Latest Reviews
Review Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo (PlayStation Vita)
Grinding gears
There's a really neat premise at the heart of Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo – a downloadable title that's destined to be completely overlooked by most. In a post-apocalyptic future where mankind's on its last legs and Japan is little more than a smouldering ruin, machines known as Rage stalk the desolate landscape, scouring...
Review Tropico 5 (PlayStation 4)
Havana good time
Back when Bullfrog was considered a big name, construction games were all the rage. The likes of Theme Park and Theme Hospital were among the most popular releases on the PSone, but as the genre increased in complexity on computers, these console ports became increasingly less common. Tropico 5, then, is something of a rarity: a...
Review Ziggurat (PlayStation 4)
Rogue wizards
It's been a busy month for Roguelite, first-person-shooters on the PlayStation 4. No sooner have you put your feet up after besting the firearm filled gauntlets of Tower of Guns, when Ziggurat comes knocking on your door to drag you back to yet another randomly generated labyrinth, packed full of all sorts of monsters and traps. In...
Review Shovel Knight (PlayStation 4)
Dig in
Funded through Kickstarter and developed by a team of less than ten people, Shovel Knight was one of 2014's unexpected Game of the Year contenders. Indeed, the retro jump-'em-up was met with praise from game journalists and YouTube personalities alike, and now that it's finally made its way to PlayStation, not much has changed – it's still...
Review Project Root (PlayStation 4)
Bullet hell
There are so many things worth spending your money on: a gift for that creepy man in the bus stop, one of those rubbery, gooey aliens that were popular in the '90s, or – if all else fails – a can of delicious Spam. With so many quality products on the market, Project Root may just seem a little bit underwhelming. Indeed, it doesn't...
Review Aaru's Awakening (PlayStation 4)
For free?
Aaru's Awakening (that's pronounced 'er-ooh' for anyone curious) is the latest indie to launch on PlayStation as a free PlayStation Plus game, and just to be clear, it loves putting its artsy attitude front and centre. Don't get us wrong, we were entertained, if not occasionally peeved, by the challenging run and jump gameplay – but the...
Review Don Bradman Cricket (PlayStation 4)
Not Brad, man
Cricket is like the spaghetti western of sports: what it lacks in lightning-fast thrills, it makes up for in slowly creeping suspense. With Don Bradman Cricket, developer Big Ant Studios has attempted to take this classic calculating core and convert it into a robust and exciting digital experience for Sony's super system. But does the...
Review Broken Age (PlayStation 4)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Broken Age is the newest release from Double Fine, the developer founded by adventure game legend Tim Schafer. The release is noteworthy for having a massively successful Kickstarter campaign; with a goal of $400,000, the studio ended up raising almost $3.5 million. Of course, with huge money came big expectations,...
Review LA Cops (PlayStation 4)
D'oh-nuts
Hotline Miami's not necessarily the kind of game that you'd expect to attract a string of copycats, but LA Cops follows developer Dennaton's brutal blueprint down to the most specific of details. You play as one of six clichéd LAPD law enforcers, with your objective to bring justice to some of America's most wanted. You'll do this by...
Review Tower of Guns (PlayStation 4)
Guns! Guns! Guns!
In the beginning there was a game called Rogue. This ground breaking RPG was swiftly followed by a number of other titles that shared its penchant for randomly generated environments and punishing restarts. Lovingly referred to as Roguelikes, the last fifteen years or so has seen these sorts of titles enjoying a bit of a resurgence...
Review We Are Doomed (PlayStation 4)
Kaleidoscope of colour
If you were to take Geometry Wars and TxK and produce a hybrid of them, you would most certainly end up with We Are Doomed. This twin-stick arcade shooter is another classic example of the 'easy to learn, hard to master' gameplay philosophy, and it's accompanied by explosive graphics, techno music, and a swarm of simplified...
Review Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (PlayStation 4)
Creed of the chronic
It's been a rocky road for Ubisoft lately, with the publisher on the receiving end of bad press for the likes of Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed Unity. It may be time for a bit of stability, then, and that's where Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China comes into the equation. A 2.5D adventure full to the brim with typical franchise...
Review Krinkle Krusher (PlayStation 4)
Krushems
Have you ever heard of a Krinkle? Nah, we thought not. Well, let us introduce you to them: Krinkles are small creatures with sharp but pristine gnashers and their favourite food, of course, is cake. So, when they smell the sweetness in the air of the biggest cake in the kingdom – made to celebrate the fruition of a mighty tree – they...
Review Paperbound (PlayStation 4)
Crayon carnage
Couch multiplayer titles have made somewhat of a resurgence of late, because nothing quite matches the sight of pure anguish when it's coming from the seat across the room. Paperbound very much agrees with this line of thought, bringing a mixture of simple multiplayer arena brawling and some interesting gravity mechanics to...
Review Titan Souls (PlayStation 4)
Fall of the Titans
There are people that would say that you deserve to die if you go on your monster-squashing quest armed with nothing but a single arrow, a pink bow in your hair, and a backpack filled with only the finest Waitrose-branded good intentions. Titan Souls doesn't have a story, but it improves the game tenfold if you view it as a fable...
