Satisfying and frustrating at the same time, Pathfinder Kingmaker does everything right when it comes to its character creator, story, and combat. However, it falters in its Kingdom management and the constant game crashes that start to feel more like a gameplay feature than an actual issue.

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.

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.

Simulacra does a good job of delivering suspense, but its capacity for horror is limited. Equally so, the way that the game utilizes its phone apps leaves much to be desired in such a brief package, elongating the experience with fumbling around for what to do rather than filling the time with some form of progress. Simulacra has a lot to improve on, but there is still something dramatic and interesting here.

While there are some impressive elements to like about Ad Infinitum it ultimately lacks a lot of polish and some more compelling gameplay. It's excellent score and use of audio is the stand out in this psychological horror.

Poorly presented, and lacking in mode variety, Rugby 18 is salvaged by the fact that it’s actually a pretty decent representation of rugby union on the pitch. It may not be the definitive version of the sport that the PS4 needs, but it’s easily the best available.

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.

There's plenty of fun to be had out of Top Darts, but a few issues prevent it from scoring a perfect 180.

Like the original franchise that spawned it, The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure starts out simple enough but quickly ramps up in difficulty to the point where it where it will exclude its target audience. On its own, Angry Birds 2 is a fine Overcooked clone, but beware if you plan on playing by yourself or with little kids. At least a couple of experienced gamers are required if you want to see any of the late-game content.

A visually resplendent sequel, Layers of Fear 2 is frequently terrifying affair - though it fails to capture the ponderous melancholy of its predecessor and boasts plot that is far too often disjointed. All the same for those willing to stick with it, there are no shortage of hair-raising and spine-chilling moments.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion has the makings of a classic, but the determination to hit the reset button on the franchise means that this game often feels like taking the first steps once again. A degree of intrigue with the plot was enough to string me along, but does little to elevate this one above purely serviceable.

Too hit-and-miss for casual gamers, and tolerable for X-Men fans. Mechanic issues are forgivable only by appreciating the great X-Men renditions.

Torchlight 3 offers a solid foundation of ARPG goodness, but the balance of loot drops and progression feel off to the point where long sections of the game feel interminable. When everything is clicking, players can destroy waves of bad guys with the best of them – but expect an ebb and flow to the good times.

Ultimately, at launch NTE just lacks sufficient content to keep it interesting past a few days of playing, especially the abrupt story end. What's there is decent quality for a free-to-play game, and you're not forced to spend any real money, as everything is doable through in-game progress. You can't go wrong with checking it out, but don't expect a huge RPG or an offering which meaningfully separates itself from the rest of the gacha pack beyond its city setting.

Let’s Sing Country provides a way to sing modern radio country songs (and a couple of classics) with friends. If that sounds fun to you, then you will likely enjoy this game. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

A humdrum start to Greedfall 2: The Dying World brings down the experience quite drastically. However, once you scale the prologue, the rest of the game feels like you would expect a Spider Interactive RPG to play: likeable characters, political storylines, and straightforward exploration. Combat is its own thing, with the game giving you options to go elbows deep into a clunky but serviceable tactical system or toggle settings so that combat is mindless. The team took too big of a bite this time, and the overall quality paid for it. Still, there is a good Spider Interactive game here, but it might take you a while to find it.

While far from perfect, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R brings an enhanced version of the 2014 release to modern consoles. Network choices, lack of any narrative flow, and almost zero jumping-off point for newcomers makes this a title almost strictly for the JoBros. Thankfully, that doesn’t keep it from being an intriguing fighter in its own right.

Encompassing a brilliant and inventive setting that is let down by half-baked systems and a lack of polish, We Happy Few is heavily flawed though still ultimately enjoyable adventure romp through 1960s dystopian Great Britain.

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.

Trinity Trigger plays it as safely as possible with an all-star development team. It's a shame it didn't try harder to elevate the genre like the Y's franchise constantly does with every entry. Trinity Trigger isn't a bad game by any means. It has a decent story, and exploration and combat can be fun; it just doesn't do enough to be a memorable title in a crowded genre.

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.

