It's a real shame that the performance here is subpar, because Dangerous Golf is fantastic fun, whether alone or with friends in the co-op and competitive modes.

A brief, but memorable experience is at the core of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Downright stunning environments serve as a backdrop to exploring the streets of 80s infused France. Between the solid performance level and the fluid controls, this is Bethesda’s best excursion into virtual reality. Given how well the title succeeds at pretty much everything it sets out to do, we hope that this is step one to a fully fledged Wolfenstein VR title down the road.

If you’re not an expert, you’ll find it hard to get to the content in Don’t Starve: Reign of Giants, but fans will definitely appreciate the deeper difficulty and complexity to the gameplay offered as part of this expansion.

EA Sports F1 25 is overall another rock solid entry in the annual franchise. The driving is reliably good fun and impressively flexible, and the return of Braking Point is a welcome one, even if it's not the best story ever told. A robust set of modes means there's something for everyone, and it looks and sounds great on the whole. One or two career mode changes might ruffle some feathers, and navigating the game can feel slow, but by and large it's a podium finish for this F1 racer.

DualSense support is included to reflect your stamina through the adaptive triggers. Unfortunately, despite the generally simplistic presentation, performance is worryingly inconsistent on PS5, which is a shame. All in all, though, this is a fun if forgettable medieval romp: much of the appeal stems from seeing how GTA series staples have been adapted, like the Pimp-a-Horse drive-thrus which clear your Wanted level and the end of mission beats that accompany each quest you complete.

The game’s clearly been massively inspired by Nintendo’s moustachioed mascot’s racing games, but the execution is a furlong ahead of fellow copy cats. It’s just a shame that the release is missing out on key components, such as online multiplayer and leaderboards, as this could have been a real surprise package with the aforementioned features in place.

JYDGE is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter that has a fun and destructive core mechanic and a lot of replay value. If you’re a huge fan of twin-stick shooters it’d be a crime not to give this one a try and judge it for yourself.

Headmaster scores a hat-trick with its sense of humour, quirky concept, and well-executed gameplay. It's one of those games that you really want to get into, diving around your living room as you try to score the perfect goal. It's a shame, then, that the realities of actually wearing the PlayStation VR headset mean that you can't actually ever unleash your inner-Alan Shearer – but we'd be being pretty harsh if we gave it a red card for something that's out of the developer's control.

If you can get past the fact that the combat only really comes into its own a few hours in, you may just find yourself disappearing into its depths for bit longer than you might have expected.

A rushed packing job to hit the road and enjoy the adventurous escape of Vita's launch. It's got a lot to offer and has a wealth of good times in store, but with a little more time spent on getting things together this could've been the trip of a lifetime.

At its blistering best, Strider is a joy to play – its silky smooth controls making it difficult to not feel like the unstoppable agent himself. It's a welcome return to a beloved franchise, but it falls just short of maintaining the momentum that's expected of it, and instead opts to slice its way into a new generation with some less than exhilarating gameplay additions.

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is a strange title, but it offers an intriguing experience that’s let down by a few issues. Indeed, the bizarre story elements, off-putting sexual material, and repetitive gameplay mechanics may turn you away from this eccentric title, but look past these problems and you will find a way to appreciate its otherwise interesting narrative and entertaining cast.

Despite a couple of flaws, Super Bomberman R is a strong entry into a long-running franchise. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but offers enough variation to the gameplay to keep veterans of the series on their toes, while also helping newcomers ease into the format. It’s a shame that online battles seem to be such a mess at the moment, because with that up and running to its full potential this would easily be the definitive Bomberman game.

In a world where the 3D remake of Final Fantasy III exists, it's hard to argue that Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster is the definitive version. However, there's no denying that this classic RPG still holds up, even though it struggles to wow outside of its enjoyable job system.

Stray Blade is an enjoyable entry-level Souls-like RPG with a beautifully built world to explore. Its intriguing narrative and comical companion, Boji, will keep you entertained for its full 20-plus hour duration. Although bugs and frame rate issues are present, we would recommend Stray Blade to those looking to get a foot in the door of the Souls-like genre.

