When it comes to making you feel like the coolest person around, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise succeeds on every level. While its structure may borrow a little too heavily from the Yakuza series, combat is the real differentiator with unforgettable techniques that'll really leave a mark and combos to finish off even the most foreboding of enemies. Those looking for their next dose of Japanese flair will most certainly be hooked, because Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is everything we were hoping it would be.
What This Is the Police is known for returns in the sequel, but its difficulty is so brutal that you may not even get to see all of it. The tactical missions definitely help to mix up the gameplay, but they take away from the more relaxed nature of the first title that we were expecting to be prominent here too. Fans of the original will find what they're looking for – an engaging story and crime dealing management – but they'll also have to put up with alarming difficulty spikes that can seriously hinder the experience if managed incorrectly.
Transference is an experience fit for VR, and from that perspective, the game does a phenomenal job of providing tension, scares, and narrative beats. Those looking for value may feel a little short-changed, especially so without the implementation of virtual reality, but the overall package should leave you satisfied if horror and terror is your forte.
Downward Spiral: Horus Station neither succeeds nor fails in any spectacular fashion, and as such, it just sort of exists. This is a boring experience that doesn't do anything truly unforgivable, but is also unsuccessful in offering anything worthy of talking about. Downward Spiral: Horus Station is a thing, but you really don't need to experience it.
Immortal: Unchained isn't inherently an awful game, but it has very little going in its favour. Its level design is one shining beacon among a sea of bang average gameplay, unacceptable technical flaws, and a combat system that does little to distinguish itself from its inspirations. Those enamoured with the Souls formula may discover something to like, but they'll have to sort through a mountain of mediocrity to find it.
Rather than overhauling the experience, PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer continues to refine its gameplay loop with intricate features that fans will come to appreciate in the long term. With no major additions in terms of modes or licences, however, this 2019 edition feels a little light in terms of real talking points. What Pro Evolution Soccer is known for returns, but it's not stocking many new bells or whistles.
While Bow to Blood doesn't revolutionise the virtual reality space, it does offer a solid experience that builds upon the foundations laid by previous titles. Thanks to a surprisingly robust relationship and morality system that weaves its way into gameplay in a natural manner, you've got a game that challenges both your talent up in the air and your heart when your feet are back on the ground.
Fall of Light: Darkest Edition is far too basic and frustrating for us to consider any sort of recommendation. Thanks to a woeful control scheme that prioritises input lag and unresponsiveness, every one of its mediocre mechanics suffer to the point where Fall of Light feels more like work than fun.
Flipping Death isn't the grandest 2.5D experience you'll play in 2018, but it does offer a fun account of the trials and tribulations of being both alive and dead. And with a fantastic cast of characters on hand to deliver quality and humorous dialogue, a laugh is never too far away. It's more than worth a look if you like what you see, just don't expect anything too special.
Dead Cells has raised the bar for the rogue-lite genre going forward.
There's still a lot of potential to be realised in a Left 4 Dead-like experience, but Earthfall is a complete miss. It fails to build upon the foundations abandoned by Valve, with repetitive AI spawns and an arsenal of weaponry that does nothing to distinguish themselves from one another. And with just four hours of content to work through, you'll be left feeling short-changed by an experience that gives you no reason to return once the credits roll.
Salary Man Escape is a competent puzzler that has a decent amount of fun to offer when things are going your way, but when that enjoyment partly relies on physics outside of your control, it's easy for frustration to creep in when the going gets tough. Add that to the fact that the game lacks a definitive control method thanks to flaws in both motion and the traditional controller, and you can't be blamed for looking for an alternative experience.
Despite bringing a few new mechanics to the table, Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness is a lesser experience when compared to the base game in every possible way. Its story is almost non-existent, the open world is completely generic, and with a fair few features from the original experience missing, it all feels like a step back. The core of what makes this a Far Cry game is still present, but you were probably already tired of that long ago.
Along Together serves up a fun virtual reality experience that doesn't attempt to do anything new, but rather refines mechanics introduced by others. It's mildly challenging puzzles won't present much of a roadblock in your path to progress, besides the unintuitive junkyard location, and so an afternoon's worth of enjoyment is around about where your expectations should lie.
Forgotton Anne has thrilled us in every possible way. Its story is packed to the rafters with charm, amazement, tension, and doubt. The gameplay satisfies in every key area with challenging puzzles and skilful platforming, and it's these mechanics that get to accommodate a gorgeous art style which will live on long in our hearts. You need to experience Forgotton Anne for yourself, because the package as a whole is really quite special.
City of Brass is a fantastic starting point for newcomers to the roguelike genre, but those that know a thing or two may leave feeling a little short-changed. The core gameplay loop at its heart is very satisfying, thanks to its experimental nature, and with the genies' perk selection, there's a decent amount of variety when you're in the thick of it, but there just isn't enough here to keep you coming back past your first couple of completed runs. There's definitely fun to be had here for a few hours, but it's nothing you'll remember with a great deal of affection in six month's time.
To Leave is certainly a competent 2D platformer, but its brutal difficulty is sure to stop the majority of its players from even finishing the game. Fortunately, its story and visuals are keen to excite to the point where they may just about be worth your frustration.
Gal*Gun 2 will once again grab the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but what those will fail to tell you is that the underlying experience isn't worth any sort of price to begin with. Once the perverse novelty wears off, you're left with a bare-bones shooter that sorely needs to come off the rails it is tied to if it wants to create any excitement.
Extinction had the potential to be something special, but a few too many flaws and frustrations hold it back from true greatness. Despite that, we still think this adventure of epic proportions is very much worth a purchase if the grand scale even slightly grabs your interest.
Bombslinger is a decent game, but its brutal and unforgiving difficulty is sure to turn many potential buyers off. Building up a character with abilities, items, and weapons is engaging as you find new ways to deal with what's put in front of you, but to have that all ripped away upon death is truly heart-breaking. If you can stomach the set-backs then Bombslinger is sure to please, but if you'd rather take your belongings to the grave, you'll be in for a tougher and more frustrating time.