Resident Evil 5 is a confounding game: it can be criticised for both mirroring its predecessor too closely and also for changing too much. When all's said and done, though, it's a decent romp that's brilliant when it's not bewildering – and when you consider the sheer amount of content included for the asking price, it's worth a punt.

While fitfully fun and well designed, Sam 4 disappoints as both a sequel and a next-gen product. While it wasn’t particularly optimised on PC it still represents a low for PS5 performance. A compromised port of a game that’s only slightly above average in the first place. A serious shame.

A game designed for fans. Newcomers may (rightfully) frown at the poor controls and sub-par visuals, but series veterans will be thrilled to find their favourite characters integrated into such a baffling situation.

When the central gameplay loop of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion starts to click, this is an action RPG with serious potential. But all too often, the joys of customising your mech and the thrills of hectic battles are held back by tedious design. With its barren open world structure and constantly expanding progression systems, it feels like Titanic Scion stretches itself too thin — but if you can stomach the missteps, there is a deeply addictive quality at the game's core.

The fundamentals here are spot on. The racing itself is fun and fast-paced, and the upgrading system works well to keep you coming back for a good few hours. It's just unfortunate that pretty much everything else doesn't quite measure up. The music, the environments, and the presentation all fall behind.

Even though the figurines are fantastic, Skylanders: Giants struggles to realise its full potential. There's very little depth to the character progression, and the narrative is pretty poor. However, it's tough to shake the appeal of the toys, and while the game is flawed, that's not going to stop the sequel and its catalogue of collectibles from commanding a spot at the top of most kids' Christmas lists.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is the best version of an okay game. It's certainly among the hedgehog's better outings since his Genesis heyday, but it suffers from typically frustrating controls and level design. The Wisps provide variety and replay value, and the remaster adds some fun new features in addition to the visual enhancements. This 11-year-old Sonic title is one worth experiencing, but just be aware of its rough edges before you spin dash into the action.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an earnest effort to produce another great game for the character, but it hasn't completely worked. The premise is good, the level design is imaginative, and there's a clear love for the IP with its countless references and costumes. However, some of the gameplay feels very dated, while a number of presentational shortcomings and a laundry list of bugs hold it back. If you're a big SpongeBob fan, there's absolutely a good time to be had here, but a general lack of polish and some played-out design mean it's not quite the sweet victory we were hoping for.

All in all, you can cleave your way through Story of a Gladiator in just a handful of hours, but it's reasonably rewarding while it lasts. Enter the arena with tempered expectations, and you'll find a basic but moreish brawler.

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows sacrifices depth to tell an intriguing story. Its incredibly linear design keeps things moving, but between unremarkable combat and an over-reliance on exposition through a bloated codex, it's never able to fully capture your imagination. Masquerada is a stunted RPG that's entertaining enough while it lasts, but you probably won't be coming back to Ombre once it's over.

Little Dragons Café can be fiddly and repetitive, but it's not all together awful. A host of interesting, well-rounded characters provide an engaging story as you raise the world's cutest dragon. It might not be the most taxing game, but it provides a cathartic experience with its simplistic approach to café management.

Kao the Kangaroo makes his big return in 2022, but the game feels like it's leapt straight out of PS2's back catalogue. Despite many rough edges and old-fashioned design principles, it ultimately succeeds in delivering a fun, breezy 3D platformer for fans of the series. It manages to evoke feelings of nostalgia despite being a brand new title with its simple gameplay and colourful worlds. It does fall apart under modern scrutiny, but it just about gets away with it, thanks to its harmlessly old-school approach.

Dead or Alive 6 finds itself in this slightly awkward middle space where it's certainly a sequel, but it's not nearly the jump that we were expecting -- especially since it's been almost seven years since Dead or Alive 5. The new additions to combat are welcome but they're not exactly exciting, and the overall package is reasonably robust, but let down by tedious grinds and a terrible story mode. As a fighter, Dead or Alive is still fun, punchy, and accessible, but as an upgrade on the already solid Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, it feels underwhelming, and even a little rushed.

If you're the type of person that likes to brag on Twitter about how many times Bloodborne has kicked your backside, then Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones may just be the challenge that you're looking for. Others should pause before purchasing, as your patience threshold will determine just how much enjoyment you get out of this sneaky sequel.