Episode 3: Fractured Mask doesn’t quite hit the same highs as its immediate predecessor, but the tangled web that Telltale’s cast in Batman: The Enemy Within is getting increasingly intriguing with each episode. This particular instalment may pump the brakes slightly in order to include necessary setup for the impending finale, but it feels meaningful, and the scenes with Selina and Bruce are particularly engaging.

The technical issues, particularly the ridiculous load times, absolutely needed to be sorted out prior to release, however. These things ultimately make for a game that, although much expanded in feature set in some key areas, scratches and scrapes to a level just below that of the first title rather than exceeding it as it should have.

Myths of the Eastern Realm doesn't tie into the core Fenyx campaign at all, but once you're done, you unlock all of Ku's equipment for use in the main game. A nice little bonus, considering how powerful some of Ku's weapons and armour sets are.

A Way Out is a successful experiment in co-operative play with some excellent presentation and varied gameplay. The story may be predictable, but you'll be surprised how attached you become to Leo and Vincent, and you'll be compelled to see their journey through to the end regardless. The ambition shines through in the end, and for anyone after a truly unique co-op game, you need look no further.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection brings a trio of Ryu Hayabusa's adventures to modern systems, and that in itself is worth celebrating. The quality of the individual games does vary a fair bit, though, with Sigma 2 the best of the bunch. However, bringing them together is highly skill-based combat that rewards real mastery, and it remains pretty unique among modern action titles. While not without their flaws, there's still plenty to love about these PS3-era slash-'em-ups

Outside of the core campaign, there’s online multiplayer with full crossplay, which should help to ensure matchmaking remains snappy across a prospectively small install base. Rotating challenges also offer new gameplay wrinkles and modifiers to keep things fresh in a very basic live service fashion, with cosmetic unlocks like paint and leaderboards available to keep you engaged. Ultimately, the game won’t hold your attention for too long, but you’ll be smiling plenty while it lasts.

The Playroom VR is a good collection of couch co-op mini-games that demonstrate the capabilities of the VR headset superbly. Although a few of the games you'll play once and never touch again, Robots Rescue is a standout experience that you'll wish was a fully-fledged game in itself.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's inconsistent quality holds it back from being a great Dragon Ball game, but ultimately, its high points do outweigh its problems -- especially if you're a fan. This is quite easily the most accurate retelling of Dragon Ball Z in a video game, and it's packed full of additional character moments and thoughtful little details. That said, it's difficult not to feel as though the game could have used more time in development or a bigger budget. CyberConnect2's admiration of the source material shines through, but at times, it's hard to ignore all of the corners that have quite clearly been cut. Kakarot's good fun and a decent way to spend 40 anime-soaked hours, but it could have been something more.

Ironclad Tactics brings together a plethora of gameplay styles, and in the process, picks up some of their best and worst features, all the while throwing in a few of its own.

It may be hard to justify the price of this DLC if you're not a committed fan, though, but keep in mind that Sky Fortress really does make Just Cause 3 that much better.

This is another enjoyable romp, though, which sprinkles just enough new ideas into the experience to make it stand on its own. Most importantly, the action is much tenser this time around, and while it's still largely ridiculous, it will have you squirming at points.

You'll spend far more of your time watching cutscenes then you will exploring dungeons and defeating enemies, so while the combat system is quite basic, the eclectic mix of characters and twisting storylines will hold your interest through to the end. Thus, if you think of Akiba's Beat as a visual novel with some light gameplay elements instead of thinking of it as an action RPG, then you'll probably enjoy it a whole lot more.

Blades of Fire is a well-made and lengthy action adventure romp that will test your combat skills, provided you can see it through. Taking inspiration from some of gaming's greatest hits, it never quite manages to reach those lofty heights itself, let down by a generic setting and lacklustre art direction. Still, it offers some interesting concepts, with combat and crafting mechanics that remain satisfying throughout.

Victor Vran: Overkill Edition doesn't revolutionise the action RPG genre, but it certainly has helped it evolve. The scrapping of class systems and skill trees gives you more control over the character that you want to make, while the hordes of collectable loot will keep you chopping and changing your loadout for a long time. While its story is a little stale and there is still something very conventional about how Haemimont Games' latest is set out, the variety of gameplay and four-player co-op will keep you coming back to Zagoravia for hours.

