Latest Reviews
Review Hotline Miami (PlayStation 4)
Miami Visceral
With the stylish murder simulator Hotline Miami first hitting the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2013, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the darling indie title has already achieved critical acclaim and a cult following of devout 80s obsessed adrenaline junkies. Just over a year later, the gory title sees a re-release on the...
Review Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed (PlayStation Vita)
Undressed to kill
To describe Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed as a simple action role-playing game would do it a disservice – a bit like describing a vampire as a mere blood gulper. The aforementioned nocturnal beast has gone through several iterations over the years, ranging from fear inducing monsters through to promiscuous teenagers –...
Review inFAMOUS: First Light (PlayStation 4)
Fetching
The problem with inFAMOUS: Second Son was that it ended too quickly: Sucker Punch’s supercharged pseudo sequel was over in a flash, leaving many of its fans wanting more. inFAMOUS: First Light attempts to solve that problem, recharging with a new playable character, storyline, and some fresh powers – but does it burn brightly, or...
Review Metro Redux (PlayStation 4)
A whole new world
What do you get when you mix a Ukrainian developer, a best-selling Russian novel, two games, and the PlayStation 4? It’s not a trick question: we’re referring to Metro Redux, of course. 4A Games’ pair of previous generation escapades have been remastered and reworked for Sony’s latest system – and, in many ways, the...
Review CounterSpy (PlayStation 4)
From Russia with regret
CounterSpy is a strange beast. Developed by fledgling studio Dynamighty, it's an ambitious game that strives to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D stealth, while also attempting to juggle randomly generated levels. And while it plays host to some truly unique mechanics, and consistently brilliant presentation, it's...
Review Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 (PlayStation Vita)
Queen of Lastation
Irrespective of allegiance, we’ve all witnessed the console wars. From the days when Nintendo and SEGA contested store shelves, all the way to the triple pronged struggle of the current generation, it’s something that, as gamers, we’re all familiar with. This eternal war is at the heart of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1...
Review Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition (PlayStation 4)
Who needs a degree?
Some games just like to poke fun at you, often by being notoriously difficult, with the likes of Dark Souls, Flappy Bird, and QWOP springing to mind. These titles frequently find success through their brutal difficulty levels, and even amass cult followings of dedicated fans, who are able to succeed where so many fail. Surgeon...
Review Hohokum (PlayStation 4)
Tripping the light fantastic
Whenever we played British developer Honeyslug’s latest game Hohokum at conventions and the like, our biggest issue was quite simply explaining the experience to others. What exactly is the vibrant title starring a multicoloured worm all about? Is it art? How do you play it? Heck, what do you even do? Having spent...
Review Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (PlayStation Vita)
Sleepy hollow
In an age where we have Project Morpheus lurking right around the corner, Sword Art Online, the popular Japanese anime about gamers entering a virtual gaming world, has resonated with many viewers – especially the gaming crowd. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment makes its way onto the PlayStation Vita in the form of a third-person...
Review Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition (PlayStation 4)
Heavenly hell
Diablo III is samey and full of repetition in the best possible way. Sure, the package is packed with some truly stunning cut-scenes and the odd nugget of nonsensical narrative exposition – but it’s the never-ending combat that will keep you hooked. Such a rinse and repeat formula should perhaps be frowned upon, but even through...
Review Gravity Crash Ultra (PlayStation Vita)
Worth the weight?
Gravity has its uses, nobody can argue that. If it disappeared right now, the entire bungee jumping industry would collapse overnight, and there’d probably be some other, less important side effects as well. In some cases, gravity actively works against our goals, highlighted best by Gravity Crash Ultra, and by the many bumps,...
Review Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (PlayStation Vita)
Deal breaker
Originally released last year for the Xbox 360, Phantom Breaker was a fighting game that, while never seeing a Western release, generated a decent following in Japan. Having spawned an arcade and a PlayStation 3 port, it also served as the inspiration for a 2D brawler named Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, which, after appearing on the...
Review Metrico (PlayStation Vita)
Graph-ical grunt
Metrico is the first effort by fledgling Dutch studio Digital Dreams, but you wouldn't guess that by looking at it. Featuring incredibly striking art design, and seemingly solid gameplay, it looks like the work of a much more mature developer. But is this algebraic adventure a balanced equation, or is it using the wrong formulas?...
Review Pure Pool (PlayStation 4)
A game with balls
It’s undeniable that VooFoo Studios is swiftly making a name for itself by producing incredibly photo realistic digital renditions of classic games. We’ve already covered the British-based outfit’s Backgammon and Chess endeavours, and now we’re onto Pure Pool, an adaptation of the quintessential pub pastime that’s...
Review Road Not Taken (PlayStation 4)
Rice, rabbits, and unfit parents
Every year, just as the winter starts to kill off the last of the year’s berries, children head out into the forest in a final attempt to boost food stores. Some of the little ones never come back, which seems to panic the parents a little too much considering that they let them go off and do it every year...
