Henry began writing for Nintendo Life and Push Square in 2010, later returning as a freelance contributor. Best known these days as UploadVR's former Senior Editor, he particularly loves Dungeons & Dragons, Formula 1, RPGs, and platformers.
Mini Review Kong: Survivor Instinct (PS5) - A Repetitive Cinematic Side-Scroller
Not particularly ape-pealing
Following last year's abysmal Skull Island: Rise of Kong, the King of the Beasts is back in unexpected form with Kong: Survivor Instinct. Canonically set after 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong movie, this 2.5D cinematic side-scroller offers a more human-driven story instead of the kaiju beat-'em-ups we're more accustomed to...
Mini Review New Star GP (PS4) - Refreshingly Modern Retro F1 Racing
Championship contender
New Star GP goes beyond a fitting tribute to SEGA's arcade classic, Virtua Racing. When tracks bear striking similarities to Interlagos, Silverstone, and more — never mind that you're fighting off-brand rivals like Michael Schildhauer and Niki Laube — New Star GP takes clear inspiration from Formula 1 to deliver a...
Preview Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Feels Like a Strong Step Forward from Remake
Kalming influence
"How did it feel being back up there? I don't know... nostalgic, I guess?" Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth summarised our feelings with one simple question. We love the original game but when Final Fantasy 7 Remake opened the door to some dramatic changes, nothing was guaranteed moving forward. Thankfully, Rebirth feels like a natural...
Game of the Year Henry's Top 5 PS5, PS4 Games of 2023
Roll the dice
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers to share their own personal PS5 and PS4 picks for 2023. Today, it's the turn of contributor Henry Stockdale. 5. Dredge: Dredge resonated in a way I didn't expect. Lovecraftian-esque horror has never been my bag and my adventures in video game fishing mainly...
Preview Dragon's Dogma 2 Feels Like a Remake of the First Game, in a Good Way
Heartfelt
Dragon's Dogma 2 sticks with the Dark Arisen template to a pleasant but almost surprising degree. Sequels often walk a fine balancing act as significant departures can alienate existing fans, whereas repeating the established gameplay often feels too safe. Capcom's anticipated sequel easily falls into the latter category but when the...
Preview Persona 5 Tactica Is Shaping Up to Be More Than Just a Tired Strategy Spin-Off
Take your time
We've accepted the Phantom Thieves aren't disappearing anytime soon and Persona 5 Tactica reaffirms why that isn't a bad thing. Much like Persona 4, Atlus' phenomenal RPG took on a life of its own and since 2016, we've seen our favourite Phantom Thieves investigating jails, crawling through dungeons and
Preview Persona 3 Reload Shows So Much Promise Despite Missing Features
SEESing the moment
Persona 3 remains a groundbreaking RPG but we were slightly worried if Persona 3 Reload would live up to its legacy. It's been 16 years since the original game first appeared, introducing life simulation mechanics and a considerably darker storyline than its successors. As the game that reshaped Atlus' popular series, expectations...
Review F1 Manager 2022 (PS5) – Frontier's Management Sim Takes Pole Position
Stroll in the park
Let's get one thing clear: if you’re searching for a high-speed simulation racer that puts you toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen, F1 Manager 2022 isn’t for you. Marking the first entry in a new F1 Manager series, Frontier Developments takes a different approach from Codemasters’ F1 22, swapping the driver’s seat for the pit...
Hands On Sonic Frontiers Is a Positive Step Forward That Needs Further Work
Welcome to the Starfall Islands
Sonic Frontiers didn't leave the strongest impression when SEGA first revealed it. Despite positive first previews, concerns were raised regarding combat and the game's visual design, amplified by the publisher's
Mini Review GigaBash (PS5) - A Mighty Brawler That Excels in Multiplayer
Saving the earth one more time
Kaiju fighting games are witnessing a resurgence and it’s a beautiful thing. PS2 efforts like War of the Monsters set the scene and through recent efforts like Override: Mech City Brawl that legacy lives on. Making little secret of its inspirations, here comes GigaBash from Passion Republic Games, a colourful new...
Review Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5) - A Beautifully Brief Adventure
Foxy
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. It’s been a year since Spirit of the North first took us on an adventure on PlayStation 4, but with the PlayStation 5’s recent launch, Infuse Studio has...
Mini Review Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (PS4) - A Puzzlingly Great Spin-Off
For Shovelry!
If you’re hoping for a platformer like Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, you won’t find it here. For Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Yacht Club Games and VINE have created a falling block puzzle game with roguelite elements. Working as a sequel/spin-off, Shovel Knight’s been transported into the Pocket Dungeon after encountering a...
