There's no mechanics, really, to speak of. There's no combat for us to discuss. You can't even jump on command — only at specific places. Submerged is a chillout experience about exploration with a slight story and basically nothing else, and honestly, we're okay with that. Not everything has to be explosions or sad-times-my-kid-died-and-now-I've-grown-a-beard depressing drama. Pop on Submberged as a palette cleanser between more involved titles or as an escape from the horror of reality and you'll be fine. This is fine.

RoboCop: Rogue City does an admirable job of bringing the gritty universe of the films to life and of capturing the feeling of playing as the armoured enforcer himself. However, there are only so many cyberpunk lowlifes one can blast to bits before the repetition sets in.

We don't want to drag Team Sonic Racing down for ultimately quite trivial points. At the end of the day, Sumo Digital has served up a solid kart racer that succeeds in bringing something new to the table. It won't be to everyone's tastes, but the cooperative racing adds a nice layer of rapid fire strategy. It's implemented well, to the point where standard races feel distinctly secondary. It might be lacking the wow factor SEGA's other IPs brought to Sumo's other racers, and it's a shame performance is a little rocky, but this is a good option for PS4 players who want some arcadey thrills.

Overall, Just Dance 2015 is much like its predecessors, but in the struggle to do something ‘new’ with the game, Ubisoft has added a lot of features that are not really worth bothering with.

Just Add Water has ensured that this Vita version is the best that is possibly can be without altering the original’s design. Newcomers should opt for New ‘N’ Tasty or Stranger’s Wrath first, but this will be waiting for you should you want to complete your collection.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide isn't going to blow anyone away, but it's a perfectly decent 3D platformer that mostly captures the energy of the show. Swapping between SpongeBob and Patrick is a neat mechanic that's used very well throughout, and levels are big and varied as you explore Bikini Bottom and talk to its populace, all of whom are voiced by the proper cast. It definitely has some rough edges and some soft writing, and it won't win over any SpongeBob detractors, but it's a good all-ages game for both kids and longtime fans.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue isn’t really a Black Flag sequel, but nor is it Ubisoft cashing in on PS3 owners. It feels more like a really expansive piece of DLC that’s loaded with things to look at and places to go while acting as a solid continuation of a successful story.

Rematch is very close to being a brilliant online sports title, and we're confident it can reach its full potential with the right updates and post-launch support. The gameplay has depth, and successful team play is super rewarding. Once it gets past its early teething issues, this has real potential to take off.

Directive 8020 had some serious potential, but it fails to conjure up anything of any real substance. There are little sparks of enjoyment in there, and I liked the Cassiopeia’s gradual descent into a gloopy, fleshy hell. But a dull setting, uninteresting characters, and overly simplistic gameplay segments left me fairly uninterested in seeing how else I could play out this branching narrative experience.

The DLC is let down by a dwindling online user base, but get a group of friends together, and the reasonably priced add-on will almost always hit the mark.

Orsinium won't win back any lapsed players with its familiar content, but for those still invested in The Elder Scrolls Online, it provides an interesting new land that's full of dangerous enemies and lengthy questlines. It's perhaps a shame that the expansion doesn't try to tweak or evolve the existing formula, but with so much to see and do, Wrothgar is still a tempting holiday destination for those with an itch for adventure.

Shadows: Awakening is a deep action RPG which brings a literal new dimension to the tried and tested Diablo format. It's a great choice for those looking for a meaty fantasy time-sink, and while it does stumble occasionally, it delivers many hours of engaging hack-'n'-slash gaming.

Need for Speed Heat is the best entry in the franchise for quite some time, but it's still not quite where it needs to be. The day vs. night gameplay is a compelling loop, and it's a big step in the right direction for the series in general. It's a solid effort with fun handling and lots of customisation options. It's a shame the open world lacks personality, and the police are perhaps a little too hardball, but there's still plenty to like. At the tail end of this generation, Need for Speed is back to being good -- let's hope it can be great in future.

Matterfall’s not the best game Housemarque will release in 2017 – but then, the virtually flawless Nex Machina was always going to be a tough act to follow. There’s a lot to like about this side-scroller’s pulsating platforming levels, and when it all comes together you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world. An unorthodox control scheme means that it’s not the most accessible game, but once you slip into a rhythm it feels right. Unfortunately, it can be hard to stay in the groove, and while those looking for a challenge will undoubtedly relish the practice required to master this menacing sci-fi affair, it will put others off.

