None of it is enough to keep you coming back for long, though; it’s stuck in the stone mage (sorry). [Issue#161, p.84]

Sekiro rewards mastery of its core systems (and perhaps a tiny bit of luck), making you excited to see the next enemy and test your mettle. Everything from environments to battles encourages creative thinking, making it an intensely personal and satisfying experience. Even if you die a lot. [Issue#161, p.79]

Each ending is radically different, and there are even two extra ones when you’ve finished the main game which have never been available before in the UK. Fans will love the extra TLC in for this enhanced version of the very static original, and newcomers will experience a visual novel like never before – an anime that is very much yours, and an unforgettable time travel thriller to boot. [Issue#160, p.89]

At a first glance The Hong Kong Massacre appears to be nothing more than a Hotline Miami clone. However, beneath its samey exterior the game differentiates itself with some quirky mechanics that make it a real blast to play. [Issue#160, p.89]

It’s quite a light package designed for shooting straight from the hip and not serious sniper stakeouts. [Issue#160, p.89]

As mixed in quality as you’d expect of an arcade collection spanning the ’80s , it’s the rare gems and added extras that make this a treat. [Issue#160, p.97]

A fighting game that won’t appeal to anyone. Newcomers won’t be endeared to the Shonen Jump series, and longtime fans will know there’s better out there. [Issue#160, p.96]

Fans of the God Eater series won’t be disappointed. Fun, fast-paced fighting – if you put in the effort to master the complexities of the combat system. [Issue#160, p.88]

The return of designed, not generated, tracks is massively welcome, and the visual upgrade is superb. A masterclass in consequence-tempered driving, this is simply the best rally sim yet. [Issue#160, p.94]

An approachable fighter with plenty of depth for those wanting to sink their teeth in. It’s much more than a pretty face, but why does it keep insisting on flashing its pants at us? [Issue#160, p.86]

One thing New Dawn does superbly, however, is prevent player fatigue. After the first dozen hours, you feel empowered, you’re comfortable with the rhythm of outpost captures, and there’s still plenty for you to do. Which weapon or vehicle will you hunt materials for next? That double jump you’ve unlocked will come in handy for the treasure hunt you couldn’t quite finish. And so on. [Issue#160, p.91]

Though it’s one of best-looking titles on PS4, Anthem’s uninspired action and obsession with grindy tasks mean BioWare’s mechs aren’t on song. [Issue#160, p.83]

The striking visual language of Friend & Foe’s stunning world is a painful glimpse of how wonderful an experience Vane could have been. Instead, it’s clumsy, careless, and wholly incoherent. [Issue#159, p.90]

Short on innovation but engaging and full of character, Tales Of Vesperia is one of the best tales games and sits well in the collection of any JRPG fan. [Issue#159, p.96]

A smart, charming game that makes the most of PS VR for puzzles, but never quite cuts the strings of its technical limitations. [Issue@159, p.97]

Playing fast and loose with historical fact, Onimusha: Warlords remains a PlayStation classic. Even some of its questionable design choices can’t dampen the fun. [Issue#159, p.92]

The content may be bare-bones, with your choice of Titans limited, but paring back the MOBA experience to its core makes Megalith incredibly fun and empowering (and nauseafree) in PS VR. [Issue#159, p.94]

An interesting mash-up of ideas from various space exploration games, from ship building to alien battling, in a single spacefaring package that never quite gels. [Issue#159, p.93]

The game keeps you busy collecting crafting recipes and materials while giving you a purpose other than to simply survive. Sure, most of Smoke And Sacrifice comes down to inventory management and what are essentially fetch quests, but unlike the sandbox-y nature of other survival games, this one gives you a solid reason to keep going as you root for Sachi to uncover the secrets surrounding the fate of her missing son. [Issue#159, p.82]

While the detective stories are fun enough, there’s often not a lot to them. This makes the game feel a little too lightweight, as it flirts with the idea of having more detective gameplay but never really manages it – for example, you’re able to save statements in your diary, which is fairly pointless, as the most complex it gets is giving you some multiple-choice decisions to make. [Issue#159, p.82]

With just 13 (visually interesting and welldesigned) levels, the long-term appeal lies in loot grinding; earning chests for better weapons and accessories, while levelling up each character individually. Otherwise, it’ll only last you about five hours. Bot AI and server activity can support this approach, though whether your tolerance for playing the same levels again and again can is another matter. [Issue#159, p.82]

