February2022

March2015

October2014

  • Review Samurai Warriors 4 (PlayStation Vita)

    More than a slice

    Warriors titles have enjoyed a good run on Sony's underappreciated handheld, with ports of recent releases proving to be decent alternatives to their home console counterparts. At times, portable play suits the hack and slashers better, as you can jump in and out of battle at a moment's notice. The only consistent problem is that...

September2014

  • Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation Vita)

    The handheld ultimatum

    These days, publisher Koei Tecmo is all but forced to shove its Warriors games onto handheld consoles. With portable devices ruling the Japanese market, it makes perfectly logical sense, and what kind of musou fan would turn down the opportunity to wreck thousands of enemies on a small screen from the comfort of a seat on the...

  • Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation 4)

    A good sssstarting point

    Warriors titles may be having a decent critical run of late, but even that doesn't help the fact that this year has already had its fair share of titles from Koei Tecmo's slash-'em-up franchises. We've had Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn, and now we've got Warriors...

June2014

March2014

February2014

  • Review Toukiden: The Age of Demons (PlayStation Vita)

    SlayStation Portable

    Toukiden: The Age of Demons tells the tale of a world engulfed in war between rampaging demonic hordes – known as Oni – and humanity's last hope of survival: Slayers. This overarching narrative paves the way for gameplay that's undoubtedly similar to Capcom's popular Monster Hunter franchise – but with the addition of a...

September2013

  • Review Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (PlayStation 3)

    Girls just wanna have fun

    It’s been less than a year since we last went toe-to-toe with Team Ninja’s curious cleavage meets combat comeback Dead or Alive 5, and now – following a temporary detour on the PlayStation Vita – we’re strapping up our appendages and digging out our most inappropriate fighting gear again. As its name so...

July2013

  • Review Dynasty Warriors 8 (PlayStation 3)

    Xiahou done

    There comes a time when you begin to ask yourself why you’re still playing a series of games that has somehow spawned eight main iterations and countless spin-offs while retelling the same old story over and over again. What could possibly be keeping your interest in a franchise that has done almost nothing but stick to its guns for...

February2013

  • Review Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires (PlayStation 3)

    Far more than pushing square

    In many ways, Dynasty Warriors' long running Empires spin-off series is more refined than the set of original games that form their basis. Typically, they add in new characters, weapons, and stages, overhaul a few mechanics, and overlay everything with relatively simple strategy elements. Indeed, Empires games are known...

  • Review Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Fist of the bore star

    Sequels are generally a straight forward affair – or at least they have been this generation. Ideally, a sequel should remove or fix problems that plagued the first game, while adding new, polished content and improving core gameplay. With Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2, developer Koei’s job should have been a...

October2012

  • Review Dead or Alive 5 (PlayStation 3)

    Looks can be deceiving

    Dead or Alive 5 is nothing if not utter nonsense. Tecmo Koei has had seven years to stuff its flashy fighting series full of gibberish, and it’s delivered. Unfortunately, it’s forgotten to fully advance the combat systems at the heart of the experience along the way – and the sequel feels like a half-step as a result...

May2012

  • Review Dynasty Warriors Next (PlayStation Vita)

    A welcomed new touch

    Omega Force gets plenty of stick for sticking too closely to the same old template with its Warriors titles, and while the aptly titled Dynasty Warriors Next sticks to its tried and true basics, it also shakes up the formula by making creative use of Vita's control inputs. The real-time hack-and-slash feudal warfare is further...

March2012

  • Review Ninja Gaiden III (PlayStation 3)

    A bloody mess

    To accept a life that walks in the path of a ninja is to accept death itself. Bloodshed flows like a river through the fingers tightly grasped to the hilt of his blade. Burdened with carrying the weight of the thousands of lives he’s taken, always knowing that payment for his sins will come in due time. In Ninja Gaiden III, series...

  • Review Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus (PlayStation Vita)

    A cut above

    Taking up the way of the ninja is to accept a life of constant challenge and sacrifice, as death dealing is a ninja’s foremost priority. While many will try, very few will ever hold the necessary skills it takes to walk this path alone. Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus has slashed its way onto PlayStation Vita as a launch title and puts the...

September2011

  • Review Champion Jockey (PlayStation 3)

    Stable

    While some of the world's biggest sports are absent from PlayStation Move — we're looking at you, FIFA and Madden NFL — the controller has proved an enticing prospect for developers keen to bring, shall we say, less widely-embraced sports to the masses. After PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour and WSC Real 11, Tecmo Koei has taken the...