February2015
Review Super Stardust Ultra (PlayStation 4)
Rock 'n' roll
Super Stardust HD drew the dual joystick short straw last generation. Released at a time when the PlayStation 3 was really unpopular, Geometry Wars and its Xbox Live Arcade successor tended to lap up all of the downloadable shoot-'em-up plaudits – despite it never, in this author's opinion, hitting the same highs as Housemarque's...
January2015
Review Fat Princess: Piece of Cake (PlayStation Vita)
Royal fumble
You can't have your cake and eat it with free-to-play. The model's non-existent entry fee tends to pave the way for intrusive money making schemes, and in Fat Princess: Piece of Cake, it actually spoils what could be a mighty fine slice of iced sponge. Similar in concept to GungHo's uber-popular Puzzle & Dragons, this regal spin-off...
December2014
Review Resogun (PlayStation Vita)
Pocket rocket
Housemarque’s cylindrical shooter Resogun is still one of the major highlights in the PlayStation 4’s library. Its simplistic mechanics epitomise the very idea of pick-up-and-play, while its flashy visuals and smooth performance make it something of a showcase for Sony’s next-gen hardware. The title’s oft-requested PlayStation...
Dan, Dan, you’re decomposing, man
Republished on Thursday, 4th December 2014: We're bringing this review back from the archives to celebrate the PSone's big 20th Anniversary this week. The original text follows. Originally published on Saturday, 19th October 2013: It can be a tough life being a PSone retro game. After all, you were fresh and...
The pig-eating caveboy gets a second chance
Republished on Wednesday, 3rd December 2014: We're bringing this review back from the archives to celebrate the PSone's big 20th Anniversary this week. The original text follows. Originally published on Monday, 12th November 2012: While many retro enthusiasts will grumble endlessly about how digital...
Review Crash Bandicoot (PSone)
Marsupial madness
At one time, Crash Bandicoot was the face of the PlayStation brand, but through licensing headaches and the creation of other characters, the spunky star hasn’t quite gone on to fill the role of Nintendo’s Mario or Microsoft’s Master Chief. However, the hero’s titular game remains a signature PlayStation classic that served...
November2014
Review LittleBigPlanet 3 (PlayStation 4)
Dream weaver
Reviewing a LittleBigPlanet game at launch is a little like rating The Beatles’ entire catalogue based on everything up to Rubber Soul: the pieces are in place, but the real magic is yet to come. A community centric sequel such as this deserves time to properly mature, but expectations demand that we put pen to paper now. The question...
Review The Muppets Movie Adventures (PlayStation Vita)
Green around the gills
The Muppets has always been a franchise for families, so it’s not exactly surprising to see The Muppets Movie Adventures – a brand new PlayStation Vita exclusive – strive to occupy that exact same space. Sadly, in doing so, this comedic escapade ends up being a little simplistic for its own good – even if youngsters...
Review The Unfinished Swan (PlayStation 4)
Placeholder strapline
Back in 2012, when indie startup Giant Sparrow released The Unfinished Swan, we were bowled over by it, awarding it a rare 10/10 in our review. Understandably, we were subsequently ecstatic when Sony announced earlier in the year that it was bringing the curious campaign to the PlayStation 4 alongside fellow digital download...
October2014
Review Freedom Wars (PlayStation Vita)
Grind and punishment
Easily one of the PlayStation Vita's most anticipated titles, Freedom Wars plops you into a dystopian future that's full of typically stylish teens and giant mechanical beasts, and tasks you with whittling down a one million year sentence of service to your not-so-lovely community. For many owners of Sony's portable console, a...
Review DriveClub (PlayStation 4)
How fast do you wanna go?
It’s been a long wait leading to a bumpy road for racing fans, but DriveClub is finally here. A curious lack of pre-release code and online connection issues has forced us to hold back our thoughts on Evolution Studios' cursed exclusive for a couple of weeks longer than we expected, but having now had a chance to see...
September2014
Review Murasaki Baby (PlayStation Vita)
Balloon fright
Murasaki Baby made this typically composed critic want to toss his figurative toys out of the pram, and that’s never a good sign. Ovosonico’s long in production PlayStation Vita exclusive whisks you away from the hustle and bustle of the real world to a nightmarish fantasy land, where you must guide a wailing infant and her purple...
August2014
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 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 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...
July2014
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...
Review Killzone: Shadow Fall - Intercept (PlayStation 4)
In the zone
A dedicated co-op component has long been missing in action over the course of the Killzone series' multiple instalments. If you've ever wanted to blow up Helghast with a buddy outside of the franchise's sometimes disappointing campaigns, then you've always had little choice but to team up together for some competitive play – but now,...
Review Resogun: Heroes (PlayStation 4)
Holding out for a hero
It’s a statement that’s rapidly approaching cliché territory, but Housemarque’s cylindrical shooter Resogun is still the PlayStation 4’s best game. That’s not a slight against the software library that Sony’s next-gen system has amassed over the past six months or so – although we’re sure that many would like...
June2014
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 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...
May2014
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 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 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 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...
April2014
Review MLB 14 The Show (PlayStation 3)
Pinch-hit home run
MLB 14 The Show is this year’s entry in the long running and highly respected baseball series from Sony’s own San Diego studio. Being a sports game, it’s to be expected that it ends up feeling a little like an iterative experience as opposed to an innovative one – but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing good going...
