PS5 Game Reviews
Review Oddworld: Soulstorm (PS5) - A Tough Game to Love
It's an odd, odd world
It's hard to know where to begin with Oddworld: Soulstorm. The series has definitely had its ups and downs, but it's always felt like part of PlayStation's flavour, so it's nice to have it back after so many years. It's a reimagining of Abe's Exoddus, a sequel to New 'n' Tasty, and in some ways it's one of the better entries...
Review Balan Wonderworld (PS5) - One of the Worst 3D Platformers of the Past Decade
There is no wonder in this world
Gamers have been treated to a 3D platformer renaissance over the past few years. The likes of Yooka-Laylee and A Hat in Time have shown the world that 3D platformers aren’t just a genre of the past, but a formula that can still be iterated upon. Enter Square Enix and legendary game designer Yuji Naka, best known...
Mini Review Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS5) - Still a Skateboarding Great with Decent Upgrade
Keeping the combo going
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, in case you weren't aware, is an excellent remake of the first two games in the legendary series. It originally launched last year on PlayStation 4, and it's a fantastic reimagining of these skateboarding classics. While it looked great on the older hardware, Activision has seen fit to develop...
Mini Review I Saw Black Clouds - Interactive Thriller Won't Be Winning Any Oscars
Thank you for supporting interactive drama
I Saw Black Clouds begins with a warning that tells you that the game features graphic depictions of suicide and then about four seconds later someone commits suicide. The deceased is a troubled girl named Emily and we move swiftly on to her funeral where we're introduced to Kristina and Charlotte who are...
Journey to the East
Immortals Fenyx Rising's second DLC takes the form of an entirely separate adventure titled Myths of the Eastern Realm. Based around Chinese mythology, this expansion features a new playable hero, a new map, and a new story. However, things have barely changed on a mechanical level, making for a very familiar journey. Main...
Review Spacebase Startopia (PS5) - Deep Space, Shallow Management Sim
In space, no one can see you disco dance
Spacebase Startopia is a management simulator based on Startopia, released way back in 2001 on PC. Much like in the original, you're put in charge of a series of doughnut-shaped bases that you’ll need to turn into fun places for aliens to live, work, and play. Every visitor has a wallet filled with Energy...
Mini Review Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition (PS5) - New Balls, Please
Second service
The wait for a good tennis game has, at times, felt longer than Roger Federer’s career – but Tennis World Tour 2 on PlayStation 4 offered a glimmer of hope last year. This new Complete Edition for PS5 repackages the original sports simulation and all of its DLC, but incorporates a number of key under-the-hood improvements as well...
Review It Takes Two (PS5) - An Insanely Inventive Co-Op Adventure
Life is a rollercoaster
Like its predecessor, It Takes Two is only playable in local or online co-op. In keeping with this theme of working together, associate editor Stephen Tailby enlisted the help of his girlfriend, Rachel, for this review. You'll hear from both of them below as they go over their thoughts on this shared experience, laid out in a...
Mini Review Can't Drive This (PS5) - Chaotic Fun That Ends Too Quickly
The truck that couldn’t slow down
There’s an interesting concept behind Can’t Drive This. Developed by Pixel Maniacs — last seen with 2017’s ChromaGun — imagine Speed, but someone set the Bus route with a real-time level editor, and you’ve got the idea. Designed as a co-op experience, player one drives a customisable monster truck,...
Mini Review Hunting Simulator 2 (PS5) – An Unexpectedly Tranquil Excursion
A walk in the woods
While the title may suggest violence and shooting, Hunting Simulator 2 is a surprisingly meditative game. Sure, on the most basic level, it’s a shooter – but you’ll pull the trigger so rarely that it barely qualifies, despite the large number of weapons and gear at your disposal. Ultimately, it serves a better role as an...
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube150k Watch on YouTube Mini Review Monster Truck Championship (PS5) - An Enjoyable Simulator
Kind of a big wheel
We’ve not seen many racers based around monster trucks. THQ Nordic recently released a new Monster Jam entry, but that’s more arcade racing than realistic simulator. Launched on PlayStation 4 last October, Nacon’s Monster Truck Championship offered us that alternative, and now it’s back with a next-gen
Beautiful bandicoot
There's lots to like about Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. A direct sequel to Naughty Dog's classic trilogy, this latest platformer takes the marsupial and his pals on a time-twisting adventure as they put a stop to the antics of Neo Cortex and N. Tropy. It debuted on PlayStation 4 last year, and while it's perfectly...
Mini Review Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition (PS5) - Souls-Like Gets a Deserved Second Chance
Time to shell out for an upgrade
In an era where Souls-like games have become increasingly popular, Mortal Shell on PlayStation 4 gained a cult following for its expansive world and dedication to its Dark Souls roots. As The Foundling, your goal is to defeat The Unchained and the many difficult bosses in your way, all while inhabiting new shells and...
Mini Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5) - Not a Huge Upgrade, But Still a Brilliant RPG
A hero's work is never done
The tale of incredibly endearing protagonist Ichiban Kasuga shines brighter than ever on PlayStation 5, where Yakuza: Like a Dragon offers enhanced visuals. This next-gen upgrade lets you choose between 60 frames-per-second at a slightly higher resolution, or 30 frames-per-second with 4K support. And, well... That's about...
Review Maquette (PS5) - A First-Person Puzzler That's Just a Few Steps from Greatness
It's a small, small world
Maquette is a tricky game to explain in words, but here goes. This first-person puzzler is set in a recursive universe — meaning each iteration of the world contains within it a smaller version of itself. By extension, that means there are ever-larger worlds beyond your reach. It's one of those concepts that's easier to...
