July2017
My feet are killing you
Republished on Wednesday, 26th July 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Well, well, well – if game juice were a real beverage, then Downwell would be the Um Bongo of the fruit flavoured sugar water...
April2016
Review Enter the Gungeon (PS4)
You're fired
Releasing an indie roguelike in 2016 is tough. There are already several almost perfect and incredibly popular entries in the genre floating around in the wild. Indeed, not only is the market flooded, it's flooded with liquid gold. Thankfully, Enter the Gungeon not only borrows good ideas from its peers, it also plays enough new tricks...
March2016
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain
If there's one thing that the United States has primarily contributed toward the betterment of society, there's no shadow of a doubt that it's 80s and 90s action flicks. Filled to the brim with fearless heroes killing innumerable amounts of communist fascists, terrorist scum, and extra-terrestrial threats, few can resist a...
February2016
Diplomatic immunity
Aptly titled, Not a Hero is a charismatic, side-scrolling shoot-'em-up in which you massacre mobsters, thugs, and other underworld villains in the name of BunnyLord – an anthropomorphic purple rabbit who is currently running for mayor. Phew. The title's core gameplay, on the other hand, isn't all that strange. First and...
November2015
Review The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition (PS4)
God complex
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition is an expansive, thought-provoking puzzle game that puts you in the role of the User – an android that's been flung into a mysterious new world without any recollection of how or why it's there. As the User, it's your duty – at least initially – to obey the orders of your 'god', Elohim. This...
July2015
Review Hatoful Boyfriend (PS4)
Somebirdie to love
In the opening scene of Hatoful Boyfriend – the PlayStation 4's premiere pigeon dating simulator – its main character Hiyoko Tosaka attempts to describe the school that she attends. "It's a long story," she laments, before quickly giving up. If you want to see everything that this bizarre title has to offer, you'll have to...
April2015
Review Titan Souls (PlayStation 4)
Fall of the Titans
There are people that would say that you deserve to die if you go on your monster-squashing quest armed with nothing but a single arrow, a pink bow in your hair, and a backpack filled with only the finest Waitrose-branded good intentions. Titan Souls doesn't have a story, but it improves the game tenfold if you view it as a fable...
March2015
Review Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PlayStation 4)
Wronged number
Dennaton Games' thrillingly brutal Hotline Miami caused quite a commotion when it was first set free, with the game amassing a diehard following due to its daring art direction and addictive, adrenaline-pumping gameplay. Now, almost two years after its release on PlayStation systems, it's time to don the animal mask once more and take...
January2015
Review Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition (PlayStation Vita)
Hail to the king, baby
With only a few first-person shooters gracing the PlayStation Vita to date, there's plenty of room on Sony's handheld for anything offering up some half decent blasting. Since the bar hasn't exactly been set particularly high either, there's a perfect chance for classic titles such as Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition to stomp...
August2014
Review Hotline Miami (PlayStation 4)
Miami Visceral
With the stylish murder simulator Hotline Miami first hitting the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2013, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the darling indie title has already achieved critical acclaim and a cult following of devout 80s obsessed adrenaline junkies. Just over a year later, the gory title sees a re-release on the...
March2014
Review Luftrausers (PlayStation 3)
Don't mention the war
Dutch developer Vlambeer is known for creating deceptively simple arcade titles that have a worrying tendency to burrow deep under your skin and take hold of your every waking thought. Its latest venture, Luftrausers, sees you seated in the cockpit of a World War II fighter plane, attempting to take out a boundless barrage of...
July2013
Review Hotline Miami (PlayStation Vita)
Do you like hurting other people?
Like the Hollywood classic Drive which provided a large helping of inspiration during development, Hotline Miami is a visceral assault on the senses which often leaves you breathless and sweaty-palmed, but also isn’t afraid to offer up moments of shocking frustration. Part action game, part puzzle title, part...
