Bolstered by the absolutely stellar and largely transformative remaster work that Nightdive Studios has put into the game, Shadow Man Remastered represents an interesting curio for those who have yet to sample its esoteric delights, while eager fans crusty enough to remember Shadow Man's third-person horror adventure escapades from the PSOne days should probably add another point or so to the review score.

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.

Even though it was initially difficult and with very basic combat, Infernax wooed me with its comical gore, beautiful music and simple art style. Infernax will not be everyone's cup of tea but if you have a bit of time and want to play something a little different, I can recommend it. Just beware, you initially may need to navigate a bit of a skill wall of sorts to progress.

If Dynasty Warriors 9 was the volatile reboot the series desperately needed to endure, the Empires is proof the mixture isn’t quite settled yet. What Empires adds in terms of being an engrossing strategy sim, it loses in paring back its open world warfare to something that feels far too much like the series back at its worst. Persevere with its shortcomings, though, and Empires can bring you riches.

Horizon Forbidden West not only furthers the narrative of one of PlayStation's most recognisable icons, but also manages to reassure PlayStation gamers of the rude health of PlayStation Studios sterling reputation for creating stunning first-party, single-player adventures. In every way that it can be, Horizon Forbidden West is Horizon Zero Dawn 2.0 and while I might crave some more variety in its open-world activities, Guerrilla Games has nonetheless crafted a triumphant sequel that earns its place among the very best that PlayStation Studios has to offer.

SNK has finally delivered another King Of Fighters worthy of the modern era. Not only have they rectified past errors, they have refined the experience to be the most functional and accessible that King Of Fighters has been for years. With a polished graphical presentation, generous amount of content, and online play that works at the standard required, fans of the series can be very happy with this offering. In many ways, King Of Fighters XV is merely a tidier version of its predecessor, and whilst there's nothing wrong with that, you could still argue the series still has some ground to make up in the fighting scene. However, it is certainly a big step in the right direction, and a great Fighter for fans to sink their teeth into.

Edge of Eternity comes with more than its fair share of technical issues. That does not stop this game from offering up engaging combat and interesting stat management. Combine that with an easygoing world to explore, and you find yourself enjoying the experience and shrugging off the tech issues. Edge of Eternity won't shake the ground in its wake, but it provides more than enough for any RPG fan to enjoy.

Rise of The Third Power brings a lot to the table, streamlining the old charm by adding modern nuances to make something quite special. Invigorating combat meets intriguing writing, which makes for a perfect RPG combination. Some design choices may not sit well with everyone, but Rise of The Third Power still stands as a fantastic RPG more than worth anyone's time.

The Longest Road On Earth is no doubt a stirring yet minimalist aesthetic experience with a superb original soundtrack to accompany. Those who are artistically sensitive will certainly find the short play-through to be a meaningful one. Better yet, you will be awarded a platinum trophy just for completing the story. Unfortunately the very few actual interactive parts of The Longest Road On Earth don't arise any enjoyment. Comprised almost entirely of very slow and unchallenged walking, it's difficult to classify this title as a real video game.

Sifu has an extremely high skill ceiling and very deep gameplay, paired wonderfully with stylized visuals and great art. The gameplay is extremely refined, but Sifu's narrative just feels unfinished as a whole, and could have been the difference from Sifu being a lot more than what it is.

Maglam Lord combines a handful of genres into one package, and does it well enough to make it at least fun. However, it's the kind of fun that comes from mindlessly consuming something with little resistance. Maglam Lord works well as an in-between game, but it cannot hold up against other titles that specialize in the genres that this game combines.

OlliOlli World is an incredible reboot and the perfect evolution of the OlliOlli franchise. It's vivid and bright levels combined with the creativity in their design make for a deep gameplay meta that will keep you coming back for years. To put it simply, Roll7 did for OlliOlli in 2022 what Sony Santa Monica did for God Of War in 2018.

Paper Dolls 2 does enough to keep the survival horror formula going. However, its repetitive level design, heavy puzzle solving, and weird movement speeds bring down the experience somewhat. At the same time, this makes for a good puzzle-solving exploration game. As long as you know what you're getting into, you'll have a good time.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human has been a long time coming, and thankfully it's worth the wait. I loved the time I spent exploring Villedor; finding random events and scaling buildings took me back to the old days of Assassins Creed II. While I wish I wasn't being timed on the occasions I went into a dark building or decided to explore at night, it's a minor issue to overlook when most of the game is so brilliantly executed and fun to play.

