Though a clunky UI and collection of surplus mini-games detract from Beautiful Desolation's evocative setting and characters, this is nonetheless one of the more interesting point and click adventures to come along for a good while. Not least thanks to its superbly imaginative take on a post apocalyptic future where the lines between humanity, evolution and immortality are deeply blurred. Even for the most stalwart adventurer, Beautiful Desolation's narrative and fresh premise will find a way to delight and surprise in equal measure.

What 9 Monkeys of Shaolin lacks in typical beat 'em up fashion it more than makes up for with a dynamite combat system. The 5 hour campaign may feel a bit short, but replay-ability and co-op modes offer good value for the purchase. 9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a great pick fans of the genre, or anyone wanting to get the best gameplay simulation of 70's Kung Fu movies. Don't let the terrible name put you off.

The quality of the games in Tomb Raider IV - VI is nothing short of a mixed bag, but the remastering job is top notch. Fans won't probably need convincing to plump down the cash for this latest bundle, and The Last Revelation was always one of Lara's best outings. Despite their flaws, Chronicles and Angel of Darkness are worth dipping into, and the latter is in its best shape to date, warts and all.

It may take time getting to show it, but Hokko Life is a delightfully deep and engaging community sim that lets you move at your own pace. Patience is very much required to see the best of it.

A highly engrossing occult interactive adventure anchored by a great central performance and refreshing interactivity and non-linear storytelling, Erica is deftly curated bite-sized adventure that makes a compelling case as the best Playlink title available.

Dante's Inferno offers little new to a genre dominated by franchises like God of War, yet it's graphical depiction of Hell helps create an interesting, and entertaining experience. As a game that took an awful lot of liberties with the original story, more liberties should have been taken with the gameplay to set it apart from its competitors.

If you want a new superhero episodic series with great dramatic moments and laughs, Dispatch is fantastic. However, if you want a game that plays as whimsically and enjoyably as it presents itself, then you may be disappointed. Give Dispatch a shot though because it's definitely an enjoyable ride you'll want to play repeatedly.

Though overly tame crashes and a no-frills campaign rankle, a superb handling model and improved feature set both ensure that Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 3 is the best the series has ever been and clearly showcases Milestone's Supercross franchise on an upward trajectory.

Gord is an impressive marriage of base building, adventuring and storytelling across a ruined world fraught with horrors from Slavic folklore. Though it's more than a little rough around the edges, such issues aren't enough to considerably tarnish the uniqueness of what developer Covenant.net has wrought here.

The best game to ever don the Transformers logo.

Sheepo shows a ton of potential and executes rather well. The two brothers who worked on this game should be proud of what they created. While the map and controls need a little more streamlining, Sheepo offers up a cool, passive option to the Metroidvania formula.

Moving Out 2 reeks of charm and goofy heart, which makes for a winning recipe when coupled with gameplay that matches perfectly. This may not be a title that everyone will enjoy, but anyone looking for a fun break from norm or love goofy games have something special to find in Moving Out 2.

Absolutely stuffed to the hilt with twee, waifu JRPG goodness, the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy DX Pack represents a heady offering that will keep the uninitiated busy for well over a hundred hours and change. For everyone else however that has already plumbed the depths of the three games in this pack, this trio of bundled charming adventures will have little to offer, even in light of the additional DLC included with each game.

Gunfire Games have created a deep looter shooter, with meaningful rewards and tough bosses, combined with a fascinating world packed with lore and story reveals that are worth experiencing. Remnant is a replayable, bitesize adventure that I will be hopping back into again and again. However, the PS4 version at launch is marred by frame rate drops, crashes, and a few fights that feel broken and unbalanced.

On the one hand, Alienation is a joyous, punchy co-op romp of a twin-stick shooter, with every on-screen detail a veritable celebration of beautiful chaos. On the other, it’s a step backwards in terms of what Housemarque could do. What is undeniable though, is that Alienation is a rather good time.

