Indie Bin: Crayola Scoot, Dakar 18, Farming Simulator 19

From the embers of the Push Square Podcast rises Indie Bin – a feature that draws attention to some of the smaller games in PlayStation's busy release schedule. Once the Indie Bin is full, we'll put it out for collection in these consolidated articles featuring several pint-sized reviews. The metric here is simple: games we don't like stay Indie Bin and games we do like get taken Outdie Bin. Without further ado, let's crack on.

Crayola Scoot (PS4)

How does a game like Crayola Scoot come to exist? This is effectively a Tony Hawk title from the PlayStation 2 era paired with Splatoon: you control a spunky, young scooter-star who must perform tricks in order to paint Crayon Town a deep shade of crimson – or pink, whatever you prefer. The control scheme is fiddly which makes enjoying its variety of territory and trick-based modes a bit of a chore. All in all it’s not bad, with a lengthy campaign and tons of multiplayer options on offer, but we can’t help but come back to the original question: why? How? What? SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Farming Simulator 19 (PS4)

Farming Simulator 19 represents the next stride forward for a series that’s become a best-seller against all odds. A new graphics engine means that the series looks better than ever before, but it’s still pretty cruddy compared to the PS4’s biggest hits. New animals such as horses – which you can ride around your farm – and equipment from brands like John Deere make this the most comprehensive edition yet, but if you’ve been ploughing fields for a few years, you’ll find that the novelty isn’t quite what it used to be. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Hellfront: Honeymoon (PS4)

Hellfront: Honeymoon is a co-op twin-stick shooter with elements of tower defence mixed in. You can play 1-2 player co-op missions or 1-4 players competitive PvP, either way you'll be battling to conquer the map ridding it of the enemy teams. In every game you move around a grid-based map placing down barracks or turrets on designated zones with the choice left to you on what you place where. Barracks produce soldiers and turrets will help to defend and maintain your gained ground. The game is won once every enemy building and player is destroyed – it's pretty simple really. Although the game can be fun with friends, the gameplay is very repetitive; every round is very quick, only lasting a minute or two at most and the missions on offer can be completed in a couple of hours. SF

Verdict: Indie Bin

RAZED (PS4)

RAZED is all about going fast and beating times. As the emerging genre for speedrunners begins to mature, so too do the mechanics that’ll get you from Point A to B, and it’s these that give PQUBE’s latest some legs. While the goal of reaching the finishing line remains the same, each and every level gives you something new to think about, but there’s some abilities on hand that will make life a little easier. Quickly speed around corners with Drift, use Stomp to move objects into place, or Strafe in order to quickly manoeuvre around an incoming threat. With a bright neon artstyle to boot, RAZED is fun to engage with thanks to responsive controls and a respawn timer that will have you back on the track in the space of a second. LC

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Dakar 18 (PS4)

If you’ve never heard of the Dakar Rally, then picture it like a kind of cross-country race on wheels in the middle of a Peruvian desert. This officially licensed tie-in actually makes for a unique kind of racing game, as you must rely on directions and maps in order to make your way through its vast locations. It’s very easy to get lost when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, and tough surfaces mean you can easily get stuck in the mud – literally. The mix of racing and navigation is novel, though, and while this is definitely an acquired taste, it’s a very different type of rally title that really stands out. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Words: Liam Croft, Sammy Barker, Simon Fitzgerald