Thrilling moments of mid-air diving, twisting, and fighting like a hero are chipped away at by some niggling flaws. And yet, if you overlook it foibles, Ace Combat 7 has enough in its hangar to love. [Issue#159, p.84]

Between the unusual character arc at its core, funky beats, and rhythm-based beatdowns, YIIK has a lot more to offer the RPG genre than just doomsaying. J[Issue#159, p.83]

By the end you’ll be exhausted. Relieved. And itching for more. In those dark rooms and corridors, Resident Evil 2 provides a challenge and then some. [Issue#159, p.87]

The inclusion of new sandbox maps, accessible crafting, and beautiful as well as genuinely horrific moments, ensures Metro Exodus keeps the series on track. [Issue#159, p.77]

It looks spectacular and captures the magic of Disney across its many varied worlds. Despite some grindy moments, and an Uncanny Johnny Depp, that charm can’t fail to raise a broad smile. [Issue#159, p.80]

What you get for your money is terrible, rendering the mid-level price insulting. There's no reality in which this is worth buying, virtual or otherwise. [Issue#158, p.97]

What we have here is a beloved, fun game battling an ill-advised move into virtual reality. [Issue#158, p.96]

Proof that style is no substitute for substance. [Issue#158, p.95]

Slightly wobbly on its feet. [Issue#158, p.94]

A superb bundle. [Issue#158, p.92]

As the backbone of a larger game, though, it's solid, and an interesting alternative to the combat system of most RPGs. [Issue#158, p.91]

Though the chat is scintillating, however, it feels cut short. [Issue#158, p.90]

Few games are this consistently surprising, let alone this well designed. [Issue#158, p.88]

A must for genre lovers. [Issue#158, p.87]

A competent if slightly unremarkable tactics game. [Issue#158, p.86]

Fundamentally a solid and detailed racing sim. [Issue#158, p.86]

Even at a penny shy of five quid, this is hard to recommend. [Issue#158, p.86]

Familiar thrills from this no-frills series. [Issue#158, p.85]

Its party modes saves the day. [Issue#158, p.84]

A shallow yet occasionally thrilling sandbox that doubles down on explosively stupid antics. The campaign is too grindy for its own good, and Rico's looks are fading, but this B-tier open world can still charm. [Issue#158, p.78]

Tetris Effect and PS VR go together like ham and eggs. It’s the perfect pairing of tech and game design. Don’t have a headset? You can still join in but you’re missing out on the definitive way to play. [Issue#157, p.92]

This package contains a huge amount – and it’s almost entirely some of the finest 3D platformer design plus enhancements that are simply gorgeous. Go on, puff the magic dragon. [Issue#157, p.90]

It seems war does change things after all. If you’re expecting this release to be Fallout 5, then yes, you’ll be disappointed. Approach with an open mind, and you may be nicely surprised. [Issue#157, p.94]

The Quiet Man is a once-in-a-generation terrible game mired by technical and racial issues, pretentious ideas, and poor execution. It’s an ineffable game that fails to land any of its posy punches. That it merely exists… now that is something to cry over. [Issue#157, p.97]

Ripe with potential but riddled with problems, the new Battlefield will be brilliant six months from now. Right now, however, it’s merely a good shooter. [Issue#157, p.83]

A formulaic adventure lifted by some fantastic design, then brought down to Earth by bugs and technical limitations. Still, there’s great fun to be had in Darksiders III if you can overlook its shortfalls. [Issue#157, p.86]

The fundamental gameplay couldn’t be simpler, and the dialogue is terrible… but it’s good. There’s a staggering 170 characters to unlock, and you’ll soon find favourites. With an enormous amount of content, online and offline co-op (if you can find other players; I couldn’t), and some cool-looking moves, it’s a shallow but entrancing adventure. [Issue#157, p.88]

Tactics makes the most of its medium with neat battle animations and a variety of view modes, but it’s no substitute for shouting at a friend across the table. [Issue#157, p.88]

There are enough touches for fans to feel the source is appreciated, but outside of seeing your favourites smash each other in the faces, it’s bare bones. [Issue#157, p.88]

While mechanically stiff, like an automaton, this is still a compelling VR fairy tale. Lore hunters are rewarded, but even the less dedicated will want to go digging. [Issue#157, p.89]

Feel the laser burn with this neon-lined rhythm game. Just make sure you have enough room to swing a cat strapped to a laser sabre when you play this one. [Issue#157, p.96]

