Latest Reviews
Review Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4) - Open World Shooter Lacks a Little Identity
Ghost of its former self
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Ubisoft's open world games are pretty much all cut from the same cloth, with each implementing some common systems and design...
Review Bugsnax (PS5) - Appetising Adventure Is Even More Delicious on PS5
Talkin 'bout Bugsnax again
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. As we've already established in our PlayStation 4 review of Bugsnax, this game is delightfully different. A semi-open world...
Review Trials of Mana - The Delightful Return of a Classic Action RPG
Back to your roots
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Trials of Mana is a full 3D remake of Seiken Densetsu 3 — a Square-developed action role-playing game that was never officially released...
Review Digimon Survive (PS4) - Darker Digimon Story Carries Some Flat RPG Elements
A little help from my friends
Digimon Survive is not the RPG that some fans wanted it to be. Recruiting, training, and battling Digimon takes a backseat in favour of a very text-heavy story that unfolds through largely static scenes. In short, this is a visual novel first and foremost, to the point where some of the title's RPG elements almost start...
Mini Review GigaBash (PS5) - A Mighty Brawler That Excels in Multiplayer
Saving the earth one more time
Kaiju fighting games are witnessing a resurgence and it’s a beautiful thing. PS2 efforts like War of the Monsters set the scene and through recent efforts like Override: Mech City Brawl that legacy lives on. Making little secret of its inspirations, here comes GigaBash from Passion Republic Games, a colourful new...
Review Two Point Campus (PS5) - Stress-Free University Builder Is a Lazy Good Time
School's out
Uh oh. Your mum told you that you either had to go to university or you had to get a job so you begrudgingly signed up to a Media Studies course and dossed about for three years smoking doobies and watching Countdown. Now you've got a useless degree, a lingering reputation as the family pothead, and a mountain of debt from tuition fees...
Mini Review Frogun (PS5) - PS1 Era Platformer Doesn't Have Much Bounce
Shooting your mouth
For better and worse, Frogun really does feel like a game ripped from the late 90s. This is a puzzle platformer with a PS1-era vibe, and while it nails the presentation, it also inadvertently captures the frustrating and finicky nature of those early 3D games. Playing as a young girl in search of her parents, you use the titular...
Mini Review What Remains of Edith Finch (PS5) – Still Immaculate All These Years Later
If these walls could talk
Back when What Remains of Edith Finch launched in 2017, we awarded it an elusive perfect score, lauding it as one of the greatest walking simulators ever conceived. But that was five years ago. How does it feel to step foot within Giant Sparrow’s lovingly crafted world now? With delight, we can say that the return to the...
Mini Review Bright Memory: Infinite (PS5) - A Memory in a Flash
Definitely not infinite
Swords, guns, parkour! Could this be the next Devil May Cry successor? Unfortunately, Bright Memory: Infinite will only be in your memory for T-minus two hours because not even Speedy Gonzales can outrun Sylvester faster than the credits roll in this game. It is hard to understand how Bright Memory’s Early Access on PC was...
Review Little Nightmares (PS4) - Unsettling Puzzle Platformer Hits the Spot
The need for greed
Republished on Wednesday 27th July 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Much like LittleBigPlanet, the macabre puzzle platformer Little Nightmares includes sugar, spice, and all things nice – it just chooses to stir...
Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4) - A Downright Crazy But Captivating Take on a Beloved Franchise
Job's a good'un
Republished on Wednesday 27th July 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Where do we even start with Yakuza: Like a Dragon? SEGA's series has always been eccentric, but this latest instalment takes things to a whole new...
Review Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4) - The Birdman Is Back with Fantastic Remake
Back to the old grind
Republished on Wednesday 27th July 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is a series that defined early PlayStation just as much as Crash Bandicoot or Tomb Raider. The games are fondly remembered...
Review MultiVersus (PS5) - A Worthy Super Smash Bros Rival with Much More to Come
That's not all, folks
There have been many pretenders to Super Smash Bros’ crown, but very few have stuck the landing. MultiVersus, a live service-style interpretation of Nintendo’s flagship fighting mash up, is the latest adaptation, featuring characters from Warner Bros brands like DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, and many more. It borders...
