While not perfect, Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is fairly impressive to look at. It has a beautiful and intriguing world, so it's a bit of a shame that you don't get to learn more of the history behind it. Still, there's a tough but fun battle system to get to grips with and plenty of puzzles to solve. If you prefer your RPGs to be more relaxed and serene then you may struggle with this one, as the fast-paced combat system means that button mashing your way through it will quickly lead to the game over screen. But for as much as we enjoyed our time on Mahera, a poor combat camera and plethora of bugs let it down – here's hoping for a quick patch.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood may be a few years old now, but though its visuals don't always hold up, its gameplay certainly does. The ingenuity of the physics and puzzles in the game allow for some truly mind-boggling moments at times, while the exhilarating chase set-pieces will set your heart racing. Its price tag is a little steep, but de-pen-ding on your passion for puzzle platformers, it's a good buy.

Guns of Icarus Alliance is a bold new addition to the PlayStation multiplayer roster. If you're in the mood to invest some time in becoming the best of the best as a team, there is much airborne fun to be had on board your shiny steampunk airship.

On the surface, Shining Resonance Refrain is a largely unremarkable Japanese RPG, but dig a little deeper and fans of the genre will find an accessible adventure that comes together surprisingly well. Cliche characters and predictable plot elements prevent the story from really taking off, but there's an endearing quality to how the game presents itself. Combat's fun, progression is straightforward and rewarding, and dating sim elements add a certain charm. Refrain's like a quick and easy summer anime -- it's certainly not a classic, but it's good fun while it lasts.

In-keeping with the nature of our man-machine protagonists, there are rich customisation options available. There are some generous difficulty tweaks, alongside Iron Man and perma-death modes. Each hero unit has myriad augment slots, upon which they can attach a plethora of weapons. It pays to be armed to the teeth because arenas are often dangerous close-quarter scraps. Cognition Points are the resource that dictates movement and abilities. Starting CP can be boosted with nodes scattered across the arena, which adds a tactical edge to positioning. Critical hits prevent the Necron from using their regenerative abilities, while certain weapons offer escalating buffs that give extra damage multipliers the more you use them. These elements combine to make fights satisfyingly varied from mission to mission.

If you’re an Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley fan then this is a must buy: its peaceful setting, vibrant visuals, and freedom to explore and be creative when designing and decorating will keep you entertained for hours. It’s a shame that its main story is a little on the short side but with a fairly price point, its cost certainly won’t set you back as much as a trip to Diddly Squat Farm.

Splitgate 2 is an interesting sequel. In a lot of ways, it fixes the issues we had with the original; it looks nicer, runs better, gameplay is far improved, there’s a lot of content on offer, and the portal mechanic is good fun to learn. It's a great pick for those casual sessions with your mates, but we still can't help but feel underwhelmed by it all. The maps are fine, and the cosmetics are dull as dishwater. If you removed the portal mechanics — which were arguably more freeing in the first Splitgate — you'd be left with a competent, but ultimately uninspired shooter.

A rock solid hack and slasher, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star offers non-stop, totally over-the-top action from a fantastically fun cast of playable characters. Our only real complaint is that repetition can bleed into the experience over time, but give yourself a few days to recover from the fatigue, and you'll come back to a welcoming brawler that's stuffed with content. It's not quite up there with the best musou games on the market, but The Umbral Star scratches that button bashing itch and then some.

JRPG fans should definitely check it out at some point, if only as a filler between bigger things.

There isn't much competition, but this is still the best strategy game on the PS4.

The online multiplayer space is so competitive that it's tough to judge whether Crash Team Rumble will be able to carve out its own niche and warrant support beyond what Toys for Bob has already committed to. However, those who give the game a chance will find a really fun fight for Wumpa Fruit with varied classes and characters. Addictive just enough to look past the lack of local play and potentially long load times, Crash Team Rumble is worth trying — even if you wish Crash would just stick to what he's known best for: platforming.

Mini Mech Mayhem is a fun, clever, and silly game all at once. Its strategy is deeper than you may be expecting, and while the learning curve can be steep at times, it’ll definitely entertain -- particularly if you have friends to play alongside.

The whole aesthetic of the missions and the menus is retro PS3 at its best, but unfortunately the game's performance tanks when too many bugs are on screen, which is most of the time. Still, clambering over their corpses as the bodies pile up and making a final dash toward the extraction is a blast, and if you're a fan of Helldivers, this is a solid evolution of the genre and well worth your time.

