Tag: Mini Reviews - Page 4
Mini Review Hellboy Web of Wyrd (PS5) - Visually Striking, But Fails to Inspire as a Brawler
Don't mess with him, he's been drinking with skeletons
The tumultuous multimedia journey of Anung Un Rama continues with Hellboy Web of Wyrd — a roguelike brawler that might help wash away the taste of the abysmal 2019 cinematic reboot. Developer Upstream Arcade has attempted to transpose the visual style and narrative spirit of Hellboy from the...
Mini Review Lil Gator Game (PS5) - A Heartfelt Adventure That's Fun for All Ages
Don't stop believing
Lil Gator Game is a feel-good indie that'll take just a few hours of your time to get through. You play as the titular little gator, on a quest to convince your older sister to close her laptop and enjoy some fantastical playtime — just like in the good old days. It's not exactly subtle, but the game's all about growing up,...
Mini Review Saltsea Chronicles (PS5) - A Seaworthy, Choice-Driven Adventure
L'eau pressure
Saltsea Chronicles is another narrative-driven adventure from the makers of Mutazione, only this time, you're playing a whole cast of characters, not just one. With their captain missing, a group of friends set sail across the Saltsea archipelago to find her, only for the mystery to steadily grow much larger. This visual novel...
Mini Review Cricket 24 (PS5) - A Below Par Score on a Flat Batting Pitch
Not so Stoked for this one
With 2023’s Cricket World Cup kicking off in India this month, Big Ant Studios has taken the opportunity to release Cricket 24 alongside. Similarly with EA Sports FC for football and MLB The Show for baseball, Cricket 24 is a yearly instalment in cricketing video games but on a much lower budget than its stablemates. In...
Mini Review Scorn (PS5) - A Brilliantly Disgusting Puzzler with Gameplay Woes
Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility
Scorn was announced by Ebb Software way back in 2014, so we've been waiting a while. After a successful (if critically mixed) launch on Game Pass last year, the game is ready for PS5, but is that a good thing? The answer to that is mostly a "yes". Inspired by the visual style of legendary...
Mini Review Trepang2 (PS5) - Great Run-and-Gun Shooter Misfires Its Attempts to Be More
A mix of DOOM, F.E.A.R., and a hint of Max Payne
While Trepang2 has a name that makes absolutely no sense to us, this fast-paced, single-player FPS often gives us the same exhilaration you would expect from a game like DOOM. No matter what weapons you have equipped, the super soldier you play as, 106, is always the strongest person in the room...
Mini Review Everhood: Eternity Edition (PS4) - A Truly Unique Musical Adventure
Bizarre hero
Everhood: Eternity Edition takes the cult hit indie game and brings it to PlayStation with some exclusive new battles to master. For those out of the loop, Everhood is an adventure game with disarmingly basic presentation that quickly pulls the rug from under you, subverting your expectations with outrageous visual flair, fantastic...
Mini Review Ad Infinitum (PS5) - An Intriguing Horror Premise, Poorly Executed
All average on the Western Front
Ad Infinitum is a survival horror title that sees you play as a German soldier trapped in the claustrophobic trenches around No Man's Land. Sometimes. The game is split down the middle between the horrors of the Western Front and your family's mansion. While the war half of the game is a compelling and refreshing...
Mini Review Super Bomberman R 2 (PS5) - A Step in the Right Direction for the Series
Ellons on another planet
Super Bomberman R 2 from Konami is a sequel to 2018's franchise revival. This time around the Bomberman Brothers must protect the home planets of the squishy creatures known as Ellons from being destroyed by the evil mastermind Fusel. As with most Bomberman titles, you have the option to play both online and offline in...
Mini Review Nour: Play with Your Food (PS5) - A Tasty Snack, But Won't Fill You Up
Palette cleanser
If you've a taste for the experimental, oddball games from PlayStation Network's early days, Nour: Play with Your Food might satisfy that craving. This unusual title is a digital celebration of food, though certainly not table manners; it provides several gastronomical vignettes and lets you mess around to your heart's — and your...
Mini Review The Isle Tide Hotel (PS5) - A Criminally Tedious FMV Thriller
Hotel Hell
The Isle Tide Hotel's biggest crime is that it's not even so bad it's funny. It's just bad bad. Bad bad bad bad bad. There's no reason to play this game other than sheer morbid curiosity, and no reason to recommend this game to anybody for anything other than spite. But first, the formalities, so we can all get out of here. The Isle Tide...
Mini Review Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5) - A Worthy Successor to Jet Set Radio
Team Reptile does what SEGA-don't
It's been over 20 years since fans have heard from the world of Jet Set Radio. Sure, the franchise has made small appearances, like in Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, but SEGA seems to have mostly put the franchise on ice. Enter Dutch indie studio Team Reptile, which brings us...
