Somewhat lacking the addictive qualities of some of the better games in the genre, Serial Cleaner still provides plenty of challenge and a decent amount of content for fans of stealth puzzlers.

Marvel Heroes Omega is a toweringly enjoyable marriage of dungeon crawling and superhero action that deserves to be embraced by both fans of Diablo and Marvel alike.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is right up there with all the acclaimed classics that have enjoyed great remasters, making the original product better without changing its fundamental execution.

Black the Fall paints a pretty bleak picture of a quite personal dystopia. It doesn’t excel at its puzzle-solving all that often, nor does it always feel well-designed, but it does well enough to keep you moving through the oppression in the hope the protagonist gets to fulfill his dream of freedom from it.

The Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy has been remastered beautifully and truthfully to the original releases, with a few minor extras and improvements that are welcome. Despite that, the controls and gameplay feel outdated, and despite the Crash PS4 trilogy doing well to stir pangs of nostalgia, the games don’t hold up to 2017 standards of excellence.

A rapid-fire take on the asynchronous multiplayer template pioneered by the likes of Left 4 Dead and Evolve, Dead by Daylight’s scrappy aesthetic, unfair survivor loot system and repetition unfortunately detract a bit from the otherwise blissful fun of its video nasty style horror thrills.

Minor shortcomings aside, Elite Dangerous delivers with aplomb on its promise of a massive galaxy for players to explore and write their own stories within. There are very few games on PS4 that will devour your social life as completely as Elite Dangerous.

While Stormblood doesn’t strike away from Heavensward or other modern MMOs in terms of quest design and content, almost everything it does is exceptional.

A fine, novel way to progress the party game genre, That's You! is a surprisingly good, goofy time. Smart use of its PlayLink smartphone app, customizable questions, and photo-fiddling nonsense, make this a winning title.

Episode Prompto is a better DLC than Episode Gladio, but that doesn't make it great in anyway. The open environment is welcome and Prompto’s play style is unique though hindered by some questionable design choices. Episode Prompto doesn't enrich the XV experience in anyway. Instead of leaving excited for Episode Ignis I left hoping they would just move on to Final Fantasy XVI.

Unfortunately, Micro Machines World Series has been forced into a corner where its online multiplayer only nature, buggy online play, and less than half features of the content of its non-licensed predecessor makes this a hard purchase.

A lot feels right with Tokyo Xanadu, with gorgeous handheld graphics and a concept with a lot of potential, but the complete product chooses overall accessibility for depth of concept. Combat, narrative, and development do their job just enough to keep things working, but the hiccups and shortcomings keep holding the game back from the niche sleeper hit it could be.

Ancient Amuletor provides a lot of fun in virtual reality, but currently lacks depth of content.

Friday the 13th is a technical horror show redeemed by a fairly enjoyable core multiplayer experience. The nagging problem with that is that the stars have to align for players to achieve that experience in the first place. Time and effort will likely help make Friday the 13th a stronger package in the future, but time may well not be on its side if the player base dwindles rapidly.

Arizona Sunshine is a frenetic, VR powered, zombie blasting romp that stands as the next must-have title for the PSVR Aim Controller.

Housemarque has broken its own quality barrier with Nex Machina. This pulse-pounding twin-stick arcade shooter is the developer’s finest work. Brutal, compelling, enthralling and layered with hidden depths, Nex Machina is awash with retrotastic glory, and serves as the new benchmark for twin-stick shooters.

A sometimes beguiling yet, frequently intriguing blend of first-person exploration and shooter genres, Get Even’s uneven execution results in a game that is commendable for its ambition and relentlessly engaging narrative, but one which ultimately fails to come together in practice.

The Elder Scrolls Online gets its biggest shot in the arm yet with the extensive Morrowind chapter. It doesn't properly fix the fundamental flaws of the base game, but it does add an interesting, fresh depth for veteran players whilst keeping it somewhat accessible for newcomers.

Perception is a fun game full of unique concepts and ideas, but for a horror game it isn’t particularly frightening.