Puzzles are clever, if occasionally finicky and for a long time you’ll wonder where it’s going. But when it finally shows its hand, The Missing becomes a heartfelt tale about identity, and the contortions we go through as we work out who we really are. Grab the Krispy Kremes and settle in with one of 2018’s most distinctive, memorable adventures. [Issue#156, p.86]

You really need to be ready for some cleverly placed jump scares. Having to survive and investigate makes Death Mark more akin to Zero Escape than Steins;Gate. All of this, plus the beautifully gruesome artwork, clever dialogue, and a classical soundtrack that sends shivers up your spine, creates a visual novel experience you won’t easily forget. It’s unlike any horror visual novel before it. [Issue#156, p.86]

For all its simplicity and frustrations Grip is an intense arcade racer that’s inherited the flaws of its vintage along with Rollcage’s strengths. [Issue#156, p.86]

A fan-pleasing return to form for a long-time PlayStation favourite, with huge future potential if it follows its contemporaries in delivering live roster updates. [Issue#156, p.97]

A fan-pleasing return to form for a long-time PlayStation favourite, with huge future potential if it follows its contemporaries in delivering live roster updates. [Issue#156, p.96]

A good core experience with novel ideas stifled by a disproportionately high price tag, embarrassing amounts of repetitive filler, and pay-to-win mechanics. [Issue#156, p.87]

As a package Soulcalibur VI lacks the polish of recent fighters, especially in the story mode, but the core gameplay, honed over many years, offers some of the sharpest duels on PS4. [Issue#156, p.88]

A lot of love has gone into this game. Jokes and nuggets of DC lore are scattered throughout – they’re glittering little studs of care and attention. Sadly, they don’t build into such a wonderful whole. [Issue#156, p.84]

Pulpy fun that writhes in its take on Lovecraftian lore. Call Of Cthulhu is a Hammer Horror-like cult classic in the making that overcomes its shortfalls to offer an RPG you’ll stick with through its many endings. [Issue#156, p.92]

With no campaign to test your trigger finger, the trio of a safe (albeit polished) battle royale, waning multiplayer, and rotting Zombies make BLOPS4 feel like a relic next to a post-Forsaken Destiny 2. [Issue#156, p.94]

With limited-time elusive targets being added over time, and user-created hits, Hitman 2 is a platform that should have more to come. What’s here is superb but we’re already asking “what’s next?” [Issue#156, p.80]

No open world game makes you feel as physically present as Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s a treat to inhabit. The story might feel a bit linear, but you’ll want to see it through, and your own journey awaits besides, over the open plains. [Issue#156, p.78]

The rally fundamentals are there, but so is a disappointingly shoddy career mode. Genre fans will find a lot to love, but this is far from taking pole position. [Issue#155, p.86]

Valkyria Chronicles has had a rocky history in the West, with the third game never even hitting our shores, but Valkyria Chronicles 4 is just what the fans ordered. [Issue#155, p.96]

Short and horrifying, it’s worth coming home to your PS VR headset for this family reunion. These walls talk, and you’ll want to immerse yourself in what they have to say. [Issue#155, p.87]

The sequel’s best expansion by a distance. This update delivers a lively campaign that deserves to lure lapsed players back into the Fallen fold. [Issue#155, p.97]

NBA 2K19 is fantastic at all the times when it isn’t asking you to part with real cash. Although sadly, in MyCareer, you’ll be tempted to open your wallet way too often. [Issue#155, p.95]

This deftly made return to Mega Man revives the core series beyond being a novel retro throwback, giving it a gorgeous coat of fresh paint at the same time. [Issue#155, p.94]

A consistently strong introduction to the Diaz brothers and their plight. We only want the best for them but know full well things are going to get worse over the course of the season. [Issue#155, p.88]

Visually stunning, mechanically rewarding – Hollow Knight is a game that works on just about every level. It presents challenge, but always fairly, with plentiful options to explore new pathways. [Issue#155, p.92]

The best game adaptation of the manga yet, though that’s not saying much. Save for a few eccentric moments, it plays like a forgettable and outdated sidestory. [Issue#155, p.91]

The best FIFA’s been on current-gen in the purist’s sense, with Champions League implementation strengthening the game’s grip on the genre from a casual’s perspective too. [Issue#155, p.84]

Less a rise to glory and more a stumble towards modest success, Creed feels good but lacks the depths of its closest rival, Knockout League. It’s good fun and a visceral experience, but it’s over too soon. [Issue#155, p.90]

