Downwell manages to blend simplicity with hidden, challenging depths to create a unique take on the platform and shoot ‘em up genres that is hard to resist from the moment you first jump into that well. It may not have the lifespan of similar titles, and it occasionally feels a little cheap in later stages, but that doesn’t stop it from being a highly enjoyable descent.

Might not be perfect, but in resurrecting a very specific sort of puzzle adventure that the industry has seemingly forgotten, Gareth Noyce’s heartfelt love-letter to the past succeeds in weaving a yarn which manages to feel both fresh and compelling at the same time. This is the isometric platform puzzler you never knew you wanted.

Blizzard hasn't done anything new here, but what they have done is taken the genre of "shooty-shooty, bang-bang" and injected a dose of colour and personality, delivering a game that's enjoyable, eye-catching and crammed with just the right amount of depth and accessibility that will grant a tremendous amount of replay value to establish an audience.

A mediocre third-person stealth effort revolving around a singular gimmick that is both intriguing and also damning to its ambitions, Shadwen is nowhere near the lofty standard that we would expect from the house that Trine built.

Easily the best DLC entry for Fallout 4 to date, Far Harbor introduces some exciting new enemies and a tighter, more enjoyable main storyline. It also brings an air of over-familiarity and fresh performance issues that blight an otherwise exceptional expansion.

A confident resurgence of one of the FPS genre’s pioneering efforts; DOOM not only manages to boast perhaps the finest single-player campaign in the genre but also a blissfully entertaining multiplayer suite and map editor to boot. Make no mistake, this is DOOM 2.0 and it’s one of the very best shooters you can buy on PS4 right now.

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.

An oddly eclectic yet ultimately satisfying side-scrolling action adventure, Shadow of the Beast remains a solid and enjoyable gory brawler though it demands tolerance of its myriad of idiosyncrasies, some of which are far more forgivable than others.

A valiant effort has been made to salvage this long troubled game from the doldrums, but despite some good ideas, solid combat, and neat concepts, Homefront: The Revolution suffers for its long gestation more than it benefits from it.

An endless runner that at least dares to try some different ideas, Corridor Z still unfortunately remains very much stuck in the mud of its two overplayed tropes found in its chosen genre and theme. It is, however, still a fairly serviceable runner that’ll whittle away a few minutes a day for a short time.

Uncharted 4 is the ultimate video game adventure, a visual masterpiece, and a heartfelt, triumphant conclusion for a PlayStation icon.

There will come a day where The Park is available on PS4 for peanuts, and that day is when I’d fully recommend trying its fresh, but flawed, brand of horror out. Until then, the price of admission is too high for the brevity of the ride. Especially for one that has more than a few nuts and bolts missing from it.

DiRT Rally is hands down the best rally game I have ever played – stand aside Richard Burns Rally, in fact it’s the best Codemasters racing game I have ever played.

World of Tomorrow is the best slice of Hitman for a decade. Sapienza holds so many deliciously dark secrets within its Mediterranean walls, and it’s worth exploring every single one of them.

In keeping with the spirit of the nearly three decade old original, Pang Adventures entertains with its easy to grasp, difficult to master shooter sensibilities. While the broad repetition of mechanics and lack of online play and truly new content will surely grate, Pang Adventure remains decent fodder for a quick session whenever you have the odd few minutes to spare for its classic arcade beats.

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.

The congregation of turn-based strategy, stealth and roguelike seems like an odd grouping, but my word, it works so very, very well.

Most gamers could find something to enjoy with the title, but those who aren’t big genre fans may feel like it’s a long grind towards a lacklustre ending.

Severed is quite simply a handheld tour de force without equal.

Trillion: God of Destruction is an SRPG that probably should have been a visual novel. Its great character design, and top notch writing are held back by constant micromanagement. Worse still by a combat system that's hard to comprehend, and isn’t even fun when you do. Come for the art, don’t stay for the gameplay.

