Tag: Hands On - Page 3
Hands On Knockout City Could Be Your New Favourite Multiplayer Game on PS4
It's a knockout?
To be honest, our time playing Knockout City in a recent review event hasn't changed our opinion much at all. After spending time previously with the beta, we came away quite impressed with what Velan Studios has made, and as the title launches on PlayStation 4, we find ourselves itching to play more. The game, an online multiplayer...
Hands On Mass Effect Legendary Edition Is a Massive Upgrade That Plays Better Than Ever
Good to see you, Commander
We've waited an entire console generation for BioWare to finally remaster the Mass Effect trilogy, but it looks as though our patience has been rewarded with a collection that goes above and beyond. Ideally, we would be bringing you a full review of Mass Effect Legendary Edition right now, but we simply haven't had it long...
Hands On Gravity Rush, Freedom Wars Fans Will Feel at Home in Scarlet Nexus on PS5, PS4
Other bother
The disbandment of Japan Studio hit PlayStation fans hard this year, but playing the first three hours of Scarlet Nexus this month left us reminiscing about Gravity Rush and Freedom Wars. Make no mistake, the Bandai Namco action role-playing release very much has its own identity – but if you find yourself yearning for the...
Hands On Why You Should Be Hyped for Returnal, the Next Great PS5 Exclusive
Helios abandoned
Returnal is easily the biggest game Housemarque has made to date. It's important to remember that the team behind this sci-fi shooter is relatively small, but the game is being positioned alongside other key PlayStation 5 software like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls. In some ways, it's an unfair equivalence,...
One more God rejected
We've been playing through the opening hours of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster, and we've got to say, it's quite nice to be back — despite the story opening on the end of the world and all that. You play as a high school student who, of course, is transformed into the power-hungry Demi-Fiend following the...
Hands On PS5's External Storage Feature Offers Speedy Solution to Launch Fears
Commitment issues aside
The PlayStation 5's internal SSD does not have anywhere near enough space to last hardcore gamers the entire generation — we all immediately recognised that the moment its storage capabilities were confirmed. Roughly 667GB of space is all Sony could muster up, which isn't even enough to house all of the system's launch...
Hands On Knockout City Is One Game You Shouldn't Dodge in 2021
A true underdog story
We'll be honest, expectations for Knockout City were fairly low as we booted up the recent open beta. This next game from the EA Originals program is an online multiplayer title from a small indie team, and we've seen enough of those come and go to be just a little wary. However, this dodgeball-inspired action game really...
Hands On Maybe Don't Buy Disco Elysium on PS5 at Launch
Update: Frame rate issues fixed, mostly
Update: Since the publication of this article, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has taken a small patch that fixes many of the frame rate issues detailed below. Following a quick bit of testing, we have found there to still be dips here and there, but they're not nearly as egregious following the update. However,...
Hands On Touring London, Marseille, and the Alps During Lockdown in Train Sim World 2
Rail nice
Lockdown has been a desperately depressing period for everyone, with many of us barely venturing a few kilometres from our front door for the past 12 months. Being stuck inside for such long stretches of time has proved a strain on our mental health, but it’s also helped us to recognise and appreciate the escapism enabled by video games...
Meanwhile, in Night City
Cyberpunk 2077 update 1.2 is here. The long awaited patch is gigantic, promising to fix a veritable catalogue of stability issues, bugs, and other problems. But is it the update that finally transforms Cyberpunk 2077 into a game that doesn't crash every couple of hours on PlayStation consoles? We returned to Night City in...
Hands On Co-Op Puzzle Adventure It Takes Two Offers Outrageous Variety
Toy story
After the grounded reality of his co-op prison break game A Way Out, film director and game designer Josef Fares is returning to the bright fantasy of his studio’s debut game, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. It Takes Two follows May and Cody, soon-to-be divorcees who find themselves enchanted into dolls by their daughter. The distraught...
Hands On Incredibly Rough Outriders Demo Kills Our Hope for This Looter Shooter's Launch
Fade to black
Ever since its reveal at E3 2019, Outriders has struggled to leave a mark, but more recent gameplay videos have at least shown promise. As such, the announcement of a playable demo had us excited to finally go hands-on with this new looter shooter, to see whether it could offer something a bit different. But as it happens, our hope for...
Hands On Guilty Gear Strive Is Shaping Up to Be the Next Great Fighting Game
Let's rock
Boy are we impressed with Guilty Gear Strive. We sank hours and hours and hours into the game's open beta over the last weekend, and we were still itching to play more when it shut down midweek. In short, we haven't been this excited for a fighting game since... Tekken 7, maybe, and that turned out to be a banger as well. Now don't get...
