Like Snake, it’s simple and addictive in all the right ways. We’d have liked more maps to choose from, but what’s here is an arcadey joy that’s a delight to get lost in. [Issue#175, p.78]

Fans need to brace for some disappointment, but that shouldn’t distract from a game that delivers a modern and tonally on-point reworking of Resident Evil 3. [Issue#175, p.73]

With a sense of being transported to another world that many games struggle to achieve, this is a beautifully surreal journey. [Issue#175, p.81]

Often dated and simplistic, there’s no denying MW2 delivers a cinematic spectacle. The real fun comes from Museum mode and re-running with unlockable gameplay mods. [Issue#175, p.79]

Body-swapping for new powers never gets dull. HyperParasite is a creative roguelike with major progression issues, but heaps of derisive charm and tight twinstick shooting. [Issue#175, p.77]

A stripped-back, branching narrative with nice production values that is nowhere near as slick overall as the likes of Erica. You’d better be here for a B-movie. [Issue#175, p.71]

Some of the puzzles can get quite tough, but you can use the hint button, which can suggest where you should look next, highlight screens that still have things to uncover, or allow you to completely skip puzzles if you want.2 Hidden-object diehards might find it a bit lacking, but it’s a fun romp that strikes a decent balance between searching and puzzles that’s more than worth spending an evening or two with. [Issue #175, p.76]

Ifbyou can stand the jank and that esoteric intro section, this is one train you definitely don’t want to miss. [Issue #175, p.76]

The digitised card system gets the job done, building on other versions we’ve seen in the past, but still has irritants. For instance, instead of getting a window of time to activate a quickplay card, it gives you a dialogue prompt after every action asking if you want to use it. That said, with so much content, it’s hard to complain. [Issue #175, p.76]

The team have made the most of what was clearly a small budget and the engrossing dialogue obscures the confines of this smaller project for the most part. For the uninitiated, this is a worthwhile introduction to the Masquerade, though be prepared to make full use of the in-game dictionary. The World Of Darkness is a tumultuous place, to say the least, and if you’re already familiar, then you’ll know whether Coteries Of New York’s edgy tone is right up your dark alley or worth a well lit detour instead. [Issue #175, p.70]

Best thing about Moons Of Madness is the way atmospheric horror is gradually built up during the first two hours. Sadly, this dread slowly dissipates in the latter stages, when less ambiguous enemy encounters feel a little out of place and forced. Overall, though, this is an excellent sci-fi horror game with an engaging story and an extremely eerie setting. [Issue #175, p.70]

No matter the scale of the fight, the combat system works. Each character’s unique fighting style is represented so they all feel different to play. It’s robust enough that Omega Force’s characteristic style, all about mowing down thousands, feels satisfying even when you go toe-to-toe with a single powerful enemy. Other One Piece games are welcome to try, but Warriors still has the treasure mark firmly painted over it. [Issue #175, p.70]

That’s not to say My Friend Pedro doesn’t have its moments; somersaulting and sniping is novel, and when you clear a room by weaponising the environment it’s incredibly satisfying. Just don’t expect the slickest shooter. [Issue #175, p.80]

The large open world is filled with props, vehicles, and hazards. While they add variety, the game suffers from a lack of structure. You can attempt deliveries together or solo in any order but there’s generally not enough here to consistently make your own fun (which the game is too reliant on). As sandboxes go, Team OPM did enjoy plenty of hijinks – including one memorable caper where Ian trapped Oscar on a ferris wheel, swiftly followed by Oscar’s revenge. Unfortunately, all too quickly we found we’d had our fill. [Issue#175, p.80]

It’ll take you a handful of hours to get everything back up and running. However, this runtime feels far from insubstantial as every element is perfectly pitched. [Issue#175, p.80]

This is a jaw-dropping success, grafting new life onto an epic adventure, with action-packed combat that still oozes strategy. FFVII has redefined the genre once again. [Issue#175, p.66]

A great collection of retro platform shooter action. If you’re wondering what all the Mega Man fuss is about, this is a good place to start. [Issue#173, p.89]

