Retro Reviews
Review Papo & Yo (PlayStation 3)
Waking the monster
On its face Papo & Yo is a tale of boy and monster, of frogs and fruits, but beneath its fantastical scenario lurks a subtle maturity that goes beyond the reach of many games. It's a story devised to mirror designer Vander Caballero's own struggles in a family that bore the burden of addiction, under an alcoholic patriarch,...
Review Retro/Grade (PlayStation 3)
Back to the Front
Take everything you know about playing video games and throw it out of the window, because everything about Retro/Grade is backwards. Literally. While developer 24 Caret Games calls it a shooter in reverse, at its core Retro/Grade is a rhythm game and a darn fine one at that. Innovative mechanics wrapped up snugly in an envelope...
Review Sleeping Dogs (PlayStation 3)
Triad and tested
For a product dubbed Sleeping Dogs, United Front Games’ debut open world adventure is decidedly grisly. The former True Crime follow-up – unceremoniously whacked by publisher Activision in 2011 – was resurrected by Square Enix earlier this year, promising much needed sustenance ahead of Grand Theft Auto’s as-of-yet undated...
Review Darksiders II (PlayStation 3)
Dawn of the Death
If your brother was imprisoned, accused of a crime that you're certain he didn't commit, you'd probably do everything within your power to clear his name and support his plight. Except most peoples' crimes don't involve invoking the apocalypse and extinguishing mankind from existence. And most people don't have the Grim Reaper for...
Review Spec Ops: The Line (PlayStation 3)
“Death toll – too many”
Imagine this: somewhere in the seemingly endless sands of Dubai, two innocent civilians are being held at gunpoint, along with an informant holding delicate information that you desperately need. But you’re not the only one in pursuit of this vital data, and the hostages’ lives are being bartered for it. Looking...
Review Wizorb (PlayStation Minis)
Castin’ a spell on Arkanoid
It’s only been a few months since the internet was buzzing about the PS Mini service, because of the release of FuturLab’s fantastic title, Velocity. Well, Sony wants to keep the overlooked service on your mind with Tribute Games and Beatshapers’ latest release. Throwing the block-busting mechanics of old-school...
The light fantastic
Imagine riding a high speed rollercoaster through a music visualiser. The colours zoom all around you, blending together until you can't tell what's going on or where you are. Everything swirls together in a rainbow mish-mash that makes little sense. It's confusing. It's mesmerising. It makes you dizzy. But it's extremely pretty,...
Review London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games (PlayStation 3)
Gold standard?
Like so many sports, London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games (phew) is a game of two halves. Boasting an impressive tally of 45 events, the official Olympic tie-in doesn't disappoint in the content department. But while a decent proportion of its offering strives for sporting glory, the remainder of the package...
Review Rainbow Moon (PlayStation 3)
A long, beautiful journey
Witnessing a rainbow is always an awe-inspiring experience, seeing how it’s a collage of the most brilliant and beautiful colours across the spectrum. Setting foot into the world of Rainbow Moon is just as impressive an experience, not just because of the vibrant colour palette SideQuest Studios used to bring the world to...
Review Ratchet & Clank Collection (PlayStation 3)
Nuts and bolts
Few video game franchises have greater pedigree than PlayStation’s most dependable crime-fighters, Ratchet & Clank. Armed with a plethora of imaginative gadgetry and a never-ending inventory of wisecracks, the Insomniac's series has been a staple of any self-prophesised PlayStation enthusiast’s diet for the past decade. That...
Review LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (PlayStation 3)
Blockbusters
Even the Dark Knight needs a little help now and then. Bruce Wayne returns in blocky form after his critically acclaimed first outing, and this time he's brought along a huge gang of friends – and their enemies. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes still hangs on Batman and Gotham City, but the scope has been expanded to give you the chance...
Review Pure Chess (PlayStation 3)
Tainted move
Different people drift towards the world of video gaming for varying reasons. Some see it as an escape from the dreary nature of 'real life' and adore the opportunity to be someone or something else for a few hours. Others delight in uttering some 'smack talk' to anyone daft enough to be wearing a headset with the volume up a few...
Review Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock (PlayStation 3)
Doctor No
The world of Doctor Who has been just begging for a competent game. After all, aren't aliens, robots, destruction, time travel and awkward, often sarcastic, humour all great staples of the medium? It's exactly the sort of television show that could merrily hop over the gap without missing a beat. But despite a clear love of the series and...
Review Lollipop Chainsaw (PlayStation 3)
Goddammit, video games
It's generally a bad idea to judge anything by its title or cover, but one look at either pretty much spells out what to expect from Grasshopper Manufacture's latest fever dream, Lollipop Chainsaw: comic books, pop music, rainbows, titillating exploitation and lots and lots of violence. These are all the makings for perfect...
Review Babel Rising (PlayStation 3)
Playing God
One of the video game medium’s greatest assets is its ability to convey power. Whether you’re taking control of a superhero or an everyman with regenerating health, the industry rarely fails in its pursuit to provide you with unreasonable strength. But while potent protagonists are nothing new – almost all would succumb to the...