Review MLB 15 The Show (PlayStation 4)
Infield home run
It's hard to believe that MLB The Show is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Despite dominating every other baseball title for the majority of these years, Sony's series has never shown complacency. Instead, it's aged like a fine wine, and gotten better with each new release. When booting up MLB 15 The Show, there's nothing here...
Review Omega Quintet (PlayStation 4)
Poor first gig
It often feels like there are two contrasting ways to critique these anime-esque Japanese role-playing games. Do you rate it expecting readers to have intricate pre-existing knowledge of the tropes and experience that they're signing up for, considering that the vast majority with any potential interest will? Or do you discard this...
Review Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PlayStation 4)
The Director's Cut
The release of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is timely. Bloodborne is currently thrilling PlayStation 4 owners all over the globe, yet like its distant relative Demon's S
Review Gundam: Battle Assault 2 (PSone)
Gundam fight!
Not many Japanese developed games are released only in the West, but this was the case with Gundam: Battle Assault 2 – at least before it was re-released as two separate budget titles in its homeland. Much like its predecessor, Gundam: Battle Assault, the follow-up was launched in an attempt to capitalise on the franchise's overseas...
Review Jamestown+ (PlayStation 4)
Sir Walter Rambo
Sony's new console isn't running short on stellar shoot 'em ups – in fact, it already has two instant classics and a great update in the form of Resogun, Velocity 2X, and Super Stardust Ultra. But like the many monsters that we find ourselves blasting away in this genre, maybe you're still hungry for more. Fear not, despite some...
Review Scram Kitty DX (PlayStation 4)
You think dogs and cats fight rough? The mice have lasers
Having started life as a Nintendo Wii U exclusive – where it was peculiarly named Scram Kitty and His Buddy on Rails – this clever indie platformer/shooter has made its way to the PlayStation 4 and Vita, shortening its name to the slightly-less-confusing-but-still-delightfully-quirky...
Review Gundam: Battle Assault (PSone)
You need more practice
If you were into Mobile Suit Gundam Wing back when it aired in the 1990s, then you may have heard of or even played Gundam: Battle Assault on the PSone. In an attempt to capitalise on the aforementioned anime's popularity, publisher Bandai decided to localise the 2D fighter, which was called Gundam: The Battle Master 2 in its...
Review Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones (PlayStation 4)
Patience test chamber
Office politics can be a killer. As anybody who has ever had to share a tuna salad baguette with Gina from accounting will attest, we're all just one wrong word away from snapping. Usually that takes the guise of making off-hand comments about a 55-year-old's fascination with leopard skin underwear and tight skirts, but what if...
Review R.B.I. Baseball 15 (PlayStation 4)
Shutout
R.B.I. Baseball is not a new series per se. The brand's legacy dates back all the way to a line of bat and ball titles that launched on SEGA platforms – among others – through the 80s and 90s. The last one released in 1995, until last year, when R.B.I. Baseball 14 brought the series back – albeit in underwhelming fashion. Spoilers:...
Review Run Sackboy! Run! (PlayStation Vita)
Sack race
Ah, the endless runner: a sub-genre almost as ubiquitous in the promotional game space as the everyday Puzzle & Dragons knock-off. Unfortunately for developer Firesprite – a UK studio made up of ex-WipEout veterans – the awkwardly punctuated Run Sackboy! Run! doesn't possess quite the same originality as the parent property that...
Review Bastion (PlayStation 4)
Before Red, there was the Kid
It's utterly amazing how much the indie game scene has changed since 2011. Sony has started to heavily promote teensy developers at major industry conferences, Valve's Steam Greenlight has allowed thousands to publish games for players to test before they're even finished, and Kickstarter has made it possible for...
Review Doodle Kingdom (PlayStation Vita)
Variety is the spice of life
If you didn't think that you had a God complex, you certainly will after a few hours with JoyBits' return to its flagship seller, the Doodle series. While Doodle Kingdom certainly upholds the traditional formula the franchise is renowned for – albeit with a fresh thematic twist – it also tries its creative hand at a...
Review Rack N Ruin (PlayStation 4)
Not so much Rack 'n' Roll
Rack N Ruin attempts to pull at the nostalgia strings, getting inspiration from all sorts of old-school adventure games. Instead of giving you a hero, though, you get Rack, a little demon who is hell bent on destroying planets. This demon-driven adventure game attempts to blend some of the best classic titles into one...
Review Axiom Verge (PlayStation 4)
Metroidvania megalo
Here at Push Square Towers, we're reviewing more indie games than ever before. Sony's new focus on helping small developers has brought in a slew of titles – some good, some bad. But in this vast sea of software, it's exceptionally rare that an indie is as well-designed as Axiom Verge. Like Shovel Knight, it's a retro-inspired...
On yer bike
Milestone knows a thing or two about motorbikes. The industrious Italian developer has been pumping out licensed two-wheeled titles like MotoGP, MXGP, and SBK for years now, and RIDE represents its most recent return to the saddle. Unlike its older endeavours, however, this is an original intellectual property inspired by the likes of...
