Brut@l is a fun dungeon crawler regardless of whether the historical significance of collecting letters and throwing the @ sign at goblins is lost on you. A distinctive visual style complements simple and enjoyable combat, a satisfying collection of craftable weapons, and a rewarding learning curve. Dungeon runs can get a bit samey, but a co-op mode and robust dungeon creator reward further visits.
99Vidas is an affectionate homage to scrolling beat em ups of the 80s and 90s. It's also a fun game to spend an afternoon with, regardless of age and skill. There's not a lot of content and you can run through the story mode in a few hours, but local and online co-op, unlockable characters, and the promise of more levels should give it some lasting appeal.
Serial Cleaner is a fun little game which offers something that's both similar to other indie titles on the market and thematically unique for the stealth genre. Its difficulty and slight release content are offset by a number of options, a great premise, and some uniquely engaging gameplay.
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.
If nothing else, Night Trap is a historic document. A nostalgia trip for some and an insight into a rare gaming niche for others. Presented here with insightful extras and a modern lick of paint, it still stands up as a genre curio. There isn't much content here and continued enjoyment will rely on how much you are willing to replay the main story. But, if you succumb to its corny charms, this is a game as entertaining to play as it is to watch.
With a solid progression system that means no defeat has to be too punishing and every attempt gets you a little further, Sky Force Reloaded is a 'one more try' shooter. Building up your ship from a pathetic husk to a monstrous killing machine is satisfying and fun, but it's a slight shame that the game is let down at times by bland environments and all too familiar enemy types.
A dearth of tutorials and a lack of consistent narrative can hamper the early stages of Surviving Mars. But have patience and this city builder emerges as an entertaining and addictive experience with tons of replay value and a dark streak of humour.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Critical hits prevent the Necron from using their regenerative abilities, while certain weapons offer escalating buffs that give extra damage multipliers the more you use them. These elements combine to make fights satisfyingly varied from mission to mission.
Ultimately, this isn't the Samurai Jack game of your dreams. But despite its flaws, this is a good action game that will please fans, and its simplistic nature may even introduce the property to a younger audience.
All in all, Intertial Drift offers a fun variation on drift racing with a broad level of challenge. A great visual style and plenty to do distract from the somewhat low-budget execution.
All gripes aside, if you're a fan of JRPGs in general, particularly the urban sprawl and social checklists of Persona, you will absolutely love NEO: The World Ends With You. This property deserves a series as expansive as its Disney-sponsored big brother, and hopefully, this sequel and the connected anime series will justify a true current-gen instalment at some point in the future.
Embers' debut game is beautifully presented, with an interesting but flawed combat system. Lovely music (thanks to Journey composer Austin Wintory) and exciting boss battles make it worth your time.
Zool was a classic back in the day, but it didn't endure as much as other genre luminaries. This remaster enhances what was great about the original title while adding some modern elements to sweeten the deal.
For anyone familiar with the series (and the RTS genre itself), Company of Heroes 3 is a solid but flawed entry. For newcomers, getting to grips with the controls and trudging through the patchy Italian campaign might not be worth the price of enlistment. However, if you do learn its intricacies, you're rewarded with fantastic, intense combat. It's a great effort to translate the RTS to console even with one or two issues.