Stick It to the Man is a great title that oozes charm, intelligence, and humour. It's hard not to recommend, even if it does have very limited replayability. Indeed, once you've worked your way through the campaign and heard all of the dialogue – as great as it is – there's very little left to do.

The game leans heavily into its whimsical style, too. Colourful graphics and cute creatures make the world a fun place to explore, and unlockable cosmetics mean you can dress up your doggies as well. The whole thing is just happy, eager to please, and family friendly — like an actual dog, really.

Padding is Alien: Isolation’s unfortunate undoing, as there are a few too many recycled moments throughout the course of its seemingly never-ending single player campaign. Still, when it’s on form, this is a nail biting affair, as you use sound and cunningly constructed items in order outwit your incredibly intelligent enemies.

Fighting game fans can't really go wrong with King of Fighters XV — a sequel that doesn't shy away from the technical depth of its predecessors. It's obviously still early days, but it feels like SNK has improved upon King of Fighters XIV in all of the ways that matter. Better visuals, expanded mechanics, and, perhaps most importantly, smooth online netcode make for fighter that's hard to fault — even if it's lacking the cutting edge of its peers.

After a promising opening, the game takes its narrative in a completely unnecessary direction, and it substitutes its lack of compelling content with too many out of place puzzles that are more infuriating than enjoyable. Despite giving the illusion of plot involvement, you never really feel in control of events.

I know there have been other musical RPGs before, but People of Note still feels largely unique. I love how heavily it leans into its theme, and while I don’t expect the YA vibes to resonate with everyone, I personally found myself invested in the release’s cast and its brisk storyline. I think the battle system could have been further refined to feel more impactful and I would have liked to see it evolve faster. Furthermore, I’m not sure all of the environmental puzzles are as fun as the developer intended – although they can be disabled if you’re not feeling them at all.

Overall, F1 22 is another high quality simulation of the motorsport, with great handling and detailed, engrossing career modes. While the presentation is strong and the game generally looks and sounds great, some aspects like character models just aren't quite where they should be, and F1 Life doesn't add all that much to the experience. We encountered more bugs than expected, too, although we expect patches will iron those out in due course. It's got it where it really counts, then, but some extra polish would put it higher on the grid.

If you've ever found enjoyment at the apron of a virtual pinball machine this really is the definitive experience, and while the occasionally distracting presentation – a hallmark of Zen Studios – has been heightened in VR, you'll still find yourself flipping out over the just how easily you'll lose yourself chasing that elusive high score.

Get used to the clumsy controls and The Banner Saga is a great role-playing ride right the way through to its conclusion.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a great package. While not every game is a winner — and a lot of them are variants of other games in the collection — there's still lots here to love. It brings two of the most beloved beat-'em-ups in history to modern platforms, and is host to some hidden gems like Radical Rescue. This is all polished up with a host of great enhancements and the fantastic Turtle Lair gallery, which — for any TMNT fan — may be worth the price of admission alone.

There’s a lot of love been poured into Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and thus it’s hard not to love it back. This is a brilliant platformer with tons of imaginative ideas and a strong sense of style. The lack of online multiplayer at launch is a bit disappointing, but it’s coming as a free update before the end of the year, so we can forgive the developer that. If you’re looking for something bright and breezy to begin your PS5 journey, then this is a near-flawless romp when it’s at its pomp.

Trials Fusion is one of the best games on the PlayStation 4, there’s no doubt about that. Convince your friends to get it, and established relationships will turn sour faster than an Evel Knievel-esque stunt. Challenging, funny, and exciting – gaming rarely gets any better than this.

What we’re left with is a decent port of PlayStation’s happiest game. If you can forgive the occasional audio bug and a teensy bit of slowdown, you’ll have a wonderful time with LocoRoco Remastered. Fans will no doubt pick this up regardless, but newcomers should expect a kaleidoscopic, sing-songy platformer with simple, tactile controls, a catchy soundtrack, and a decent variety of stages to roll through. It’s well worth the price of entry, and a pleasant reminder that not all games need to make you feel empowered or make you think. Sometimes, it’s enough simply to make you smile.

