A great addition to the Shining franchise. Refrain is a fun title with good combat, interesting characters, and some great voice acting that accompany a great translation.

For those who enjoy strategy games, the interesting puzzles and challenges this game provides will be welcomed with open arms. Mastering the combat system and crafting the perfect build for your Tech Priests will encourage replayability, although the differences between the PS4 port and the original PC version stand out significantly.

An all-encompassing edition of Warhammer's latest foray into Diablo style dungeon crawling, Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition struggles to stand out with its grindy gameplay and poor use of the DualSense controller. That said, there is sufficient depth in its character build creation and near endless quest lines that those who can withstand its less agreeable aspects will find much to tide them over.

It may be a tad plodding and poorly structured, but Garden of the Sea has its heart in the right place. It delivers on the most crucial component in that it’s a very relaxing time. Anyway, it’s tough to be sour about a game that lets you feed and pet adorable creatures in VR.

Representing some of the most fun I have had with my PlayStation VR2 headset since launch, though Kill It With Fire VR is a touch too short, what we have here is nonetheless a hugely entertaining morsel of VR gaming that deftly blends a real-life fear of arachnids with a corresponding range of increasingly deranged methods to deal with them. Easy to play and resoundingly suitable for VR newcomers, Kill It With Fire VR is a whole heap of welcome chaotic fun.

It may have the Fate name in its title, but it doesn't present itself like a Fate title. The Umbral Star tells a bonkers story that only a Fate franchise can produce. The game itself is fun and features some awesome animations, but it’s instantly dragged down by terrible team AI and almost no sense of accomplishment.

An over-complicated story with pacing issues holds this RPG back from its full potential, especially since the prequel was not released in English first. Those who enjoy reading will no doubt have fun. A tedious magic leveling system can also scare away new fans embracing the series. Only RPG diehards and TK fans will immediately gravitate towards it.

ROTK13 lacks any of the basic macro and combat strategy fundamentals of previous titles, making this a sequel in name only. If you liked Sphere of Influence then you’ll enjoy this title too. But for those who waited for an ROTK game, keep waiting.

A true curio in the most literal sense, Mount and Blade: Warband will sharply divide PS4 players according to the premium that they place on aesthetics. For those who can look past such failings though, hundreds upon hundreds of hours of play awaits with a game that combines medieval combat, strategy and role-playing quite unlike any other. Just don’t stare at it eh? It’s rude.

Mini-Mech Mayhem has all the trappings of a fun game. The colorful visuals, cheery gameplay, and online representation of the player are all top-notch. But the core gameplay is somewhat questionable, due to the fact that it forces the player to strategize on unstable ground. There is a fine line between “anticipating” other players moves and “guessing”, and in Mini-Mech Mayhem, that line is fuzzier than PSVR’s graphics.

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.

Shenmue 3 is an uncompromising love letter to fans of the original games, make no question about it. If you weren't on board before, then this will do little to sway your opinion, as modern conventions have been largely ignored in favour of preserving a 20-year-old experience. While it's not perfect, Shenmue 3 is about as solid of a sequel as we could have expected after all this time.

Rage 2 has room to grow, but it's also a great game to pick up and play. Combat is visceral in all the right ways, and exploration is always rewarding. A few technical issues and a general sense of sameness keep it from pure excellence, but Rage 2 still represents a good time.

Whilst Aliens: Fireteam Elite is lacking in some areas, and is not without its frustrations, it is a solid third-person survival shooter. The story won't pull you in, but the core gameplay is satisfying, fun, and addictive and that is what will ultimately keep you coming back. There is something here for fans of third-person shooters and Alien fans alike.

On a functional level, AI Limit fulfills what it sets out to do and does so with very few hiccups in most regards. Outside of that, it exists as a time capsule of the mechanics that the industry is explicitly moving away from. While imitation can be argued to be the strongest form of flattery, here it feels tacky and it dilutes what ambition the team had in their own right. What is here, is good enough. But there isn't much outside of that.

There's tense, creative stealth action to be had in Thief's fun-but-flawed triumph over technical flubs, wasted narrative potential, and cringeworthy dialogue.

