An admirably niche racing game which gets the look and feel of truck racing just right, but manages to get the single player career experience all wrong.

Despite some concessions, Dead or School is fun, humorous and packed with varied, satisfying combat. If that's your jam and appreciate an original plot, Dead or School belongs in your collection.

Bus Simulator 21 offers a cathartic toy box for the most dedicated of bus fanatics, with dozens of hours of gameplay hidden beneath its flaws. Unfortunately, it misses the mark too often and in too many ways to warrant a recommendation to anyone outside of its extremely niche audience.

Chernobylite combines some cool ideas and implements them in a way that complements the story it wants to tell. Several issues stand in its way, with potential save corruption acting as the biggest road block. Once that issue gets patched out, the core experience will offer up something unique, even if many of its gameplay elements lack depth.

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

Dark Souls meets tactics in this unforgiving SRPG. Some basic design flaws hurt and slow down the gameplay of what is otherwise an enjoyable game. Not for the faint-hearted, but for those seeking a real challenge.

Disintegration's blend of FPS and RTS is an interesting one, but unfortunately it fails to fully deliver on both. It's a competent game and can be fun at times, but most of its mechanics fail to work in the simplest of ways. Maybe with a little, more time Disintegration could have been something special.

Fans of the series will take plenty from the impressive narrative conclusion of the saga, though some flawed gameplay mechanics hold it back from being a game of any substance.

Though pretty to look at, and maybe fun to play for a bit with some friends, the combat system here just isn't meaty enough for any long-term or tournament worthy enjoyment. Really only just for people that still don't have an internet connection, or are just really into this sort of thing.

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.

Dark Void had some great concepts, but ultimately they were never realized. Flying is entertaining enough, but the rest of the game is repetitive and mediocre at best.

No, it is not a good Metal Gear game. Yes it is somewhat difficult to love thanks to a laborious and shonky opening act. Yet Metal Gear Survive is a good survival game underneath the grime of its controversial existence. Whether people will give it the chance to show that is a whole other issue.

Without its flaws, Super Neptunia RPG manages to depict the whimsical appeal of Neptunia in a new, approachable way for newcomers. However, these same flaws bring many aspects of the game down. Combat and character development also lack a whole lot of depth. Conversely, that lack of depth comes with an ease of access that works for this silly endeavor. Consider this title a between-games RPG curiosity.

With its enjoyable narrative and fun quests, The Technomancer is certainly worth playing, even with its bland visuals.

Despite some notable flaws, Resistance: Burning Skies is still a solid effort and a great start to twin-stick shooting action on PS Vita.

There was so much potential with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League; for the most part, it's a fun game with a fun story. Unfortunately, it falls short with repetitive missions and gameplay. Its story holds it up until you reach the endgame, which rehashes the mission structure you've already experienced. Though Metropolis is a fun city to explore and with plenty of Easter eggs to find, there just isn't much here to keep going for a long period.

Twin Mirror has one of Dontnod's most engrossing stories with a conclusion that reflects the moral ambiguity of living in a small community. However, this narrative and its characters are hurt by a frustrating Mind Palace gameplay mechanic that isn't utilised to its full potential until the end of the game. Twin Mirror has its strengths but the game staring back at you through the reflection of the screen isn't always reaching its full potential.

For what it is, Separation is an enjoyable couple of hours. Its graphics may not be the best on the platform and its gameplay may be a bit on the thin side but what you are left with is a very bleak and personal journey. A journey through a barren landscape set to an amazing soundtrack that constantly propels you onward to your goal. It is a relaxing experience that I think most players will enjoy.

Pac-Man needs to go back to his maze-running roots if he is to have a chance of starring in a decent game again, because efforts like this come across like a fading actor phoning it in on an awful movie for the sake of another paycheque.

A visually beguiling though relaxing explorative adventure, N.E.R.O fails to properly capitalise on its unique setting as its simple puzzles, brief duration, and lack of replayability ultimately damages its long-term appeal.