While The Town of Light is rough around the edges, both in technical and narrative terms, it does at least provide a different kind of horror compared to the current market. It's one based on a grim, bleak history of the treatment of mental health issues, and that makes for an unpleasant, yet fascinating experience if you can stomach both the subject matter and the low quality of the game's performance.

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.

The latest in arguably Codemasters cornerstone racing franchise; rally racing on PS4 just doesn’t get better than Dirt 4. It simply doesn’t.

Danger Zone might be a lean package, but the car-smashing joy that package contains is more than worth investing in.

While lacking in the charm department, VR Karts captures the fun and chaos of kart-racing really well in virtual reality.

Aside from some perplexing omissions, Tekken 7 is a roaring success where it truly matters; in its mechanics, its dynamism, and its ability to engage the player through its concise presentation. Make no mistake, the King is back.

A gorgeously content rich 2D brawler with style to spare, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 puts some extra shine on one of the best fighting games available. This is one utterly essential brawler.

Funny in small doses, the concept of Oh Sir…! The Insult Simulator is sound but the execution is lacking. Some great character voice work and the occasional witty retort isn’t enough to keep you laughing for long with the game’s scoring system and nonsensical dialogue dampening the humor.

One of the most polished dungeon crawlers in years, Victor Vran is an easy recommendation to anyone with even the slightest fondness for the genre.

Best enjoyed with friends, Bridge Crew is not just one of the most enjoyable and polished Star Trek titles to date, but also a real feather in the cap for PSVR.

The Ringed City is a fine ending to a memorable franchise, making the Fire Fades Edition a must-buy for anyone looking to jump into it head first.

What RiME does so well is marry pleasing puzzle platforming to a tender, understated story, and then puts it in a beautifully bleak world filled with mystery. RiME takes the baton from the likes of Journey and Ico, and strides to victory with ease.Tequila Works takes aspects of those classics, and puts a personal touch on the results to create something special.

Injustice 2 goes to great lengths to be a fighting game with longevity in mind without ostracizing a more casual audience. A superb story, a great roster, and a smart, if overly complicated, Gear system all contribute to that, and the result is arguably the best overall fighter of modern times.

For the amount of staff that worked on this game, they do have a good base to work from, but unfortunately there are so many issues that it detracts from being an enjoyable affair. Its sub three-hour gameplay has no replayability at all, and the consistently harsh frame rate dips heavily impact the game.

Portal Knights just about pulls off being a crafting game and an RPG adventure in one by keeping the important things simple. A well-implemented 4 player co-op adds another layer of enjoyment to proceedings, but combat and controller mapping problems slightly spoil an otherwise pleasant game.

Flying Wild Hog has gone for ‘bigger is better’ on Shadow Warrior 2, and occasionally that works. Sadly, there’s too much open space and inconsistent combat to make it a memorable return for the puerile Lo Wang. These issues are patched over somewhat by the highly enjoyable co-op, where you get a fair share of chucks out of mowing down hordes of demons with pals.

Overall, Black and White Bushido is a lot of fun, with support of up to four players local or online, this is certainly a game to bring out at parties or when friends come over for some fun.

Seasons After Fall is a gorgeous year-round romp through the forest that will pull at the heartstrings on more than one occasion. Every season brings fun and different dynamics to the game, complemented superbly by the soundtrack. Some puzzles and load times may frustrate, but they’re not enough to detract from the overall charm and enjoyment of the game.

Akiba’s Beat is a step down from its predecessor on almost every level. A bland, soulless JRPG that yearns to emulate more successful titles without any of the style, grace, or nuance.

The Surge started off great. The combat was fun, the story seemed interesting, and the crafting was enjoyable that is until I got a dozen or so hours into it where everything went from being doable to insanely hard, grindy, and uninspiring.

Beyond its central conceit of virtual-reality shooting, Farpoint is the very definition of mediocre. But that shooting--especially in Cooperative Mode--is compelling, well-executed, and undeniably fun.

