While Under Defeat does show its age - particularly with the UI - it still manages to be a brilliant challenging shoot-'em-up that has some quite unique elements. Boasting some glorious couch co-op action, some banging soundtrack options and a fierce challenge for any arcade shooting aficionados, this is one of the very best games of its kind.

DJ Hero 2 adds a thick coat of polish to an already brilliant original, and as a result is the best music game on the market for those looking for something a little unique.

One of the most intense and authentic feeling shooters to come along in a long while, Insurgency: Sandstorm prides itself on realistic gunplay and tactics to fashion one of the better online shooters that PlayStation platforms have seen in a good long while.

Unique platformer de Blob 2 delivers a fusion of colour and sound that awakens the senses and lifts your spirits.

Generously awash in heart-warming whimsy and charm, together with puzzles that encourage the sort of playful ingenuity that really captures the imagination, Tentacular is simply great fun that anybody, regardless of skill or age, can easily get stuck into. Tentacular is a true PSVR2 indie gem and a feel-good VR experience that everybody should play.

Refining and building on what came before, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a wholesale improvement from the original game. From casual multiplayer mayhem to a surprisingly robust single-player offering, effort has been poured into every facet of this title to deliver a memorable time that will absolutely be appreciated by fans and non-fans alike.

Soul Calibur IV isn’t a revolution, but it’s one hell of an evolution. Although it does little to redefine the fighting genre, it manages to further advance the franchise with improvements across the board on an already fantastic foundation.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is stunning spectacle full of heart and unbelievable charm. If you aren't carefully selecting hats for your Rot companions by the end, then you're probably made of stone. In the event that your soul is inhospitably frosty, Kena can be deceivingly challenging, throwing boss fights at you that will make those on Demon Souls look like a cake walk. A few minor issues stop Kena from being a showstopper, but there is no doubt that this a great game, and an amazing debut for a 15-person strong team.

Suffices to say, If you haven't played Lumines before you're in for an exquisite audio/visual treat loaded with memorable and impacting vibes. Arise's soundtrack doesn't quite reach the majesty of Electronic Symphony on the Vita as the tunes can be too soft and not as emphatic, but in every other way Arise is the best Lumines game yet, and aptly bursts with life just as fervently as its new gameplay mechanic.

Arashi: Castle of Sin - Final Cut is held back from its full potential because it was originally a PS4 PSVR game. While the game has altered controls to match PSVR2, it still falls short of what we expect from a next-gen VR game, but not by much. The story and world had me clamoring for more. Jumping rooftop to rooftop, sneaking in the grass, and assassinating from the shadows made me want a full PSVR2 and PS5 game to take even more advantage of the world.

Full of character and charm, Lost in Random is a witty and enjoyable tale that at times, mimics our own. It's eerily beautiful, well made and fans of board games will fall in love with it. The combat system is rewarding and has just enough nuance to keep it interesting until the end. So roll your dice and take a chance on Lost in Random. It is a unique game amongst its current peers.

No Going Back ends a more cerebral, unfocused Walking Dead season with difficult decisions befitting a memorable experiment in morality, excusing narrative lulls and forgettable characters.

Subnautica: Below Zero is a sublimely addictive timesink and an exemplary survival adventure game that transcends the genre. The improvements to the formula of the original game are minimal but impactful. Fans of the franchise will certainly have plenty to get into, and the appeal is broad enough to welcome many more newcomers to the experience. Whilst there is little ground broken in terms of visuals, Subnautica Below Zero more than compensates with an all-round stellar experience that rivals that of bigger budget productions.

With FIFA 09, EA Sports has the reigns of the soccer industry firmly within its grasp, delivering a prominent title that will appease the large majority of fans of The Beautiful Game.

KeyWe is more than just an adorable concept, it actually backs it up with a thoroughly enjoyable co-op experience that always seems to know when to change things up in its formula without ever losing sight of what makes it tick. It’s possible to enjoy it solo, but honestly, that pales in comparison to joining friend or family in a round of buttslamming boxes and pecking papers to deliver the mail as the fuzziest little postal workers around.

