Metal Wolf Chaos XD shows its age in pretty much every way, but its enjoyable and simplistic gameplay loop is enough to give you something to chew on. Alongside one of the most insane narratives in all of video games, it’s a From Software joint that needs to be seen to be believed.

Thanks to simple controls and near constant progression, this can quickly become unbelievably addictive. There's a lot more to Forager than meets the eye. Save for some occasionally fiddly controls, this is a pleasant surprise indeed.

The Church in the Darkness has some good ideas, but they’re not properly realised. Gameplay never ventures out of its basic boundaries, while the narrative doesn’t offer up enough variety or compelling subplots to engage with. The Church in the Darkness is competent for a couple of playthroughs, but it’s an experience that you’ll quickly forget about.

Doughlings: Invasion is a surprisingly fun time. Though it appears on the surface to be little more than an unpleasant looking clone of Space Invaders, its surprisingly deep gameplay elements, well sloped difficulty curve, and some banging tunes make it a simple yet effective bit of arcade fun for short bursts. Though players are unlikely to pick it up for more than an hour due to the lack of multiplayer or meaningful rewards for completion, that hour will at least be entertaining. Don’t let the ugly graphics put you off; if you’ve got a spare bit of dough, it might be worth a look.

A brief, but memorable experience is at the core of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Downright stunning environments serve as a backdrop to exploring the streets of 80s infused France. Between the solid performance level and the fluid controls, this is Bethesda’s best excursion into virtual reality. Given how well the title succeeds at pretty much everything it sets out to do, we hope that this is step one to a fully fledged Wolfenstein VR title down the road.

Wargroove is finally on PS4, and despite launching with practically no fanfare, it's very much worthy of your attention. The pixelated exterior houses surprisingly deep tactical gameplay that's easy to grasp but will soon give your grey matter a workout. With highly customisable difficulty and a vast range of modes to enjoy, this is a decent turn based strategy game that fans of the genre shouldn't pass up -- although we suspect many will have played it to death already.

Kill la Kill - If certainly looks the part, but once you're past the striking art style and eye-popping visuals, it's only a matter of time until the gameplay falls flat. As a bombastic anime fighter it can hold up for at least a few rounds with friends, but beyond that, this is a lacking release, both in terms of mechanical balance and bang for your buck.

Thanks to questionable tactics, a tedious and boring structure, bullet spongey enemies, and a narrative that’s completely throwaway, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is far and away the worst entry in the franchise this generation. Some of its inventive combat mechanics remain intact, but they’re completely overshadowed by throwaway side quests that we were tired of five years ago. This is a boring, tedious slog through Nazi-occupied Paris that you can probably skip.

While Telefrag VR might be light on content, what is there is fairly impressive. Each of the game’s maps and weapons have strong identities that set them apart from one another, and the gameplay is exciting as well as polished. But ultimately, we’re just really worried that not enough people are going to show up and play. Finding a match proved tricky almost immediately, and if this trend continues, there may not be reason to add content going forward, which is not what the title deserves. Prove us wrong. Please.

Etherborn is well worth checking out if brain teasing is your thing. As it toys with gravity and shifts surfaces to the forefront while you traverse them, mechanics come and go to keep the experience fresh at all times. This environmental puzzler doesn’t last particularly long, but it’s sure to provide an afternoon’s worth of challenge and enjoyment.

All in all, Judgment of Atlantis is probably Assassin's Creed Odyssey's best DLC episode. As a standalone adventure it feels the most complete, the setting is superb, and the finale does a great job of tying the Eagle Bearer's story together. While the modern day plot, complete with its awful characters, continues to be the worst part of the experience, it ultimately takes little away from the memorable adventures of Alexios or Kassandra. The Atlantis saga hasn't been perfect, but it has added some welcome weight to an already huge game.

A game based on Stranger Things seems like a winning combination, but this effort based on the recent season three leaves a lot to be desired. Most of what makes the show so good is missing here, and the gameplay and presentation are terribly flat. Retelling the latest season, sometimes word for word, also alienates the game from both people who've seen the show and people who haven't. Our advice to you is to watch the source material and leave it there; the game isn't going to turn your world upside down.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 does a lot of things better than its predecessor. A better story is propped up by better characters, and even though the opening hours are slow, there's a better overall flow to the game. All in all, Square Enix has constructed a rock solid sequel that, while safe and undeniably familiar, should satisfy both returning players and newcomers alike.

It’s hard to call Sea of Solitude a bad experience, but it feels very pedestrian at almost every turn. Bland gameplay means you’ll rarely be doing anything too exciting, in turn making the short run time all the more suspect. Beautiful visuals and themes that may resonate with some are minor highlights, although they’re not enough to make up for insipidity.

