PS4 Game Reviews
Review Micro Machines: World Series (PS4)
How the tiny have fallen
It feels like Codemasters has been testing the water for a potential return of its much loved matchbox racing franchise. A few years ago we had Toybox Turbos on PlayStation 3, which was a Micro Machines game in all but name, and a fairly good one at that. More recently, a Micro Machines mobile game popped up, and...
Coming soon
Ancient Amuletor is a tower defence, virtual reality title in which you are tasked with protecting a bunch of crystals from an onslaught of enemies. You play from the perspective of a hero, with the ability to teleport from pillar to pillar, overlooking the various crystals that require defending. The game is level-based with each stage...
Fred the dead
There’s no question that if Arizona Sunshine controlled as well as the fantastic Farpoint, it’d be easy to recommend. Much like Impulse Gear’s sci-fi shooter, this sun-baked romp through post-apocalyptic America feels decidedly old-school – but the novelty of virtual reality more than makes up for its rudimentary encounters...
Don't stop the beat
The developers at PM Studios have had a long track record when creating exemplar rhythm games. As previous developers of the DJMAX series, one could say with Superbeat: Xonic it's created a spiritual successor to the rhythm franchise. What was originally a Japanese arcade-only experience has now become one of the most polished...
Review I Want to Be Human (PS4)
Don't let it be human
From the outset, I Want to Be Human presents itself as a rough-and-ready rebellious ride. A Blink-182-style pop-punk song proclaims “I want to be human” upon startup as the text on screen spasms back and forth, red and black covering the main menu. Developer Sinclair Strange’s first console release is a ride, alright...
Mourning woods
Republished on Wednesday, 28th June 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Until Dawn is much better than you may be expecting. The teen horror title – which was originally intended as a PlayStation Move...
Tee time
It’s been almost three years since The Golf Club bagged up its 9 iron and plotted a course for the user created links of the PlayStation 4. HB Studios’ simulation resembled a present day Tiger Woods: a little rough around the edges but still capable of magic. This sequel, then, aims to improve upon the handicap of its predecessor by...
Review The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind (PS4)
Magic mushrooms
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is stuffed with interesting places to visit, as you'd expect of such a gigantic massively multiplayer online world. From the frozen wastes of Skyrim to the harsh deserts of Hammerfell, you can't fault the game's environmental variety, but nothing quite equals the strange majesty of...
Back to the drawing board
Get Even is a first-person psychological horror game that showed quite a bit of promise pre-release, but the final version fails to capitalise on what it does differently and, in amalgamation with a number of other flaws, none of its potential is anywhere near realised. The title attempts to blend your typical shooter with...
Crash and burn
In 2014, Milestone – a dev with a very long history working with motorcycle games – launched a new series with MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame. While it was an alright title, it didn’t exactly blow us away. Skip ahead to present day and Milestone has released the third entry in the series. During that time, has...
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Nex Machina reinforces Housemarque’s status as the undisputed king of the dual-joystick shooter. This collaboration with arcade veteran Eugene Jarvis (he of Defender and Smash TV fame) is a borderline perfect spin on the genre, as you take control of a futuristic space pilot pushing back against hordes of voxel-based robots. Your...
Review Dark Rose Valkyrie (PS4)
A thorny rose
Dark Rose Valkyrie is the latest Japanese role-playing game presented to us by developer Compile Heart and publisher Idea Factory. It’s set in an alternate version of 1929 Japan where Black Garnet, a meteorite, has hit the Earth and caused a virus that transforms the public into deadly creatures called Chimera. The protagonist,...
Review The Town of Light (PS4)
Old haunt
It is perfectly clear, right from the pre-game warning screen, that this is a game that won’t be pulling any punches. The Town of Light tells the tragic tale of a teenage girl, Renée, suffering mental illness inside the walls of an early twentieth century Italian asylum, and while the characters are fictional, everything else is based...
Riding DiRTy
DiRT Rally was a real breath of fresh air when it released on the PlayStation 4 last year. It was celebrated for its razor sharp focus on the sport, as well as its challenging and fulfilling gameplay. Codemasters stripped away the excess and released a lean, mean, and unashamedly hardcore rally game – and it was great. With DiRT...
Review Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS4 / PS2)
The last hope?
You know you’re playing an older game when you’re forced to use the shoulder buttons to turn the camera. There’s no option to change it to the right analogue stick, either, presumably because that would have meant extra work. It’s a sure-fire sign that Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is just an emulated upscale of the...