For many, Race Driver: GRID redefined the racing genre, and while GRID 2 hits many of the same beats as its predecessor, it never feels like it's trying to make the same impact. Instead, this is a fairly conservative effort that dismisses simulation driving in favour of adrenaline fuelled racing, resulting in an experience that, while fun to play, is a little safe. In the end, the loss of ‘Race Driver’ in the title says it all – this is a good arcade racer, but in a market already saturated with similar titles, it struggles to find a place upon the grid.

Zombie Army Trilogy is an enjoyable co-operative shooter that's a lot of fun when played with others. Unfortunately, it runs out of steam all too quickly, giving you a severe dose of déjà-vu once you realise that you're playing very similar encounters, with only the backdrop changing.

When all is said and done, Cars 3: Driven to Win is a decent arcade racer that fans will enjoy. The racing is good fun once you get a handle on it, and we can see kids having a great time with the family in its four-player split screen. It’s difficult to recommend it to anyone else, however. While there are plenty of ways to play, there lacks a certain depth that will keep you entertained for more than a few hours. Having said that, the PS4 is sorely lacking in arcade racing titles, so this may be worth a look if you're in the market for some bright and breezy driving – and can stand the repetitive voice lines.

There’s clearly a lot of effort been invested into bringing Borderlands 2 to PSVR, and that’s appreciated. The gameplay does feel dated these days – and the lack of DLC and co-op is a real shame – but there’s still fun to be had with the loot-shootin’ loop, and Pandora scales well to virtual reality. The PS Move control scheme is cumbersome but the game plays fine with a DualShock 4 in hand, and an array of comfort options mean that you can tailor the experience to your exact needs.

Death Squared is a solidly fun and challenging experience with friends, and even more so when played as a single-player game. Its lighthearted nature, lengthy story mode, and couch co-op possibilities are all good selling points, but SMG Studios' puzzler suffers thanks to a lack of innovation. Test passed - just.

McDroid is a game with plenty of charisma and sweet ideas. It takes a tired genre and throws it together with elements from elsewhere to create an engaging and charming hybrid.

Top Darts does a great job of replicating the feel of playing darts, but the campaign mode fails to encourage you to invest in its outstanding roster of modes.

If you're looking for a complicated game that will take a lot of time to master, then look no further, but if it's a pick-up-and-play shooter that you desire, then World of Tanks isn't Reich for you.

It’s not a looker, with the environments largely lacking detail and the sprite work rudimentary. But the loop is addictive while the adventure lasts, and you’ll definitely want to run through the campaign a few times before losing interest entirely. Ratalaika continues to supply the PS4 and PS Vita with likeable timewasters, then, and while there are undoubtedly higher-profile roguelikes on the platforms, this is still a fun one.

Heart&Slash has some enjoyable moments. The weapon and armour unlocks coupled with the randomly generated levels will keep you coming back, but ultimately, the experience is let down by unfair encounters and repetitive combat. It's a quirky combination of roguelike and brawler that will leave fans of either genre disappointed.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a wonderful way to spend several hours thanks to a delightfully fun combat system. The standard JRPG storyline means everything feels very familiar, but it's not all bad. Overall, the game's nothing special -- certainly not to look at -- but there's at least plenty of content here, and the title does a decent job of keeping things fresh.

To Leave is certainly a competent 2D platformer, but its brutal difficulty is sure to stop the majority of its players from even finishing the game. Fortunately, its story and visuals are keen to excite to the point where they may just about be worth your frustration.

Vampyr has a ton of interesting ideas, an intriguing world, and a great cast of characters, but is ultimately let down by its narrow-minded focus on unnecessary combat.

NeoSprint is a decent refresh of an aged formula, with simple but fun racing and some neat new features. Unfortunately, the presentation is a little underwhelming, and one or two issues appear in the rear view mirror just a little too often.

Star Wars Outlaws gets by with a refreshed approach to the Ubisoft open world blueprints, fun traversal, and the themes and setting of a galaxy nobody could hope to replicate — but only just. So many of its core pillars, from the lacklustre reputation system to the basic combat and stealth mechanics, feel incredibly surface-level. There's little depth to invest in, leaving the game a fun enough investment in the moment that'll prove forgettable further down the line. It's a perfectly fine video game, which feels like an anticlimax given the IP it's attached to.