One of sports gaming’s longest partnerships ends with a shrug of the shoulders. FIFA 23, positively and negatively, doesn’t feel like the end of an era. That’s mostly because it’s hard to see EA revolutionizing the underlying formula after the FIFA license has departed. All in all, FIFA 23 is a solid football spectacle with the same old woes.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is not the full package fans have and should expect from a franchise that consistently tops the sales charts. There are not enough positives to overcome the fact that the amount and quality of its content is sorely lacking. This is a blast from the past in the worst possible way.

A long-awaited localization of a famed franchise that fails to make an impact. With little depth or strategy, this is a game designed for those who love Japanese history or are franchise diehards. Only that love will keep you wanting to play through the game more than once.

When you put all of Total Chaos' myriad of gameplay elements together, a lot of the fear factor quickly disappears, giving way to something more akin to Doom than to survival horror. There's definitely an audience for this game, but it's more of a survival horror-adjacent experience. It has elements of the survival horror genre, but it leans too hard into the Doom formula. This combination creates a fun concept that needs editing to be a cohesive product. $25 is a fair price tag for what Total Chaos offers, but it may make some hesitate if they don't know what they're getting into.

Blood Stone puts the world's favorite spy in a series of action and chase sequences that are exhilarating, but sadly they aren't enough to save this otherwise flat title.

Murasaki Baby is a wondrous artistic and emotional creation that is ultimately let down by the game’s stubborn dedication to touch controls.

Ultra Street Fighter IV should feel like the finished, definitive product on PS4, but it’s incredibly hard to justify double, triple or even quadruple-dipping for long term fans when Street Fighter V is so close and this port is so poor in quality.

The Quintessential Quintuplets: Memories of a Quintessential Summer is fun yet forgettable filler for fans that already are invested in the series and can't get enough of the five Nakano sisters. What you get here is an average and easy visual novel with an inconsequential story and unfortunate quality control issues with its English version.

Farming Simulator 15 is an improvement over its predecessor, but unless you're a diehard fan, it's still hard to recommend to the average gamer.

An entertaining puzzler that harkens back to the storied heritage of its developer, Obduction isn’t quite on the level of its peers, but will satisfy armchair masterminds looking for their next brain-tickling fix all the same.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a decent new addition to the franchise after 23 years. It tries to breathe life into the franchise, but it makes only a bare minimum attempt. Though the voice work and soundtrack are the standouts here, the action and platforming suffer from bad level design and bad enemy AI. Even the game's story suffers from simple and mediocre writing, something that was once a standout for the franchise.

Spuds Unearthed has a lot of cool elements, but they unfortunately don’t add up to a very compelling game. Plagued by overly complex interface elements and a very flimsy structure, the core gameplay just isn’t interesting enough to keep players coming back for more.

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

Showcasing a clever narrative steeped in great performances and anchored by a real sense of place, The Bunker sadly doesn't last long enough or offer sufficient incentive to return to its titular subterranean dwelling once the credits roll on this interactivity-light adventure.

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.

A devolution from open-world brilliance and a far cry from compelling, Crysis 3 is a serviceable sci-fi shooter with noteworthy multiplayer and a story that just barely warrants attention.

Elea is a conundrum; a mirror-maze of beautifully rendered but almost indecipherable vignettes, tying together into an arc that is nearly inscrutable. Without a coherent story to tie them too, the puzzles involved become chores, and advancement becomes its own reward. Adventure gamers and fans of deeply surreal sci-fi might find things to enjoy here, but more casual players might want to look closer before buying.

Eldest Souls wears its inspiration on its sleeve, though in the end that counts for very little. The boss fights are often unbalanced and tedious, which only contributes to a frustration that deters you from wanting to pick the controller back up.

Star Ocean First Departure R offers an easy way to play a hard-to-find classic RPG, but very few enhancements makes this a purchase strictly for Star Ocean fans. Simplistic combat and minimal options make this a hard sell for devout JRPG fans.

While the story in Eden Tomorrow is intriguing, there are simply too many frustrating mechanics to look past. The quality of the narrative is overwhelmed by repetitive puzzles, and a strange combination of completely linear gameplay and an occasional lack of direction. This is a game that would have been much better had the developers given up on the puzzles, and simply told a story.

There's no question that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a beloved entry in the franchise. However, bringing it to the PS5 offers next to nothing to the entire experience, bringing only the most miniscule of adjustments, another Trophy list, and a free PS5 upgrade.

