Latest Reviews
Damn and blaster
As the classic commentator’s cliché goes, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge - Enhanced Edition is a game of two halves. Originally released for the Meta Quest 2, this intergalactic virtual reality adventure bundles up the original campaign and its superior Last Call expansion. The result is a wildly inconsistent affair,...
Mini Review Akka Arrh (PS4) – A Psychedelic Curiosity from the Past
What a name
Akka Arrh is a contemporary re-imagining of a scrapped project dating back to the ‘80s. If that’s not an odd enough set-up to hook you, then maybe the rock-solid gameplay can do it instead. Developed by Llamasoft — the team behind the enigmatic Polybius — Akka Arrh is a unique wave shooter that tasks you with killing enemies...
Review Atomic Heart (PS5) - Alt History Shooter with an Identity Crisis
SovietShock
An alternate history set in the wake of World War II. A technological utopia hiding terrible secrets. A square-jawed, bloodthirsty protagonist. Mick Gordon spewing fire from the speakers. You'd be forgiven for thinking Bethesda just stealth-dropped another Wolfenstein. Alas, this isn't a new adventure for the Blazkowicz family, but it...
Mini Review WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros (PS4) - Balling Arcade Baseball Costs Less Than a Buck
Swing when you're winning
Konami’s long-running Power Pros franchise – perhaps better known by its Japanese names PawaParu or Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu – has received Western releases in the past, but has generally remained exclusive to Asian territories over the years. The release of WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros is noteworthy because it’s...
Review Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line (PS4) - Solid Rhythm Game Is a Love Letter to a Legendary Series
Kefkaesque
Even if you're a casual observer of Final Fantasy, this isn’t one to miss. Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line collects 385 songs (or 402 if you own the Deluxe Edition) across countless Final Fantasy games, spin-offs, movies, and concerts to create the ultimate celebration of the 35 year old franchise. Final Bar Line is the fourth Theatrhythm...
Review Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5) - One of the Most Intense and Intricate Yakuza Games Yet
Blast from the past
It's finally here! It's been almost a decade since Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! released exclusively in Japan on PS3 and PS4, with Western fans begging for a localisation effort all the while. But back then, the Yak--, er, Like a Dragon series was nowhere near as popular as it is now, and so here we are with SEGA greenlighting a...
Review Octopath Traveler II (PS5) - An Immaculate RPG with Brilliantly Realised Characters
Eight times the fun
Square Enix’s 2018 hit Octopath Traveler sold over 3 million copies worldwide, but never made it to PlayStation. Now, the series heads to PS5 and PS4 for the first time with Octopath Traveler II. Still with the striking HD-2D graphics of the first game, the sequel takes what its predecessor did and builds on it, creating a...
Review Wild Hearts (PS5) - A Fast-Paced, Thrilling Alternative to Monster Hunter
Domo arigato Mr. Kemono
Let's get the boring paperwork out of the way quickly. Yes, Wild Hearts is a lot like Monster Hunter: World. The similarities are plain to see, both structurally and conceptually. However, far from being a Monster Hunter clone, thanks to mostly fantastic creature design and splendid, fast-paced combat with an emphasis on ad...
Review Horizon Call of the Mountain (PSVR2) - Pretty Platformer Reaches New Heights
Just don't look down
Ever wondered why Aloy has abs so rippled they’d make a Greek statue blush? It turns out surviving the tribal world of Horizon is tough – as PSVR2 launch title Call of the Mountain can attest. This next-gen virtual reality effort from The Persistence developer Firesprite and famed first-party Guerrilla Games is unflinchingly...
Mini Review Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4) - Barebones Remaster Distracts from a Classic RPG
Lloyd Irving, wake up!
Still one of the most highly regarded instalments in Namco's long-running series, Tales of Symphonia could be considered a classic. Indeed, it's easy forget that the game's almost 20 years old — and Tales of Symphonia Remastered shows that the adventure actually holds up surprisingly well. The storytelling's a little...
Review Borderlands 3 (PS5) - Looting and Shooting Is Back and Better Than Ever
Don't forget to like, follow, and obey
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. Borderlands 3 is one of those rare games where you most likely knew if you would be purchasing it or not...
Review Scarlet Nexus (PS5) - 'Brain Punk' RPG Gets a Lot Right, But Ends Up Feeling Stunted
Seeing red
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. Scarlet Nexus is quite a unique action RPG set in a world where the human brain has evolved. Most people are hooked up to a kind of...
Review Outriders (PS5) - Great Combat? That's a People Can Fly Game
Ridin' dirty
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. You know what? Outriders is pretty good. Torn apart during
Review The Quarry (PS5) - Maybe Until Dawn Was Just a Fluke
One foot in the grave
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. Whether it likes it or not, Supermassive Games will always have its titles compared to Until Dawn. The British developer...
Review Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) - Aloy Returns in Superior PS5 Sequel
Red Head Redemption 2
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. With Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games set the bar very high for itself. Its first attempt at an open world action RPG...
Mini Review Ten Dates (PS4) - A Much Improved Rom-Com Sequel
Seven out of ten dates
Has humanity ever had a worse idea than speed dating? Once you forget all the obviously terrible stuff like biological weapons and motion controls, speed dating must be right up there. Five minutes of pish banter with a person who isn't laughing at any of your killer jokes before you half-heartedly ask for contact information...
