Latest Reviews
Mini Review Gas Guzzlers Extreme - Nothing Extreme About This Ropey PS4 Racer
Put it in reverse
Gas Guzzlers Extreme is a bad name for a pretty bad game. A combat racer that looks and feels like a title from generations gone by, it fails to really impress on any level. PlayStation 4 is a platform that's suffered a lack of arcade racing games, but this one can't hold a candle to the few decent examples available. One of its...
Review Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame - A Disappointing Ride
Road rash
Republished on Wednesday 27th November 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of December's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Racing games are dime a dozen, but while most focus on cars or more “extreme” sports, it’s relatively slim pickings when it comes to motocross and...
Review Titanfall 2 - One of PS4's Most Inventive First Person Shooters
Mech heaven
Republished on Wednesday 27th November 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of December's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Sometimes a game will come along and blow away any expectations you held for it. DOOM is a prime example from earlier in the year, with a sublime...
Mini Review The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets - An Adorable But Brief PSVR Puzzler
Animal magic
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a PlayStation VR puzzle game in which you swivel a handful of dioramas around in search of hidden animals. There's not much more to it than that, but it gets away with such a simple idea by presenting it wonderfully. It's an absolute walk in the park, but there's still a satisfaction to solving...
Mini Review Doctor Who: The Edge of Time - A PSVR Game Only Whovians Could Love
Wibbly wobbly timey wimey
It's always felt like BBC's campy sci-fi show should be a home run in video games, but it's rarely translated well to an interactive format. PlayStation VR adventure Doctor Who: The Edge of Time is an effort to change that, but it's ultimately a bit flat, leaning a little too heavily on fan-pleasing moments instead of...
Mini Review Sparklite - A Sparkling Rogue-Lite Adventure
Shine bright like a diamond
Weaving the charm of 2D Zelda games with rogue-lite mechanics, Sparklite is quite literally a gem to be uncovered. Set in the ever-changing land of Geodia, and the balloon powered hub-ship above, you play as Ada, a sky-refugee turned Titan slayer tasked with collecting all the Sparklite she can. The titular currency...
Review Civilization VI - The Best Strategy Game on PS4
Everybody wants to rule the world
In the year 1886, Greece was a world superpower thanks to unparalleled scientific discovery and widespread cultural influence. Sparta was home to great scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, and world wonders such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Edgar Allen Poe wrote The Raven there, while gazing out of his hotel...
Review Blacksad: Under the Skin - A 1950s Whodunit with More Bugs Than Mysteries
Feline rough
Blacksad: Under the Skin is an adventure game set in 1950s New York where all the characters are anthropomorphic animals. It’s based on a gritty comic book series created by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, but you don’t need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy the game. There’s a definite film noir style going...
Mini Review Bee Simulator - A Good Natured Game, But It Still Stings
More like half-a-bee
There's a simulator for all kinds of weirdly specific things these days, to the point where it's a bit of a running joke. Some really are trying to portray a true to life experience, while others use the moniker ironically. Bee Simulator flies closer to the latter camp, although instead of aiming for cheap laughs, it's hoping to...
Review Golem - The World Is Not Enough to Save This PSVR Title from Itself
Rock slide
Have you ever had one of those games you were really excited for, but once the game finally comes out you end up not just disliking it, but actually kind of hating it? Enter Highwire Games’ Golem. Despite being delayed over and over since 2015’s announcement, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to say more delays may have been the right...
Mini Review Audica - Harmonix's PSVR Rhythm Game Is Right on Target
Rock n' roll is king
PlayStation VR isn’t hurting for good experiences, but it’s time to throw another on the stack. Rhythm kings Harmonix are back with Audica, a VR music experience where you shoot at notes as they fly towards you. While its gameplay may be more comparable to the Persona dancing games, the gameplay loop is every bit as...
Mini Review Last Labyrinth - PSVR's Most Baffling Experience
At least it's the last one
Every so often, a video game will come along that seemingly defies all preconceived logic and common sense. That can be a good thing, or it can go the way of The Quiet Man. Unfortunately, Last Labyrinth is a PlayStation VR title that very much belongs in the latter category. Its core mechanic is sound enough, if a little...
Review Terminator: Resistance - Schwarzenegger Spin-Off Betters Rambo in Every Way
Fall of man
Coming off the back of 2014's Rambo: The Video Game, it's easy to see why expectations for Teyon and Reef Entertainment's next joint venture were not at an all-time high. The twosome has finally arrived on the current generation of consoles with a whole lot of negative baggage and yet another movie property in their palms, but can they...
Mini Review Valfaris - Heavy Metal Headliner Is Hellishly Worthy
Go to Hell, for Heaven's Sake
Valfaris isn’t interested in pleasantries and introductions. The Slain: Back From Hell spiritual successor is a headbanging romp across an alien planet that lets the action do the talking. Teeming with the Devil’s deadliest associates, it’s 2D shooting mayhem that manages to match impressive enemy designs with...
Review Death Stranding - Hideo Kojima's Latest Masterpiece Has Arrived
I'm not that Fragile
When Hideo Kojima stated that his next project would bring about an entirely new genre, he wasn't joking. Death Stranding may feel familiar in minor mechanical means, but it's also wholly unique among a sea of AAA titles eager to take advantage of the latest RPG levelling system. It's a social experience where you never see...
