April2014
Review The Sly Collection (PlayStation Vita)
Anthropomorphic excellence
While the Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank trilogies are widely regarded as the pinnacle of the PlayStation 2’s platforming fare, it’s Sucker Punch’s criminally underrated Sly Cooper series that stole this humble editor’s heart during the early-to-mid 2000s. Depicting the globetrotting antics of a light...
Review Dead Nation (PlayStation Vita)
The portable dead
Dead Nation was announced for the PlayStation Vita at E3 last year, and then was promptly forgotten about. A port for the PlayStation 4 came and went, offering the ultimate version of the zombie-filled twin stick shooter for fans who wanted better graphics and all of the DLC. Finally, almost as an afterthought, Housemarque’s...
Review Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom (PlayStation 3)
Finders weepers
Once upon a time, titles like Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom were ten a penny. The movie tie-in boom ensured that supermarket shelves were crammed with action platforms, each bearing colourful characters on the cover and containing gameplay more average than the mathematical mean. Gradually, consumers started to realise that these...
Review Invizimals: The Alliance (PlayStation Vita)
Invizimal touch
Invizimals: The Alliance is the latest entry in the augmented reality game series from Spanish developer Novarama. Having made a name for itself on the PlayStation Portable, it’s apt that this new instalment’s made the jump onto the newest Sony handheld, giving kids of all ages the chance to hunt down more of those troublesome...
Review Destiny of Spirits (PlayStation Vita)
God complex
The free-to-play sector is packed to the brim with straightforward match three puzzle titles, but Sony’s first foray into the microtransaction laden market is anything but accessible. While popular products such as Candy Crush Saga and Temple Run 2 rely on easy to communicate gameplay systems, it’ll take you at least a couple of...
March2014
Review Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition (PlayStation 4)
Super blood lust
Undead shooters are dime a dozen, and sadly the original Dead Nation did little to differentiate itself from the hordes of decaying flesh already pawing the PlayStation Store. With the release of the PlayStation 4, Finnish studio Housemarque has opted to shine its shaky flashlight on the isometric escapade for a second time – but...
February2014
Review The Last of Us: Left Behind (PlayStation 3)
Girls just want to have fun
There was a lot to like about The Last of Us’ core campaign. Naughty Dog’s survival horror opus was not only successful in pushing the limits of the ageing PlayStation 3 from a pure hardware perspective, but it also exceeded expectations from a narrative stance, too. Where other developers stumble, the Californian...
December2013
Review Gran Turismo 6 (PlayStation 3)
Still in pole position
Opening with a tour around the Istituto Ayrton Senna, a school built in honour of arguably the greatest driver who ever lived, Gran Turismo 6 starts in stark contrast to any other game on the market. Cycling through images of children learning, the intro proceeds to show the motoring creation process, from concept to...
Go with the flOw
Before flower and Journey, there was flOw. Swimming onto the PlayStation 3 in 2007, this trailblazing title from thatgamecompany was one of several games that paved the way for the thriving indie scene found on consoles today. Six years later, it’s fitting that the release has washed up on the PlayStation 4 as part of its own...
Review Sound Shapes (PlayStation 4)
Bring the beat back
Sound Shapes wastes no time introducing you to its mechanics. As soon as you boot up the game, you’re greeted to a minimalistic environment, a turntable, and an adorable, sticky blob that you control. As you are prompted to jump to the next section of this tutorial stage, you see a coin-like object. Once you make contact with...
Review Escape Plan (PlayStation 4)
The great escape
Lil and Laarg are in trouble. They’ve been imprisoned by the dastardly Bakuki who’s intent on recycling them as part of some evil plan. If they’re going to avoid being turned into black sludge then they’ll need help escaping from a prison packed to the brim with deadly traps all baying for their blood. Escape Plan...
November2013
Instant grassification
Originally swept onto the PlayStation 3 in 2009, flower soared away with a slew of critical acclaim that would set the benchmark for developer thatgamecompany’s successor Journey three years later. At its release, the floral indie favourite pushed boundaries by exploring the idea of what interactive entertainment can be, and...
Review Resogun (PlayStation 4)
Scoring points
From the makers of the fantastic Super Stardust HD, Resogun offers a twist on classic twin-stick shooters by adopting a cylindrical field of play. The narrative is based upon an alien race called the Keepers, who are imprisoning humans. It’s your goal, then, to destroy any and everything that you see, while snatching up any...
