The EGX 2018 showing of Team Sonic Racing didn’t leave much of an impression, presenting show goers with a sluggish racer lacking spectacle and void of personality. The six-month delay came as no surprise, and many applauded SEGA for giving Sumo more time.

Reviews of the budget price (£25-£30) racer are now live, and it seems Sumo was able to turn something shaping up to be mediocre at best into a competent, if unspectacular, affair. The presentation is reportedly lacking still, but with no review scores lower than 6/10, it’s way beyond being middle of the road. IGN actually thought it was pretty great, dishing out a remarkable 8.5.

This week also sees the release of the Epic published Dauntless, a free-to-play co-op adventure with a whiff of Monster Hunter – it entails taking down giant beasts and forging new weapons and armour from their remains. News that it supports cross-platform play came as a surprise – it’s the first game to allow PS4 and Xbox One owners to buddy up.

We’re still waiting on reviews of Curve Digital’s American Fugitive to surface, but it sounds intriguing enough to take a punt when it goes on the lam tomorrow. It’s a top-down sandbox crime caper set in 1980’s deep south that’s inspired by the original GTA. It reminds us of the original Postal, too.

If you’ve tried the recent demo, then you’ve probably been swayed by Everybody’s Golf VR already. We’ve rounded up scores below. They aren’t quite as high as we imagined – mostly clocking in at 7/10 – but at £25 it looks like a safe purchase for PSVR owners.

Survival horror throwback Back in 1995 piqued our interest, featuring low-poly PSone style visuals, texturing warping and all. Sadly, the first review to surface is a miserable 2/10 from The Xbox Tavern. “Back in 1995, survival horror games were much deeper, better refined, and a lot more engaging than this,” they said.

Psychological horror Dollhouse on PS4 – which pays homage to 1950’s film noir – looks like a more appealing alternative.

Sticking with the theme of horror, Observation (out now on PS4 and PC) uses the isolation of space to create a haunting atmosphere. It’s on track to become one of the highest rated games of the month, in fact.

New release showcase:

Team Sonic Racing

Reviews:
8.5 – IGN: Team Sonic Racing adds a creative twist on the arcade racer with its exciting team-based mechanics that put strategy and precision at the forefront alongside blistering speeds across mesmerizing tracks.

8.5 – PSU: Team Sonic Racing is a blast to play. The unique team based racing puts a spin on an already successful formula that encourages players to work together while also feeling competitive enough to not keep those away who always want to prove they’re the best.

7.5 – PlayStation Lifestyle: I absolutely recommend giving Team Sonic Racing a whirl for its new kind of kart racing play, but if you want to play locally with your friends, you’ll have to put up with some potholes.

7/10 – PlayStation Country: Team Sonic Racing is a solid kart racer that suffers from some unfortunate drawbacks. The team-based racing works well and mixes up the usual kart formula. However, the game is marred by game modes that lack fun, missing polish and an inescapable feeling that this is a downgrade of what has come before.

6/10 – The Metro: A spirited attempt at innovation and some competent driving mechanics are not enough to escape the shadow of either Mario Kart or the previous Sonic & Sega racers.

Observation

Reviews:
9.0 – God is a Geek: Observation is a fantastic game, bringing gripping science fiction and unique gameplay together for a truly remarkable experience.

9.0 – GameInformer: Observation is a fantastic horror game thanks to its twisting plot, well-realized setting, and challenging puzzles

8/10 – VideoGamer: An exquisite atmosphere and fresh premise make up for some slightly obtuse puzzles. Observation brims with ideas and images that fill your head.

8/10 – Push Square: Observation uses the unfathomable vastness of space to wonderful effect, conjuring a palpable sense of both isolation and dread that rarely falters across the six or seven hours it’ll take for you to see it though. Minor quibbles with some aspects of the storytelling and a couple of quality of life issues don’t detract from what is an engrossing adventure that thrills far more frequently than it frustrates.

7.5 – PSU: Observation does a lot of things correctly. Honing in on the isolation of space generates a wonderful tension on its own. Some pacing issues keep it from excellence, but there is plenty of appeal here for many different gaming preferences.

Everybody’s Golf VR

Reviews:
8/10 – Destructoid: You can get a feel for Everybody’s Golf VR in a few short hours, but if you’re anything like me, you won’t want to move on quite so fast. It’s an earworm of a game. Just thinking about it makes me want to dig out my PlayStation VR and clear the room. That’s no small feat

7.5 – PlayStation Lifestyle: VR tracking issues aside, this is an absolute must-play if you’re into arcade golf games, and if you’re looking for something relaxing to play in PSVR. I do wish the game worked better from a technical standpoint, but given the limitations of the hardware in its current state, it works well enough.

7.5 – PSU: It shouldn’t be surprising that Everybody’s Golf is a good fit for PSVR, but the manner in which Clap Hanz has interpreted its accessible take on the sport into the realms of virtual reality is indeed surprising. Though it may be relatively limited, it has essentially kept the spirit of Everybody’s Golf intact whilst changing the very way it’s played, and done so by stripping back the fluff and keeping things relatively simple. That’s very much the Everybody’s Golf way.

7/10 – The Metro: Everybody’s Golf VR is not a large game, but it is polished and fun, with enough challenge to keep devotees of closely sheared grass swinging away in an attempt to perfect the back nine of the Dinosaur Course, the bellow of the T-Rex paling into insignificance compared with the involuntary gargles of players missing yet another short and practically level putt.

New digital multi-format releases:

Dauntless
Back in 1995
The Last Door: Complete Edition
American Fugitive
Super Tennis Blast
Skelly Selest
Bring to Light

New on PSN:

Everybody’s Golf VR
Observation
QuiVr
Bartender VR Simulator
GUILTY GEAR
Chronus Arc
Gensokyo Defenders
Bring Them Home
Ugly Dolls: An Imperfect Adventure
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland
Slay the Spire
Season Match
Alternate Jake Hunter: Daedalus – The Awakening of Golden Jazz
Dollhouse

New on Xbox One store:

Fission Superstar X
Minion Masters

New Nintendo retail releases

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered
TT Isle of Man: Ride On The Edge
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland

Next week: Blood & Truth, Warhammer: Chaosbane, Layers of Fear 2, Cricket 19, Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition, Golem Gates, Trover Saves the Universe, Little Friends: Dogs & Cats, Void Bastards, Warlock’s Tower, Unruly Heroes, Lapis x Labyrinth, and Crystal Crisis.