Retro Reviews
Review Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PlayStation 3)
You don’t know Jack
The first two Borderlands games brought loot to first person shooters in a huge way, and in the process, proved to be massive hits with gamers. Now, with the arrival of Borderlands: The Pre Sequel, original developer Gearbox Software have taken a backseat, allowing 2K Australia to fire up the gun generator for another outing,...
Review Jet Car Stunts (PlayStation 3)
Trials and error
Jet Car Stunts’ arrival on the PlayStation 3 and Vita marks the popular mobile game’s first foray onto consoles. Historically, adapted smartphone titles end up feeling a little, well, off when they’re converted to consoles – but there are exceptions. The big question, then, is whether Grip Games has managed to make True...
Review F1 2014 (PlayStation 3)
Stuck in the past
One of the hardest things to achieve in a yearly franchise is a hook to keep people coming back. It’s true of not only sports games, but the sports themselves – after all, no one wants to invest time into something that stays the same every year. For Formula 1, the answer has been the biggest shake-up in a generation, with new...
Review Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star (PlayStation 3)
Lost in Space
In a world where songs can kill and chatting with semi-naked girls in bathtubs is part of a sacred ceremony, a religious war has split two factions in half. Propaganda and aggression have kept these two groups separate for long enough that neither realises one simple truth: that there are real people on both sides. Ar Nosurge: Ode to...
Review Slender: The Arrival (PlayStation 3)
A walk in the woods
The mythos of Slenderman shouldn’t be much of a mystery anymore. The abnormally tall creature with no discernible facial features and a rockin’ tuxedo has blown up in popularity these past couple of years. This is mostly due to popular web series Marble Hornets, but another thing that added to the creepy character’s...
Review Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution (PlayStation 3)
Ninja stars shine so bright
The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series has been a rock for Japanese developer CyberConnect2. A franchise which began back in 2003 on the PlayStation 2, there have been numerous entries since, and it's impressive to think that not a single one has been overly disappointing. In fact, the series has only gotten better as the...
Review Fairy Fencer F (PlayStation 3)
Caught off-garde
Sometimes the best way to succeed is to stick to the bread and butter of the genre, rather than mess about with weird gimmicks. In Fairy Fencer F, developed by Compile Heart, it aims to do just that in using fairies, furies, and fencers. Upon overhearing a rumour, our hungry hero Fang removes the sword in the stone to get his one...
Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 5 - No Going Back (PlayStation 3)
The long and winding road
Back in July, when Telltale’s critically acclaimed The Wolf Among Us wrapped up its first season, The Walking Dead was only at its halfway point – but the developer has raced to Season Two’s finale since then. As those of you that are familiar with the series will already know, this second set of episodes puts you...
Review Tales of Xillia 2 (PlayStation 3)
Cat scratch Ludger
Tales of Xillia 2 is the sequel to last year's successful Tales of Xillia on the PlayStation 3. Much like the previous game, it’s charming, wonderful, and rewarding all at the same time. The worlds of Rieze Maxia and Elympios return as well as most of the gameplay from the original, and being the 14th title in the Tales series,...
Review Risen 3: Titan Lords (PlayStation 3)
Roll with it
For any series to make it to a third entry is quite an achievement, especially when it’s a perennial underachiever like the Risen games. After leaning heavily into the more piratical aspects for its first sequel, developer Piranha Bytes has doubled down on this approach for Risen 3: Titan Lords, letting you once again sail the high...
Review Sacred 3 (PlayStation 3)
Nothing is sacred
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, while not what you’d call a big success, still managed to garner quite a following among a certain set of gamers, even in spite of a few rough edges. Those that did end up sinking hour after hour into the action role playing game really appreciated its massive open world, extensive loot system, and huge...
Review El Chavo Kart (PlayStation 3)
Chilli con carnage
Many game developers have tried to enter the kart racing genre, but all with the exception of Crash Bandicoot have failed to score a podium place next to Super Mario. Efecto Studios is the latest outfit to have a pop with El Chavo Kart – a title based upon the apparently popular Mexican cartoon, El Chavo: The Animated Series. As...
Review Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars (PlayStation 3)
Pay £7.99 for tagline
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars is some kind of trading card video game, but that’s short-sighted. No, it’s an investment opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to hand out huge amounts of money in return for digital versions of cards that your other half probably...
Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 - Amid the Ruins (PlayStation 3)
The penultimate peril
The next to last episode of the second season of Telltale Games’ episodic The Walking Dead adaptation is an unsurprisingly gripping experience. Following in the footsteps of arguably the best instalment that Telltale Games has released to date, the fourth entry, Amid the Ruins, has an awful lot to live up to. And live up to...
Review Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death (PlayStation 3)
Love island
What’s a girl to do? Her man’s taking his sweet time proposing to her, and she’s getting bored of waiting for him. You could probably think of any number of sensible courses of action in this situation, none of which involve picking up a book on witchcraft so that you can perform a love spell. Still, in PlayStation 3 puzzler Sacra...
