Latest Reviews
Mini Review Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 3 - Nights and Bikes
On yer bike
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 3 – or, to give it its full title and pad out our word count, Monster Energy AMA Supercross 3 FIM World Championship: The Official Video Game – proves that Milestone may just be the most prolific developer of the generation. By our count, this is its 20th title on the PlayStation 4...
Mini Review Zero Zero Zero Zero - Hellish Monochrome Platforming
From zero to hero
Zero Zero Zero Zero reminds us of Sound Shapes – although the latter undoubtedly has a better name. Do you remember those dastardly single-screen stages in the aforementioned PlayStation exclusive outing? This monochrome platformer is like 100 of those, each rotating randomly every time you die. And you will die – again and...
Mini Review 7th Sector - An Intriguing Cyberpunk Dystopia
Electric avenue
If you're a fan of Playdead's mysterious 2.5D puzzle platformers like Inside, you may well be interested in 7th Sector. It follows a similar design template, although instead of playing a young boy, you'll take on the role of, er, an electrical current? It appears the player character is trapped within the electricity grid of some...
Mini Review Milo's Quest - Pixelated Puppy Stars in Simple Adventure Game
Oh my dog
Milo’s Quest could carry the subtitle ‘My First Adventure Game’ and it would all make sense. This straightforward isometric outing sees you take control of a lovingly animated pooch, and sees you embark on an adventure across a colourful landscape filled with marshmallow-shaped ghouls and bricks to push. It’s probably the most...
Review Dawn of Fear - The Best and Worst Resident Evil Throwback Ever
You were almost a Jill Sandwich
There's a reason why the original three Resident Evil titles are so beloved. Through a mixture of terror, tension, and a good amount of cheese, Capcom birthed the survival horror genre back in 1996 and changed the way we perceive those bumps in the dark forever. However, there's also a reason why the industry has...
Review Patapon 2 Remastered - Familiar Beats, But Catchy as Ever
Little drummer boys
Patapon 2 Remastered has been in the works for what feels like an eternity, but the sequel has finally marched onto PlayStation 4. Much like Sony's other unusual PSP titles, the rhythm/strategy hybrid is now available on the flagship home console with updated visuals and 4K support for those with a PS4 Pro. Despite the first...
Review Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition - An Adventure Unlike Anything Else in Video Games
Long journey home
Once in a while, you stumble upon a game that absolutely blows you away. Maybe the graphics set a new industry standard, maybe it’s really funny, or maybe it’s evocative of a mood you didn’t know you wanted in a game until it hit you. This is where dev Cardboard Computer comes in, with its fascinating journey more than seven...
Review Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire - A Romantic and Replayable Shmup
Sister, sister
The real bummer about Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire is that it has a much better subtitle in Japan. The vertical shmup – inspired by the cult Castle of Shikigami series – goes by the illustrious name Sisters Royale: I’m Being Harassed by Five Sisters and It Sucks. Brilliant. It all plays into the plot, which sees a...
Review Firewall Zero Hour - Tactical PSVR Shooter Has Awesome Action, But Not Enough of It
You've been Tango'd
Republished on Wednesday 29th January 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. We’re not sure whether they’re brave or stupid, but developers will insist on releasing online-only multiplayer games for PlayStation VR...
Review The Sims 4 - A Decent Port of the Ever Popular Life Simulator
Better simulate than never
Republished on Wednesday 29th January 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. You begin The Sims 4 by creating a Sim - an avatar of a person, perhaps based on yourself only thinner, more popular, and with cooler...
Review BioShock: The Collection - Return to Rapture and Columbia in This Solid Set of Remasters
As above, so below
Republished on Wednesday 29th January 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. When it was released in 2007, BioShock was hailed as a masterpiece by the gaming press and remains to this day a high watermark for the...
Review Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Technical Problems Derail an Otherwise Superb Sequel
Pillar talk
Push Square die-hards will doubtless recall that back in 2017 we gave Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition a glowing review, bestowing upon it a well earned 9/10 to take home for its mum to put on the fridge. It was both a love letter to old school, all-time classic role players like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment, and a title...
Mini Review Coffee Talk - A Charming Visual Novel That Goes Down Like a Good Cup of Coffee
A damn fine cup of coffee talk
At first glance, it’s practically impossible to think of anything but VA-11 Hall-A when booting up Coffee Talk. A visual novel experience where you play as someone in charge of making drinks for customers while discussing societal taboos makes for a pretty similar description. Indeed, you play as a barista making a...