A confident revamp of Phoenix Wright's earliest legal adventures, the Ace Attorney Trilogy is a cleverly constructed hybrid of logical conundrums and visual novel beats that combine to make one of the most accessible and gleefully silly puzzlers the PS4 has seen in quite sometime.

Man of Medan weaves a brilliant and compelling story punctuated by some genuinely creepy moments. More importantly, your choices matter, and the multitude of collectibles and different outcomes based on your decisions means there's more than enough reason to keep plugging away at Supermassive Games' latest horror romp. It's not without its issues, sure, but they're not enough to deter from what is one of PS4's best interactive dramas.

A roguelike that gives the player this much control over their character build is a rare thing. Rather than depending heavily on random drops and loot, Demon's Tier+ lets you spend your gold on what aspect you want to improve. It's a small change that makes a massive difference. Along with that, you have a well-designed game that runs really well, not too long, and has a really nice trophy list. What's not to love?

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is an excellent stopgap before the inevitable Wolfenstein 3. You can dip your toes back into the world and the new combat changes come together to create the best combat in the series. Light RPG elements help add a new flavour to the franchise as well. Jess and Soph are the standout stars of Youngblood and help lift up the underwhelming and largely inconsequential main narrative. The overall package isn't as good as The New Order, but Youngblood is a silly, fun, and gory romp worth experiencing.

For those that have played deck-building games or Dungeons & Dragons will know, sometimes it just comes down to the luck of the draw or the roll of the die. Some may find the game easy while others may just rage quit due to the unfairness of the draw. Those who stick with it will find a great combat system and well thought out mechanics that should have you coming back for hours on end.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced Edition takes what made the first game great and expands on it in every way. The brutal combat and the exceptional visuals and sound design bring this world to life. Ninja Theory did a fantastic job of making you feel the despair and hopelessness of the world.

A magical adventure filled with colourful characters and a level of interaction that sucks you right in, Skylanders: Trap Team is a unique experience that once tried won’t be forgotten.

It's brilliant to see WipEout back. It looked great back in the day, but thanks to the power of PS4 it now looks incredible, and captures with style the adrenaline-pumping action that we so fondly remember.

A heavy metal steeped side-scrolling blaster that is awash in blood, gore and super solid platforming shooter beats, Valfaris is essential for anyone looking for a challenging affair that does ample justice to Konami's poorly treated Contra franchise.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is a satisfying sequel that’s a fun ride despite being too similar to the original, suffering from inconsistent pacing, and overstaying its welcome.

Though the modest technical execution tarnishes The Council to an extent, it remains an innovative and clever adventure which does that rarest of things - it treats the audience as intelligent, educated individuals. With its sophisticated geopolitical backdrop, occult themes and in-depth RPG style progression and decision systems, The Council sets a compelling blueprint for the episodic adventure to follow.

The Following keeps the joyous zombie slaughter of Dying Light while refreshing it with a new dynamic. A fine expansion.

Trover Saves the Universe is slick, unexpected, and vulgar beyond belief. You likely already know if the sort of humor in Trover is for you, and if its not, you should give Trover a wide berth. But if you are the sort of sicko that likes this sort of stuff, there is a surprisingly solid game lurking beneath the rapid-fire jokes and bizarre imagery.

With its bewitching fairy-tale presentation, satisfying combat, enticing exploration of a beautiful world and a narrative that is lovingly inspired by dark Slavic fables, I really enjoyed my time with Blacktail. Though the various gameplay systems are very much inspired from what we've seen in similar games already and the platforming side of things isn't quite as polished as I might like, Blacktail nonetheless is a thoroughly enjoyable action RPG that serves as a stellar debut effort for Polish developer The Parasight. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Short but ever-so-sweet, Trek to Yomi is a pretty linear affair that respects your time. The combat is nuanced, evolves over time and is entertaining to learn. Small bursts of exploration are rewarded with collectables and upgrades but your main path is never obscured. It's cinematically beautiful and what's done with perspective and setting up each scene is really unique. Trek to Yomi is unlike anything else I have played recently, it's not bloated, pure and I appreciate that a lot.