Vacations are supposed to be fun and breezy – and that’s exactly the way I would describe Vacation Simulator. Full of silly laughs and sunny good times, Vacation Simulator also delivers just the slightest edge of dark humor to keep teens and adults engaged. With a wide variety of puzzles and activities - any of which can be skipped – Vacation Simulator has a bit of something for everyone, while expanding on the original game in interesting ways.

Stranger Things 3: The Game is not a groundbreaking effort by any stretch, however it does great justice to one of the best TV shows of the past decade and throws a surprisingly sizeable and robust retro action puzzler into the bargain, and sometimes, that'll all you need.

Though not hugely different from its prequel, Sky Force Anniversary, Sky Force Reloaded nonetheless offers up a compelling slice of vertical scrolling shoot em’ up action that both newcomers and fans of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy.

Dungeon crawler fiends who have bled Diablo 3's riches dry shouldn't sleep on the Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. Though not quite as incredible as its namesake, Neocore Games inaugural hack and slash foray onto PS4 proves to be resoundingly satisfying, great value and most importantly, a whole heap of fun.

A vast improvement on the dull muddle that was the original Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 embraces its chaotic, silly side without sacrificing the key components that gave the original such promise. It's prevented from grasping further glory by some damaging technical issues and a seamless online experience being notably absent, but Watch Dogs 2 is still a big bundle of joy.

This may not be the horror romp you're itching for, but Amnesia: The Bunker provides a fantastic map to explore with engaging gameplay to make it that much more enjoyable. It's too bad the game's stalker creature lacks the necessary delivery to generate authentic scares.

Sifu has an extremely high skill ceiling and very deep gameplay, paired wonderfully with stylized visuals and great art. The gameplay is extremely refined, but Sifu's narrative just feels unfinished as a whole, and could have been the difference from Sifu being a lot more than what it is.

Ten Dates breaks away from the confines of its predecessor and emerges as a genuinely interesting interactive date movie by way of a reality show.

Drowning in modes, creative scope and possessing the best grappling gameplay in a good while, WWE 2K18 is the best the series has ever been on PS4. All the same, the time is ripe for the series to undergo the sort of far-reaching transformation that both it, and its fans, have long deserved.

Though a sizeable visual step down from the regular version of the game, DriveClub VR remains a worthy offering. Boasting tons of content, great handling and some cleverly implemented VR immersion, it’s a worthwhile buy for PSVR owners looking for a decent racing game to showcase their latest purchase.

An RPG classic makes its way back to the front lines. Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster has all the bells and whistles that came with the original fan favorite title. The minimal additions that come with this remaster do little to help or hurt the formula. Merciless difficulty drops the challenge too much to capture the game's magic, visuals only offer slight clean-up, and audio is still the same PS2 audio. While the game deserves better enhancements, getting Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne in a more contemporary accessible form is still worth the price of admission.

An enjoyable and attractive, if overly-familiar physics based puzzler, Unmechanical Extended could be just the ticket for puzzler aficionados looking for a game to burn the hours away.

Though The Persistence Enhanced represents the best non-VR version of what is a sizably satisfying stealth horror romp on PS5, the suite of upgrades, though welcome, is not roundly enough impressive enough to warrant previous players taking another run at the game. For the uninitiated that don't own a PSVR headset however, The Persistence Enhanced on PS5 is still a compelling proposition that unfurls into a taut stealth horror affair.

It may not be the most in-depth sim, but Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator does a great job of recreating the mechanics of running a restaurant without devolving into grim spreadsheet nonsense or coming off as loose-limbed mobile port fodder. I wouldn’t give it a Michelin star, but I’d definitely eat there.

Worms Rumble proves that worms don't need to take turns to sentence one another to a sheepy death. Not only that, but Worms Rumble succeeds in giving us an accessibly fun shooter with a decent amount of nuance for the competitive to wrestle with. The real-time combat and traversal work very well, and with speedy matchmaking, you'll always be up for one more game. The levels are well designed for a fun experience, although we would hope for more options in the future.

A charmingly clever multiplayer title, Tools Up! takes the madness of Overcooked! and distills it into a far less chaotic, though ultimately more thoughtful set of scenarios that players of all ages will surely enjoy.

