Tag: Previews - Page 5
Hands On Planet Coaster Is a Fun PS4 Ride with Bumps Along the Way
Sickener
We were going to bring you a Planet Coaster: Console Edition review today, but we’ve had to settle for the PlayStation 4 version and, frankly, we’re so close to the PlayStation 5’s launch now that we didn’t want to blow our cotton candy early. So, we figured we’d share our hands-on impressions, with a full review to follow...
Hands On Train Sim World 2 Is Transformed by PS5 Backwards Compatibility
A smooth ride
When we put together our PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility test, we focused on the biggest and most popular games. While we were extremely impressed with the results posted by Days Gone and Ghost of Tsushima, the other titles left us a little bit dismayed; Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us: Part II enjoyed no real gains, while
Hands On PS5 Backwards Compatibility - The Good, the Not Bad, and the Ugly
Loading times! Performance! Resolution! More!
PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility has been a big point of discussion in the build-up to the next-gen system’s launch – in fact, at times, it’s been the only point of conversation. Ever since Mark Cerny’s misjudged hardware deep dive in March – feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? –...
Hands On Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition on PS5 Is a Stylish Upgrade
S rank
Devil May Cry 5 is a frontrunner in the race for PlayStation 4’s flashiest game, so it’s no surprise that Capcom’s turning up the style for its PlayStation 5 upgrade. Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition – unlike so many next-gen re-releases – is a premium remaster, so there’s no free PS4 to PS5 path here. Fortunately, the Japanese...
Hands On Astro's Playroom Is an Extraordinary Demonstration of DualSense
Feel the difference
The problem with these pre-release previews for next-gen technologies like the DualSense is that they can dampen some of the discovery for those who must wait until 12th November to experience it themselves. In this particular instance, though, it’s impossible to spoil the sensation because it’s difficult to even describe how...
Hands On The New PS App Is a Humongous Upgrade
There's an app for that
Hands up if you use the PlayStation App? It was pretty rubbish, right? We had it installed on our iPhone, but we barely used it because it was slow and functionally quite poor. All of the messaging features were contained in a separate app, and the PS Store effectively booted a Safari page. Yeah, you could see what your...
Hands On The Watch Dogs Legion Gimmick Can't Hide Tired Gameplay
Three hackers on the shirt
After an entire generation of Ubisoft open-world titles, Watch Dogs Legion looks and feels bland. That descriptor is the word we kept coming back to following 10 hours with the PlayStation 4 experience launching on 29th October 2020, and we could never truly shake it off. There are high points here and there where you...
Hands On Touring the Isle of Wight by Train Is the Most Relaxing Gaming of 2020
Train Sim World 2's latest expansion offers some escapism
You can’t travel many places at the minute, for reasons we don’t need to repeat. To be honest, it’s all a bit depressing, isn’t it? We feel you. That’s why we had such a fantastic time travelling across the Isle of Wight by train this weekend. It’s a new addition to the evolving...
Hands On Ghost of Tsushima New Game+ Is a Great Addition That's Well Worth Playing
Back in the saddle
Thanks to update 1.12, Ghost of Tsushima now boasts New Game+ — a way to replay Jin's epic adventure with all of your skills, equipment, and cosmetics from a previous playthrough intact. New Game+ was pretty much the community's most requested feature, and we're happy to report that Sucker Punch has done a brilliant job of...
Hands On Ghost of Tsushima's Free Co-Op Update Defies All Expectations
Legendary
Ghost of Tsushima: Legends has arrived courtesy of Ghost of Tsushima's free 1.12 update, and it's shockingly good. We had reasonably high expectations for this co-op excursion, but Sucker Punch's efforts have still blown us away. This isn't some throwaway multiplayer mode — the kind that we used to see bolted onto everything back in the...
Hands On Genshin Impact Is a Very Impressive Free-to-Play Action RPG
Add to library
Straight to the point: Genshin Impact has pretty much ripped our expectations to shreds. The game that many have been calling a Breath of the Wild clone is actually really, really good — and it doesn't have to cost you a penny. Genshin Impact is a free-to-play, open world action RPG. It has a story, interesting characters, quests,...
Hands On Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Couldn't Be More Different
A step back from Modern Warfare?
Despite the fact that some will undoubtedly scoff at the idea, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War might be the biggest deviation the franchise has made in quite some time. That's in terms of both feel and gunplay inside its multiplayer suite, and we don't think the change is for the better. Last year's Call of Duty:...
Hands On Crash Bandicoot 4 Can Be Both an Evolution and Series Homage
Another Toys for Bob masterclass
If you were worried that Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time would deviate too far from what made the original PS1 titles so memorable, cast those concerns aside. From the moment you gain control of the classic protagonist, it is immediately clear that developer Toys for Bob understood what it had to do with a fourth...
