This game tries to hitch a ride on the nostalgia train without paying the due fees first. For hardcore Star Ocean fans only.

There are certainly enjoyable features and it’s nice to have someone attempting innovation but a few things fall flat while others struggle to shine. It’s a pity not everything succeeds but hey, that’s the beauty of doing something new - you’re heading into the unknown.

Sword Coast Legends is a decent game with a compelling story and some rather excellent voice active. It's brought down heavily, however, by excruciatingly long load screens and the chance of hitting a game-ending bug.

While handsomely produced, the way the titular character is treated as an afterthought and the serious themes of child grooming are handled leaves a truly wretched taste in the mouth.

Le Tour De France Season 2017 is the Team Sky of cycling games. It is the best of the genre, it is familiar and it’s liked by only the true hardcore.

Anyone just looking for an MMO will enjoy the levelling and questing, and even if you never pay-to-play you’ll still get to experience many of the game’s best features.

The Dwarves had so much potential and even though the game looked great for a Kickstarter game, considering their lack of budget and the story it had to work with was a spectacular one, developers KingART just somehow managed to miss the mark.

Good for one evening of outlandish fun, but not one you'll come back to.

A vast and rich world with a too-thin story and enough bugs to ruin any immersion.

Whilst it's held back by irritating music and the lack of a stash, Pixel Heroes is still an enjoyable wee game.

The levelling system is fair and rapid, allowing you to get your well-muscled paws on some serious boom sticks fast. The game modes are tried and tested but that doesn't make them any less fun.

Simple but stylish, Dawn of New Riders is nothing new but a lot of fun, especially for fans of the series.

A beautiful game to look at, but horribly flawed deep down. The art style and good use of the Vita’s touch screen is enough to draw you in, but the poor story and constant repetition will certainly alienate players before the game really has a chance to truly get started.

All the things that were wrong with the first island: the repetitive action, the bugs, the embarrassing voices and the mind rotting story raise their head here too.

Unfortunately Mickey’s reputation as a gaming character takes a battering from this version of an already poor game, one which does nothing different and better than what already existed. Indeed the developers should probably have not bothered. If you’ve already had the misfortune to experience this tale on home console there is no way you would want to come back and no reason to do so. If you haven’t, it’s still not going to bring you any joy. We did have high hopes for Mickey’s gaming career but that hope does not survive even five minutes into this title.

Nevertheless, for anyone who enjoyed the first game Mugen Souls Z is more of the same, slightly refined and smartened up. For those accustomed to big-budget JRPGs – Ni No Kuni, Tales of Xillia – it definitely looks like a budget title and will underwhelm.

Feels like it wanted to be a genre epic but had to settle for merely ‘alright’.

Jump Force isn't bad, it is instead mediocre. Instead of a huge celebration of Shonen Jump it instead feels like the kind of party nobody turned up to. It can be fun for a short while, but the lack of depth and strange cutscenes will quickly run that out.

Not good but not awful, The Technomancer serves more as a showcase for the future potential of Spiders than a game worth playing on its own merit.

Despite numerous issues, House Flipper is a slow burn that will frustrate and comfort you, making it a decent game to add to your Switch collection.

It is because of the more interesting innovations, and promisingly atmospheric ghost stories, that Perception's issues render it so disappointing. After its initial scares and exciting concept, it all begins to fall flat. The big reveal for how the stories were all connected felt muddled and underwhelming. The game seems to sacrifice vital narrative development in favour of inconsistent and misplaced atmosphere building. With as much thought put into the execution, as was clearly put into its concept, this game may have been something special, instead it haunts the realm of mediocre.

If a few new weapons are enough to part you with your cash then Fallen Angel is an expensive addition worth a look. If it’s content you seek, look elsewhere – this expansion is so lacking in thought that even Dead Rising’s brain-craving zombies would pass it by.

While it looks and sounds great, Perfect Universe sadly fails as a collection of pick-up-and-play minigames.

Yes, the visuals aren’t particularly great, and yes, the game has a couple of glitches here and there, but in terms of recreating the feeling of driving a train, Train Sim World hits the nail on the head and will certainly appeal to its core fanbase.

Submerged can only be described as a huge disappointment that squandered its potential thanks to some terrible design decisions and being let out the door far too early.