A strong start for A Crowd of Monsters’ Noir adventure. Stylish, dripping in atmosphere, and compelling enough to keep you on the hook for the next episode. It has its faults, not all of which may turn out to be a problem when the series is finished, but for now they are outshone by the things this first episode does right.

Koi comes close to being a remarkable indie title. The audiovisual design work is incredibly cohesive, and despite the gameplay simplicity, it does enough to keep your attention for its short play time. Koi’s issues lie with the weak delivery of its environmental message that unfortunately highlights the shortcomings found in such a simple game.

Stories: The Path of Destinies is quite the compelling curio; a seemingly routine hack and slash affair at first, it soon elevates its calibre with some satisfying ARPG style action, entertaining writing and a wonderfully non-linear multi-faceted narrative. It’s just a shame that a multitude of bugs and performance issues tarnish the experience.

Star Wars: Battlefront's first foray into DLC proves to be a mixed bag with uninspiring heroes and a couple of dud maps failing to match the caliber of the new Extraction game mode and Jabba's Palace level.

Not every part of the Ratchet & Clank formula still shines, but this PS4 reboot is gold. Updated controls are the perfect way to experience bombastic, addictive firefights with awesome weaponry.

A toweringly charismatic twin-stick blaster that expertly marries retro shooter beats with roguelike game mechanics, Enter the Gungeon is one of the cleverest and most enjoyable shooters money can buy.

Few titles this generation will match the purity of Dark Souls III as a game. This is as brutal, exhilarating, and compelling as the series has ever been, but it is also laden with the heavy burden of expectation that its heritage brings. Significant, yet minor improvements are made to the established formula, and nostalgia is warmly embraced a little too often, yet this still doesn’t prevent Dark Souls III from being a fine game.

Boasting a mostly decent remastering effort and a much welcomed wealth of content set against a frustratingly incoherent set of campaign scenarios and frustrating clunkiness, Resident Evil 6 on PS4 is the definitive edition of the series’ most divisive entry and is perhaps more easily recommended to the uninitiated rather than those who were turned off by the game’s original PS3 outing.

A frequently funny and riotous take on Dodgeball, the lack of online multiplayer and occasionally soft-headed AI isn’t enough to meaningfully detract from the lustre of Stikbold’s blissfully enjoyable local multiplayer shenanigans. This is the dodgeball video game you never knew you wanted.

Season One of Minecraft Story Mode ends on an all-time high with a highly amusing, and more importantly, fun standalone family adventure. The only drawbacks now are all related to Telltale’s own creaking game engine.

Though not quite the perfect package, Trackmania Turbo's strong community and solid gameplay should keep racing fans coming back for more.

Nights of Azure is an example a very decent game that could have been great given more time and money.

San Diego Studio continues to show love for baseball with MLB 16 The Show, taking its historic limelight and bringing to it a multitude of new options, features, and enhancements. Every annual release should be better than the last year, but MLB 16 The Show expands on all fronts with dividends and adds even more reasons to crack the bat.

An enchanting, choose your own path style gamebook adventure, Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf does a commendable job of capturing the spirit of the series it’s based on while imbuing the proceedings with substantial amounts of longevity and a masterful degree of presentation.

An admirable, if problematic, port of a fine strategy game, XCOM Enemy Unknown Plus gives the PS Vita a welcome, posthumous, shot in the arm.

Automatron has a short-lived story that’s enjoyable without ever really kicking into gear, but luckily, the robot-building and other new additions to the Commonwealth save this first batch of Fallout 4 DLC from being a disappointment.

Dokuro is a charming platform title featuring a unique aesthetic, challenging levels and strong replay value. Just be prepared to die a lot.

EA Sports takes a positive corner on the MMA market with UFC 2 as it focuses on what makes the sport great: strong mechanics and a lot of training. With strong servers and gameplay mechanics, UFC 2 has what it takes to represent the UFC both offline and online.