Other than the poor quality of the cutscenes, LocoRoco is filled with oodles of charm, a soundtrack that delights, and the most adorable characters in any game ever. There’s no escaping the happiness you feel when playing LocoRoco.

Dragon of the North could have been a great DLC, but at the end it fails to live up to the expectations. Dragon of the North is good, but it doesn’t add enough content to make it an absolute necessity and only the most hardcore players will find the difficulty spike to their liking, others will probably cry in a corner.

Prey gives you a luxurious sci-fi playground and a great set of tools to use within it. Combat may be underwhelming, and the main story equally so, but the level of immersion on display is still absolutely stellar.

Dreamfall Chapters is a hard sell for all but the most devoted fans of The Longest Journey. Story aside there’s little else that encourages investment of your time. Troublesome tech niggles alongside poor pacing and inconsistent puzzling sits some really intriguing characters and two worlds filled with narrative wonder. That you have to outpace your boredom to reach the juicy bit of Dreamfall Chapters’ rich story is perhaps the biggest obstacle of all.

Symphony of the Machine is a short puzzle game that really taps into the concepts of virtually reality. The game is kept simple, whilst the puzzles are tactical and challenging. If you are looking for a great VR puzzle game that should only take a few hours to complete, give this gem a spin.

Gnog is a unique puzzler that combines truly great puzzles with a fantastic visual experience. The game is short but sweet, and is perfect for kids due to the easy controls and vibrant colours.

The Walking Dead and Telltale are both suffering from increasing fatigue, but this season’s penultimate episode helps this particular story soldier on towards a potentially satisfying, if predictable, conclusion.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a journey to discover truth, even if that truth is debilitating. There is a charm and humanity here that’s hard to ignore and even harder to emulate. One in a million is too often used nowadays, but it holds true here.

Inventive and disturbing puzzler with beautiful environments, Little Nightmares is well worth a look for fans of the genre looking for something a little different.

Valhalla Hills tries to bring The Settlers II gameplay up to snuff but while it improves in some areas, it completely negates some aspects on what made The Settlers II so much fun in the first place. Building and autonomy is done decently well but with the lack of continuation and multiplayer makes it pale in comparison. Its price for entry is very worrying too and doesn’t help matters.

While it might be backhanded praise, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is undoubtedly the finest entry in the series to date and while that might not mean a whole lot to the unfamiliar, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 shares enough commonality with key elements of both Sniper Elite IV and Ghost Recon Wildlands that it stands as an easy recommendation for fans of either.

Despite the lack of character development and the occasional forced grind for gear, Dragon Quest Heroes II is a monstrously fun and childish game that will appeal to both grown-ups and children alike. It’s witty script and adorable looking characters makes the game enjoyable to play throughout plus the sheer size of the customisable skill trees will keep Dynasty Warriors fans happy.

I’ve never played a game that made me cringe and squirm as much as Outlast 2. Outlast 2 builds the type of tension and fear that I haven’t experienced in a game for a very long time. If you enjoy horror, Outlast 2 will definitely leave an impression on you. Outlast 2 doesn’t necessarily change the formula established in the first game but improves on the formula as best it can.

The Deer God is a solid statement against animal cruelty and even sport hunting, exploring an empathetic view from the eyes of a deer. While it features solid, simplistic gameplay, frequent hiccups and balance issues keep this from being a game worthy of the title’s undertaking.

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.

Full Throttle Remastered is a no-nonsense package that does exactly what it sets out to do by updating the audiovisual experience whilst retaining the original game. It has its faults, borne of its age and shift towards what would become the modern adventure game style, but it remains a fine game, and an important part of the history of point n’ click adventures.

While these aren't entirely among the finest of platformers from the 8-bit era, the Disney Afternoon Collection does make some enjoyable retro titles more accessible for newcomers, whilst offering old hands so e fresh challenges.