It would appear the latest retread in the Assassin’s Creed franchise has learned from the underwhelming efforts of Rogue Remastered, which saw a graphical overhaul alongside little else. Assassin's Creed III Remastered brings far more to the table, seeing otherwise frustrating mechanics heavily tweaked and polished to make them less of an annoyance in the shadow cast by the likes of Origins and Odyssey. As much as this remaster can’t address the fundamental creases that the series re-imagining has worked so hard to iron out, it still retains its own sense of charm and is wonderfully reminiscent of the series' roots, paying great homage to the progress it’s made since.

It's a shame that Rayman 3 HD is little more than an upscale of its initial release; it features the same models and the same wayward camera, which reduces its appeal when compared to more modern platformers. However, it still has bags of imagination and these flaws don't entirely diminish its appeal, only dent it. Rayman 3 HD is still a great platformer – it's just one that's showing its age.

GreedFall is Spiders' best game by some distance, and it's impressive how far the developer has come in just a few short years. It successfully scratches that BioWare itch with an intriguing world, likeable characters, and rock solid gameplay. However, aside from its unique setting, nothing about GreedFall truly stands out. Its combat is good but not great, its role-playing is largely fine but ultimately stunted, and its writing is competent but sometimes boring. GreedFall is right on the cusp of being something special. RPG fans will find a lot to like, but don't go in expecting the genre's next masterpiece.

Proteus is a unique exploration title that demands very little skill but a great deal of imagination.

Re-Reckoning isn't a great remaster, but there's no denying that Kingdoms of Amalur is still a lot of fun to play. Its action-based combat has stood the test of time, and exploring its often whimsical world is enjoyable. If you can look past the clunky presentation and fairly frequent bugs, you'll find an ample high fantasy adventure.

While the trilogy is starting to show its age, this is unquestionably the best way to experience it if that's something you want to do. Some minor visual hiccups aside, each instalment of Ezio's story is present and intact here, and, quite frankly, having them all in a single package is an incredible amount of game for your money whichever way you cut it.

PixelJunk Monsters 2 is a brave sequel that attempts to fix something that isn't broken, and has ended up taking away more than it adds. The 3D graphics are gorgeous, but the game is less readable as a result, and maintaining all your towers is more difficult when you can't see them all at once. However, the root of what makes these games special shines through, and when you're slaying enemies in a perfectly executed run, the flaws fade away, and you're left with a delightfully satisfying tower defence title that almost anyone can enjoy.

A wet and mild ride through a spirit-infested city, Rain is soaked with smart stealth-lite systems and awe-inducing presentation. The simple puzzles and short running time wash away some of its triumphs, and it certainly won’t leave you streaming like Japan Studio’s most memorable excursions, but the adventure will still linger on your lips like a kiss under a dark cloud.

It's not quite up there with the best that the Vita has to offer, but a good battle system and an enjoyable story go a long way in making this a rock solid role-playing release.

The definition of a bigger and better sequel, Dragon Ball XenoVerse 2 doesn't try to fix what isn't broken, and instead focuses on building upon the foundations of the first game. With a crazy amount of content to blast through - both online and offline - an improved combat system, and new ways to develop and customise your very own Dragon Ball hero, this is very much the definitive XenoVerse experience, and an absolute must for fans of Akira Toriyama's manga and anime epic.

If you're a fan of turn-based strategic battling or just fun RPGs, then Superdimension Neptune VS SEGA Hard Girls is a highly recommended experience. Surprisingly, given the perceived lack of love and support for the Vita in the West, this is actually a great time for RPG fans to own Sony's handheld.

Stop us if you've heard this one before: FIFA 21 isn't a huge upgrade on FIFA 20, but a boatload of small improvements do help it rise above its predecessor. The on-pitch action arguably feels more arcadey than it has done in years, but there's no denying the excitement that comes with playing through a 5-4 thriller. FIFA is still king in delivering a robust and accessible footballing package, but the series needs to step up its game on PS5 — particularly when it comes to presentation.

A few technical limitations aside, it's time to become the impostor and spend an endless amount of hours mindlessly addicted to the high flying, Batman-less action at stake, or the joke's on you for missing out.

The gorgeous scenery and animation combined with the amazing, authentic audio make its bosses something that should be hoarded like Fafnir's gold. Even though the gaps between bosses leave more to be desired with disappointing exploration, Thora's tale is one that manages to enter Valhalla's gates with an adequate amount of flying colours.