Mini Review Antigraviator - This Anti-Gravity Imitator Wipes Out on PS4
So-so, speed racer
WipEout is an excellent target to aim for, but rarely do attempts at recapturing the series' magic get it right. Unfortunately, that's the case with Antigraviator, a newly released, high speed, anti-gravity racing game. It features a handful of different customisable ships to pilot through a few different race types, and swaps out...
Mini Review Yakuza 4 Remastered - Uneven Storytelling Holds Back Another Solid Yakuza Title
Four's a crowd
When it originally released back in 2010, Yakuza 4 was defined by its four playable characters -- a first for the series. Alongside mainstay protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, players got to experience the stories of charismatic loan shark Akiyama, escaped convict Saejima, and street-smart cop Tanimura. In Yakuza 4 Remastered, all four...
Review Outer Wilds - An Engaging, Open Ended Sci-Fi Mystery
The great unknown
Rather than making space an endless slog to explore, Mobius Digital has condensed its starry sandbox down to a handful of small planets packed with secrets. Outer Wilds is an open ended sci-fi title with a time-twisting mystery at its heart, and it manages to do a lot with a little. It might take some getting used to, but this is a...
Review WWE 2K20 - 2K Sports' Wrestling Sim Hits Rock Bottom
Undisputed Error
WWE has released a video game based on its flagship brand of sports entertainment every year for close to three decades now, so it may be surprising to some that this year’s entry has veered away from the franchise’s grappling roots in a variety of ways. For a start, all traditional forms of locomotion have been removed, as you...
Review Outlast II - A Harrowing Sequel That's Desperate to Shock
Trial and terror
Republished on Wednesday 30th October 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of October's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. If the original Outlast is considered a somewhat crude exploration of mental health and the challenges that society faces in understanding it, then...
Review Nioh - Team Ninja's Take on Dark Souls Is a Striking Alternative
Prepare to daikatana
Republished on Wednesday 30th October 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of October's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Stop us if you think you've heard this one before. You wake up in prison in your underwear, immediately breaking out and making your way...
Review Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - A Great Campaign Rescues an Otherwise Safe Reimagining
Reboots on the ground
True to its name, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare retreads familiar territory, and in more ways than one. Not to be confused with the remaster of Call of Duty 4, this is a full blown reboot that ironically shakes up the formula by going back to where the franchise's fortunes truly started. However, while some old ideas are revived...
Review Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King - A Comprehensive Nostalgia Trip
The king has returned
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, especially a double whammy of childhood movies and games. Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King is exactly as advertised -- the beloved 16-bit platformers bundled together. Only it's more than that; Capcom's Aladdin for SNES aside, this is about as comprehensive a package as you could...
Review Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD - Monkey's Paw Paradox At Play in Port of Poor Game
Monkey balls
There’s a bit of a monkey’s paw paradox to Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD: SEGA’s vibrant Marble Madness-esque roll-‘em-up has finally made its long-awaited PlayStation 4 debut, but not even apes would have picked this wretched ex-Nintendo Wii exclusive as the version to port. Maligned at launch for its miserable motion...
Review Close to the Sun - A Tribute Act That Struggles to Land
Current affairs
To say that Close to the Sun heavily evokes BioShock in its opening chapters is a massive understatement. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Arriving at a seabound utopia - established as a place where the great minds of the time can flex without being restrained by their governments - you find it in total disarray, with a...
Review Return of the Obra Dinn - Methodical Maritime Mystery Masterpiece
Worse things happen at sea
Return of the Obra Dinn is the most engrossing puzzler on PlayStation 4 since The Witness. Putting you in the shoes of an investigator, you're sent aboard the titular ship, which has reappeared after being assumed lost five years earlier. Your job is to explore every part of the vessel in order to work out the identity and...
Review Cat Quest II - Simple But Satisfying RPG Fun That Shines in Co-Op
Purrty doggone good
A follow-up to 2017's simple but very effective Cat Quest, the appropriately named Cat Quest II is bigger and better. The first game's simplicity remains intact, making for another approachable action role-playing title that's fun for all ages. Journeying across the game's colourful map, picking up quests, whacking monsters, and...
Review MediEvil - A Successful Resurrection of a Flawed But Fun Adventure
Undead and loving it
Remakes of fondly remembered favourites always have a tough call to make: should they remain faithful to the source material, or make improvements and changes to modernise the old-school design? The answer usually lies somewhere in between. MediEvil is the latest PSone classic to be brought back to life, and it errs on the side...
Review The Outer Worlds - Fallout: New Vegas Meets Mass Effect in This Role-Playing Masterclass
Spacer's choice
The Outer Worlds borrows a lot from Fallout. More specifically, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the latter being developer Obsidian's own creation. You travel between disgruntled communities, picking up quests and shooting people you don't like. You click your way through branching dialogue options, and the camera zooms in on a...
Sharpened steel
The story of Rean Schwarzer continues in Trails of Cold Steel III as the often obnoxiously nice protagonist finds himself back at school, only this time, he isn't a student. After graduating from Thors Military Academy following the events of the second game, Rean now leads the all-new Class VII as an instructor at a freshly...
