbacks, the PS4 release of The Silver Case is a unique and complex experience that could easily draw in those who are open to playing something undeniably strange and different.

Despite its unconventional and sometimes frustrating RPG segments, Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is a game I can easily recommend to visual novel fans and just fans looking for a unique story alike.

It is truly a gearhead’s playground, with plenty of customization and tweaking options, combined with arcade gameplay to give a more relaxed feeling.

It’s a little rough around the edges in terms of polish and fidelity, but as a fighting game, it’s charmingly ambitious. Generally speaking, it has a cool vibe with neat interpretations of classic characters from dark storytelling’s past.

If Saints Row‘s meta humor can get you through collecting your hundredth orb or doing the same type of mission on repeat, you may want to check out GOH. But, if not, I’d recommend staying away from this one, as it burns itself out a bit too quick.

It’s not only the best looking game on VR, but one of the longest virtual reality experiences we have so far. Robinson: The Journey pushes the envelope on the possibilities that PlayStation VR can provide for immersive narrative adventures.

I wanted more of what The King’s Bird was, and less of what it became.

Excepting its online shortcomings, however, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is easily the best game using the license yet.

For those who love hyper-detailed simulators, Kerbal Space Program has that in spades, and for that alone, Kerbal Space Program deserves high marks. In my experience, though, that audience is far more prevalent on PC, which makes it disappointing to see that the console specific Enhanced Edition still feels like a poor console port of a heavily PC-based title.

This is a case where more of the same is more than enough, as long as you are okay with self-directed entertainment. Your acreage may vary.

The Online mode is a step forward, but many, many more steps are still needed. Do yourself (and wallet) a favor and pass on Dynasty Warriors: StrikeForce.

Adding in real world environments, with real world cities and landmarks, gives the game a real world feel.

Xenoraid is a unique spin on the space shooter genre that offers its own brand of challenge for seasoned players. The short missions are perfect for handheld gameplay, as well, making it easy to pick up and play whenever you have a spare few minutes. Space shooter fans looking for something new that isn’t a dual stick shooter should be fairly pleased with what Xenoraid has to offer.

While Wheel World isn’t the PlayStation 5’s best racing game, it’s a great diversion to play in between them. Good for a weekend of whimsy and adventure, this bicycle racing game is charming enough to win over any racing game fan. Just don’t be surprised if you finish it in a single sitting, as the parts system is incredibly rewarding and really gets its hooks in you.

Secret Ponchos is a refined, intricate twin-stick shooter rooted in the Old West that, for those who enjoy simple, yet tactical, online battles, will stand on its own for a time to come.

As amazingly as this game was done, not only is Borderlands 2 an excellent portable version of the console game, I would argue that it is simply one of the best games on the Vita to date.

There’s a lot to do in Rebel Galaxy, it’s just a shame that it’s all too often the same things to do. That’s the selling point for this genre, yes, but there’s so much repetition that I never felt particularly engaged.

While this review may well make it sound like Biomutant is full of bugs, the one thing I might not have made clear is just how easy it is to lose hours to this game. With so much to do, time can fly by without you noticing. Yes, the graphics may not be the best with stuttering and pop-in in places, and there were occasional game crashes, but nothing is game breaking and it’s a lot of fun. The humor will especially appeal to children, while the game is complex enough for adults to enjoy too.

AEW: Fight Forever tries its best to invoke one of the most beloved wrestling games, but it’s a pale imitation that doesn’t live up to that legacy. The occasionally entertaining match doesn’t make up for most of the game feeling like an annoying chore to complete, and this doesn’t even seem like a particularly strong core to build off for a sequel. Wrestling fans deserve better, and developer Yuke’s continues to deliver middling games within the genre regardless of the brand it is associated with.

The story isn’t given as much airtime as it needs. Exploration is thwarted by the survival elements, and although the latter are the most satisfying of them all, clunky combat, the driving need to find food, and constant resource management means that there are better and more balanced survival titles out there.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is amazingly dumb, which is exactly the reason the series became such a cult hit in the first place.