Review Sniper Elite VR (PSVR) - Precision Shooting That Mostly Hits the Mark
Sniper, no sniping
Rebellion’s no stranger to virtual reality. Having remade Atari's classic Battlezone as a PSVR launch title and publishing Arca's Path two years later, it’s teamed up with Just Add Water for Sniper Elite VR. While PlayStation owners haven’t lacked for Sniper Elite entries — we’ve previously seen
Hands On Vibrant JRPG Tales of Arise Looks to Tantalise Newcomers and Franchise Fans Alike
We play Bandai Namco's latest RPG
It’s been several years since we’ve seen a mainline Tales game. After 2017’s Tales of Berseria, we now find Tales of Arise launching on 10th September 2021, commemorating the JRPG series' 35th anniversary. While Tales of Arise received a lengthy delay last year, it’s close to completion and in preparation,...
EDF! EDF! EDF!
We’ve seen several Earth Defense Force games on PS4, but World Brothers isn’t your normal fare. Offering a family friendly spinoff with voxel graphics, this third-person shooter takes us to Square Earth, where we find this world shattered by Dark Tyrant’s forces as several motherships appear, and it’s down to us to restore it...
Feature 10 PS3, PSP, PS Vita Games You May Not Realise Had a Physical Release
Plug the gaps in your physical collection
After the news that Sony is closing down its older PlayStation Stores, we’ve been taking a look at the PS3 and PSP/Vita games you won’t want to miss out on. Players can continue re-downloading t
Feature 10 Digital-Only PSP, PS Vita Games to Buy Before the PS Store Closes
Grab those handheld games before they disappear
By now, you’ve likely seen Sony’s plan to close down the PlayStation 3 and Vita stores this Summer. We had our suspicions for some time — after last year’s redesigned PSN web store dropped both sets of games — and news officially came through earlier this month. You can still re-download...
Feature 10 Digital-Only PS3 Games You Should Buy Before Sony Shuts the PS Store
Grab these digital exclusives before they get delisted
Well, it’s finally happening. After last year saw the redesigned PlayStation web store drop PS3 and PS Vita games, many saw the writing on the wall. Reports came in last week about Sony closing both PS3 and PS Vita stores, and news was
Mini Review Can't Drive This (PS5) - Chaotic Fun That Ends Too Quickly
The truck that couldn’t slow down
There’s an interesting concept behind Can’t Drive This. Developed by Pixel Maniacs — last seen with 2017’s ChromaGun — imagine Speed, but someone set the Bus route with a real-time level editor, and you’ve got the idea. Designed as a co-op experience, player one drives a customisable monster truck,...
Mini Review Monster Truck Championship (PS5) - An Enjoyable Simulator
Kind of a big wheel
We’ve not seen many racers based around monster trucks. THQ Nordic recently released a new Monster Jam entry, but that’s more arcade racing than realistic simulator. Launched on PlayStation 4 last October, Nacon’s Monster Truck Championship offered us that alternative, and now it’s back with a next-gen
Review Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood (PS5) - An All Too Brief Adventure
Lots of bark and little bite
For a horror series based around tabletop RPGs, World of Darkness’ shared supernatural universe is making serious inroads on PlayStation this year. Between Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife on PSVR and Vampire: The Masquerade’s two new entries – Swansong and Bloodlines 2 – Werewolf
Reaction How Does It Keep Going Wrong for Big Game Launches?
Beware the hype train
Well. This is a fine mess CD Projekt RED has found itself in over Cyberpunk 2077. We went from enormous levels of hype to outright damage control in just over a week. After that initial announcement 8 years ago and many delays, the long-awaited RPG finally arrived on 10th December but, put bluntly, the PS4 version has been...
Review Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (PS5) - Everything's Falling into Place
One line at a time
Puyo Puyo Tetris was a revelation when it first launched. Giving us an unprecedented bridge between these puzzle franchises, Sonic Team created one of the smoothest gameplay crossovers we’ve witnessed in recent years. Originally released in 2014, it never received a western localisation until a few years later for PlayStation 4...
Mini Review The Walking Dead Onslaught - One for the Undead Fans
Building a new beginning
It’s been a good year for The Walking Dead fans on PlayStation VR. Having previously seen The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners back in May by Skydance Interactive, we now have The Walking Dead Onslaught arrive as an entirely separate VR adaptation. Developed by Survios, Onslaught takes us directly into AMC’s television...
