Equal parts style and substance. But a brutal old school nature means low accessibility for newbies. Worth persevering with, however. This is PS royalty. [August 2017, p79]

Even if you spend ages noodling around there, Gnog won’t last you very long. [August 2017, p77]

Get Even needed to get even better to be more than a chocolatey handful of our favourite things.[August 2017, p76]

Greatness was so close, and yet so far. [August 2017, p75]

A large dash-step behind the generous content found in Injustice 2, but still represents a knuckle sandwich we’ll happily chew on for months. [August 2017, p72]

For the most part even here the game has been improved, particularly on new characters like Black Canary. [August 2017, p70]

Solo’s a tough sell, but there’s a pool of MP players from other VR systems. Not purchasing this is therefore illogical. Make it so. Engage. [August 2017, p68]

The result? A flawed, beautiful contraption – which is appropriate, given how common those are in Tides’ Ninth World. [May 2017, p82]

Plenty of Guts, then, but not enough glory. [May 2017, p80]

Flatout’s schtick is its physics-heavy racing, but that engine is antiquated now. Like the nitro it ungenerously ekes out – fun in short bursts only [May 2017, p79]

While Rhombus is a fun, self-referential, VR puzzle-playroom, it’s also a stopgap. [May 2017, p77]

The campaign might disappoint, but the game’s one-on-one online duels will take you to Valhalla. [May 2017, p75]

Top co-op, but solo is forgettable. Unpolished, too. Drug addicts with severe delusional parasitosis will see fewer bugs than a Wildlands player. [May 2017, p73]

As slick to play as it is oddly Japanese, Nier should be blinking bright on the radar of serious Action- RPG fans. [May 2017, p71]

Is there a more accomplished, accessible, brilliantly precocious example of the modern JRPG? Can’t think of one. [May 2017, p62]

Trust us when we say this is the best VR game since Batman. Our word is our Bond. [March 2016, p80]

Over time, as you form a pack of new friends who are up for regular games, this could transform into a regular party night classic –albeit one where your party guests are in different houses. And might need worming. [March 2016, p78]

Alongside much lengthier save times at the end of days, the interface issues are irksome enough to mar the special, very real sense of escapism Stardew Valley can so masterfully afford. Still, that escapism is so strong it’s impossible to ignore. [March 2016, p76]

Newcomers, Yakuza 0 is the perfect entry point, and is therefore worth paying the full pinky price (RRP). Veterans will be captivated by these origin stories and a ridiculous amount of minigames. [March 2016, p74]

Beautiful carnage, free gravity cat, and no consequences. How can you not go head over heels about a game like that? [March 2016, p72]

There’s a level of complexity and polish that belies the lo-fi visuals, the gore, the bonkers story and the motley crew of nutbags that you encounter. Under new ownership, Grasshopper has – dare we say it? – grown up. [March 2016, p70]

But for the last round in this mag’s Reviews chamber? This one’s hardly a magic bullet. [April 2016, p83]

So why should you bother to make it to the credits? Even in the weakest moments, there’s a rich mystery to this world that remains captivating. [April 2016, p78]

At this point you’re probably wondering: if 2.8’s best bit is that brief, is 2.8 even worth it? Honestly, you’ll have to follow your heart on that one. [April 2016, p77]

Act now, think later’ is the nature of Berseria’s beast, a battle system that thrives on heat-of-the-moment muscle memory and snappy knee-jerk reactions. [April 2016, p76]

This is an exclusive to be coveted. Nioh takes the best of Dark Souls, marries it to Ninja Gaiden, and delivers a surprisingly robust action-RPG. Few will be able to resist the attack of this clone. [April 2016, p80]

We’ve missed the WWII theatre, and Sniper Elite 4 is a rollicking good reason to get back to Nazi-blasting. Story isn’t amazing, but the joy of stealth-sniping – particularly in co-op – is Reich on target. [April 2016, p74]

A preposterously good year of PS4 gaming starts in the best possible way with this. [April 2016, p62]