An interesting if conceptually unambitious effort, One Upon Light is an easily accessible puzzler that provides a decent amount of challenge – it’s just a shame that the game isn’t longer with a better handled narrative.

A glossy though ultimately shallow use of the Planet of the Apes license, Last Frontier stands as an acceptable use of Play Link technology but little else.

All of the fun customisation and combat in Skull & Bones is catastrophically let down by the mundane gameplay loop. What is a blessing and a curse for almost all games in this live service genre. Skull and Bones has the potential to be, but certainly isn’t yet, a great game.

A potential Persona-killer franchise once some flaws are ironed out. RPG fans will nevertheless enjoy the game, but those new to the genre might be put off by the grindy, linear nature of the game.

Hotel Barcelona adds in just enough quirky things to stay on brand with the reputation that its legendary creators have forged for themselves. Just like most of their other works, Hotel Barcelona is far from perfect, showcasing its own intentional nuances that can either make or break a game for some people.

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.

A simplistic yet visually attractive take on anime that’s been around longer than most of the people reading this, Saint Seiya Soldiers' Soul is a decent prospect for newcomers to the fighting genre but ultimately holds far less appeal for long-time scrapping veterans who want a little more depth from their digital brawlers.

It's not the worst remaster but Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles should have been a great remaster but Square just didn't do enough to make the game feel like it belongs in this day and age. Co-op is a chore to even get started and having no couch co-op to play with your family takes away the identity of Crystal Chronicles and what made it such a stand out - traveling and exploring as a family.

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.

Splatterhouse falls short of classic brawler status, but there's still fun to be had out of dishing out handjobs and experimenting with the range of grisly moves on offer.

While Rustler manages to live up to everything it says on the tin, namely Grand Theft Auto with horses, there’s not much in its delivery that leaves any sort of memorable experience. Relying almost entirely on its humour, Rustler tries to steal your fancy with crass jokes and pop culture references. However, it never quite manages to stand out as anything more than a basic sandbox romp, with all the repetitive fetch quests in tow. Couple that with some lacklustre mechanics, and what you’ve got is a fairly disappointing GTA clone.

Contrast is a low point in the PS4 launch line-up, but its frustrating gameplay and glitches are worth the uniquely fascinating story and aesthetics.

Age has slowed this old soldier down, despite some snazzy new upgrades to its core. The best and worst thing about Rogue Trooper Redux is that it plays exactly like a modernised PlayStation 2 shooter. It’s decent enough, but 2000 AD fan service aside, there’s little about it that stands out in a sea of other shooters that are ‘decent enough’.

DUST 514 is easily the most in-depth FPS game out there and with an admission fee of $0.00 there is no reason at all for you not to check out what could be your go-to FPS for the next 5-10 years.

The cartoon-style graphics and characters are charming, the fast-paced action and fluid combat exciting, and the ability to customize your weapons to such an extent is fantastic and sets it apart from other shooters.

I love these types of games but Hellpoint, mainly due to its framerate, responsiveness, and lore, falls behind most other games in the genre. Its exploration, character building and combat is a carbon copy of Dark Souls but it lacks the substance, character, and playability of the games it takes its inspiration from. Its a shame really, unless you have played every other game in this genre, there are many better examples of this style of game to play.

Override: Mech City Brawl is as fun as your attention span will last. There just isn't enough content to keep players coming back for the long haul.

There’s not much positive to NBA Live 16 apart from the unique menus and the well-conceived game modes. Gameplay is borderline crippling, leaving the final product on the whole incomplete. Uneven growth keeps this year’s outing from being justifiably on anyone’s radar.

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.

The first Killzone in HD has solid gameplay and looks good, but problems from the original game are still present.

Gamers need not apply. This one is for the arty folk out there. Add five points to the final score if you fit into that category.

The successes of Defiance are quickly overshadowed by its flaws. Trion Worlds promises that Defiance will continue to evolve and improve. I hope so: beneath the muck is a game that deserves better.

Infernium is a vague, inconsistent jumble of a game, and that bleeds into its horror all too often. A shame really because what Infernium tries to do with its setting and storytelling is refreshing. This may be a trip to Hell, but it needn't play like it.

