The crucial factor to take into account here is the sense of humour. Do you like silly, immature humour that has no respect for the fourth wall? If you don't, the gameplay probably isn't strong enough to maintain your interest, particularly in a crowded genre. If you do however, the gameplay is strong enough to maintain your interest for the length of the game, slightly short though it may be.
Ultimately, for all its storylines and RPG elements, Defender's Quest is very much about the tower defence at its core, with all the other systems in the game either informing the core experience or accommodating it. That tower defence gameplay is exceptionally strong, full of options and customisation, and the other missed opportunities do little to take away from that.
With more depth to the combat, Crossing Souls could be a great game. As it stands, though, the lack of difficulty means that the only reason to drive forward is the story, so a recommendation relies heavily on your view of the 80s and reference-heavy stories set during that decade.
For fans of fast-paced, over the top twin stick action, complete with bullet time and a score system that awards perfection, Bleed 2 is excellent. The only real issue is its length, which is remedied to an extent by additional characters, weapons, and modes. If arcade, Contra/Metal Slug action is your thing and you've been missing it, you could do much worse than Bleed 2.
Cat Quest is definitely good fun for a few hours and can be quite humorous, but a lack of depth to the basic gameplay loop means it gets repetitive and it's easy to lose interest.
After taking a year off, Assassin's Creed is going through a transitional period and taking players back to the very founding of the Brotherhood in Ancient Egypt is symbolic of that. The vast new setting, the improved combat system and moving the series towards being a real action RPG have injected this series with a new life.
Raiders has some interesting ideas, but slips in its execution. While the gunplay is solid and the graphics and voice acting are both good, the repetition of the missions combined with the need to replay them for what little character customisation there is quickly takes the shine from it all. What remains is a middling game that misses its potential.
Ultimately, Pillars of Eternity is a stellar entry into its genre, but one that won't win over people who are not already fans. It is huge and richly detailed, with more history than some actual periods of real life, and a rare amount of care and attention. It's probably a better experience on a PC, but it's still definitely worth playing on console if it's your only option.
Comet Crash 2 is a uniquely well designed game. It stirs just enough resource gathering and unit management to add depth without taking anything away from the tower defense, creating a gameplay with two parts that complement each other strongly. It's an easy recommendation to fans of either genre.
Constructor HD was actually delayed multiple times, so System 3 presumably encountered some difficulties in development. Whether that is the explanation for the result, which just barely toes the line of average but gets pulled back down by its price and its launch day DLC, or if it was a bit of a cash grab is anyone's guess. As it is, this is not worth purchasing.
As a story, Children of Zodiarcs is a little lacking, but if you don't mind some grinding the mix of combat, card and dice system is a delight. Although some characters are less useful than others, the fights are enough to pull you through if a tactical RPG is what you are looking for.
In the end, it doesn't even matter that the gameplay here is so good and delightfully complex. Pox Nora on PlayStation 4 is a failure in execution rather than concept; an excellent card and strategy game that few will likely stick with because of the frankly unacceptable technical issues. Even frame rate issues could be overlooked, but parts of the UI failing part way through matches rendering them unplayable and the usual F2P always online syndrome casts a dark shadow over the rest of the game. Maybe just play it on PC instead.
Ultimately, Portal Knights aims to put RPG elements and Zelda-style combat into a Minecraft-like game. Minecraft works because everything is systemic. It's huge, but everything you can find conforms to particular conditions – diamond only appears below a certain height, sugar cane is found on sand next to water, etc. – so you know where to look. When you remove these systems, you have a Portal Knights island; the resources are all over the place, at any height, and if you can't see them, you want you need another island. It removes the incentive to explore, because there is nothing to find.
Ultimately, Vertical Drop Heroes HD is fun for a few hours, but gets repetitive quickly. The asking price is low so it might be worth a look if it really tickles your fancy, but Rogue Legacy is only £4 more expensive and accomplishes similar ideas more effectively and with more depth.
It is a shame as the rest of the game has had a lot of care put into it. The music by Marcin Sonnenberg is excellent, the ancient Germanic future to the game is a decent angle for some humour, but it ultimately fails to maintain interest due to monotonous gameplay. This is a rare case where the game’s presentation outpaces its gameplay, leaving behind a creative and briefly entertaining, yet inexplicably dull game. Certainly good for passing time, but there are countless similar games on mobile devices for a fraction of the price.
You are never at risk of encountering anything unexpected when playing Zenith, but cutscenes are unpredictable and quite intelligently written (and even well directed at times), so they are genuinely entertaining. But the game is an action RPG by the numbers, and it gives the distinct impression that it is a vehicle for delivering the comedy. This would be fine, but that vehicle would need to be enjoyable and on this one, the wheels have fallen off.
There is fun and satisfaction to be had in stealthily taking out whole levels without being spotted, but that is perhaps due to the nature of stealth gameplay rather than the strengths of the game itself. If you are looking for something along these lines and don’t mind the issues too much, you may enjoy Filthy Lucre, but there are other games that do the same thing with more success for a similar price, making this particular game difficult to recommend.
If the issues don’t phase you and you are at peace with large sections of dialogue, you will find an interesting, dismal world filled with shadowy characters and intrigue. Everyone is a bit off in Dex, whether they’re shady themselves or they’re in the midst of their own tragedy that is no doubt brought on by people you have already met. Uncovering the threads that connect the residents of Harbor Prime is a fascinating look into a flawed future, if you are willing to hack for it.
Gunscape is aimed at giving players the tools to create their own old school FPS levels and maps, but Blow Fish Studios' attempt to carve out a little niche is lacking in its execution. What remains is a game that could be of interest while you roam through player-made maps, but will ultimately be left behind as actually playing them will quickly tarnish any glimmer of hope it had.
Ultimately EDF4.1 ends up being an addictive game that is full of alien squishing fun on a huge scale, but as a last generation port to PlayStation 4, it ends up being far too expensive. I shall await with bated breath for a true sequel.