With its eloquent mix of dystopia, stealth puzzling and point n’ click adventuring, Republique is a gem of a game, soured only by some easily-avoided technical problems and a slightly uneven storytelling issue late on.

Sheltered depicts the grim, unpleasant side of the post-apocalypse to great effect for its limited resources. That doesn’t stop the game from getting frustratingly repetitive though as there’s simply not enough variety in the game’s opening hours.

Post-pandemic New York City is a terrifying vision, but it's not one that you’ll likely want to leave for some time.

Assault Android Cactus manages to vault beyond its classical inspiration to manifest as a genre effort that expertly marries deep mastery with instantly accessible simplicity. Furthermore, here’s another bit of simplicity for you; Assault Android Cactus is simply one of the best twin-stick shooters ever made.

As far as feature-complete packages go, Mortal Kombat XL is among the best examples of a plentiful bounty of playing options. It's not the greatest, nor the deepest, fighting game around, but it is gleefully gory fun for long stretches.

With a larger focus on strategy and a handful of smaller new features, Samurai Warriors 4 Empires will certainly appeal to veteran fans of the series but it simply just hasn’t evolved enough to ensnare wayward players or newcomers to its overly well-worn brand of tactical combat.

This first episode strikes a fine balance between accessibility and pleasing long term fans to make this the finest slice of Hitman since Blood Money. Some technical issues do sadly mar an otherwise superb start to Agent 47’s latest.

A furiously upbeat and beautifully playable take on the platforming racer, Action Henk's offbeat action figure mayhem and forgiving difficulty curve is just what the genre needs going forward. It’s big, it’s colourful and it’s a whole heap of fun.

A poignant and masterfully haunting affair, Kholat’s flawed narrative and sparse environments aren’t enough to considerably detract from its overwhelming atmospherics and sense of adventure.

There's enough addictive fun to be had in Rainbow Moon to justify its small price tag, but slow pacing and control issues hold it back from greatness.

Gunscape could be a good game creator with a healthy lifespan, but a high price point, unoriginal concepts, and muddled ideals are just the tip of the iceberg that looks like it will sink the game's lofty ambitions.

Technical issues aside, Broforce is a delightfully chaotic love letter to the brightly-colored excesses of 80’s action movie carnage and coin op shooters.

Foul Play looks great and it's very funny, but it's lack of depth and rigid combat system holds it back from receiving a standing ovation.

Toki Tori 2+ doesn’t always make it easy to know exactly what you should be doing, but once the game’s initially frustrating first hour subsides, a sprawling, charming and resolutely challenging puzzle platformer lies beyond.

Heavy Rain looks fantastic on PS4 and still has the power and sophistication to leave a lasting impression. Despite not fixing the glitches and awkward, robotic crowd scenes for this remaster, Quantic Dream’s interactive drama is an absorbing experience not to be missed.

In Too Deep suffers greatly from an over familiarity with both post-apocalyptic worlds and Telltale’s own formula. If not for Michonne herself, this would be a truly disastrous start to the latest entry in this partnership.

A wildly unusual but nevertheless highly accomplished distillation of the Hitman formula into a turn-based puzzler, Hitman GO's mobile origins do little to dull the allure of what is a confident reinvention of its parent franchise.

Despite an underwhelming story and a few hiccups here and there, the stunning world of Oros makes Far Cry Primal an experience worth going through.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 has the potential to be a sleeper hit. The multiplayer is a major focal point and the classes have a lot of variety and complexity ready for every level of player. The repetitiveness aside, there’s enough here for everyone to have a good time, especially when friends are involved.

The Escapists: The Walking Dead valiantly tries to subvert the established formula of the original version of The Escapists, but ends up a slightly confused love letter to Robert Kirkman’s post-apocalyptic comic book series instead. There's still plenty to enjoy for Walking Dead fans, if not necessarily much for those that liked The Escapists.