Hands On Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Has a Game-Breaking Bug and Crashing Issues on PS4
The reckoning is upon us
Update: As of Patch 1.05, released on the 17th September 2020, the game-breaking bug mentioned in this article has supposedly been fixed. You can read more about the update through this link. Original text: Today, we wanted to bring you a full review of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. It was one of our favourite action...
Hands On Dark Pictures: Little Hope Is More of the Same in Massachusetts
Witchcraft
Having had some hands on time with the first half hour of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, it’s hard to say if Supermassive’s next entry in the Dark Pictures anthology has the heft it’ll need to put the series back on the map after the middling Man of Medan. Despite being left with lingering questions, the first few...
Hands On NHL 21 Is Looking a Lot Like a Hockey Game
Déjà vu
Alright, stop us if you’ve heard this one before: NHL 21 feels a lot like last year’s game. Between all the modes on offer and the actual presentation of the game, you’d be hard-pressed to notice any key differences between last year’s product and EA Vancouver’s newest entry in the chilled sports franchise. Now, in fairness to...
First Impressions Bus Simulator 21 Is a Sharper, Snazzier Public Transport Sim
Tickets, please
Bus Simulator on the PlayStation 4 straddled the line between serious simulation and silly sandbox, which resulted in an occasionally unwieldy but otherwise likeable title that knew exactly what it wanted to be. Bus Simulator 21 is shaping up to be more of the same, but developer Still Alive is improving the experience in all the...
Hands On Wasteland 3 Is Brilliant But a Bit Buggy on PS4
Fallout meets XCOM
We've played around ten hours of Wasteland 3 on PS4, and we're having a blast. This is a post-apocalyptic RPG to be savoured, with great writing, interesting characters, and a lot of player choice. So far, it easily sits alongside the best traditional RPGs on Sony's system, like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin 2...
Hands On Taking a Ride with Planet Coaster: Console Edition on PS4
Catch a ride
The dearth of management games on the PlayStation 4 has been one of the sins of the system, so we’re grateful for Frontier’s commitment to the genre. Having already found success with Jurassic World: Evolution, the UK-based developer is now bringing Planet Coaster to Sony’s current-gen and next-gen consoles, aiming to occupy the...
First Impressions How Tennis World Tour 2 Is Avoiding a Double Fault on PS4
Anyone for tennis?
There’s an elephant in the room as Nacon tells us about Tennis World Tour 2, and it’s not outspoken Australian hotshot Nick Kyrgios. The French publisher – formerly known as BigBen Interactive – knows Tennis World Tour was bad, and while it remains polite and professional throughout, it clearly wants us to understand that...
Hands On Hyper Scape Might Be Too Chaotic for Its Own Good
DualShock deficiency
We'd be hard-pressed to think of a more obvious example of a PlayStation 4 game so clearly optimized for play on PC than Hyper Scape. It actually gets to the point where you question why Ubisoft bothered with the console port in the first place. However, this is a free-to-play Battle Royale title and so the idea of restricting...
Hands On Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo Is a Short But Promising Showcase
The daily grind
If it wasn't clear already, it has to be said: Activision knows how to do a remake. The publisher has proven many times that it's capable of reviving its old franchises for a modern audience, and it looks to be doing the same for its legendary skateboarding series. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 brings back the beloved titles on PS4,...
Hands On The Last of Us 2's Generous Post-Release Patch Adds Fun, Frivolities, and Permadeath
Grounded
For as Earth-shatteringly brilliant as it undoubtedly is, The Last of Us: Part II is not a game we’d necessarily describe as “fun”. It’s all a bit bleak really, isn’t it? There are brutal, sudden deaths that make you question your own mortality. There are repulsive infected, frothing at the blistered parting that’s split their...
First Impressions Train Sim World 2 Is on Track and on Time
Epic rail
The real appeal of the PlayStation 4 is its versatility. While the system is loaded with juggernauts like The Last of Us: Part II and Fortnite, it also appeals to very specific demographics with titles tailored to all tastes and interests. Train Sim World, which launched earlier in the generation and was updated last year, is one such...
Hands On Marvel's Avengers Has a Critical Path Problem
The Bruce Banner Saga
If the main missions of Marvel's Avengers are its biggest highs, the side quests are far and away its most disappointing lows. We've been lucky enough to play the upcoming beta for the next Crystal Dynamics-developed title a week early, and our biggest takeaway is that the moment you deviate from its core offering, Marvel's...