Krillbite should be commended for what the achieve with Mosaic, crafting an experience that wholly commits to its themes, atmosphere, and narrative. Each moving part of the game contributes to the whole journey and creates an exceptional replication of the bleak, hostile, and depressing lifestyle that is modern capitalist-fueled city-life. It isn't a particularly enjoyable game to play, but that lack of gratification is just another part of the magnificent mosaic that is, Mosaic.

Frogun is a fun, nostalgia-filled trip through 90s platforming with some interesting twists to keep things fresh. There's a couple of niggles along the way, but overall, if you're into classic 90s gaming, make sure you give this a shot.

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.

A retro-fused bundle offering some of the most iconic 2D fighters ever conceived, the MK Arcade Kollection is ultimately let down by a shockingly bad online component and dodgy sound issues.

An entertaining if ultimately shallow instalment in the Until Dawn series, being the most visually stunning PSVR title to date isn't quite enough for The Inpatient to overcome its sluggish pace and reductive game design.

Crysis Remastered is still the same game you remember, but for the most part, this remaster doesn't sufficiently improve the game's visuals enough. The lighting can look good, but dated textures and gameplay, poor AI, and a number of bugs and glitches hold this remaster back. Crysis Remastered is only worth checking out if you haven't experienced the game yet.

Clid The Snail is a charming indie game with characters that you can easily grow to love just by spending time with them, and a narrative that is entertaining and consistent all the way through till the end. However, its gameplay issues and the clash of two very different vibes pull you out of those fun moments constantly, and you're left reminded of all the game's shortcomings all over again.

There's no denying that MythForce absolutely laser targets old crusties like me that used to sit cross-legged in front of a boxy CRT, with cereal pouring down my face as I sat agape at the Saturday morning heroics that were playing out in front of me. Peer beneath its attractive audiovisual presentation however and though a satisfyingly enjoyable roguelite soon reveals itself, it's also one rife with flaws which hint at an offering that has a wealth of presently unrealised potential.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is a title with many great ideas, but not great execution.

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.

PlayStation VR Worlds provides a solid introduction to PlayStation VR, giving you a taste of what the technology is capable of. The experiences, however, are a mixed bag and fairly brief with little replay value. The London Heist proves to be the gem among these five mini-games.

Golem is a video game redemption story – saved from the brink by a patch that cleared up many of the game’s release problems. What is left is a fascinating game of exploration, punctuated by hardcore, visceral combat. With atmosphere to spare, Golem delivers a unique experience unlike any other on PSVR. Recommended for patient, thoughtful players that enjoy a challenge (and don't mind a lot of repetition).

Combat can be fun, but ultimately poor controls prevent it from being a decent end to the doe-eyed dragon's last game in the trilogy.

In a glorious, minimal style, Entwined delivers an experience that’s deep, engaging, and rewarding way past experience points and in-game rewards.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a competent tactics game that doesn’t rely on its license for much beyond window dressing. Though the gameplay is entertaining and works well, there is little in this game that ties it strongly to property that spawned it. TDC:ART will be great for tactics fans that are looking for an inexpensive diversion, but Dark Crystal fans might be disappointed by the game’s underwhelming presentation.

The fanservice (not that kind) Little Witch Academia Chamber of Time provides can be ever-so-pleasing. Unfortunately, it's not enough to excuse a rather dull game.

Blacklight: Retribution can easily stand tall with the competitive online shooters on the PS4. Zombie Studios' focus solely on multiplayer makes for a surprisingly good game highlighted by its balance and gameplay that also just happens to be free-to-play.

Excels in areas like combat and crafting but not in narrative or characterization. It has enough gameplay options to bring any JRPG fan to the table, but not everyone will leave content.

Combat is underwhelming and the basic grind can become repetitive, while the amount of backtracking further compounds these issues. However, if you can stick at it, you'll find that Book of Memories is still frighteningly addictive, and with friends can provide a nice distraction.