Review Wanted: Dead (PS5) - A Fascinating Mess of an Action Game
Dead, but not buried
Jeez, where do we even begin with Wanted: Dead? It feels like an action game from another age, harkening back to the many lower budget, madcap brawlers that found cult acclaim on the PS2 and PS3. It's also an extremely janky release, absolutely packed with dodgy character models, borderline unreadable combat animations, and...
Mini Review PowerWash Simulator (PS5) - Surprisingly Appealing, Deeply Satisfying
Good, clean fun
By now, you'll have made your mind up about PowerWash Simulator. It's been doing the rounds for a couple of years, winning hearts with its simple, inexplicably compelling gameplay. Yes, it's about blasting water at filthy buildings and objects. Yes, broadly it's quite repetitive and slow. Yes, you could get a power washer and hose...
Review Hogwarts Legacy (PS5) - A Harry Potter Dream Come True
Yer finally a wizard
For so many bookworms of the late 1990s to mid 2000s, Hogwarts Legacy is something of a dream game. After a long line of bang-average licensed titles, developer Avalanche Software is finally letting Potterheads realise their ambitions of attending Hogwarts, taking classes, and exploring the castle without restraint. It's a...
Mini Review World War Z: Aftermath (PS5) - Performance Issues Can't Stop XL Zombie Fun
More zombies, less frame rate
World War Z: Aftermath, the manic zombie shooter, has finally made its way to PS5 alongside its long-awaited XL version of Horde Mode. This movie tie-in has become a real sleeper-hit after it launched to middling reviews back in 2019. But several updates later, and we have a solid third-person co-op experience that has...
Review Deliver Us Mars (PS5) - A Thrilling Sci-Fi Adventure to Save Humanity
Welcome to the red planet
Deliver Us Mars takes place ten years after the events of Deliver Us the Moon and this time, as the game's title suggests, you'll be journeying to our neighbouring planet. You play as a young astronaut, Kathy Johanson, who is part of a team tasked with travelling to Mars to retrieve some vital technology in the hopes of...
Mini Review Fashion Police Squad (PS5) - Fun Boomer Shooter with Style to Boot
Drip and tear
We often wonder if the minds behind the original DOOM knew what the game they were creating would lead to. It's one of the most iconic games ever, but 30 years later we're swapping out demons for a scarier threat... bad fashion sense. Fashion Police Squad takes the classic "boomer shooter" formula and splices it with a ton of...
Review Mafia: Definitive Edition - This Is How You Do a Remake
Scarf ace
Republished on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus line up. The original text follows. After the complete and utter disaster that was Mafia II: Definitive Edition, the only way was up for its prequel. Mafia: Definitive E
Review OlliOlli World (PS5) - Fantastic Skateboarding Game Is a World Apart from Predecessors
Perfect landing
Republished on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus line up. The original text follows. For a certain type of player, OlliOlli World is just pure fun. Let's not beat about the bush here: this side-scrolling skateboarding game is simply...
Review Evil Dead: The Game (PS5) - This Cult Camp Horror Shows Its Groovy Side
"Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun"
Republished on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus line up. The original text follows. That groaning you heard when Evil Dead: The Game was revealed wasn't actually the raspy wails of approaching Deadites...
Review SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (PS4) - Old School Platformer Is One for the Fans
You're ready, kids
Aficionados of Nickelodeon's iconic square-panted hero will largely agree Battle for Bikini Bottom is the best SpongeBob game. Nearly two decades later, developer Purple Lamp Studios brought it back with a full remake, and it was clear fans were hungry for something fresh. The team's response is SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic...
Review Forspoken (PS5) - Messy Action RPG Is Massively Hit and Miss
It's a kind of tragic
Forspoken is one of the most hit-and-miss games we've played in a long time. For everything it does well, it fumbles something else, resulting in a fantasy adventure that's full of ups and downs. It's a game that feels a bit confused in terms of what it actually wants to be, chasing a AAA-style 'cinematic' story one minute and...
Review Dead Space (PS5) - Faithful Remake Brings Back a Classic
USG Ishi-phwoara
Remakes can be somewhat of a touchy subject nowadays. While many are welcomed with open arms, others can have their very existence called into question. There isn't too much of a middle ground between the two extremes, so EA must have been elated to see Dead Space fans jumping for joy when it announced the 2008 survival horror...
Mini Review Season: A Letter to the Future (PS5) - Fascinating Exploration Amid a Cataclysm
Dear John
Season: A Letter to the Future is really interesting. You play as someone leaving their cosy mountain village, tasked with recording the history of a nearby valley before the changing of the season. A new season doesn't mean what it does in the real world, though. It's a major, seemingly cataclysmic event, capable of wiping the memories of...
Mini Review A Space for the Unbound (PS5) - A Powerfully Engaging Story-Driven Adventure
Follow your dreams
A Space for the Unbound is an endearing story-driven adventure game set in Indonesia in the late 90s. It explores mature themes like depression, anxiety, and suicide through a relationship between two high school sweethearts, a boy called Atma and a girl called Raya. These aren't just any normal students, however, since they're...
