If your Vita’s barely murmured over the past few weeks, then this is the blood that’ll bring your system back to life – and it’s a release that no self-respecting JRPG fan should bypass.

Afterimage does enough to stand out in a genre that is quickly becoming overcrowded, with its surprisingly deep combat and excellent visual design. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but will likely find a loving home in the hands of Metroidvania enthusiasts.

Mary Skelter: Nightmares has some really interesting features and an impressively dark atmosphere. While a lot of the mechanics within the dungeons will feel familiar to genre fans, the levels themselves are very well crafted. There’s also a unique battle system to master and the random element of Nightmares chasing you down dark corridors will definitely get the adrenaline pumping.

If you could do with more Watch Dogs, you'll have a rocking good time with this continuation – but don't expect any deviations from the original title's solid but predictable template.

Don’t Die, Mr. Robot! doesn’t look especially impressive, but its classic gameplay is engaging enough to keep you hooked in short bursts. While it never attempts to re-invent the wheel, there’s a competent arcade experience here – and it’s that fruity core that will keep you coming back for more.

It's unlikely to hold your interest forever, then, but for the short time that it does it's a splendid game.

Featuring improved graphics and more polished gameplay, .hack//G.U. Last Recode offers a fascinating look back at a classic JRPG series. While repetition can sometimes bog things down, the story and characters will keep you coming back to The World, determined to see Haseo’s journey through to the end.

The atmosphere is perhaps the game's best achievement, though, with an ominous synth soundtrack and creepy environmental storytelling going on around you. It does just enough to keep you curious, but it's held back by some overly tough puzzles and enemies. It's not as smooth a ride as Playdead's efforts, then, but it's absolutely singing from the same hymn sheet. If you're into this brand of weird, wordless narrative adventures, it could be worth wiring up to 7th Sector.

Unfortunately, Nobody Saves the World is around 15 hours in length, stretching its gameplay tightly over its duration to the eventual distortion of both. Is it a bad game? God, no. Most titles don't even have two hours of worthwhile stuff to do. This is an original idea attached to traditional adventuring fun with all the customisation that comes along with its genre here given a renewed focus. We only wish its dungeons were as well-crafted as its skill trees and visuals, but while there's not enough meat on the bone, what's here is still pretty delicious while it lasts.

The scale of the missions really increases as you progress, and later levels — like the excellent heist one — offer a lengthy and complex challenge which we really enjoyed. In addition, we appreciated the sandbox area, as it provides an excellent creative space with access to every object and gadget available all at once.

Embers' debut game is beautifully presented, with an interesting but flawed combat system. Lovely music (thanks to Journey composer Austin Wintory) and exciting boss battles make it worth your time.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a lovingly crafted compilation which may set a new standard for PS1 re-releases moving forward. Based on the original source code, this trilogy flawlessly reframes three iconic PS1 puzzle platformers as you remember them – warts and all. While you will need patience to navigate this trilogy of globe-trotting escapades, the upgraded art style sticks closely to Core Design’s intended vision and it’s a genuine pleasure to experience these 90s classics on all-new hardware. It’s comprehensive, too, with each game’s expansion pack included – and an enormous list of Trophies to unlock.

It's really a simple little game, but it's one so full of personality. Not only does it contain all the major beats of the story you'd expect, but there are lots of small references to other games to find in Scott's chunky, pixelated hometown. The music adds to the effect a lot; Anamanaguchi's chiptune soundtrack is a delight. If you enjoy a straightforward beat-'em-up, this is well worth a look, even if you're not a fan of the source material — though it definitely helps.

It all looks gorgeous, moves smoothly, and sounds exuberant as ever. We'd say that for Monkey Ball fanatics this is a bit of a must, but then said fanatics are the ones who will notice the cracks more than anyone else. So we're not sure, ultimately, who this is for. Newcomers may find themselves wondering what all the fuss is about.