Don't be fooled by the unassuming presentation of this indie title; Dysmantle is a monster that will have you in its grasp in no time. With an addictive destroy and craft loop, and a big open world full of intrigue and challenge, you'll be bargaining with yourself for just one last scavenger run every time. Elements such as combat, camera and graphics have obvious room for improvement, but there's no shortcoming that detract from just how involved you become with this game. Anyone looking to scratch that RPG itch with a new time sink seriously needs to consider purchasing Dysmantle soon.

Vagante is an entertaining experience, especially with friends. It may feel familiar to players who have played games like Spelunky but it does carve its own path with its build and loot system. It's initially hard but never unfair and has quite a bit of content for a game developed by such a small team. If you're a fan of the genre, it is well worth a look.

Whether you're experiencing these stunning games for the first time or are returning for another playthrough, emboldened by the technical facelift that the PlayStation 5 provides, Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection brings together two absolute banner PlayStation exclusives into a delectable and unmissable package that serves as a timely reminder that Nathan Drake and company have been long missed.

The Artful Escape takes you on a trip with Francis into the cosmos, marrying music and visuals into a beautiful gameplay experience. Small things pop up a time or two, but absolutely nothing keeps The Artful Escape from being entertainment brilliance. Place this among the top indie titles on the PlayStation platform.

Rainbow Six Extraction includes some interesting mechanics and a core gameplay loop that you can find fun in. However for all the positive aspects, the big issue is how quickly it falls apart into a grindy, frustrating mess while trying to play solo.

Demoniaca has several great ideas and cool concepts. Unfortunately, too many of these ideas don't reach the refinement needed to work as well as it needs to. Cool boss fights and aesthetics carry the day, but clunkiness between bosses keep it from getting close to its potential. Demoniaca has its charms, but it won't replace any staples in the Metroidvania genre.

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.

What Mythic Ocean lacks in almost every department, it does go a long way to compensate you with one of the most serene experiences you can get on a PS4. The core action is far from adrenaline pumping, but you might just come away feeling a small but cathartic amount of personal growth. With multiple endings that depend on your choices, Mythic Ocean will temp you back into its tranquil blue waters again and again before you're too horizontal to function in real life. Aside from a tedious library mini game and a few graphical blemishes, Mythic Ocean is probably just a little too small to be considered great, but it's certainly a worthwhile experience that will be swimming in your memory for some time after playing.

As a long time fan it fills me with so much joy to see this story come together so well. Along with the new jobs, amazing new zones, and some much appreciated gameplay tweaks, this is potentially the best expansion we've seen for Final Fantasy XIV yet.

With some seriously neat moments that echo some key scenes from the first two films and at just over five hours in length, is a neatly digestible morsel that doesn't surprise or innovate in any sort of meaningful way, but instead gives us more of that Terminator: Resistance goodness. Essentially, if you're a Terminator fan and played Terminator: Resistance through to completion, enjoyed it and wanted to stay in that world, then Annihilation Line is absolutely your ticket.

There's no doubt that White Shadows has something to offer in raw artistic spectacle, but there's far too many issues with the game to be celebrated. It comes across as a game that has its priorities completely upside down. While it's commendably brave that a brand new studio would explore delicate themes on their debut game, this preoccupation has apparently left no mind toward the fundamentals of what makes a gaming experience rewarding. Furthermore, these themes have not been handled in a very sophisticated manner. Social commentary aside, unoriginal level design, a forgettable narrative and poor frame performance sadly render White Shadows as one you can miss.

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.

Transient creates great settings but doesn't utilize either one very well. Its story should have been its most substantial aspect but instead ends up being its weakest. Through its puzzles are solid, the game holds your hand when solving them, leaving almost zero need for critical thought. What ends up being the best part of the game are the mini-games that transport you to other titles that Transient took inspiration from.

Rune Factory 4 Special offers up a different take on the beloved farm/life sim genre, focusing more on RPG elements. This makes Rune Factory 4 a good entry point for newcomers to the genre due to its ease of entry. At the same time, Rune Factory 4 simplifies a great deal of what makes this genre special. The catch-22 is accessibility versus gameplay depth here. While still a good game in its own right, it limits its own potential by diversifying so vastly.