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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.
Sonic Mania is the best Sonic game in years, and stands proudly alongside its ancestors as a great 2D platformer. The levels, both remixed classics and brand new stages, are broad and a lot of fun to speed through, while more cautious exploration is also rewarding and just as viable. The feeling of playing an old-school Sonic title is spot on and it's filled to bursting with secrets, Easter eggs, and surprises that will delight fans. If you've never enjoyed Sonic games, this certainly won't change your mind, but anyone with an affinity for the Blue Blur's seminal Mega Drive series can rest assured that this is more than worth your time.
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Prompto plugs another gap in the main game's still woefully disjointed story, but a seriously shoddy mix of gameplay mechanics makes it a difficult DLC to recommend.
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 has more variety than its predecessor due to the titles spanning both different systems and different decades. Just like the Disney Afternoon Collection, there's a plethora of bonus content included here, spanning art galleries and music libraries. This is another essential compilation for fans of the Blue Bomber.
LawBreakers' world and characters don't carve deep impressions, but the experience itself exerts a strong pull with its diverse, balanced classes, solid selection of modes, and stellar gunplay. It's more than a nice distraction from its looming competitors, and while the map design and implementation of gravity leave more to be desired, the game has the potential to further defy gravity and our expectations if it keeps shooting for the moon.
At over two hours, Batman: The Enemy Within – Episode 1: The Enigma is meaty instalment which picks up as strongly as the previous season left off. As a self-contained story, the Riddler's unique brand of psychotic behaviour makes for a satisfying arc – but it's the bigger picture involving Bruce and the deranged John Doe that promises plenty for the remainder of this series, and we're excited to see where it goes.
With genuinely fun gameplay, a groovy mix of weaponry, and a decent control scheme, Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars is a quality addition to the real-time strategy genre and should definitely be checked out by budding armchair generals.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is not going to appeal to all tastes, and nor does it try to. As a character action game, it has decent if underdeveloped combat and a mixture of some excellent and some overplayed puzzles. But it's the way that the title utilises the unique attributes of the medium to raise awareness of mental health that elevate this release beyond the sum of its parts.
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows sacrifices depth to tell an intriguing story. Its incredibly linear design keeps things moving, but between unremarkable combat and an over-reliance on exposition through a bloated codex, it's never able to fully capture your imagination. Masquerada is a stunted RPG that's entertaining enough while it lasts, but you probably won't be coming back to Ombre once it's over.
Graceful Explosion Machine is a gorgeous and innovative take on a now ancient genre of arcade shooter. The weapon system brings an element of combo juggling to the combat and challenge runs are addictive and, crucially, not too punishing. Simply put, this is another top-notch PS4 shmup.
Patapon Remastered is a decent port of the madcap PSP title. It's a unique, challenging game with real personality that fans of rhythm and/or strategy will have fun with over its ten hour campaign. Difficulty spikes and some well hidden key items can put a dampener on things, while the audio mix isn't quite up to scratch. Fortunately, the fun, simplistic gameplay is compelling enough that you won't be too worried about its flaws. Fans will love the trip down memory lane, but we also hope newcomers will drum up the enthusiasm to give this a go.
ChromaGun is a title that nails its core concept, but fluffs its lines in a few too many other areas. The colour-based puzzles brought to the table are a joy to solve with the surprising amount of depth mixing things up enough to never make you feel like you've seen the same brain-teaser twice. However, the punishment for failing a puzzle feels far too harsh at times and coupled with the constant load times, an air of frustration can set in.
The Long Dark is a strong survival title, possibly even the strongest of the entire genre. A beautiful, but dangerous Canadian wilderness provides the backdrop to a challenging, but largely satisfying fight for survival. While micromanaging every facet of your well-being while trying to survive might sound tedious in description, it actually ends up being fun, satisfying, and even tense. With three more episodes to come for this title's story mode, there's already tons of content to chow down on. Just watch out for the wolves.
Dino Frontier's fun for the few hours you'll wring out of it, but it could have been so much more. The game is bursting with brilliant ideas, but it never really evolves any of them, leaving an experience that expires long before the cold clutches of extinction have had an opportunity to arise. It's a shame because with a bit more time in the saloon this could have been a classic – but you may want to wait until it's half-price before pulling the trigger on this release.
CastleStorm crops up everywhere, so chances are you've already played this game before. To be fair, the PlayStation VR version improves on what's come before, by leveraging the technology to give you a better view of the battlefield before you. The game's still a little overcomplicated for our tastes, but those who like multitasking may enjoy that aspect. And if you do, then the addictive reward loop and customisable castles will probably keep you hooked longer than you anticipate.
Leaving Lyndow has some promising aspects, but overall it's a frustrating experience. The puzzle sections are poorly thought out and mostly implemented to impede the player's progress and extend the running time for a little while longer, while the technical hiccups shatter your story immersion.
Sundered is a Metroidvania that's left us with mixed feelings. The gorgeous environments and enemy design help to make the title a visual treat. Unfortunately, the game doesn't really offer enough downtime to actually enjoy that element. It instead serves up near-constant enemy encounters and frustrating hordes of enemies that end up irritating rather than exhilarating. While the game controls very well, and the upgrade tree is incredibly impressive, its light procedural elements still end up being the most unique feature.
Demetrios is a valiant effort from one-man developer COWCAT at reviving the witty point and click adventure game, but ultimately its selling point - the humour - is its downfall. The gameplay is fun and puzzling, the graphics are quirky, and occasionally the dialogue does get a giggle, but the characters are too unlikable and the jokes too obnoxious to make all ten hours (a good amount for a game of this genre) enjoyable.
Conga Master ensures pulling shapes on the PlayStation 4 is an entertaining past-time – even if you've got two left feet. Like any party this title eventually outstays its welcome, but while it's in full-swing it's hard not to get swept along.
Smashbox Arena's knockout gameplay is entertaining online – assuming you can find a match. While there is a small community on the servers right now, it's difficult to predict how long that will persist, and thus purchasing is a bit of a risk. Unless you can convince friends to pick up the package, then be warned that the single player content is thin, even if the core gameplay loop is undeniably fun. More work in the art department could have elevated the release enormously, so ultimately you're left with an ugly but enjoyable multiplayer game that will be defined by the number of people who stick with it beyond launch.