Ultimately, Mulaka succeeds in the story it wishes to tell, but it falls short in two of its primary gameplay tenets: action and adventure. Controls are fiddly, environments a little sparse, and combat inadequate. It excels in using the video game format to widen knowledge of a culture that admittedly many around the world will know very little about, but as a game to interact with, its deficiencies outshine its ideas and make it somewhat forgettable.
VRFC is not a good representation of football, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Like the table-top variety, it doesn't need to be accurate to be entertaining, and once you embrace the insanity there's fun to be had. VRFC is flawed and disconnected, but also spontaneous, amusing, challenging, and fun. At this budget price, we can think of worse ways to spend a weekend.
There's little to get here that you can't get from a mobile game, except you wouldn't sit in front of a 55-inch screen to play something like Temple Run. Assault Gunners HD Edition doesn't benefit from being on PS4 at all; if anything, it's worse off. With little to no depth or nuance, Assault Gunners HD Edition is a mindless action game that offers very little in return for your dedicated time in front of the TV.
Bridge Constructor Stunts bucks conformity and injects a little pizzazz into proceedings with a more entertaining and liberating play on the series formula. Perhaps a better fit for mobile play, it lacks enough depth to keep console players genuinely engaged, and it's a little reluctant to let you play with the toys. Still, there are a few hours of fun to be had here.
Once you get to grips with how it handles, V-Rally 4 is a competent and lightweight arcade-style off-road racer with a fair bit of charm that harkens back to the series' foundations. Aiming for spectacle and variety in design, it looks and feels like a 2018 V-Rally game. However, a shallow and disappointing career mode, irritating music, and a handful of visual and gameplay bugs means you're likely to grow weary in a short space of time.
Beat Saber is a thrilling rhythm game that makes ideal use of virtual reality to envelop you in an enthralling tour down the coloured highway, time after time. We suspect it's the kind of game that will resonate with just about anyone, VR sceptic or not, and it's an essential addition to any PlayStation VR owner's library.
It's fair to say that Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch didn't really need a remaster at all, but we won't look a gift horse in the mouth, and choice is a good thing. It's undoubtedly nice to have this standout last-generation title running so smoothly on PS4, and it's just so tidy. After all, it's also fair to say that this was and is a truly special game. Far more narratively focused than its sequel, this is a tentpole title for lovers of traditional Japanese role-playing games.
Code Vein is a stylish JRPG with an interesting combat system that just falls short in a few areas. Its inspirations are clearly worn on its sleeve, but it brings enough to the table to stand out on its own. This title has promise, and we think the developer could iron it out into a worthy franchise if it's given the chance to make future instalments.
With beautiful environments and plenty to discover, Mortal Shell is a compelling world to explore. After a steep learning curve, its combat is challenging but fascinating, and with a great sense of reward once you master it. It might be a little too similar to Dark Souls in terms of overall tone and style, but it brings enough new ideas functionally to make it stand out from the crowd. Ultimately, this is a great entry into a demanding sub-genre that fans won't want to miss.
Project CARS 3 marks a significant departure for the series, abandoning most of its sim heritage in favour of arcade racing. Offering a variety of different cars and tracks, there's plenty of content on offer, making for a fun distraction, but it lacks the excitement we expect from wheel-to-wheel racing. It takes inspiration from all over the place, but it's perhaps most closely aligned with Sony's own DriveClub. It would seem, then, that the PS4 cycle is ending the way it began. We're just not sure we'd pick this over what's come before.
While it's perhaps not the graphical powerhouse we would use to showcase our new console to friends and family, WRC 9 on PlayStation 5 runs at a consistently smooth 60 frames-per-second at 4K resolution, and marks a significant improvement over its last-gen underling. However, it's the game's use of the haptic feedback technology provided by DualSense that really takes centre stage here, potentially offering a transformative experience for players who choose to play with a controller.