If you were hoping that The Thing Remastered would fix many of the issues of the original 2002 game, you will be semi-satisfied. The Thing Remastered preserves the twenty-year old PS2 game without tarnishing it, and improving some presentation aspects, as well as tidying up the formerly broken Infection System. However, if you expected refinements to game's shooting mechanics or many of its old foibles then you'll be disappointed.

A great rendition of an old IP by using the functionality of the PS Vita in the best ways.

The third entry in the Dissidia franchise is a good one and fans of the franchise shouldn't miss out on this entry. With a massive roster of characters and entertaining combat, the core Dissidia mechanics are safe and sound. It's just a shame that this entry feels so bare bones, not only with its lack of game modes but in its story execution.

All Zombies Must Die provides an afternoon of fun creating weapons and shooting zombies, without the cliche of its genre.

State of Mind is a commendably well-presented, if challenge-light effort that dives head first into its deep and winding subject matter with nary a look over its polygonal shoulder. A mature adventure then that proves itself worthy of the descriptor.

A literary masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of video games being legitimate art with its suspenseful, thrilling, and unique narrative that takes the horror genre to a new level. It is a classic for those Halloween fright nights but just make sure to double check the doors are locked when you turn the lights out.

DC Universe Online is certainly brimming with potential, but until Sony irons out some of the kinks, the various bugs and server issues prevent it from being the triple-A console MMO experience we've been craving all this time.

Save the Moon in Counterspy, a title created by a team of incredibly talented developers and creators from many different mediums. Experience Bond-esque style in a brand new way.

Men's Room Mayhem is a quirky concept executed surprisingly well, though it won't likely have you coming back for a seconds.

Disappointing yet addictive, The Godfather II blends strategy and violence with mixed results and technical inefficiency.

Despite a small handful of flaws, The Council Episode Two: Hide and Seek places an exclamation point on one of the cleverest narrative adventure games on the market.

Redeemer's combat is world class; revealing itself to be both hugely satisfying and wonderfully tactile. It's just a shame that there isn't enough game built around it and that the game which is there, appears so very unambitious. Nonetheless, Redeemer is more than capable of providing a barrage of violent thrills for a good few hours all the same.

World War Z is a blast to play featuring some great action and some intense encounters that should be experienced by anyone looking for a great co-op game.

There’s no denying that Spintires is a different take on the transportation simulator game, but different isn’t enough if the game in question doesn’t keep consistency in its simming. A decent title to potter about in, especially with others, but whenever additional rules are implemented, Spintires is apt to suffer.

Oddworld: Soulstorm in many ways is the peak of the Oddworld franchise. Oddworld Inhabitants have taken the hallmarked difficulty and dark humour and revamped it with innovative, new gameplay features and some really cool physics. It's only slightly held back by its overall presentation at launch, but despite this, it largely remains a stellar experience with lots of replayability and challenge for those who are Glukkon for punishment.

A solid first entry in the series. If you’re a Supercross fan then you’ll easily get knee deep into the excellent track editor and have good fun hurtling around its muddy tracks.

Snakeybus will bring a smile to your face, which in this day and age, is a very welcome thing. Good wholesome score-attack arcade driving combined with some hilariously weird but subtle comedy elements, Snakeybus is worth inviting into your home.

Though its meagre duration and challenge make it better suited for younger audiences, The Little Acre arguably remains greater than the sum of its relentlessly charming parts; offering up a point and click affair that reliably elicits laughter and joy from anybody, young or old who decides to pick up that DualShock 4 controller and set off on its grand adventure. Entrancing me in a way that very few games have lately, I cannot wait to see what Pewter Games comes up with next.

I cannot overstate the hilarity in this game. The combat is fun, if a bit tedious at times, but it never drops the ball on consistently delivering humor in oddball situations, built around a cast of lovable characters. With a little luck, you just might learn something you were never taught in highscool.

Possessor(s) brings a lot of success to the table: lots of boss fights, chunky and engaging combat, and a robust world to explore. Combine that with a strong narrative, and you have a recipe for success. The whip needs some optimization, and progressing the story can easily stagnate once the map opens up. Possessor(s) may not be able to contend with the titans of the genre, but it doesn't need to. It still provides a good experience for anyone interested in Metroidvanias.

