February2012
Review God of War Collection (PlayStation 3)
God of before
Love him or hate him, Kratos is an important part of the PlayStation brand. The vengeful antihero has starred in some of the platform’s very best titles, and the God of War Collection brings those classics back to life with startling clarity. Remastering PS2 favourites God of War and God of War II in beautiful high definition, the...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation Portable)
On-the-go karts
ModNation Racers PSP comes so close to its PlayStation 3 counterpart that it's impossible not to compare the two titles. Sadly, that's detrimental to ModNation Racers PSP because, for everything the game gets right, the drifting component feels 'off'. However, if you're able to overcome the issue you'll find a super deep kart-racer...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation 3)
Drive, create, share
ModNation Racers takes everything that is good about Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise and rids itself of the bad. It then put the remains into a bowl and mixes in one-third LittleBigPlanet and two-thirds fun. This is a kart racer done the Play, Create, Share way, a genre Sony's single-handedly brought to the forefront of the...
Review God of War Collection: Volume II (PlayStation 3)
Fit for a god
Existing fans will lap up the technical proficiency of God of War Collection: Volume II, but those new to Ready At Dawn's work will also find a thoughtful empathy towards the franchise's anti-hero, Kratos, contextualising some of the aggression found later in the series. For our money, Ghost of Sparta is the best game in the series...
Review God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PlayStation Portable)
Mini massacre
While we're huge fans of Kratos here in the Push Square office, not every PlayStation fan shares our affection. The spartan warrior's constant anger grates with many followers, so much so that they are unable to look past the character in order to enjoy the game. Despite slotting awkwardly between the first and second God of War...
Review Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PlayStation 3)
Drake's delightful
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception realises what we dreamed video games would one day become. "All men dream: but not equally." Nathan Drake utters T.E. Lawrence's poignant phrase as the curtain raises on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Like others, we dared to dream. For 20 years we longed for a cinematic interactive...
Review God of War III (PlayStation 3)
God of awe
It’s no surprise that God of War III should end up representing PlayStation at its very finest. The previous entries in the mythological series achieved things seemingly impossible on the PlayStation 2, and God of War III extends on that prowess. From the rip-roaring spectacle of the opening 60 minutes right through to the ultra-stylish...
Review Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)
King of thieves
The follow-up to Naughty Dog's often overlooked cinematic gem Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves plots the path of Nathan Drake once again as he follows the trail of Marco Polo and a legendary gem known as the Cintamani stone. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees some growth to the game's cast, with both Elena and...
Review ICO & Shadow Of The Colossus Collection (PlayStation 3)
ICOnic
An impeccable, provocative and emotional affair, ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection makes a strong argument in favour of interactive art, and does so with such a matter of fact, effortless mentality that it's impossible not to fall in love with the experience. Despite being heralded as two of the finest games ever created, there's an...
December2011
Review Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (PlayStation 3)
Oddly compelling
Developer Just Add Water's done an outstanding job of making the XBOX original look and feel relevant on PlayStation 3, allowing the game's bizarre mix of stealth and shooting to stand up on its own. Some irritating voice acting and offensive difficulty spikes harm the game's appeal, but Stranger's Wrath HD is still a curiously...
Review Move Fitness (PlayStation 3)
Boxing clever?
Swedish company Coldwood Interactive released The Fight: Lights Out back at the end of 2010 to mainly negative reviews, with many disappointed by the overall quality after seeing such massive potential in early previews, citing poor motion controls and a lack of variety as a couple of reasons for its downfall. A year later, Coldwood...
November2011
Review Tekken Hybrid (PlayStation 3)
Fighters megamix
Tekken Hybrid is a comprehensive slice of fan service. Comprising a remastered classic, a slight but stunning teaser and a watchable action flick, the compilation package is the perfect celebration of Namco's fighting classic. It's unlikely to appeal to everyone, but those that consider Heihachi and Kazuya household names will feel...
Review After Hours Athletes (PlayStation 3)
Of balls and bullseyes
Like Move Mind Benders before it, After Hours Athletes is a Blu-ray compilation of three previously PSN-only games, released in time for Christmas at a budget price. It sounds like a winning formula, but it's not quite up to the quality of its companion release. For one thing, unlike Move Mind Benders there is no new title...