Though it was dubbed the Deluxe Edition, its inclusions of extra costumes, a small graphical upgrade from the Vita version, and an increase in enemy encounters, can't help distinguish Blackgate from its handheld roots. Blackgate is an entertaining title that links well with where the overarching Arkham Origins story was going -- it's just a shame that the titles handheld origins weren't improved upon.

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.

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.

The Final Station is yet another example of an Indie title with great ideas but not the best execution. The world is well crafted and its simplicity can allow anyone to get into it. But it's more important features like maintaining your train feel shallow and are a definite missed opportunity.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lollipop Chainsaw is too repetitive for its own good. While it's always fun to play a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, Lollipop doesn't offer much else besides silly sexuality and gory combat.

Over-sensitity of Move controllers can be frustrating as can the incredible efficient A.I., but overall Sports Bar VR is a fun party game when playing online.

Alpha Protocol is all ambition with little follow through. This espionage-RPG attempts to draw players into a world of lock picking, Saudi terrorists, and secret government conspiracies, but does it so ineffectively it is hard to maintain interest past the first mission.

Art Pulse is more of a toy than a game - but pleasant electronic music, brilliant colors, and a great movement system make Art Pulse an experience that certain people will enjoy quite a bit. While there is almost no structure and the creation tools are ultimately limited, just existing in Art Pulse’s space is pleasurable for a time. Keep your expectations lowered, and you might enjoy simply existing in this gamespace.

A competent, yet underwhelming Prince of Persia-inspired puzzle platformer. Its good looks will get it far, but its shallow personality won’t be bringing you back.

Though Killing Time: Resurrected can't really hang with other boomer shooters in 2024, let alone more contemporary fare from a fundamentals perspective, I'm still happy that Nightdive Studios has cemented its heroic status by remastering it to an extremely high standard anyway and its love for the source material is abundantly clear. In spite of its clunky and flawed fundamentals, Killing Time is indicative of a shooter that wasn't afraid to try new things in 1995 and if there's one thing that remains true even now, it's that more FPS efforts could certainly learn to take a risk or two.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a fairly decent approximation of toy car racing, with the added bonus of being able to customise your car collection and design your own tracks. However the karting / arcade gameplay doesn't quite click in either direction, and the failure to make the game accessible for younger children adds to the feeling of mild disappointment which pervades the whole game.

Blow for blow, Yooka-Replaylee is a quality 3D platformer. It does what it needs to do and does so in a way that’s inoffensive and pretty bogstandard. My issues with the game come from its existence as a replacement for a game with genuinely interesting ideas. Replaylee does away with every interesting wrinkle in favour of an experience that, unfortunately, falls far too close to certain other games for me to want to prioritise this one. It’s a bizarre exercise in overcorrection that misses what the original game was literally made for. Is it a better game than the original? Probably. But it's a lesser imitation of its far more modern inspirations.

Lacks polish with lack of collision detection being the most obvious flaw, but Tour De France 2014 has hidden strategic depths that may appeal to fans of the world's most prestigious cycling race.

Shaun White Skateboarding tries valiantly to inspire players by allowing them to transform grey settings into colorful scenes, but the mediocre gameplay, boring quests, and poor visuals ultimately leaves things feeling decidedly uninspired.

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.

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.

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.

It's a shame that Seven Deadly Sins first foray into videogames couldn't have been better. As a big fan I enjoyed the Knights of Britannia for what it is but most will find it mediocre at best.

Worms is a great game of strategy but, for us, the nostalgia has worn off. Do we really need three Worms games packaged together?

Windbound is a serviceable survival game that offers a unique sailing experience to keep hardcore fans of the genre interested. But with simplistic and bland-feeling combat and an experience that doesn't engage with its narrative (despite promising to), Windbound isn't recommended at full price.

Chasing Static creates a strong sense of nostalgia as the appreciation of late 90's era horror games shines through. The game works well as a throwback, but it doesn't work as well as a horror game in its own right. More than that however it is ultimately let down by an abundance of overly familiar narrative choices. Minding that, fans of PlayStation 1 style horror should still find something to love.

A charmingly old-fashioned crime epic, American Fugitive's ambitious intentions are summarily undercut by a raft of poor design decisions and technical issues.

A better effort this time round, but it’s still not enough to make Now That’s What I Call Sing 2 a truly great karaoke game. Pick it up cheap enough and it’ll serve you up a nice safe slice of warbling wonder for family gatherings and parties alike.

