Latest Reviews
Review F1 2011 (PlayStation Vita)
200mph+ bus ride
Nearly everyone has had the itch for speed at one point in their life. Whether it’s while driving a car on the highway or redlining a motorbike, many of us have experienced the thrill of speed and enjoyed it. The ultimate form of adrenaline in racing is Formula 1 (F1), where the world’s best drivers race extremely quick cars on...
Review Daxter (PlayStation Portable)
Lots of ottsel fun
Developed by Naughty Dog – creators of the critically acclaimed Uncharted trilogy on PS3 – the Jak & Daxter series has enjoyed about as much success as a 3D platforming franchise is capable of achieving, short of donning blue dungarees, growing a moustache and taking lessons in Italian. True to form, the series' debut on...
Review Cliff Diving (PlayStation Vita)
Making a splash
With augmented reality being all the rage right now, it’s no surprise to see a camera-exploiting trio arrive on PS Vita at launch to further expand its Swiss army knife-rivalling feature set. In Cliff Diving, the alphabetical first of the three, you take control of Dave and help him become the greatest diver in the world through...
Review Lumines Electronic Symphony (PlayStation Vita)
Brain and eye candy
Lumines Electronic Symphony seems simplistic, but it still offers a challenge for even the best puzzlers out there. As blocks fall, you’ll have to rotate falling cubes to build blocks of the same colour into a four-by-four square; once that square is built, more blocks can be combined onto the initial block until a bar passes...
Review Worms Ultimate Mayhem (PlayStation 3)
No backbone, but still solid
Unless you live under a rock like the franchise’s titular heroes, you know about Worms. Team 17’s long-running series starring surprisingly articulate worms shooting, blasting and blowing each other up with firepower that would frighten the world’s mightiest armies has always had a loyal fanbase despite few...
Review WipEout 2048 (PlayStation Vita)
Adrenaline on the go
WipEout has been the staple for futuristic racing titles since 1995 when SCE Studio Liverpool — then Psygnosis — launched its début title on the original PlayStation; ever since, there's been a steady stream of games released across the PlayStation family. The newest addition to the series speeds its way onto PlayStation...
Review Hungry Giraffe (PlayStation Minis)
Good grub
If gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, then Hungry Giraffe is heading straight to the pits of hell. The game’s titular greedy ungulate has a serious scoffing addiction that’s accentuated by the host of snacks left lingering in the sky. Laughing Jackal’s latest PlayStation Mini isn’t going to win any awards for its fiction,...
Review Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (PlayStation Vita)
Blobstopper
When the first Tales from Space: About a Blob hit the PlayStation 3, it caught most people off guard with its wild 50's sci-fi theme and engaging puzzle-platformer gameplay. Now with the release of the PlayStation Vita, developer Drinkbox Studios has crafted a sequel that not only features every ounce of playability and charm of the...
Review House of the Dead III (PlayStation 3)
Resurrected
Another one of SEGA’s classics stumbles its way onto the PSN with the zombie infested shooter House of the Dead III. With heavy roots in the arcade scene, the House of the Dead (HotD) series has been eating quarters worldwide as one of the most well-known on-rails light gun games in history. It doesn't get much simpler than HotD in...
Review Syndicate (PlayStation 3)
Hostile takeover
Developers of first-person shooters are starting to realise that they can’t simply mimic Call of Duty in order to score a hit. While lessons can certainly be learned from Activision’s multi-billion dollar military series, there’s a growing sense that the industry understands it needs to differentiate too. The Darkness II is a...
Review ModNation Racers: Road Trip (PlayStation Vita)
Go-kartin' with a creative touch
“Let’s go on a road trip!” The thoughts of the adventures just waiting to be explored sends you rapidly packing and out onto the open roads. But once the adventure starts you soon realise that even though you're having fun, in the rush you’ve left home a bit under-packed and you'd have enjoyed the trip far...
Review Asura's Wrath (PlayStation 3)
Asura, watch
His wife murdered, his daughter stolen, cast down from the heavens — Asura has a right to be more than a little wound up. Developer CyberConnect2 really grinds this demigod’s gears in its game-come-interactive movie, adequately providing impetus for his titular rage at every turn. Told over 12,500 years, Asura’s Wrath shows off...
Review Little Deviants (PlayStation Vita)
Control freak
Whenever a new game system is released, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a game built exclusively to show off the various capabilities of said system. In the case of PlayStation Vita, that title would be Little Deviants. Taking a collection of minigames and building them around the unique control interfaces of Vita,...
Review Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PlayStation 3)
And one 4 all
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One does a great job of transforming Insomniac's slapstick shooter series into an enjoyable co-operative ride. Stunning presentation and accessible multiplayer implementation provide the game with an engaging campaign, though it is somewhat let down by disappointing combat and an uninspired final-third. As...
Review Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (PlayStation 3)
Tick tock
The conclusion of the Ratchet & Clank Future arc, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time focuses on Ratchet's continuing rescue mission of Clank and the dastardly deeds of antagonist Dr Nefarious. Building upon much familiarity from previous Ratchet & Clank games, A Crack In Time introduces numerous new mechanics including Clank's...
