PS4 Game Reviews
Review Layers of Fear 2 - Tame Scares Are a Slight Dampener on Impressive Sequel
Be my victim
Bloober Team is a studio that knows a thing or two about the spectrum of opinion. After launching its 2016 hit Layers of Fear, the Polish developer fell well wide of the mark a year later with its own version of cyberpunk. We didn’t take to Observer in the slightest, but fast-track two years and the team is returning to what put it on...
Review Bubsy: Paws on Fire - Put a Paws on Buying This Platformer
This kitty's got (no) claws
After lying dormant for nearly two decades, 2017 saw the release of a new Bubsy title when The Woolies Strike Back released for the PlayStation 4. Much like the many other entries in the series, it was received rather poorly. In our review, it was referred to as probably the last entry in the series of underwhelming...
Review American Fugitive - A Decent Reimagining of Classic Grand Theft Auto
Bad boys
Grand Theft Auto III was one of the PlayStation 2’s most important early releases -- fully realising the potential of its genre with an interactive 3D open world that took the world by storm upon its launch in late 2001. It was a landmark moment for video games, but it also represented a shift in design away from the top-down perspective...
Review Observation - Space Survival Story with Some Surprises
I'm just looking, I'm not spyin'
Space is kinda terrifying when you think about it. It can be unsettling taking the wrong turn in Wales and winding up surrounded by fields and sheep with nothing but your SatNav for company -- imagine being trapped on a space station and looking out of your window to see nought but the immeasurable black void staring...
Review Everybody's Golf VR - Hot Shots in a Different Dimension
Putt to the test
In the 2017 instalment of Everybody’s Golf, veteran developer Clap-Hanz – supported, as always, by Sony’s own industrious Japan Studio – attempted to reinvent the decades-old franchise, adding open world elements to the classic click-click-click arcade action of yore. Everybody’s Golf VR represents another stark change for...
Vampires. I hate these guys
With a series as well-loved as Castlevania, Konami has sensibly approached celebrating the company's 50th anniversary by providing a game selection in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection with a sense of focus and balance. As opposed to Metroidvania games, the focus here is upon the traditional-style, stage-progression...
Review RAGE 2 (PS4) - Some of the Best Shooting This Gen Doesn't Get the Attention It Deserves
What a wasteland
RAGE 2 is a bit of an odd one. It's been marketed as a sandbox of insanity since its initial reveal, but the reality is that it's actually a pretty tame open world shooter — you could even call it safe. It can be loud but it's no Mad Max: Fury Road, it can be sassy but it's no Borderlands, and it can be brutal but it's no DOOM...
Review Darkwood - Sublime Horror with Some Small Setbacks
It comes at night
Trapped in a Polish village surrounded by an insurmountable forest of trees and threats, you head back to the one place you know can provide some amount of safety. As the sun goes down, your pace quickens with the knowledge that if you’re caught out after dark, you may as well start digging your own grave there and then. With...
Review Sniper Elite V2 Remastered - Serviceable Sniper Action Stuck in the Past
Not so ghillied up
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is the re-release of a PS3 game that was already a remake of the original title in the series. It’s a confusing timeline to say the least, but what baffles us even more is the sheer existence of this PS4 version in the first place. Subsequent sequels, Sniper Elite III and Sniper Elite 4, outmatch the...
Review Shakedown: Hawaii - Money Makes This Open World Go Round
Making a killing
Shakedown: Hawaii is the follow-up to Vblank Entertainment's Retro City Rampage, and as such, it shares a lot of the same DNA. Both are pixelated, open world action games that riff on old-school Grand Theft Auto, and both took a long time to make. However, while this new adventure will be very familiar to anyone who's played RCR, it...
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You'd be forgiven for not knowing this is actually the second time VA-11 HALL-A has graced a PlayStation platform. It released to relatively little fanfare on the PS Vita – and only the PS Vita – but now, at long last, it's found a new home on the PlayStation 4. Venezuelan developer Sukeban Games’ marvelous visual novel is here,...
Review Overcooked - A Delicious Slice of Culinary Co-Op
Frying pan-ic
Republished on Wednesday 1st May 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of May's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Too many cooks spoil the broth – or so the saying goes. The fellows at Ghost Town Games may have taken this on-board when developing its debut indie effort...
Review What Remains of Edith Finch - A Melancholic Masterpiece
This old house
Republished on Wednesday 1st May 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of May's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. It's been five long years since developer Giant Sparrow released its debut title The Unfinished Swan. We absolutely adored that game when it launched, giving...
Review Fade to Silence - A Bang Average Fight for Survival
Silent night
The survival genre is most definitely an acquired taste, but it doesn’t always take a genius to recognise a bit of a dud. Fade to Silence attempts to take after The Long Dark with a harsh, unrelenting winter setting that puts a strain on food and warmth - but it’s nowhere near as effective. Largely thanks to a lack of direction,...
Review Snooker 19 - Solid PS4 Potter Is Right on Cue
Big break
Snooker’s perhaps at its most exciting when Ronnie O’Sullivan is complaining about the stench of tournament venues and Mark Williams is hosting press conferences in the nude. There’s none of the side-theatre in Snooker 19, though: just good honest baize buccaneering with 128 of the world’s top professionals. While there has been...