A thoroughly enjoyable side game that looks to offer familiar Like a Dragon action with a swashbuckling twist, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a flamboyant distraction between mainline entries. The story doesn’t compare favourably to the mainline entries and the new island areas quickly become repetitive, but the novelty of Goro Majima at the helm of a pirate ship never quite wears off. Stay for its frenzied action and jolly pirate ship battles and you’ll have a good time.

Like its predecessor, Prototype 2 is an enjoyable distraction rather than a must-play affair. Its varied combat and satisfying traversal mechanics provide the title with a surprisingly solid basis, but a lacklustre plot and dreary setting prevent it from competing with the very best in the open-world genre. There's certainly fun to be had here, but it's of the disappointingly dispensable kind.

There are enough different obstacles to stave off complacency, clever boss battles to overcome and it's presented wonderfully through a design that owes much to Japanese folklore, with just enough of a twist to make it Dakko Dakko's own.

Its combat feels fluid and precise, its presentation is mostly gorgeous, and its story – while relatively pedestrian – is told with humour and panache. Unfortunately, a repetitive second half combined with some potentially profanity-provoking platforming hold it back from truly soaring.

Air Race Speed is one of those pleasant surprises that never sets the world alight but yet still manages to thoroughly entertain. Rock-solid performance and a great sense of speed means that adrenaline junkies will enjoy this, and while it doesn't exactly threaten WipEout's speed freak crown, it should ease the wait for the Omega Collection next year.

Ultros boasts a visual identity that deserves real recognition, a stunning vision of alien colour with design ideas that live long in the memory. Its platforming and combat can't quite match that vigorous success, sadly. Still, if you're on the hunt for a unique-looking Metroidvania game that comes bursting with ideas and a modest 10-hour runtime with the option of more if you love it, few games can match it for style.

The Lunar games embody everything that's nostalgic about 90s JRPGs, from the fun characters and colourful fantasy worlds, to the glorious spritework and catchy music. That said, Lunar's underlying grind can make it difficult to stomach here in 2025 — especially when the Lunar Remastered Collection doesn't do enough to mitigate the series' most tedious aspects. It's great to experience these games again — a fully deserved revival — but it's a real shame that the collection isn't flush with more helpful features.

Rather than overhauling the experience, PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer continues to refine its gameplay loop with intricate features that fans will come to appreciate in the long term. With no major additions in terms of modes or licences, however, this 2019 edition feels a little light in terms of real talking points. What Pro Evolution Soccer is known for returns, but it’s not stocking many new bells or whistles.

The Outer Worlds 2 succeeds in being a bigger and better sequel, buoyed by an even greater emphasis on player choice and freedom. Its RPG mechanics are largely fantastic, and there are key improvements to both combat and exploration. However, despite Obsidian's clever writing, there's a underlying dreariness to the property that it just can't seem to escape. These dull characters and their one-note factions are difficult to truly care for.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is easily one of the best entries in the series, and is arguably one of the greatest anime fighters to be released in some time.

Even if you managed to play the entirety of Retro City Rampage without understanding a single reference, you'll still find plenty to like about the game. However, if you've grown up playing video games and watching cult movies, your enjoyment will be amplified. This is a difficult type of title to pull off, but Vblank Entertainment's debut is the perfect parody.

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.

The game takes the familiar formula of the series, featuring compelling puzzles, chaotic combat, and perfect presentation, and sticks by it. With a whole new campaign and a wide variety of fresh and familiar abilities, Trine 5 appeals to series fans both new and old.

Rock of Ages II: Bigger and Boulder is a fun title that just about pulls off its strange cocktail of genres. The Monty Python-like presentation is executed well and suits the game’s off-the-wall appeal, and its trio of modes and online or offline multiplayer give the game some legs beyond the story. Moreover, the gameplay offers a lot of potential for daft fun despite some sluggish boulder controls and frustrating AI balance issues. If you’re after something different, or enjoy some cathartic destruction in your games, you’ll have a ball.

