An excellent premise, a compelling narrative, and an effective atmosphere of dread are scuppered by muddy visuals, an antiquated save system, and stilted gameplay mechanics lacking in new ideas. Multiple endings reward those who persevere though, so fans of folk-horror should sample the wares within Sker Hotel, but for most the game will feel stuck in the past.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors is a gorgeous game oozing with production value. There's plenty of content on offer, and while gameplay fails to differentiate from the Dynasty Warriors formula, it's hard not to enjoy such a mechanically sound, visually impressive adaptation.

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.

If you're craving the wholesale slaughtering of otherworldly beings, Painkiller has you covered despite a myriad of superior alternatives. You'll enjoy buddying up with co-operative pals and relish in the carnage of the game's meaty weaponry. However, if you're a veteran of the arena shooter or a learned observer, you'll find Painkiller is far too similar to the genre's juggernauts than can be comfortably accepted.

An old skool arcade racer wearing a brand new pair of breeches - get past the tough learning curve and get into the zone and you'll be a happy futuristic drifter.

A gloriously funny and unabashedly enjoyable side-scrolling hack em’ up, Zombie Vikings is great fun with friends but falls just short of true excellence on account of some glaring visual flaws.

ChromaGun is fun, very immersive and tactile, especially when using the Aim controller. The tracking is great and puzzle design is creative. Despite the sound design getting repetitive and the plain aesthetic wearing thin, overall I enjoyed my time with this neat little puzzler.

Mulaka has some promise, but some issues in certain areas. It has a really cool soundtrack, lovely atmosphere, and the hand drawn style of the graphics makes it stand out. Sadly, some of the mechanics just bring it down a bit. Perhaps with some future updates some of this can be fixed, but at least the foundations of the game are solid, and the story is genuinely interesting.

The HD version isn't without its issues, but the overhauled visuals make the environments that were phenomenal on the PS Vita equally so on home consoles. The unique choices in Assassin's Creed: Liberation also differentiate it from the rest of the series in a way that makes its upscaling relevant to the industry as a whole.

The Sinking City is a flawed gem, marred with technical issues and repetitive gameplay. The interesting worldbuilding and story elements are insufficient to carry the game in the face of poorly applied mechanics. The Sinking City could have benefited from an additional delay and a tighter game play loop.

There’s a good concept to DeadCore, and for the most part, it’s one that feels pretty well executed. It’s no looker, and the PS4’s controller lacks the dexterity needed to truly master the platform puzzlin’, runnin’ and gunnin’ DeadCore offers, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something enjoyable and challenging to glean from this console version.

Aragami 2 could be a good stealth game, with a good foundation of stealth gameplay and even an intriguing story, but it is plagued by constant bugs, performance issues, poor level design, pacing, rough implementation of gameplay mechanics and a visual style that only further serves to make its flaws even more evident then they already are.

In the end, despite its penchant for occasionally boring puzzles, rough character animations and wildly varying voice performances, Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is nonetheless a roundly fulfilling detective adventure with a vampiric twist that will appeal greatly to anyone that follows the World of Darkness setting. For others, Swansong makes for a fine, if occasionally clunky introduction to that sprawling world of supernatural politics and generation spanning stories.

A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre.

While it starts off strong, The Coma: Recut sets creative traps for itself that keep it from being a short and sweet horror romp.

Snooker 19 isn't perfect, with a major feature lacking and some over-powered A.I., but it's somewhat forgivable thanks to the accurate ball physics and wealth of tournaments, which makes your time at the table sinking balls extremely satisfying.

An otherwise robust combat system is summarily undone by dunderheaded AI, repetitive grinding, a lack of modes and uneven presentation. We've wanted to return to Ancient Rome for years now on PS4, but not like this.

Infliction: Extended Cut is a solid horror experience that succeeds in its strong atmospheric design. However, it is marred with some severe audio issues that deeply affected the experience, particularly in the final act.