Gotham Knights is the type of game you so dearly want to love, but time and time again it gives you a reason not to. What Warner Bros. Games Montreal has here is an excellent story with top-notch cutscene direction and a fun combat system, with too many needless and confusing mechanics bolted on top. If you can look past them, there's a genuinely great game here. We recommend trying your best to do so; you'll find a compelling narrative on the other side.

Ratalaika's port has the helpful inclusion of cheats to retain weapons, and the advantageous option of infinite magic — so you can hold two buttons for double firepower of regular shots, alongside experimental magic attacks like the Energy Ball or Thunderbolt. This allows greater customisability of the original's steep difficulty curve.

If you’re already invested in the Zen Pinball games, then Pinball FX3 with its roster of new gameplay options is an essential upgrade. It’s a shame that licensing issues mean that some tables have been left behind, but the new progression system adds replayability to every other table that you already own. The user interface is disappointing, but it’s feature packed, and depending on the number of tables you've bought, you could quite feasibly spend thousands of hours trying to dominate the leaderboards in this game.

Colorado may not be as impressive or vibrant as Sapienza or Bangkok, but it brings its own new take to the game. With a newfound focus on stealth, sniping, and uniforms, this latest mission does well to bring back memories of the sneakier Hitman of old, but some frustrations and annoyances due to the difficulty are present.

Conarium is a good, plot focused and atmospheric walking sim puzzler. Though it's billed as horror, it serves to get under your skin, rather than producing any massive frights. That said, the world created is wonderfully realised and quite beautiful in its freakishness. The way that the game captures the otherworldly vibe of Lovecraft’s work, and develops such an engaging story quickly, is something to applaud. Ignoring the poor voice acting, bad character models, and the odd frustrating puzzle, if you’re looking for a disturbing, plot focused walking sim experience, or you’re just a huge Lovecraft fan, you won’t go far wrong here.

Shadow Complex Remastered is, in many ways, a perfect gateway drug for the Metroidvania genre.

Don Bradman Cricket is an incredibly competent cricket simulation game.

For anyone familiar with the series (and the RTS genre itself), Company of Heroes 3 is a solid but flawed entry. For newcomers, getting to grips with the controls and trudging through the patchy Italian campaign might not be worth the price of enlistment. However, if you do learn its intricacies, you're rewarded with fantastic, intense combat. It's a great effort to translate the RTS to console even with one or two issues.

Steep is very successful at capturing the breakneck exhilaration of Alpine extreme sports, and with an atmospheric open world that's packed full of enjoyable challenges it picks up the mantel dropped by the likes of SSX well. While it doesn't quite hit the lofty peaks it's aiming for – mainly due to some poorly explained mechanics and the underwhelming multiplayer – you won't be piste-off if you decide to take the plunge.

It may not be the next single player terror fans of its predecessors are looking for, but The Outlast Trials successfully translates the series' formula for a co-op setting. Hiding from gory psychopaths and utilising night vision is still the name of the game — now you simply do it alongside up to three friends online. Though silly enemy AI and some repetitive visual assets drag the experience down, The Outlast Trials is an example of a former single player game turned online title done right.

Its main gameplay is simplistic but becomes totally engrossing, and the technical achievement is impressive. The atmosphere created by the graphics and sound is second to none, and there's an amazing sense of place. Some may struggle to find the fun with the lack of direction, and there are some technical issues that need addressing, but if you're able to create your own fun with the tools that you're given, you'll be playing this for a long time.

Bar the frustrating Zeeple Dome and a few bugs, The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is yet another fantastic collection of party games. With each game offering something different -- and Mad Verse City in particular being a highlight -- Jackbox Games has made a game that should keep you and your friends entertained for a while.

American Fugitive is an exceptional open world playground for dumb fun, but it fails to capitalise on that when tailored mission design is brought into the fold. One too many repetitive objectives drag the experience down to a crawl, but for some, the narrative will be just about enough to make it worthwhile.

