March2016
Review Just Cause 3: Sky Fortress (PS4)
Wingsuitably insane
One of the best things about Just Cause 3 was its traversal. Sure, there were cars to drive, planes to fly, and boats to... float (?), but when it came down to getting from A-to-B quickly, the ultra-responsive wingsuit was always the best answer. It felt perfectly weighted – tinkered with to the highest degree in order to make...
Review Hitman: Intro Pack (PS4)
Making a killing
When Hitman's release schedule was revealed, a lot of people weren't happy about its episodic nature. Many fans feared that the game would be a massive disappointment akin to the likes of Hitman Absolution, but that is most definitely not the case. On the surface, the Intro Pack may seem a bit steep at its £11.99/$14.99 price –...
February2016
Review Hitman Go: Definitive Edition (PS4)
Dio-drama
For a hit to go off successfully, assassins need to work with clockwork efficiency. Hitman Go: Definitive Edition, the PlayStation 4 and Vita port of Square Enix Montreal's mobile spin-off, takes that idea literally, polishing the shiny scalp of cold-blooded killer Agent 47 like it's made of resin – because, well, in this interpretation...
December2015
Review Final Fantasy VII (PS4)
All 7 fever
The game that made Final Fantasy a household name, Final Fantasy VII is now available on the PlayStation 4. Originally released in 1997, this is a straight port of the enhanced PC version, which boasts slightly better visuals and some tweaked dialogue. What's more, the title's return to PlayStation allows for full Trophy support, and...
October2015
Review Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below (PS4)
Prime slime
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a name that we don't want to write more than once in this review. It's also the name of a very fun action role-playing game that sees the massively popular Japanese franchise step away from traditional turn-based battles and adopt a gameplay approach that's more akin to...
July2015
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 4 - Dark Room (PS4)
Dark side of the moons
French developer DONTNOD really kicked things into overdrive with the third episode of Life Is Strange. While the first two episodes were certainly divisive – even amongst the staff here - it would be hard to argue that the series wasn't in the process of carving out its own niche. Episode three was where proceedings truly...
Review Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (PS4)
Just like heaven
Final Fantasy XIV has a history of improvement. Since its initial launch, it's already gone through a major revision titled A Realm Reborn, but now we're ready for its first expansion, Heavensward. Welcome to Ishgard, frozen battleground between knights and dragons. Since the cliff-hanger ending in patch v2.55, players have been...
May2015
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 3 - Chaos Theory (PlayStation 4)
Life is beautiful
Life Is Strange: Episode 3 – Chaos Theory marks the third of five planned story instalments in Remember Me developer DONTNOD's divisive high school story. We had our fair share of problems with the first two episodes, but left the door open for the developer to truly deliver on the glimpses of promise that it had shown thus far...
Review Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster (PlayStation 4)
Love in high definition
Spira's a colourful and inviting world, and it looks great on the PlayStation 4. The setting of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, it's a land that mixes nature, strange architecture, and ancient machinery, and it always feels interesting and engaging as a result. Indeed, the two titles that make up this remaster still...
March2015
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 2 - Out of Time (PlayStation 4)
Boyhood: The Game
On the surface, DONTNOD's divisive Life Is Strange seems to have a lot in common with Richard Linklater's Boyhood in tone and feel. Sure, there's the heavy sci-fi underpinning and a city with plenty of dark secrets – in a Twin Peaks kind of way – but it retains the feel that the aforementioned flick captured by incorporating...
Review Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PlayStation 4)
Emotion sickness
Final Fantasy Type-0 is a PlayStation Portable title that never made it outside of Japan, much to the dismay of many overseas fans. Boasting real time, action-packed combat and a mission-based structure, it's an example of the franchise stepping out of its comfort zone with a project that's not entirely what we've come to expect. In...
February2015
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis (PlayStation 4)
Go f*** yourselfie
Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis marks the latest release from French developer DONTNOD, the studio behind Remember Me. Being an episodic game, it marks a change of pace for the firm, and allows it to join the ranks of Telltale Games, who has essentially defined the model in its current guise. Series like this are extremely...