Guardians of the Galaxy: A Telltale Games Series kicks off with a mixed bag of feelings. The episode is funny but boring, touching, yet unrefined. The gameplay is slick, but the quick-time events are a chore. It flips and flops between ‘intriguing mystery’ and ‘mediocrity at its okayest,’ but there’s plenty of room to get better. Now that the stage has been set, I am ready for episode 2 to go the distance.

Late Shift is an interesting update on the idea of the interactive movie. While it brings decent tv-quality production values and soap opera level acting to a genre notoriously riddled with far worse, it still doesn’t do enough to stand out as a film, nor offer enough interactivity as a game. There’s potential for this template, but the interactivity needs to be much more ambitious.

An indie adventure with far Eastern inspirations that does a great job of masquerading as a big budget spectacular, Shiness will delight those looking for a fix of action RPG goodness with one eye on the classics of yore.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Curse is simply wonderful. Not only does it keep the spirit of the original, it proves that you don’t need to overthink and recreate a formula that works just as well in 2017 as it did in 1989. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Curse is a must buy.

The bountiful promise of Rain World’s grim world and the assortment of cunning creatures which inhabit it are summarily undone by fiddly controls and an overwhelmingly punishing level of difficulty. Underneath it all there’s an assuredly decent effort here; it’s just a shame that all but the most masochistically inclined will ever summon the requisite determination to plumb its intimidating depths.

A bit more love and attention would have seen the PS4 version of Lego City Undercover receive the commendation it deserves, but its unresolved shady past has caught up with it.

Drawn to Death is another unique title from David Jaffe and his new studio. Not only is Drawn to Death’s art style unique, but its gameplay is also solid fun. The true test for Drawn to Death will see how it stays relevant in an already crowded genre.

Though the premise is intriguing, and the game does have its moments from time to time, StarBlood Arena isn’t quite in the same league as PSVR’s launch effort, RIGS.

Awash in a frankly ridiculous amount of charm and bolstered by a genuinely innovative time travel mechanic, The Sexy Brutale is one of the most deliciously refreshing puzzlers to come along in a good long while.

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered is not quite the hero’s welcome PaRappa deserved. I wanted to believe, and there’s evidence here of why the game is fondly remembered, but this particular dog has had his day.

A fairly competent remaster of one of the last generation’s most underappreciated shooters, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Editon reminds us that dumb fun doesn’t mean no creativity. For anyone who’s already played it, there’s not much new to make this an essential repurchase, but if you see it for a lower price down the road, grab it.

Yooka-Laylee shows there’s room for nostalgia-flavored 3D platforming in today’s market by reminding us of the joys of well-built, colorful worlds, and daft, fun characters. Unfortunately, the good work put in by Playtonic to modernise the stagnant genre is hamstrung by glaring technical issues that dull the vibrancy, and cloud over your enjoyment.

Heart wrenchingly beautiful and emotionally exhausting, Blackwood Crossing is a game that will be on your mind for days.

Developer Spike Chunsoft knocks it out of the park with The Nonary Games. The puzzles in both 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward are challenging and rewarding, but it’s their stories that really make you stop and think while trying to figure it all out.

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.

In a class by itself, San Diego Studios continues to wow audiences with an authentic baseball sim with its newly released MLB The Show 17. It’s visually astounding, and all games modes have that extra something to keep you playing long into the night with only a few significant things keeping it from statistical perfection.

Persona 5 may not pull up many trees in terms of innovation, but it refines and refreshes the things that make a great RPG work. The real star of the show however, is the world this RPG inhabits, and the people in it that you come to adore. Persona 5 is something to sink your entire self into, and end up feeling utterly despondent about when you finally have to leave its stylish embrace.

Aside from some niggling pitfalls – many of which will be mitigated or exacerbated by your level of patience – Snake Pass is a success; a delightful throwback to the classic puzzle platformer of yonder that levels a keen eye on trying to expand modern control sensibility.

Episode Gladiolus isn’t the DLC I was hoping for but it is what I expected it to be. Though it's on the short side its asking price is more than reasonable and we get a taste of how Gladio will most likely function in multiplayer in the future.

