Author Profile
Max is a freelance gaming and tech journalist who's reviewed countless consoles, controllers, headsets and, of course, games. He's a fan of basically all genres, even the ones he's shockingly bad at, but mainlines shooters and RPGs.
Mini Review Castlevania Dominus Collection (PS5) - A Fantastic Bundle of DS Classics
Touching the classics
Anyone who had a Nintendo DS back in the day knows that it boasts a little selection of Castlevania games that are some of the very best in the series — and the latest collection from Konami finally gives PlayStation loyalists a chance to sample their delights. Dominus Collection brings together Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of R
Mini Review Pepper Grinder (PS5) - Sprightly Platformer Is Well-Drilled
Drilling into the detail
What would you do if a load of pirates stole your hard-earned booty and the only tool you could find to get your stuff back was an oversized drill? Well, Pepper Grinder proffers an answer: you'd turn that drill into a sort of weapon-cum-vehicle and chase them down. Over the course of a short runtime, across four worlds that...
Review Killzone: Liberation (PSP) - Top-Down Shooter's a Bit of a Slog
Muddy aiming mars some nice ideas
The PSP was many things to many people, a delightful little slice of hardware that ended up with a pretty stellar library of ports and new games — but one thing you could never say about it was that it had a second analogue stick. That sole little control nub on its left had to do a heck of a lot of heavy lifting,...
Review Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (PS5) - An Absorbing Action-Strategy Hybrid
Active tower defence
Capcom is absolutely dialled in right now; everything it touches seems to turn to gold, from major releases to smaller experiments. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess certainly fits into the latter category, and it's a terrific time for fans of real-time strategy with a twist. Being able to control a hero character in amongst...
Mini Review Planet of Lana (PS5) - A Gorgeous, Serene Platform Puzzler
Lana-ly planet
If you're looking for a quick and gorgeous game, one you can polish off in a couple of relaxed afternoons, Planet of Lana fits the bill. Previously an Xbox console exclusive, it's come to PlayStation now, and will speak to anyone who enjoyed the likes of Limbo or Inside. It's in the same vein, with a small and powerless protagonist...
Review Open Roads (PS5) - Mother-Daughter Road Trip Is a Leisurely Narrative Cruise
Driving down memory lane
Things haven't been easy for Fullbright, the company that most famously produced Gone Home back in 2013, a slice of indie narrative heaven that won plaudits. After the excellent (but less virally successful) Tacoma in 2017, it's now back with another long-awaited game, Open Roads — except, in fact, the name Fullbright has...
Review Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (PS5) - An Absorbing Vehicular Puzzler
Complex manoeuvres
If you've ever looked at a stretch of abandoned road, overcome with mud and muck, and wondered whether your little two-door compact could make it through, MudRunner might be a series you already know. From Spintires to SnowRunner, it's a lovely little franchise that seems to be surviving capably, and its latest is Expeditions: A...
Review Ultros (PS5) - Trippy Metroidvania Tangles with Great Ideas
Its ambition is boundless
This is already turning into a bumper year for Metroidvania fans. With the excellent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown having kicked things off beautifully, Ultros now arrives from a smaller publisher but with no small hype of its own. With a gob-smackingly unique art style and a fungal, miasmic tone, it certainly looks like...
Soapbox Dead Space Is This Year's (Almost) Forgotten Horror Delight
An underrated thriller
If you watched The Game Awards at the start of December (and, lord knows, many of us did), you’d be forgiven for thinking that there was only one stellar horror remake this year: Resident Evil 4. Don’t get me wrong — the Resi remake is a stunner, a fantastic thrill ride that pares away some of the campier moments from...
Hands On The Finals Is One of the Most Exciting New Online Shooters in Years
Frenetic team shooter has a ton of promise
If you’re wondering what confidence feels like, try releasing your free-to-play shooter with no warning during The Game Awards, two days after CoD: Warzone's biggest free update in a year. That’s exactly what Embark Studios did at the end of last week with The Finals, and it’s fairly remarkable...