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.

Dreamfall Chapters is an adventure game that feels simultaneously like a contemporary to surprise hit Life Is Strange and a throwback to the more obtuse titles of yesteryear like Grim Fandango, never quite managing to hit the highs or lows of either. For those who have grown accustomed to the Telltale approach to adventure gaming, Dreamfall Chapters might prove to be too frustrating an experience to warrant persevering with, but for people who fondly remember trapping the infamous goat in Broken Sword or the rubber chicken zip-line in Monkey Island, it might provide a welcome dose of nostalgia.

Shenmue III is a game lost in time, but that’s probably the greatest compliment you can pay this long-awaited sequel. Newcomers will be utterly bemused by its slice of life-style idiosyncrasies, but for franchise fans this is the faithful follow-up that they’ve been waiting almost two decades for. This is a weird and wonderful game; it defies contemporary convention in favour of its own decades-old direction. The industry may have moved on, but even 18 years later, Ryo Hazuki still somehow feels relevant.

RAGE 2's on-foot action is some of the most fun we've had this generation. As a shooter it's undeniably top tier, but the combat constantly has to fight for its rightful place in the spotlight. All the bright pink paint in the apocalypse couldn't stop the game's open world from feeling lacklustre, and the vehicular stuff struggles throughout. RAGE 2 needed the chaos and insanity that its marketing campaign was so eager to push, because we've ended up with a disappointingly safe objective-based grind, in which the excellent combat is the only thing strong enough to string you along.

Between the comic book character models and various backdrops, there’s an agreeable cartoon aesthetic here that does justice to the license on a meagre budget. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too barebones to fully justify its price point: the inclusion of licensed songs, like Eye of the Tiger, give it some panache – but the story mode is simplistic, with text-based cut-scenes tying events together, and there’s no online option or alternative modes to speak of. Even though what’s here is of a high quality, it feels like it could have done with an additional training montage or two, just to add a little more beef to its bones.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is in no way the failure that Colonial Marines was. It’s a fun squad shooter with just about enough features at launch to keep you coming back to replay missions and tackle the horde mode. However, it’s not the strongest game of its type and really doesn't seem to fit the license.

Curiously, not everyone can be absorbed on your first attempt, and so you’ll need to collect brains and invest cash in order to unlock the more powerful hosts. This obviously adds to the release’s replayability, but when paired with its punishing difficulty, the formula begins to grate. Local co-op doesn’t really ease the repetition, although your pals will certainly appreciate the pop culture references.

It's clear that a lot of care and attention has gone into this game, and while it certainly won't appeal to everyone, we daresay that Gamindustri veterans will be delighted with the offering.

Nightdive has greatly improved on a lost gem from the turn of the century, with a massive visual overhaul that further enhances on an impeccable atmosphere, even if aiming still underwhelms.

For purists, newbies or even those just looking to try a Warriors title again, Next is definitely worthy of being the next game booted up in your Vita.

Final Fantasy fans will likely be enamoured with the array of classic locales to battle in, re-imagined songs from previous games, and the impressive roster of fighters on offer here, but it's all downhill after that. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a disappointing fighting game that crumples under the weight of poor design choices and crippling technical issues, leaving little reason to recommend it to anyone other than fervent supporters of the brand.

All Zombies Must Die! is cute and quirky in tone, and there's a lot to like about its self-referential narrative and bonkers arsenal of augmented weapons - radioactive sword anyone? - but the game's unwillingness to extend further on its own great concepts leaves the experience feeling a tad repetitive.

State of Mind offers an intriguing near-future tale that doesn’t quite deliver on its initial mystery. While it’s cast of flawed – and in some cases unlikeable characters – are interesting to get to know, the plotting ultimately lets things down by failing to get you invested in the story, and asking you to suspend your disbelief a few too many times. While the unique presentation proves to be an excellent fit for the setting, and helps distinguish it from the crowd, the price of entry will scare off anyone who isn’t actively seeking out this type of experience.

As it stands, this sequel simply continues what the original started, taking no real risks and reaping no real rewards.

Uncharted: Fight for Fortune is a stopgap title that's designed to bolster the PlayStation Vita's limited line-up, and it's a decent idea when taken on its own merits. Unfortunately, the slow pacing and stripped back presentation make it an acquired taste, and a somewhat strange addition to Naughty Dog's otherwise flamboyant franchise.