Aphelion is very much a compelling, though mechanically nuts and bolts narrative adventure that embraces linearity and spectacle above all else. Though its embedded dynamic of interpersonal relationships is engaging, the technical flaws, occasional clunkiness and aged-like-milk stealth sections sadly do much to undercut its otherwise impressive qualities.

With finicky controls and oversized maps, it’s hard to recommend this game to anyone other than those who love the franchise and the two series themselves.

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

Warframe brings a new and addicting experience to the PlayStation franchise. Along with great and fluid combat, this is a free-to-play title that will justify microtransactions in a positive way.

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.

If you're looking for fun, responsive gameplay with a sprinkling of 4th wall breaking, then Parcel Corps is an over the top, fast paced, satirical experience that will have you pedalling up the right street.

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.

Clever, rewarding and a lot of fun, I have always wanted to control a family up to the neck in crime and now I can. Peaky Blinders: Mastermind performs well, never overstays its welcome and makes you feel great when things go your way. The levels are well designed, compact, short and very sweet. If you're up for some tactical planning and light puzzle work then this is the game for you.

A great addition to the series, packing plenty of content and fresh ideas.

Yakuza: Dead Souls doesn't reinvent the zombie shooter with its simple combat scheme, but mowing down the walking dead in their hundreds and executing some neat special moves provides some frantically-paced arcade-styled thrills.

Forspoken lacks the kind of refinement expected of a AAA title. If the concepts had received more attention, then the entire package would have been more cohesive. Still, despite its issues, there's definitely something here to enjoy if you can focus in on what the game does well: narrative, accessibility, and writing.

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.

Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition may look great at 4K and run smoother at 60 FPS, but with no gameplay changes, barely any meaningful use of the DualSense, and a lack of gameplay improvements the indie-adventure doesn't offer much of a reason to play. This enhanced edition isn't bad by any means, but it just doesn't offer much of a reason to check it out for new or returning players, especially given the price increase.

A wasted opportunity in almost every conceivable manner.

Rainbow Skies has a few good ideas, but those aren't enough to move past its bland narrative and repetitive gameplay.

Track Lab has a few quirks but overall it’s a fun and immersive experience for armchair DJ’s / Musicians and Puzzle game fans.

I really wanted to like Twelve Minutes, but by playing through it multiple times I've come to understand that in order for the timeloop to concept to really work in videogames, it needs time to breathe - both in physical game world terms and also in the various elements that it requires players to solve and master in order to progress. As it is, Twelve Minutes is an undeniably stylish looking and sounding thriller that finds itself summarily undone by poor writing, unwieldy controls and a shoddily frustration execution of its overarching timeloop concept. A shame.

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

A reasonably-priced pair of remasters that actually do improve upon the original games, plus you get a surprisingly decent bonus title in the mix too. Sadly, while technical hiccups are stifled in the main games, many of the mechanical flaws remain, with the passage of time not helping matters. This means Dead Island is better than it's ever been, but a lot harder to enjoy than it once was.

With how much has changed in Destiny, it's hard to see the forest through the trees. Everything I thought I knew, from what was good to what to focus on, has been overhauled. This was initially jarring, but the longer I spend with it, the more I come to like it. Much like the start of a new show, you can tell there is something more; however, you're only left with more questions. While this explanation is small, the universe it opens is vast.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends is a genuinely refreshing multiplayer idea that’s well-executed for the most part. It’s a little light on variety and doesn’t offer all that much in terms of reward beyond winning matches, but there’s a consistent joy to be found in its often intense back and forth tug of war for gold and glory.

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.

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.

Moons of Madness is an okay horror game couched within a super science fiction game. While this identity crisis may be a bit off-putting (and there are a few sections of the game that make you wish it would just get on with it), there is some fun to be had with the nice visuals, great writing, and solid puzzles. If there weren’t so much Cthulhu, this would have been an even better game.