Hands On Horizon Zero Dawn PC Is a Staggering Port, And a Potential Taste of PS5
New Horizons
Time sure does fly when you’re enjoying a quality lineup of exclusives, doesn’t it? It’s already been well over three years since Horizon Zero Dawn first ushered us into its world of technology-worshiping matriarchs and colossal robotic fauna on the PlayStation 4. A PC port of Guerrilla Games’ excellent open world debut has...
Hands On Fall Guys Is an Ultimate Knockout on PS4
Takeshi's Castle IRL
Fall Guys will be one of the two PlayStation 4 titles available as part of the August 2020 PS Plus lineup, and it couldn't be better suited to the service. We've been putting this comical 60-player Battle Royale title through its paces over the past couple of days through a closed beta, taking part in every event possible and...
Hands On Dreams Just Got Bigger, Better, and Weirder with PSVR Support
Living the dream
Whenever we step into the world of Dreams, we're reminded just how brilliant it is. There's never a shortage of weird and wonderful things to discover, and that's if you don't bother making anything yourself. No matter how you enjoy Media Molecule's mecca for user-generated content, it provides countless hours of entertainment. Now,...
Hands On Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris Is a Technical Mess on PS4
A seriously disappointing return
The latest Sword Art Online game, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris, is out today on PlayStation 4. We have a copy of the game for review, but we haven't played enough of it to deliver any kind of final judgement just yet. However, we felt that it was worth writing up a quick Hands On article just to let you know...
First Impressions Twin Mirror Is DONTNOD's Most Cinematic Game Yet
Doppelgänger danger
DONTNOD Entertainment has made a name for itself over the PlayStation 4 generation thanks to the compelling narratives of two Life Is Strange titles. The tales of Max Caulfield and her buddy Chloe Price as well as the brotherly duo of Sean and Daniel Diaz have both helped to really launch the developer into the public eye, but...
First Impressions Street Power Soccer Is PS4 Footie for the YouTube Era
'Megs
After a coronavirus enforced hiatus, the Premier League has returned. But while VAR remains as bemusing as ever, it’s not really the same: the pace is slow, the quality is generally quite low, and Liverpool are champions. Street Power Soccer is promising a haven away from a world where Jordan Henderson has a Champions League title stuffed in...
Hands On The Last of Us 2's World-Building Is Almost Unmatched
Every store has a story
A large part of The Last of Us’ enduring appeal is just how real its vision of the apocalypse seemed. Naughty Dog took protagonists Joel and Ellie on a road-trip through the remnants of the United States, and every area had the fingerprints of its storytellers all over it. The focal point was, of course, the relationship...
Hands On The Last of Us 2 May Be the Most Accessible Action Game Ever Made
For all the players
A lot of games can, if we’re being honest with ourselves, be pretty impenetrable. If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably got years of DualShock practice under your belt, and so utilising both analogue sticks in order to line up perfect headshots feels organic. It can be easy to forget, however, that not everyone...
Hands On The Last of Us 2's Firefights Are Fraught, Uncomfortable, Fantastic
Bloody Nora
Here’s what we’re allowed to say about The Last of Us: Part II so far: the combat is utterly enthralling. Naughty Dog’s brand of game design often gets criticised for putting the plot ahead of gameplay, but we’ve always considered this form of feedback reductive. Despite all of its extended climbing sections, Uncharted 4: A...
Hands On Whiteboyz Wit Attitude: The Pursuit of Money Must Be Seen to Be Believed
Wear the Purp
Every so often, a game comes out of nowhere and completely blows you away. It could be a cool, little indie title that the PlayStation Blog highlights in its weekly The Drop post or a game you haven't given enough attention to in general, but either way, it's a pleasant surprise. Whiteboyz Wit Attitude: The Pursuit of Money is a...
Preview Ghost of Tsushima PS4 Gameplay Blowout Reveals Combat, Exploration, Customisation, and More
Full breakdown of 18 minutes footage
As promised, Sony delivered 18 minutes of Ghost of Tsushima gameplay via the latest State of Play broadcast. If you missed it, or you just want to watch it all over again, we've embedded the full video above. It covers exploration, combat, character customisation, photo mode, and more. All in all, it's looking...
Preview Remothered: Broken Porcelain Is a Bigger, Bolder, and Better Sequel
Jennifer, I'm home
Remothered: Broken Porcelain is what every sequel should aspire to be. Instead of resting on its laurels and trying to repeat the success of Remothered: Tormented Fathers, developer Stormind Games along with Darril Arts have put together an experience which feels like a genuine step forward. Sure, it's still not going to convince...
Hands On Drop-Dead Gorgeous Guilty Gear Strive Could Be Something Special
Smell of the game
We've seen a lot of good looking games in our time, but Guilty Gear Strive had us staring at our TV screen in awe. Going into this past weekend's closed beta test, we already knew that we had a gorgeous fighting game on our hands -- we've all seen those amazing character trailers. But to watch the title in motion right before your...