A must-play game for fans of the Tron Universe, though even they may become frustrated with some of the clunky parkour gameplay and repetitive battles.

Luffy's charm really helps sell this game, with the open world being quite beautiful at times. But some issues with the combat, lack of Straw Hats interacting with the world, and the lock on system being a pain during some fights gives this enough flaws that some folks might not be able to ignore.

Jupiter And Mars has good intentions to educate against the havoc pollution and global warming are causing to our ecosystem, unfortunately, good intentions do not compensate for occasionally boring gameplay and uninspiring levels.

The combat is fluid, tight, rewarding, and entertaining. The only issue I found was having the exact ability to target specific enemies within as group on the fly for either a web ball for distraction or a web assault, and it would sometimes hit the wrong target and potentially ruin combos.

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

MX vs ATV: Supercross isn’t a bad little racer. As a mid-price game it offers quite a bit of content and despite the rough animation and drab arenas, it handles in a quite satisfying manner. If you enjoy the idea of flinging yourself towards the sky, aboard an engine with wheels, then there is definitely something here for you to get your motor running.

Dick Wilde 2 is a fun rail shooter with excellent controls and a beautiful art-style. Sadly unless you are desperate to play something on PSVR, or love rail shooters, Dick Wilde 2 is regrettably skippable.

A broken mess in almost every way. Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris doesn't deliver on it's promised product. With so many technical issues it's hard to imagine anyone with the patience to get through the game. Alicization Lycoris should have been the crowning achievement in a beloved franchise but instead, it ends up being the worst title in the Sword Art Online franchise.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster offers up some wonderful environmental storytelling, creating palpable tension. Once everything starts to come together however, the game itself starts to fall apart. What could have been good ideas fall into thoughtless choices, and the strengths of the game as a whole are wasted on the finale. Outside of the gimmicky triggering ending, this game had the potential for something interesting.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is smarter than the average quiz show game, even if it doesn’t exactly stretch itself too far. The concept that made the television show a success translates fairly well to the console party game space. Just make sure you check your ego at the door.

Gargoyles Remastered is a good addition to the growing library of classic remasters. It's faithful to a fault to its original release. Though I praise the developer for keeping the game as true to the original as possible, that doesn't mean it couldn't have used some extra updates. The visual upgrade is tremendous in recreating the animated series visuals, and the rewind function is excellent. Still, that doesn't keep the combat and platforming from being incredibly frustrating at times.

A novel concept is unfortunately lost in a muddle of confused mechanics and cheap presentation that makes me question exactly why this foregone Stadia game even made the jump to major platforms. Where I managed to have some small fun on the virtue of this still being the PAC-MAN we know and love, I found myself quickly wanting to reinstall other versions of the game. Given that this isn't even the first instance of a PAC-MAN battle royale, I'm sad that this didn't manage to emerge as a worthwhile competitor.

Discovering the secrets of the Freedom Town cult, who has power and influence where, as well as the inner workings of the leadership are the best parts of The Church In The Darkness. That combines with excellent stealth gameplay, a dynamic and engaging scenario-based narrative, and some excellent characters with great voice acting to create a memorable and unique experience. An experience that is only held back by a few technical issues and some missing quality of life features.

A wonderfully mad and yet eminently compelling take on the party game genre, Marooners is just the shot in the arm that the local multiplayer scene needs on PS4.

A classic PlayStation series returns for another worldwide run. Disappointing graphics and a lackluster (and often annoying) soundtrack detract from an otherwise fun and varied racing game. Fans of the series and fans of professional rallying will feel right at home, and even newcomers can get the hang of drifting with some work.

An enjoyable and surreal set of mini-games that should appeal to the game's target audience.

A strategic hack 'n slash with an impressive upgrade system and welcome Nightmare mode, but it looks bland and combat often feels shallow.