While younger folks might still get a kick from its occasional scares and familiar locations, Jurassic World Aftermath Collection is a desperately linear adventure that struggles to break free of its humble technical origins and fails to both do proper justice to the setting of its source material and the PSVR2 hardware itself.

Shifting the action from both the muddy trenches of the Western Front and the snow-dappled rural expanses of the Eastern Front to the blood-soaked peaks of The Great War's arguably most sophisticated theatre of conflict, developers BlackMill Games and M2H have excelled themselves with Isonzo. A thoroughly thoughtful and visceral first-person shooter where tactics and strategy are valued equally to a quick trigger finger, Isonzo isn't just the best entry in the WW1 Game Series to date, it also happens to be one of the best tactical multiplayer shooters full stop.

Zombie Army VR then isn't going to set the VR landscape alight and neither is it going to bring untold masses into the sweet bosom of VR adoption. What it will do however is give you a nice, fetid and appropriately rotting slice of zombie meat cake to devour and you'll do it with a grin on your face as you chase high score multipliers and all the unlocks in one of the more surprisingly effective arcade style VR blasters to come along in a good while.

A fun game with friends, but otherwise it is held back by the inherent flaws associated with a game of this type. Try before you buy.

A kart racer heavy on chaos and silliness, Jimmie Johnson's Anything with an Engine doesn't add anything new to the genre, but is fun enough to play with friends for a few hours.

Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder is a tremendously fun, roguelike adventure with a hugely compelling neo-western, dieselpunk aesthetic that is best played with friends, so long as you can ignore the current choice selection of glitches and repetitive nature of its core gameplay loop. If you've ever wanted to play a SteamWorld Dig game in VR, this is currently the closest you'll get to it.

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.

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.

The initial setup for Impact Winter's frozen post-apocalyptic world is effectively haunting and grim. The trick does get repeated a little too often though, and the bleak situation you were previously invested in becomes too much of a chore and less about humanity struggling against nature.

EA Sports NHL 25 fails to deliver on the promises it sets in the new features that EA swears are improvements. It's another example of an entry into an annualized sports game series that doesn't feel like it's doing anything differently from the last year, but at least in this case last year's (and by default this years) game is fun to play.

Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon improves heavily on the original but it also stubbles by introducing unnecessary mechanics that hinders your ability to enjoy the game at your own pace.

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.

Rust is an unflinching multiplayer survival game that requires endurance and patience in order to really unlock its potential. The dynamics it creates in terms of player interaction are endlessly fascinating and prove to be a real boon for organic narrative flashpoints between players. Its pure multiplayer focus does mean it doesn’t have what you’d call a traditional endgame, but it more than makes up for that with the unpredictability its social design brings.

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.

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.

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.

Adventures of Mana has a great, olden feel to it, capturing what made the beginning years of the medium so special. While rough around the edges, this inspired RPG has a perfect home on Sony’s handheld powerhouse.

A charming and quirky simulation game in the spirit of Animal Crossing. Castaway Paradise is the virtual vacation that will end the summer gaming drought.

Much like the setting that inspires it, Beat Cop is crass, dirty and morally reprehensible at times. Though it certainly isn't for everybody, there is a certain attraction that Beat Cop exudes which has you coming back, time and again, to its grimly framed world of corrupt cops, jobsworth toil and pressure-based strategy.

While getting started can be a chore due to the poor tutorial implementation, clearing that barrier reveals a fun and interesting casual strategy title. Playing as a band of unapologetic vampires is a hoot, and taking over large swaths of land is entertaining. Mixing a wide variety of features from across the strategy genre, Immortal Wars somehow makes it all work together. An interesting diversion for strategy fans.

Watch Dogs: Legion is a far more palatable experience on PS5 thanks to its vastly-improved load times and splendid visual upgrades. The only real technical gripes are that there’s little in the way of DualSense implementation, and the framerate, while steady, hasn’t been upped. Its base problems of open-world fatigue and messy storytelling are still problems that can’t be so easily fixed and still remain a significant barrier to enjoyment. It’ll give you a dazzling trip to London, but you wouldn’t want to stay there.

If you're addicted to survival games like myself, this may be something you'll want to play to try out yourself. But if you're wanting to enter the genre, this isn't your entry point. There's plenty of better options out there, and Breathedge simply ends up existing when it could have been shining.