Review Table Top Racing (PlayStation Vita)
Micro machines
There’s something enjoyable about viewing the world through the lens of tiny eyes. Codemasters’ legendary Mega Drive adaptation of Galoob’s popular Micro Machines toys cottoned onto this, allowing you to race around workbench surfaces and cereal encrusted breakfast bars. Table Top Racing, a PlayStation Vita port of Playrise...
Review Sacred 3 (PlayStation 3)
Nothing is sacred
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, while not what you’d call a big success, still managed to garner quite a following among a certain set of gamers, even in spite of a few rough edges. Those that did end up sinking hour after hour into the action role playing game really appreciated its massive open world, extensive loot system, and huge...
Review Don't Starve: Reign of Giants (PlayStation 4)
The hungrier game
Don’t Starve: Reign of Giants isn’t your typical downloadable content offering. With the roguelike survival game Don’t Starve, it’s not as straightforward as getting a unique story as seen in BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea: Episode 2, or as simple as additional modes and weapons like in The Last of Us’ Grounded...
Review El Chavo Kart (PlayStation 3)
Chilli con carnage
Many game developers have tried to enter the kart racing genre, but all with the exception of Crash Bandicoot have failed to score a podium place next to Super Mario. Efecto Studios is the latest outfit to have a pop with El Chavo Kart – a title based upon the apparently popular Mexican cartoon, El Chavo: The Animated Series. As...
Review Trials Fusion: Riders of the Rustlands (PlayStation 4)
Feeling rusty
Trials Fusion was one of the must-have games on the PlayStation 4 when it came out, and its first batch of downloadable content should be something of an event for the million or so people who invested in it. However, what could have been an exciting new set of levels ends up being underwhelming, spinning its wheels over a set of ideas...
Review Magical Beat (PlayStation Vita)
Rhythm stick
The goal of Magical Beat is simple to learn, but incredibly difficult to master. It’s a bit of a mix between Lumines and Tetris, where you have to drop blocks known as beatons to the beat of the music. There’s a Beat Sync Gauge which provides a metronome and information on the current tempo of the track, but it’s much easier to...
Review Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars (PlayStation 3)
Pay £7.99 for tagline
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars is some kind of trading card video game, but that’s short-sighted. No, it’s an investment opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to hand out huge amounts of money in return for digital versions of cards that your other half probably...
Review Rogue Legacy (PlayStation 4)
Castle smashers
There are plenty of brutal indies that'll put your dexterity to the test on Sony platforms. The likes of Spelunky and Cloudberry Kingdom represent a somewhat niche, but addictive genre. However, Rogue Legacy, a title that blends platforming and simple combat with role-playing mechanics, is perhaps one of the most inspired that we've...
Review DayD Tower Rush (PlayStation Vita)
Dino-bore
You can’t swing a cat these days without hitting several tower defence games, and as a result it’s become increasingly difficult for new arrivals in the genre to stand out from the crowd. DayD Tower Rush is one such title, which, after trying its luck on iOS last year, has decided to peddle its mix of dinosaurs, time travel, and...
Review The Swapper (PlayStation 4)
The clone wars
The world of human cloning is a scientific nightmare, and in The Swapper you'll tackle that minefield head on. Curve Studios' latest indie conversion attempts to use a clever puzzle mechanic to examine and answer complex metaphysical questions. But does this charming indie solve the problem, or is it just a load of philosophical...
Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 - Amid the Ruins (PlayStation 3)
The penultimate peril
The next to last episode of the second season of Telltale Games’ episodic The Walking Dead adaptation is an unsurprisingly gripping experience. Following in the footsteps of arguably the best instalment that Telltale Games has released to date, the fourth entry, Amid the Ruins, has an awful lot to live up to. And live up to...
Review Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty (PlayStation 4)
Hello. Follow me
Everybody played Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee back in the day. Although the game was available on just about everything, the title’s four-fingered Mudokon was at one point just as recognisable as fellow multiformat PlayStation mascots like Lara Croft. The challenging puzzles and striking design pulled people in, while the clever,...
Review Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (PlayStation 4)
Nacho average platformer
Not content with causing a ruckus on Sony’s previous systems, Drinkbox Studios’ Mexican-themed Metroidvania marvel Guacamelee! is back for more in this amped up, definitive release. Featuring a host of extra content, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition – which we’ll refer to as ‘STCE’ from now on for the...
Review Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death (PlayStation 3)
Love island
What’s a girl to do? Her man’s taking his sweet time proposing to her, and she’s getting bored of waiting for him. You could probably think of any number of sensible courses of action in this situation, none of which involve picking up a book on witchcraft so that you can perform a love spell. Still, in PlayStation 3 puzzler Sacra...
Review The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy (PlayStation Vita)
Screw loose
If the well of original PlayStation Vita content is drying up, then its fountain of high-definition re-releases is overflowing. The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy is the latest in a long line of PlayStation 2 compilations to nonchalantly sidle onto Sony’s struggling handheld system, following closely in the slipstream of the God of War...