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.

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.

Some believe that in order to truly "remaster" a game, there has to be a mastered game to begin with, and in the case of Onimusha 2, it certainly (with all due respect) isn't a game that was made with mastery to begin with. A derided sequel given an appreciable but unsurprising remaster, Onimusha 2 is worthwhile to play if you didn't play it in 2002, and is a capable study for new players.

Pilot Sports rigidly emulates Pilotwings, but doesn't bring anything new to the table. By inviting the comparison it only reflects negatively on what might otherwise be a reasonably fun but uninspired game.

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.

Godfall has all the ingredients for an enjoyable epic game, but somehow these ingredients are assembled into a soulless Franken-game that feels empty and soulless. While the combat is solid, and some of the boss fights are clever, players will still be left wondering why they should continue playing. Gorgeous to look at, but ultimately numbing to play.

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.

Not quite the next-gen (currently gen, I guess) debut that motocross fans would have hoped for, MXGP 2020 nonetheless does a relatively commendable job of filling a distinctly motocross shaped hole in the PlayStation 5 library. It's just a shame that more hasn't been done to make use of the cutting edge technology that has brought MXGP 2020 to life - doubly so given the resoundingly solid core racing experience that developer Milestone has wrought and refined here.

Ash of Gods Redemption is a solid enough tactical battler but its litany of flaws all conspire to create a game that, while ultimately enjoyable, cannot survive comparisons to the series it so desperately wishes to be.

A great concept that chose the wrong genre. Fun for those looking for a Dead Nation type of game, but it lacks the edge of your seat, lightning gameplay of the former to keep gamers engaged for long.

Code Vein II is fine, functional and can be fun-especially if you're able to get the A.I to do the dirty work for you. The Formae system is potent and definitely gives combat encounters a zesty sense of empowerment, and if you're invested you'll want to lap up Code Vein 2 with vigor-just go in expecting a largely safe soulslike and you'll be content with this one.

The Shoot offers mild entertainment in a quick arcade-style shooter package, but it is ultimately lacking in so many areas it is hard to justify the price tag.

Kill la Kill: IF's incredable animations and presentation can't save it from being a repetitive fighter that outstays it's welcome after just a few hours.

Assault Suit Leynos is a fun game and a decent remake of a title that a lot of people may not have even heard of. It oozes with retroness with its great soundtrack, character designs, and overall feel. It’s just unfortunate that its exploitable boss fights and confusing controls (which will take you the entire hour length of the game to learn how to use) hold it back.

The real pity here is that Liftoff: Drone Racing actually manages to nail that the handling and feeling of control which should arguably feature at the core of any such title which aims to bring a drone racing simulation to console. It's just a shame that a real lack of inspiring content and a distinctly dated visual presentation do much to tarnish the overall package.

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

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.

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.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition then is deeply flawed and arguably struggles to trace a satisfying gameplay loop over the lines of its source material. However, it gets enough right with the atmosphere and general presentation that it ends up being one of the best 6/10 games I’ve played in a good while. Though that might be damning with faint praise and certainly far from a perfect organism, I still feel Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is worth checking out for Aliens fans all the same.

It’s a bit light on presentation and depth, but Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker is an enjoyable enough dating game that revels in its campy side with aplomb. It’s also a touch pricey for what it is, and is definitely better-suited to mobile.

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.

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

Degrees of Separation has a great deal of heart built into it. Ember and Rime bring a light but appealing dichotomy to the world that's fun to solve puzzles with. However, both narrative and gameplay pacing suffer greatly due to creative choices. In the right hands, Degrees of Separation could be a personal favorite. However, a great companion is required to overcome this game's frequent, repetitive shortcomings.

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.

Knack desperately wants to be the 3D platformers of old, but dull combat and a half-hearted story leave it difficult to recommend.

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.

It's clear to see Grim Fandango was a great game in its day with superb characterisation and humour shining through. Getting through its logic-defying puzzles though is like staying in hell for a few days.

Baldo: The Guardian Owls tries really hard to mimic the best games in the genre but fails to conquer its glaring flaws. Combat is unfairly difficult and the camera is absolutely atrocious. The game's quests and puzzles are also frustrating due to the lack of any real direction to follow and no types of hints for puzzle solving. Thankfully, Baldo's art style is fantastic and for the most part, exploration is a joy.

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.