Review Start the Party: Save the World (PlayStation 3)
Save the cheerleader
Start the Party was one of the original games announced for the PlayStation 3’s motion controller, launching alongside Move at the tail end of 2010. It was the first project from Supermassive Games, and while it wasn't particularly well-received it clearly sold well enough to warrant the team having another stab at a genre...
Review EyePet & Friends (PlayStation 3)
Glitter tray
EyePet’s first release in 2009 was an odd affair, a new approach to the virtual pet game that impressed in some areas but didn't quite come over as well as hoped in others, and 2010’s EyePet: Move Edition fixed many issues to become one of Move’s stronger first titles. A further year on and an all-new sequel reaches shelves, this...
Review Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest (PlayStation 3)
Dem bones
Zindagi Games’ Sports Champions was a highlight of PlayStation Move’s launch line-up last year, and it still remains one of the better demonstrations of the peripheral to date. Bringing together a variety of sports, including archery and — slightly less commonly seen these days — gladiatorial duels, the Californian developer...
Review Invizimals: The Lost Tribes (PlayStation Portable)
Invizimals: The Lost Tribes is a fantastic idea squandered
Frustrating technical issues, poor pacing and annoying difficulty spikes get in the way of what is ostensibly a great concept. Persevere and you will almost certainly find fun in the game's augmented reality technology, but it's hard to shake the feeling that The Lost Tribes could have been...
Review Carnival Island (PlayStation 3)
Fun fare
Funfairs epitomise family fun, so it's no real surprise that carnival themed games have proved a huge hit on other motion controlled platforms. Carnival Island is Sony's attempt at capturing that audience for the PlayStation Move, and while it's not without its problems, it still offers a competent selection of enjoyable mini-games, fuelled...
Review inFAMOUS 2 (PlayStation 3)
Lightning strikes twice
Taking place immediately after inFAMOUS, Cole McGrath travels to New Marais in order to improve his skills to fight the Beast. As soon as Cole and Zeke arrive in town, disaster strikes throwing the player head on into the action to save the world from The Beast. The tale is full of highs and lows as Cole struggles to battle...
Review Move Mind Benders (PlayStation 3)
Grey matters
In the year or so since PlayStation Move launched last year, some of the peripheral's best titles have hit PlayStation Store, and although the console's online connection rate is pretty high there's still a chance Move owners might have missed out on some cracking titles. That's why it's a good job Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has...
Review EyePet Adventures (PlayStation Portable)
A deeper emphasis on exploration makes EyePet Adventures a much bigger package than its predecessor, but its underlying longevity comes from the "make your own fun" potential that the game's technology provides
Last year when we reviewed EyePet PSP we explained how elated we'd be receiving the augmented reality experience for Christmas. Fast forward...
October2011
Review inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood (PlayStation 3)
But... does it sparkle?
The dark world Cole McGrath is trying to project just got a whole lot darker. inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood takes place during inFAMOUS 2 in the city of New Marais on a special night called Pyre Night, when the citizens celebrate the removal of the twisted and powerful vampire, Bloody Mary. With Bloody Mary reawakened with...
Review Everybody Dance (PlayStation 3)
The real party starter
The wait for a killer app PlayStation Move dancing game seems baffling at times: although Kinect launched with the excellent Dance Central from Harmonix, it took three years for the Wii to really ignite the trend with Ubisoft’s original Just Dance. Here we are, 14 months on since the peripheral first launched and ready to...
September2011
Review LittleBigPlanet 2 (PlayStation 3)
Move your Sackthing!
Sackboys and Sackgirls, lend us your ears! Craft World is in trouble! The Negativatron (basically an evil vacuum cleaner) is sucking up all the fun and dreams out of Craft World! It’s up to you to take control of your little Sackperson and save the planet from the Negativatron with help from your allies "The...
Review Resistance 3 (PlayStation 3)
How far would you go to save your family?
It’s been four long years since the dramatic events of Resistance 2 came to a close, and the war is over. Chimeran terraformers hover in the skies, transforming Earth into an icy wasteland reminiscent of the alien invaders' home world. Like enslaved prisoners, the few remaining survivors have taken refuge...