Ultimately, this isn't the Samurai Jack game of your dreams. But despite its flaws, this is a good action game that will please fans, and its simplistic nature may even introduce the property to a younger audience.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is not without its flaws, but it’s hard to imagine a better showcase of PSVR2’s potential than this. The core climbing gameplay is impressively executed, and it evolves just enough over the course of the campaign to remain fulfilling. We’re not a huge fan of the combat, and the plot is practically impenetrable unless you’re a franchise die-hard, but these niggles don’t necessarily deter from the overall satisfaction you’ll feel as you scale rock-faces several hundred meters into the sky.

This is a game that presents itself in a unique way, and trusts you to put together its compelling mystery without assistance.

Outriders absolutely excels when it lets combat, solid gunplay, and supremely satisfying abilities do the talking. Its unique blend of aggression really is something to behold in action. Rubbish characters, the requirement to maintain an online connection and couple with servers, and various technical hitches hold it back from greatness, but they don't muddy the picture so much to dissuade a recommendation. Outriders is pretty class in motion.

Whether or not you get much out of Beats Slider will depend upon your tolerance for sliding puzzles, but there's some great music here to encourage your investment regardless. In many ways it's the perfect title for PlayStation Mobile: simple, disposable, and smart. And at less than the price of a Kinder Surprise, it's hard to really complain either way.

Stolen Pets is a very short game, so to say much more about it would be to spoil things. There's not too much replayability either, beyond finding each location's hidden coins, but these are pretty easy to spot. That it's over so quickly would be a problem if it wasn't so darn adorable. Joyous, imaginative, and full of personality, this is sure to bring a smile to all who play it.

Gravity Rush Remastered will have you purring at the potential that its sequel looks set to fulfil, but it's a fine release in its own right.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is an enormous improvement over its predecessor. The gameplay has seen a large amount of refinement to the point where it's actually a fun game to play, and Styx himself steals the show with his charismatic performance. It's not without its own set of returning and new defects, but Styx's second adventure is something we can confidently recommend. This is everything the first game should have been.

If you're a fan of the franchise, then TRON: Catalyst is a title you won’t want to miss. Bithell Games has massively expanded the scope and ambition of its title from the first time out, and the results are mostly successful.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis is the most impactful character episode yet, and it's easily the most essential. Those already invested in Final Fantasy XV should find a lot to like in terms of additional story elements, and Ignis' flashy, fast, and fluid fighting style keeps enemy encounters engaging. Here's hoping that future episodes build upon what this latest scenario gets right.

As far as Warriors-style action games go, Fate Extella Link is near the top of the pile on PS4 -- it's a robust and refined sequel that fans of the genre shouldn't miss out on. The process of levelling up, collecting skills, and bonding with your favourite Fate characters is both satisfying and rewarding, and although repetition does become a factor later on, the flashy combat has enough kick to keep you engaged. While it could be argued that Link should do more to evolve beyond its predecessor, it's still hectic hack and slash fun from start to finish.

It doesn’t hurt that the game is designed with a confidence and flair we don’t often see in VR. Absolutely everything down to the menus has a level of swagger that makes for a stunning experience. Cel-shading works well in certain settings, and VR is absolutely one of them: it allows Fracked’s environments to have exponentially more detail and complexity than a similar game without cel-shading, adding much more life to the title's alpine mining facility.

Etherborn is well worth checking out if brain teasing is your thing. As it toys with gravity and shifts surfaces to the forefront while you traverse them, mechanics come and go to keep the experience fresh at all times. This environmental puzzler doesn’t last particularly long, but it’s sure to provide an afternoon’s worth of challenge and enjoyment.

It doesn’t do anything that'll have you absolutely amazed, but the time you spend getting to know your surroundings here will be a worthy venture as your store expands and gets more products.

A solid character roster coupled with some eye-catching combat is what this beat-'em-up is all about – even if it could afford to take some more risks, given the wealth of source material on offer.

Though it's not very accessible and lacks a bit of polish, the amount of pure heart that has gone into Fire Pro Wrestling World means that it's a fun retro wrestling game once you get used to it. The endless customisation options and deep story mode provide great value, while the game's oddball nature is pretty charming. Like The Rock, Fire Pro Wrestling World is somehow still going after all these years. Unlike The Rock, its legacy hasn't been tarnished by an appearance in the Baywatch reboot.