When you and Patapon 2 are on the same page of its rhythmic song book, this is a treat of a dance party. You won’t be able to resist getting down to this sick beat. [Issue#173, p.89]

Crams philosophical discourse, art, architecture, and magical realism into the story of one drifter, resulting in a unique experience that will leave you thoughtful. [Issue@173, p.85]

A return to form for Crytek that defies busy FPS norms. Like its ’orrible spiders, Hunt: Showdown is constantly shifting and very hard to put in a box. Get yourself online and join in the hunting fun. [Issue#173, p.86]

Tie-in games can be a shot in the dark, but it’s only blue skies here. The mix of approachable-yet- deep mechanics and a strong co-op story make this a fight worth having. [Issue#173, p.81]

A haunted walk through beautiful Norwegian countryside. Come for the mystery, stay for the chat, leave with more questions than you bargained for. [Issue#173, p.88]

It’s a terrifically fun game to throw on, whether you’re playing alone or with a mate, and it proves that Darksiders still has plenty of stories to tell. [Issue#173, p.91]

Too casual and limited to appeal to anyone but die-hard fans of The Dark Crystal and Final Fantasy Tactics, this tie-in lacks the depth and complexity of its retro references. [Issue#173, p.94]

It’s occasionally clever, and has great art design, but isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is. [Issue#173, p.96]

At times the games’ age is apparent – in some repetitive and annoying boss fights, or the way special moves shift you annoyingly away from where you initiated them in order for them to animate properly. Even so, they’re still immensely playable. Yakuza is one of the few series that elicits genuine belly laughs while telling a gripping story. [Issue#173, p.96]

Re:Mind could have been an additional world, or a new chapter to shorten the wait until the next game. Instead it’s more of the same, often literally so. A missed opportunity. [Issue#173, p.96]

Between your staff and the by-the-numbers building options, there’s little opportunity for the emergent story moments the genre is known for. Mind you, when there’s an epidemic of Mock Stars swaggering through your halls, it’s not such a bad crowd to get lost in. [Issue#173, p.84]

Bookbound Brigade is an enjoyable, colourful and quirky game. A good read, but maybe not quite a pageturner. [Issue#173, p.84]

Puzzles range from using your jolt to bump a radio-controlled car into objects to solving the simple maths sums featured on a terminal. These eventually crescendo into mechanics and obstacles that are much more narrative-driven, as you discover more about your ultimate purpose. Short, revelatory, and deeply atmospheric, 7th Sector is a smart puzzle-platformer with a mysterious edge. [Issue#173, p.84]

This violence-’em-up’s improvised armoury delivers frenetic fights that makes you feel like your favourite action movie scrapper. A bloody great time. [Issue#173, p.95]

Overall this is unimpressive, yet oddly playable through all its flaws. Still, the agonising wait for a formidable rugby game on PS4 goes on. Anyone for tennis? [Issue#172, p.97]

Brief though it is, Shadow Legend VR is stuffed with an amount of joy and enthusiasm many games can only dream of. It’s a hell of a knight. [Issue#172, p.93]

Yes, it’s clunky at times, but get past that and you’ll find a deep, beautifully written RPG set in a massive world heaving with treasure, monsters, and moral dilemmas. [Issue#172, p.83]

There’s so much Savage Planet gets right: it’s slick, gorgeous, and dense with things to do. However, for all the exploration, much of the action feels quite samey. [Issue#172, p.89]

With unimpactful combat, Kakarot isn’t the Dragon Ball action RPG fans have been waiting for but still offers a faithful recreation of the most beloved anime series. [Issue#172, p.81]

While this doesn’t push any boundaries, it’s great to curl up with for a few hours on a cold day, just like a good cup of… you know. [Issue#172, p.86]

Perhaps the only downside to Tokyo Dark is the amount of text present in comparison to gameplay. There is a lot of talking, to the point where it verges on visual novel territory, and more interactivity with other aspects of the world would have helped prevent this. If you don’t mind a bit of reading, though, this is a gripping and stylish whodunnit. [Issue#172, p.86]