Those who'll be hunting fugitives alone might want to hunt somewhere else, but if you can scrounge up a co-op mate, then this bounty is worth pursuing.

iO is a solid physics puzzler with simple controls, minimalistic visuals, and challenging gameplay that comes together as an overall decent experience. The tough difficulty spike and puzzles reliant on trial and error and good luck prevent this from being an excellent title, but if you are looking for a game to roll you over to the next big release then this is certainly worth a punt.

Deliver At All Costs’ greatest strength is its ability to reinvent itself, but its missions lack tension and its story is a bit of a misfire. If you really enjoy that isometric era of GTA games, then you’ll find fun in this physics-heavy escapade – but expect bumps and blemishes, because this is far from the perfect package.

There are video games designed for the fans, and then there's Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind. The expansion is sure to satisfy die-hard fans as it explores what happens after the events of the game's ending in the most convoluted way possible, leaving its casual audience behind in the process. That appears to be intentional, making way for fanatics to enjoy tough, climactic boss battles they've been waiting years for. It's ridiculously difficult to fully understand, charming in all the right ways, and enjoyable to play in the moment -- there probably never will be anything like Kingdom Hearts.

The title’s as straightforward as side-scrollers come, but its chunky pixel art and biting chiptune soundtrack make it an entertaining distraction for an hour or two. The game’s priced accordingly and competently constructed, so while it’s never going to invoke the passion of a fox hunting debate, there are much worse wares on the PlayStation Store.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is like a comfortable pair of JRPG slippers. If you're in the mood for a Japanese role playing game and you've played all of the good ones then you can rest assured that this one is fine. It's okay. It's comfort food. You know that feeling when you just wish Netflix would make another season of Mindhunter and so you end up watching Criminal Minds? That. Only in space.

Ultimately, it all amounts to a lot of busy-work, but once again the developer has managed to find a gameplay format that may not particularly resemble real-life team management, but keeps you on your toes at all times. You can upgrade your apartment, bring in psychologists to improve morale, and even coach your team as they compete. It’s all relatively simplistic, but there’s always something you need to do, and thus it’s hard to put down.

If the lead character’s HP reaches zero then it’s game over. All character levels are lost upon defeat, and you’ll have to start the dungeon from the first floor, keeping your equipment and any learned skills. Though the floors are short, it’s best to take your time and level up steadily to make progress in preparation for the potential difficulty spike, otherwise you’ll pay the price for trying to rush through. The game's flow can feel quite protracted as a result, and there’s a certain amount of level grinding from the off.

Fallen Legion isn't a home run. The story is somewhat trite and undercooked, and most of the cast are little more than stereotypes, but there's an earnest charm to the game that's hard to overlook, and the brevity of the campaign actually works in its favour. The frenetic combat is undoubtedly repetitive, but it's occasionally thrilling, and the choice system is well implemented and thought provoking. This won't change the mind of anybody who generally avoids action role-playing games, but for fans of the genre, there's enough here to warrant recommending Fallen Legion as a bite-size adventure to tackle between bigger games.

NHL 26 isn’t a massive overhaul by any means. The title fixates on a couple of key areas to improve upon, and unlike some previous entries, it succeeds. The new updates to Be A Pro, chiefly the World Juniors and voice acting, are incredibly welcome. Even more so, the tweaks to the hitting engine and especially goaltending are phenomenal. But that’s a rather slight list of changes for a full-scale annual release. Pair that with poor online performance and difficulty of finding matches, and you have to ask yourself if the updates are worth it. Is this a better title than NHL 25? Absolutely. But are those changes enough to make this a good game? Well, that’s a more complicated question.

FBC: Firebreak stings a little, because it has so much of what we’re looking for in a co-op shooter. It’s got the killer world and aesthetic, it’s got quirky powers and role based kits, it’s got tight first-person gameplay, and doesn’t require you to grind things out for dozens of hours. However, despite all of that, Firebreak's just fine, and ironically lacks the fire that we expect from Remedy's output. It’s a fun, casual time, but you’ll play it, you’ll finish it, and before long you’ll forget about it and wish you had been playing Control 2 instead.