A return to form for Telltale and their most notable series. A few of the usual problems still exist, but the world-building and character development is very strong. Based on this two-part season opener, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is shaping up to be an emotional, visceral ride.

Bound by Flame features a combat and leveling system that shines among the competition, and the crafting side to the game gives RPG fans more than enough to keep them playing. The narrative is a drop in the overall quality, but it's enough to see exactly what developer Spiders has given gamers in its gameplay elements. The future is bright for Bound by Flame.

A decent attempt at a co-op experience in the Ratchet & Clank universe, All 4 One falls a bit short on providing a truly engaging and satisfying co-op offering.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a commendable journey for truck and mud running enthusiasts seeking a relaxing yet intricately detailed experience. While facing some technical and pacing drawbacks, the game excels in delivering a unique blend of relaxation and challenge. With improvements in certain aspects, it has the potential to solidify its place as the go-to title for those craving a serene adventure amidst the mud.

F1 2011 creates a great and exact rendition of Formula 1 racing, but it doesn't give new fans a reason to play it.

Though not in the same qualitative orbit as its illustrious predecessor or more modern reboot, DOOM 3 nonetheless carves out a niche for itself as a highly atmospheric and tense FPS, the likes of which id Software has not graced the series with again since 2004. Though history has perhaps remembered DOOM 3 harshly, contemporary gamers will likely find much to enjoy in its darkly portentous atmospherics and frequent scares.

Let Them Come takes a singular concept and wraps a whole game around it to great effect. Let Them Come might not be the deepest shooter around, but its bite-sized morsels of alien blasting fun will assuredly keep you coming back for more.

Despite clunky combat and various frame rate issues, Silent Hill: Downpour is still a solid survival horror romp that any fan of the genre should take a punt on.

A wonderfully eclectic collection of local multiplayer curiosities, the second coming of the Jackbox Party Pack is somewhat uneven when it comes to quality but remains a strong choice for gamer and non-gamer folks alike looking for a multiplayer party fix.

For a first attempt at an ever-saturating genre, Battleborn feels like it has carved its niche in a large crowd that is vying for supremacy. While the genre is dominated by League of Legends and DOTA, Battleborn has successfully broken through with its own take on the genre, added lots of fun characters, and a wonderfully bright colour palette.

Armageddon takes destructible environments and turns it into a weapon, perfect for those who like massive devastation. While the single-player campaign is a bit bland and linear, the action is still top notch.

Observation does a lot of things correctly. Honing in on the isolation of space generates a wonderful tension on its own. Some pacing issues keep it from excellence, but there is plenty of appeal here for many different gaming preferences.

Trails of Cold Steel II runs with the narrative left off from its predecessor, and the same level of detail and development that fans have come to expect is still ever present, even if the running effort trips up on occasion under its pace.

The game's visuals and atmosphere are a blast and it is great fun to wield the expanisve variety of abilities. The combat system, while certainly playable, could use a bit more nuance, and storytelling seems confused about who its aimed at. Overall, My Hero One's Justice is a strong first entry with mountains of potential in what we hope will become a long running series.

Despite its flaws, DMC4: Special Edition is still fantastic hack-’n-slash romp made all the more enjoyable thanks to a silky-smooth frame rate and three new playable characters.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and The White Guardian leans into the old staples that the franchise sustained itself on, focusing on turn-based combat and crafting to win the day. Several elements take a step back from what recent titles in the franchise have done, instead focusing more on farming instead of exploring. It's still about alchemy, but getting to the alchemy is more repetition and less discovery. For longtime fans of the series, the Atelier formula is still there for a good time. With that said, newer fans may recoil a bit if they first jumped into the franchise alongside Ryza, Sophie, and Yumia.

The ultimate collection of one of the most intriguing titles on the market - Spintires: Mudrunner American Wilds might infuriate and test the patience of many, but those who can push past such feelings will soon discover quite the uniquely satisfying endeavor.

A solid, fun multiplayer platforming experience that shouldn't be ignored as an option for gaming on the go.