Attractive visuals and level variety could not quite make up for the technical difficulties present in Fin and the Ancient Mystery. However, given the approachable price point and mild replayability, this game might be worth a quick playthrough for fans of platforming games, assuming depth is not part of your gaming pursuits.

It targets the hardcore Japanese game fans and asks them how much. How much do they love Japan? How much are they willing to pay? The answer, inevitably, is not enough.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint feels disconnected, lacking real purpose or direction. It still has a ways to go until it can stand alongside the other Live Service giants of the industry, but there are glimpses of quality to build upon.

For the Kickstarter fans, Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded stands proud and tall as a shining example of a completed crowdfunding project and perhaps as a history lesson for newcomers. For everyone else, it’s all a bit limp, really.

A great nostalgia ride but one which will only last you a short while.

Like a fleeting target ducking in and out of the crosshairs, much of the fun in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is obscured by off-putting technical faults and uninspired gameplay.

Superfrog HD might be a little too niche, not quite providing the nostalgic hit that other Amiga titles could have done, but as his old rivals still face stiff competition from the emerging smartphone market, making the jump to PlayStation might have been the most heroic move this little amphibian has ever made.

Even with its weird physics and slight controller issues, VR Ping Pong Pro can be entertaining. You just need to get used to the handling and eventually it will feel natural and be fun to play. Unfortunately, the initial issues may put some players off.

There lies within Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory the core of a great franchise. Unfortunately, everything surrounding the satirical premise serves to dilute it to the same level as the fluffy nothingness that makes up most of the game.

Space Hulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition has a few enjoyable moments, especially in multiplayer, but, despite a few graphical improvements, and some technical fixes, it does very little to improve on 2016’s original. The game is simply a old, boring and downright lacklustre first-person experience.

Ken’s Rage 2 is a passable, sporadically enjoyable game that’s undermined by drab visuals and a campaign with a padded second-half.

An emotionless take on the genre, with little but its reliance on nostalgia to sustain its brief running time.

While it has genuinely great moments, Suicide Guy has a few too many bugs as well as being incredibly short. The physics themselves don't always work as they are supposed to, a definite issue in a physics puzzle game. Not a bad game, but not a good one either despite it's high points.

Praetorians HD may not be as advanced or detailed as games that have come since but it is an incredibly effective throwback and one I greatly enjoyed.

If you love fanservice, and especially the kind that lets you exploit underage-looking anime girls feel free to add a couple of marks to that – if you’re everyone else then knock a couple off.

Narco Terror is a surprisingly fun little throwback title that makes no apologies for its exaggerated action and ridiculous plot line.

Knack, like its namesake, is something constructed of relics – from the basic gameplay to the poor characterisation, nearly everything feels like something from two console generations ago.

There’s a lot of content here, with a sprawling campaign and varied multiplayer modes, but ultimately it’s not worth the slog of what amounts mostly to tedious battles and glorified fetch quests.

Unfortunately Aeronautica Imperialis: Flight Command is not one of the better Games Workshop adaptations. It is a game that relies far more on luck than judgement or skill, and so is repetitive at best, and frustrating at worst. I like that they’re trying something different in translating the game from tabletop to screen, and the cinematics are a nice system, but it comes at the expense of the gameplay experience.

Gears of War may have its detractors, but whilst it opted for over-the-top machismo and a sci-fi setting, The Devil’s Cartel offers an approximation of banter between its two leads and a plot that is squandered after a promising start. Worse still, ludicrous plot twists are thrown into the mix late on which will both confuse and annoy Army of Two veterans.

The story is shallow, the characters are shallow, and the world is shallow. It’s bewilderingly underdone; there’s very little content and it doesn’t really engage with its source material.

Gorgeous game with a short, yet enticing story that left me wanting more. Just be sure to bring your patience with you before trying to tackle the puzzle-based gameplay.

While not as genre-bending as perhaps one might expect a video game portrayed as a interactive theatre show to be, Knee Deep does provide an entertaining, if rather silly, distraction while it lasts.

I enjoyed Whipseey but I wish it had deeper gameplay mechanics and maybe some sort of progression system. Its bright, clean and not very expensive. Its a good one for trophy hunters, it has a fun trophy list to complete and does not overstay its welcome or become repetitive.

Best avoided by anyone seeking a real challenge or keen to get their teeth into some serious multiplayer gaming!

Jagged Alliance: Rage! has great tactical gameplay, and enough interesting ideas, however its various elements struggle to line up to make a constantly captivating experience.