Mini Review The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo (PS4) - A Short Burst of Point & Click Madness
Through the hourglass
The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is a strange point-and-click adventure game that gives a great first impression with its hand-animated presentation. The titular Mr. Coo finds himself in a surreal, Wonderland-esque realm in which he's unceremoniously chopped into three pieces. All he wanted was an apple. Characters are hand-drawn...
Mini Review Under the Waves (PS5) - Sad, Lonely, Occasionally Wonderful Deep Sea Drama
Finding emo
No good can come from going in the sea. Even just dipping your toes runs the risk of crabs and other weird creatures rubbing up against your feet, but the further you get in the worse it gets. Sharks, jellyfish, the Kraken — it's bleak in there. Under the Waves is set almost entirely underwater, and while it's not a horror game, it is...
Grey area
A prequel to Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception, the verbosely named Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is a fairly typical Japanese RPG. It follows the story of a young warrior named Oshtor, who, after a strange meeting with a mysterious girl, sets off on a grand adventure to uncover the secrets of his family's history. So far,...
Mini Review Chants of Sennaar (PS4) - A Terrific Translator Puzzler
Get lost in translation
Chants of Sennaar is a language translation-focused, puzzle adventure title from Toulouse, France-based developer Rundisc. You take on the role of a lone traveller that has been foretold will reunite the people of the Tower by translating their dialects and breaking down their language barriers. For eight to 12 hours,...
Mini Review Anonymous;Code (PS4) - Exciting Visual Novel, But Lacks Character Depth
Hacker's paradise
Anonymous;Code is the latest visual novel in the Science Adventure series. It takes place in 2037 Tokyo and focuses on Pollon Takaoka, a young hacker who's part of a group called Nakano Symphonies. Pollon doesn’t particularly enjoy being a hacker and isn’t even that skilled at it, but he does it along with his friend Cross to...
Mini Review Tenebris Pictura (PS5) - A Supernatural World That Kicks You Down With Its Combat
We can paint over this work of art
Starting Tenebris Pictura will have you scratching your head early on. You awake in a painting world, where you learn that you have the power to jump into paintings and walk around those areas. You can also split your spirit from your body, where most of the game is focused. As you continue, you will face various...
Mini Review The Making of Karateka (PS5) - A Wonderful Interactive Documentary for Gaming Historians
Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind
The Making of Karateka is a rare treat. It's part documentary, part archive, part collection of old games, and part remaster. It's also a wonderful example of just how far we can go with game preservation if we put the work in, and the gold standard for how we should approach collections of classic games going...
Mini Review Somerville (PS5) - An Atmospheric Adventure Lacking Depth
Hello darkness, my old friend
Somerville is an atmospheric, 2.5D, narrative adventure game from indie developer Jumpship. Created partly by co-founder of Playdead, Dino Patti, it’s clear this title’s inspiration came from the likes of Limbo, Inside, and Little Nightmares. Somerville takes on silent storytelling through gorgeous environments and...
Clockwork conundrums
Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is the fifth entry in the one-to-four player, puzzle platforming adventure series, from Finland based developer, Frozenbyte. After attending a celebration at Astral Academy and being framed for destroying the village, our three heroes, Amedeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight,...
Mini Review Lost Eidolons (PS5) - Solid Fire Emblem-Esque Strategy Is Rough Around the Edges
Mire Emblem
Lost Eidolons is an uncommon sight in the current RPG landscape. It's a strategy title that takes clear inspiration from games like Fire Emblem, but it forgoes a stylised art direction for realistic-looking characters who, at a glance, wouldn't appear out of place in a AAA, blockbuster production. And that's an important point to make,...
Mini Review Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles (PS5) - Musical JRPG Hits a Bum Note
Doesn't quite strike a chord
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is the combination release of Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom. Originally released in 1999 and 2000 respectively, both games are now available for the first time in the west. Rhapsody II kicks into action by following the titular...
Mini Review The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (PS5) - A Bare Bones Asymmetrical Multiplayer Experience
Dead by chainsaw
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a third-person asymmetrical multiplayer horror title from Gun Interactive and Sumo Digital Nottingham. Based on the true story and iconic 1974 movie of the same name, you’ll take on the role of one of the Slaughter Family or one of their victims in three versus four multiplayer matchups. Similar in...
Mini Review Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate (PS5) - Roguelike Chess Is a Neat Novelty
Chekhov's Gambit
Chess with a shotgun works better than you think. While it sounds absurd on paper, Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is a simple yet tightly designed roguelike strategy title that turns the measured, tactical board game into something novel and unique. However, just because you're given a firearm, that doesn't mean you can switch...
