Combat feels stiff and imprecise, but that feels like a mild quibble about such a consistently pleasing experience.
As an officially licensed instalment in a beloved franchise, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is still a resounding success ten years on. But as a third-person shooter with physics-based ghost capturing, it's a bit one-note. The atmosphere, design, and voice cast are perfect, but the combat peaks early and quickly become a bore. The main campaign is enjoyable enough that it's worth enduring the repetition, though.
Agatha herself is a wonderfully complicated character; we see things from her innocent and skewed perspective, for good or ill. The puzzling is relatively simplistic -- there's nothing here to match the nonsensical item combinations of the genre's luminaries. But this is a game more about story and tone than pixel hunting, and the result is a decent, bizarre experience.
Torchlight II is an older title that feels its age at times. Nevertheless, it remains a solid example of its genre and will keep you occupied for hours on end. Multiplayer, an expansive upgrade system, and a sea of worthwhile loot make up for the repetitive gameplay.
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.
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is essential for game historians and recommended for anyone that wants to experience some old-school charm without the annoying difficulty gates. The titles themselves are hit and miss, but the good outweighs the bad by a healthy amount.
Darksiders hasn't changed much since 2012. It's still a fun mishmash of genres with a great protagonist and undemanding combat systems, but it's a pity that it feels outdated compared to its genre peers and stumbles when injecting Souls-like sensibilities.
428: Shibuya Scramble is a fun addition to the PS4's growing visual novel stable. Solve a kidnapping, thwart a viral conspiracy, and assist a hapless salesperson in taking off her giant cat costume: Spike Chunsoft's zany story has charm to spare and is both funny and thrilling while it lasts.
A charming world that's worth getting lost in, Slime Rancher places you in a brightly coloured sandbox and gives you the freedom to make your own way. There are many plates to spin and no real motivation to progress beyond your own curiosity, but this is a journey well worth exploring.
A Cold War XCOM clone with enemy spies instead of aliens, Phantom Doctrine is a largely enjoyable strategy title. The awareness system means you have more control over the flow of combat, and the setting is well presented, rife with atmosphere and charm. However, the punishing difficulty and steep learning curve do take the edge off things every now and then.