Darksiders Genesis is a rousing achievement, taking the pillars of the franchise and bringing them to a new genre and perspective. That shift is pulled off almost to perfection, creating one of the better games in the franchise and a satisfying and rewarding combat experience with a lot of meat on its bones.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story doesn't just manage to stand on its own two feet as a gripping spin-off to the League of Legends property at large, but so too does it also craft an astoundingly accomplished Metroidvania that stands on its own two feet, tying together innovation and heart in one of the most welcome surprises of the year so far.

A combination of a laudable driving experience and exquisitely modelled official rally environments across 14 countries means WRC 8 delivers the goods and deserves your attention.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has an old-timey feel to it while not getting lost in the novelty of that. Trails channels inspirations from the entire RPG timeline in subtle ways and brings it into a modern and progressive light. The PS3 and PS Vita are lucky to have this gem of an RPG in their library, even if it doesn’t push the hardware as it could.

Fires of Rubicon offers a new frontier for the Armored Core series, demonstrating developer FromSoftware’s ability to weave its recent success and confidence back into familiar territory, while at the same time demonstrating that you can indeed teach an old hound new Tricks.

Gran Turismo 6 is the best in the series, but it's not perfect. It's as good as it gets in terms of racing games on the PlayStation 3; no game comes close in terms of car count, track variety, or handling physics, even if the vehicle sounds are still off.

Despite some minor issues, Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is a great PS4 re-release of an already fantastic action-adventure romp.

R-Type Dimensions EX has everything you need to get back into these classics. A few adjustments made can take some acclimation time. Still, this is a complete package for anyone looking for an old-school arcade shooter.

Even though its plotline fails to engage and grappling play gets repetitive and boring, Far Cry 4’s game-world and multitude of engaging missions and tasks draw you in. There’s so much fun stuff to do in Kryat that you could get lost here for some time. Oh, and you can ride an elephant and flip over vehicles with its trunk.

A great continuation of the solid work wrought in the season opener, ‘The Pact’ ensures that Telltale’s Batman: The Enemy Within continues to soar.

Proving that effective, heart-stopping horror can emerge from even the chonkiest pixels and cobwebbed 8-bit audiovisual presentation, Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a disturbing, skin-bumping terror that embraces its technical limitations and plodding pace to deliver the kind of genre offering that many larger studios wish they had the gumption, imagination and freedom to pull off.

An intoxicating mix of familiar game worlds, great script-writing and impressive LEGO building and interaction, brings this latest LEGO game into a whole new dimension.

A proper iterative effort that builds upon Coteries of New York in unexpectedly compelling ways, Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York is an often opulent and brilliantly written visual novel that both veterans and newcomers alike can sink their fangs into.

An often gorgeous and frequently surprising take on the RTS genre, Swords and Solders 2 Shawarmageddon is a hugely enjoyable effort that both fans and non-fans of traditional strategy games will enjoy.

There’s no denying that the Bioshock series is an ambitious one, and that it features some much loved/derided games. Bioshock Collection is the current definitive way to experience those games on consoles, but there’s little new for long-term fans beyond a bit of spit n’ polish.

Despite the lack of multiplayer, LittleBigPlanet remains one of the most enjoyable offerings on Sony's handheld platform to date.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon on PS5 is still the same great game as it was on PS4. However, as upgrades go, there isn't much here for new players and PS5 feature support is weak or not well implemented. So, the game is just as good as it was, but there isn't much of a reason to come back.

Just Dance 2020 pushes the franchise forward by creating more complex choreographies and introducing new themes and styles of music through its diverse songlist. The returning modes remain as solid as they were with a few noticeable quality of life improvements. At its conclusion the All-Stars Mode feels a little underwhelming, but no matter what occasion or reason you want to buy it for, Just Dance 2020 is highly recommended.

C-Smash VRS is an absolute must-buy game for anyone armed with a PS5 and PSVR2. It's a brilliant execution of a game that balances fun and challenge while taking full advantage of what makes VR special, and it absolutely shines brightest when playing one of its four VRS modes, even if for now it feels light on content.

