December2013
Review Angry Birds: Star Wars (PlayStation 4)
Millennium falcon
The well-known handheld hit Angry Birds has returned to consoles – only this time it’s bringing the force along for the ride. Of course, we're referring to the latest entry in the fowl flinging series: the PlayStation 4 version of Angry Birds: Star Wars. In this edition, you’ll be tasked with tossing birds from a catapult in...
Review Skylanders: Swap Force (PlayStation 4)
Sky's the limit
The main selling point of the Skylanders series has always been its ability to bring action figures to life. By placing physical toys on the bundled Portal of Power device, they instantly appear in the game with their own statistics, abilities, and personalities. Each character has its own experience, skills, and level properties...
Review Angry Birds: Star Wars (PlayStation 3)
Use the birds, Luke
A long time ago (well, 2009), in a galaxy far, far away (Finland), an unassuming development studio named Rovio Entertainment gave birth to a mobile gaming franchise which would ultimately take over the world. Three years later and still going strong, Angry Birds and the beloved Star Wars empire would join forces to create a...
November2013
Review Call of Duty: Ghosts (PlayStation 4)
Same old sheet
Over the past five years, the Call of Duty franchise has slow-motion breached its way into popular culture, with millions of fans worldwide eagerly enabling last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II to earn over $500 million in just 24 hours. Whether this trend continues remains to be seen, but the bigger question is: does Call of...
July2013
Review Deadpool (PlayStation 3)
Chimichangas!
Juvenile quips, over-the-top gore, fourth wall breaking referential humour, and excursions into insanity all paint the picture of the perfect Deadpool game, and in some ways this is it. You'll laugh wholeheartedly at the jokes and ridiculous scenes, but despite the excellent realisation of the character, the highly repetitive and...
May2013
Review The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (PlayStation 3)
No signs of life
Clearly intended to cash in on the overwhelming success of the TV show and the recent critical acclaim of Telltale Games’ excellent episodic adventure, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct doesn’t so much as explode out of the gate, but, perhaps appropriately, shamble. The ‘plot’ revolves around the TV show’s troublesome...
December2012
Review Skylanders Giants (PlayStation 3)
Bigger and better?
Considering the success of the original Skylanders, it's no surprise that a sequel has already hit store shelves. Activision's accessory-laden adventure game commanded eye-watering sales figures during its last term at retail. But can a series that’s so heavily dependent on peripheral purchases thrive in its second outing?...
Review Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse (PlayStation 3)
In what reality is this considered fun?
Games based on TV licenses don't have a great track record, but there's always the potential for something enjoyable to come out of them. Now it's Family Guy's turn, with the franchise's first PlayStation 3 title, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. Don't hold your breath for anything amazing, though. The...
November2012
Review Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PlayStation 3)
Future warfare
Following the incredible performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops was always going to be a challenge. One of the most popular games in the series, it pulled the story to interesting new places and built upon the ever-great multiplayer; arguably, Treyarch out-did Infinity Ward at its own game. Direct sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops 2...
Review Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified (PlayStation Vita)
Black mark
Has there ever been a more maligned handheld title prior to release than Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified? Reviewers (not all by any means), unabashed and damning in early preview criticism, seemed primed to deliver literary blows to the PlayStation Vita itself with the first-person shooter's release, yet gamers posting user reviews...
October2012
Review 007 Legends (PlayStation 3)
The Spy Who Bored Me
With the new James Bond film Skyfall out next month, you might expect this year's 007 game to be all about the present — instead, Eurocom digs into the franchise's rich legacy, updating some of Bond's more memorable moments for the modern era. With the successful reimagining of GoldenEye, Eurocom proved that they know their...
September2012
Review Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PlayStation 3)
Got the touch?
When it was first announced, 2010’s Transformers: War for Cybertron seemed about as appealing as a collision with a planet eating asteroid named Unicron. The High Moon Studios developed third-person shooter was revealed right around the cusp of Bayformers fever, and despite the Soundwave-esque sincerity of the developer’s...
Review Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD (PlayStation 3)
Drop-in, bail on it, or does Tony Hawk slam?