While the story sheds light on why solving these brain-teasers matters so much, it lacks the sense of unease the premise warrants. Devoid of any threat, Blind loses its way and you’re left to stumble from one (albeit good) puzzle room to the next with little tangible danger to spur you on. You’re not so much fumbling in the dark for a sense of direction as you are coerced towards a not-so-subtle twist. But you will have fun getting there. [Issue#155, p.90]

While gameplay isn’t super-deep, you’ll still find yourself returning to the slime ranch again and again. [Issue#155, p.90]

It’s fun and twitchy, and it really shouldn’t be as good as it is in VR. The game runs at a chaotic pace (this remaster in traditional mode is 60fps in 4K) as you zip around the screen and zoom up close for melee strikes. But it does work, as it’s effectively teleporting you from enemy to enemy if using melee, and playing out like a classic arcade shooter if using homing lasers. If you’ve never played the series, it’s time to start; if you have, then there’s no better reason to own PS VR. [Issue#155, p.90]

Playing as different Magic Knights, many of whom are more interesting than Asta, spices things up but it isn’t tantamount to bacon bits, and fights never graduate to anything impressive, not even when the J-Pop theme song kicks in. Much like a baked potato, it’s all perfectly serviceable but not very interesting unless you’re a carb fiend. [Issue#155, p.82]

The core fishing can be surprisingly compelling, but tournaments are unlikely to keep you coming back.2 Let’s cut the carp here: Fishing Sim World is great for fishing fans, but unlikely to salmon hordes of new people to the sport. [Issue#155, p.82]

As you can jump around the timeline easily, the game never feels punishing. If you’re curious about visual novels, this is where to start. At times, this is one of the funniest games you’ll ever play as you follow these quirky characters through this stressful day, but thanks to their humanity, the emotional moments hit home all the harder. [Issue#155, p.82]

With a beautiful ambient soundtrack, and a warm story wonderfully told, it’s one that will stick with you for a while. [Issue#155, p.78]

Content here, like the fighters’ costumes, is slight, and mechanically it only goes so deep. But that’s sort of the point, and it pulls off the look it’s going for very well indeed. [Issue#155, p.78]

The real issue is there’s no sense of tension. You’re trapped in an abandoned mansion hidden in the woods, surrounded by ‘dark science’, at the beck and call of a mysterious imprisoned being, yet at no point do you feel threatened. Torn? More like slightly frayed. [Issue#155, p.78]

Between the starboard immolation and occasional, rapid decompression aft, it’s silly fun, boasting a bubbly personality that’s hardly stern. One to pull into port. [Issue#155, p.83]

There’s nothing scaled-down about this family-friendly PS VR adventure. A delightful romp for both PS VR veterans and the pint-sized adventurers in the family. [Issue#155, p.78]

So big The Witcher 3 wants a rest. This is an epic told with flair, coupled with one of the liveliest open worlds on PlayStation 4. Odyssey is not just the best Assassin’s Creed in years, but one of the finest action RPGs you’ll play. [Issue#155, p.72]

Some aspects, like the tanky controls, definitely feel tired these days. But there’s still an undeniable charm to this low-key adventure that focuses on investigation rather than too many fights. There’s still nothing else quite like it, and this package makes it easier than ever to miss out no longer. [Issue#154, p.90]

The potential for a huge payoff in the final episode is undeniable. Still, the choices in this first episode will rarely make you stop and think for long, and there’s too much downtime, until a thrilling final half-hour. It’s good, but more undead than determined survivor [Issue#154, p.90]

Ultimately, this sweet treat is delightful at first but definitely won’t fill you up for long.

It might not be the most unique game ever made, but it has charm where it counts. [Issue#154, p.80]

In the moments where it all comes together, it really works. [Issue#154, p.80]

If Martyr was the Warhammer game you’ve been waiting for, it’s likely to disappoint. [Issue#154, p.80]

You’ll see everything Donut County has to offer in the few hours it takes to finish. Like a doughnut: short but sweet. [Issue#154, p.97]

A great campaign (with Score Attack mode for extra replayability), and an evergreen Horde mode. Fun when played with friends, with strangers, and when played alone? How strange. [Issue#154, p.88]

Easy there, space cadet. This platformer has high hopes and certainly looks the part but fails to stick the landing… much like we did over and over again while playing. [Issue#154, p.81]

PES still plays fantastically but much of this year’s changes are slight and offline the game still struggles to find an identity. Online it’s great, as always, but the myClub changes could have gone further. [Issue#154, p.86]

The lack of bullet penetration may prove controversial, but this is one of the best PS VR experiences on offer. Essential for fans of objective-based team shooters. [Issue#154, p.96]