No doubt, Don't Starve will split opinion squarely down the middle, but for those willing to put the man hours in it there's undoubtedly a proverbial treasure throve of depth at hand. Either way, Klei Entertainment's offering is a refreshingly robust and intriguing title which sets the wheels of Sony's PS4 indie proclamation firmly in motion.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake for the PS5 is a great way to experience this classic indie on modern consoles. With its new visuals, creative gameplay mechanics, and deeply moving narrative, it offers an unforgettable gaming experience that resonates long after the credits roll. Whether you're playing solo or with a friend, the bond between the brothers will tug at your heartstrings, reminding you of the power of love and connection. If you own a PS5, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is an essential addition to your gaming library.

It will take quick decision making, precision platforming, and skill to beat Ghostrunner. Whilst many of its environments are dull in imagery, they are an important component as to why it plays so well. Its lacklustre story does not take away from the addictive, thrilling gameplay that will keep you coming back. Ghostrunner is an exhilarating, challenging, adrenaline pumping platformer that succeeds in making you feel like a cyborg ninja.

With the varied unit types at your disposal and the commander abilities you can use, Anomaly: Warzone Earth should provide a lot of fun for those hoping to get something new out of this well-established genre.

Half-Minute Hero is a throwback to the 8-bit RPG genre coupled with a unique take that only feels possible on the PSP. Some of the game modes on offer leave a lot to be desired, however.

Battlefield 4 sends off the current generation of shooters in prime form. There's prowess across the board, from narrative to action, and technical hiccups can't derail a game that is simply great on PS3.

GORN is a bloody good time, arriving right at the moment when we need it most. Some strategy is hidden beneath all of the gore and carnage, though you might find yourself just dipping into GORN to bash some heads for a few minutes. While there are some technical limitations brought on by the PlayStation Camera, GORN works pretty well on the PSVR. As both a workout and a psychological enema, GORN succeeds wildly.

A welcome surprise, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon really clicked with me. The Euro indie Skyrim that could, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon might not be as technically sound as other genre efforts, but across its 60-80 hour playtime there's a lot to enjoy here, while its inventive take on Arthurian legends and surprisingly effective writing all add up to make it a compelling prospect for RPG fans everywhere that don't want to wait 89 years for the next mainline Elder Scrolls title to drop.

A great starter kit history lesson for a beloved platforming franchise. Be warned that it is a very tough and often frustrating lesson, but that it does have its rewards.

Packed full with secrets, Black Myth: Wukong offers a lot more content than meets the eye. While the main story path feels a bit repetitive with one boss after the other, the exploration and hidden side content makes up for it. Having a bigger arsenal of weapons and stances would have made the experience more fun, but it’s a good experience nonetheless.

A superb second chapter with a fantastic storyline, great characters and compelling combat system.

Hitman: World of Assassination's VR update brings you a brilliant new perspective and fun, interesting mechanics to the entire trilogy. Regardless of the few bits of content that didn't get the treatment, there's more than enough here to keep you occupied for hours and hours on end. Whether you're a long-time fan or looking to become the Silent Assassin for the first time, and I found it just as fun as its flat screen counterpart.

An accomplished and beautifully playable reinvigoration of the classic toy racer genre, some minor flaws don't prevent Table Top Racer from being an easy recommendation for arcade petrol heads and newcomers alike.

Guitar Hero Metallica is the most polished Guitar Hero game ever. It is a must-buy for Metal-heads, but even those impartial to the genre should check it out.

A beautifully snappy RTS that boasts a great single-player campaign and an endlessly entertaining multiplayer mode, Tooth and Tail is essential for tactical newbies and veterans alike.

If Zipper Interactive can iron out the various competitive multiplayer bugs, SOCOM 4 could rank among the best 2011 has to offer.

While not everyone's cup of tea, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is a solid entry into the franchise that fans won't want to miss.

Easily the best Lego game I've played. A fantastic cast of characters made better by incredible voice work, good comic book story, a great character creator, and improvements to core mechanics make Lego DC Super-Villains pure entertainment.