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

When Street Fighter V is at its best, it's untouchable. A fantastic fighter with layer upon layer of depth. At its worst, it feels hollow and cheap. A work in progress that hasn't quite managed to complete the parts that are there.

Layers of Fear is everything a mature, modern horror game should be. Subtle, smart, unnerving and genuinely intriguing.

Easily the best looking anime fighter on the market today, the fourth and final entry in the Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm series proves to be a highly entertaining one as it parallels its stupendous presentation with substantial longevity and an easily accessible brawler.

A charmingly well-crafted marriage of co-operative play and Metroidvania esque mechanics, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is quite unlike any PS4 game currently available and is absolutely worth the price of admission for those looking for their next long-term co-op fix.

As the best game in the Chronicles trilogy, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia delivers some solid sections of stealth play set against a beautiful backdrop, but still falls flat with frustrating level design and uninspiring combat.

A solid debut title for La Cosa Entertainment, KLAUS looks good and tells its story very well. A bit too easy for seasoned players, which feels unrewarding, but still plenty to like about this quirky platformer.

Arslan boasts great story and character concepts woven beautifully between stunning action sequences. Gameplay is straightforward, but a diverse cast of playable characters prevents too much monotony.

Firewatch really gets you thinking, plays on your emotions, and delivers a unique experience that stays with you long after the final credits roll.

Unravel is a gorgeous, tender, heartwarming experience. Endearing to the last thanks to a well-designed world and achingly sweet protagonist.

There is the odd glimmer of something greater in Gemini: Heroes Reborn. For whatever reason, you never get to see it very often. Combat can be gleeful fun, but a forgettable, pointless story, dull characters and uninspired design work are just some of the things that work against any potential.

Nitro+ Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is a fun fighting game that will get your inner waifu going. Without doubt a fan service game, its gameplay mechanics are refreshing enough to provide a great party game experience for you and your friends.

A riotous take on the side-scrolling shooter from the house that Olli Olli built, Not A Hero is brash, clever and entertaining blaster; even if its old-fashioned sensibilities may grate with some.

With such a splendid array of options, a wealth of content, and lengthy history lessons, Sébastian Loeb Rally Evo offers a fun rallying experience that WRC fans will enjoy, especially with the grand variety of tracks at your disposal. Despite issues with both graphics and physics, Sébastian Loeb Rally Evo is a fun drive and a great starter game for those interested in the World Rally Championship.

Mostly more of the same, but better refined, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is great fan service and highly entertaining family fun. Easily the best regular LEGO title for a while.

An utterly superlative remastering effort turns one of PS Vita's crown jewels into one of PS4's most engaging and compelling titles. As fresh today as it was on its original release nearly four years ago, Gravity Rush Remastered is absolutely unmissable.

World of Tanks stands out from the majority of free-to-play games by being tactically deep and generally quite different to the norm. There’s nothing new for existing players, and there’s a lack of game modes that could impair the longevity of your time with it, but World of Tanks is a fine blend of simulation and competitive multiplayer that’s well worth checking out.

The classic platformer has been brought to life with a glorious makeover that makes you fall in love with the downtrodden Mudokon all over again. New players are in for a real treat.

The Witness, at the end of the day, revolves around one’s ability to interpret and solve complex puzzles. The island is gorgeous and memorable while the gameplay itself is as smooth as silk, but there’s no way around the constant need to solve the next puzzle. It is the ultimate stonewalling challenge rewarded only by rare success.

Tachyon Project does enough to get noticed in the sea of modern twin-stick shooters thanks to its inventive setup, but there’s still something missing that means it never hits the heights of the very best in the genre. For what it is, and what it costs, you’ll get more than enough out of it.

A relentlessly savage take on survival that puts players in control of the fleshy collateral damage that other war games merely gloss over, This War of Mine is a bleak, grim and ruthlessly entertaining affair quite unlike any other.

