by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Honor Code Publisher: Honor Code Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC Players: 1

Like most, ourselves included, you probably aren’t crazy about water levels in gaming; they’re typically more frustrating than fun, so a game set entirely under the sea can pose immediate cause for concern. In this instance, continuing the legacy of BioShock and SOMA, heading to the bottom of ol’ big blue instead serves to establish an almost alien atmosphere conducive to terror. Sci-fi is inherently scary owing to the fact we’re peering into the unknown, usually whilst exploring the supposed final frontier of outer space. You might think there’s nothing ‘supposed’ about it, but, in reality, we haven’t even come close to conquering the oceans that cover a majority of our very own planet. Establishing mystery closer to home makes it far easier (and arguably more exciting) to engage with, as Narcosis’ face-hugging fish, arachnophobia-inducing giant crabs, foreign locations and bizarre plant life replicate their famous fictional counterparts without requiring the same suspension of disbelief. Even as surrealist elements are introduced to the mix, tying them to the protagonist’s decaying sanity ensures that one foot is kept firmly rooted in reality. After an earthquake scatters them and their crew across the unforgiving ocean floor, you’re simply tasked with helping everyone regroup, though that's easier said than done with dwindling oxygen supplies and caput technologies. As the bleak reality of your situation gradually settles in, matter of fact monologues are startlingly accepting of every actuality, meanwhile hallucinogenic visuals betray the serene narration by illustrating the mindset of a fearful man. This makes for an effective juxtaposition throughout, though things take an even more intriguing turn when you realise these might not be internal musings.

You probably aren’t crazy about water levels in gaming, but, In this instance, heading to the bottom of ol’ big blue serves to establish an almost alien atmosphere conducive to terror.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Fatshark Publisher: Fatshark Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC Players: 1 - 4

Opening with a prologue that (re)introduces the apocalyptic End Times period in Warhammer lore, a gruff narrator conveys that the Skaven - a race of humanoid rats - have corralled and bolstered their forces after being repelled in the first game. Now allied with the Chaos - a clan of brutish barbarians - you’ll face twice the opposition this time around. Incoming swarms of standard enemy fodder help to maintain a consistently frenetic pace, while a wide range of hulking boss creatures and middle-ground baddies inject a significant element of challenge, as is customary for Left 4 Dead and its ilk in their venture to nail down replay value. You’ll need to juggle priority targets and manage choke points as tidal waves of fetid flesh rage your way, but that isn’t often something you can do effectively by yourself, which is where the game’s co-op focus becomes evident. Whilst it is playable on your lonesome (the party of four fills out with bots that do a very serviceable job), Vermintide 2 is at its best when you head online and communicate with a group of players. Having a human (dwarf, or elf) to watch your back is invaluable when teamwork is so integral to mission success, due to enemies utilising an array of devious tricks both old and new. Whether dragging players from the pack or pinning stragglers to the ground, different foes can place heroes into helpless states that require a swift helping hand, while, perhaps more intuitively, a shield-wielding neerdowell can be distracted and flanked by a perceptive pairing. On the topic of heroes, your choice here significantly impacts the gameplay experience, opposing the interchangeable approach seen in the likes of L4D and, more recently, Earthfall. Choosing between twists on familiar archetypes encompassing warrior, mage, ranger and rogue - further class variants being unlocked as you level each individual character - will dictate your abilities and loadout, as well as your distinct look, stature and personality.

You’ll need to juggle priority targets and manage choke points as tidal waves of fetid flesh rage your way.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Coatsink Publisher: Coatsink Platform: PS VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR  Players: 1

Esper is an acclaimed early VR title in which you find yourself confined to a chair in an office, positively dripping with 50s Art Deco, for around a couple of hours. While that might not sound very exciting, you soon learn that you’re there at the behest of the government and their mysterious ESPR division; having shown signs of “extra sensory abilities”, or telekinetic powers, an enigmatic and lightly comedic narrator unravels the story from afar as you’re left guessing right up to the very end. Once you’ve also accounted for the clear, concise visual design and an animatronically shifting environment, comparisons to Valve’s Portal are inevitable, though, honestly, what modern puzzler truly escapes them? While the encompassing immersion of VR and motion-controlled inputs that anchor you in the simulation are the most obvious differentiators, when it comes down to mechanics, the two games are really very different. Fans of contraption-based board games like Marble Run and Mouse Trap will appreciate the intricate and tactile feeling of playing with Esper’s many moving parts, which imbue its series of head-scratching enigmas with a playful sense of discovery. You’re encouraged to tinker with the tools at your disposal and learn from each unjudging failure, ultimately reaching logical conclusions grounded in real-world physics. Beautifully smooth difficulty progression delivers frequent “Aha!” moments as you learn to out-think obstructive barriers that sever your psychic link to items, build makeshift ramps, bridges and catapults to overcome increasingly complex obstacles, account for individual items’ weight, buoyancy and propulsion potential, flip switches to operate multi-part mechanisms and more. Its depth of variety makes what (let’s be frank) could easily have amounted to little more than tediously lugging objects through mazes, instead feel like an ever-evolving test that’ll put your grey matter and trigger finger to equally good use.

