ArmaGallant: Decks of Destiny is an interesting concept that falls a bit short in execution and presentation. While it does do a few things well, such as its control scheme and card mechanics, it is incredibly lacking in content and misses several key things that would’ve made it great and worth getting through the relatively steep barrier to entry. The game definitely has the potential to become one of the better RTS experiences on the PS4 but it will definitely need a few large content and feature updates if it wants to get there.

A fun trip down memory lane. A bloody, violent, slick memory lane. While the game is showing its age even (or perhaps especially) when upscaled to 4K resolution, the fun of the original shines through. The addition of more challenges will bring back vets of the original, and multiplayer might even be worth another trip. Fans of the original should consider picking this up, while those who skipped the original should give it a go as well.

Persona 5 is proof that few titles can compare to a truly great role-playing game. Over its 60 hour playtime I got to forge meaningful friendships with an eccentric cast of characters, discover the secrets of Tokyo, and even managed to find some nice restaurants to dine at. The time investment might seem like a lot, but rarely is time wasted when spent with friends. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, as it largely builds upon Persona 4‘s stellar base, but it adds a level of polish that is simply lacking from its contemporaries.

A Rose in the Twilight has some interesting ideas, but poor execution turns it into a massive disappointment. Players won’t find brilliant puzzles to solve like in Inside or Hue, and instead are stuck playing a game that only has a strong atmosphere to offer up. That might be enough for some players, and the game is certainly gorgeous, but when the genre is filled with brilliant games, there’s little value in such a flawed one.

Yooka-Laylee is a breath of fresh air. Playtonic Games knows platforming, and knows it well. The incredibly precise reactions needed by players, coupled with the lack of some of the genre’s more modern conveniences may turn some newer/younger gamers off. But for those looking for a deceptively deep collect-a-thon that has an entertaining story and wonderfully-crafted world, look no further. With an asking price of $39.99, this is an easy recommendation for platforming fans.

A great throwback aurally and visually, but the frustratingly tight timing required and delay of PaRappa’s audio samples make it a chore to play. It’s a shame that the menu wasn’t reworked to highlight the additional arrangements or to take advantage of how control schemes were updated over time, and I’d rather just listen to the songs than hear PaRappa freestyle his own messy groove over the tracks for the sake of a high score.

After years of consistent quality, it almost goes without saying that MLB The Show 17 is a great game. The simulation makes several significant evolutionary steps forward, while still not losing sight of the genre’s storied past. Both newcomers and veterans will find something to appreciate in this year’s outing, along with a little bit of nostalgic appeal sprinkled throughout for good measure.

A pleasant and often challenging run through a fascinating world that ends much too soon. While the game doesn’t present anything innovative or bring anything new to the Metroidvania genre, it’s still quite an enjoyable albeit disappointingly short experience.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games fixes some major issues with 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, but doesn’t go all the way in updating it for current consoles.

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.

Toukiden 2 is a huge step up from its predecessor, and is a smart evolution of the gameplay that Monster Hunter fans have come to know. By opting for a more story-focused experience, it manages to forego feeling like a grind, and the open-world aspect allows players to really take in their surroundings.

No matter if I was playing or watching, every hour I spent with Everything was an interesting one. Much like life itself, there were moments of beauty and laughter, but also sadness. It’s undoubtedly a strange creation, but no other game can allow players to listen to Alan Watts discuss the interplay of difference while watching 10 outhouses perform a dance that results in a baby outhouse somehow being born. There’s something special about these moments, and it’s why Everything will be on my television screen for a long time to come.

Despite fighting games feeling somewhat stagnant for quite some time, somehow a game from 2011 has managed to feel like something new and fresh. While it is never going to have the balance or fan popularity of other frontrunners in the genre, Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe, is a perfectly functional brawler that is approachable for the casual audience and has enough meat to appeal to the hardcore. It isn’t going to set the world on fire or re-define a genre, but it certainly knows how to leave an impression. Animatronic ta-tas tend to do that.

With the vast love of the Mass Effect series, Andromeda was never going to make people 100% happy, the same way the ME3 ending didn’t make people happy. The BioWare team put so many great things in place, but the main story, the characters, and most of the writing keep the game from being great. Sadly, the technical mess keeps it from being good.