Mini Review Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (PS5) - Pirate Strategy Will Shiver Your Timbers
Y'arrrrrr 8'y
What really elevates Mimimi's Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew compared to its previous titles, like Desperados III, is the complete abandonment of reality. Functionally, it's pretty much the same as those spiritual predecessors; you control a team from a top-down view, and stealthily make your way across a map disposing of guards on...
Mini Review Red Dead Redemption (PS4) - Classic Open World Western Deserves Better
There's always a choice
Red Dead Redemption. What a classic. The treacherous tale of former outlaw John Marston helped define the PS3 generation, and the game's storytelling, complete with crazy characters and typically tense western vibes, still holds up today. From the dusty beginnings of Armadillo to the bear-infested forests of Tall Trees, this...
Mini Review Quake II (PS5) - A Remastered Classic with Real Bang for Your Buck
Quaking in our boots
The updated re-release of Quake was a rousing success, so there was no shortage of excitement when an updated version of Quake II suddenly dropped during QuakeCon 2023. And much like the first title, it's quite an impressive package. The first thing to note is the sheer amount of content you get. You get the base game of Quake...
Mini Review Moving Out 2 (PS5) - Chaotic Co-Op Capers in Safe But Solid Sequel
F.A.R.T.ing around
Moving Out 2 is your typical sequel — a bit bigger, a bit better, but ultimately quite familiar. Taking the act of moving belongings in and out of buildings and turning that into a chaotic co-op game, this is largely the same as the original Moving Out, but mixes things up in some fun ways. The gameplay is super approachable...
Mini Review Marble It Up! Ultra (PS5) - Colourful Arcade Game Is a Marble Blast
It’s marblin’ time
Marble It Up! Ultra can trace its lineage all the way to the classic Marble Blast titles from the turn of the century. A sequel to Marble It Up!, this new entry follows the old adage of "bigger is better" by expanding the amount of content on offer. Marble games normally offer a fairly standard mix of momentum and...
Mini Review VR Skater (PSVR2) - Practice Makes Perfect in Challenging Skateboard Sim
Virtually a superman
VR Skater is tough. This PSVR2 skateboarding game's unique controls produce some seriously cool first-person action, but in our experience, it takes some time and effort to find the fun. While patience and practice is required, the result is a super satisfying skateboarding experience. Essentially, you skate with your arms...
Mini Review The Room VR: A Dark Matter (PSVR2) - Exquisite VR Escape Room Beckons You to the Past
Pricey but nice
Escape rooms are a great fit for VR. You can craft fantastical scenarios and achieve more convincing environments, all while allowing the experience to take place at home. And this is an idea developer Fireproof Games has taken to heart, as the fifth title in The Room series is VR-only. The Room VR: A Dark Matter was previously...
Mini Review Venba (PS5) - A Moving Tale of Love, Loss, Family, and Food
The Venba bus is coming
Venba is a delightful video game. What it accomplishes in a little over an hour is impressive, both in terms of introducing and authentically portraying a culture that most Western gamers will have limited familiarity with, and in presenting a moving story of love, loss, family, and the important role that food plays in tying...
Mini Review LISA: Definitive Edition (PS5) - Joyful and Painful in Equal Measure
It’s the end of the world as we know it
LISA: Definitive Edition is the updated collection of LISA: The Painful, originally released in 2014 via RPG Maker, and its sequel, LISA: The Joyful. These new releases are extended with new quests, bosses, and secrets. There’s even a new difficulty mode alongside Normal and Painful; Painless, for those...
More than token replaya-Billy-ty
Speaking to Push Square during Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons' July 2023 release, developer Secret Base's Raymond Teo described adding highly replayable roguelite elements to create a brawler with an ingenious way of counteracting the beat-'em-up genre's innate repetitiveness. It takes just under two...
Mini Review Viewfinder (PS5) - Unique Puzzler Is a Snapshot of Great Puzzling Potential
Let's see how this develops
Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle game that challenges your perception with a brilliant core mechanic. Essentially, you can apply a z-axis to two-dimensional images, stamping them into 3D space and letting you walk into them. Initially you only have particular pictures with which to reach the goal of each stage, but...
Mini Review Gylt (PS5) - Ex-Google Stadia Exclusive Is Serviceable Survival Horror
Innocent until proven Gylty
Finally freed from the purgatory of Google Stadia exclusivity, Gylt is a title from RiME developer Tequila Works. While that previous adventure takes the brunt of its influence from titles like Zelda, Gylt veers in a decidedly scarier direction. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Silent Hill, Gylt is a solid title...
Mini Review Synapse (PSVR2) - Some Incredible Gameplay But Not Enough Content
Make it Synapsey
While Fracked, the last title from nDreams, wasn’t flawless, it had great gameplay and a lot of style. And that’s largely what you’re going to get from Synapse, a rogue-lite shooter where you have to break into a mind to steal memories. Rogue-lites are all about incremental improvement. You have to walk, so that eventually...