Hands On Roller Champions Shows Wheel Promise in PS4 Closed Beta
On a roll
Since its announcement, Roller Champions has had a clear concept. Like Rocket League, you can boil it down to just a few words; it's a sort-of blend of roller derby and basketball. You only need to play it for a minute to understand what it's trying to do, and from our experience, it has the potential to score big when it finally launches...
Hands On God of War PS5 Update Makes for a Truly Godlike Experience
Improving a masterpiece
2018's God of War is excellent on PlayStation 4, and will always be remembered as one of the console's most important exclusives. But the game's latest update makes it feel like Kratos' axe-hurling adventure was always meant to be played on PlayStation 5. Offering an absolutely rock solid 60 frames-per-second at 4K...
Hands On Balan Wonderworld Is an Unusual PS5, PS4 Platformer That Doesn't Style It Out
Crimes of fashion
We're not entirely sure where to begin with Balan Wonderworld. Granted early access to the demo — available to all from tomorrow — we've been playing this somewhat mysterious title, and we're not wholly convinced. The demo itself is fairly large, but from our experience, we're not sold on this new concept from Yuji Naka. After...
Hands On Persona 5 Strikers Is a Streamlined Sequel That's Smashed Our Expectations
Never see it coming
We've said this before, but Persona 5 Strikers is not the game that a lot of people think it is. Yes, it's co-developed by Omega Force — the Koei Tecmo studio responsible for the Dynasty Warriors series and its many, many adaptations — but this isn't just some hack and slash spinoff. We've spent around ten hours playing...
Hands On Resident Evil Village's Maiden Demo Is Short But Sweet
Wolverine canon
The Resident Evil series loves to impress with demos — the pre-release drama surrounding Resident Evil 7: Biohazard's is perhaps the most famous example — and the upcoming Resident Evil Village is absolutely no different. Capcom has just dropped a taster of what's to come later this year onto the PlayStation Store, with the...
Hands On Hitman 3 with PSVR Is a Timely Reminder of the Technology's Potential
A new perspective
Isn’t it ironic that, in a year where we all could have benefited from escaping the real-world, PlayStation VR got lost in the shuffle a little bit? The excitement surrounding the PlayStation 5 was palpable, and it left very little bandwidth for Sony’s creaking but still very entertaining entry-level virtual reality headset...
Hands On This Is How Cyberpunk 2077 Runs on PS5, PS4 Pro, and PS4
The good and the not so bad
We've spent around 12 hours with Cyberpunk 2077, playing it on both PS4 and PS5 (through backwards compatibility). Console performance has been a concern among players since the game's initial gameplay reveal, so we're going to try and break down just how well Cyberpunk runs on Sony's systems. Please keep in mind,...
Hands On Temtem Is Pokémon on PS5, More or Less
First impressions from early access
We'll start by saying that, yes, Temtem does borrow a lot from Pokémon. It's pretty hard to talk about Crema Games' early access adventure without bringing up the enormously successful Nintendo franchise, but we'll keep comparisons to a minimum. However, if you're a fan of the latter, this game is more or less...
Hands On Why You Should Be Using PS5 Remote Play More
It works well
Ah, good ol’ Remote Play, the oft-forgotten PlayStation 4 feature that’s perfect when you’re in a pinch. In the heady days of the Nintendo Wii U’s off-screen controller, Sony made a lot of noise about PlayStation 4’s ability to stream to a PS Vita. The handheld is long past its sell-by date these days, of course – even if...
Hands On Does PS5's 3D Audio Live Up to the Hype?
He's behind you
In the pre-release period, Sony put a huge emphasis on 3D audio alongside the DualSense when promoting the PlayStation 5. We’ve spoken at length about the next-gen console’s revolutionary new pad, and the kind of innovations it brings to titles like Astro’s Playroom and
Hands On Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Plays It Safe, Mostly
Everybody live for the war-go-round
It feels like we're at a point where the plethora of Activision studios working on the Call of Duty franchise would find it extremely difficult to put out a product that's anything less than solid. Gone are the days of Call of Duty: Ghosts. The world's biggest FPS has put out hit after hit for the latter half of...
Hands On Sackboy: A Big Adventure Is a Papercraft Marvel on PS5
LittleBigLovely
Geez, this PlayStation 5 launch lineup is getting ridiculous now. Like, we knew it was going to be good, but every single game we play seems to defy expectations. With whimsical platformer Sackboy: A Big Adventure, we were anticipating something light: a bright and breezy co-op romp to break up the bloodshed of Demon’s Souls. Well,...