For fans of the series, the four to six hour completion time coupled with good replay value will make the cheaper price tag worth a shot. For everyone else, though, this is a sometimes enjoyable but largely forgettable action romp.

Happy Dungeons is worth a download. Its quirky style and accessibility make it a good on-and-off experience -- especially with a few friends by your side -- but weak dungeon design and poor presentation holds it back from being anything more than that.

There's something really compelling at the core of Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, but it struggles to emerge amidst half-baked mechanics and a general lack of depth. The game wows over the first few hours with slick visuals and a varied character roster, but it just doesn't have the content to keep anyone but the most hardcore Bleach fans hooked. While it's great to see Tite Kubo's edgy blockbuster back in action, Rebirth of Souls will go down as a flashy fighter that never realised its potential.

Atelier Lydie & Suelle isn't as innovative as its predecessors, but that doesn’t mean you should write it off entirely - it tells a charming and captivating story that ends up being the best tale in the whole Mysterious trilogy. There are plenty of enchanting areas to explore as well, and as always, there's a deep alchemy system for you to master.

Rack N Ruin is a lot of fun when everything clicks, but these moments just don't happen often enough.

Ground Zeroes would undoubtedly make a powerful introductory mission to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, so it seems a little insidious of Konami to hold it to ransom. That being said, we really can’t fault what little we played – as far as the mechanics and design are concerned – and although the additional content does go some way towards sweetening the pot, we find it difficult to recommend this on those merits alone.

Simple but tight, Shadow Warrior 3 is a solid shooter with some occasional flashes of excitement. It's a shame the game's attempts at comedy squeeze the life out of it — and £40 for an eight-hour campaign is barely good value.

Crossing Souls is an interesting title. Absolutely in love with the pop culture of the 1980s, the title wears this love on its sleeve, and the charm of that is undeniable. Unfortunately, while the writing, art, music, and references are great, the gameplay peters out rather quickly. After a strong first couple of hours, full of interesting and layered puzzles, the last half of the title quickly devolves into no more than a collection of platforming and melee combat scenarios with little else to keep you going. The end result is game that’s fun and entertaining despite its gameplay, not because of it.

The controls are at least very simple, meaning almost anyone can enjoy this game's simple pleasures. That being said, the map editor, in which you can construct your very own hidden object puzzles, is a little messy. It offers you a fair amount of flexibility, but it's not very intuitive to navigate. Still, it's a neat addition to an otherwise plain package. This is a hidden object puzzler that does exactly what it says on the tin, and you can't argue with that.

A sporadically fun co-op brawler, South Park: Snow Day is a step back for the franchise. Card collecting and gag-filled combat will keep fans entertained, but there are plenty of better ways to have good times with weapons.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a decent adventure with some memorable moments, but it’s hampered by repetition and a lack of desire to build upon the foundations of previous entries in the franchise. There’s still enough animal magic to make this platformer worth playing, but it’s more of a petty thief than a notorious armed robber.

Unfortunately, everything surrounding these boss fights feels a little half-baked. The light exploration we mentioned is basically a dozen small areas, with one or two for each boss. There are collectibles and secrets around, but the in-game rewards for finding these things doesn’t feel worth it. This is particularly problematic as many of the secrets need late-level unlocks to access, and the threshold to reach them requires massive amounts of grinding.

Little Nightmares II is worth experiencing for its art direction alone, although its hand-cramping controls can be an obstacle at times. The title relies far too heavily on trial and error, which frustrates, but many of its encounters will live with you long after the credits roll, and so it’s successful at creating a lasting impression. It’s a stiff and rigid release at times, but its puzzles are constantly reinventing themselves, and each frame draws you in with its surreal and unsettling imagery.

Strength of the Sword 3 is a tough game. You’ll flit frequently from God-sent knight to obscenity-hurling peasant, and it won’t always be your fault. It’s certainly an impressive effort from a two-man team, and by no means an average game, but it fails to step away from the pervading notion that it's little more than a series of challenging boss fights.

The Caligula Effect 2 has loads of cool ideas, but it's undeniably rough around the edges. The visuals and character models are basic, animations can be awkward, and the environmental design comes off as uninspired. At least the user interface looks lovely.