Startenders begins its life on the PSVR 2 with unfortunate technical issues. Those aside, this is still a job simulator game. It's done well enough when it works, but the game loop doesn't offer much else. It has an attractive price point for what it is, but wait for a patch before jumping in.

Manic Mechanics is great for an afternoon of fun with a friend or someone new to this style of game, but with its limited content I struggle to see it making any meaningful waves. I would love to see the content expanded on in the future with DLC or a sequel. The game is unique and inventive within the structure that it was created. Given further iteration, I could see myself enjoying the Manic Mechanics world just as much as I enjoy Overcooked.

There’s joy to be had in One Piece: Burning Blood. It’s initially fun and colorful fighting fare that evokes the feel of the anime series superbly. A lack of nuance in the combat, extreme difficulty spikes and the growing sense of repetition all conspire to strangle that joy right back out of the game.

Blue Reflection tries to take the social aspects of Persona and make them more streamlined and simplified but fails to make them interesting in any way. The combat and beautiful locations and character models add some light to the title, it’s not enough to make it stand out or memorable in any way.

Despite the blatant and disappointing omission of a multiplayer component, we've had a good time; it's worth a rental at the very least.

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.

Written by and starring the original cast of Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered is simply the best video game based on a movie property ever created. With fun gameplay and bizarre events, this is the closest you’ll ever get to strapping on a real proton pack.

NIS fans will enjoy it, as well as those into first-person dungeon crawler RPGs. An incoherent UI and story will cause issues for those without a lot of patience, but there is an interesting and funny narrative to reward those who persevere through it.

Plenty of players feared Black Ops 7 might fall into the same expansion-like pattern that Modern Warfare 3 did after Modern Warfare 2, and for some that concern may feel justified once the campaign’s uneven execution becomes clear. The story has flashes of ambition, but its pacing and structure stop it from reaching the impact it aims for, leaving it feeling more serviceable than essential. Multiplayer steadies the ship with the sharpest and most rewarding action in the package, delivering the consistency and momentum the rest of the game struggles to match. Zombies offers a decent run with enjoyable pockets of tension, yet it also settles into familiar rhythms, creating an overall experience that lands solidly but never pushes the series forward in the way fans hoped.

There's promise going forward, for the story at least, but this is an otherwise messy episode on several levels.

A great FMV title to enjoy multiple times over and over. By changing the murderer each time I would restart the game I felt like I was playing a game of Clue with my PS4.

Game Art seeks to create a title that'll give Monster Hunter a run for its money. Though it's not quite there, it's a very solid first attempt to an exclusive title that should continue to grace the PlayStation Vita.

Feel free to give this one a go and milk it for all its perks to reach the top of the ACPD, but you may want to send this one down with a DUI once it's all set and done.

RIDE gets you the closest to the feeling of riding a motorbike possible with a controller in your hands, but is neither an exciting racer nor a particularly impressive looking PS4 title.

Hidden Agenda is a great concept with some impressive set pieces and performances, but its narrative lets it down and it lacks any major impact.

Parents looking for an age appropriate adventure for their young gamer should give The Last Tinker a look, others will find it forgettable.

The high level of creativity on display in MonsterBag’s humour, art style and character is commendable. Sadly, the game is on the short side and offers little replay value to back it up.

I really enjoyed Bookbound Brigade's humour, art style and world design but unfortunately, the unresponsive formation changes and bad map design really drag down its score. The characters are enjoyable and the gameplay, on the whole, is sound. Hopefully, after a patch to fix the control issues, I will return to find all its secrets. Until then I would wait for a sale and hopefully the fixes this game deserves.

The art style, combat and humour make for a highly entertaining experience for anyone interested in a co-op experience with a retro brawler feel. Despite not having the same single player appeal and a couple of short comings this time round, Shing! is a promising new IP that can only improve its formula for future iterations.

An impressive card battler with depth for days and an eye-opening visual presentation. What Neoverse might lack in terms of a story or truly innovative mechanic it more than makes up for with customisation, longevity and a much welcome intention to engage with newcomers, rather than just the usual card battling savants.

Somerville has some enthralling set pieces backed by some stellar sound design. While its narrative may be too much for some to decipher, its nuanced way of conveying emotion and drawing the player into the mystery is really excellently pulled off. Grab a headset and enjoy this experience to its fullest.