Hands On Planet Coaster Is a Fun PS4 Ride with Bumps Along the Way
Sickener
We were going to bring you a Planet Coaster: Console Edition review today, but we’ve had to settle for the PlayStation 4 version and, frankly, we’re so close to the PlayStation 5’s launch now that we didn’t want to blow our cotton candy early. So, we figured we’d share our hands-on impressions, with a full review to follow...
Hands On Train Sim World 2 Is Transformed by PS5 Backwards Compatibility
A smooth ride
When we put together our PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility test, we focused on the biggest and most popular games. While we were extremely impressed with the results posted by Days Gone and Ghost of Tsushima, the other titles left us a little bit dismayed; Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us: Part II enjoyed no real gains, while
Hands On PS5 Backwards Compatibility - The Good, the Not Bad, and the Ugly
Loading times! Performance! Resolution! More!
PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility has been a big point of discussion in the build-up to the next-gen system’s launch – in fact, at times, it’s been the only point of conversation. Ever since Mark Cerny’s misjudged hardware deep dive in March – feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? –...
Hands On Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition on PS5 Is a Stylish Upgrade
S rank
Devil May Cry 5 is a frontrunner in the race for PlayStation 4’s flashiest game, so it’s no surprise that Capcom’s turning up the style for its PlayStation 5 upgrade. Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition – unlike so many next-gen re-releases – is a premium remaster, so there’s no free PS4 to PS5 path here. Fortunately, the Japanese...
Hands On Astro's Playroom Is an Extraordinary Demonstration of DualSense
Feel the difference
The problem with these pre-release previews for next-gen technologies like the DualSense is that they can dampen some of the discovery for those who must wait until 12th November to experience it themselves. In this particular instance, though, it’s impossible to spoil the sensation because it’s difficult to even describe how...
Hands On The New PS App Is a Humongous Upgrade
There's an app for that
Hands up if you use the PlayStation App? It was pretty rubbish, right? We had it installed on our iPhone, but we barely used it because it was slow and functionally quite poor. All of the messaging features were contained in a separate app, and the PS Store effectively booted a Safari page. Yeah, you could see what your...
Hands On The Watch Dogs Legion Gimmick Can't Hide Tired Gameplay
Three hackers on the shirt
After an entire generation of Ubisoft open-world titles, Watch Dogs Legion looks and feels bland. That descriptor is the word we kept coming back to following 10 hours with the PlayStation 4 experience launching on 29th October 2020, and we could never truly shake it off. There are high points here and there where you...
Hands On Touring the Isle of Wight by Train Is the Most Relaxing Gaming of 2020
Train Sim World 2's latest expansion offers some escapism
You can’t travel many places at the minute, for reasons we don’t need to repeat. To be honest, it’s all a bit depressing, isn’t it? We feel you. That’s why we had such a fantastic time travelling across the Isle of Wight by train this weekend. It’s a new addition to the evolving...
Hands On Ghost of Tsushima New Game+ Is a Great Addition That's Well Worth Playing
Back in the saddle
Thanks to update 1.12, Ghost of Tsushima now boasts New Game+ — a way to replay Jin's epic adventure with all of your skills, equipment, and cosmetics from a previous playthrough intact. New Game+ was pretty much the community's most requested feature, and we're happy to report that Sucker Punch has done a brilliant job of...
Hands On Ghost of Tsushima's Free Co-Op Update Defies All Expectations
Legendary
Ghost of Tsushima: Legends has arrived courtesy of Ghost of Tsushima's free 1.12 update, and it's shockingly good. We had reasonably high expectations for this co-op excursion, but Sucker Punch's efforts have still blown us away. This isn't some throwaway multiplayer mode — the kind that we used to see bolted onto everything back in the...
Hands On Genshin Impact Is a Very Impressive Free-to-Play Action RPG
Add to library
Straight to the point: Genshin Impact has pretty much ripped our expectations to shreds. The game that many have been calling a Breath of the Wild clone is actually really, really good — and it doesn't have to cost you a penny. Genshin Impact is a free-to-play, open world action RPG. It has a story, interesting characters, quests,...
Hands On Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Couldn't Be More Different
A step back from Modern Warfare?
Despite the fact that some will undoubtedly scoff at the idea, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War might be the biggest deviation the franchise has made in quite some time. That's in terms of both feel and gunplay inside its multiplayer suite, and we don't think the change is for the better. Last year's Call of Duty:...
Hands On Crash Bandicoot 4 Can Be Both an Evolution and Series Homage
Another Toys for Bob masterclass
If you were worried that Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time would deviate too far from what made the original PS1 titles so memorable, cast those concerns aside. From the moment you gain control of the classic protagonist, it is immediately clear that developer Toys for Bob understood what it had to do with a fourth...