There are some really great ideas found within Touhou Double Focus, but they aren’t fully executed here. The gameplay needs to be tighter if it’s going to focus on difficulty, and it pales in comparison to other difficult platformers like Shantae. If you get this as part of the physical copy of Touhou Genso Wanderer then by all means check it out, but Double Focus leaves a lot to be desired by itself.

Ultimately, Touhou Genso Wanderer is a solid, if unspectacular, dungeon crawler. It’s in a strange area in-between accessible titles like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and ones built specifically for hardcore players. While it’s not as good as the top of its class, there’s still some solid fun (and challenge) to be had if you’re looking for something new.

Styx: Shards of Darkness improves on its predecessor significantly without having to steer away from its core attributes. Everything from its visuals and dialogue to its gameplay and story have been upgraded and polished to an impressive sheen. It’s still far from being perfect and its style of stealth and combat might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a challenging and enjoyable experience that sometimes forces you to think hard first before acting.

WRC 6 offers up a decent alternative to Dirt Rally, specifically for fans that want a more forgiving take on the sport of rally racing, but there’s still a lot of room to improve. If the series really wants to be the rally game that most players flock to, it’ll need to offer up better tutorials, and teach players how to understand their co-driver. On top of that, there’s a general lack of polish (from technical issues to visual fidelity) that keeps the game a solid notch below the competition in its own racing niche. There’s still some fun to be had, but there’s far better racers on PlayStation 4.

It’s really exciting that non-Vita players are finally getting a chance to play this series with Danganronpa 1&2 Reload. Even having played them through multiple times before, I found that I couldn’t put the controller down as I experienced them again on PS4, and not just because of my review. Though they start off a little slow, the pace at which they begin to move is exceptionally thrilling, and you’ll find yourself drawn in until the very end, especially if it’s your first time through.

Darknet isn’t the flashy PlayStation VR game that you’ll show to friends, but it’s absolutely one of the best games available for the headset. The puzzles are consistently challenging, and battling against the clock makes for an intense affair. The experience is really brought together by the inclusion of an interesting game world, that kept me interested enough to continue playing well after the freshness had worn off.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing will sate the ARPG fan’s appetite, but only just. Those looking for an entertaining story will find plenty to like here, but you’ll have to slog through some uninspired combat in order to get to the good parts. A mid-game tower defense mashup freshens things up a bit, but a poor control scheme will lead you to wonder how much better the game could have been. Still, at only $19.99/€19.99, if you think you can deal with some annoying controls and otherwise average RPG action, the surprise metagame in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing might be worth the price of admission.

While fans of the franchise and the new Mysterious series will undoubtedly appreciate this new entry, newcomers may find many of its elements too tedious. Atelier Firis is an undoubtedly good attempt at an Atelier game but may prove to be too niche for others.

Nier: Automata is a delectable buffet of remarkable experiences that seamlessly and beautifully mesh together. In spite its plethora of elements, the game doesn’t suffer from the sometimes inevitable pitfalls of trying to do too much.

Though far from perfect, Ghost Recon Wildlands is one of the most effective franchise reboots in recent memory. It manages to build upon the key squad-based mechanics that set the series apart, while not feeling the need to pander to the established fan base. The result is a fantastically realized open world that legitimately feels like it could be a real geographic location. Now that I’ve had a taste of the new Ghost Recon, I couldn’t imagine going back.

With a lot more polish and focus on making VR a primary component of the game, DYING: Reborn VR could have been a great room escape experience for the platform. Instead it feels like its a hasty cash grab intended to capitalize on VR hype by being sold as a separate, pared down experience and not adapting the full extent of DYING: Reborn.

It’s really surprising that a game could be configured so well from PC to console and yet fail in so many other areas under the hood. InXile has the controls, menus, and navigation down pat for console, but it needs more tweaking in its engine before this game can be recommended to anyone. I hate giving this score for Torment, especially knowing that it’s a patch or two away from being a shining cRPG example on the PS4.

Ys Origin isn’t a great game, even with the various modes, difficulty settings, and characters that unlock for replayability, simply because it’s straight dungeon crawl with little variety. However, these issues prevent Ys Origin from being as good as it could be, and they certainly make it difficult to recommend the title to newcomers of Ys.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a game made specifically to appease the fans as Double Fine dips their toes in VR development and prepares the world for the second coming of Razputin Aquato, but this level of immersion is like psychically diving into the mind of Tim Schafer himself, and that alone is worth the trip.