Hands On Call of Duty: Warzone Is Fine, and That's Not Good Enough
Neat ideas don't justify simplicity
Call of Duty: Warzone is far and away the most amount of hype the Battle Royale genre has seen since Apex Legends. After months of rumours and speculation, the standalone, free-to-play expansion to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare finally arrived on PlayStation 4 yesterday, bringing with it a gigantic map 150 players...
Hands On Final Fantasy VII Remake's Modern Combat Thrills, But Level Design Feels Stuck in the Past
7th Heaven?
It’s hard to imagine the stakes being higher for Final Fantasy VII Remake, considering this is a recreation of arguably the most iconic PlayStation role-playing game of all time. Resident Evil 2 proved without doubt last year that it’s possible to resurrect PSone classics for a new era, retaining all original charm while appealing to...
Hands On Resident Evil Resistance Is a Fun Enough Multiplayer Distraction
Run to the hills
Capcom hasn't had the best of luck with multiplayer this generation. Umbrella Corps was a complete and utter disaster while Monster Hunter: World, the publisher's best-selling video game of all time, continues to be held back by a frustrating and nonsensical online infrastructure. So, when the Japanese team announced that Resident...
Hands On Resident Evil 3 Does the PSone Classic Proud
I'll give you S.T.A.R.S.
Capcom has taken advantage of the fact that its fanbase doesn't hold the PSone version of Resident Evil 3 in quite as high a regard as its predecessor. After successfully bringing back its classic survival horror undertaking last year in Resident Evil 2, the Japanese publisher is primed to do it all over again. However, this...
Hands On Shenmue III's Story Quest DLC Is an Add-On Done Wrong
Chawan shite
It may have a bad reputation, but DLC can be incredible. Consider, for one moment, The Old Hunters expansion for Bloodborne: it’s a brilliant extension of an already timeless title, which adds exciting new environments, enemies, and armaments to the fray. Of course, add-on packs have a bad reputation because they’re so often...
Hands On Persona 5 Royal Is So Much More of 2017's Game of the Year
Shujin's finest
Atlus isn't looking to reinvent what it means to be a JRPG with Persona 5 Royal. The much-expanded rerelease of Push Square's 2017 Game of the Year is still that same 100+ hour epic journey through the trials and tribulations of Shujin Academy's favourite friendship group. So, what do franchise fanatics have to look forward to when...
Hands On Nioh 2 Is Primed to Become One of 2020's Best PS4 Exclusives
Yokai fame
It's been three months since Nioh 2 opened its doors to the public with an open beta. Allowing players to get to grips with what sets the sequel apart from the 2017 original across a single weekend, it was an eye-opening experience for developer Team Ninja. That's because the most overwhelming piece of feedback was that the technical test...
Hands On Shenmue III's Battle Rally Is Bad in the Best Possible Way
Race to the bottom
What the flying Fuku-san is this? Shenmue III’s first post-release expansion pack Battle Rally launched this week, and it’s stranger than turtle racing. Somehow, this extraordinary add-on does its best Outrun impression, aping the logo of Yu Suzuki’s high-speed arcade hit. And yet we’ve never experienced anything quite...
Hands On Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Is Good Fun, But It's Far from Perfect
Kicked in the head cha-la
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot could have been amazing. Its heart is in the right place and it has plenty of neat ideas, but the finished product feels disappointingly rushed. While it's not a bad game, and there are certainly elements that Dragon Ball fans will love, there are just so many issues holding back its potential. For...
Hands On Shenmue III Is a Fantastic Sequel That's Been Frozen in Time
The follow-up fans wanted
It’s been almost 18 years since Shenmue II released on the Dreamcast in Europe, but its long-awaited sequel feels like it’s been preserved in a time (toy?) capsule during that time. This is the greatest compliment that could be paid Shenmue III, of course: look beyond the richly rendered Unreal Engine 4 visuals, and the...
Hands On Nioh 2 Could Be the Toughest Souls-Like to Date
Prepare to die
We're not ones to boast, but we sort of have to be pretty good at video games in order to do our jobs properly. We've managed to beat every Dark Souls entry there is, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice -- you name it and we've probably clocked it. However, Nioh 2's open beta just kicked our arse. Playable for the next 10 days, Koei...
Hands On Planting Our Bare Knuckles on Streets of Rage 4
Axel prose
Discard the dizzying politics, and we’re truly living in the greatest timeline. Let this sink in for a minute: Shenmue III, Windjammers 2, and Streets of Rage 4 – we, as a species, simply don’t deserve such riches. But feast on them we shall – gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, but we’re hungry for these retro revivals,...