Review Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! (PS4)
Katana and mouse
Cladun Returns: The Is Sengoku! is a fast and sometimes fun little dungeon crawler. The sprite-based title serves up stages that can each be completed in just a few minutes, and there are plenty of ways to enhance your character, resulting in a surprisingly rewarding experience. For quick stints of exploration and action you can't...
Review The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 5: From the Gallows (PS4)
Off with its head
The problem with episodic games is that you have to finish strong, otherwise you risk spoiling months of build-up and leaving a sour taste. Unfortunately, the finale to The Walking Dead’s third season is a big disappointment, and it’ll leave you pondering exactly what the point of this story was in the first place. With the...
Hacked off
Republished on Wednesday, 31st May 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of June 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Neon Chrome is a top-down, twin-stick shooter set entirely in what looks like the Shinra Building from Final Fantasy VII given a Blade...
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized (PS4)
Say goodbye to the Strangerhood
Republished on Wednesday, 31st May 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of June 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Well, the moment is finally here. After nine months and five episodes, the first season of DONTNOD's Life is Strange has...
Let the bodies hit the floor
Republished on Wednesday, 31st May 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of June 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. It's been a demanding shooter season so far. DICE hit rewind on history and gave us the uniformly proficient Battlefield 1 then...
Review Seasons After Fall (PS4)
The colours of the wind
It’s without a doubt that Focus Home Interactive's Seasons After Fall is a gorgeous game. It’s also easy to consider similarities when regarding the visual style to Ori and the Blind Forest, as its gorgeous pastels remind us of Moon Studios' masterpiece from 2015. However, Seasons After Fall is its own unique piece of...
Rage against the Mishima
It's been five whole years since we last had a Tekken game on a PlayStation platform – not counting the free-to-play and hilariously unbalanced Tekken Revolution. As such, Tekken 7 finds itself in a slightly tricky spot. Expectations are high when it comes to the series' latest entry, and with other big-name beat-'em-ups...
Crash bash
Danger Zone isn’t subtle and nor should it be. The latest from indie outfit Three Fields Entertainment doesn’t faff around with golf balls, instead slapping cars on a simulated highway and tasking you with smashing into as many of them as you can. This is Crash Mode in everything but name, and considering it comes care of...
Review Victor Vran: Overkill Edition (PS4)
Tricky Vick
Similarly to the Diablo series, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is all about loot. Whether you're breaking open pots, opening chests, or buying from merchants, Haemimont Games' latest sees you stuffing your pockets with all the weapons, consumables, and items that you can find, from scythes and swords to destiny cards and demon powers. At...
Review Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 (PS4)
Can't stop the rock
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- is a masterful fighting game, and if you've been hankering for more of Arc System Works' gorgeous brawler, then you probably won't want to miss Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2. An expansion to REVELATOR - which can either be purchased as downloadable content or as its own standalone release - Rev 2 adds a...
Review Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada (PS4)
Family values
To date, Samurai Warriors 4 has given way to three spin-off titles on PlayStation 4: Samurai Warriors 4-II, Samurai Warriors 4: Empires, and now, Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada. Of the three, this latest release is the most original - at least in terms of structure and design. Spirit of Sanada takes numerous role-playing game...
Review Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles (PS4)
Pack-a-Punched
Nacht der Untoten was a bonus mode tacked onto Call of Duty: World at War. It had recycled assets, no voice acting, and a simple layout because Activision didn’t fund it. Nevertheless, Treyarch implemented the small map for the fun of it, which went on to not only become the underrated game’s defining legacy, but also a franchise...
Review Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island (PS4)
Hatchet & Shank
Don't adjust your screen: this isn't a brand new entry into the Ratchet & Clank series you somehow hadn't heard about. Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a 3D platformer that takes a serious dose of inspiration from Insomniac's incredibly successful series. Unfortunately, it's never able to reach the heights of...
Review World to the West (PS4)
A different kind of Westworld
What happens when a teleportation-mishap leaves four heroes lost in a strange world, each packing their own unique special powers? Teamwork, that’s what. From the makers of cool 2D puzzle-'em-up Teslagrad, Rain Games brings a new title to the same universe in the shape of World to the West. The big change this time...
Review Black & White Bushido (PS4)
Stab in the dark
The title says it all, really. Black & White Bushido is a monochromatic multiplayer game where samurai of light or shadow duke it out in two-tone arenas. Developer Good Catch has ported its game over to consoles after an 18-month stint on PC, and with its unique gameplay, it could well slot nicely into gaming nights with a few...