Infinite Minigolf provides the tools needed to cultivate an endless arcade game – it just needs the algorithms required to ensure that its one you’ll actually want to play forever. The core golf here is fun, and the pre-designed courses show that there’s potential for some great puzzle-like levels. It’s now down to the imagination of users to wield the title’s intuitive Course Editor to create some high-quality stages – and the title itself to ensure that they get promoted ahead of the inevitable procession of low-effort Bogeys.

All those puzzles weave together to create a satisfying conclusion to Dei's journey that lands with impact, even if the pacing in the middle of the tale dips a little. Marrying the puzzles with the story is a gorgeous art style and stunning animation that consistently looks incredible, and has made the game stick in our mind. The Star Named EOS is a lovely, bitesized, personal tale that's easy to connect with and enjoy if you're a fan of similar narrative-led experiences and hidden object puzzle games.

FIFA 24 in all but name, EA Sports FC 24 is not the bold reboot many may have hoped for when the publisher announced it was breaking away from football’s governing body. But beneath the air of familiarity is another slick soccer sim, with some smart new additions like PlayStyles and Precision Passing which help stamp a bit more personality on a previously robotic experience. Additions to Ultimate Team bring flexibility to the game’s flagship mode, while the developer has been listening to its fanbase, and is slowly iterating on oft neglected areas like Career Mode and Clubs.

If you're eager to get started with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then the campaign will serve you well until the multiplayer and online co-op mode unlocks on Friday. With many missions that break away from the status quo, it's not always just about shooting the bad guys. From high-speed car chases and crafting systems to the turrets of an AC-130, Modern Warfare 2 thoroughly entertains when it's offline. [Campaign review]

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.

NiGHTS is an important game for many reasons. Perhaps the most prevalent is that it shows creative thinking and unique ideas can create a game that is not only well-loved at its release, but also stands the test of time for future generations to enjoy. It's been 16 years since NiGHTS was released and yet it shines as bright today as it did then, inviting players into a world that is still unlike any other game. The terribly impatient might take issue with the initial lack of direction, but those that cherished the game on their Saturn and anyone looking for an engaging testament to a simpler time are going to be overjoyed with this.

VooFoo can chalk this down as another successful adaptation, as Pure Pool proves to be an enjoyable and astoundingly well presented interpretation of arguably the greatest pub pastime.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider shines in exploration, offering stunning scenic views that enrich the pursuit to walk among the greater open world. It's filled with rewarding puzzle platforming tombs that emphasize the return of new and old gameplay mechanics. However, the same can't be said for the story, as Lara's journey is concluded with a tired and tried formula that never reaches the potential it displays in certain cutscenes, despite its promising beginning.

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is a great enhancement to an already solid entry in the series.

A fun throwback to a number of different beloved titles, Iron Crypticle is fun in short bursts and can be a blast with friends. Yet, aside from the charm of the 8-bit visuals, there isn’t an enormous amount here to keep you dungeon running once the initial novelty wears thin.

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.

Strike Vector EX delivers fun and frantic airborne mech combat action, and while it is only a short lived diversion in single player, it really shines in multiplayer. This one's packing a ton of customisation and an addictive core battle sensibility that will keep you engaged, and it represents a great alternative shooter to the likes of Call of Duty or Battlefield.

Like matriarch Marguerite's dishes, bonus mode Ethan Must Die will prove an acquired taste, but the two other VHS tapes included with Banned Footage Vol. 1 are a delight. Nightmare serves up some surprisingly smart arcade action that fans missing Mercenaries will surely enjoy, while Bedroom is brilliant puzzle sequence that subverts the rules of the main game in order to create a real sense of tension without requiring any enemies at all. There's no question that had this content been incorporated into the main campaign it would have been an even stronger package overall, but as a standalone it's still easy to recommend.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit thoughtfully examines a troubled childhood through the eyes of the 10-year-old living it. This non-linear episode encourages you to explore, refraining from beating you over the head with its difficult subject matter. It’s building into something, and it’s hard to determine exactly what that is with DONTNOD being so coy about its plans for the sequel. You need to really dig into this to get anything out of it, and while we found the backstories of the small cast to be well thought out, it’s hard to know what purpose they will serve yet.