It can't hold a candle to a From Software joint, but The Surge 2 will satisfy those chomping at the bit for the next take on the genre.
In refusing to dramatically innovate, Borderlands 3 continues to occupy a unique position in the RPG genre. Its blend of looting, shooting, and comedy makes for varied gameplay sequences, deep and meaningful player progression, and a couple of laughs along the way. It's not going to convert anyone who wasn't a fan of previous iterations, but in doing so, Borderlands 3 sticks to what it does best.
Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels is adequate in every sense of the word - it doesn't do anything impressively well nor insultingly bad. It's just okay, and while that might be enough to convince fans of the series to take a short trip underground, it's something that anyone else can safely skip.
Its live action overhaul gives returning players a new way to experience the game, while newcomers are sure to be captured by its quirky cast of characters and a plot that'll keep you hooked through to its conclusion.
There's no doubting that Control is a good experience, but it's not one that'll go down in the history books. Its explorative and combat-focused gameplay is a major highlight thanks to abilities that give you the chance to get creative, but the unreliable framerate that goes with it puts a stop to the enjoyment far too frequently. This is most definitely worth playing, but that's about as far as any substantial praise can go.
Erica is an intriguing, admirable experience that those looking for something a little outside of the video game norm will surely latch on to. With an impressive set of performances, a story that'll have you hooked straight from the off, and meaningful decisions that have a major impact on the game, FMV is making waves all over again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
DayZ is a complete and utter disaster on PS4. Not only is it profoundly outdated in 2019, it's also technically inept. A horrendous frame rate brings the experience to a standstill on a worryingly consistent basis, while numerous bugs and glitches are a bewilderment. After taking five years to release, we can't help but feel like this was an outright waste of everyone's time.
Layers of Fear 2 falls short in one too many areas for us to consider it a classic, but the experience that remains is still well worth your time. Predictable horror conventions aside, spectacular visuals, a haunting atmosphere, and impressive shape-shifting environments are sure to keep you up at night.
American Fugitive is an exceptional open world playground for dumb fun, but it fails to capitalise on that when tailored mission design is brought into the fold. One too many repetitive objectives drag the experience down to a crawl, but for some, the narrative will be just about enough to make it worthwhile.
Darkwood is on the verge of greatness. The terrifying and foreboding atmosphere it manages to create is unmatched in the genre, while the scares themselves are earned and equally alarming. The experience is somewhat held back by gameplay annoyances, but they're not enough to sway a recommendation.
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered isn't a terrible game, but it feels outdated and completely outclassed in 2019. While its x-ray exterminations are still appealing, it's just about the only factor making up this package that could turn one's head in today's world. Simply put, there are just so many better experiences you could have through the scope of a sniper rifle, including those sequels that make up the very franchise in question.
Fade to Silence is an amalgamation of mechanics and systems that only work some of the time. Extensive survival procedures and dynamic weather patterns provide the potential for a memorable experience, but nothing takes advantage of that. Controls frustrate, crafting is lacklustre, and combat is missing any sort of depth. Keen survivalists will find something to like here, but those with only a passing interest should probably steer clear.
World War Z has all the makings of a good co-operative experience thanks to its comprehensive class and weapon variety, but its objective-based gameplay can't quite live up to the same standard. You're sure to find enjoyment in fending off swarms of the undead and the multiplayer is a real highlight, but it's unlikely to pull you away from better multiplayer titles for long.
Heaven's Vault will satisfy budding archaeologists and linguistic fanatics in fits and starts, but the overall experience that brings those mechanics together leaves a lot to be desired. Alongside technical frustrations and tedious movement between locations, this is hardly a game we can recommend with any sort of confidence.