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So called "walking simulators" live or die on whether they deliver an engaging story, and while The Station appears – at least at first glance – to have this covered, it misses the mark in a number of important ways. It's not bad by any means, but its characters and themes feel light and underdeveloped. While it stumbles narratively, it does at least successfully craft a tense atmosphere, but neither this nor its modest number of enjoyable – if somewhat easy – puzzles are enough to make this a prime candidate for first contact.
Marooners can be fun with the right people but ultimately it lacks a lot of polish. The AI is lacklustre, there's not a huge amount of content, and the online community is practically non-existent.
Time Recoil is a solid twin-stick shooter and is definitely the best of 10tons' previous titles in the genre. Its simplicity in both gameplay and controls mean it's easy to pick up and play at your own leisure, making it a perfect fit for the PS Vita. If you're a fan of Hotline Miami, Neon Chrome, Jydge, or any other twin-stick shooter for that matter, then Time Recoil is well worth your time.
Knockout League's colourful cast of characters look chunky in PlayStation VR, and stepping into the ring with them is an immersive treat.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is very difficult to score because it's more than just the sum of its parts, and the appeal will differ greatly by person. If you absolutely love simulators and really appreciate realism and the little details in games, then this will really grip you. But at the same time, many will find the game far too frustrating and unforgiving, both because of the intense focus on realism that doesn't always result in fun gameplay experiences, and the number of bugs and severe loading times. There's a compelling game here, but it needs a polished edge only a series of patches or a sequel can deliver. We can't wait for either.
When two outrageously detailed character models are slugging it out, EA Sports UFC 3 feels sublime. Incredible animations paired with a weighty physics system mean that you feel the thrills and spills of every bout. Unfortunately, the clunky ground game combat fails to hit the same highs, and the campaign – which is a novelty to begin with – loses its lustre after a few rounds. There's still a lot to like here and more than enough content to sink your fists into, but it still feels like there's a bit more refinement required before this series achieves G.O.A.T. status.
A lot of Monster Energy Supercross' issues on their own really aren't too bad, but when taken all at once, the game is disappointing. Many of the problems – like load times – are more quality of life issues than game problems, so if Milestone could tidy this stuff up then it'd go a long distance. But it's the inconsistent physics that are the real kicker, and detract from the generally acceptable presentation and decent selection of modes. It's better than nothing, and North American supercross fans will surely appreciate the fact that the title exists at all, but it could be so much better.
Dynasty Warriors has been on a steady run since it fumbled with the divisive Dynasty Warriors 6, and now it's in danger of fumbling all over again. Dynasty Warriors 9 goes open world and the result is a game of extreme ups and downs. For every gloriously huge battle there's a boring stint of traversal across a dreadfully barren map. For every interesting story moment or interaction, there's a horribly ugly graphical glitch. Factor in an unconvincing combat system overhaul, and you've got a Dynasty Warriors title that may disappoint even the most dedicated of fans. There's still some good historical hack and slash fun to be had here, but we expected much more from the return of this flagship series.
Crossing Souls is an interesting title. Absolutely in love with the pop culture of the 1980s, the title wears this love on its sleeve, and the charm of that is undeniable. Unfortunately, while the writing, art, music, and references are great, the gameplay peters out rather quickly. After a strong first couple of hours, full of interesting and layered puzzles, the last half of the title quickly devolves into no more than a collection of platforming and melee combat scenarios with little else to keep you going. The end result is game that's fun and entertaining despite its gameplay, not because of it.
Final Fantasy fans will likely be enamoured with the array of classic locales to battle in, re-imagined songs from previous games, and the impressive roster of fighters on offer here, but it's all downhill after that. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a disappointing fighting game that crumples under the weight of poor design choices and crippling technical issues, leaving little reason to recommend it to anyone other than fervent supporters of the brand.
Sprint Vector is a game that needs to be experienced by every PlayStation VR headset owner. The unparalleled sense of speed created by your Stride is one of the greatest feelings in virtual reality, and then combining it with the more advanced techniques on offer gives you a huge amount of depth to explore and master. Flying through the air is incredible, scaling a wall is thrilling, and using all of that momentum to launch yourself to the chequered flag is exhilarating. There's nothing else quite like Sprint Vector in virtual reality right now, and so this is one you absolutely need to experience for yourself.
With such stellar source material, it's a real shame that The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia is so disappointing. What could have been an exciting, funny, and rich game has turned out to be a dull experience, offering nothing to players but repetition with little challenge.
Even with what looks like decent ideas on paper, the implementation of just about everything in Out of Ammo is heinous. Looking for any semblance of positivity is like trying to find something new to watch on Netflix before your takeaway gets cold. No matter how good your day has been, Out of Ammo is willing and able to bring you down with a thump. You have been warned.
Although Strikers Edge doesn't quite reach the lofty heights of its peers, it's still a decent multiplayer game with a good premise and fun action. The differences between the characters give the combat just enough nuance to keep things interesting, but a lack of stages or alternate modes may quickly diminish your interest. If you're on the hunt for a new multiplayer title to play with your buddies, this certainly will do the trick, if only for a limited amount of time.
Like it or not, Madden NFL 18 is still by far the best American Football game on the PlayStation 4, but if you fancy something a little sillier then Mutant Football League is not a bad shout at all. It plays similarly to the iconic EA series, but its aggressive playbook and irreverent sense of humour make it a fun alternative for a few downs – just don't expect the appeal to last long into overtime.
Tiny Metal is a fun military-themed, turn-based strategy game. It manages to put your brain in gear with the troops' different strengths and weaknesses creating interestingly close battles. However without a multiplayer mode, some translation issues, and a text-heavy story the game falls short of being a must buy.
With Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st], we've got another deep Japanese fighting experience on the PS4. It doesn't have the looks to go toe-to-toe with some of the shinier games out there, but as Han Solo said, "she might not look like much, but she's got it where is counts". If you can get past the mad title, this is a portal through which to jump in to the virtually endless realm of combat experimentation.
A fine addition to the scrolling beat-'em-up genre. The story and its historic backdrop is interesting and the combat is meaty and fun. Arcade and arena modes will keep you coming back for more, as will co-op.
One of the greatest games ever made resurrected in one of the greatest remakes of all time. Shadow of the Colossus remains faithful to the 2006 original, but its presentation is on par with the very best that the PS4 has to offer. A masterpiece.
A less focused outing than its predecessor, Lost Sphear gets lost amid its various, undercooked systems, and it fails to successfully consolidate its many inspirations. It's a pleasant enough game with a nice aesthetic, but we doubt we'll be looking back on this one with too much sentimentality.