Has-Been Heroes is as tough as nails and built for people that like to lose over and over again. The combat offers an interesting twist on a familiar mechanic, but never really evolves beyond that initial learning process. Some of the whimsy present in the Trine series has been carried over here, but not enough to balance out the punishing difficulty.

Trailblazers is an ambitious and entertaining arcade racer with a great core concept that gives races a very dynamic edge. The added strategy that the track-painting system provides makes for an excellent ebb and flow to the racing, and the presentation is well executed. Some gameplay hang-ups do occasionally spoil the fun, however, with stubborn AI drivers that cause lots of unwanted collisions -- including your teammates. Some performance issues aside, this remains an engaging, and rather different, racing game that just about overcomes its problems to offer some good old fashioned fun.

For JRPG fans who missed this on the PS3 and are willing to sink hours into mastering its various systems, menus, and combat skills, it can prove to be a worthwhile battle-'em-up. For everyone else, it may be too much of a commitment – unless being bossed around by a super demanding, foul-mouthed evil witch is your cup of tea.

It's a quaint little curio for fans of arcade games, then, but it's not exactly a must have.

Nevertheless, if you haven’t played the PS3 or Vita versions, and you’re eager to enjoy some virtual chess, then this is the best option currently available, as it really looks sensational.

Yesterday Origins has a strong cast of characters, an intriguing plot, and beautiful presentation. When you manage to work it all out, the game can be a real joy, but when things go wrong, it can be frustratingly slow and pedantic. Like its narrative, it jumps back in time to remind us of when games were far more frustrating and constrained. It brings back elements of gaming's past that we like, but it also brings back those that we don't. We've come a long way, but if all those troubles feel far away, well Yesterday Origins, to quote The Beetles, makes them look "as though they're here to stay".

While the game may have benefitted from enhancing some of its mechanics, it's by no means a bad RPG experience – just one that we feel like we've had many times before.

Home Run Derby VR makes the act of slugging entertaining, thanks to good PlayStation Move motion tracking and a strong balance between arcade and simulation gameplay. But the price of entry is far too high for a title that only includes three stadiums and one game type – even if it is ultimately rather entertaining to play.

Yakuza Kiwami finds itself in a strange position. A remake that's technically a sequel to a much better game in Yakuza 0, it struggles to offer anything besides another engaging crime-drama storyline. Best described as a kind of expansion, Kiwami really shows its age in terms of narrative structure and gameplay design, but it's still worth playing through if you just can't get enough of Kaz. It goes without saying, however, that series newcomers are much better off starting with the far superior Yakuza 0.

The core gameplay loop is solid and it's built upon a sound structure, but familiarity and filler lessen the appeal of this open world outing. Vastly improved performance and all around impressive presentation mean that London's most definitely not burning – but there may be a little panic in the offices at Ubisoft.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor is another solid expansion, but it's nothing that you haven't seen before. Western Skyrim is fun to explore, and the DLC tells a decent tale, but quests continue to lack any real innovation, highlighting the title's ageing gameplay loop.

The Escapists is excellent at what it does, there's no doubt about that, and it's cornered a market that nobody else dares to touch. It's generous with content, it's deep, and, at times, it's extremely satisfying. Still, it can be very tedious, and as such, unless you're actually in prison and have time to kill, there are probably better ways to spend your limited gaming hours.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is a weird curiosity in the history of fighting games. While it did have the monumental task of following up on one of the best fighters ever made, it’s hard to deny that it's a bit of a letdown. It does have bright spots like some unique character choices and a range of fantastic sprites, but it doesn’t stand up with Capcom or SNK’s best. Meanwhile, the PS4 port itself is as okay as okay can be. It won’t blow you away with extra content or features — it’s simply a solid way to play SVC Chaos.

You can float about and gather materials as you please, which is pleasant, but the game doesn't quite have enough to hold your interest. Sadly, the story aspect falls a bit flat — the main thread is interesting but the writing isn't particularly engaging, and any cutscenes lack impact. Overall, the game is a tranquil journey through a unique world, but it doesn't quite have the narrative pull or gameplay bite that it needs.

If you're in the market for an effectively twisted dark fantasy roguelike adventure coupled with a functional turn-based tactical strategy combat system, a walk down the Plague Road might be in order. But be warned that despite it’s distinctive art style, there isn’t much to recommend this against the less sick competitors out there.