While it has some good ideas that are well-intentioned and will surely provide some entertainment to die-hards, NASCAR Heat 3 is missing all those things and, in the wider scheme of racing games, is still several laps behind.

Crimsonland is a fun game to sit down with two or more players while trying to compete for a spot on the leaderboards, but it ultimately feels more like a distraction itself, than a twin-stick murderfest without distractions.

Much like the fauna that inhabits its world, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a beautifully odd creature. The things it does well it does extremely well, which leaves me baffled at some of the obvious drawbacks that limit its scope and longevity. With that said, I am massively impressed by what such a small team was able to accomplish, and the attractive launch price certainly makes it all the more appealing.

Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire doesn’t manage to nail all of its ideas, but it manages to make enough of them stick for it to be a worthwhile title for role-playing game fans. Developer YummyYummyTummy didn’t play it safe, and has implemented some fantastic ideas here. It’s just that some repetitive level design, and a flat story, manages to drag the game down in its back half.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5 – 7 won't surprise you. It won't wow you with amazing graphics, or incredible sound, or a gripping storyline. It will, however, entertain and charm you if you are a fan of the Harry Potter franchise.

Gal*Gun: Double Peace has a surprising amount of heart for a game that has its head lodged firmly in a gutter full of panties. The characters are likable, the plot is goofy in its seriousness, and the premise is so over the top that I couldn’t help but laugh. Sadly, the gameplay simply doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain.

Tiny Brains has delivered the best multiplayer experience I have had on the PS4 so far, and brings me back to the fun co-op days of Scott Pilgrim and Castle Crashers.

There isn’t much here that feels fully developed. While The Caligula Effect: Overdose has some interesting ideas, none of them really work.

Whether you’re a Macross veteran or someone who has always wanted to check out the series, Macross -Shooting Insight- features a ton of shoot ’em up fun. Thanks to the constantly changing gameplay, stages always keep players on their toes. With plenty of difficulty options and five different characters with their own story modes, it features great variety and replayability as long as you’re looking to embrace a bullet hell game with idols singing over it (which you should).

Hotel Sker may have seen better days, but it’s well worth a visit for fans of the horror genre. The hotel is interesting to explore and rewards players who take the time to unravel its secrets. You feel constantly in danger not knowing where the next threat is going to be but knowing you can’t defend yourself. No, there’s nothing really new here, but that doesn’t matter if you just want to sneak around a Victorian hotel where the welcome is less than inviting.

If you have friends to play with then Zombie Vikings will be a fun way to spend a couple days with them. Otherwise, it’s a brawler with a lot of heart, but not enough variety.

ChromaGun VR is a funny, occasionally challenging first-person puzzler, and one that is enhanced in VR.

Mulaka has some neat ideas and a sometimes gorgeous look to it, but little else to offer. The individual locations fail to stand out, and the game quickly becomes overly formulaic. The combat is too sloppy to impress, the platforming is plagued by a stiff moving character, and the puzzles are never captivating. It’s a completely forgettable experience with a few really nice sights that are better experienced as screenshots.

Some issues hold me back from giving The Sinking City full marks, but I still recommend it. Whether you’re a fan of Lovecraft, horror in general, or even a good old mystery, you may get a lot out of Frogware’s latest.

At that point, the promising feeling drips away, and you start to think that given this is the 15th racing game Milestone has released on PS4 in four years, we could be in for a real treat when they slow down and actually finish one.

Aragami 2 had potential to be a great follow up to an indie classic released five years ago. Unfortunately it lacks any real challenge and feels bloated with repetitive mission types and locations. The game starts to overstay its welcome after a while, but there’s definitely fun to be had before reaching that stage if you can put up with the plenty of bugs that still need to be fixed.

There’s a decent amount of fun to be found for fans of twin-stick shooters, but considering the game is currently free on Android and iOS, I feel that Tiny Troopers should have been enhanced further for our HD consoles. If you enjoy humor and pint-sized heroes, grab this game.

It’s also helped tremendously by the addition of Accel World characters, as they immediately caught my attention.

It’s not a groundbreaking game, and it’s not in contention for game of the year, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun.