In the end, though, Dead Island 2 is a refreshing surprise amid the 2023 release roster. It's a fun and simple zombie-slasher experience that may be let down by its uninspiring RPG elements and boring loot-cycle, but more than makes up for it with its killer setting, brutal melee combat, and stunning graphics. While we suspect some will be disappointed by the game's size after all these years, we found it utterly revitalising to find a AAA experience that respects your time, and more importantly doesn't overstay its welcome. In the day and age of 300-hour RPGs, it's nice to know that some games are here for a fun time, not a long time.

Where the game really shines is in its entertaining writing and story-telling. While there are plenty of dark and sombre story points, your lovable companions will constantly lift the mood with light-hearted banter or their tales of folklore told around the warmth of a campfire.

Atlus has successfully translated the turn-based combat of its 2017 masterpiece into a competent tactical experience, though Persona 5 Tactica won't be heralded with the same praise. Consistently good during fights, customising your party and mastering its many stages is where the game is at its best. However, there's little to the title besides those skirmishes, and without any exploration or sense of character progression, this feels like the Phantom Thieves at the end of their tether. Joker and co have enjoyed a great run, but Persona 5 fatigue is well and truly beginning to set in.

Outlast II significantly ups the ante in the production values stakes, but its biggest sin is relying a little too heavily on trial and error in the gameplay department. There's an unsettling story here that wanders into some quite shocking territory, but the writing doesn't always sing from the same hymn sheet, and some murderous moments are delivered a little too frantically for the fiction to fully marinate. Despite that, there's more than enough good on offer here to tempt you back to church. Pull up a pew and prepare for a psychological onslaught.

Pinball M exists to provide Zen Studios with a venue to explore more mature material, but launching several months later than the underwhelming Pinball FX, it also fixes a lot of core structural problems with its peer. This is a more cohesive, rewarding package overall – and the first batch of five tables are bloody fantastic to boot.

Jamestown+ has a great foundation in that it's an extremely addictive and equally challenging shmup, whether you're playing alone or with friends.

Tomba! is still a weird and mostly wonderful little platformer, packed with character and charm from beginning to end. Some of its more convoluted design elements can frustrate, and the backtracking's a bit of a slog at times, but the core, grab-happy gameplay remains satisfyingly fun. And, with the addition of unlimited saves and a rewind function, it's hard not to appreciate and enjoy this revived PS1 oddity.

Viking Squad isn't the most creative or exciting beat-'em-up on the market, but it's easily one of the most consistent. Packing a colourful campaign across a series of varied stages - complete with alternate routes that add a lot of replay value - this is a well made arcade brawler that's especially fun with friends.

NOW That's What I Call Sing is a solid buy for anyone in need of a karaoke game on the PS4.

By daring to downscale some of the fluff, NBA 2K25 brings its focus back to basketball in a positive way. Improvements to the series’ dribbling system and ProPLAY make this the best feeling hoops sim Visual Concepts has made, while the sheer density of different modes and features means you could play nothing else all year – and still never get bored. But the borderline insulting emphasis on microtransactions remain a thorn in this series’ side, and something you simply have to accept if you want to enjoy everything else on offer here.

The game is a lighthearted blast. Causing trouble as a goose is devilishly fun, even if the novelty may wear off once you've seen and done everything. It's so uniquely endearing, though, that it'll live surprisingly long in the memory. Enjoyable at any age or ability, Untitled Goose Game is worth a gander.

Something that hasn’t aged quite as well are the shooting galleries. The enemy spawns feel too abundant on some levels, causing the gunplay to get a bit too monotonous. This is especially true on 'The Lost Levels' which are brand new bonus missions meant to connect “old” Doom to “new” Doom, but end up overstaying their welcome.

Zanki Zero is a really entertaining blend of visual novel and survival RPG gameplay. The story is just as eccentric and zany as the Danganronpa series and features that grittiness fans have come to expect. The combat system is a little simplistic, but the human cloning makes it a really unique experience. However, the title doesn't quite hit the same deliciously dark heights as Danganronpa.

11-11: Memories Retold is an immersive, beautiful, and emotionally charged game. It’s at its best when it functions as a playable film, with you making the major decisions. Where it falls down is in its clunky gameplay and story beats that are locked behind secret item collection. However, the strong celebrity performances and engaging story more than make up for this and create a really unique experience that is both thought provoking and enjoyable. As the subtlest World War game ever made, there’s nothing more appropriate to play to commemorate the signing of the Armistice.

Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening streamlines the many complex systems and mechanics that have built up over the series' 40-year history, refining the strategic experience that is more approachable and all the better for it. While UI elements and precise control issues can frustrate at times, Awakening is a wonderful sandbox for samurai enthusiasts to play in.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a fantastic co-op shooter that occasionally struggles under strain. The human character models don't exactly look great, but the game delivers what matters: strong gameplay and an excellent atmosphere that's a blast to play with friends.

Taken as a whole, Naiad is a title with incredible art and sound as well as something to say, even if the gameplay isn’t always firing on that same level.

We Are OFK is an incredibly well-written game that stretches the boundaries of the medium. There's not a lot of traditional gameplay, but the characters are so well-realised and the writing so strong that even though there’s not much for you to do during each of the episodes, the act of being there and listening remains highly engaging. Between the strong art and soundtrack, there’s a lot to like, even if there’s not a lot to play.

The Darkness II is absolutely worth your investment: its rich sense of style, gratuitous twist on standard first-person gunplay and legitimately engaging plot separate it from its peers, but there's a serious lack of substance here that diminish from the game's overall value.

Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time manages to capture the essence of the anime brilliantly. There’s plenty of fun to be had exploring Luna Nova as well as all the various dungeons. Some slow story pacing and frame rate drops let things down slightly, but if you’re a fan of the series, you should definitely pick this up.

In pursuing pro players, NBA 2K21 may be a little too intimidating for more casual players. Nevertheless, this is an obscenely detailed simulation that captures the ebb-and-flow of real-world basketball with unrivalled authenticity. It’s also enormous, and while some aspects have been left untouched, the likeable story and revamped MyTeam modes mean that it’s worth the upgrade. The in-game economy, which is heavily influenced by lucrative microtransactions, continues to be a sour spot – and it remains to be seen how much life this release will have with a next-gen successor right around the corner. Still, even with all of these drawbacks, it’s comfortably one of the best sports games available on the PS4.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a fun spin-off that takes a series we all know and love and places it somewhere entirely different. It's a mostly successful experiment; the Metroidvania structure works well with the franchise's mechanics, and it looks and sounds the part. However, it takes too long to really come into its own, leaving the early parts of the game feeling a bit lacking compared to the richer experience found later on. If you have the patience to see it through, and can overlook some rough edges here and there, this is a worthwhile adventure for fans that delves into Kratos' history in a way we haven't seen before.

Wizard of Legend is an enjoyable roguelike dungeon crawler with fun, fast-paced combat, beautifully crafted music, and pleasant pixel visuals that come together to form a fantastic fictional setting. Although the difficulty is steep and there is the occasional balancing issue, the available co-op modes are an excellent addition that help negate those problems.

Contra Anniversary Collection is a pleasant shoot down memory lane, but the duplicate games are frustrating additions, taking up slots that could’ve been filled by more unique titles. As is, half of the roster are repeats, and that’s a bit of a shame. Compared to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, which offered eight distinctive experiences that epitomised the early years of the series, it’s a disappointing line up, especially considering the absence of the underrated, long-awaited Nintendo DS sequel; Contra 4. However, these are very good games and it remains enjoyable to explore the history of such an iconic series and compare the tweaks to each version, whether graphical or story based. The games that we are given are all (mostly) stellar retro shooters and it’s cool to have them easily accessible in one place. If you haven’t experienced the Contra series before, then this isn’t a bad pl ace to report for duty.

The core loop is a simple one, but it’s not as instantly addictive as many of the other games from Atari's prime. While it’s satisfying to pull off a huge combo, and requires a surprising degree of strategy, by the time you’ve played through the core 50 levels of the game, you won’t be as anxious to dive back in as you might hope.

Hue is a puzzle game rarity. It manages to be both fun and challenging, meaning it confidently accommodates the hardcore puzzle fans as well as those that are usually completely hopeless. The colour wheel mechanic gives the game a unique angle, while the level and puzzle design is incredibly clever with puzzles never becoming stale or repetitive. Fiddlesticks' charming puzzle platformer has coloured us impressed.