DC Universe Online lacks the ‘pow’ of the properties that it’s inspired by, but it’s a decent enough MMO with some solid ideas and a strong following. As a free download, it’s hard not to recommend – even if you only intend to give it a try.

The Devil in Me is another competent and enjoyable enough entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology, but it fails to reach the heights of House of Ashes or even Little Hope. With a lot of potential squandered, it's left to the familiar gameplay loop of past instalments to deliver a robust title. With some new features, the season one finale offers just enough to make the deadly trip worthwhile for fans.

Ultimate Tekken Bowl can be a blast with friends, but for its asking price, it's hard not to feel like there should be more meat on its bones. It's a fun Tekken 7 extra, but it's far from an essential purchase.

Nour is more a quick snack than a filling main course. For us, it's like a packet of crisps; lots of flavour and satisfying while it lasts, but it's all over very quickly. You can nosh through this game in an hour or two, after which you're given more ways to mess with each level, but there's little reason to return for seconds. It's a neat novelty, it makes solid use of the DualSense's features, and it looks and sounds great. Ultimately, though, it didn't hold our attention for long. Of course, everyone's taste buds are different, so you may enjoy toying with this endlessly, but for us, it's no more than a yummy appetiser.

While the motion and camera controls leave much to be desired, there is a huge amount of gameplay in this title for anyone looking to discover all areas and level up all their skills.

Sakura Wars is an entertaining fusion of dating sim elements and button mashing action, but it's held back by tired anime tropes and some disappointingly underdeveloped characters. The overarching story may be painfully predictable, but there's still waifu-chasing fun to be had here, and the combat is enough to keep the otherwise relaxed pacing in check.

Being able to wield a lightsaber and deflect laser blasts, or pull a Stormtrooper up close to skewer them, carries an appropriate amount of weight, and there are many moments where the trappings of VR fade away, and you feel completely integrated into the Star Wars universe. These transcendent moments are many, and when this experience is firing on all cylinders, it’s truly special. As a stepping stone for a more expansive follow-up, there is much reason for excitement looking ahead.

While Ubisoft has proven adept at successfully applying its open world formula to a lot of games over the years, Ghost Recon: Wildlands feels like the first one lacking any real identity. While it gives a good first impression with its impactful gun battles, visually distinct open world, and wide selection of weapons, it's ultimately the war of intentions at its heart – between the freedom and unpredictability of an open world on the one hand, and the preciseness of a strategic cover-based shooter on the other – that makes for a title that'll leave both sides of the battle disappointed.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining wraps up the City That Never Sleeps storyline, but the hints towards a sequel make for a strange ending. A handful of new things to do will keep Spidey fans satisfied, and each side activity rewards you with some neat narrative details. It's a pretty by the numbers add-on, and if you enjoyed the rest of Insomniac's superhero title, there's no reason you won't like this. We'd have preferred a little more oomph for the DLC's finale, but the silver lining is that the implications for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are definitely interesting.

A simple but ultimately enjoyable brawler, Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers is a good attempt at turning an anime license into a solid video game. Fans should enjoy the title's retelling of the source material, while newcomers will find the combat system refreshingly accessible.

A-Men walks a fine line between the fun of persevering with a trial-and-error system and the frustration of instant death, and should only be tackled by the most patient players.

There's nothing you've not seen before in The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame -- unless you haven't seen the film yet. This is largely a by-the-numbers LEGO platformer with a variety of open levels in which to find collectibles and solve simple puzzles. The low difficulty makes this perfect for children to play with friends or family, and the sandbox area will let you get a little creative too. It's a safe entry in the series that fans will enjoy, but if you're getting tired of the same old formula, there's not much new to see here.

The controls are wonky and the mission design is straight outta last-gen, but there's still dumb fun to be had with Saints Row The Third Remastered. Even all these years later, it's a refreshingly stupid sandbox title that offers up some memorable moments -- it's just a shame that they're buried beneath tedious activities and gameplay that feels incredibly basic by today's standards.

Project CARS 3 marks a significant departure for the series, abandoning most of its sim heritage in favour of arcade racing. Offering a variety of different cars and tracks, there’s plenty of content on offer, making for a fun distraction, but it lacks the excitement we expect from wheel-to-wheel racing. It takes inspiration from all over the place, but it’s perhaps most closely aligned with Sony’s own DriveClub. It would seem, then, that the PS4 cycle is ending the way it began. We’re just not sure we’d pick this over what’s come before.

