Latest Reviews
Review Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (PS4)
Decagon of disappointment
With the release of Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, anyone who's fallen in love with the original Psychonauts in the past 12 years will finally get the chance to dip back into the unusual world of Razputin “Raz" Aquato and his friends. As long as you happen to own PlayStation VR that is. In thi
Review Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea (PS Vita)
A crafty plus size treat
Just as Nintendo look to Switch up the handheld market, Sony give gamers a reason to dig out the trusty old PlayStation Vita in the shape of another fun and accessible Japanese role-playing game. Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is an enhanced port of the PlayStation 3 game packing all the downloadable...
Review Berserk and the Band of the Hawk (PS4)
No Guts, no glory
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is easily the bloodiest action game that Omega Force has ever squeezed out. True to the often gruesome source material, the game doesn't skimp on the red stuff, soaking the screen as you forcefully cleave your way through hundreds of enemies. Indeed, if there's one thing that Band of the Hawk gets...
Bounce
We suppose it is a bit silly getting excited over a virtual reality ping pong simulation when most recreational centres have real tables of their own. Nevertheless, this author has always enjoyed a spot of video game table tennis, with Sports Champions (sorry, Rockstar) being the best adaptation thus far. But does PlayStation VR title VR Ping...
Review Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 (PS4)
Cards against humanity
Oh, Capcom – why, oh why did you cut Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 from the main game? Banned Footage Vol. 1 served up a couple of quality VHS tapes, and its successor – launching less than a month after the core campaign – is arguably better. The DLC is cementing the survival horror as a modern...
Review Kitty Powers' Matchmaker (PS4)
It's not you, it's me
Camp is a word that will keep popping into your head while playing Kitty Powers' Matchmaker. In fact, this reviewer's confident in saying that the only way this title could possibly be more camp would be if it suddenly decided to start pitching tents. Innuendo and the sort of humour that would have Sid James laughing in his...
So-Sōsetsuken
Let's start by addressing the title. Double Dragon 4, funnily enough, takes place shortly after the events of Double Dragon 2, which is somewhat confusing. Then you have the fact that this is, in fact, the twelfth iteration of the series, including ports and crossovers, and many will argue that Super Double Dragon is technically the...
Review Naruto Storm 4: Road to Boruto (PS4)
Daddy issues
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is comfortably one of the best anime based titles on the PlayStation 4, and now almost exactly a year after its original release, it's getting a pretty meaty expansion in the form of Naruto Storm 4: Road to Boruto. As the title suggests, this add-on features the exploits of Boruto, Naruto's...
Review Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 1 (PS4)
Don't let the bed bugs bite
Much like the core campaign, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard's first DLC drop is a pleasant surprise. Comprising of a mismatch of modes and bonus content, Banned Footage Vol. 1 isn't the most consistent expansion that you'll ever encounter, but it is one of the better ones – even if its proximity to the main game will leave...
Review Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers (PS4)
The search continues
The Dynasty Warriors series is no stranger to spin-offs, what with its library of Empires titles and its catalogue of somewhat lacking offshoots like Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. The property has a spotty record when it comes to swapping out its tried and tested hack and slash formula for something different, so it's safe to...
Exit stage left
Knee Deep is an odd game. Its particular brand of narrative-driven gameplay is hard to categorise: it's not quite a point-and-click adventure and not quite a walking simulator. If anything, it sits clumsily on the outskirts of the former, not really offering much in the way of pointing or clicking. Originally an episodic PC game, it...
Review Earthlock: Festival of Magic (PS4)
A kind of magic
Looking back on our adventure through the fantasy world of Umbra, we can't help but be reminded of a quote from John Carmack, co-founder of id Software. Speaking about DOOM, Carmack said: "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important." While we don't necessarily agree in...
Review Tales of Berseria (PS4)
Velvet not cut from the same cloth
You can always count on the Tales series to keep to its roots. While the latest Final Fantasy might have divided opinion with its more Westernised open world direction, Tales of Berseria is a far more typical Japanese role-playing game that continues – and develops, in some meaningful ways – the genre's...
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (PS4)
A sight for Sora eyes
It's baffling to consider that a new Kingdom Hearts hasn't been released on consoles in over a decade. The series' sappy emotion, bizarre juxtaposition of characters, and overly convoluted story may drive many away, but there's a stirring magic and innocence to it all that has never waned on us. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final...
Turing point
Most of us use a computer at least once a day. If we want to know the weather, we ask our phone. If we want to check our schedule, we scroll through our tablet. If we want to know what the traffic is like, we search it on our laptop. The Turing Test asks us to think about the implications of that ecosystem. It wants us to examine the...