Offers a lot of gameplay and a great addition to the XIII plot. Even though the graphics weren't revolutionary like XIII's and the slight pacing issue still remains, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is very good.

OlliOlli’s certainly not going to kickstart an extreme sports revival, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your time. This fairly straightforward side-scrolling skateboarding simulation incorporates some sneaky systems that will keep you hooked until you hit the perfect heelflip and five-o, even if the odd oversight in its leaderboards system will leave you pondering the point.

It's a clever mix of genre and story, because it provides a cosy space to immerse yourself in while also highlighting the reasons why people play things like this in the first place — to unwind, to take a break with something relaxing. Alta is forced to slow down and reflect on her issues, and through conversations and moments of introspection, the game delivers a thoughtful, emotive tale that may well hit home for many.

There’s an enjoyable core gameplay loop at the heart of nDreams’ latest VR outing, but there simply isn’t enough content here to allow you to delve any deeper than the surface level. We certainly had fun with Shooty Fruity, but with only enough levels to support four hours of fun, you may want to look a bit more upmarket with your next grocery shop.

A stealth game built on a philosophical concept: fight an army of yourself that respawns better, faster, and stronger based on your own expanding growth. ECHO boasts a rich and well-designed sci-fi world that isn’t bogged down by plot or exposition. There isn’t much to do beyond the core sneaking, and the midpoint drags, but this is a genuinely unique and intense title that deserves to be experienced.

Ragnarock is a rough-around-the-edges rhythm game that's super fun to begin with, but the appeal may start to wane after a handful of sessions.

Resident Evil 3 had the potential to better its classic predecessor, but a disappointing amount of cut content and the let down that is Nemesis hold it back from greatness. It's still an experience very much worth revisiting, with Raccoon City and the hospital receiving a lot of love and attention, however, it only makes us question what could have been that little bit more.

And all of the customisation, the staple of the series, returns in the background – allowing you to build your own team, right down to the minutiae like uniforms and logos. While there’s no shortage of pre-created content, Super Mega Baseball 4 will reward those willing to invest the time to personalise it exactly how they want it. It’s that, paired with its very entertaining arcade gameplay loop, that ensures this fourth instalment doesn’t drop the ball – even if it never quite feels like the seismic upgrade we’d expected when developer Metalhead Software was acquired.

Much like the remasters before it, Once Upon a Katamari is a great reminder that there's still nothing quite like this series, and it feels as fresh today as it did with Keita Takahashi's original over two decades ago.

For fans of the main game, this add-on is nigh on essential – and for everyone else, it deserves your attention at the very least.

DIRT 5 sees the franchise drift back to an arcadey experience, and it's a great success. Despite some technical issues here and there, this is a rock-solid off-road racing game from top to bottom. Brilliant handling, festival-style presentation, and a wide variety of ways to play make this one of 2020's standout racing games. If you've missed the showy style of DIRTs 2 and 3, you're in for a treat.

Scribblenauts Mega Pack might not conform easily to any gaming genre, but for those with imagination or a love of the DC Universe, this bundle offers hours of fun puzzle solving and platforming. A worthy addition to any gaming library – and a positive learning experience that is actually more fun than chore.

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.

NBA 2K21 is an impressive overhaul of an already excellent basketball simulation. There are times where it over-extends; The City, for example, is an awesome idea in principle, but its sheer scale can leave it feeling deserted. Still, while we have legitimate gripes with the game’s implementation of VC, there’s no denying that next-gen hooping feels fantastic. And with so many modes and features, as well as industry-leading presentation, there’s no doubt that 2K Sports is starting this generation off strong.

Ironically, the biggest sticking point with King of Fighters XIV is the one aspect designed to make it more appealing to outsiders; the new "Rush" mode allows even complete newbies to look like combo-crunching experts, but it's likely to divide opinion with serious players who prefer to rely on their own skill and knowledge when it comes to unlocking the game's most potent moves.

Tales of Berseria takes a positive turn with a much darker theme, a great cast of characters, and perhaps the best storyline that the series has seen for quite some time. The fast and tactical battle system is also a definite step up, but the game is starting to look dated and needs to lose its last-gen shackles.