You’re encouraged to tinker with the tools at your disposal and learn from each unjudging failure, ultimately reaching logical conclusions grounded in real-world physics.

by Amy Mallett ​@amy_mallet Developer: Crema Publisher: Crema Platform: PS4,   Xbox One, PC  Players: 1

The game begins when a sarcastic redneck wakes up to discover he’s lost, not to mention pretty darn mummified, in ancient Egypt following an accident. He’s not sure what’s going on (that makes two of us), but has a feeling the answer lies within the three pyramids of Giza. ​A quick personal admission: I often find arcade dungeon crawling quite laborious, and originally took Immortal Redneck on because of its creative swearing (you’ll always have me at creative swearing), but its surprisingly accessible gameplay structure kept me engaged this time around. Focusing on a series of procedurally generated tombs within several large pyramids, the goal of each trip is to reach the Apex - the mystical centre which presumably holds as much gravity and metaphysical majesty as the Maze from Westworld.  Reaching the Apex is far from easy. Why, you ask? “Permadeath!” laughs Immortal Redneck. Yep, it’s possible to ascend level upon level of a pyramid, clearing random tomb after random tomb, just to ultimately get blown to bits by an unseen projectile and go hurtling all the way back to the bottom.  ​​What makes this a little less wounding is the game’s rogue-lite elements, which see you retain some form of progression with each death. You’ll get to keep any gold coins you find, used to purchase items from in-game merchants, as well as experience to invest in the skill tree for whichever class you’ve chosen. There are nine classes, to be exact, each befitting a different play style and boasting abilities directly inspired by Egyptian mythology. ​Once you’ve had a gander and chosen your favoured class, you’ll venture onward to discover your foes. Standing boldly between you and bragging rights are a dastardly array of enemies that range from lava-belching toads to floating skulls, which look a little bit like angrier versions of rock band Avenged Sevenfold’s logo. Although the visual style keeps things light and cartoony, coming nowhere close to the sheer nightmare fuel of fellow twitch shooter Doom, the game’s bevy of beasties are still a force to be reckoned with, setting your pulse a-racing whenever the music swells because you’re about to be blasted in the face with a fireball. That’s without even mentioning the two huge bosses hidden within each pyramid, which will definitely have you crying for mummy...

Standing boldly between you and bragging rights are a dastardly array of enemies that range from lava-belching toads to floating skulls.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Madmind Studio Publisher: Madmind ​Studio ​Platforms: ​Xbox ​One, PS4, PC ​Players: 1

Initially refused rating due to graphic scenes of rape and infanticide, which were cut to secure an 18 certificate, Agony revels in controversy. It places gore, nudity and satanic symbolism on a pedestal in a desperate effort to shock, but its for none of these reasons that the game is deeply offensive. Awful menus and loading screens adorned with what look like poorly cut out JPEGS offer an immediate indicator of what’s to come, proceeding to drop you at the gates of Hell with the task of seeking the Red Goddess and a hard pass on eternal damnation along with her. Madmind Studio’s hellscape is hideous in both an intentional and unintentional sense, constructed of bloody bones, entrails and malformed limbs that are poorly realised on a technical level. Despite the familiar, biblical interpretation of the setting, there’s undeniably some intriguingly disturbed imagery to ogle when environments aren’t obstructively lit. You’ll probably need to crank up the gamma setting to comfortably traverse Agony’s dark and winding corridors, unattractively washing them out in the process. While areas are interconnected and peppered with secrets, everything looks so samey that it’s exceptionally easy to get lost. This is frustrating enough in itself, but once you also account for the sluggish walk speed and highly limited stamina supply, simple traversal becomes laborious. Hell feels labyrinthine in the worst way, making a punishing early venture into a literal maze the point at which many will likely throw in the towel. That’s also where Agony remembers to shoehorn in its weak, wider gameplay mechanics, incorporating simple puzzles and, frankly, dreadful stealth. You can’t engage demonic denizens in combat, aping the likes of Amnesia and Outlast, but the vagina-faced foes can’t hope to instil the same helpless feelings of dread. They’re pretty thick (in terms of intelligence) for starters, easily distracted with flaming torches and evaded simply by crouching and holding your breath, though that’s not to say they aren’t deadly if you get careless.

