Latest Reviews
Review 1001 Spikes (PlayStation 4)
Another spike bites the dust
1001 Spikes is a retro-inspired platformer from Nicalis, the firm of Cave Story fame. It’s a remake of Aban Hawkins and the 1000 Spikes – an Xbox Live Arcade indie game from way back in 2011 – and is an 8-bit side scrolling adventure that, on first appearances, is somewhat similar to the throng of other...
Review Entwined (PlayStation 4)
Always together, forever apart
Entwined is the first game from new studio Pixelopus, a brand new addition to Sony’s Worldwide Studios network. The title’s trailer premiered this week during PlayStation’s big E3 2014 press conference, and to the delight of many – this author very much included – it was announced that the game would be...
Review The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - In Sheep's Clothing (PlayStation 3)
A sheep in wolf's clothing
We’re just one episode shy of wrapping up the debut season of Telltale Games’ episodic Fables adaptation, and while we look to the final instalment to tie up loose ends and answer burning questions, it’s equally important that the penultimate chapter takes the time to set it up properly – and that it seemingly...
Review Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection (PlayStation Vita)
Let's nep nep
The colourful lands of Gamindustri are once again under threat – not from an evil organisation or an enraged Histy, but rather by an influx of idols in the charts. One idol group in particular, MOB48 – a take on the insanely popular Japanese girl group AKB48 – have been causing a bit of a kerfuffle, having stolen all of the CPU's...
Review PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate (PlayStation 4)
Above and beyond
Double Eleven probably didn’t need to put this much effort into PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate, but the British-based studio has anyway. By combining both previous Q-Games developed PixelJunk Shooter games into a single package – as well as fix up a variety of small problems along the way – it's managed to take two of the most...
Review Ace Combat: Infinity (PlayStation 3)
Free-to-plane
Fans of Ace Combat are always hungry for new releases, with the last major instalment Ace Combat: Assault Horizon performing its first barrel roll over three years ago. It was no surprise, then, that when Ace Combat: Infinity was announced, there was much rejoicing – well, until everyone realised that the latest entry in this beloved...
Review PlayStation Vita Pets (PlayStation Vita)
Watch dogs
Virtual pet games have got a bad name. We don’t mean the type of embarrassing monikers that you’re likely to overhear at a haughty dog breeder’s meeting, but more a downright abysmal track record when it comes to quality. Unsurprisingly, the House of Mario set the standard for portable animal interaction with Nintendogs on the...
Review Watch Dogs (PlayStation 4)
Push square to hack
Ever since its announcement and reveal back at E3 2012, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has ironically been held under close inspection. A sandbox adventure with a focus on hacking, it's an ambitious game that's chocked full of ideas and mechanics taken from some of the publisher's other properties and various open world titles. If you took...
Hyperactive hydration
If Puddle was a person, it would be a hyperactive four-year-old. Indeed, this perky puzzler-cum-platformer practically percolates with restless aplomb. But does this energetic attitude keep the experience afloat, or will the title’s soggy antics leave you drowning in misery? At its core, this physics-based outing is a pretty...
Review Lemmings Touch (PlayStation Vita)
You got the touch
Lemmings is a lot like Tetris: no system is complete without an iteration of the iconic puzzle property. Ever since acquiring the rights to the franchise alongside legendary publisher Psygnosis, Sony has made it its mission to chaperone the series onto several of its systems, culminating in an EyeToy compatible edition and a...
Review Wolfenstein: The New Order (PlayStation 4)
Back to the Führer
"Shooting, stabbing, strangling Nazis," is the response that long time Wolfenstein protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz gives when asked what he's been up to recently. Starting all the way back in the early nineties with Wolfenstein 3D, he’s definitely shown an enthusiasm for his craft, making it seem more of a pastime than a career. In...
Review Drakengard 3 (PlayStation 3)
The number games
There’s one in every family, isn’t there? One person who has to spoil every gathering, causing drama on social media, and jumping out, murdering people all of the time. No? In Drakengard 3, that’s exactly what happens. As moody anti-heroine Zero, you’ll need to trek across mountains or through lush green forests on a quest...
Review Soul Sacrifice Delta (PlayStation Vita)
Grimm not grim
Soul Sacrifice Delta aims to tempt bookworms back to the brutal pages of Librom – the sarcastic yet helpful novella that just so happens to provide a portal into the world of sorcerers. Initially pitched as one of the PlayStation Vita’s saviours, Keiji Inafune’s original adventure didn’t quite reverse the struggling format’s...
Review Mugen Souls Z (PlayStation 3)
The questionable quest for cute
There aren’t many games as unusual as Mugen Souls Z. Its main character is a young goddess who carries around a coffin, not for any reason in particular, just because the writers needed some kind of container and that seemed to make sense. That’s not the weirdest thing that you’ll see either. Charged with...
Review Transistor (PlayStation 4)
Bastion of brilliance
Supergiant Games' first effort Bastion is the quintessential indie: a relatively niche game that won over hearts and minds with its good looks and slick shooting. Now along comes Transistor, the studio's sophomore effort, and a game that, upon first glance, seems remarkably similar to its popular progenitor. However, this...