WWE 2K18 is a solid entry into the annual series, but is unfortunately let down by a few clunky implementations. The presentation and actual wrestling gameplay are as good as ever and Universe Mode has seen a number of additions to make it far more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the ambitious attempt to revamp MyPlayer misses the mark a little with glitches, repetitive side-quests, and a story that's afraid to deviate even a tiny bit from its set path.

Doki Doki Literature Club is still a fantastic visual novel, but the Plus version on PS5 struggles to find a purpose besides being a new way to play the original. Existing fans will appreciate some of the new content, such as the side stories and concept art, but locking the content behind multiple playthroughs of a game that loses its appeal after the first time around is a tough pill to swallow. On the other hand, newcomers have no reason to play this version instead of the freeware PC release, since some core PC features were compromised for this port. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is still a great experience that should be played by anyone remotely interested, but this specific version struggles to be a worthwhile purchase for any fan, new or old.

For no cost, there's no excuse not to ignite these lights.

Originally a duo of mobile games, The Alto Collection brings two beautiful endless runners to PlayStation 4. There are more words in this game's title than there are buttons to learn; press X to jump, hold it to backflip, and that's it. These ultra-simple controls will see you shredding snow or surfing sand as you slide forever downhill, racking up points, collecting coins, and pushing for a new distance record.

The Order of Giants isn’t going to change anyone’s opinion on the MachineGames Indy outing. If you didn’t like it before, you won’t like this. Similarly for returning players looking for something new, you won't find it here, and as expected, it lacks the scale that we loved so much in the main game...However, if you're just looking for a few more hours with your favourite quipping archaeologist, then The Order of Giants offers up just that, with a fun storyline, great visuals, and some fantastic puzzles.

It's an above average monthly achiever; a confident performer that pushes itself hard, but never quite goes the extra mile to secure employee of the month.

While the gameplay is solid, we came away more impressed with the art direction and sound design than expected. The lightly stylised, cel-shaded look works for 1971, with the organic environments looking especially nice. The sheer variety of locations is impressive, too, including an oil rig, airbase, canyon, and nomadic village. Meanwhile, the exploration music is absolutely beautiful, though the combat soundtrack gets a bit repetitive.

The tweaks to FIFA 23’s gameplay make for a more deliberate, physical representation of the beautiful game – and while it won’t be to the taste of sweats who are used to five-star skilling their way up the ranks in Division Rivals, personally we appreciate the commitment to authenticity. As an overall package, this is a strong end to an impressive 30-year run, but an overemphasis on microtransactions and some cumbersome UI decisions underline everything that’s been frustrating about this franchise for the past decade or so. Make no mistake, with crossplay and a wealth of things to do, this is the best shape the series has been in – but we hope EA Sports FC, unshackled from the overbearing eyes of governing body FIFA, brings a little bit more to the field.

Despite everything that Dishonored still does right, the Definitive Edition is a lacklustre port.

Arcadegeddon is Illfonic's most well-rounded multiplayer title yet, with a fun, engaging core and fast-paced gameplay keeping you going. Its rogue-lite elements don't get in the way, and it's a great game to let loose in with a friend or two. We can take or leave some of the surrounding fluff, like the largely forgettable characters and cosmetics, and there are definitely one or two rough edges. Even so, it's worth jacking into this solid third-person shooter for some scrappy fun.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a rock solid arcade racing game that gets a lot of things right, but doesn't quite measure up in some areas. The drift-heavy handling and physics-based mayhem create super fun action on the track, and the cars themselves are as good to look at as they are to drive. While the tracks tend to feel a bit samey and the random nature of unlocks may lead to some frustration, the end result is a robust racing game that'll appeal to fans young and old.

When Furi's on point, it looks, sounds, and feels incredible, but a little too often, it struggles to maintain its intensity.

Freedom Wars is a solid action RPG that's put behind bars by a slew of elements that end up lacking.

Knack offers a refreshing return to the PSone platformers of old. The title may not be particularly ambitious, but it has a nostalgic quality that can make it difficult to put down. Checkpoint hiccups, framerate issues, and difficulty spikes prevent it from reaching its maximum potential – but much like the titular hero himself, the title will definitely grow on you.