Inside My Radio is an often clever, creative and fun platformer/rhythm-action hybrid that perhaps pulls too many of its rabbits out of its hat before the final act. While it suffers for being a bit short, and for not always blending the two genres as well as it could, it does have an incredibly vibrant identity of its very own, and that’s something worth praising.

Resident Evil Zero isn't quite up there with the likes of Resident Evil 2 or the remake, but it's still a solid horror romp that fans will want to pick up. And now it looks even better to boot.

Albedo is one of those games that, with a few small changes, could have been quite decent. The shlocky sci-fi B-Movie vibe is a good one to utilise for an adventure game, and it’s definitely the most unique facet of Albedo, but sadly, as a game, it never quite maintains any kind of consistency to recommend it to anyone but the most patient and understanding of adventure game fans. The game’s protagonist often says ‘I see something’ without any clue as to what it is he’s referring to. That sums up Albedo all too well.

A riotous, non-linear RPG with great turn-based battles and a delectable 1980’s style cartoon veneer, The Banner Saga is the first truly essential strategy title on PS4.

Periods of fun stealth play aren't enough to rescue the second entry in the Chronicles saga from being a forgettable, average platformer.

A laidback RPG that is geared more towards the visual novel crowd. It has a charming group of characters trying to save the world, and a story that can pull on the heartstrings. Tedious combat design severely hampers the pacing of an otherwise fine story, and a lack of exploration and side-quests reduces the want of additional playthroughs.

Unfortunately, far too many of Hardware’s ideas are poorly executed for it to be the saviour it might have been. It doesn’t do it any favours to see it presented in such a generally unenthusiastic, haphazard fashion. With variety sorely lacking and balancing currently an issue, there’s little to suggest a long-term future for Hardware: Rivals in the heaving ball pit that is online-only gaming.

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.

A satisfying conclusion to this story arc, full of revelations, heartbreak and humour. The only things that really hamper Story Mode’s penultimate episode are some predictable moments and how little much of its cast have developed over the span of the past four episodes.

Amplitude manages to be both a throwback, and as relevant as ever. This feels like a Harmonix with the shackles off, free to unleash their creative side onto the rhythm-action genre once again. With its initial simplicity, mesmerising visuals, and a great marriage of music to game mechanics, Harmonix have given the world a better Amplitude. One that is simply a superb title.

A sadly disappointing festive spin-off to the lovably quirky Hatoful Boyfriend; Holiday Star strips back the things that made its predecessor a cult favourite. There’s little holiday cheer for this bird, as its wings have been clipped. At least it hasn’t been stuffed.

Multi-layered in its sophistication while being drenched in aesthetic bombast and effortlessly entertaining, Nuclear Throne isn't just Vlambeer's finest work to date, it also happens to be the best twin-stick shooter since Helldivers; even in light of its relatively minor transgressions.

A complex storyline with lots of twists, Yakuza 5 expands on the already hefty helping that was Yakuza 4. Beautifully-rendered CG cutscenes will keep players in awe, and a myriad of mini-games and side quests will give more incentive to keep playing once it is over. A fitting swan song game for the PS3 era in the west.

A bare bones concept, lacking any consequence to choosing to pursue what the game is supposed to be about: strategy. Only the most diehard of Dynasty Warriors fans will try it out, otherwise buyers are better suited to sticking with Dynasty Warriors 8.

This could have been a triumphant return for Rainbow Six, even with the true single-player experience stripped out, but bad decision after bad decision helps to bury the potential and leave Siege D.O.A.

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.

Fat Princess Adventures is a pleasant hack-'n-slash romp with a wonderfully silly sense of humour. It lacks depth, and replay value, but as a budget game to play with friends it offers fine value for money.

Fun to play with plenty of replay value, Zotrix sounds the part but the clunky interface and non-nonsensical controls prove to be frustrating.

Varied and fun to play, Shadow of New Despair captures the intensity and feel of 70's and 80's monster/sci-fi movies, though its difficulty curve is sometimes hard to swallow.