When Tony Hawk's Pro Skater first landed on PlayStation in 1999 it was welcomed with open arms and scabby knees by skateboarders, as the first video game to capture what it felt like to skate. Neversoft embraced skate culture so vehemently that a number of their team became skilled at riding a real...
May2012
Review Battleship (PlayStation 3)
You sunk my battleship
You've got to feel sorry for Double Helix Games, the developer saddled with the challenge of transforming Battleship's big screen debut into an interesting video game. That sympathy comes partially from the realisation that the studio has done an adequate job of combining the tried-and-tested formula of Hasbro’s...
April2012
Review Prototype 2 (PlayStation 3)
Heller good?
Prototype 2 is anything but subtle. The follow-up to Radical Entertainment’s 2009 murder simulator rarely gives you a moment to breathe without gunfire, rockets and tendrils of errant intestines bursting from the screen. Its anarchic approach to gameplay can grate on you, but without a meaty plot to hang its crimson hat on, it’s...
February2012
Review Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PlayStation 3)
A master of its craft
This title may feel familiar, but its similarity is hard to criticise when the core components are this good. A speculative campaign and a freshly balanced multiplayer component headline Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and while the visual engine is looking a bit tired, its penchant for addictive gunplay remains unmatched...
January2012
Review Cabela's Adventure Camp (PlayStation 3)
Cheaper than sending your little ones to camp
Each year, as school comes to an end, children across the world start getting excited. Not only is it a time of freedom, but for many it means that it’s almost time to go off to summer camp. Cabela’s Adventure Camp brings home many of the fun outdoor activities enjoyed at camp and with PlayStation...
December2011
Review Cabela's Survival: Shadows of Katmai (PlayStation 3)
Trekking into Uncharted territory
Since Move released last September, the Cabela’s team has brought two of its quirky hunting titles to the motion controller: Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 and Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012. Both surprised us with an entertaining story creatively crafted upon the quirky FPS/hunting gameplay style that...
November2011
Review GoldenEye 007: Reloaded (PlayStation 3)
Premium Bond?
1998's GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64 was a watershed moment in first-person shooters, and is still held in the highest regard by thousands of gamers who hold every new Bond release up to that 64-bit benchmark. But just as the James Bond film series has moved on, so must its games, with Activision revisiting the original source material...
October2011
Review Wipeout 2 (PlayStation 3)
Wiped out
There’s just nothing quite like watching people getting bashed in the face, unintentionally flipped in the air or taking a hit where the sun doesn’t shine. Some folks claim that laughter is the cure for a broken heart, but witnessing these types of antics can actually make you laugh until you hurt instead. ABC has harnessed this...
Review Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2012 (PlayStation 3)
Mistaken identity
As the temperature starts to take its yearly dip and the vibrant colours of summer fade unto the pastels of the autumn, it can mean only one thing: it's hunting season. The time has finally arrived to polish up your rifle, unpack your camouflage and trek out into the wilderness to land that trophy buck. Coinciding with the opening...
Review X-Men Destiny (PlayStation 3)
A bizarrely involving character customisation system makes X-Men Destiny suprisingly playable, even if it never comes close to reaching its full potential
Not every game needs to be a blockbuster. Developer Silicon Knights has taken that advice to heart with the functional but flawed X-Men Destiny. This is a game brimming with ambition, but it lacks...
December2010
Review Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 (PlayStation 3)
Become the prey
Hunters around the world often talk about the “thrill of the hunt”, but Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 brings a whole new meaning to this saying. Seeking out a great spot to hunt and long waits for that perfect shot are nowhere to be found here, as instead hunters will be fighting for survival in the deep wilds of several...
November2010
Review Call Of Duty: Black Ops (PlayStation 3)
We go into every Call Of Duty with a degree of trepidation
By launch day the franchise's hype has usually got ahead of itself, giving the game impossible expectations to live up to. The Infinity Ward developed Modern Warfare 2 was greeted with so much rapture and excitement that when the game launched it felt like a let-down. The formula worked fine...
Review Rapala Pro Bass Fishing (PlayStation 3)
Luring them in if only for a while
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing is like having an arcade machine in your living room. It may not have the appeal of current blockbuster titles on the market, but what it brings a fun, arcade-style fishing experience that is sure to please, whether you’re a fishing enthusiast or not. Starting up Rapala Pro Bass Fishing...