Anyone looking for anything more than the modern interpretation of a cheap video nasty will be sorely disappointed.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Lince Works Publisher: Lince Works ​Platforms: ​Xbox One, PS4, PC ​Players: 1 - 2

After being conjured by the imprisoned Yamiko and tasked with her rescue, vengeful spirit Aragami quickly sets about the task, threatened with evaporation come sunrise. You’ll journey across 13 open levels, approaching them as you see fit, along the way collecting six talismans needed to break the seal holding Yamiko in place. When Aragami begins experiencing memories that seemingly couldn’t belong to him, the quest becomes twofold in also uncovering his true origin and motivation. While the narrative can be melodramatic and predictable, for the most part, it’s vaguely interesting and fittingly understated, preventing the compulsory Japanese voice over from beginning to grate. Developer Lince Works are similarly committed to an oriental presentation across the board, with lovely cel-shaded visuals and an evolving feudal soundtrack serving to finish the ensemble. It’s all very Okami, which is just one of many classic inspirations that Aragami proudly wears on its sleeve. Perhaps the most obvious borrow is the titular ninja’s Shadow Leap ability, which is almost a direct implementation of Dishonored’s iconic Blink manoeuvre, though here the short-range teleport limits you to hopping between areas bathed in shadow. Shadow Leap and other special abilities have their usage limited by Shadow Essence - a mana equivalent resource elegantly displayed on your cape - which drains when stood near a strong light source and is replenished by skulking in the dark. While all stealth games rely on an interplay between light and dark to some extent, this makes their juxtaposition absolutely integral to gameplay - mirroring the story and bringing things full circle.

It’s visually very Okami, which is just one of many classic inspirations that Aragami proudly wears on its sleeve.

Though we did crave more of a challenge, there’s definitely satisfaction to be gleaned from playing the ultimate assassin.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: ROCKFISH Games Publisher: ROCKFISH Games ​Platforms: ​PS4, Xbox One, PC ​Players: 1

Falling closer to arcade than simulation, you’ll pilot a spacecraft as protagonist Adam Roslin, seeking to uncover his forgotten past. Accompanied by HIVE, the ship’s onboard AI, you’ll also learn about the intriguing EVERSPACE universe and its inhabitants, fleshing out a more developed narrative than we’ve experienced in any other roguelike. It’s still simple, and the meta twist is predictable, but the extra effort is very much appreciated. More in keeping with roguelike etiquette is the brutal learning curve, which you mustn’t let dissuade you. Firstly, we’d strongly recommend playing in third over first-person to get a better view of your surroundings; navigating the game's truly 3D, 360° environments is much harder when confined to a cockpit. This makes flight second nature, leaving you free to focus on the tactical combat encounters coming your way. With a range of primary and secondary weaponry at your disposal, as well as reusable devices and one-and-done consumables, there are multiple avenues of approach to consider whenever trouble comes your way. Loadouts are largely dependant on what you’ve scavenged during the current run, forcing you to mix things up on the fly and switch between weapons according to their inherent strengths and weaknesses - using a laser to deplete shields before switching to ballistics or explosives and dealing extra hull damage, for example. Landing hits isn’t too hard, thanks to a HUD element that indicates how to lead shots, but that doesn’t mean you can be brazen - not in the slightest. Simple actions like boosting and shooting consume energy, necessitating conservative play if you don’t want to leave yourself almost completely defenceless during a dogfight. Managing energy consumption during a head-to-head is easy enough, but when outnumbered, as you often are, it becomes a real juggling act.

EVERSPACE has a more developed narrative than we’ve experienced in any other roguelike.

Permadeath can be a scary concept, but EVERSPACE boasts extensive persistent progression that’ll help to make losing a time investment actually feel productive.

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Tripwire Interactive Publisher: Tripwire Interactive ​Platforms: PS VR, HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift  ​Players: 1 - 2

