PS4 Game Reviews
Review Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PlayStation 4)
That’s what we’re Tolkien about
It’s natural to be sceptical about licensed video games, and everyone has the right to feel this way about them, especially when a blockbuster-sized one comes around with a burden of expectations and hype to live up to, despite having a broad ancestry of mediocre releases. Of course, we’re referring to...
Review Alien: Isolation (PlayStation 4)
RIPley
Creative Assembly’s greatest challenge with Alien: Isolation was always going to be keeping the title’s gruesome game of cat and mouse interesting over the course of a complete campaign – and it would have succeeded, if it knew when to roll the credits. There’s always a cry from money conscious consumers for more content, but SEGA’s...
Review Anomaly 2 (PlayStation 4)
Turning the tables
Tower defence is more of a niche genre for a particular subset of gamers. The slow pace and constant, strategic management of resources that characterises the games may sound like either a fun time or a monotonous drag to you, but something like Anomaly 2 is, er, an anomaly. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play as...
Review Futuridium EP Deluxe (PlayStation 4)
Spacecubes
The work of a space pilot is never done – and in Futuridium EP Deluxe, you'll learn this firsthand. This retro themed shooter attempts to combine classic genre tropes with modern sensibilities, while also providing a cacophony of visual and sonic stimulation. But does this ship reach warp speed, or could it have used a bit longer in the...
Review FIFA 15 (PlayStation 4)
Straight down the middle
Reviewing FIFA tends to get harder as the years pass, especially when there are no new gameplay innovations or drastic blueprint alterations to shout about. Last year's entry felt like a step up purely because of the graphical and technical improvements that came courtesy of new hardware, but FIFA 15 is obviously unable to...
Review CastleStorm: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
It's reigning Zen
Blurring the line between tower defense and real-time strategy, CastleStorm proved a surprise hit when we reviewed it last year. This time, Zen Studios’ clever mash-up is back on the PlayStation 4, with all of its previous DLC and a few new surprises up its sleeve. But how does this version stack up against the game that we...
Review Watch Dogs: Bad Blood (PlayStation 4)
Dreadlock screen
Watch Dogs was a solid sandbox title that was let down by a shallow story and a weak cast of characters, and even though it featured a number of well designed missions and some great combat, a severe lack of personality kept proceedings from being truly memorable. Flash forward, and we have the game's first expansion: Bad Blood...
Review Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments (PlayStation 4)
Baker treat
Sherlock Holmes is the ultimate alpha male. He may not be particularly strong, but he has the ability to crush any man with his incredible intellect – and in Crimes and Punishments, a PlayStation 4 adventure loosely based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous short stories and the BBC’s more modern adaptation, he practically revels...
Review KickBeat: Special Edition (PlayStation 4)
Kick it into touch
KickBeat: Special Edition is the re-release of Zen Studios’ rhythm fighting game for the PlayStation 4. Now, you may be asking yourself what a rhythm fighting game actually is – or you may not be. Either way, picture a fusion of Mortal Kombat and DJ Hero, and you’ll more or less have the right idea. Sadly, this game sounds...
Too few men on the ice
Last year, when EA made it apparent that NHL 14 would be the only sports game to be skipping out on arriving on the (at the time) next generation of consoles, some people were distraught – this author included. Why would the publisher miss out on introducing NHL to the PlayStation 4 as soon as possible? It was explained to...
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube152k Watch on YouTube Review Flockers (PlayStation 4)
Sheep thrills
In the nineties, Lemmings was so popular with gamers that it appeared on a mind boggling number of platforms, as millions tried – with varying degrees of success – to guide the careless rodents to safety. Since those heady days, you don’t see many titles that follow the Lemmings formula, but with the release of Flockers on the...
Review Destiny (PlayStation 4)
Guardians of the galaxy
Expectations breed negativity, and Destiny's long awaited launch has suffered for it. Despite making more money than we dare to imagine in its first 24 hours on the market, Bungie's latest project has attracted the ire of many players since its servers went live. After what feels like an eternity of hype and huge marketing...
Review Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition (PlayStation 4)
Chip off the old block
Minecraft is quite simply one of those games that will go down in history as a truly revolutionary idea. Markus ‘Notch’ Persson’s block busting sandbox has rapidly transformed into a cultural phenomenon, sprouting memorabilia, fancy dress costumes, and, of course, console ports. This PlayStation 4 release is very much...
Review The Golf Club (PlayStation 4)
Fore the fanatics
Breaking into the sports genre is almost impossible if you’re an indie outfit. There’s money to be made in pub games and the like, but you’re never going to see a ten man team take on FIFA or Madden – the odds of success are significantly worse than Tiger Woods’ now that he’s busted his back. The Golf Club by Canadian...
Review The Last Tinker: City of Colors (PlayStation 4)
Needs a bit more tinkering
Sony has never been a stranger to having platformers hit its consoles. In a day and age where 3-D platformers are becoming less common than they should, there are occasions when weʼre treated with a fun little title that rekindles our interest in the genre. Developer Mimimi Productions brings PlayStation 4 owners a new...
