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Call of Cthulhu's successfully evokes Lovecraft's Mythos by delivering an eerie story that ultimately doesn't stray too far from some well-trodden ground. While anyone expecting a terrifying horror title or an RPG packed will player choice and decisions will need to check those expectations at the door, there's at least a half-decent adventure game lurking under the surface.
LEGO DC Super-Villains is perhaps the best LEGO game to date.
Fairly decent handling isn't nearly enough to save Nickelodeon Kart Racers. Even if you ignore the squandered potential of a game featuring the network's biggest cartoon stars, this is a shallow racing game that underwhelms at every turn. Tracks have some nice details but aren't particularly imaginative, the presentation largely falls flat, and the whole thing feels undercooked. If you're a die-hard fan, it might be worth a look, but it's hard to recommend this to anyone else.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's best game, and it's gripping from start to finish.
Marvel's Spider-Man: The Heist DLC is more of the same.
Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe is a neat package which provides numerous options that will keep you coming back for seconds and perhaps even thirds and more. It's charming look and feel and well-developed plot combined with great two-pronged gameplay make it truly unique and provide a great incentive to progress further.
The Missing: J.J Macfield and the Island of Memories marries its remarkable storyline with memorable gameplay mechanics to form a truly exceptional and meaningful experience. No matter which walk of life you originate from, there's a monumental amount of positivity to take on board from Swery65's latest masterpiece.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a lacklustre effort after last year's promising start. It attempts to address some of the issues but these end up being unforced turnovers that makes the game actively worse. When you couple this with only one of the major gameplay problems being addressed, you find yourself with a disappointing sequel. This is a series that definitely does not need to be on a yearly cycle, and most people who bought the original last year will find they have already had their fill.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas can't decide whether to take its toys-to-life concept seriously, or drop it completely. It has a good, if somewhat repetitive, open world experience to offer, but it's held back by mistakes that aren't entirely its own fault.
My Memory of Us is an exciting and emotional trip through a dark period of human history. Its bittersweet story mixes well with its tense stealth-based gameplay, while clever puzzles flesh things out. Fittingly for a game about memories, we won't forget our time with Juggler Games' project for quite a while.
WWE 2K19 hasn't changed much at its core, but the smaller alterations to the overall package make it a vastly more enjoyable experience to previous instalments. Introducing a proper story to MyCareer gives players an actual reason to play it this year and it's a genuinely engaging experience. The increased depth of the player creation suite means each superstar feels different from the next, while quality of life improvements in Universe will be music to the ears of diehard fans. All of this adds up to make WWE 2K19 the best entry of this long-running series.
All in all, SoulCalibur VI is an accomplished package and a fighting game that just feels great to play.
In review, Fast Striker is a difficult, but scrappy homage to the shoot 'em ups of old. Its Neo Geo graphics, while nostalgic, don't particularly stand out, and use an ugly palette of colours. The lack of additional gameplay features, especially powerups is its most egregious sin, but the experience is still an enjoyable one, if only for ten minutes at a time. On a PS Vita and for short bursts, this could provide entertainment for a bus journey or two. On PS4, however, it doesn't cut the mustard, and fails to stand out from the many, many indie shoot 'em ups available on the Store.
There will always be those that lament it for the lack of a single player campaign, but what Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 does for its multiplayer experience is nothing less than phenomenal. Traditional multiplayer has never been better thanks to a few tweaks and additions here and there that elevate the action to a whole new level, while the all new Blackout mode does Battle Royale better than anyone else. And on top of that, Zombies continues to impress us with a plethora of mechanics to engage with and scenarios to complete. As a package, you're going to struggle to find much better than Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in the multiplayer market this year.
Warriors Orochi 4 is a disappointingly cheap sequel. Stripped back and basic, it feels like a quick and easy apology aimed at fans who were left disgruntled by the dire Dynasty Warriors 9. There's still enjoyment to be found here, with the series' trademark action holding strong, but poor presentation and unstable performance drag the experience down. Koei Tecmo really needs to get its Warriors games back on track, but until that happens, you're better off nabbing the far superior Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate.
Pato Box attempts to do something different with the Punch-Out!! formula, and succeeds in weaving a story through the boxing matches and light puzzle solving. With a unique visual style and silly tone, this entertaining oddity certainly stands out from the crowd. However, some fights can feel a touch unfair, especially with poor checkpointing, and with very limited content, this probably won't last you too long.
Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition shines bright, which is ironic considering its solemn presentation and challenging gameplay. Offering a plethora of collectibles and content to explore as well as unrelenting confrontations, the game delivers a sensational, mysterious journey which will undoubtedly test your platforming skills.
It's unlikely to leave as much of an impact as Farpoint did, but Evasion offers a competent and entertaining shoot 'em up campaign for those looking to bring devastation to the next alien race. Alongside a horde mode that'll have you coming back for more, this is one experience that PlayStation VR fanatics won't want to miss.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a superb open world RPG. It can be a little rough around the edges, but there's a gameplay freedom to this particular adventure that's really a cut above what the series has attempted previously.
Scribblenauts Mega Pack might not conform easily to any gaming genre, but for those with imagination or a love of the DC Universe, this bundle offers hours of fun puzzle solving and platforming. A worthy addition to any gaming library – and a positive learning experience that is actually more fun than chore.