If you are new to MMOs then New World Aeternum may be the perfect jumping off point for you into a New World. An approachable, satisfying experience that could well give you the bug for this beloved game genre.

The price point is perfect to explore a new sports game in MLB 15: The Show, and those looking for a concentrated baseball experience on PS Vita will be more than pleased, even if multiplayer is all but absent from the final product.

A real labour of love, Masquerada is a highly enjoyable RPG effort that is absolutely drowning in audiovisual style and spectacle, even if the overly linear structure and sometimes convoluted world building detracts from the final result.

I certainly enjoyed my time with Wild Bastards. The blended Wild West and sci-fi settings, together with hybridised strategy and roguelike FPS approach, all make Wild Bastards feel a lot fresher than many of the shooters on the market right now. Sure, the nuts and bolts of its face-blasting might not rub shoulders with the genre's best in the purest sense and the visual presentation is lacking somewhat, but the level of design ingenuity and rough-shackle charm that is on display here ably makes up for such shortcomings.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin feels like the hardcore peak of the so-called ‘boomer-shooter' subgenre. A punishing (sometimes unfairly so), yet rewarding and surprisingly innovative exercise in first-person shooter goodness, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is recommended for anyone looking to test their genre skills within the confines of its grim design and unrelenting onslaught.

Persona 3 Portable on PS4 doesn’t do much at all to enhance what was already there to begin with, looking like a sharpened version of its former self. Regardless, there’s a strong entry here, exploring some darker concepts than the modern mainline games. It may not have the same style as the newer entries, but it sure delivers on concepts.

An inventive and relentlessly atmospheric detective effort, Kona's last minute stumbles and clumsy combat system don't considerably detract from an effort that breathes some fresh life into the first-person adventure genre.

Bolstering the ever increasing ranks of PSVR efforts that place a premium on calm and relaxation over challenge and depth, How We Soar is a charming title that embraces calming spectacle over mechanical ambition.

With plenty of characters and great combat, there is a lot to love about Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The fantastic visuals and sound design shine through from Tribute Games and Dotemu. It's just a shame that the game's difficulty spikes and lack of extra lives in the campaign hold it back. Thankfully, the Arcade Mode more than makes up for the game's shortcomings, with great modifiers that let you enjoy the game however you want.

Early on, John Wick Hex seemed far too random to enjoy. But as I spent more time with the game I got used to its systems and how it functioned and I started to enjoy myself more and more. Each level is a tactical game of cat and mouse and strategy and planning are vital. Positioning is key and thinking ahead of time is paramount. The story, graphics and especially the cutscenes are nothing to write home about but luckily the gameplay makes up for it. If you are up for a strategy title, John Wick Hex is fun as long as you are willing to give it a bit of time.

Clever, tense, and often hilarious, Midnight Murder Club turns pitch-black mayhem into something memorable. It’s a game of light, sound, and timing that feels unlike anything else in the genre right now. With its originality and unpredictability, it’s easy to recommend—but it’s a ways off the genre-defining moment it hints at being.

Madden NFL 12 is another tight package with improved AI, animations, and online communities. Most of the updates are under the hood, but diehard NFL fans will enjoy the tweaks in 12, even if they are minor.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed brings family-friendly fun to the asymmetrical multiplayer horror space, and provides warm nostalgia for Ghostbusters fans.

It's not particularly meaty yet and it needs a fair bit of work done on its visual side, but H1Z1 Battle Royale is a fine alternative to Fortnite for PS4 players. The redesign of the game for consoles has gone pretty well, and there's more joy and cohesion in squad games compared to its PS4 competition. At the grand old price of free, it deserves a chance if you're seeking something a little more grounded for your Battle Royale buck.

Guns Up! is devilishly addictive and provides a seriously fun formula of mutually beneficial attack and defence tactics. It’s initially intimidating economy only works to give the game depth once you’ve completed the enlightening tutorial, leaving you with a constant desire to progress and improve both your settlement and your garrison of units.