Hands On Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Has a Game-Breaking Bug and Crashing Issues on PS4
The reckoning is upon us
Update: As of Patch 1.05, released on the 17th September 2020, the game-breaking bug mentioned in this article has supposedly been fixed. You can read more about the update through this link. Original text: Today, we wanted to bring you a full review of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. It was one of our favourite action...
Hands On Dark Pictures: Little Hope Is More of the Same in Massachusetts
Witchcraft
Having had some hands on time with the first half hour of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, it’s hard to say if Supermassive’s next entry in the Dark Pictures anthology has the heft it’ll need to put the series back on the map after the middling Man of Medan. Despite being left with lingering questions, the first few...
Hands On NHL 21 Is Looking a Lot Like a Hockey Game
Déjà vu
Alright, stop us if you’ve heard this one before: NHL 21 feels a lot like last year’s game. Between all the modes on offer and the actual presentation of the game, you’d be hard-pressed to notice any key differences between last year’s product and EA Vancouver’s newest entry in the chilled sports franchise. Now, in fairness to...
Hands On Wasteland 3 Is Brilliant But a Bit Buggy on PS4
Fallout meets XCOM
We've played around ten hours of Wasteland 3 on PS4, and we're having a blast. This is a post-apocalyptic RPG to be savoured, with great writing, interesting characters, and a lot of player choice. So far, it easily sits alongside the best traditional RPGs on Sony's system, like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin 2...
Hands On Taking a Ride with Planet Coaster: Console Edition on PS4
Catch a ride
The dearth of management games on the PlayStation 4 has been one of the sins of the system, so we’re grateful for Frontier’s commitment to the genre. Having already found success with Jurassic World: Evolution, the UK-based developer is now bringing Planet Coaster to Sony’s current-gen and next-gen consoles, aiming to occupy the...
Hands On Hyper Scape Might Be Too Chaotic for Its Own Good
DualShock deficiency
We'd be hard-pressed to think of a more obvious example of a PlayStation 4 game so clearly optimized for play on PC than Hyper Scape. It actually gets to the point where you question why Ubisoft bothered with the console port in the first place. However, this is a free-to-play Battle Royale title and so the idea of restricting...
Hands On Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo Is a Short But Promising Showcase
The daily grind
If it wasn't clear already, it has to be said: Activision knows how to do a remake. The publisher has proven many times that it's capable of reviving its old franchises for a modern audience, and it looks to be doing the same for its legendary skateboarding series. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 brings back the beloved titles on PS4,...
Hands On The Last of Us 2's Generous Post-Release Patch Adds Fun, Frivolities, and Permadeath
Grounded
For as Earth-shatteringly brilliant as it undoubtedly is, The Last of Us: Part II is not a game we’d necessarily describe as “fun”. It’s all a bit bleak really, isn’t it? There are brutal, sudden deaths that make you question your own mortality. There are repulsive infected, frothing at the blistered parting that’s split their...
Hands On Marvel's Avengers Has a Critical Path Problem
The Bruce Banner Saga
If the main missions of Marvel's Avengers are its biggest highs, the side quests are far and away its most disappointing lows. We've been lucky enough to play the upcoming beta for the next Crystal Dynamics-developed title a week early, and our biggest takeaway is that the moment you deviate from its core offering, Marvel's...
Hands On Horizon Zero Dawn PC Is a Staggering Port, And a Potential Taste of PS5
New Horizons
Time sure does fly when you’re enjoying a quality lineup of exclusives, doesn’t it? It’s already been well over three years since Horizon Zero Dawn first ushered us into its world of technology-worshiping matriarchs and colossal robotic fauna on the PlayStation 4. A PC port of Guerrilla Games’ excellent open world debut has...
Hands On Fall Guys Is an Ultimate Knockout on PS4
Takeshi's Castle IRL
Fall Guys will be one of the two PlayStation 4 titles available as part of the August 2020 PS Plus lineup, and it couldn't be better suited to the service. We've been putting this comical 60-player Battle Royale title through its paces over the past couple of days through a closed beta, taking part in every event possible and...
Hands On Dreams Just Got Bigger, Better, and Weirder with PSVR Support
Living the dream
Whenever we step into the world of Dreams, we're reminded just how brilliant it is. There's never a shortage of weird and wonderful things to discover, and that's if you don't bother making anything yourself. No matter how you enjoy Media Molecule's mecca for user-generated content, it provides countless hours of entertainment. Now,...