Review Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4)
Bayou hazard
Ever since BSAA beefcake Chris Redfield exacted grievous bodily harm on a boulder, the Resident Evil franchise has been on a bit of a downward spiral. Sure, the Revelations side-stories delivered disposable enough entertainment, but numbered entry Resident Evil 6 was a rotter through and through. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard aims to drag...
Star wars
As far as "classic video game genres" go, top-down space shooters are a bread-and-butter staple of the medium. While gems of the genre once ruled arcades and home-consoles alike, in modern times they've become dime-a-dozen, mostly relegated to portable devices and mobile phones. Within that landscape, any game of that type will have to do...
Review 2064: Read Only Memories (PS4)
Beds are Turing
2064: Read Only Memories is a game about artificial intelligence. Indeed, it's a game about both the interpersonal intricacies of machine sapience, and its broader societal implications. It's also a game about gentrification, and the way capitalism chews up and spits out disadvantaged people. It's a game about all of these things,...
Review The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition (PS4)
Rolling on a river
The Flame in the Flood is a procedurally generated, rogue-like survival game that takes you on a journey down a river in a forgotten, post-societal America. You take on the role of a female protagonist, Scout, who has to fight for survival against the harsh conditions of the flooded wasteland beyond. Your only company is a pet...
Review Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star (PS4)
History repeats
At its core, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star is Dynasty Warriors set in cyber space. Three factions battle it out to decide who rules the brightly coloured digital world, and each army is spearheaded by anime-style representations of mythical and historical figures. You'll see legendary Chinese general Lu Bu clashing with Joan of Arc...
Review Siegecraft Commander (PS4)
Under siege
The first casualty of war is potentially your mental health if you fire up Siegecraft Commander, which takes the novel idea of crossing a real-time strategy (RTS) game with the tactical control of a tower defence title. Sounds good and Blowfish Studios has a good track record of making compelling games, so let's slip the dogs of war and...
Oh dearoid
Spheroids is a 2D platformer made up of pixel-art environments. We understand that that's about as off-putting as an opening line of a review can be, but that's what Spheroids is – and it doesn't do very much else. Set in a world in which circular aliens called – get ready – spheroids have invaded Earth, it's up to our protagonist...
Fur the players
The corest of core PlayStation fans caterwauled for more of Kat and crew, and Japan Studio has delivered in abundance: Gravity Rush 2 is a much, much bigger iteration of Keiichirō Toyama's physics defying favourite – and while it's still far from purr-fect, it's hard to deny that its heart is in the right place. This stylish...
Review Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone (PS4)
Tone stop believin'
2015's Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X was a little bit of a departure for the long-running rhythm game series. Rather than adhering to the traditional, gameplay-focused framework of the franchise set up in earlier instalments, X thrust players into a sugary sweet narrative starring the popular virtual popstar and her equally...
Review Momonga Pinball Adventures (PS4)
Flippin’ squirrels!
Momonga Pinball Adventures is a story-based pinball game with a twist: instead of using a ball you are flipping a squirrel. You take on the role of Momo, a flying squirrel who escaped his village when it was attacked and destroyed by owl bandits. Now with your help, he sets out on a quest to find his "kidnapped" friends and...
Review Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PS4)
I whip my hair back and forth
The Shantae series is an odd one, isn't it? It's been around for quite some time, but never made a huge impact. The Metroidvania style gameplay and quirky writing are adored by fans, but despite being quietly very good, the games remain ignored by most. Funnily enough, you can play three of the four titles right now on...
Review Battle Garegga Rev.2016 (PS4)
Rank up
It might seem odd to begin a review with a short history lesson, but in the case of Battle Garegga, it's certainly warranted. Originally released in arcades in 1996 and developed by Japanese firm Raizing (also known as Eighting / 8ing and now primarily responsible for creating games based on the Kamen Rider TV show), this...
Review Air Race Speed (PS Vita)
Total wipeout
Air Race Speed. It's a terrible name, but an accurate one. This low-budget end-of-life PlayStation Vita release deployed just prior to the holidays, presumably winding its way to Sony's portable after struggling to set the smartphone sales charts alight. Despite its weedy price point and miserable moniker, though, this high-octane...
Review Bridge Constructor (PS4)
Bridging the gap
We've all travelled across a bridge at some point in our lives, and we've stopped on more than one occasion to marvel at their impressive structural designs. But while crossing these bridges, have you ever wondered what it takes to design and construct perfectly balanced bridges like Isambard Kingdom Brunel's suspension bridges?...
Null and void
Dungeon crawlers are a popular genre of games these days and there are plenty to experience on the PlayStation 4: The Binding of Isaac, Rogue Legacy, and Spelunky to name a few. However, none of these are as unique in style as Crystal Rift, which takes a very old-school approach to the experience. You control your adventurer from a...