Review Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (PlayStation Portable)
X marks the spot
As the long-running Mega Man series was set to enjoy its twentieth anniversary, Capcom appeared to be gearing itself up for the event with not one, but two remakes of classic Mega Man games, both of which were released exclusively on the PSP. The first one – Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X – is a remake of Mega Man X, which appeared...
Review Gotham City Impostors (PlayStation 3)
Call of Batman: Gotham Warfare
Gotham City: the home of Batman, along with thousands of denizens who either look to the skies for the caped crusader when in need, or faithfully follow his crazed evil nemesis, the Joker. But there’s also the demented wannabes that will do anything to try and gain their 15 minutes of fame and Gotham City Impostors...
Review Grand Slam Tennis 2 (PlayStation 3)
Serving up a winner?
Grand Slam Tennis 2 has the daunting task of following up last year’s brace of solid tennis titles. Both Virtua Tennis 4 and Top Spin 4 hold a racquet-like grip on the two opposing formats of the tennis genre: Virtua Tennis with its slick arcade action and Top Spin with its challenging simulation focus. It’s unsurprising,...
Review Mega Man: Powered Up (PlayStation Portable)
Ultra Mega Mega Man
Not content with releasing a remake of Mega Man X on the PSP in the form of Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X, Capcom went and unleashed a second remake on owners of Sony's portable in the space of a month. Mega Man: Powered Up is an overhauled and infinitely deeper remake of the very first Mega Man game ever, which appeared on the NES...
Review Need For Speed: The Run (PlayStation 3)
Run down
Need For Speed: The Run is a brilliant idea, but the game's bogged down by some iffy technical issues and frustrating AI. There's a lot to like about The Run — it's well presented and technically impressive — but its quirks will prevent you from returning despite its excellent Autolog implementation and decent track design. The last...
Review Driver: San Francisco (PlayStation 3)
Dreamy
Driver: San Francisco is eccentric but brilliant, carving a slapstick narrative around its complex mechanics. The game's prominent gameplay feature, 'Shift', not only introduces a new way to play, but also opens a window into developer Reflections' creativity, offering objectives that are not only extremely enjoyable but also wilfully...
Review Mecho Wars (PlayStation Minis)
Don't wreck-o my Mecho
Turn-based strategy games are a natural fit for portable devices, their slow pace unhindered by the somewhat erratic schedule of playing games on the go. While the genre has spread far and wide in recent years with many games that look and play quite similarly to one another, Mecho Wars sets itself apart with unique mechanics...
Review Rayman Origins (PlayStation 3)
Four limbs good, no limbs better
Rayman Origins is a delirious platformer packed with delicious visuals and scrumptious level design. The legless protagonist's latest adventure is the perfect antidote to the industry's frustrating obsession with gritty war games, prompting some of the most fun you'll find on PlayStation 3 this year. Games like...
Review Sonic Generations (PlayStation 3)
Cycle shattering
Sonic Generations is a fitting celebration of the blue blur's legacy. We imagine somewhere deep inside Sonic Team's Tokyo headquarters there's a whiteboard packed with diagrams, text and flowcharts. Written at the head of the whiteboard in bold, red marker pen are the words 'Breaking The Sonic Cycle'. Venture into any Sonic thread...
Review The Simpsons Arcade Game (PlayStation 3)
Excellent
The arcade scene of the early 90's was a great time for spare change. A handful of coins was more than money. In between laps of the roller rink and mouthfuls of pizza, any coinage you had left became tokens into another world, giving you one more shot at toppling your nemeses of choice, whether that be Shredder, Magneto or Mr. Burns. When...
Review Batman: Arkham Asylum (PlayStation 3)
Dark Knight chronicles
When the Joker escapes Arkham Asylum (again) and gives himself up without a fight, you'd be right to assume something's not quite right. Of course, this being the start of the game, your assumptions would be correct. The Joker tricks Batman inside Arkham Asylum of which he subsequently takes control. Cue one of Batman's most...
Review Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (PlayStation Vita)
Nice shot!
It's hard to believe that Hot Shots Golf has been around for almost 15 years, and given how much of a staple the series has been on Sony systems in that time, it's no wonder the games have become so well-loved by PlayStation fans. While the series has evolved at a fairly consistent rate alongside the growing technology, nothing quite...
Review Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PlayStation 3)
Lightning strikes twice
We all know that the hugely popular Final Fantasy RPG series has had more than its fair share of games, but rarely do we witness direct sequels. As one of those rare games, Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place directly after the events of Final Fantasy XIII; Lightning vanishes without a trace and only Serah can remember seeing...
Review The Darkness II (PlayStation 3)
Are you afraid of the dark?
We’ve all been in a situation where two hands are not enough: we pop pencils behind our ears and grip paper in our mouth, cursing through muffled breath about our awkward plight. Jackie Estacado, the protagonist of 2K’s The Darkness franchise, doesn’t have that problem. Armed with two standard anatomical limbs and a...
Heaven or hell?
An enchanting and minimal experience, Limbo is absolutely essential. Limbo's minimalism presents itself from the outset. The opening is bereft of button prompts and exposition, settling for a delightfully simplistic title screen and an opening in which our protagonist — a silhouette of a small boy with radiating white eyes —...