Such customisation even translates to Hardcore Mecha’s multiplayer mode, where you can duke it out with another person’s mech either locally or online. The result is an incredibly robust package, and the ultimate small-scale homage to robot anime. [Issue#172, p.86]

Nuance comes from special moves which don’t use up one of your three goes (Rainbow feint! Olympic kick!) and the sense of challenge in deciding how to spend in-game credit. Success brings riches, but it’s not always wise to splurge it on players – investing £14K in a youth academy limits transfer options, but guarantees a promising youngster every six months. Which sounds like a long wait, yet at seven minutes per match seasons fly by in evenings just like those dugout sims of yore. This time with no threat of the tape wearing out. [Issue#172, p.80]

Flat Heroes is great if you want to square off against a friend. Just don’t expect it to change your life or linger in your memory. As much as it keeps your brain in shape, the developer hasn’t thought too far outside the box for this one. That said, if you’re a platformer fan, then be here or be square! [Issue#172, p.80]

Creating new items isn’t just the purpose of quests, it helps you get stronger so you can explore further afield. It’s a satisfying loop that makes you feel in control. Each game offers something unique, and together they’re a huge saga that’s still well worth playing, and represents Atelier at its most ambitious. [Issue#172, p.80]

Less polished than PS4’s big-money sporting contingent, AO2 nonetheless pleases thanks to user-friendly controls, cute details and a clever creation-sharing mechanic. [Issue#172, p.92]

Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers few variations on the horde survival template… but what it does, it does it so well. If you love arcade shooters, it’s a no-braaaaaainer. [Issue#172, p.77]

Joyful and strange, Wattam’s a hard game to explain, but not a difficult one to play. Once it wraps you in its welcoming arms you won’t want to let go. Until you end up kaboomed, that is. [Issue#171, p.90]

In places it feels like a rush job, but there are also enough fresh ideas to challenge any co-op team. That’s reason enough to grab a brush and get involved. [Issue#171, p.89]

Good ideas are undermined by overuse and a lack of tension, but Blair Witch does leave you thinking ‘What if?’ and demands to be replayed . [Issue#171, p.97]

A refined followup with a totally new cast to fall in love with. You should absolutely play Life Is Strange 2. But you might want a box of tissues ready for the ending. [Issue#171, p.85]

A beautiful puzzle platformer with a clear artistic and mechanical vision. However, its story holds you at arm’s length and makes it tricky to find its heart. [Issue@#171, p.96]

Simply a joy to play from start to finish. It allows you to relish the feeling of being an utter nuisance and a white-winged menace without being in any way cynical. [Issue@#171, p.88]

An entire ancient city for you to explore at will and combat that regularly rewards is undermined by constant motion sickness; Golem sadly puts the Vomit in VR. [Issue@#171, p.93]

The attention to detail and the way the original atmosphere has been maintained is wonderful, and something Final Fantasy remasters should take note of. [Issue@#171, p.92]

It’s always nice when a rhythm game’s story is as strong as its action, and Deemo’s gentle and touching narrative is a great example of one that works. Refreshingly for its genre, it revels in its tranquillity rather than strives to be a wild night out encapsulated in a screen. Simple, yet satisfying. [Issue@#171, p.92]

While making a tricky headshot is always satisfying, the environments, enemies, tasks, and plot simply don’t grab your attention in the way they need to. It doesn’t help that the dull enemy dialogue, where present, has a tendency to loop if you linger nearby. AI is greatly improved from the last game, but there are still line-of-sight issues. Ultimately, the experience doesn’t have the tension of Sniper Elite, nor the ingeniousness or replayability of Hitman. Sadly, SGWC misses its mark. [Issue@#171, p.92]

A pretty picture concerned with memory and mortality that strides through its emotional beats with confidence. A 3D puzzle platformer that trips where so many others have before. [Issue@#171, p.94]

One of the best retro shooters in a long time, Valfaris mixes a smart combat loop with pixelperfect design, wrapped in a bombastic heavy metal silliness that oozes fun. [Issue#170, p.91]

While far from being the Uncharted-meets-Sekiro-meets- Star-Wars we expected, and plagued by problems, Fallen Order still manages to feel like a Star Wars epic. [Issue#170, p.81]

