Latest Reviews of Ratalaika Games Games
Mini Review 8-Bit Adventures 2 (PS5) - Don't Sleep on This Superb Tribute to Old JRPGs
Better than OK, Computer
Many an indie developer has tried to recapture the magic of formative Japanese RPGs — but few have managed to pull it off with such charm and confidence as Critical Games. The Australian studio has delivered something quite special with 8-Bit Adventures 2 — a title that doesn't sacrifice its own identity in pursuit of...
Mini Review Save Room (PS5) - RE4 Delight Turned Full Game
What're ya sorting?
Considering just how beloved the inventory management of Resident Evil 4 was, it's insane to think it's taken this long for someone to spin it out into a full game. 17 years later, Save Room is a completely faithful recreation of the enjoyable Tetris-like mechanic that works as a neat distraction for an hour or two. This is the...
Mini Review Voyage (PS5) - A Nice Palate Cleanser
Sweet starter
Considering the number of big games that release one after another nowadays — particularly during the holiday season — palette cleansers have become almost essential in order to keep things fresh. Voyage, a beautiful 2D title about the journey rather than demanding gameplay mechanics, plays that role perfectly. In a two-hour quest...
Mini Review Gynoug (PS5) - Another Ratalaika 16-Bit Shmup with Two Easy Platinums
He's not the Masaya, he's a very Wor-ty boy
A distinctive art style can elevate a retro game into becoming engraved in our memories, for example many shoot-'em-up fans vividly remember the visual design of the Bydo Empire, with its biomechanical theme, and bosses like Dobkeratops as a defining part of R-Type. In 1991 magazines, like Issue 113 of...
Mini Review Gleylancer (PS5) - Solid 1992 Mega Drive Shmup Shines Again
Bust out the Busterhawk for two easy Platinums
From its July 1992 release, Masaya's Gleylancer didn't initially shine as a single player shoot-'em-up. It received a mixed reception, with Issue 2 of Mean Machines SEGA magazine describing it as unoriginal and tedious in a 48/100 scoring review. For years Gleylancer was more renowned for its reputation...
Mini Review Concept Destruction - Destruction Derby with Cardboard Cars
Crash dummies
Concept Destruction’s name tells you much of what you need to know about this pen-and-paper PlayStation 4 racer. It’s a combat game inspired by PS1’s legendary Destruction Derby, and it’s effectively a proof of concept. In many ways this feels like half a game, as you smash your way through Drawn to Death-esque arenas,...
Mini Review Thy Sword - Thou Shalt Enjoyeth This Roguelike
Live by thy sword
Roguelikes are dime a dozen on PlayStation Store, but Thy Sword appeals in spite of the genre’s ubiquity. This single-screen side-scroller sees you clearing out enemies in different locations to progress to different levels, many environments culminating in larger-than-life boss fights. There’s a casual mode which makes the...
Mini Review Gun Crazy - Super Nintendo-Esque Shooter with a Short Shelf Life
Crazy in guns
Gun Crazy has modest ambitions, meaning you should calibrate your expectations appropriately before giving it a spin. This is a Super Nintendo-esque side-scrolling shooter, in which you commandeer a blue-haired bad ass through a breakneck 30 minute-ish campaign against a variety of tyrannical robots and green blobs. It features all of...
Mini Review Random Heroes: Gold Edition - A Side-Scroller with a Massive Cast
Not-so random really
For a game being sold on its eclectic cast of characters, Random Heroes: Gold Edition really doesn’t do anywhere near enough with its heroes. This is a 16-bit style side-scrolling shooter where you take control of, well, pretty much anyone. There’s a cyborg, a clown, a truck driver, a man in a suit… You pretty much get the...
Mini Review Super Destronaut: Land Wars - All Style, No Substance
Space invaders
Super Destronaut: Land Wars is developed by a team named Petite Games, and anyone who understands French should take that as an indicator of what to expect. This is probably the most simplistic first-person shooter you’ll find on the PlayStation 4, as you sprint around neon environments shooting gigantic Space Invaders-inspired...