Franchises tend to condense themselves down to their core mechanics on a first foray into virtual reality, all too often taking the form of wave-based shooters in the process. Already having a couple of those under their belt and not content to rest on their laurels, the team at Tripwire Interactive chose the opposite approach and used Incursion as an opportunity to build the first Killing Floor story campaign around that foundation. It’s meta narrative explains away all of the familiar quirks that currently accompany VR gameplay, while at the same time complementing the series’ goofy sense of humour. Guided by Node, a hovering robot companion, you’ll solve simple puzzles and dismember hordes of zombie-like Zeds across four missions, each set in their own unique locale. Environments are reasonably interactive and traversed by utilising short-range teleportation by default, however an annoying cooldown feature disallows performing multiple warps in quick succession and wasted no time in convincing us that free movement was the only way to go. We’d definitely recommend making the switch, provided you can stomach VR locomotion, as it’ll also prove very useful in kiting bosses and crowds of lesser enemies when things start to get more difficult down the road. In fact, using free movement to walk backwards whilst shooting forwards is an almost infallible strategy that can feel cheap. This is especially true of the boss encounters that conclude each mission, which are unfortunately robbed of any fear factor despite their undeniably horrific appearances. It’s pretty disappointing that the arrival of a Fleshpound elicits almost no emotion in VR, of all things, but is often met with bum-clenching terror when playing Killing Floor 2 on a 2D screen.

An annoying cooldown feature disallows teleporting multiple times in quick succession, wasting no time in convincing us that free movement was the only way to go.

Holdout mode dumps any semblance of ambiance in favour of piping in heavy metal, its breakneck tempo mirroring the frantic pace at which you’ll need to act in order to survive the intensity.

by James Michael Parry @James_Parry Developer: Thunder Lotus Games Publisher: Thunder Lotus Games Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC ​Players: 1

The Nine Realms, which you might be familiar with from the slightly unhinged work of Doctor Selvig, serve as the setting for Jotun: Valhalla Edition, the portable port of Thunder Lotus Games’ (Sundered) debut title. Though they do traditionally come in nines, the realms on offer here are a mere five levels and a big bad final boss encounter. The end-of-level bosses take the form of the titular Jotun, destructive colossi which often draw their strength from the elements, be that ice, wind or fire. Unlike the other titan-toppler we played this week, Extinction, there's plenty of variety on offer here. From the range of environments, driven by exploration and puzzle-solving rather than combat, for the most part, to the Jotun themselves, each requiring different tactics and cunning employment of the powers of the gods to finally take down. That's right, the gods are on your side as you try to rid the world of these lumbering embodiments of evil. You might have the simple (and crucial) ability to get back some health or imbue your weapon with the power of Thor's lightning to deal more damage, and all such skills are invaluable as challenging Jotun battles push you to the limit. ​Loki, the coolest god in my humble opinion, gets the handiest power - dropping a decoy for foolish baddies to toil against for a few seconds before it engulfs them in an explosion. Always satisfying. Taking out Jotun can be less than satisfying on occasion however, as the game doesn't do a great job of establishing the rules of an encounter through their behaviour. All of them have a suite of attacks that after a few tries you learn the timings of, but the significance of the stages themselves, whether that's lightning rods or arena-supporting pillars, aren't explained at all, leaving you to fend for yourself.

Unlike the other titan-toppler we played this week, Extinction, there's plenty of variety on offer here. 

by Sam Sant @SlamShotSam Developer: Mode4 Publisher: Mode4 ​Platforms: Xbox One, ​Switch, PC ​Players: 1 - 4

After bailing on your posse with all of the proceeds from a heist, you, the titular Bombslinger, hang up your hat to peacefully while away the remainder of your days. At least until your old compadres hunt you down and destroy everything you hold dear, that is. Vengeance on the mind, you’ll select a starting loadout and seek to end those responsible with a bevy of bombs. Emerging into a pseudo-3D world comprised of procedurally generated screens stitched together to form larger areas, there are often multiple paths to the culminating boss encounters that gate entry to each of four visually distinct, and progressively more demanding, locations. At first, besting these confrontations is no mean feat, and, as such, you’ll find your way back to square one frequently. Vitally, much of the frustration that can accompany a permadeath defeat is alleviated by being drawn closer to victory at the same time. You’ll memorise enemy attack patterns and behaviours through repeat encounters, mastering dispatching them in the process, whilst also working towards unlocking items and abilities to give you a tactical edge moving forward. Mental and physical arsenals bolstered, in theory, each attempt should be more successful than the last. Once you’ve established an understanding of the game’s base mechanics, courtesy of the devilish (but, in a good way) learning curve, taking risks in search of reward becomes a mighty attractive prospect. Fighting through every screen to gain the experience and gold lurking within, both of which are subsequently used to purchase from a random selection of power-ups, or consuming Snake Oil to discover its potentially positive or negative effects are almost irresistible pursuits in looking to steamroll your way to the end in record time. Having initially been off the cards for fear of the repercussions, learning to manage and utilise these light gambling mechanics to your advantage is enough to make you swell with a sense of progression.

Its roguelike Adventure mode propels Bombslinger past Konami’s most recent effort - Super Bomberman R.

The occasionally clumsy four-directional movement will leave some a-shakin’ in their snakeskins.