Star Wars: Squadrons has its heart in the right place and a comprehensive, in-depth set of flight mechanics go a long way towards realising that childhood dream of piloting an X-Wing. It achieves the vision in some ways, but in others, the package lacks excitement and content. While excellent PSVR support will be enough for some, a boring story and inadequate multiplayer modes leave a lot to be desired.

Romancing SaGa 2 boasts an expansive 3D world to explore, gorgeous character models and equipment, and compelling enemy designs. You can even choose between the original and a remastered orchestral score full of earworms from the glory days of the '90s. A remake of a classic JRPG many Western fans have missed, even three decades later, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven's inventive mechanics make it a worthwhile experience.

More creative use of upgrades would've been nice, and as with all endless runners, the appeal will wear off relatively quickly. However, this is a strong outing for Pac-Man that's perfect for short bursts, or, just as likely, one-more-go marathons.

There are some excellent levels in Trials Rising, though performance hiccups do generally detract from the overall bombast. A comprehensive campaign paves the way for a smoother learning curve than ever before, but protracted load times and lousy cosmetics will generally disappoint. The physics are still phenomenal, and the series has retained its addictive quality, but it can occasionally feel like a game looking for answers to questions that didn’t necessarily exist to begin with.

If you're looking for some high-octane, arcadey action with a fiendishly gripping gameplay loop, then this comes highly recommended.

Hand of Fate comes so close to being something really special – an unexpected concoction of genres and ideas that meshes together superbly to create a really fun experience that's both involving and rewarding, at least in short bursts. But, unfortunately, its potential is cut short by a lack of options and awkward third-person game segments that should really know better.

Pumpkin Jack isn't going to blow your mind here in 2021, but if you're on the market for a few hours of Halloween fun, you can't really go wrong. A game that knows exactly what it wants to be, and delivers with confidence.

The Light Brigade is one of the shining stars of PSVR2's launch. A game that doesn't feel the need to reinvent the wheel, developer Funktronic Labs instead decided to focus on making the best rogue-lite that PSVR has yet seen rather than get crazy with new systems. With unique, varied classes and brilliant gunplay, the title does a great job of ensuring that we want to keep returning to its chilling, bleakly beautiful environments again and again.

While there's nothing in the game we haven't seen before, it's the delivery that makes it novel. The writing is genuinely amusing, the story rather sweet, and the slapstick physics plenty of fun to engage with. Only some minor technical hiccups interrupt the otherwise smooth gameplay, and while finding the last remaining collectibles can be difficult (even aided by a special Junk-detecting hat), the game succeeds due to its brevity and playful tone.

Like the drive back home from an away day loss, you’re left wondering: what was the point? Despelote laudably captures the emotion surrounding Ecuador’s qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but it struggles to craft a satisfying video game about it.

If you're interested in a laidback co-op experience with a friend, LEGO Voyagers fits that remit. It isn't doing anything truly groundbreaking, and there are some finicky controls that may get in the way, but overall it'll win you over with its clever design and a surprisingly emotional narrative.

At its best, Expeditions offers more of the absorbing, slow, and high-risk driving that made MudRunner and SnowRunner such cult successes. It's a clever formula that now has slightly more user-friendly packaging, making it easier than ever to get into. There are still wrinkles, in particular with visual performance, and there's no doubt that this remains a niche that not all petrolheads will love, but if you're on the lookout for something a bit more zen, it's another great entry in the series.

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.

If you can work through the mind numbing first couple of hours, Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky blooms into an addictive JRPG. Much like an alchemical formula, the individual pieces of this concoction are less impressive than its whole – just don’t jump into the release expecting to make something out of nothing.

With a bright, pixel art infused splash, River City Girls throws you headlong into an old-school brawler that at times evokes the best of the genre. Whether you line it up against Streets of Rage, the rather excellent Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, or River City Ransom – a title which you’ll be unsurprised to hear River City Girls has a direct lineage to – it hits all the familiar highs and lows, while throwing in a few twists that mean it’s not just a by the numbers retro title.