You have to admire the commitment to staying true to the series. In so doing, it remains a wholly unique, slowpaced detective game that fans will love. Not a fan? Maybe you should be. [Issue#170, p.84]

Moments of fan service and an ambition to do more than simple shooting can’t overshadow the aged feeling of Terminator: Resistance. [Issue#170, p.93]

The Heat meter effectively turns GTA’s wanted level into score attack, which is awesome. But the open-world busywork, generic city, and too-flimsy obstacles dilute the otherwise decent gameplay. [Issue#170, p.88]

An escape room adventure that’s thrilling, frustrating, and rewarding. Last Labyrinth is an enjoyably disturbing workout for the brain that ought to go a little easier on you. [Issue#170, p.87]

Minor gripes aside, this is a great PS4 port of a proven game. If you’re a fan of the Civilization series or the turn-based strategy genre, prepare to move in and get building. [Issue#170, p.92]

Well-intentioned training minigames don’t really help, and nor does the multiplayer mode. There’s always something in the environment that seems more interesting than the game itself, such as a Japanese garden you can’t explore, or arcade cabinets that you can’t use. Give the table tennis experience this game serves up a miss. [Issue#170, p.92]

Whenever you die, you are returned to the Refuge and the world resets, with the order and position of the ‘rooms’ changing. But while death means you lose any consumables you may have picked up on your adventures, you keep any Sparklite you’ve collected, taking the sting out of what could otherwise be a frustrating mechanic. And while it’s not in the realm of soulslike difficulty, there’s enough challenge for this game to feel rewarding and make you want to keep playing. [Issue#170, p.92]

There’s a lot to love about Ryza’s new adventure – Atelier’s cutesy charm is still infectious – but it ends up feeling less sure of itself as a game about alchemy than prior entries (such as the great Atelier Lulua), while also being a promising setup for things to come. [Issue#170, p.86]

Considering there’s the touch of an interesting puzzle here and there, we’d have loved something a little stronger than the tasty but weak cocktail we got. [Issue#170, p.86]

Patches may rescue this to some degree. For now, it’s an unfinished game which should remain unpurchased by your wallet. [Issue#170, p.86]

It’s got passion but is far from having all the answers. We can’t recommend what we played but hope that a patch has addressed the bugs obscuring its bright ideas. [Issue#170, p.90]

Oozing with things to do and inventive classes to do them with, it elevates the act of shooting plants and zombies to fresh heights. [Issue#169, p.97]

An out-of-this-world adventure that, for better and worse, feels far from alien, even if you’ve been frozen for a few years. The familiar done well and then some. [Issue#169, p.85]

Whether you want to play explorer, detective, or Bill Murray, Outer Wilds has you covered. We’ll say it again: one of the best games you’ll play this year. [Issue#169, p.93]

A solid remake of a cult game from a bygone era, MediEvil’s flaws lay in its past. The eight hours you’ll spend in Sir Dan’s metal boots will, however, have you smiling until the credits roll. [Issue#169, p.82]

The incredible visuals don’t (quite) make up for the unbalanced racing, and the kinetic feel, pit radio, career mode, and damage modelling are all inferior to the 2008 original. [Issue#169, p.86]

Bungie’s new DLC falls flat due to its rehashed Moon setting, yet there are still moments of brilliance here. The season pass price is hard to justify, but the free-to-play main game gives us hope. [Issue#169, p.94]

Modern Warfare is the best Call Of Duty in years, but it still can’t shake-off the cartoonish trappings. Off- and online it’s a quality shooter that does more right than wrong. [Issue#169, p.89]

In between setting off on field expeditions, where you assist Erebonia’s inhabitants by taking on quests, you learn more about your students and colleagues by helping them out at the school. Narrative is still the focus, and with a dizzying amount of dialogue for even minor characters it manages to feel epic and sweeping and personal and intimate all at the same time. [Issue#169, p.84]