Review Madden NFL 15 (PlayStation 4)
Defensive win
It’s Madden Season, so it's time to pone your rivals and show them what you're made of on the gridiron — well, the virtual gridiron, at least. Unlike previous titles, this year’s release of the American football simulator makes some pretty massive changes to the way that the game is played. Madden NFL 15 has taken inspiration...
Review Velocity 2X (PlayStation 4)
2Xcellent
Since the very beginning of video game history, developers have strived to give us new and exciting ways of blowing stuff up in space. Whether it’s deadly invaders from planets unknown or chunks of asteroids, it’s all been in preparation for Velocity 2X. Strap yourself in, grab yourself a glass of tang, attempt to figure out what the...
Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation 4)
A good sssstarting point
Warriors titles may be having a decent critical run of late, but even that doesn't help the fact that this year has already had its fair share of titles from Koei Tecmo's slash-'em-up franchises. We've had Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn, and now we've got Warriors...
Review Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (PlayStation 4)
A real grower
Years of cultivation at PopCap Games has led to the growth of its latest title, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. This series has long been known as a popular tower defence title – however, the developer has now planted its roots into new soil by changing the format slightly. As its Call of Duty spoofing name may indicate, this...
Review Trials Fusion: Empire of the Sky (PlayStation 4)
Looking up
If there was one thing wrong with Trials Fusion, it was that there wasn’t enough chances to fall tens of thousands of feet to your death. The fans have spoken: sometimes smashing your 120MPH bike into a brick wall just doesn’t feel dangerous enough. Don’t worry, though, as Ubisoft has heard your cries for a little more distance from...
Review Hotline Miami (PlayStation 4)
Miami Visceral
With the stylish murder simulator Hotline Miami first hitting the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2013, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the darling indie title has already achieved critical acclaim and a cult following of devout 80s obsessed adrenaline junkies. Just over a year later, the gory title sees a re-release on the...
Review inFAMOUS: First Light (PlayStation 4)
Fetching
The problem with inFAMOUS: Second Son was that it ended too quickly: Sucker Punch’s supercharged pseudo sequel was over in a flash, leaving many of its fans wanting more. inFAMOUS: First Light attempts to solve that problem, recharging with a new playable character, storyline, and some fresh powers – but does it burn brightly, or...
Review Metro Redux (PlayStation 4)
A whole new world
What do you get when you mix a Ukrainian developer, a best-selling Russian novel, two games, and the PlayStation 4? It’s not a trick question: we’re referring to Metro Redux, of course. 4A Games’ pair of previous generation escapades have been remastered and reworked for Sony’s latest system – and, in many ways, the...
Review CounterSpy (PlayStation 4)
From Russia with regret
CounterSpy is a strange beast. Developed by fledgling studio Dynamighty, it's an ambitious game that strives to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D stealth, while also attempting to juggle randomly generated levels. And while it plays host to some truly unique mechanics, and consistently brilliant presentation, it's...
Review Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition (PlayStation 4)
Who needs a degree?
Some games just like to poke fun at you, often by being notoriously difficult, with the likes of Dark Souls, Flappy Bird, and QWOP springing to mind. These titles frequently find success through their brutal difficulty levels, and even amass cult followings of dedicated fans, who are able to succeed where so many fail. Surgeon...
Review Hohokum (PlayStation 4)
Tripping the light fantastic
Whenever we played British developer Honeyslug’s latest game Hohokum at conventions and the like, our biggest issue was quite simply explaining the experience to others. What exactly is the vibrant title starring a multicoloured worm all about? Is it art? How do you play it? Heck, what do you even do? Having spent...
Review Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition (PlayStation 4)
Heavenly hell
Diablo III is samey and full of repetition in the best possible way. Sure, the package is packed with some truly stunning cut-scenes and the odd nugget of nonsensical narrative exposition – but it’s the never-ending combat that will keep you hooked. Such a rinse and repeat formula should perhaps be frowned upon, but even through...
Review Pure Pool (PlayStation 4)
A game with balls
It’s undeniable that VooFoo Studios is swiftly making a name for itself by producing incredibly photo realistic digital renditions of classic games. We’ve already covered the British-based outfit’s Backgammon and Chess endeavours, and now we’re onto Pure Pool, an adaptation of the quintessential pub pastime that’s...
Review Road Not Taken (PlayStation 4)
Rice, rabbits, and unfit parents
Every year, just as the winter starts to kill off the last of the year’s berries, children head out into the forest in a final attempt to boost food stores. Some of the little ones never come back, which seems to panic the parents a little too much considering that they let them go off and do it every year...
Review Don't Starve: Reign of Giants (PlayStation 4)
The hungrier game
Don’t Starve: Reign of Giants isn’t your typical downloadable content offering. With the roguelike survival game Don’t Starve, it’s not as straightforward as getting a unique story as seen in BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea: Episode 2, or as simple as additional modes and weapons like in The Last of Us’ Grounded...