Paper Beast is an unusual but well realised world in PSVR. The interplay between you, the environments, and all the plants and animals is fun to discover, and it really does offer up some great moments throughout the story. Some of the puzzles are a little too obtuse, but overall the freedom you're given to experiment leads to a greatly unique experience. The Sandbox mode adds some longevity, and allows you to really tinker with all the game's elements. We're not sure we'd call this an absolute must-have, but it's utterly unique and captivating in a way only VR games can be.

For existing fans, this no-frills remaster is the best way to experience the 2010 game on modern consoles, but in 2021, much of the title simply doesn't hold up. Without the benefit of nostalgia, Alan Wake doesn't work as horror because it's not scary, as a thriller because long stretches of the game are fantastically boring, or as an action game because the combat is uninspired and repetitive. There's an interesting central mystery here, but like Alan Wake himself, you'll have to go through hell to find it.

Taking a look at Capcom Fighting Collection, it’s very clear that it does exactly what it set out to do – you’ve got superb versions of ten arcade classics here, several of which are significantly difficult to play elsewhere. The online play works beautifully, with efficient menus letting you switch games in the lobby. And that online is really all that matters in the end. Can you play Hyper Street Fighter II online with no lag? Yes. Then it’s more or less perfect, isn’t it?

With a lovely cast and setting, Wayward Strand is sure to land into your heart even if it does lack gameplay essentials such as more frequent save points or, at the very least, a skip button.

A bona fide classic remastered with love and care. This edition brings smooth visuals, a beautifully recreated musical score, and well-presented supplemental materials. It certainly shows its age, but like all great art, Beyond Good & Evil weathers the test of time with grace.

When you've just taken an entire team apart with a perfectly paced counter-attack, FIFA 20 feels as satisfying as ever. But for everything that it gets right on the pitch, this year's instalment seriously struggles to make a case for itself at launch. Ultimate Team hits new heights but it is, as always, undermined by pay to win microtransactions, and Volta is fun but it's definitely not the headline act that EA wants it to be. Meanwhile, Career Mode has seen a bunch of improvements, but a shocking number of bugs currently cripple the experience. It's a good job FIFA still plays well, because as a package, it's robust but frustratingly shoddy. Our advice? Wait for FIFA 20 to be patched before tying your laces.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a ruthlessly faithful remake of the Master System classic that boasts a dramatic and beautiful audiovisual makeover. The game itself is still very enjoyable with a world map that's fun to work through and a lean Metroidvania structure that introduces new ideas right to the end. The controls are quite loose, which can lead to some frustration, but by and large this is a wonderful recreation that both fans and newcomers will enjoy.

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.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a rousing return to form for the series, offering a solid tactical offering that finds a welcome home on PS5. Rough around the edges, with a tone that might turn some off, it offers plenty of replayability, with each turn as tense as the last.

But all in all, this game made us smile. If you have any fondness at all for early era Castlevania, then you should definitely give it a try.

Wasteland 3 is a fantastic post-apocalyptic RPG. Great writing, satisfying, tactical combat, and a world full of memorable characters and meaningful player choice make this a no-brainer for fans of the genre. If you can look past the bugs, there's so much to love about this deliciously dark humoured excursion.

As well as the main quest of finding each ghost, each location contains numerous mini spirits called Grenkins, which have you moving certain objects into particular positions in order to find them. It's a neat way of adding collectibles that has you using the core mechanic in a different way. There's also Mr. Whitstable's riddles, which add a little challenge to each level. He'll give you a set of clues, and they each pertain to a specific thing in that stage, and could be anywhere. Sometimes the clues are too obtuse, but with thorough exploration and a little lateral thinking, the riddles add some substance to a rather breezy game. Wonderful art and relaxing music make the cherry on top of a unique and heartfelt cake.

Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery is a short but very sweet trilogy. It's thoroughly silly, but manages to tell an earnest story as you enjoy its brilliant dialogue, great soundtrack, and endearing cast of characters. There's little replay value and the gameplay is minimal, but it'll win you over with real warmth, humour, and positivity.

