August2014
Review Metro Redux (PlayStation 4)
A whole new world
What do you get when you mix a Ukrainian developer, a best-selling Russian novel, two games, and the PlayStation 4? It’s not a trick question: we’re referring to Metro Redux, of course. 4A Games’ pair of previous generation escapades have been remastered and reworked for Sony’s latest system – and, in many ways, the...
Review Sacred 3 (PlayStation 3)
Nothing is sacred
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, while not what you’d call a big success, still managed to garner quite a following among a certain set of gamers, even in spite of a few rough edges. Those that did end up sinking hour after hour into the action role playing game really appreciated its massive open world, extensive loot system, and huge...
June2014
Review NASCAR '14 (PlayStation 3)
Go daddy
NASCAR ’14 sets out its stock racing stall right from the starting line. Rather than bombard you with heavily edited footage of a Go Daddy branded bar of soap on wheels, it instead tempts you in with a Buzz-esque quiz on Jeff Gordon’s past performances in the Sprint Cup series. It’s these nuggets of trivia that link the racer’s...
August2013
Review Saints Row IV (PlayStation 3)
The boys are back in town
At one point in Saints Row IV, your character, the Boss, tells series veteran Shaundi that it’s been “one helluva ride”, perhaps inadvertently summarising developer Volition’s latest title. What started out as little more than a franchise looking to piggyback on the success of Grand Theft Auto has travelled an awful...
Review Narco Terror (PlayStation 3)
Don't do drugs
Narco Terror is a cheesy 1980s action movie squeezed into a pseudo-isometric twin stick shooter, full to the brim with stupid one-liners, massive explosions, and drug peddlers with machetes. It’s a game that’s based on simply having dumb fun – but how long does it take for the novelty to wear off? As you may probably guess, the...
June2013
Review Sacred Citadel (PlayStation 3)
Imitation is the sincerest form of splattery
A group of adventurers are attacked while relaxing in a tavern and must flee a town that has been set ablaze: does this sound familiar? Indeed, as the opening of Sacred Citadel mirrors the events of the first stage of Guardian Heroes, co-op brawler fans can look forward to a number of nods in reverence to...
May2013
Review Metro: Last Light (PlayStation 3)
Going underground
Based on the novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro: Last Light is the sequel to 2010’s Metro 2033, and although the post-apocalyptic shooter never arrived at any Sony stations, its successor pulls out all of the stops to make up for lost time. Set in the metro systems of Mother Russia several decades after a nuclear apocalypse, Last...
April2013
Review Dead Island: Riptide (PlayStation 3)
Better off dead
Dead Island: Riptide brings you back to the unfortunate backdrop of the Banoi archipelago where 2011’s flawed Dead Island left off. The infection has spread to a neighbouring island, forcing the four survivors of the previous game and one newcomer (John, a rude ex-soldier) to try and make it through another tropical apocalypse. As...
February2012
Review Catherine (PlayStation 3)
Heartbreaker
Catherine is a unique proposition that frustrates partially because of its potential. Cumbersome gameplay design, a hokey save system and a rotten narrative twist detract from the intelligent storyline that's at the centre of its premise. The game's originality makes it worthwhile, but expect it to try your patience. With the budgets of...
December2011
Review Winter Stars (PlayStation 3)
Chilled out
After a year of motion control, Sports Champions is still Move's best sports package by far: MotionSports Adrenaline was a wash-out, and After Hours Athletes is a compilation of PSN games, so that doesn't really count. Winter Stars doesn't quite topple Zindagi's launch title, but it comes closer than we'd expected. Winter Stars leads...
September2011
Review Dead Island (PlayStation 3)
Holiday of the dead
Developer Techland is beginning to make a name for itself as a progressive, forward-thinking studio with some lofty ideas but not enough resources to realise them. Dead Island does not buck the developer's burgeoning trend. Part Borderlands, part Fallout, part Diablo, Dead Island is an inventive first person survival horror with...
July2009
Review Fritz Chess (PlayStation 3)
It's chess
Well in actual fact it's more than that. It's Fritz Chess, which means the game is powered by the best chess AI program currently available. There's a loose adventure mode taking you through a series of medieval "castle" opponents, but you won't be playing for the story; Fritz is all about the super challenging AI. Fritz Chess...