NCAA Basketball 10 offers a brilliant TV Broadcast style presentation and provides the ultimate experience for college basketball fans. However, casual fans may want to look elsewhere.

I enjoyed my time with Akimbot. It is a charming and surprising lengthy game, with tight controls and a well voiced story. As a diehard Ratchet & Clank fan with no new Ratchet game on the horizon, it was nice to just relax and run around a colorful, platform-y world, and just shoot some bots. However from the visual bugs I kept running into, as well as some key quality of life systems I was missing from current Ratchet & Clank games I found myself wanting more, more often than not.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is a compact and well made turn-based strategy offering that neatly walks the tightrope of being able to offer beginners not only a decent introduction to the genre, but also to the sprawling Warhammer fantasy setting as well. Though it lacks in scope and can become repetitive, its bite-sized nature and surprising use of roguelike mechanics helps to ensure it remains compelling in a way that few other Warhammer games have managed.

First out of the gate in what will be a bevy of survival titles in the coming months, The Callisto Protocol is a solid maiden effort from developer Striking Distance Studios and one that has laid the groundwork what is hopefully to come.

Ready, Steady, Ship! is a fantastic spin on the chaotic cooperative game formula, and gives players a variety of tools and a sometimes head scratching puzzle to use them on. Despite some frustrations, it's definitely worth checking out.

Soulstice etches its own namesake in the hack n' slash genre. While it lacks the same level of combat depth and demand, it focuses more on narrative quality, accessibility, and presentation to reach success.

Strange Brigade is a flawed but entertaining game that I’d gladly up the final score to an 8.5 or even 9 if some of its problems are fixed in a future patch.

While Virtua Tennis 2009 is little more than an upgraded version of VT3, it still offers an enjoyable gameplay experience and is a must buy for any fan of the franchise or genre.

Despite some small hiccups with the general presentation of the game, Marble It Up! Ultra offers a fully featured package of over 100 intricately designed obstacle courses for players to learn and overcome.

Carrion presents you with an opportunity to take the reigns of an invading monster, and it delivers on all fronts with visceral gore and effects that translate vividly even through its pixelated style. The lack of a map combined with navigational and interaction clumsiness make for a more cumbersome Metroidvania formula, but the payoffs of gameplay and exploration outweigh the issues that Carrion presents.

Making ample use of its inspiration, Megaton Musashi W: Wired is a formiddable mecha-action game that manages to delicately balance narrative and action into a compelling package. Despite some oversimplistic gameplay and inconsistent pacing, the overall experience is engaging enough to grab your attention and keep it well rewarded. Megaton Musashi W: Wired is a title full of character and ambition that manages to stick the landing for the most part, even if it isn't quite reinventing the wheel.

Wild Hearts have dismantled the beast, and retrofit its parts into something more accessible and highly addictive in its own right. Obnoxious exposition and an uninspired narrative can sometimes get in the way of its well crafted gameplay loop, but the thrill of the hunt is more than worth it.

Destiny’s faux-MMO approach to shooters is a shallow, dull experience that even hardcore fans may find difficult to stick with except to gaze at its worlds or engage in the entertaining competitive multiplayer.

Constance by itself is a perfectly solid Metroidvania with a brilliant message at its core. Unfortunately, that message is too often lost in its dedication to the status quo when it comes to mechanics. I too often felt like I had played this game before, and I shouldn’t have. Constance is a game full of brilliant ideas, wonderful design, and a great overarching fabric that deserves to love itself more.

There isn’t exactly a shortage of twin-stick shooters on the market that much is for sure. Neon Chrome however, while not doing anything especially innovative, nonetheless does a great job of pulling together roguelike elements, deep progression systems and satisfying twin-stick shooter beats into a single, compelling whole.

While it's hampered by blurry visuals and some difficult object handling, The Mage’s Tale still comes out on top with goofy surprises, fantastic puzzles, and satisfying exploration. Delivering up to 10 hours of play, this is a sizable experience that remains entertaining from start to finish. All in all, this is a welcome addition to the PlayStation VR library.

