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Brave New World doesn't give Chloe and Rachel quite enough screen time to shine as brightly as Before the Storm's first episode, but there are plenty of top-notch moments in this instalment, and the cliffhanger has us eagerly awaiting our next fix of Life Is Strange.
WWE 2K18 is a solid entry into the annual series, but is unfortunately let down by a few clunky implementations. The presentation and actual wrestling gameplay are as good as ever and Universe Mode has seen a number of additions to make it far more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the ambitious attempt to revamp MyPlayer misses the mark a little with glitches, repetitive side-quests, and a story that's afraid to deviate even a tiny bit from its set path.
Rogue Trooper is still fun, and boasts a sense of freedom that even many modern shooters don't possess. The polished visuals do a good job bringing a ten-year-old game to new consoles, but the overall feel may be too creaky and old-fashioned for some.
RAID: World War II apes the Payday series so intentionally that it's pretty hard not to view it as an ill-advised spin off. With dated presentation, tedious combat, and a consistently low player count, it actually feels like a step back when compared to Payday 2. Perhaps the biggest nail in its coffin, though, is just how buggy it is, with frequent crashes and broken scripting fanning the fires of your disappointment until it resembles the haunted look in John Cleese's eyes during the atrocious FMV cut-scenes.
Episode Four - Who Needs You showcases the best and worst of the Guardians series so far. The jokes repeatedly fall flat, the story is largely irrelevant, and the characters are still pale imitations of their big screen counterparts, but after a fantastically dull first hour, the episode manages to conjure up some surprisingly poignant moments in order to make the second half the highlight of the series so far. While it's by no means a home run, or even on par with much of what the studio has done in the past with other properties, the ending of Who Needs You has enough emotional weight to make it the best episode so far, leaving us with some hope that the upcoming finale might stick the landing for the series.
The Evil Within 2 has fine-tuned its solid mechanical base and visuals, and even crafted some big improvements to areas such as exploration and character direction. Yet it lacks creativity and diversity with its level design and bosses. The game may be more presentable and refined than its predecessor, but it's also lost some substance in the process.
Caveman Warriors is a half-decent platformer with a relatively unique setting, but is sadly underwhelming in most regards. It plays fairly well and offers some quick and easy fun in multiplayer, but some questionable presentation and frustrating enemy encounters let it down. With a vast pool of quality 2D platformers to choose from on PS4, this game doesn't do enough to truly compete, and we fear it will subsequently be consigned to history.
It's the unique way in which individual stories overlap that makes The Invisible Hours such a great game. You'll need to replay this story multiple times over in order to uncover all of its secrets, and with each run you'll come to appreciate its choreography more and more. Existing inside a living, breathing world with famous historical figures like Thomas Edison is what virtual reality was made for, and the fact that the fiction is able to deliver shocks with such frequency is testament to the quality of the story-telling on display.
A stealth game built on a philosophical concept: fight an army of yourself that respawns better, faster, and stronger based on your own expanding growth. ECHO boasts a rich and well-designed sci-fi world that isn't bogged down by plot or exposition. There isn't much to do beyond the core sneaking, and the midpoint drags, but this is a genuinely unique and intense title that deserves to be experienced.
Easily one of the better Gundam games to ever make it West, Gundam Versus is an incredibly rewarding arena-based mech-'em-up. A wide selection of gameplay modes ensure that there's always something to hold your attention, while the tense action itself offers depth, variety, and satisfaction.
Fans of the main Touhou games may find this an amusing diversion but there is very little of worth to recommend this to anyone else. Ultimately, unless battling stunted characters with clunky 3D models in sparse arenas is your idea of a good time, Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle is a deeply unnecessary title to invest in.
JYDGE is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter that has a fun and destructive core mechanic and a lot of replay value. If you're a huge fan of twin-stick shooters it'd be a crime not to give this one a try and judge it for yourself.
Baja: Edge of Control HD is a remaster that may be head-scratching at first, but once you get your hands on it, there's plenty to enjoy. Outside of some mixed texture work, the game runs and plays silky smooth. Given the game's accessible price tag, off-road racing fans certainly have a lot to enjoy. There's just something blissful about racing out in the open terrain, overlooking the land.
Somehow, EA has managed to refine and hone the modern FIFA formula to an even greater degree with FIFA 18. Last year we questioned what more the developer could possibly do to keep the series from stagnating, and it turns out that making a slew of welcome smaller adjustments across the board can really impact the big picture. Some will roll their eyes, but FIFA 18 is yet another fantastic footie sim -- one that takes the ball from the already great FIFA 17 and runs with it.
NASCAR Heat 2 is a well-built racer with honest intentions and intense action. The robust Career mode conveys the toils of a real racing career – sometimes a little too accurately as it can start to drag. Nevertheless, with three disciplines and suite of offline and online modes, this is an entertaining experience – just be aware that it doesn't have anywhere near the budget to rival the various other racing games you can buy.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is just about as competent a Metroidvania game as you're likely to find in 2017. Its platforming and combat is solid, and its exploration is always a joy. What this fun sequel lacks in ambition, it makes up for in polish and charm.
Batman: The Enemy Within – Episode Two: The Pact is one of the best Telltale episodes in a long time. Going behind enemy lines with some of Gotham's greatest gangsters makes for a brilliantly tense dynamic, as you wrestle with socially awkward situations in order to keep everyone on-side. With so many different plot threads dangling, it was only a matter of time before a certain kitten came out to play – and the return of Catwoman sets up a third episode that we can't wait to experience.
Expand is a great puzzle game. Navigating your square through monochromatic mazes offers a wonderfully relaxing experience that somehow manages to be calming and wrought with tension throughout. While it's a relatively short title, its low price point and high fun factor make it a worthwhile venture. Sure, it may not have been a runaway success on its initial release, but we can only hope this title finds its audience this time around.
The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game is another good entry in the LEGO series of games. The increased focus on combat pays off with a fleshed out system that makes each character feel unique, while the free-running provides enough safety nets to keep you from getting frustrated. Despite a couple of technical hiccups and a poorly thought out ending, LEGO NINJAGO has so much going for it that the overall experience isn't dampened.
Despite Capcom's uninspired remastering, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen remains one of the best action RPGs of the last decade. Tight controls hold together thrilling combat, and the sense of adventure that the game exudes is almost unmatched. At its budget price, newcomers should definitely give the PS4 release a fair chance, while veterans will find a good enough excuse to begin the cycle all over again.