Mini Review The Sinking City (PS5) - A Re-Release That Struggles to Remain Afloat
Let it sink in
After months of publisher disputes, The Sinking City has resurfaced on PlayStation Store, alongside a new PS5 version. Based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the game places you in the role of private investigator Charles Winfield Reed, investigating the supernatural town of Oakmont. Using your detective skills, you'll uncover why...
Review The Nioh Collection (PS5) - Backwards Compatibility Causing a Conundrum
Death defies Nioh
A collection of last-gen games gussied up to be re-released on a new console is nothing new. This particular Nioh collection is perhaps a bit more unique in that it includes a supposed remaster for a game that was released a mere ten months prior, but that’s not even the strangest thing about this Nioh bundle. The Nioh Collection...
Review Destruction AllStars (PS5) - A Confident But Flawed Start for Chaotic Car Combat Game
Dodgy ignition
Destruction AllStars is quite a frustrating game. Not really because of anything the game does wrong, but because it clearly holds a lot of potential. As an idea, it sounds great: a destruction derby style title that keeps you in the action with on-foot gameplay when you're between vehicles. In practice, while it does succeed in some...
Review Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood (PS5) - An All Too Brief Adventure
Lots of bark and little bite
For a horror series based around tabletop RPGs, World of Darkness’ shared supernatural universe is making serious inroads on PlayStation this year. Between Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife on PSVR and Vampire: The Masquerade’s two new entries – Swansong and Bloodlines 2 – Werewolf
Review Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5) - A Great Example of What a PS5 Upgrade Can Offer
< A game/experience worth discovering/exploring >
Control’s road to release on PlayStation 5 has been a bit of a rocky one. Between the Ultimate Edition boxing out early adopters from a next-gen upgrade, certain users accidentally being given the upgrade they were told wasn’t possible, and now Control: Ultimate Edition releasing as a PlayStation...
Review RIDE 4 (PS5) - A Motorcycle Crash Felt from the Inside of the DualSense
Wheelie not very good
Next-gen upgrades are a fantastic way to give a game extra polish and enhance the overall experience by taking advantage of the more powerful hardware. Three months after the launch of RIDE 4 on the PlayStation 4, the game was given a new PlayStation 5 version. While there are glimmers of potential under the surface, especially...
Mini Review The Pedestrian (PS5) - Unique Puzzler Shines with Great Haptic Feedback
Anything but pedestrian
In a world with uncreative sequels and rehashed ideas, The Pedestrian stands out as a truly unique and memorable experience. At its core, the game is a 2D puzzle-platformer where your goal is to guide an unnamed stick figure to the door at the end of the stage. The twist though is that the entire game takes place on road...
Review Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (PS5) - Another Solid Alchemic Adventure
Cooking up a storm
Just two years after her first game, Reisalin "Ryza" Stout is back with Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. This time, she’s on an adventure from her home of Kurken Island and has travelled to Asha-Am-Baird to investigate mysteries surrounding some ruins while reuniting with some familiar faces. Atelier Ryza 2...
Review Cyber Shadow (PS5) - A Stylish, Challenging Action Platformer
Ninjas vs. robots
If there are two things commonly found in retro games, it's robots and ninjas. Having one game throw the two archetypes together just makes sense, right? Cyber Shadow manages it rather well. Developed by Mechanical Head Studios and published by Yacht Club Games, this is a side-scrolling action platformer about saving a futuristic...
Review Hitman 3 (PS5) - The Ultimate Stealth Sandbox
Greatest hits
It’s almost impossible to review Hitman 3 as a standalone game. While this brooding conclusion to Danish developer IO Interactive’s excellent World of Assassination trilogy can be purchased individually, it’s intended to be enjoyed as a compilation: a collection of sublime stealth sandboxes spanning a glamorous red carpet event...
Review MXGP 2020 - The Official Motocross Videogame (PS5) - Not Just Another Scrub
Jump the gate
The MXGP titles have been slowly inching their way forward through the years, generally only seeing minor changes with each iteration. Luckily, Milestone has crafted a pretty solid bedrock upon which to build its racing titles, and this latest entry — the series’ first foray on the PlayStation 5 — represents the franchise’s...
Mini Review Maneater (PS5) - Shiny Bits and Bobs Make for a Fin Time
Let’s fin-ish this
Republished on Wednesday 30th December, 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of January 2021's PS Plus lineup. The original text follows. One of a number of free next-gen upgrade titles being offered on Sony’s newest hardware, developer Tripwire has returned to its undersea all...
Review Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (PS5) - Multiplayer FPS Is Only Let Down by Its Community
Intentional team kill
As of December 1st, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege is five years old. Yes, you read that right. But how to celebrate such an incredible milestone for one of the only true Games as a Service success stories? Well, how about a shiny new version of the game that offers an array of improvements? Sure, there are still plenty of...
Review Destiny 2 (PS5) - A Solid Update for Hardcore Players
No time to explain
A lot has changed for Destiny 2 in the three years since release. After launching as a full-priced product, it decided to take the free-to-play route in late 2019. After teaming up with Activision to bring both the original game and this sequel to market, Bungie cut ties with the publisher to do it alone. And after expanding the...
Review No Man's Sky (PS5) - Divisive Survival Game Plays Best with This Next-Gen Upgrade
Galaxy brain
No Man's Sky is not the same game it was when it launched in 2016. The PlayStation 4 generation has seen the emergence of evolving software, and Hello Games' ultra-ambitious space survival adventure is a shining example of that. After enormous excitement, what we had on day one failed to live up to expectations. While the sense of...