A very short list of flaws are barely able to tarnish what amounts to a hidden gem among a busy holiday retail season filled with blockbuster AAA titles.

Forspoken represented a huge risk taken by newcomer Luminous Productions. While the story may feel a bit contrived at times, the Flow method of traversal and combat more than makes up for it. Frey may annoy some people as the protagonist, but stringing together a chain of magical commands within just a few seconds while deftly avoiding incoming fireballs is rewarding, and ultimately, I came away from Forspoken having enjoyed my time helping the people of Athia.

It has a slow start that won’t do much to sway anyone that’s not invested. If you’re willing to dig deep and stick with it, Darksiders III can be an extremely rewarding experience that has a lot to offer. It diverges from the first two games enough to feel interesting, but retains a distinct look and feel that fans of the series will instantly be familiar with.

Exploring Iceland as a furry fox friend has been a real treat. It’s delicious eye candy with a satisfyingly chewy center. Yes, there were times when I hoped for a little more direction in solving puzzles. Those brand new help cards on the PlayStation 5 dashboard sure would have been nice (fingers crossed we see those when the game officially releases). That said, Spirit of the North is too beautiful and captivating to be disappointed for long. If you love games like Lost Ember, I can’t recommend adding Spirit of the North to your collection enough.

If you’re an experimental gamer who seeks out the weird and unusual, no matter how unintelligible it is, Killer Is Dead will be right up your alley. For everyone else, the game is bargain bin at best.

There’s nothing wrong with the aesthetic of the game or its reliance on tired clichés to tell a story. It’s truly done a decent job, but that’s the crux of the problem – it’s just okay. It’s a fun title to whittle away some time with, and you may even find yourself warming up to your party members’ impenetrable plastic hearts. However, it lacks a compelling narrative, balance, and combat variety necessary to make it as engaging as it should be.

If you want a game, there are better music puzzlers out there with heaps more content, and if you’re looking for someplace to fire up your musical chops, there are actual music production tools that will serve you in better ways than Track Lab’s isolated creation mode.

Twelve Minutes starts off well but eventually descends into chaos. The game’s premise of trying to rewrite 12 minutes of a couple’s time is a great idea but the execution varies in success. Twelve Minutes starts well with a convincing story loop and gameplay that makes sense. Unfortunately that story loop becomes confused with a controversial twist that muddies timelines and morals. Gameplay starts to lean heavily into trial and error and some will give up before they see some of the later outcomes. Those that persist will likely remain confused. Luis Antonio seemingly had a lot of ambition with this one, but it hasn’t completely paid off.

In many respects, this entry feels more akin to an Arkane game and not enough like the Wolfenstein experiences we’ve come to know and love. At the very least, the future is bright, especially if Soph and Jess come along for the ride. Their brilliantly written and performed sisterly banter somewhat makes up for this largely disjointed and underwhelming venture into the franchise’s broader horizons.

A game that comes up short in almost every category. Yes, it is fun to kill insects and robots – everyone loves to do that. However, there is not enough variety in the enemies, missions, or classes to keep things from becoming stale rather quickly. Add in the fact that you never have to worry about ammo and you have mindless running and gunning at it's finest, with no depth to back it up.

If you’re a huge fan of Nippon Ichi’s games, then this is the game for you. However, the same reasons that fans enjoy their games are the same reasons to avoid them if you’ve not liked their work up to this point. The story is absurd, bordering on nonsensical at times. The graphics are disappointing at best, laggy at worst. Combat has a unique multi-weapon approach, but still mostly boils down to mashing the Square button until you can occasionally use a special ability.

For those of us that have played Dead Island before, there’s not much in the Definitive Collection to drag us back. Lack of adding previously missing features like split screen and the inability to import last gen character saves make playing Dead Island again feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.

Presenting the lore of Robin Hood in a whole new way, there’s a really fun and unique game in Hood: Outlaws and Legends. While it has a number of balancing issues that can impact matchmaking in various ways, it’s all wonderful when it works. Hood is a game that frustrated me on numerous occasions, but was also one of the most thrilling and distinctive multiplayer stealth experiences since Assassin’s Creed’s multiplayer modes. With some long term love and care, Hood has a ton of potential to really stand out. Hopefully that means the growth of the community with it in order to establish the kind of healthy player base that a multiplayer title needs.