Sinking feeling
After the fantastical greatness of Assassin's Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs, we had high hopes for The Fate of Atlantis -- a chance for the developers of Assassin's Creed Odyssey to let their imagination run wild. While Odyssey already features a number of mythological elements, this DLC saga promises even more creativity...
Review Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection - Old School Konami Kicks
Back to the 80s
Konami gifts us eight games for the price of one with its Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection. The results are good, but a tad disappointing, based on the other titles the publisher has to its name. The additions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons Arcade, and Contra certainly would’ve livened things up and added more...
Review Jupiter & Mars - Nautical Neon Adventure Is a Little Shallow
Under the sea
Yes, Jupiter & Mars has some similarities to Ecco the Dolphin -- you use echolocation, whales are revered as god-like entities, and there's a sci-fi slant to the story. This PS4 adventure doesn't go quite as insane as the Mega Drive classic, however, instead opting for a more down to Earth narrative about, well, Earth. Taking...
Review Mortal Kombat 11 - Making One Fatal Mistake
Fatality
Mortal Kombat 11 sees the return of the nearly 27-year-old franchise, and likely for its last hurrah on this generation of consoles. NetherRealm’s latest is a solid kontender for the best PlayStation 4 beat-em-up, but its heart has been korrupted by a baffling progression system. Picking up after the events of 2015’s Mortal Kombat X,...
Review World War Z - Enjoyable Zombie Action That Narrowly Misses the Mark
Where's Brad Pitt?
The more games that release in an attempt to emulate it, the more we start to believe that Left 4 Dead was simply a product of its time. While the series never put in an appearance on a PlayStation console, its success was felt far and wide as multiple co-operative knock-offs tried and almost always failed to replicate the unique...
Review My Time At Portia - A Delightful Post-Apocalyptic Life Sim
Workshop till you drop
My Time At Portia is a charming life simulation game, revolving around your new life running a workshop in the post-apocalyptic town of Portia. Unlike most such settings, Portia is brimming with vibrant colours and cheerful residents. However, the town still bears the scars of the apocalyptic event which ravished the world...
Review Heaven's Vault - Impressive Linguistics Can't Combat Mediocrity
Speech level 100
One of the finest things about the independent scene is that it gives more unique ideas, mechanics, and features the opportunity to thrive. Heaven’s Vault, from developer inkle Studios, takes advantage of that freedom with an experience that turns back the clocks and places the emphasis on language and archaeology. It’s a far...
Review FAR: Lone Sails - A Melancholy Drive Through a Harsh World
Come sail away
Have you ever watched a trailer for an indie title and thought to yourself, “Yeah, I get it. It’s one of those artsy titles more hell-bent on just looking pretty.” At a quick glance, that impression looks like it could apply to a title like Swiss developer Okomotive’s FAR: Lone Sails. Well, we've got some news for you; it's...
Review Ghost Giant - A PSVR Masterpiece
Thank you for the music
If we were to hand out awards for adorability at the end of this year, Zoink! Games’ latest would already have the entire competition beat four months in. Ghost Giant has to be one of the most charming and lovable experiences we’ve had this generation, and to witness its beauty through PlayStation VR is quite a sight to...
Review Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain - EDF Is Back to Its Best
EDF! EDF! EDF!
Giving another studio the opportunity to work on a well-documented franchise, especially one whose most notable creations are its WWE 2K titles for the past six years, is always going to come with risks. When developer Yuke’s was given the keys to the Earth Defense Force series, it promised a more western take on things - one that...
Review Falcon Age - PSVR Classic Combines Meaningful Storytelling with Adorable Birds
Bird play
It’s kind of crazy to think that Falcon Age is Outer Loop Games’ very first project as a developer. Designed and produced in its Seattle-based studio, the experience demonstrates a level of maturity, understanding, and respect that games even in the AAA space could only hope to achieve. The headline-grabbing falcon is most definitely...
Review Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - Three Classic Adventures That Stand the Test of Time
I hereby sentence you to play these games
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a bundle of the first three Phoenix Wright games, originally released on Game Boy Advance and then later revamped for Nintendo DS, making their way to a PlayStation console for the very first time. These classic adventure/visual novel titles follow a rookie defence...
Review Zanki Zero: Last Beginning - A Survival RPG from the Makers of Danganronpa
Eat, sleep, die, repeat
Zanki Zero: Last Beginning comes from the creators of the Danganronpa series, and if this game isn’t further proof that Spike Chunsoft loves to torture and torment its poor characters then we don’t know what is. While Zanki Zero doesn’t force a group of school students to kill each other, it still has an equally grim...
Review Dangerous Driving - As Close as You'll Get to Classic Burnout on PS4
Bumpy ride
As enormous fans of Criterion's classic arcade racing series Burnout, we've been patiently waiting for either a revival from EA (a pipe dream, let's be honest) or for someone else to crash into the scene with a fast and brazen alternative. That's exactly what Three Fields Entertainment has created with Dangerous Driving, although you'd...
Review Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition - Back with a Bang
Boom Claptrap
Ten years ago, Borderlands felt like a breath of fresh air. It stood apart from the games that were chasing Call of Duty’s shadow by channelling Diablo more than Desert Storm. Its signature loot mechanic became a selling point, but Borderlands always offered more than that. It was funny, charming, and wholly unique. And in a world...