Review Tearaway (PlayStation Vita)
Royal mail
It's been over five years since LittleBigPlanet made a huge impact on the gaming scene – its 'Play, Create, Share' slogan paving the way for what was almost a new genre entirely. With developer Media Molecule's latest title Tearaway we find a smaller but much more focused adventure that's delightfully charming, accessible, and...
Review Killzone: Shadow Fall (PlayStation 4)
For the glory of next-gen
Killzone: Shadow Fall takes place shortly after the events of PlayStation 3 exclusive Killzone 3, as the ISA and Helghast are forced to co-inhabit the planet Vekta. Living together in peace is not on the agenda for either faction, however, as the Helghast fight to push the humans out of their own home. This location has...
Review Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (PlayStation 3)
Nether say nether
Ratchet & Clank have been phoning it in harder than washed up talk show hosts on a regional radio station of late. Sony’s seasoned double-act seemed to stop trying after the franchise defining Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, with its more recent multiplayer-focused excursions stumbling harder than Captain Qwark in an IQ...
October2013
Review Beyond: Two Souls (PlayStation 3)
Soul searcher
Beyond: Two Souls is a game that you should play. It may not immediately endear itself to everyone, but Quantic Dream’s ambitious excursion into the otherworld is an experience that deserves to be sampled at least once. This is a daring adventure that’s not afraid to delve into the aspects of life that the medium is often eager to...
Dry your eyes
Rain has the same ethereal quality as ICO. Much like Fumito Ueda’s masterpiece, this is a muted experience, orchestrated only by the sound of running water and composer Yugo Kanno’s twinkly score. It’s also a tale of boy meets girl, where two kindred spirits connect under the starlight of a sodden dream world. The parallels are...
September2013
Review Puppeteer (PlayStation 3)
Ahead of the game
Within minutes of starting Puppeteer, it's clear that it's an absolutely stunning game. The art style, the animation and the sheer amount of detail packed into each and every visual asset make the title a joy to behold. Trailers and screenshots simply don't do the product justice – this is something that you need to see in motion...
Review Killzone: Mercenary (PlayStation Vita)
The price is right
We may be on the cusp of a new console generation, but we’d be surprised if any of the PlayStation 4’s launch window titles made a bigger visual impression than Killzone: Mercenary. The hotly anticipated spin-off from the recently restructured Guerrilla Cambridge is a sensory showstopper, pushing the PlayStation Vita’s...
August2013
Review Open Me (PlayStation Vita)
Box clever
There's finally a reason to dust off those augmented reality cards that came with your PlayStation Vita. While there have been an abundance of titles that support the laminated rectangles, Open Me's brain teasers really make digging them out a worthwhile endeavour. This is a fun, engaging, and quirky puzzle game that forces you to, ahem,...
Review Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (PlayStation 3)
Fairway to heaven
You’d need a heart more barren than a bothersome bunker to dislike Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (or Everybody’s Golf, as it’s known in Europe). Originally putted onto the PlayStation Vita, this PlayStation 3 port of the sugary sporting sim is every bit as sweet as its portable predecessor. Boasting a bevy of colourful...
July2013
Review Tokyo Jungle Mobile (PlayStation Mobile)
Beast wars
You might be kidded into thinking that there'd be some modicum of peace on Earth if the human race, along with its wide range of squabbles and skirmishes, evaporated one day. The Tokyo Jungle series disagrees. After society collapses, humans go bye-bye and cities become overgrown concrete jungles, the conflicts of the animal kingdom rage...
Review Pinball Heroes: Complete (PlayStation Vita)
Flippin' heck
If there’s one area that the PlayStation Vita is not underrepresented, it’s the simulation pinball genre. While the fledgling handheld may have struggled to trigger the multiball on big blockbuster releases, the console already plays host to two flippin’ good bumper-based affairs in both Zen Pinball 2 and the Pinball Arcade. Sony...
Review Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (PlayStation Vita)
Icky mouse
It’s ironic that the latest blockbuster starring Walt Disney’s most iconic cartoon creation is a bit of a Mickey Mouse affair. Last year’s PlayStation 3 release of Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, the sequel to development juggernaut Warren Spector’s popular Nintendo Wii game, fell flat on its button nose due to shoddy...