The story fails to make an impact, and dialogue often feels like a set of one-liners rather than people having a conversation. However, what Indivisible lacks in plot, it makes up for in interesting mythology and beautiful 2D designs. [Issue#169, p.84]

Frostpunk is oppressive, horrific, and preternaturally addictive. The exhilaration at lasting just one more day is enough to drag you back into the next game, and unlocking new modes and scenarios as you go only adds fuel to the fire. Don’t miss this one. [Issue#169, p.84]

Although it’s a bit buggy (we had to reload a few checkpoints to progress), it’s no secret that this will be five to six hours of your time well spent. [Issue#169, p.92]

Travis Strikes Again spends so much time calling back to other games, it forgets to be fun itself. [Issue#169, p.92]

While ReadySet Heroes is at its best with friends, it’s also surprisingly sturdy as a single-player game. You can choose to play as various cartoony critters and while this choice doesn’t affect the playstyle, it would work well as a gentle introduction to the genre for younger family members. [Issue#169, p.92]

While the atmosphere, scares, and narrative are successful, the game suffers from sluggish controls and the odd confusing puzzle. [Issue#169, p.96]

It clicks in a way that few mystery games do, making you feel like you’re doing actual detective work. The biggest issue is that on a pad some of the menus feel a bit too clunky, but it’s a solid mystery you’ll be chewing over even when you’re not playing. [Issue#169, p.96]

The very occasional framerate stutter aside, LMD is as much of a joy to stare at as it is to play, and PS4’s biggest sporting surprise of 2019. A wheel good time. [Issue#169, p.96]

A lengthy open world experience that manages to evolve constantly instead of becoming dull and repetitive, and a unique online experience that needs to be played to be believed. Get out there and get yourself connected. [Issue#169, p.76]

Visually beautiful, and packed with great dialogue and emotional intrigue. The strong narrative makes you feel a part of the story. [Issue#168, p.93]

A cartoony feast for the eyes and ears, with a great overworld and lovely design. The platforming could be better, but it’s engaging enough to be worth your time. [Issue#168, p.79]

The core combat loop delivers a unique and very satisfying soulsborne, and the push to an open world is a win. But technical problems and a lack of enemy variety hold The Surge 2 back from greatness . [Issue#168, p.80]

Fantastic improvements on and off the pitch, from licences to new gameplay refinements and a visual upgrade, ensure this year’s PES is the best it’s been for a generation. [Issue#168, p.82]

One of the worst open worlds Ubisoft has released. Even if its issues have been patched by the time you read this, this is one seriously uninspired sandbox. [Issue#168, p.88]

An above-par upgrade for the console’s best-selling sports game, mostly driven by fan feedback – with Volta mode even better than anyone dared expect. [Issue#168, p.83]

The remastering has been handled sloppily, and accessibility additions are flawed, but the game underneath still stands proud. A good jumping-on point for new players. [Issue#168, p.87]

It’s hard not to be won over by a game all about bringing out the best in places and people through creativity. Concrete Genie impresses with flying colours. [Issue#168, p.73]

This souls-lite with an artful anime sheen impresses visually and presents an accessible take on the winning formula but fails to endear us with its bland environments and toothless story. [Issue#168, p.84]

The addition of a couch-play co-op mode with its own story is nice, but the procedurally generated maps lack the finesse of the main story. Rogue Corps is an odd release. It’s not Contra enough for fans but just about fun enough for the casual shooter crowd. [Issue@168, p86]

Despite the frantic nature of the game suggesting pushing you forward is its main motivation, some sections do have a death mechanic that sets you back to a checkpoint. It’s a fun ride full of spectacle, but messy to the point where you can struggle to connect, never really committing to pursuing either experience or gameplay. [Issue@168, p86]

With each map consisting of three islands, a large variety of buildings, and 30 story missions, there’s more to do than ever, which makes it ideal for beginners to the series. Just don’t expect innovation over previous Tropicos or similar games. [Issue@168, p86]

With three modern tiers of rallying plus a load of classic cars to try on 100 unique stages across 14 different countries, WRC 8 uses its licence well, but it’s simply outclassed by Dirt Rally 2.0. So try that first. [Issue#168, p.92]