Sairento on PlayStation VR may not be a big-name title, but it deserves to be. Excellent combat, unique movement mechanics, and a steep learning curve make it a must-play for anyone looking to unleash hell in VR.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a wonderful love letter to Castlevania fans. It's gothy, camp, and unabashedly old school. But it's also a meticulously crafted game that constantly rewards players for exploration and offers unbridled options in combat. For long-time Metroidvania fans, Ritual of the Night is an unmissable celebration of the genre from the mind of one if its chief architects, while for newcomers it's an accessible entry-point that's easy to pick up and oh so difficult to put down. Let's hope the next one doesn't take quite as long.

The Sinking City is a captivating detective undertaking that dives into the hauntings of H.P. Lovecraft with a compelling narrative that is sure to question your viewpoint as well as reality itself. If you can look past its presentational shortcomings and mediocre combat system, the plight of private eye Charles Reed is one worth seeing for yourself.

With some very smart additions, Vacation Simulator is a suitably more free flowing and open ended experience than its predecessor. Larger locations, reasons to revisit, and a huge range of things to see and do, this is a successful evolution of the silly sandbox antics Owlchemy Labs does so well. Despite PS Move tracking issues and no real step forward in writing, this is another mindlessly fun time-waster for when the summer Sun dips behind the clouds.

Samurai Shodown is back and it's arguably better than ever. SNK has delivered a truly gripping fighting game where the tides can turn in an instant, and it's this constant sense of tension that creates a uniquely electric experience. Against a backdrop of faster paced, combo-heavy fighters, Samurai Shodown stands out as a deliberate and excellently judged duelling simulator. Against a worthy opponent, there's simply nothing quite like it on PS4.

F1 2019 takes all the elements of the previous games and adds a very thin layer of polish. The introduction of F2 makes Career Mode a little more exciting, and the racing gameplay and graphics are still top notch, but there’s no getting away from the fact that this is really just F1 2018 again.

A jam-packed remake that looks and sounds brilliant, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a lovingly crafted remake of a much beloved kart racer. Online play and customisation bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but for as fun as the zippy racing is, it sticks perhaps a little too closely to the original model. High difficulty and some unforgiving track design mean this feels slightly dated. However, it's hard not to crack a smile as you drift around familiar tracks, laying down TNT crates, and humming along to the music. Fans will love what Beenox has done, but for everyone else, just be aware of the game's retro tendencies before stepping behind the wheel.

While lean on content, Funomena delivers a bite-sized title that offers one of PSVR’s more meditative experiences. Extremely relaxing, the title’s puzzle, art, and music work in concert to deliver a title that had us smiling from beginning to end. The game has such a warm sincerity that it’s nigh impossible to not get swept up in its charm. If you’re on the fence, but have PSVR, the recommendation to pick it up is a no brainer.

Judgment may be a Yakuza spin-off, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best games in SEGA's series. Barring some gimmicky gameplay additions and some unnecessary story padding, it's an absolutely ace detective thriller. As we've come to expect of Yakuza Studio, Judgment's writing and characters are top notch, and it's arguably a perfect place to start if you're looking to explore the streets of Kamurocho for the first time. Another great showing from a developer that's at the top of its game.

Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry plots the return of a filthy anti-hero that’s often enjoyable and sometimes cringe-worthy. An interestingly non-linear story format breaks from the usual adventure template, but this is still the same old Larry – for better or worse.

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.

Super Neptunia RPG is a fun but ultimately fairly average spin-off. Neptune and her friends are as funny and endearing as ever, but the story does them a disservice by bogging them down in needlessly long and boring conversations. If you’re a fan of the Neptunia series then you’ll certainly enjoy seeing all the familiar faces and the world in its gorgeous new 2D form, but for everyone else, this is a run-of-the-mill JRPG.

The vision of reconciling nuances of more recent 3D action-adventure titles with well-loved elements from adored classics is undeniably a heartwarming one. There’s great enjoyment to be had in playing through this nostalgic nod to the past, but the lacking presence of a challenge truly robs Effie of its oomph. Simplistic puzzles and brainless brawling almost completely eliminate any real sense of gratification or accomplishment. This is most certainly a game better suited for those who don’t appreciate being staggered by more intense difficulties, or a younger gamer seeking a vibrant, spellbinding world to frolic in.

Contra Anniversary Collection is a pleasant shoot down memory lane, but the duplicate games are frustrating additions, taking up slots that could’ve been filled by more unique titles. As is, half of the roster are repeats, and that’s a bit of a shame. Compared to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, which offered eight distinctive experiences that epitomised the early years of the series, it’s a disappointing line up, especially considering the absence of the underrated, long-awaited Nintendo DS sequel; Contra 4. However, these are very good games and it remains enjoyable to explore the history of such an iconic series and compare the tweaks to each version, whether graphical or story based. The games that we are given are all (mostly) stellar retro shooters and it’s cool to have them easily accessible in one place. If you haven’t experienced the Contra series before, then this isn’t a bad pl ace to report for duty.