Mini Review Sonic Origins Plus (PS5) - The Wrong Library of Games to Bring Back
The Game Gear should be remembered, not celebrated
As much as it's good to have access to older games on current platforms, the new content that Sonic Origins Plus brings only reminds us how poor quality the SEGA handheld library was compared to its home console offerings. The original Sonic the Hedgehog games are great, and Sonic Origins is worth...
It's Life Is Strange, Jim, but not as we know it
On paper, Life Is Strange developer Don't Nod pivoting to the visual novel genre makes sense given its penchant for twisting, choice-based narratives. In practice, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is an underwhelming first foray into the space, lacking the world-building necessary to truly sell a story...
Review EA Sports Super Mega Baseball 4 (PS5) - Fourth Entry Feels Familiar But Doesn't Drop the Ball
Get outta here
Arcade sports games, once the cornerstone of any good console catalogue, have generally become unfashionable and outdated. Unless you count fantasy sports like Rocket League, the era of NFL Blitz and NBA Street is sadly long behind us. Super Mega Baseball, now in its fourth instalment and officially under the umbrella of EA Sports, is...
Mini Review Pixel Ripped 1978 (PSVR2) - Atari Adds Impressively to Newest Nostalgic Treat
A matter of time and place
Gaming heroine Dot is back for her third adventure, and this time, developer ARVORE has gone even further back in time than with Pixel Ripped 1989 or 1995. Now, we travel back to 1978 and bask in the glory of the era of Atari. Not only does the game deify and lampoon all manner of Atari projects, but with 1978, the title...
Mini Review Red Matter 2 (PSVR2) - Soviet Sci-Fi Sequel Makes for an Exquisite Follow-Up
In space, no one can hear you solve puzzles
Vertical Robot has delivered a stellar follow-up to its 2018 puzzler, Red Matter. Stepping into the shoes of Sasha, it’s up to you to chase down and locate your friend — believed dead — before uncovering an SOS message. This message leads you to a Soviet space station orbiting Saturn. One thing...
Mini Review Budget Cuts Ultimate (PSVR2) - Strong Stealth Adventure Cut Back by Tracking Issues
Don't run with scissors
Budget Cuts Ultimate is a virtual reality stealth action adventure from indie developer Neat Corporation. You take on the role of the last human worker within TransCorp, a factory that has taken optimisation to a whole other level by replacing employees with robots. After you receive a mysterious briefcase from an outsider,...
Mini Review Killer Frequency (PS5) - An Intriguing Call-in Murder Mystery
Radio is dead
Killer Frequency is an odd concoction that just about delivers on its unusual premise. Playing as Forrest Nash, a smooth-talking DJ on a small town's local radio station, you're in charge of a late night call-in show. On top of that, though, a serial killer is on the loose, and the tiny police department is in disarray. Somehow, it...
Mini Review The Tartarus Key (PS4) - Quality PS1 Horror All About Puzzles
SAW loser
If games paying tribute to the low poly graphics of the PS1 era are going to be this good, then long may the renaissance continue. The Tartarus Key is a lot like classic Resident Evil without any of the combat or the undead enemies, told from the first-person perspective. You've woken up in a booby-trapped mansion, and a series of...
Mini Review Loop8: Summer of the Gods (PS4) - Shallow RPG With a Repetitive Time Loop Mechanic
Let’s do the time warp again
Part visual novel, part RPG, Loop8: Summer of the Gods is an interesting idea which unfortunately ends up stuck in a bit of a rut. It all starts off well enough, with the game’s protagonist Nini moving to a small town and one of the few safe havens left on Earth. Humanity has been driven to the brink of extinction...
Mini Review Beat Saber (PSVR2) - A Serviceable Port of One of VR's Best Games
May the force feedback be with you
Beat Saber is one of the best VR experiences you can play. The king of the VR rhythm scene and a constant presence on top-seller lists, Beat Saber finally makes its way over to the current generation with PSVR2. To read our initial thoughts on the PSVR game from 2018, you can view that here. To see how the port...
Mini Review Railway Empire 2 (PS5) - Locomotive Strategy Sim Has Signal Failure
All aboard the innovation train
Throwing us into the brink of a revolution, Railway Empire 2 starts in 1830 at the dawn of the age of railways. It’s an exciting time for the rail industry, with many competing companies wanting a piece of the pie and many discoveries changing the face of rail travel. There are various game modes, including a...
Mini Review Nock (PSVR2) - Intensely Addictive Bow-and-Arrow Football
Nocket League
Nock is a bow-and-arrow football title from developer Normal VR. Equipped with skates, a high jump, and a bow-and-arrow, you must shoot the ball into your online opponent’s net across the three available game modes: 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3. Nock focuses heavily on exhilarating traversal with big empty arenas being the perfect space for it...