Review Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (PlayStation 3)
King of the ring
Virtua Fighter is the Beck of the gaming world. Adored by critics and shouted about by its fans, but virtually inaccessible to newcomers. It's never reached a wide audience like Street Fighter or Tekken, but now Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown has dropped the cost of entry to just £9.99/$14.99 there is no excuse for fight fans not...
Review Mad Riders (PlayStation 3)
You drive me crazy
A title like Mad Riders conjures up all sorts of wild possibilities. Alas, you might be disappointed to discover that this game does not, in fact, involve racing rollerskate-wearing elephants down rainbow highways, nor does it include oversized hammers to swipe at foes. It's actually a rocket-powered ATV racer, the promised...
Review Sorcery (PlayStation 3)
A kind of magic
Sorcery is the game that PlayStation Move owners have been craving. The motion controlled title that captivated crowds at E3 2010 has been a constant source of conversation right the way through to its re-reveal late last year. But having spent almost 18 months shrouded in the secrecy of Sony’s invisibility cloak, the title finds...
Review Silent Hill HD Collection (PlayStation 3)
Broken locks and broken hearts
Everything is different in the dark. The play of light and shadow can lend any partially obscured object an ominous tone. If you've ever navigated your room late at night after waking from a deep sleep, half-aware of reality and half-aware you're no longer in your bed, you know this feeling – the feeling that dwells...
Review Trine 2 (PlayStation 3)
Enchanting
When the original Trine released back in 2009, it took us on a fun yet flawed 2D physics-based puzzling quest, inspired by the cult favourite SNES classic, The Lost Vikings. Even with its faults, nothing stopped the game from rapidly growing a large fan base. With Trine 2, developer Frozenbyte has pulled out every bit of magic it...
Review Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (PlayStation 3)
Crafty
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland is the 13th instalment of Gust’s storied Atelier series and the third part of the “Arland” trilogy. While at first glance the sheer amount of ground this series has covered makes for a high barrier of entry, skip this title based on intimidation and you'll miss a very enjoyable experience. The...
Review Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PlayStation 3)
Ghost squad
If you're expecting to sneak about undetected for the entirety of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, prepare to be disappointed. While there are many clandestine moments throughout, Future Soldier plays closer to the rulebook established by the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare titles. Levels start out with stealth at the forefront but...
Review DiRT Showdown (PlayStation 3)
Fender bender
You get the feeling Codemasters has wanted to make DiRT Showdown for a while. Freed from the shackles of the mainline series, Showdown takes DiRT’s semi-reserved personality and steers into a head-on collision with Ken Block culture. With less subtlety than a shocking pink livery, this is a raucous, gnarly and, at times, downright...
Review PixelJunk 4am (PlayStation 3)
All night long
Making music is hard. Ask any budding music producer and they’ll tell you that learning the intricacies of Reason is more challenging than trying to platinum Dark Souls while blindfolded. PixelJunk 4am, the new downloadable title from PSN stalwarts Q-Games, attempts to erode that learning curve by transforming the PlayStation Move...
Review Battleship (PlayStation 3)
You sunk my battleship
You've got to feel sorry for Double Helix Games, the developer saddled with the challenge of transforming Battleship's big screen debut into an interesting video game. That sympathy comes partially from the realisation that the studio has done an adequate job of combining the tried-and-tested formula of Hasbro’s...
Review Max Payne 3 (PlayStation 3)
Payne: Killer
Max Payne is a man who can't catch a break. Haunted by the murders of his wife and baby girl, and the loss of the woman who managed to crack through his rock-solid shell, Max has become a washed-up, broken man with an addiction to alcohol and pain killers, waiting on the day for the planet to stop so he can step off. Left with no other...
Review Dragon's Dogma (PlayStation 3)
Hot stuff
You have to hand it to Capcom: it's releasing Dragon's Dogma at just the right time. Six months after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and ahead of the traditional summer drought, it has the PS3 adventure landscape all to itself. Thankfully it's got quality as well as good timing. In development for three years with a supposedly enormous...
Review Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PlayStation 3)
Blue streak
The backlash against Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I must have hit SEGA hard. Here was a game everyone said they wanted — a high-definition return to Sonic's 2D roots, and while it was a decent game on its own merit it didn't feel like a true continuation of those classic 16-bit adventures. It was almost like an athlete coming out of...
Review Starhawk (PlayStation 3)
Brave new world
It’s a testament to Warhawk's longevity that almost five years after its original release, it still maintains a vibrant and enthusiastic community. Most other multiplayer titles shed their numbers at a worrying rate, but engaging core design and unprecedented post-release support has ensured the downloadable shooter a place amongst...
Review Sniper Elite V2 (PlayStation 3)
Not a bad shot
Sniper Elite V2 is a pretty single-minded game, when all’s said and done. The Rebellion-developed remake has grand plans of being a stealth action title with tactical frills, but in reality it’s much more content with being a profoundly simplistic shooter. With a limited arsenal and even fewer gameplay distractions, the success of...