Mini Review Seduction: A Monk's Fate (PS5) – A Bite-Sized Curio
Taking a vow of brevity
Not every game has to have a AAA budget or photorealistic graphics to offer something intriguing. A good example? Seduction: A Monk’s Fate, a side-scrolling puzzler by KOEX Studio, a single dev out of Singapore. In this title, you assume the role of a Buddhist monk attempting to cleanse your monastery from the temptations...
Review Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium (PS4) - Coin-Op Compilation Is Filled with Classics
Capgod
The bottom line is that if you’re a retro video game enthusiast you’re going to want Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. That doesn’t make the timing of this retro compilation’s release any less curious, however – or without caveats. Indeed, launching less than a month after the Capcom Fighting Collection but sharing several titles from its...
Review Stray (PS5) - Atmospheric Adventure Is the Cat's Pyjamas
Feline good
Domestic cats are very funny. While they appear to be proud, graceful, independent creatures, they often destroy that image with erratic behaviour, clumsy movements, and affectionate headbutts. The poor things try so hard to maintain an air of superiority, but they're much more loveable and goofy than they want you to think. Stray, a...
Review Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5) - A Beautifully Brief Adventure
Foxy
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. It’s been a year since Spirit of the North first took us on an adventure on PlayStation 4, but with the PlayStation 5’s recent launch, Infuse Studio has...
Review Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (PS4) - More Silly Sandbox Action
Damned if you do
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell isn't actually a PlayStation 4 game. Right from the word go, the now-zany...
Review Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PS4) - Ridiculous Open World Is Dumb Fun
You got the power
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Saints Row IV is the definitive sandbox game for anyone who's a bit tired of the more serious attempts like Watch Dogs,
Party animals
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. ReadySet Heroes, the dungeon crawling party game from Robot Entertainment, arrived two weeks ago, but doesn't seem to be as prepared as its title...
Review Marvel's Avengers (PS4) - Crystal Dynamics' Heroic Risk Is a Game of Two Halves
Guardians of the GaaS
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. If anything, Marvel's Avengers has become the victim of its own marketing cycle. Pitched under the Games as a Service banner, loot to grind...
Mini Review Marvel's Avengers (PS5) - Heroic Makeover Still Needed
Thor-t it would be better
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Marvel’s Avengers’ biggest mistake is that it wants to be a game you can play forever, without offering the variety to sustain such...
Remake 1.5 Remix
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the PlayStation 5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, boasting enhanced graphics and better technical...
Review Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) - A Successful Reimagining with Stellar Gameplay
Make or limit break
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Well, here we are. The time has finally come for us to review Final Fantasy VII Remake, and it's surreal. We vividly remember the official...
Review Assassin's Creed Unity (PS4) - Buggy French Open World Is Disappointing
Heads will roll
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. French publisher Ubisoft is on its home turf with Assassin's Creed Unity. With a sprawling recreation of 18th Century Paris to explore, the game...
Review Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection (PS4) - Return to Italy in Compelling Compilation
Three is a magic number
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. It's become somewhat of a regular occurrence for older games that had any degree of success to suffer some kind of re-release treatment,...
Review Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4) - Sailing Spin-Off Brings More Stealth
Shiver me timbers
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. In retrospect, 2014 has to be considered as one of the most important years for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. As Assassin’s Creed Unity...
Review Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4) - Ship-Shape Open World Pirate Escapade
Livin' the sweet trade
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Ubisoft has outdone itself with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, as there’s more to see and do than ever in this exciting world of...
Review Syphon Filter (PS1) - Espionage and Intrigue Abounds in This Scruffy Cinematic Shooter
Gabe over
Game developers were still figuring out 3D controls when Syphon Filter released in 1999. Bend Studio, then known as Eidetic, were bruised by the critical reception to 1996’s PS1 platformer Bubsy 3D – and wanted to create something truly groundbreaking. Ultimately, both Metal Gear Solid and GoldenEye 007 deployed during the super-spy...
Review Ape Escape (PS1) - Monkeying Around in 3D Platforming Pioneer Is Still a Blast
You're good
Video games went through a super exciting period in the late 90s. The introduction of a third dimension, championed by the PS1, presented a broad new challenge for designers. How can you comfortably control a character in 3D? It's widely recognised that Super Mario 64 pretty much nailed it first try, but there are other games from that...