We Were Here feels like a first outing but its unique co-op puzzle-solving gameplay immediately gets its hooks into you and offers an experience unlike anything else on the market. A few blemishes from a restricted budget show themselves every now and again, but the gameplay is most important and We Were Here is a solid launching bed for the two sequels.

A great fighting game. It has its issues, namely the online multiplayer component and the underwhelming menus, but there's still good fun to be had.

Age Of Mythology Retold is a solid RTS with tonnes of content and modes to satisfy different gaming tastes but its steep learning curve and time investment to master its controls may be too much for some.

Persona 5 Tactica is a formidable offering of a strategy RPG and stands as an extremely approachable yet adequately deep entry point for those who may not have tried the genre before. The story on offer here has an interesting mystery at its core but ultimately stands as another excuse for the Phantom Thieves to come out of retirement for another supernatural mystery. Despite the repetition that can sometimes set in, Persona 5 Tactica is a solidly fun title that manages to seamlessly blend elements of the core franchise into a brand new genre.

What The Escapists 2 does do is improve its look, expand your options for escape, and throws in a hilarious multiplayer. What The Escapists 2 does not do is make itself significantly more accessible and forgiving. If that put you off the first time, there’s little to convince you to play the sequel, but for fans, this is a rather pleasant upgrade.

MLB 2K10 is a great improvement over its predecessor. Baseball fanatics are sure to enjoy progressing a character in My Player, the vast knowledge in the commentators, and the new batting and hitting mechanics.

Lego Jurassic World is a pleasant surprise for fans of the films as well as the Lego games, and one of the best additions to your Lego game collection.

An overabundance of subplots aside, this solid episode reinforces the fact that Batman: The Enemy Within is on a trajectory to be one of Telltale’s better series.

Darksiders 3 does a lot right but suffers from some technical issues that hold it back from greatness. Nevertheless, the fantastic exploration, great character designs, fun combat, and excellent writing help it outshine some of its faults. Fans will definitely find that Gunfire Games have done a great job keeping the essence of the franchise alive.

Just Cause 4 is an enjoyable ride with a memorable and exciting campaign, full of thrilling gameplay moments. However, the rest of the game is a compilation of outdated mission design and poor technical performance. My advice: stick to the campaign for a fun fifteen hours and forget about everything else.

HAWX isn't going to win any awards for innovation, but it does bode well for future iterations of the series. While it could certainly be improved on both visually and in terms of depth of gameplay, it's a fine debut for the franchise and as enjoyable a flight combat game as we've played in recent years.

Survivorman VR: The Descent walks a difficult tightrope between trying to be a fun game, and an authentic educational tool, and it does an okay job. It's quality as an educational tool is extremely high, but that doesn't always mesh with being a fun game, and it feels like there's a lot of missed opportunities with how it goes about teaching you. Still, it's a fun, short time that is a great to experience for how it depicts nature alone, especially at such a great price.

System Shock 2 25th Anniversary Remaster contains a complete package of the source material, lovingly maintained in its original form, alongside tons of assets and history that most preservation efforts can't compare to.

Onimusha: Warlords is a decent remaster.While its combat remains great and its mechanics solid, some of the graphical upgrades can be hit and miss.

Fairy Tail is a good first attempt to bring this massive franchise to home consoles. GUST does a great job of not only recreating the world and characters of Fairy Tail but goes out of its way with great writing and character development. It's not every day you get to play a game that rewards you for every task you complete in it. Combat is a highlight but the exploration leaves much to be desired.

It may be occasionally janky, and despite best intentions, it isn’t always as easy to understand as it could be, yet Ashes Cricket’s bright spots shine through the flecks of grime. This is not a perfect game of cricket, but it is a good one.

As enjoyable as WWE 2K19 can be, if the series is ever to recapture the ineffable brilliance of No Mercy and other such classics, it desperately needs a rather large dose of innovation.

A different kind of survival sandbox, Green Hell's anchoring in a contemporary place together with its narrative help to separate it from its more aimless seeming brethren. Though some additional polish is required, Green Hell nonetheless is still one of the better survival sandbox experiences to come along in a good while.