Rush Bros has some good ideas behind it, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired; for a game that claims to be a blend of two genres, there’s surprisingly little content from either.

The Padre has so much potential but sadly it fails to deliver on most of the aspects I was really looking forward to. With uninteresting gameplay and clunky controls it's fairly difficult for me to recommend this game as a survival horror. If you go into this expecting a witty adventure, you may enjoy it more.

For cycling fans this is an appealing title despite its flaws. It gets the idea of real road-racing across and does incorporate the same kinds of strategies your heroes do in real life. Unfortunately as a game though it’s limited.

There’s a good amount of content (around thirty to forty hours at least) to The Witch and the Hundred Knight – it’s just a shame that it never really comes together.

Solseraph could have been a great game, unfortunately, its just not very entertaining. The city building bits are good enough but they get broken up by very bland platforming sections, they just don't seem to fit very well and feel rushed. It is certainly unique with its mixture of game styles but it is too disjointed to be enjoyed to its fullest.

Some nice mechanics here but flawed in almost all aspects.

Some genuinely intriguing ideas and a great looking setting are set against some control issues and poor pacing. The game has high aspirations but falls short on the execution unfortunately. Not a bad game, but not a great one either.

Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is a great virtual pet simulator for children but I feel sadly it doesn't cater for much more than that. It's adorable and there's nothing better than some doggo's in a game but my play-time felt shortened by some of the restrictions. It has a lot of potential but with no real originality I just felt something was missing whilst I was playing it.

With clumsy controls, underwhelming graphics, and frankly catatonic pacing, it’s as out of place on consoles as it possibly could be.

Bound By Flame had potential, its excellent crafting system and skill trees are a good basis for any RPG, but the unbalanced combat system doesn't do a good job of exploiting them.

Speedball 2 HD is a purchase for those who want to rekindle the early 90s, the glory days of gaming, the Amiga, the Master System, the Atari… however the resultant fire will barely light the soul, sizzling out all too quickly.

There’s a thin line between rock-hard gameplay and a broken game and while Natural Doctrine runs up to that line repeatedly it manages to never actually cross it. What it does manage, however, is to be a great example of the genre while also doing very little to bring it into the twenty-first century.

Despite Appalachia's appeal, Fallout 76 is broken mess of a game that, in its current state, feels nothing more than a shamefully unfinished cash-grab that isn't fit to use the Fallout name.

Unlike most driving games, Dakar 18 is not an intense and action-packed experience, but a slow and more mindful fare. Its divergence from typical driving games may put off a lot of players, but the unique mechanics and beautiful world more than make up for this. Hopefully future Dakar games will capitalise on its highlights and eliminate its many problems.

This has all been done before, and it’s been done better.

Optimization issues aside, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a solid entry in to the SAO game series. Inviting visuals, recognizable characters, and action packed battles await those willing to put in the time to get past chapter one.

Arguably the most damning thing you could say about Halo Spartan Assault is that it is very easy to see that this is a game ported over from a tablet (or Win 8 PC for the pedantic), microtransactions and all.

The Doctor Who fan in me loved his time with this title. From a non-Who fan, video game standpoint though, its negatives weigh heavy on the overall experience. Its short, too easy and sometimes cumbersome. If your a Who fan though you will love parts of it, as I did. Maybe wait for the title to go on sale.

Despite a promising plot and an eerie atmosphere, Uncanny Valley fails to make the most out of its survival horror inspirations.

Like the combination weapons it proudly (and rightly) brandishes, Operation Broken Eagle seems hastily constructed but not half as entertaining.

It’s an OK game; completing bosses does feel nice considering all the crap you just went through and overcoming the risk of having to redo it all again.

It’s an interesting title if only for a few hours and with a hefty price tag it doesn't help itself in getting off the subs bench.

Largely forgettable, Alien Rage never really punches above its weight even though you’re willing it to. It struggles to get going and in the rare instances things start to look up, you're stopped in your tracks by stability issues, impossible odds or sheer frustration. A lack of innovative features fail to set it apart as a shooter, let alone recall the nostalgia of classic shooter games it claims to evoke.

Jack Keane 2 will do nothing to convert people to the adventure genre and it's difficult to recommend it to adventure fans. It appears to be designed to appeal more to casual players given the relative lack of depth to the whole experience, and the colourful but cardboard-cutout characters aimed at a younger audience.