Not everyone will warm up to Subnautica: Below Zero, but it’s an unquestionably rewarding release once you begin to get a foothold into the frigid foray. The game’s constantly tantalising you with new, exciting equipment, and its otherworldly ocean is an immersive environment in which to spend your time. A lack of landmarks mean that it can be a little too easy to get lost, and the story is light and largely uninteresting – but if the act of building an underwater base appeals to you, then this PS5 sequel unquestionably has strong foundations.

Wild Hearts is, at times, an utterly thrilling game. It's a game that will leave you kicking yourself for a poorly timed dodge or a missed opportunity, and jumping out of your chair when you finally topple a troublesome foe with a last-ditch, go-for-broke attack. There's a handful of technical issues, a mite too much repetition, and some quibbles about the difficulty, but the core monster hunting experience is spectacular enough that the joys far outweigh the frustrations.

EA Sports UFC 2 certainly has a lot of new additions for fans new and old, but it still hasn't gotten the gameplay right just yet. The standing game is satisfying and has some real weight to it, but the floor and clinch mechanics are where things go downhill. This content-laden sequel packs a fair few punches, then, but ultimately doesn't deliver the knockout blow.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier has several technical flaws and leans too much on the story devices conceived by several other modern day shooters to its detriment, but where its campaign diversifies with elements of stealth, teamwork and gadgetry it really shines. It's the multiplayer that turns out best, however, focusing on fewer modes of good quality that encourage co-operation rather than all-out killing.

So if you've got a Vita handy and a pocketful of quarters, you can trade in your heavy pocket of change for a pocketful of some of the best classic pinball tables ever created. While nothing can ever truly recreate playing these classic tables in the arcades, The Pinball Arcade is definitely the next best thing.

Beatshapers is no stranger to the PlayStation universe, as they're known for bringing a unique mixture of hit indie titles over to the PS Mini service. With Tribute Games' Wizorb, they've stirred up the nostalgia pot and formulated an RPG infused Arkanoid clone that's sure to warm the hearts of old-school souls.

CastleStorm brilliantly fuses various game genres into a single additive package. While the learning curve is a little bit high, and the controls can be quite finicky at times, smashing up castles is undeniably enjoyable.

Touching base with your origins is necessary to not lose touch with your audience, and that’s exactly what Call of Duty: WWII does without simply regressing. It gets to the core of its key modes and seizes on their intrinsic appeal with some neat, little twists thrown in. However, its campaign and zombies modes (while solid) feel unusually safe, whereas the multiplayer suffers from lacklustre map design and technical issues. You could say this Call of Duty is a sign of hopeful action to ground the series once more, but doesn’t go beyond its iconic namesake to deliver something truly special.

The game opts for a sim-like model, but in practice is much more forgiving than DiRT Rally 2.0. It's not perfect; cars can be unpredictable, and sometimes spin out when it feels like they shouldn't. Overall, the driving is competent, and most importantly, delivers that thrill ride as you scream over treacherous terrain. It's a shame the presentation is somewhat lacking, because this is otherwise a solid rally experience.

This is a challenging game. Despite enemies telegraphing attacks, their numbers can get the better of you. Combined with arena traps, hazards, and a lack of light sources, it can be rather difficult. However, with a parry, dodge roll, and your set of weapons, you're given plenty of opportunity to defend yourself. Combat really keeps you on your toes, and gives the game a quick pace that makes runs that much more addictive. If you want a dungeon crawler with satisfying gameplay and some unique ideas, this is far from a curse.

A blue collar simulator-cum-puzzle game, where each ship feels like a mini-campaign, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a truly unique and rewarding experience, if you have the time and patience to clock in and put in the work.

If Digimon Story Time Stranger just sat back and allowed its largely fantastic RPG systems to breathe, it could be counted amongst the finest of Digimon games. But instead, it gets bogged down in disappointingly linear design that limits combat and party-based progression at almost every turn. Despite being packed with such clear potential, Time Stranger ends up feeling like a frustrating misfire.