This Is the Police will most assuredly find an audience. There is a tinge of Tharsis in the way that difficulty is handled – the world is out to get you, and things only get worse as you lose more and more resources. Most people won’t like this approach. But for those of you who enjoy having the odds stacked against them, for that one triumphant run in which luck is finally on your side and you come out of it all bruised, battered, but ultimately victorious, then This Is the Police may be right for you.

Moons of Madness promised a fictitious version of Mars from the comfort of home, with all of the suspense and jump-scares a girl could want, but unfortunately fails to deliver. As much as I wanted this horror fantasy, I can’t bring myself to go back to Mars. My patience has worn thin. Every time I hover over the graphic on my PS4 I audibly groan. Perhaps I’ll find the energy to return to it at some point, but much like the game itself, I’m not in a rush.

When the final Stormtrooper is slain, only one word comes to mind that describes Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II: disappointing.

The game offers stress-free, relaxing gameplay that allows its users to be as creative as they'd like to be. Although PixelJunk 4am may have a lack of traditional game elements, that same lack of traditional game elements is what makes it great and one of the most fascinating and intuitive experiences available for PlayStation Move.

If you’re a big fan of Assassin’s Creed, or enjoyed ACC: China, then you can pick this up without hesitation. It’s more of the same gameplay-wise, but completely different story and setting-wise.

Airheart will appeal to those who enjoy learning a game’s systems by trial and error. The bizarre-sounding concept of skyfishing is ridiculous when first seen, but quickly feels almost natural.

With its poor character AI, bland environments, and underwhelming visuals, actually fighting in Empires gets repetitive and old pretty quickly.

Insane Robots’ character and map designs are cute, and the grid overworld meta keeps the downtime interesting. The wide smattering of augments are a neat way to differentiate each fight. It’s hard to ignore that the experience is marred by a trove of RNG dependencies. It feels a little too random at times, bordering less on “cool card game” and more on “Pengu1n of D00M.”

It’s unfortunate that Koei Temco has no intention of remaking or remastering the Fatal Frame series from the beginning. This slightly upscaled and modified port from Nintendo Wii U to current gen platforms puts forth a subpar experience that doesn’t sell me on the series. It seemed to just be the most convenient installment to make available for the 20th anniversary and it shows. If you’re like me and Maiden of Black Water is your first Fatal Frame game, I recommend you keep those expectations low.

It's a side story within the Lord of the Rings universe presented in the form of a mediocre hack-n-slash RPG. Only the die-hard Lord of the Rings fans need apply here.

For the ultimate Destiny experience, yes, you will need The Dark Below. You may find more of the same content, with some palette swapped enemies and similar bounties to what we traditionally had access to, but the new content allows Destiny to continue to surprise us.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD does show its age on PS4, but with an overblown and strangely topical narrative, absurdist humor, unaltered so-bad-it-is-good dialogue, and enough destruction to initiate impeachment proceedings, it is no wonder that this third-person relic has earned enough attention over the past decade (and a half) to get this remaster made; further solidifying Metal Wolf Chaos’ cult status.

It’s a bedtime story based on a nightmare that somehow comes out on the more pleasant, earnest end of that old school madness, and while it’s a pain in the butt to find your way around without a map, the gorgeous settings and pitch-perfect platforming action make it feel worth the struggle.

Beholder is an interesting management sim with brilliant morally ambiguous themes taking center stage, however it suffers from imbalanced execution. There’s far too much of an uphill climb to finally understand and begin to enjoy Beholder.

Yes, the touch controls aren’t a superior substitute for a mouse and can occasionally find themselves frustrating, and the menu being overlaid as a thought bubble causes way more problems than a simple toolbar, but I promise, you can work your way through it.

There’s a lot to enjoy in Zombie Tycoon 2, even though at first glance it might seem a little generic and barebones in comparison to more serious real-time strategy games.

Space Junkies is a fun arena-style shooter, with an unfortunate control scheme.