Shadow Warrior 3 isn’t lacking in bombastic, blood-splattered shooting or giddily puerile humour. It comes up a bit short in gameplay variety and its scattershot approach to jokes produces more than a few misses, but as a fairly relentless and compact first person shooter with its heart beating to the drum of nostalgia, it’s a pretty tasty morsel.

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

Familiar fun for fans of the series with deep customisation options and an impressive Empire Mode, but the repetitive combat formula hasn't evolved.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water does some things well and misses the mark on others. It generates tension well, but it depends too much on the simplistic, yet rewarding camera-based combat. Either way, Maiden of Black Water offers something compelling for horror fans to dig into, as long as you can accept its shortcomings.

An enjoyable action-RPG with solid Middle Earth inspiration, Lord of the Rings: War in the North is best played with others and its flaws aren't enough to ruin the experience.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD showcases the beginning of FromSoftware's iconic game formula. But, fifteen years on, the campy narrative and unpolished gameplay keep this from being a classic revival and a great re-release. It isn't too polished, but if you want to see the beginnings of From Software's beloved style, Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a solid way to do just that and only that.

Kao the Kangaroo is a fairly decent, if unspectacular, platformer that harks back to a golden age of the genre’s 3D era in many ways. Sadly, it falls short of being a notable addition to a heavily stacked part of gaming’s history. That could well be its strength when it inevitably becomes an unexpected platforming touchstone for a new generation of young gamers in the way Croc, Gex, Crash, et all did for previous ones.

Battle Princess Madelyn is everything you need in a retro romp. The lack of a map with limited direction may be frustrating at times, but the heart and soul of Ghosts & Goblins remains true to form. Battle Princess Madelyn is a joy to play and a must for retro fans.

There's a solid foundation to build upon here but far too many decisions feel contrived and confused for a strong recommendation to anyone other than the most diehard Touhou fan. Far too many mechanics can be borderline ignored, and the game hardly evolves throughout, leading to a game that struggled to keep my attention throughout its runtime with some nice visuals only doing so much to alleviate this tedium.

A refreshing and modern take on a classic franchise, Lemmings Touch stands as a decent puzzler in its own right. Sometimes frustrating controls however, threaten to spoil what is otherwise an easy recommendation to Lemmings stalwarts and newbies alike.

A shallow but stylish and challenging single-player space blaster, which despite the forgettable storyline, offers a good few hours of alien ass-kicking at a budget price.

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

A refreshingly simple hybrid of RTS depth and MOBA thrills, Zombie Tycoon 2 shines in multiplayer despite limited options. Just don't bother with its tedious, punishing single-player campaign.

UFO Dad is a match-three puzzle platformer that uses inspiration from games such as Mr. Driller and Tetris Attack to stand out in a crowded puzzle gaming market for mobile devices.

#killallzombies brings some fresh and inventive ideas to the twin-stick shooter model and is compelling enough to be worthy of repeated plays, but currently, there is very little meat on its bones.

A wonderfully fresh take on the apocalypse with some stunning pixel-art visuals and pixel-perfect platforming, a handful of bugs and glitches occasionally infuriate but aren’t enough to significantly compromise what is an otherwise tremendously enjoyable experience.

While nothing remarkable, Shadow Blade: Reload does at least do a solid twitch platforming job. When it’s hitting its lightning stride, it’s actually quite fun, but too often it trots along being bland and unimpressive instead.

Slant Six has done a great job in bringing SOCOM to the next generation. Fans of the series will feel satisfied with the end result once the game has been patched up.

Don’t be fooled by the nice-looking world, fun characters, or interesting story. Skully is a clever game with fun puzzles, and some of the most blisteringly difficult 3D platforming I’ve encountered in years. Be ready to challenge yourself as difficulty spikes put you in a blender and spit you back out. Skully is fun, satisfying and well-made, but not for the faint of heart.

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.

It's always nice to be surprised by a title. Citizens of Space is one of those games where you can see the passion and more importantly the fun the developers had making it. Citizens of Space oozes charisma and for those looking for a fun silly experience, this is the game for you.

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.