Forest Grove has a good concept but doesn't take advantage of its unique aspects. The future setting is just a gimmick to see how scenes play out. Though I enjoyed looking for the evidence and making the connections to find out what happened to Zooey, the game constantly held my hand but let it go right at the end when I needed its help the most. It's short, it's simple, and it's predictable.

There is a lot I enjoyed about Echoes of the End. Great characters, incredible vista, and fun puzzles. It's a shame that the combat can become frustrating, and some technical issues prevent it from reaching its full potential.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is not only one of the best Musou titles to date, it’s the first license to truly fit the mould effortlessly.

Lighting Returns takes to the end of the world with vivacity and conviction, reshaping the way that RPGs can and should be in many great ways. Even if the game engine is well past its prime and the voice acting is weak at times, the overall package is an entanglement of nostalgia and intrigue for fans of Final Fantasy XIII and the RPG genre.

Monster Energy Supercross 4 on PS5 is pretty much everything you think it is for better or worse. Though Milestone's practiced hand at crafting reliably enjoyable design frameworks and handling models from previous games make it to Sony's latest console intact, there's simply not enough done on the feature set and visual presentation side of things to make Monster Energy Supercross 4 feel like a true leap forward from its last-gen predecessors. Nonetheless, though longtime fans of the series will surely lap this up, newcomers should expect to be freshly punished by the game's unforgiving, though ultimately satisfying handling system.

The Golf Club nails its simulation of the greatest game with an emphasis on shot variability that defies precise, predictable results. But just about everything else leaves much to be desired.

Battlezone excels mostly in its four-player co-op mutliplayer offering where team-work, strategy and upgrading efficiently really matters. The mother of all tank games is back with a huge virtual reality bang.

Basic in presentation, and deceptively simple on the surface, Bridge Constructor is actually a surprisingly deep and varied physics puzzle game if you’re willing to invest in it.

There's promise to City of Brass that sadly doesn't quite come to fruition. For a roguelike, it commits the ultimate sin in having no compelling hook to keep going for multiple playthroughs. It throws up some fresh and interesting ideas though, and that makes it worth at least a cursory look.

Monark has many great ideas, and some of them are executed well, but the game falters when it requires you to grind for hours just to stand a chance against the next story battle. The exploration and puzzle-solving keep things exciting, and the use of the Seven Deadly Sins for character personalities is a unique way to develop your characters. All in all, though, Monark may have been a better adventure or visual novel game than an RPG.

Technical issues and an overbearingly bland story sour Way of the Hunter’s finer points. Its maps are filled with enchanting scenery, and pumped full of serene atmosphere. The hunting options are surprisingly flexible for newcomers and pros alike. Overall, it’s a decent hunting sim if you can push past its messy start.

While Potter fanatics will get limited enjoyment out of the boy wizard's wand-waving antics, everyone else will be left disappointed at the lack of creativity.

There is something that really irks me when a horror game doesn't provide any scares or tension. The Occultist looked like it was going to be an entertaining experience, but it doesn't provide much entertainment. The puzzle-solving and exploration are passable, but everything else is a huge letdown.

With strong arcade-style racing, great visuals and sounds, Need for Speed looks the part, but falls short in other areas such as poor A.I., limited body part options and lack of incentives to keep you motivated to race.

A nice mix of events with different control schemes makes London 2012 a solid accompaniment to this year's Olympic Games.

Neptunia x Senran Kagura Ninja Wars maintains the cheeky charms of both franchise, bringing in the fun, safe jokes and jabs at the gaming industry. However, it taxes that charm with the gameplay choices made at the end of the game. There's enough here to bring in longtime fans, and even some crossover fans between the franchises, but not many others will rally to this mashup.

Full of fun characters and unique presents to unwrap, the classic Sega Genesis game feels as unique as ever in Back in the Groove, and is well worth a trip back for older fans of the series. Newcomers can also look forward to finding out what made ToeJam & Earl so popular.

Home Sweet Home is deeply unnerving. There are several reasons why Home Sweet Home is lacking in the gameplay department, but the bottom line is that as an experience, Home Sweet Home is extremely scary and unsettling.

An enjoyable, retro-infused pool game with a fiery multiplayer twist.