Konami is effectively taking a year off because it knows it has the basis of something special here and it wants to ensure it makes an effective transition to the PlayStation 5; we can respect that. But with barely any changes and the abovementioned licensing shortcomings, we’d recommend you just pick up last year’s game for a couple o' quid instead.

WWE 2K15 on the PS3 is very much a clone of last year’s offering.

PaRappa the Rapper Remastered is a time capsule from the late 90s – warts and all. The high-definition gloss might make the game look better than ever, but it can't mask how the genre has moved on in PaRappa's absence. The mechanics don't hold up against the competition of today, but the fantastic soundtrack, charming characters, and budget price should prove more than enough to get the nostalgia juices flowing in anyone who remembers the old dog's first outing 20 years ago.

Just Cause 4's traversal system can be wonderfully entertaining, and the chaotic, explosion-sim physics in play are frequently exhilarating, but they're manacled to a game that has absolutely no idea how best to use them. What's the point in giving players an array of tools that lets them cause wanton destruction on a gargantuan scale, and then designing a campaign full of drab, copy-pasted missions that barely require you to use them? It's a bit like getting the coolest BMX on the market for Christmas, but then your Mum tells you you're only allowed to ride it around the garden where she can keep an eye on you. Cheers, Mum.

It’s probably the most simplistic 16-bit title you’re going to find on the PS4 and PS Vita, and thus the difficulty options – which include circumventing either the combat or puzzles entirely – make sense. You’re going to find next to no challenge here besides the inexplicable absence of a map, but it’s a bright and breezy romp that will almost certainly keep your kids entertained for a few hours.

If you can stomach its disappointingly dull quests, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a solid enough action RPG. Some pretty visuals and a cosy JRPG vibe do a lot to mask its flaws.

There are moments in The King’s Bird where it’s easy to lose yourself in the gameplay and striking visuals. Rocketing around colourful stages and indulging in the serene soundtrack is fun, but frustrating puzzle mechanics and little variance in the gameplay taint the experience.

An antique that's aged ungracefully. The presentation is sublime from the release's rousing start right the way through to its anticlimactic finish, but several shoddy design decisions detract from its otherwise exemplary gloss.

Conan Exiles is a surprisingly good open world survival game that does a good job of blending genre mechanics with the harsh world of Conan the Barbarian. It's seriously addictive stuff despite general jankiness and a strange obsession with nudity, but the multiplayer is the real highlight. If you're looking for something new to play with your friends for a bit, look no further.

With its hand-drawn, off-kilter visuals, Mundaun turns even the most benign objects into something sinister. The act of actually playing it may not be a pleasure, but looking at it most certainly is. When the soundtrack crescendos and the hair-raising atmosphere takes hold, there's nothing quite like the menaces of Mundaun.

StarBlood Arena is a likeable PlayStation VR shooter that's well-presented and pretty fun to play. The problem is that there simply aren't enough people playing it, and with the online experience being far-and-away the biggest selling point here, that's a problem. If you can convince your friends to pick it up then there's fun to be had here, but with very little single player content it's a risk entering this minefield alone.

The simplistic gameplay may turn some off with how tedious exploration can become with few scares and long stretches of nothing, but if you choose to remain steadfast on this trail, the sights, sounds, and story may very well be worth your effort.

Valkyrie Elysium is a game of two halves. The level design and objectives feel at least two generations old and the characters and storyline are more like placeholders than the finished article. There's no capital F feelings here or much in the way of narrative justification, but if you're okay with that and you just want fifteen to twenty hours of fast, frantic, fluid combat then we can just about recommend this one.

The Surge 2 is brimming with minor gameplay and technical issues that threaten to spoil the broth on a constant basis, but the game’s combat system and varied locations do just enough to push them to the back of your mind. When the going gets tough, the experience shines with a genius take on health regeneration and brutal, gory takedowns that are just as satisfying to perform as it is to whittle an enemy into submission. It can’t hold a candle to a From Software joint, but The Surge 2 will satisfy those chomping at the bit for the next take on the genre.