Indie Bin: Horizon Chase Turbo, Raging Justice, VA-11 HALL-A

From the embers of the Push Square Podcast rises Indie Bin – a feature that draws attention to some of the smaller games in PlayStation's busy release schedule. Once the Indie Bin is full, we'll put it out for collection in these consolidated articles featuring several pint-sized reviews. The metric here is simple: games we don't like stay Indie Bin and games we do like come Outdie Bin. Without further ado, let's crack on.

VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (PS Vita)

A sharp visual novel with a curious obsession with vaginas, VA-11 HALL-A casts you as a sassy barmaid in a rundown neo-future pub. The writing does its best to ape the young adult fiction genre, with cocky characters paving way to some smart lines – but it’s the way that it explores contemporary social issues through its sci-fi lens that makes it a true success. The gameplay – which sees you mostly tabbing through dialogue and pouring drinks – leaves a lot to be desired, but the vibrant Snatcher-esque aesthetic and engaging cast of characters more than make up for its mechanical simplicity. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Burly Men at Sea (PS4, PS Vita)

Not to be confused with the DVD of the same name in your local erotic store, Burly Men at Sea features seamen of a different kind. This strange point-and-click sees you replaying the same scene over and over, with forks in the story allowing you to alter the outcome by making different decisions. While it does cut back on repetition by speeding up parts that you’ll have seen before, this is a strange pastel-coloured proposition, which looks pretty but is ultimately pointless – unless you want a practically free Platinum Trophy, of course. SB

Verdict: Indie Bin

Horizon Chase Turbo (PS4)

Horizon Chase Turbo, with its flat shading and scorching synths, will catch the eye of old-school OutRun fans. But while it shares many similarities with Yu Suzuki’s legendary racer, it’s very much its own thing; events are segregated into circuits, where you’ll need to weave in and out of traffic in order to reach the front of the pack. It plays more like PixelJunk Racers than Coast 2 Coast, but its shifting backdrops and primary colours give it a great 90s flair. Rock solid performance and an enormous campaign mean that you’ll be behind the wheel for a while, but the initial novelty may fade before you see everything that the title’s got to offer. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Raging Justice (PS4)

Inspired by the digitized sprites of early Mortal Kombat, Raging Justice is a striking albeit ugly Streets of Rage clone that sees you upholding the law with your fists. An arrest mechanic allows you to play good cop or bad cop, while local co-op is available for those who want to collect roast chicken from trash cans with friends. It’s fun enough, but the artstyle will prove an acquired taste, and as with all beat-‘em-ups in 2018, your interest is likely to be shortlived. SB

Verdict: Indie Bin

InkSplosion (PS4, PS Vita)

A game which seems to exist solely to dole out Trophies, InkSplosion is a routine top-down shooter that cycles between weapons and enemy types on each stage. While the gameplay is perfectly competent, it feels like a really good final year university project, bringing nothing to the table other than an epilepsy-inducing splatter effect that the developer’s since allowed you to toggle off in order to make the Platinum easier to collect. SB

Verdict: Indie Bin

Words: Sammy Barker