December2014
Review Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PlayStation 4)
Familiar faces, too many balls
Lara Croft is back, kicking butt across an isometric playground filled with demons and darkness, just like in The Guardian of Light. Fans of the original spin-off title will feel instantly at home exploring The Temple of Osiris, fighting off alligators in terrible wigs and solving “puzzles” that tend to involve...
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX (PlayStation 3)
Sora sensational
Square Enix may not know how to do release dates, press conferences, or reasonable haircuts, but it's an expert at HD Collections. The firm's Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was at least half a masterpiece, and the original Kingdom Hearts collection has become the only proper way to start the franchise. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX...
October2014
Review Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
Dim same
In a gaming sphere that currently adores sandbox and open world games, too few gamers would recognise the name Wei Shen. Sleeping Dogs' lead is a troubled character who makes the likes of Aiden Pearce seem annoyingly lacking in the personality department, and the aforementioned title that our chaotic cop comes from is often similarly...
June2014
Review Murdered: Soul Suspect (PlayStation 4)
Dead to rights
Not many games actively attempt to avoid putting you in danger, but Murdered: Soul Suspect on the PlayStation 4 attempts to walk this less travelled road by having very little combat and putting you in the shoes of a ghost. This unique perspective means that you have limited influence on the physical world around you, making you feel...
May2014
Review Drakengard 3 (PlayStation 3)
The number games
There’s one in every family, isn’t there? One person who has to spoil every gathering, causing drama on social media, and jumping out, murdering people all of the time. No? In Drakengard 3, that’s exactly what happens. As moody anti-heroine Zero, you’ll need to trek across mountains or through lush green forests on a quest...
April2014
Review Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn (PlayStation 4)
A realm revitalised
When it comes to Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn, improvement has been pivotal ever since its initial release way back in 2010. Due to a poor fan response, Square Enix decided to recruit Naoki Yoshida into the director’s role in a last ditch attempt to salvage the game, but rather than issue a series of patches and...
March2014
Review Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster (PlayStation Vita)
Love is eternal
After playing Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster, it's hard to believe that both games are now over ten years old. Back on the PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy X was something of a revolution not just for Square Enix's popular series, but for Japanese RPGs in general. It was filled with voice acting, paved a route for more linear gameplay...
Tea leaf
Sneaking onto the PlayStation 4, developer Eidos Montreal’s reboot of Thief aims to put anti-hero Garrett back on the throne as the king of the stealth genre. It’s been ten years since the last game in the series, and in that time, undercover titles have undergone a few changes. Gone are the days of instant failures, as the gameplay...
Review Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)
Three's a charm
Taking place 500 years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the latest instalment in Square Enix’s mega franchise begins with pink-haired protagonist Lightning being shaken from her crystal slumber by God Bhunivelze. The heroine’s task? To save humanity from an imbalance between life and chaos which has prevented people from...
February2014
Review Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
Polished treasure
Rather than force you to sit through a string of paragraphs longer than the average historical textbook, we’ll get straight to the point: Lara Croft’s next generation debut looks the part on the PlayStation 4. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition may be little more than a cleaned up retread of last year’s dirty day-trip to...
October2013
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (PlayStation 3)
Total eclipse of the heart
When Square and Disney's unlikely collaboration first graced our screens back in 2002, Kingdom Hearts was commended for its fantastic visuals, jaw-dropping cut-scenes, and wonderful animations – all of which still hold up relatively well on the PlayStation 2 today. It must be said, then, that giving the first Kingdom...
September2013
Review Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn (PlayStation 3)
Reborn to try
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a remake of the failed PC release of the same name, only this time, Square Enix has ported the title to the PlayStation 3. It’s a completely cross-platform game, where PC and PS3 players all reside on the same servers with the exact same content. Purchasing the game includes a 30 day subscription,...
March2013
Review Tomb Raider (PlayStation 3)
Uncharted territory
Lara Croft, one of the most iconic protagonists in gaming, has finally returned with a contemporary tale designed to reboot the Tomb Raider series. And it's a magnificent comeback. Crystal Dynamics' new take on the heroine mixes combat and exploration in a compelling fashion, resulting in one of the best action adventure titles...
