Gareth Brierley

The first half of The Plane Effect is of seriously high quality, so much so that you’d be looking at a 5/5 rating. But as progression is made and the latter half begins to unfold, problems arise; whether that be bugs that stop the game, or the frustration of the platforming or underwater sections.

If you’re an old-school point-and-click fan then you will adore VirtuaVerse. It has a good story, a great setting, and a solid challenge to its play. Some may struggle with parts, especially as screens are full of so much detail, but the writing and world-building are top notch.

Cheap and obviously running budget limitations, Death Park 2 does a good job of providing a solid scare-fuelled horror adventure at a low cost.

So, Call of Duty: Vanguard. The campaign is great, the multiplayer is fun and Zombies will appeal to previous fans. As an overall package Vanguard is capable of providing hours of fun - all pushed along with brilliant visuals. This is a great trip back to World War II. 

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is powered by a brilliant story and the chance to take in some superb cases. The ability to get accusations wrong and to choose whether to save or condemn is a solid touch that allows the game to deliver a great dynamic. There are a ton of hours included here too, with a huge main story and loads of side quests to take in. 

Even though it doesn’t really excel at any one thing, it’s hard to fault Amazing Breaker, mostly as it does exactly what it has set out to do. I like the way it's crossed the strategy of Angry Birds with some block-breaking dynamics and the huge number of levels is massively appreciated. The thing is, it would be a whole ton more enjoyable playing it on a phone as opposed to console

If you’re after a chance to put the robots back in their place and stop their rise against humanity, then Danger Scavenger should be considered.

ENCODYA provides an enjoyably sweet story set in a fantastical future, providing access to a world that is great for exploring. There are problems with the difficulty, and it would have been great to have seen more help with interactable objects and ensuring exiting a level was a bit easier, but there are a good ten hours of gameplay to be had here and the price reflects that. 

Bloodshore is a good back-to-form entry for Wales Interactive. It's a bloodsoaked, campy thrill ride that mixes a brilliant combination of reality TV show with Battle Royale hijinks. The script is cheesy at times, but at other moments well observed - but at all points the story flows at a brilliantly fast rate.

It’s certainly enjoyable to spend some time in the world of Backbone. It's a place of imagination, noir detective thrills and of animals wandering around in human clothes. Point-and-click fans may get frustrated at the ease of the gameplay and whilst the narrative is good, it does get a bit confusing towards the end, trying too many things. But at the same time, the inventiveness of trying something different just has to be applauded.

Short but powerful, taking place over a couple of hours of running time, Lucid Cycle is extremely enjoyable. The idea of placing you in many different dreams has the feel of a short story anthology about it; this is helped by the fact that each and every one of them feels different in terms of style, location, and moments of gameplay. Fans of narrative adventures and walking sims will have a lovely time here, as it takes the genre into different areas of greatness. 

Murder Diaries 2 takes a tiny step up from the original game, moves the narrative on by splitting it between two protagonists and asks some good questions on morality. The more abstract-level designs are appreciated, but once again it’s frustrating that old assets push things along.

This is a truly original piece of gaming; an experience full of creative invention, brilliant premise, and the most terrifying piece of world-destroying machinery ever - The Eternal Cylinder.

There are moments of Silver Chains which hit all the right buttons. There’s some good storytelling, a nice bit of terror, and some tense horror. The story doesn't conclude as well as it should, and the hiding from creatures can occasionally be a bit shonky, but if you’re after something to chill the cockles then Silver Chains might just be the game for you. 

Shadows of Kurgansk is a fairly interesting premise for a survival game but won’t take any prizes from what is an already crowded genre. The story will keep you going, all as you attempt to work out what has happened to the world, but it’s the gameplay which will dictate whether this is for you. If you like survival games and resource hunting, then you’re going to be quids in, but personally I’ve found the combat - and the asking price - to let it all down.