Override 2: Super Mech League is a playable game, but almost all of its parts feel poorly thought out or are lacklustre to play. The gameplay is repetitive and uninspired and the few technical issues and lack of players mean you will just be fighting bots the entire time. Ultimately, this experience really isn't worth a look.

A voxel based console RTS that tries to simplify things for the platform but comes up short. There is a whole lotta game here but the simplistic controls and poor AI end up making the whole experience hard to enjoy unless you really love the RTS genre.

A Knights Quest is not a bad game, I just find it hard to recommend it in an overcrowded genre of adventure RPG's. Its quests are bland, its animation and graphics are sometimes off and its gameplay a bit fragmented and sometimes repetitive. Overall though it is fun and if you really want to play an RPG of this type then this game can be fun and rewarding, it's just hampered by its lack of uniqueness and anything to really make it stand out from other games of this type. It has a few small issues but these can hopefully be ironed out in the future.

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.

King Of Seas ultimately suffers through a lack of visual polish, some frustrating gameplay mechanics, and dull pacing and sequences, which when all combined together create a thoroughly unremarkable experience that doesn't manage to hold its own against even some of the most average of pirate games on the market.

Dust & Neon nails the fundamentals of a twin-stick, looter shooter it feels far too limited, familiar and simply isn't ambitious enough to stand out from its genre peers. Though still reliably satisfying to play at times, Dust & Neon just doesn't offer anything new.

Quite simply, this is the most fun we’ve had killing monsters since carving up freaks with God of War III’s Blade of Exile.

Like Resistance: Fall of Man, The Order: 1886 comes early in a console lifecycle to set new visual benchmarks and give us creative, compelling fiction. As a game, it’s significantly less ambitious.

Some jokes land, and some moments shine, but most of No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again Complete Edition relies on heavy-handed doses of breaking fourth walls and common game modes. There's an audience for this franchise, but this game doesn't offer much for anyone else.

Alone in the Dark is a success in more ways than it's not. There are notable issues preventing it from reaching that upper echelon but nonetheless developer Pieces Interactive has crafted an engaging experience with enough charm that fans of the series, or indeed the genre, will no doubt lap up.

Immersive audio and impressive art-style isn't quite enough to prevent the gameplay of this intriguing ghost story from being quite banal.

Though the dated presentation and omission of some multiplayer features undeniably rankle, Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition still manages to acquit itself ably as a landmark RPG that deserves to be absorbed by an entirely new generation of gamers.

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

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.

In the end, Bright Memory: Infinite feels like an advert for a much larger, much more ambitious game and the price tag (around $15 or so), reflects that. Bright Memory: Infinite both absolutely looks and plays the part of a furiously assured shooter with resoundingly empowering combat, it's just a shame that the relatively emaciated amount of content that surrounds its otherwise excellent core makes Bright Memory: Infinite feel much more like a taster for something more ambitious to come rather than anything else.

As it stands now, Battlefield 2042 is a formidable and enjoyable shooter that once again delivers on the series promise of peerless open world combat theatre in a way that no other series or franchise has managed to match. It's just a shame that while Battlefield 2042 looks to the future for its setting, so too must players for the short-term as EA and DICE scramble to fix what could potentially be the best Battlefield in years.

A superb, smart and taut detective thriller lay beneath the stack of technical and design issues that The Occupation has, it's just a shame that, in its current form at least, those shortcomings are at the forefront of the experience.

Fuse is an exercise in mediocrity, pure and simple.

A furiously stylish roguelike gothic western that blends genres with deft and aplomb, West of Dead is a resoundingly enjoyable offering that makes picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after every death a ravenously compelling proposition.

Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 might not be the sequel that folk from 2004 wanted for their game, but it is the game we've got. Though largely sparse open world and technical issues are hardly encouraging, the beautifully evocative interior environments, surprisingly engaging traversal and combat mechanics, together with its neatly unconventional ‘buddy movie' conceit which sees two vampires attempting to inhabit the same body and each with their own motivations, makes Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 a good deal more intriguing than I originally expected it to be.