Review God of War Collection (PlayStation Vita)
Fit for a mortal
It’s perhaps indicative of Sony’s current interest in the PlayStation Vita that its first God of War should be a port of a port. While the PlayStation Portable dined on two exceptional original adventures – both prepared by The Order: 1886 developer Ready at Dawn – the platform holder’s latest handheld is being forced to...
Review Cel Damage HD (PlayStation 4)
More like cell damage
Did you know that Cel Damage was originally a PlayStation 2 title that released in 2001? If you answered ‘yes’, then you may have seen this obscure, cartoon racer sitting in bargain bins, as this title received middling reviews during its first lap on the track. As such, it’s a bit odd to see the game resurrected for...
Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 3 - In Harm's Way (PlayStation 3)
Deeper down the rabbit hole
When writing reviews, it’s always important to avoid spoilers, that way you don’t ruin the experience for future players. This is a particular conundrum that we face each time that Telltale Games releases new episodic content, as each instalment builds upon the last, making our lives a misery as we attempt to dance...
Review The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (PlayStation 4)
Spider-meh
The Batman: Arkham series of games have a lot to answer for. On the one hand, they showed how to make a truly great superhero tie-in, while on the other, they’ve inspired what feels like an endless procession of imitators that borrow heavily from its formula but fail to deliver experiences of a similar quality. Swinging onto the...
Review Sparkle 2 (PlayStation 4)
Let it shine
There’s a treasure in the world of Sparkle 2 that’s so well hidden that nobody has ever been able to find it. Some people have spent their entire lives trying to track it down, going mad in the process. Naturally, the only way of succeeding where others have failed is to match three or more coloured balls across dozens of levels –...
Review Cabela's Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts (PlayStation 3)
Deer balls under a buck
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts is Activision’s most recent addition to its enormous catalogue of sponsored hunting games. This time, the firm’s adopted a more modern and lifelike approach to the controversial pastime, maintaining many of the aspects of a real-world hunt, but still wrapping it up in an accessible...
Review Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi (PlayStation 3)
A novel idea
Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi is one of those rare video games that aren’t really video games at all. Actually, it’s a novel, cunningly disguised as something that you need a controller for. Occasionally the story will be interrupted with a choice for you to make, but largely the main goal is to keep on reading. It may be...
Review Bound by Flame (PlayStation 4)
Dragon rage
Bound by Flame is the PlayStation 4's first foray into the magical land of fantasy role-playing games. Over the last few months leading up to release, developer Spiders has thrown numerous trailers and screenshots online, and although you can never judge a finished product from its media, it's worth pointing out that this particular...
Review Pure Chess (PlayStation 4)
Rookies welcome
Way back in 2012, UK developer VooFoo Studios converted the mighty game of chess to the PlayStation 3 and Vita. Despite looking the part, however, Pure Chess was hindered by its limited multiplayer options. Now, the Hustle Kings developer has returned for a second round, wielding the power of the PlayStation 4 in the process. Has it...
Review Sportsfriends (PlayStation 4)
Couch joustice
Everybody knows that the two absolute worst things about outside sports are being forced to leave the house and actually having to exert energy. That’s where Sportsfriends comes in. Forget about wet weekends on muddy football fields, and think about trashing your BFFs in a fine game of Johann Sebastian Joust instead. With four games...
Review SoulCalibur: Lost Swords (PlayStation 3)
En garbage
Forget about missing blades, we suspect that the folks at Bandai Namco may have misplaced their minds while developing SoulCalibur: Lost Swords. This wretched free-to-play fighter serves up the gaming equivalent of seppuku, except the ancient Japanese suicidal rite isn’t riddled with obnoxious loading times, and thus is preferable to...
Review Demon Gaze (PlayStation Vita)
Should have gone to Specsavers
When Demon Gaze first burst onto the scene in Japan last January, it sold 25,316 physical copies in its first week alone, outselling Compile Hearts' Monster Monpiece which launched on the same day. Subsequently, PlayStation Vita owners outside of Japan rejoiced as Kadokawa Games’ dungeon crawling success story was...
Review Outlast: Whistleblower (PlayStation 4)
Shhh
Red Barrels’ excellent Outlast was one of the earlier PlayStation 4 indie releases, deploying at the start of the year to critical acclaim from many corners of the enthusiast press. Plotting a return to the survival horror format of old, the core campaign served up a tense survival horror affair that found you using a video camera to not only...
Review No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either! (PlayStation Vita)
Not badman
The world of free-to-play gaming may be fraught with peril, but that doesn’t mean that there’s absolutely no fun to be had. Retro inspired puzzler No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either! represents yet another foray into this potentially deadly minefield by Sony. But is its classic gameplay enough to elevate it above the competition, or...
Review Titan Attacks (PlayStation 4)
Attack on Titan
When it hit arcades, Space Invaders revolutionised video games, making what was viewed by many as a novelty into a global industry. At that same time, it also provided inspiration for a legion of today’s game developers, and this influence is abundantly clear in Titan Attacks from British developer Puppygames. Coming to the...