Review Constant C (PlayStation 3)
Inconsistent C
Constant C is a new puzzle platformer from International Games System. In it, you control a robot that awakes from a slumber of sorts on a space station where time has seemingly stopped. What’s the cause of this? How do you fix it? Through the course of the game, you acquire abilities that allow you to manipulate gravity in order to...
Review The Wolf Among Us: Episode 5 - Cry Wolf (PlayStation 3)
Every dog has its day
So, this is it. We’ve finally made it to the end of protagonist Bigby Wolf’s investigation into the murder of a Fabletown resident that began some eight months ago. It’s been one hell of a journey, with plot twists, surprising levels of violence, and acts so unspeakable that Walt Disney would turn in his grave if he knew...
Review One Piece: Unlimited World Red (PlayStation 3)
Bits and pieces
As legions of fans will tell you, it's not hard to become captivated with One Piece, one of Japan's most popular manga creations, and its latest video game venture, One Piece: Unlimited World Red, is a good example of how easily this colourful world can ensnare anyone with an eye for crazy pirate adventures. The title itself is a...
Review GRID Autosport (PlayStation 3)
Three-point turn
GRID 2 was largely seen as a disappointment by many of the series’ fans – a step in the wrong direction, lacking the focus and discipline that made the original release such a compelling outing for racing enthusiasts. GRID Autosport, the latest offering from British firm Codemasters, aims to redeem the series – and bar a few...
Review Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn (PlayStation 3)
"Amuro, I'm doing something extremely wicked"
With the indie gaming boom and so many big publishers trying their hands at projects that are somewhat different from the norm, it can be surprisingly refreshing to play something as single-minded as Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn. There are no immediate details to ponder – you just climb into a...
Review Enemy Front (PlayStation 3)
War crime
Set during the turbulent times of World War II, Enemy Front is the latest in a long line of first-person shooters to depict the horrors of one of history’s most fierce conflicts. Depicting the tale of a journalist named Robert Hawkins, you’ll team up with the American resistance as part of an effort to put an end to the Nazis once and...
Review Ultra Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3)
Shoryuken handle it?
Street Fighter has long been one of the most popular fighting games in the genre, with title releases on just about every platform since 1987. The most recent Street Fighter IV demonstrates Capcom’s commitment to keeping the series alive, with a staggering five iterations on the original build making Ultra Street Fighter IV...
Review Battle Princess of Arcadias (PlayStation 3)
Such a peach
Being a princess is overrated. You’ll soon wear out your waving hand, you have to speak to poor people (which even poor people hate doing), and the occasional gifted helicopter from the in-laws does little to take the edge off. Being a battle princess, alternatively, is a completely different affair. It means you get to go out and hit...
Review NASCAR '14 (PlayStation 3)
Go daddy
NASCAR ’14 sets out its stock racing stall right from the starting line. Rather than bombard you with heavily edited footage of a Go Daddy branded bar of soap on wheels, it instead tempts you in with a Buzz-esque quiz on Jeff Gordon’s past performances in the Sprint Cup series. It’s these nuggets of trivia that link the racer’s...
Review The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - In Sheep's Clothing (PlayStation 3)
A sheep in wolf's clothing
We’re just one episode shy of wrapping up the debut season of Telltale Games’ episodic Fables adaptation, and while we look to the final instalment to tie up loose ends and answer burning questions, it’s equally important that the penultimate chapter takes the time to set it up properly – and that it seemingly...
Review Ace Combat: Infinity (PlayStation 3)
Free-to-plane
Fans of Ace Combat are always hungry for new releases, with the last major instalment Ace Combat: Assault Horizon performing its first barrel roll over three years ago. It was no surprise, then, that when Ace Combat: Infinity was announced, there was much rejoicing – well, until everyone realised that the latest entry in this beloved...
Review Drakengard 3 (PlayStation 3)
The number games
There’s one in every family, isn’t there? One person who has to spoil every gathering, causing drama on social media, and jumping out, murdering people all of the time. No? In Drakengard 3, that’s exactly what happens. As moody anti-heroine Zero, you’ll need to trek across mountains or through lush green forests on a quest...
Review Mugen Souls Z (PlayStation 3)
The questionable quest for cute
There aren’t many games as unusual as Mugen Souls Z. Its main character is a young goddess who carries around a coffin, not for any reason in particular, just because the writers needed some kind of container and that seemed to make sense. That’s not the weirdest thing that you’ll see either. Charged with...
Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 3 - In Harm's Way (PlayStation 3)
Deeper down the rabbit hole
When writing reviews, it’s always important to avoid spoilers, that way you don’t ruin the experience for future players. This is a particular conundrum that we face each time that Telltale Games releases new episodic content, as each instalment builds upon the last, making our lives a misery as we attempt to dance...
Review Cabela's Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts (PlayStation 3)
Deer balls under a buck
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts is Activision’s most recent addition to its enormous catalogue of sponsored hunting games. This time, the firm’s adopted a more modern and lifelike approach to the controversial pastime, maintaining many of the aspects of a real-world hunt, but still wrapping it up in an accessible...
