Latest Reviews - Page 5

Jetpack Joyride (PlayStation Minis)

Jetpack Joyride (PlayStation Minis)

Fun size

You are Barry Steakfries: Nate Drake look-alike, coin collector, and experimental technology thief. Bored of his life in the ‘Secret Underground Laboratory’, Barry makes a one-way bid for freedom. He’s doomed of course, but don’t tell him. It’d break his heart. One of the few iPhone apps to make the jump to PlayStation Minis,...

Hitman: Absolution (PlayStation 3)

Hitman: Absolution (PlayStation 3)

Murder most joyous

With a six year absence since Agent 47's last outing, it's not surprising to see that everybody's favourite murderer has gone through a few changes. And while series purists may lament the days of yore, Hitman: Absolution still steals the show with its unique stealth elements, freedom, and deadly satisfaction. Indeed, Hitman:...

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PlayStation 3)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PlayStation 3)

Future warfare

Following the incredible performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops was always going to be a challenge. One of the most popular games in the series, it pulled the story to interesting new places and built upon the ever-great multiplayer; arguably, Treyarch out-did Infinity Ward at its own game. Direct sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops 2...

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PlayStation Vita)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PlayStation Vita)

Portable octane

Need for Speed: Most Wanted takes place in the beautiful city of Fairhaven where the most notorious street racers call home. As you attempt to make a name for yourself, you’ll have to climb your way up the list of most wanted drivers by earning speed points. To do this, you’ll have to prove that you have some serious chops behind...

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified (PlayStation Vita)

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified (PlayStation Vita)

Black mark

Has there ever been a more maligned handheld title prior to release than Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified? Reviewers (not all by any means), unabashed and damning in early preview criticism, seemed primed to deliver literary blows to the PlayStation Vita itself with the first-person shooter's release, yet gamers posting user reviews...

F1 Race Stars (PlayStation 3)

F1 Race Stars (PlayStation 3)

Worth the pit stop?

F1 Race Stars is a game that makes clever use of its license. It takes all of the sport's real-world teams and drivers, and slaps them into a colourful karting game. But while the title initially appears tailor made for children, it quickly transpires that there's a lot more to the arcade racer. It’s clear that Codemasters has...

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PlayStation 3)

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PlayStation 3)

Celebrity deathmatch

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a lot like a box of chocolates that consists purely of almond-based treats. SuperBot Entertainment’s mascot mash-up cherry picks some of the sweetest moments from PlayStation lore and casts them inside a brawler so self-aware that you can’t help but smile while playing it. From the...

LittleBigPlanet Karting (PlayStation 3)

LittleBigPlanet Karting (PlayStation 3)

Stuck in the pit stop

Over the years, many developers have tried and failed to dethrone the Mario Kart series. This year, United Front Games has stepped up to the starting line, dishing out its very own blend of cardboard cut-out tracks and knitted karting chaos, all under the name of LittleBigPlanet Karting. However, despite high hopes, the...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PlayStation 3)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PlayStation 3)

Martian orders

Sgt Brown, purposefully named after a personal friend and modelled to appear in much the same way, was a competent, proficient warrior out on the battlefield. In the face of unimaginable terror, combating his own nerves on an alien-infested Earth, without question, his fortitude and intensity remained true. Yet, it was his lack of...

Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition (PlayStation 3)

Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition (PlayStation 3)

Nice chopper

Famous for being one of the SEGA Dreamcast’s final releases, Under Defeat is a vertically-scrolling shooter which wears its old-school credentials as proudly as possible. Updated with high-definition visuals and boasting deluxe features to entice on-the-fence buyers into making a purchase, Under Defeat HD is a fantastic way to...

Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PlayStation 3)

Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PlayStation 3)

Muggle magic

In a generation where Sony’s casual content has aimlessly followed the lead, Wonderbook serves as a stark reminder of the platform holder’s chops when it comes to capturing the attention of the mainstream market. Advancing the company’s ongoing obsession with augmented reality, the exciting educational endeavour is an original...

Tomba! (PSone)

Tomba! (PSone)

The pig-eating caveboy gets a second chance

While many retro enthusiasts will grumble endlessly about how digital downloads are going to mark the end of video game collecting as we know it, there’s one massive plus point that they seem to conveniently ignore: by removing the reliance on physical media, it means that more people can experience the...

Assassin's Creed III (PlayStation 3)

Assassin's Creed III (PlayStation 3)

Talkin' 'bout a Revolution

The Assassin's Creed franchise has taken us to a lot of places – Jerusalem, Istanbul and much of Italy for some — but it's only in the fifth mainline entry and PS Vita spin-off Assassin's Creed III: Liberation that Ubisoft has ventured to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and breached North American shores. Neatly...

BreakQuest: Extra Evolution (PlayStation Minis)

BreakQuest: Extra Evolution (PlayStation Minis)

Block bashing brilliance

Sprinkling innovation on top of what is ostensibly an Arkanoid clone is a tricky task, but developer Beatshapers has achieved it marvellously with the brilliant BreakQuest: Extra Evolution. Building on the original title from 2004, this PlayStation Mini lives up to its namesake by completely overhauling the block bashing...

Okami HD (PlayStation Network)

Okami HD (PlayStation Network)

A game nearly fit for the Gods

In a time when sequels, prequels and HD remakes make up the majority of video game releases, we should start to ask ourselves: what really warrants a makeover? Okami is no stranger to the porting process, having been originally released for the PS2 in 2007, and then ported to the Wii in 2008 without even a major...

Ragnarok Odyssey (PlayStation Vita)

Ragnarok Odyssey (PlayStation Vita)

RPG oddity

After a great thunderous sound, the people of Rune Midgard find themselves under attack from mysterious creatures from the Millennium Peaks. It’s up to you and the residents of the kingdom to fight off these giants and survive. The story doesn't sound like much – primarily because it barely exists. Between missions, you’ll interact...

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (PlayStation Vita)

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (PlayStation Vita)

Aveline in chains

You can’t fault Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation’s ambition. Ubisoft Sofia’s sprawling PlayStation Vita exclusive not only faithfully repurposes the free-roaming elimination escapades of its console counterparts, but through the corrupt recollections of mysterious protagonist Aveline de Grandpré it also attempts to imbue...

When Vikings Attack (PlayStation Network)

When Vikings Attack (PlayStation Network)

Rise against the tyranny of the Vikings

There's a pitfall to the design goal of simplicity: repetition. Many accessible titles tend to eschew this obstacle through minimalistic charm and a compelling set of mechanics. But while When Vikings Attack certainly boasts these values, and makes good use of them, its incessant repetition fails to abate...

Sports Champions 2 (PlayStation 3)

Sports Champions 2 (PlayStation 3)

Smashing

The original Sports Champions may have been conceived as a direct response to the Wii Sports phenomenon, but beyond its surface accessibility it offered a subtlety that went missing on players looking for little more than a party game. Obfuscated by its shoddy art style and limited multiplayer options, the PlayStation Move launch title’s...

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PlayStation Portable)

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PlayStation Portable)

A fang-tastic introduction to Castlevania's finest instalments

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is one of those packages that sits awkwardly on the fence between remake and compilation. While the main attraction is the fully-fledged modern day remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood there are other prizes on offer which may take a player’s...