Quite simply Severed Steel is one of the most downright entertaining shooters to come out this year. Sure it doesn't boast the most comprehensive offering from a content perspective and genre fiends looking for a token narrative to go with their serving of face-gunning may well be disappointed, but Severed Steel bends and in some cases breaks the traditionally rigid rules of the FPS genre to often giddy effect. The end result is the sort of gloriously freewheeling, acrobatic first-person shooting extravaganza which aims to demonstrate that innovation in the genre doesn't have to just begin and end at the the gun clasped tightly in your hands.

Monster Hunter meets Dynasty Warriors in this interesting new IP from Tecmo Koei. If you like lots of farming this is the game for you when building your arsenal. The story is also gripping enough to have you wondering whats next, but if Dynasty Warriors combat is not for you, this won't change it for you.

Rare charted its course, and created a true treasure in Sea of Thieves. Its only lows found in solo gameplay, and its one dimensional melee combat. It is the king of emergent gameplay, and boasts a timeless aesthetic. With other issues such as the tedious downtime fixed, and a great many quality of life and accessibility changes, through years of dedication and continued support, Sea of Thieves is the best game as a service on the market.

A fantastic world brought to life by great storytelling, world-building, and visual and audio design. Though I wish the voices and dialogue could have gotten some extra work put into it, overall Observer: System Redux is Bloober Team's best game yet. The Ray Tracing breaths life to a dusty and decrepit building while the DualSense allows you to feel the various actions Lazarski performs. Observer: System Redux is a great example of what both Ray Tracing and the innovations of the DualSense controller are capable of.

This Bed We Made is a great game that kept me returning for more. I loved the narrative experience and the human element of its story. Though it was a short experience, the various paths to take to the ending had me trying repeatedly to see every scene and ending. Sophie is a unique character that I grew to love and was driven to protect no matter what. This Bed We Made is a game I highly recommend.

Life is Strange: True Colors is an incredibly endearing game, with a wonderful cast of characters and the charming town of Haven Springs proving to be a standout. Some narrative hiccups were not enough to stop this game from resonating with me, and one of my only complaints is that it was over all too soon.

Ultra Street Fighter IV refines Capcom's celebrated brawler to within an inch of its life with some great additions, making it a must-have for any hardcore fan.

Any hesitancy about this mesh of two puzzling greats working as a whole can be put to rest, as Puyo Puyo Tetris is a superb puzzle title that works for players of all ability levels. Single Player is a touch hit and miss, and online against strangers lacks the exciting punch of local vs, but otherwise, this is an absolute cracker.

Zenith: The Last City surprised me. Not because I didn't expect it to be as good as it is, but because it exceeded my expectations in almost every way. The scale of the world, response of controls, and the overall systems put in place for the MMO experience never ceased to amaze me. Zenith may have shortcomings in a smaller player base or empty parts of the map, but most of what you see and do will be a top-tier MMO VR experience.

War Thunder is a gorgeous-looking and extremely competent flight combat game, though the lack of some of the PC version's game modes means it has yet to reach its full potential.

Nowhere else in the game is that drama more prevalent than in the new penalty shot feature.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is a definite step in the realistic golf direction. With the new Focus and True-Aim features providing that extra layer of authenticity, Tiger proves he's back to capture the essence of golf, at least in videogame form.

What The Long Reach may occasionally lack in originality, it more than makes up for in inventiveness, personality, and bubbling slow-burn horror chills. This is a well-written, atmospheric horror adventure, and it deserves your attention.

Arcade Spirits presents an intriguing world filled with vibrant characters and deep emotional feeling. The story is beautifully written and provides a clear path with plenty of choices along the way to really make your story unique. While there are some conversations that repeat depending on choices made the game flows smoothly. All in all, it is a truly enjoyable story with plenty of little treasures for fans of both modern and classic gaming.

Pacific Drive is a game absolutely dripping in atmosphere and excellent spooky vibes, with an exploration-to-looting-to-tense extraction-to-crafting/upgrading and back again gameplay loop that doesn't get old, and a story that is both emotional and intriguing. While pacing issues do hamper it down some, that doesn't damage the experience enough to leave it off anyone's must-play list for 2024.