Mato Anomalies tries too hard to please everyone through various genres. It tells a good story when it wants to, but presenting it in three different styles doesn't always work for the best. The long-winded conversations will make your mind wonder quite a bit until it gets to the point. Thankfully its character design is good, and the soundtrack keeps you occupied. Though it features a decent combat system, getting going can take some time. The biggest downfall of Mato Anomalies is the card battle mechanic that constantly leaves you in an unfair position dragging your progression to a standstill.

Warhammer Chaosbane is a great start to a new ARPG, but it definitely feels like a “start”. The skill system feels too restrictive, the loot drops come too slow, and the environments and enemies are repetitive. That said, the game still manages to be fun to play, but more development is needed to make Chaosbane one for the ages.

Pets struggles to teach an old dog new tricks. It takes a few steps forward and the same steps back, so a couple of more laps around the obstacle course might be needed before this pooch can storm out of the gate running like a champion.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a perfectly fine Metroidvania effort. The hand-drawn art is gorgeous for the most part and the combat together with the platforming are both well executed and ultimately satisfying. However coupled with the absence of some odd quality of life features, a general lack of polish and a lack of any real ambition, Curse of the Sea Rats arguably struggles to elevate itself in an increasingly competitive genre filled with top-tier efforts.

Madden NFL 21 makes a good attempt at adding variety into a tried and true formula. However, Face of The Franchise has awkward and dry storytelling and cannot match up to the excellence that Longshot offered the franchise. The Yard has some ambitious ideas and offers up a nice change of pace, but it needs some control tweaks to feel like the mode it's trying to be. The fundamentals are getting better and better, with gameplay getting long-awaited touches of realism.

Clunkier and much rougher around the edges than we'd like, Call of Cthulhu nonetheless does justice to its source material and provides a decently entertaining supernatural detective romp in the process.

With its comical vibe and challenging levels, Shiftlings is a must for everyone who likes a descent puzzle platformer every now and then. The controls can be mighty frustrating at times, but playing the game in co-op is boatloads of fun and this alone makes Shiftlings worth its price.

A Japanese take on the Ghostbusters, sacrificing graphics for functionality. A fun game that can be done in doses, and with a story that will keep you wanting to come back for the next dose. Great for visual novel fans, or those looking for a different kind of RPG.

Most fans of the series will get some enjoyment out of Lost Song. The core gameplay elements are solid, but the superficial story and monotonous questing prevent it from being fun throughout.

A decent if distinctly workmanlike RTS, Sudden Strike 4 should certainly appeal to tactical newbies but is too limited to appeal to really anybody else looking for a sophisticated, strategic challenge.

A technical achievement to be sure, Battlewake succeeds in delivering accessible arcade-style naval battles. But underwhelming depth in the campaign, combined with broken matchmaking and a lack of cross-play with PC VR systems leaves the long-term prospects for Battlewake looking pretty grim. It is no fun having a cool game that you are unable to play, and that's what Battlewake released as.

The Wild Eight is a fine survival and micromanagement simulator that is ably supported by decent crafting, exploration and a nuanced audiovisual presentation. However, the omission of the online multiplayer functionality which is arguably the cornerstone of the PC version, certainly stings much more than it should.

Whilst Gods Will Fall has the potential to provide some genuine excitement with its unique features, its randomised difficulty feels unnecessarily obtuse. There's certainly a challenge you can embrace, but it seems to come down to luck more than skill that sees you progress. If you've copious amounts of patience, Gods Will Fall has some stellar moments, but by flaw of design they are too few and far between.

Weird, unique and brilliantly designed, Backbone is a game like no other in 2021. The narrative is both mysterious and absorbing, the characters and dialogue are fun and it never overstays its welcome. I wish I was given a little more information in the second half of the game and the ending a bit more fleshed out but I was left wanting more. Backbone surprised me massively and I enjoyed it a lot.