The Silent Oath is an excellent story-driven game that brings out the very best of virtual reality’s application and is one that certainly deserves a sequel.

Kingdom Hearts gets a robust, satisfying collection, with the definitive versions of four great games on offer. It’s a perfect entry point and a welcome moment of cohesion for the series.

Troll and I is ambitious but rubbish, with flawed mechanics and weak storytelling.

Shortcomings aside, hack and slash fiends who are looking for their next fix should definitely check out Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, a genre effort which more than earns its passage into Valhalla.

When looking at the entire package, This Is the Police is a decent way to kill time in short bursts, but anything more than an hour at a time just feels like a chore. Despite the awkward political moments and somewhat monotonous gameplay, the skewed perspective of good vs. evil makes for an engaging story.

Toukiden 2 is packed with so much content that you can enjoy by yourself or with four other friends. The crafting is simple enough for anyone to get into and taking down a giant Oni can be incredibly satisfying. It’s just a shame that for everything good Toukiden 2 does, there is always something holding it back.

Everything provides a mellow environment to explore, with the perfect auditory compliments for your journey. The experience may be lost on some, but that's okay. Others will thoroughly enjoy getting lost in the experience, despite minor frustrations like the needle-in-a-haystack search.

Andromeda’s first adventure is plagued by frustrations. But memorable characters, a satisfying story, and deep RPG systems ultimately win the day.

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.

Unearthing Mars takes you on a journey from your living room to the red planet in 10 short levels. Push a few buttons, twiddle some knobs and that’s about all there is to this title.

For fans of FlatOut your patience has been rewarded; the series has reached its zenith at a time when nobody expected it to resurge, let alone do so with such brutal conviction. For the rest of you, FlatOut 4 is the perfect antithesis of all those sensible racers out there; a real, rough around the edges prospect that demands your attention.

Overwhelming in size and overflowing with freedom with which to tackle its sprawling campaign, Styx: Shards of Darkness is an unapologetically pure stealth title that might struggle to expand its hardcore appeal beyond the die-hard fans of the genre.

Ghost Blade HD has the 90s retrograde down pat, delivering a nostalgic retro shooter that’ll bring you back to that favorite arcade of yours. Enough keeps this from being a must buy, but the price point makes it appealing for anyone looking for a good ol’ time.

A little rough around the edges, but LEGO Worlds has huge potential with its extensive creativity and humour. If you can tolerate a wayward camera and occasionally fiddly controls, then there's a wealth of enjoyment to be mined from building, destroying, and collecting.

The setup for 2DARK holds intrigue, with a grim plot, and suitably creepy settings, but so much of how it actually plays out quickly diminishes the horror aspect of it. Respectable enough as a game, a failure as a horror.

A solid open world shooter with a tactical flavor that adds a bit of variety to otherwise repetitive objectives, Ghost Recon Wildlands is at its best when you join a squad of real people, and lay waste to the Santa Blanca cartel together. Just don't go into it expecting engaging characters or plot.

Sublevel Zero Redux brings something new to the FPS genre. Despite it's minor oddities, it's a well-rounded game that deserves to be in everyone's library.

My Dog Zorro has knocked it out of the park with this deceptively simple and deep puzzler, and I can’t wait for what they’ve got in store for us next. It’s easy to overlook title like this with so much amazing AAA-fare going around like NieR: Automata and Horizon: Zero Dawn, but make no mistake: Linelight is not to be missed.

Exceptional in every way. NeiR: Automata delivers on every cylinder, providing one of the best experiences this year. In every generation there is a game that leaves an impression on you and for me NieR: Automata is that game. To put it simply, NeiR: Automata is a magical experience.

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.

Deceptively deep gameplay and a pitch-perfect style make Loot Rascals a treat to pick up and play, but its over-reliance on luck and its failure to impart a sense of progression make it just as easy to put back down.

A sci-fi marvel, Torment: Tides of Numenera lays a narrative path for what could be something major. The pristine storyline shines through for those willing to sift through the cumbersome issues.