Leaving its predecessors legacy far behind, Knack has seriously grown up and become the platformer we deserved all along.

Shakedown: Hawaii builds on its predecessor by improving it's visuals and music massively. It does keep its unique humour, story and over the top action though. The city building systems are a welcomed addition and I feel most players will enjoy what's on offer. You get quite a bit of game for your money and there is a lot to do in this uncanny little title.

This might not be the biggest Killing Floor launch ever, but it might be the best-built one — at least once the performance issues are patched up. You get fewer weapons and perks, but they’re better designed, more interesting, and full of potential thanks to the new mod system. The side objectives and movement upgrades push things forward just enough without losing what made the series fun in the first place. I have so much faith that this will build upon itself to be as much of a titan as Killing Floor 2 eventually was. As a fan from the start, I feel compelled to credit it for that.

In NHL 11, EA scores off a slap shot built on a strong physics system, a realistic presentation, and a deep hockey experience. Every year it seems EA makes an NHL game that will be hard to top, and this year is no different.

Metro Awakening VR is one of the best survival horror game experiences available on any VR headset, with thrilling scares and strong survival mechanics all tied together with an immersive and rich atmosphere. Even though the story loses steam before the end and stealth combat fails to impress, the rest of its best parts make for an unmissable game for any horror fans with a VR headset laying around.

If you're the sort of person who saw martial arts movies in your teens (or younger) and immediately started mimicking scraps with your best mates as you left the cinema, then Midnight Fight Express is for you. Jacob Dwinzel feels like he is aspiring to be the games industry's equivalent of The Raid and Gangs of London director Gareth Edwards and cannot wait to see whatever violent delights this acolyte of cinematic violence comes up with next. For anyone else with even a passing affection for roaming brawlers, Midnight Fight Express boasts some of the most satisfying combat I have experienced in any game of the last few years and on that fact alone carries it to a high recommended indeed.

A breath of fresh malodorous air, Blood West's take on ponderous demonic murder in a Wild West that is as weird as it is wild feels overdue for a setting that has otherwise stagnated with traditional open world efforts and fairly dunderheaded shooters. Sure, it's a little rough around the edges and the low-poly, retro 90s visuals invariably won't be for everyone, but there's an old-fashioned earnestness to its design and approach to progression that is almost overwhelmingly endearing all the same.

Stressful, tough but immensely challenging and rewarding, Dark Souls 2 will take you to hell and back, and then back to hell again.

Don't let the massively blocky visuals fool you - The Last Door: Complete Edition is one of the atmospheric titles to come out in quite some time and one of the very best point and click adventure games the PS4 can offer right now. Don't sleep on this one.

Madden NFL 18 is a breath of fresh air in the franchise, highlighted with Longshot, a new engine, and more accessible game modes to round off the package.

It is remarkable how far Codemasters have come with the F1 series and F1 2018 has proven that a move towards simulation can be done without alienating casual players. Finally a spectacular Formula 1 experience for simulation fans.

Rocket League is one of the best multiplayer experiences of this generation. The single player pales in comparison, but with the joy-riddled social chaos Rocket League has on offer, any solo campaign would.

An excellent remaster of an excellent game, Live A Live influence can be spotted in many titles to this day, and most people may have never even heard of it. After 30 years, consumers can finally enjoy one of the most unique and compelling JRPGS from the SNES area.

Team Sonic Racing is a blast to play. The unique team based racing puts a spin on an already successful formula that encourages players to work together while also feeling competitive enough to not keep those away who always want to prove they're the best.

Othercide is the most pristine AA game I have played. Its haunting world and grotesque creature design cement themselves as some of the best in gothic horror, whilst the unique, timeline-based combat provides a twist on traditional tactical games. Othercide is far more than just a striking art style and everyone should give one of the most unique games of the year a shot.

It’s a game to lose yourself in, forget about what you’re supposed to be doing and just to explore and experiment. The Avalanche Engine 2.0 is a remarkable beast and Panau Island is a place that deserves to be explored by the masses.