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Below is a unique experience that blends some of the most popular gameplay mechanics seen this generation into a hauntingly beautiful and ferocious journey of death, redemption and survival. Even with the new Explore Mode making the game more accessible, Below's obtuse nature won't be to everyone's tastes, but the process of discovering and mastering the game's numerous systems is a vastly enjoyable one.
How much you enjoy of Colin McRae: Flat Out depends on how much you’ve been playing Dirt recently.
There's a lot to like about HyperParasite; bombastic action, smooth gunplay and literally thousands of 1980's pop culture references are all good fun. It's just a shame that its spoiled by an overly punishing roguelite structure, asking you to play thorough the same content again and again to make any noticeable progress, rendering the pacing of the game an interminable slog.
While clearly not as impressive in gaming terms as the Bloodlines series, Coteries of New York is a welcome addition to the digital world of The Masquerade. Offering up an immersive and atmospheric take on the politics and personalities of the undead Big Apple, it seduces with it's quality of writing and characterisation, proving to be more than a mere snack to tide the Hunger over until the main course of Bloodlines 2. If you have any taste for the Gothic you should give yourself over to the vampiric delights of Coteries.
Femida is a game that had promise and an intriguing setting, but it's not explored well enough. It all seems superficial with characters that lack any depth and resolutions that feel incredibly rushed. It's not a great day when a judgment like this is passed.
Curious Expedition is a multi-faceted game, with many layers and visible inspirations from classic games. The premise is actually very simple, but don't let that fool you – this is a difficult and unforgiving roguelite. If you love travel and history, you will thoroughly enjoy exploring a new world in Curious Expedition.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III is difficult to recommend. Perhaps when it first released for PC five years ago it would get a little more leeway, but as there are better options for an action RPG available, some brand new to PS4 and some that have been out so long they're dirt cheap. It has a few bright moments, but I'd avoid this unless you desperately want to finish the trilogy.
The Panzer Dragoon Remake marks a welcome return for one of Sega's most enigmatic series. Although this first game is slightly hamstrung by its own position in history, it implies that the return of Panzer Dragoon is in very good hands.
Overall, Stela is a beautifully well-made game, with the score and the background creating a wonderfully immersive atmosphere. Its mysterious setup creates curiosity that would have been lost with a comprehensive storyline, allowing for an unique sensation despite its fairly common game style. While the puzzles aren't overly tough, keeping yourself levelheaded enough in real life to keep going was more than enough challenge for me, making Stela as interesting and fun as it is beautiful and immersive.
Half Past Fate's laid-back storyline and cute artwork leave you feeling relaxed and fulfilled. If you're looking for a challenge though, you aren't going to find it here. If you're new to the genre, it's a nice way to get a feel for the style without getting overwhelmed by dozens of buttons, options and paths to follow.
As far as physics puzzling games go, Good Job! does a pretty good job of it. There's a few rough edges and occasional annoyances from the genre as a whole, but with a quirky set up and visual style, there's fun to be had climbing this particular corporate ladder.
Warlords of New York is a welcome addition to The Division 2 and it probably marks the most fun I've had with the series to date. While some content falls a little flat, each one of the special encounters is a manic and explosive experience that will bring you to the edge of your seat. The quality of life changes, including the refined loot systems, also breathe life back into one of last year's more enjoyable looter-shooter titles.
Biped is a unique co-op physics puzzler that has some wonderfully original ideas. A fascinating control scheme equally frustrates and delights, though it's absolutely essential in providing puzzle mechanics that you won't find anywhere else. It's just a shame that those ideas haven't been pushed, refined and developed a little more.
Gigantosaurus is exactly the kind of licensed tripe that made licensed games practically extinct in the first place. There's the occasional glimpse of fun, but it's hidden amongst a cretaceous tar pit of mundanity.
An utter joy to play from start to finish, packed with memorable scenes, moustache-twirling baddies, and epic battles. The first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake isn't just polished, it's opulent.
Simulacra 2 is a worthy sequel and an immersive take on the role that our digital presence has in defining who we are. The different playable characters help to give a different perspectives to the sotyr and the suspects are sufficiently flawed to keep you guessing as to where blame may lie, but the wider cast of characters don't feel as focussed as the original. While the virus in question here is completely digital, it's uncannily topical given our enforced switch to virtual interactions.
Memories of Mars was my first ever survival game and, based on this, probably my last.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page tells a tender, emotional tale, but you'll find yourself wading through the fantastical and mechanical elements of its secondary one in order to reach its conclusion.
Murder By Numbers puts a narrative-heavy spin on the Picross experience and accompanies it with enough difficulty setting that even a mathematically challenged fool like me to get engrossed in the grid-filling action for hours on end. Unfortunately, so much of the story is tainted by unlikeable characters and a constant barrage of eye-rolling references that take away from the otherwise unique style of the world.
The Complex is a well crafted interactive movie with a story that will initially hook you. As you lead Amy's decision making through the story, some moments can feel a bit out there or character motivations unclear, but it's a satisfying experience overall and it will scratch that sci-fi thriller itch.