Combining 2D platforming, hack and slash action, and RPG elements, this title is sure to appeal to a broad variety of gamers looking for an adventure that is both accessible for long grinds or quick pick up and play bouts.

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.

We can't fully recommend Crimson Desert in its current state on PS5. Far too many technical issues — of varying shapes and sizes — hold the experience back. But given time, and despite its obvious narrative shortcomings, Pearl Abyss' fantasy outing has the potential to be something truly special. As an open world adventure, it can be utterly engrossing; a smorgasbord of systems and mechanics that somehow — against all odds — form an intoxicating whole. For better or worse, there's simply nothing like Crimson Desert.

Ultimately, The First Berserker: Khazan is a good time. Its aesthetic differentiates it from the plethora of ARPG Souls-likes we've become used to, and its brilliant boss fights are engaging enough to entice you through levels that start to feel boring around the mid-way point of the game. But its lacklustre story and bloated, inconsistent mechanics hinder what could have been a better game if it were more refined.

When you're not spearing baddies, there are many things to discover: keys to unlock new areas, map pieces that open up the world, and your old crewmates in need of rescue. As you progress, a safe hub will grow, and you can put money into things like an alchemist that offers health upgrades, a sailor you can pay to go and find treasure, and more. Visually, Olija might not look like much, but you'd be surprised how atmospheric it is. A handful of bugs aside, this is an intriguing adventure worth taking.

Lost in Random is set in a masterfully crafted world which tells a gothic fairy tale-like story that has plenty of warmth despite its dark hue. With beautiful writing and a touching story, it does a great job at making you really care about what happens to Even, as well as everyone she meets. It also has a truly unique battle system that offers loads of fun in your quest to create a perfect deck. This is a delight to play from beginning to end.

Detroit: Become Human is vintage Quantic Dream, delivering a multifaceted choose-your-own-adventure that’s both ambitious and somewhat of an acquired taste. It’s clear that remarkable attention has been poured into the title's vision of the near-future, which makes it harder to suspend disbelief over some of its smaller narrative oversights. The game huffs-and-puffs, but never really brings anything new to its core theme of androids awakening to human emotions – and yet despite its relative familiarity, it’s an impressively replayable interactive story with a frightening number of variables of which there’s nothing else quite like.

Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide is a great expansion to an excellent action RPG, offering up one of the game's most intriguing and considered chapters. With yet more memorable boss battles, an emotional storyline, and some downright stunning environments, it's the worthy sendoff that Clive and company deserve.

Everspace is a fun and fast paced space exploration roguelike with beautiful visuals, solid combat, and rewarding progression systems. Unfortunately, it’s let down by regular crashes and major drops in frame rate throughout. Rockfish has created a slick ship in the form of Everspace - it just requires a few patches before it can take off.

AI: The Somnium Files tells an often engrossing tale. It takes a couple of hours to really get going, but when it does, it blossoms into one of the most impressively executed visual novels on PS4. A range of characters, both surprisingly deep and brilliantly stupid, elevate an already intriguing and smartly paced story. It's just a shame that the dream sequences, with their frustratingly obscure puzzle solving, can really put a dampener on the experience.

New modes, impressive tweaks to the AI to make things more competitive, and that stellar in-game presentation that does a darned good job of simulating the real thing mean that there's more than ever for the puck nuts to get their teeth into this time around.

inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood is a great addition to the series and a solid game for Cole fans or even someone looking for a taste of his power without taking the plunge into his previous adventures. Even with many of the features being recycled from the previous games in the series, Move support and user-generated content help keep the game fresh for the die hard fans.

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.

Grounded is the perfect survival game to jump into with friends. It tests you constantly, but isn't too hard to the point that you want to turn it off. Now that the game has come to PlayStation in addition to other platforms, it's more approachable than ever and a high recommendation for anyone looking for a different kind of experience than the usual.

Super Rude Bear Resurrection is a fun and unique entry into a genre that is practically as old as gaming. The use of corpses to help make things easier is executed well, although less skilled players may find themselves fatigued by the constant death. The game actively shakes things up with the obstacles it throws at you, and with a great soundtrack it's easy to recommend this game.