Black Legend is a competent game that loses itself in its own cumbersome execution. For every good mechanic, Black Legend introduces a way to make it confusing to learn, and hinders your enjoyment of it in the process. Black Legend crafts an intriguing world that I loved exploring when I wasn't constantly getting lost due to its poor navigation. Where the brunt of issues appear are in the game's cumbersome Catalyst System and repetitive combat animations. Thankfully ,the fun cross-class System keeps things a bit interesting for as long as it takes to finish the title.

Great fun, especially with friends, Goat Simulator is so out there and different to the norm that you can't help but have a good time, and laugh along with it.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is a reminder of how great these games were at the time they released, but it ultimately fails to do anything better for the players than the original releases did. As much as it breaks my heart, I find it hard to recommend this game to anyone in its current state.

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.

ELEX is bad in almost every way. It’s a poor attempt and impossible to enjoy anything outside of its interesting setting and backstory.

Omega Quintet's solid combat and J-POP soundtrack are great and well utilized, but it's held back by its story where its invading forces don't seem to matter as much as the everyday lives of the teenage Maidens you control.

The Devil's Cartel takes what made the original Army of Two intriguing and replaces it with quick and simple gameplay that doesn't require much skill. Together with a weak script, this shallow experience is only for the most devoted of fans and trophy hunters desperate for another Platinum.

Open Roads often feels like a game at odds with itself, that probably would have been best served in a different genre. Whilst it starts off strong, it progressively loses what makes it good and feels more disconnected. Despite that, the two main characters have an engaging mother, daughter relationship that make the game worth playing, in no small part thanks to the excellent actresses, and their performances.

Despite being woefully short and lacking some genuinely challenging puzzles, Datura is still a captivating and unique experience worth checking out.

The good news is that Sonic Forces is not the disaster it could easily have been. There’s a fairly enjoyable, silly romp here, that’s got some nicely handled fan service. The bad news is that it still makes so many of the same mistakes synonymous with the series’ 3D past.

Dyschronia Chronos Alternate - Episode 1 is a nice start to visual novels in VR. It delivers a grand story that is held back by the lack of actually solving anything on your own. Most of the game has you interacting with objects just to leave the protagonist to figure out what to do with those objects for you. It simply holds your hand for its entire experience. There just simply wasn't enough interactivity with the medium of VR, and when the most important aspects come into play you're simply an observer.

The problem is that I couldn't connect enough to the game to care about the fight and was only rewarded with frustration in defeating the bosses.

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

Even the most hardcore Gundam fans will find it hard to say they enjoyed VS-Force. It may look and sound like a good game but it doesn't play like one. Poor controls, pointless story, and some crazy difficulty spikes leaves VS-Force missing the mark in almost every way.

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

After the relentless grimdark of FROM Software's stellar Souls and Bloodborne offerings, Necropolis feels like a breath of fresh (fetid, really) air. Hellbent on not taking itself too seriously and offering solid roguelike, dungeon crawler mechanics underpinned by a finely tuned combat system, Necropolis is not a game you want to be sleeping on.

I am a massive skateboarding game fan and wanted to love this game. Skater XL just does not have enough content to remain enjoyable for very long. The levels, characters and gameplay are dull and I find it very hard to get excited about it. I think it perhaps could be a good game in the future but I do not have that long to wait. Yes, it does have a unique control system and pulling off tricks is fun but we need more than that, as that can only take you so far. Move on people, there's little to see here.

Though King's Bounty II's presentation is certainly crumbly in ways that would only be endearing to folks partial to PS3 level jank, there still remains a compelling RPG and turn based strategy hybrid here. Bolstered by non-linear storytelling, deceptively deep world building and the sort of accessible strategy that embraces genre newcomers and stalwarts alike, King's Bounty II is a deeply appealing effort that does ample justice to its namesake.

While Foamstars has a strong foundation in terms of core gameplay, I found myself quickly growing weary of the small annoyances that kept rearing their heads. Awkward navigation, ho-hum singleplayer offerings and egregious monetisation and design choices bring down an experience that is really fun if you can ignore those things, which is something that shouldn't have to be done. I hope updates are able to address some of these issues in the coming months, but for now this party has left me feeling exceptionally mixed overall.