Sniping fans who are done with the recent Sniper Elite V2 and crave more sharpshooting action will probably get some mileage out of this budget title, but lowering the scope reveals a game that could have used a little more polish and attention before release.

From this newcomer’s perspective, Sacred 3 is a cheesy, flawed B-movie of an arcade brawler that you might get a few evenings’ entertainment out of before consigning it to the very depths of your games pile, never to infirm. I mean, return.

Risen 3: Titan Lords Enhanced Edition is a game that feels like a massive missed opportunity.

It’s better than Chaos Rising but by capping off a promising mini-campaign with such disappointment, The Last Agent retrospectively tarnishes the whole wretched endeavour.

By far and away the worst part of Murdered: Soul Suspect is the completely unnecessary quasi-combat that is littered throughout the game.

Overall taking into account the target audience, Disney Planes still feels rushed and lightweight.

Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey has all the hallmarks of a well acted and mysterious adventure game but is held back terribly by a lack of polished design and a glut of technical shortcomings. Giving no hint of what can be interacted with until you've moved your painfully slow avatar close by leads to a lot of slow wandering around, while attempts at combat gameplay fall flat and take time and momentum from the building narrative.

A game full of more than it's fair share of style unfortunately lacks any of it's fair share of substance. It may be worth a look if you are a long time fan of the series but there are much better examples of this style of game for everyone else.

Chaos Rising is probably the most fun of the three episodes so far, but their similarity in everything from structure down to animation does little to endear the player to these hastily-sketched caricatures.

Overall, The Midnight Sanctuary’s mind-boggling, yet ambitious, storyline failed to impress me. The visual novel could be developed further to improve replayability and entertainment value. Kudos on trying to use 3D graphics in visual novels, but the graphics and pace of the storyline needed much more work, so that it increased the visual novel’s quality.

A colourful but tedious experience that never lives up to the excitement or intrigue of its idols.

For all its flaws and the questionable attempts to modernise the Pac-Man format, you can’t fault Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures for being a run-of-the-mill, inoffensive (except for the biting) platformer.

Beyblade Evolution is a game that’s difficult to recommend to anyone, even die-hard Beyblade fans. After just a couple of rounds the game already bores as the monotonous, awkward bey-battles lack any atmosphere or real challenge at all. Perhaps very young fans may appreciate the representation of setting up a physical Beyblade set-up, but even then it will more than likely get old very fast.

The setting is decent, the atmosphere can be good in an intimidating way but as it’s a first-person shooter with awful combat and an even worse frame rate it’s impossible to recommend.

For a game based on a comic book it’s suspiciously tedious and wide of the mark in terms of its humour - although we recognise that is subjective so you might take more from it than we did - but really the choices behind the control scheme mean that it fails in terms of what we’re here to assess; the game. From the moment you switch it on you’re wondering why you downloaded it, and the developers have no excuses.

Earth Atlantis is a solidly built 2D shooter with a refined visual style and a relatively friendly learning curve, but a lack of colour and variety hold it back from being truly memorable.

Ultimately though, LA Cops is a very mediocre experience. The 1970s theme is largely unexplored, the story is almost non-existent and its gameplay is flawed in a number of ways.

This game won’t be for everyone. A short playtime and lack of instruction of what to do or where to go, coupled with a range of annoying little glitches, may cause many to get frustrated. However the overall look and atmosphere is incredible. You’ll want to explore each location in order to enjoy the game because the pleasure we get from a journey is perhaps more dependent on the mind-set that we travel with, than on the destination we travel to.

All in all, Light is an extremely short experience, easily beaten in just over an hour. If other levels were added, perhaps community-forged ones via the Steam Workshop, the value proposition might be better but as it is, there’s not much content here - a scant twelve levels.

Everything about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is rushed; nothing is irrevocably broken but the whole package encapsulates the worst of movie tie-ins.

Hardboiled and undercooked, the story and tone of Milanoir are dead on target, but the shooting doesn't quite hold up against the tough difficulty.

On paper it sounds like it could be a winning combination, and perhaps this will improve as the game evolves, but in practice the play styles don't mesh well together, seemingly diametrically opposed at times.

There are signs of a solid JRPG in Valhalla Knights 3 but it all crumbles to inconsequence given the slog through dull, uninspired locations and cookie-cutter quests.