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Although the gameplay feels a little on the shallow side, Wandersong is a disarmingly joyful game. Singing your way through this cutesy adventure may not offer much of a challenge, but mixed in with a varied cast of characters and a sweet story, it's definitely a hard game to hate.
Vane is exhausting, ponderous, bewildering, endlessly frustrating, needlessly obtuse, narratively unsatisfying, mechanically clumsy, and technically shoddy, all shot through a camera so ill-equipped to deal with the rudimentary task of showing you what's happening on screen that you might as well pop a blindfold on and try using The Force.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a top entry in the long-running series that sees a return to the PS2 glory days. The war opera story is enjoyably charming, despite a rather flat cast of characters, while the gameplay is, crucially, as dramatic and slick as it's ever been. Online multiplayer and PSVR are both implemented well, and serve as great companion pieces to the main campaign. Whether you're a diehard fan or coming to this game fresh, Skies Unknown is a joy, and a series highlight.
Smoke and Sacrifice is a good addition to the survival genre, from its compelling storyline to its amazing design that engrosses you in a bleak world run over by monsters. The only thing Smoke and Sacrifice seems to falter in is its clunky and outdated combat and daunting crafting system. A beautiful aspect that distinguishes the game from other survival games is the narrative that focuses on motherhood. If you like titles such as Don't Starve, then this is a decent alternative.
Shadow Heritage is another fine addition to Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, sadly, never shines as brightly as it does during its opening hours. There's enjoyment to be had here, sure, especially for anyone with love for the '90s – but all of the references to Chrono Trigger and Pogs in the world can't balance out the pleasure-less battle system and overly complicated levelling up mechanics.
While a few major tweaks and additions bring it into the modern era, this is still very much the Onimusha: Warlords you remember from 2001. That's not a bad thing, though, because 18 years on, it's still able to muster up a thrilling campaign with all manner of horrors to slice and dice. Recommended for both newcomers and veterans alike, Onimusha: Warlords is a welcome distraction that takes us back to a simpler time. Now, let's make that reboot a reality Capcom.
Megalith is a run-of-the-mill MOBA that, despite its VR novelty, does nothing to distinguish itself. It's cool to be placed in the shoes of larger-than-life titans, but the game's single mode is middling at best. There's still enjoyment to be had with its varied albeit limited cast of characters, but better MOBA's have had difficulties maintaining a consistent player base mere months after release.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition brings one of, if not the best Tales game to PS4, and that alone will no doubt be enough to persuade fans of the series. But really, ten years after its original release, Vesperia deserves more credit than that. It's a borderline classic Japanese RPG, and one that still holds up in 2019 thanks to a great cast of characters and some finely poised action.
Kingdom Two Crowns is a well presented, brilliantly simple strategy game that makes some smart changes to allow more players to get involved.
We'd have preferred a little more oomph for the DLC's finale, but the silver lining is that the implications for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are definitely interesting.
It's been great to look back on some of the older games in the Atelier series; you can really see where some of the later games got their inspiration from. If you've never got round to playing this trilogy before then now is the perfect time to pick these up and experience a beautiful, heart-warming JRPG series – just in time for the fourth game in 2019!
There's clearly a lot of effort been invested into bringing Borderlands 2 to PSVR, and that's appreciated. The gameplay does feel dated these days – and the lack of DLC and co-op is a real shame – but there's still fun to be had with the loot-shootin' loop, and Pandora scales well to virtual reality. The PS Move control scheme is cumbersome but the game plays fine with a DualShock 4 in hand, and an array of comfort options mean that you can tailor the experience to your exact needs.
Subnautica sees you submerged in a vast and utterly breathtaking underwater world, teeming with secrets and polished off with an unsettling atmosphere that instigates a real sense of thrill as you play.
Nippon Marathon is a curious multiplayer game that unfortunately falls prey to its own over the top nature.
Desert Child is stylistically fantastic and has some of the more exciting racing gameplay we've seen this year, but it really suffers from its short length. There's an interesting, colourful world to explore in Olympia, but unfortunately things ends when it feels like Desert Child is just getting started. Still, it's an admirable effort from a talented one-man team.
Beat Saber is a thrilling rhythm game that makes ideal use of virtual reality to envelop you in an enthralling tour down the coloured highway, time after time. We suspect it's the kind of game that will resonate with just about anyone, VR sceptic or not, and it's an essential addition to any PlayStation VR owner's library.
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales features some of the sharpest writing on PS4, and it's all embedded within a superb story stuffed with brilliant characters. Meanwhile, Gwent makes up most of the gameplay, and although the card-based system does have flaws, it's easy enough to look past them when the surrounding journey is so masterfully told. Ultimately, Thronebreaker is an easy recommendation for Witcher enthusiasts and fans of strategic RPGs -- a surprisingly robust and rich tale that shouldn't be overlooked.
Gungrave VR has a poorly implemented control scheme, a lack of story content, it doesn't take advantage of the technology available in the PSVR headset, and ultimately lacks enjoyment in its core gameplay. Unfortunately, Gungrave VR has failed to raise the series from the grave and we'd advise everyone to let this one lay to rest.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds manages to differentiate itself from its battle royale progeny with its more tactical spin on the formula, even with its obvious lack of presentational prowess. While its grounded approach can be brutal at first, if you take the time to immerse yourself in its stress inducing battles, you'll find yourself involved in epic engagements that will have you sharing your successes – and failures – with anyone willing to listen. It may not be the king anymore, but PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds still more than deserves a place at the top table.