Mini Review FoxyLand 2 - A Bright and Bushy Side-Scroller
No fox given
Where the fox have you been? This is indie developer BUG-Studio’s second crack at its foxy FoxyLand series, with the previous edition carefully marshalled onto the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita by the ever-industrious Ratalaika Games. A vibrant side-scrolling platformer, this version boasts over 40 levels and co-operative play – though...
Mini Review Hardcore Mecha - Story-Based Ode to Gundam Is a Fantastic Slice of Mecha Action
Shoot for the stars
Developer RocketPunch Games displays a clear love of all things mecha with Hardcore Mecha, a side scrolling mission-based action shooter that tells a surprisingly engaging story. Taking obvious inspiration from the likes of Gundam and just about any other mecha anime that you can think of, it's a tale that's packed with cliches...
Review Journey to the Savage Planet - A Shallow But Easy Going Sci-Fi Escapade
Journey to the Average Planet
As you fire up Journey to the Savage Planet, its theme music begins to play. With plenty of banjo and slide guitar riffs, you'll get an idea of what to expect from this game before you even push a button. It's fair to say this sci-fi action adventure isn't taking itself very seriously, but don't expect to be bowled over...
Review Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind - Grandiose DLC for Hardcore Fans, and That's About It
Kingdom Hearts III.1
If there was ever a piece of media so utterly devoted to confusing its dedicated fan base and actively pushing away those who didn’t choose to invest their time in playing nine previous instalments, it's Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind. The base game's one and only piece of major DLC is probably the least accessible expansion of...
Mini Review Music Racer - Slick Synthwave Visualiser Lacks Selling Point
Night rider
As far as visualisers go, Music Racer is a particularly eye-popping option. This synthwave auditory experience is baked in neon colours and bloom, and features vehicles inspired by 80s classics like Knight Rider and Tron. You can customise your car’s colours, unlock increasingly trippy tracks, and… Well, that’s about it...
Mini Review Gravity Error - Puzzling Potential Scuppered by Dreadful UI and Controls
Poor landing
Gravity Error has its heart in the right place. It wants to serve up a compelling puzzling experience rivalling the likes of Super Meat Boy with tough, quick-fire challenges that put you back in the action before you’ve even had chance to register failure. You could say it just about manages to achieve that, but then that would be...
Not so super, Saiyan
When Bandai Namco announced that it was going to be making a role-playing game that covers the entirety of Dragon Ball Z, fans seemed somewhat torn. On one hand, developer CyberConnect2 was going to be at the helm -- the studio behind the largely fantastic Naruto Storm titles. On the other, it's hard to get genuinely excited...
Review Red Bow - Pixel Art Horror That Will Tie You in Knots
Bow constrictor
Pixel art horror has been all the rage ever since platforms such as the PlayStation Store ushered the industry into something of an indie boom. Red Bow is effectively a Japanese horror movie in Super Nintendo-style 16-bit form, putting you in the place of the immaculately dressed Roh as she explores a nightmare world filled with...
Review Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack - New Year, Same Old Alchemists
Another trip into the delightful Atelier back catalogue
The Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack consists of three RPGs: Atelier Ayesha, Atelier Escha & Logy, and Atelier Shallie. This is a re-release of the ‘Plus’ version of these games but with a few improvements. As well as improved graphics there are some quality of life improvements such as...
Mini Review Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo – A Sufficient, if Forgettable, Shoot 'Em Up
The little space ship that could
While a fairly pedestrian shmup, Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo does have a couple of features that make it worth a quick look. It doesn’t hurt that the title's price -- $4.99 at launch -- is rather low, too. The most unique aspect of the game is by far the weapon system. Shmups are generally focused around...
Mini Review Flat Heroes - Just Pure, Challenging, Minimalist PS4 Platforming
Hip to be square
If you like your platformers 2D, no-nonsense, and tough as old boots, Flat Heroes is probably right up your alley. It strips away all the clutter and noise of the side-scroller and presents you with a gameplay gauntlet at its purest. This game tasks you with tackling hundreds of single-screen platforming challenges, and it does so...
Review AO Tennis 2 - A Smashing Improvement
Winner
AO Tennis 2 could have been named Nick Kyrgios: The Game and we doubt anyone would have batted an eyelid. The controversial Australian superstar is a compatriot of developer Big Ant, and has clearly inadvertently influenced the studio’s sophomore Australian Open tie-in. With a morality system allowing you to react positively or negatively...
Mini Review Blazing Chrome - JoyMasher's Homage to the Best 16-Bit Run-'n'-Gun Games
Joy machine masher
In a similar way to scrolling shooters, there's a purity to the gameplay in side-scrolling run-and-gun games, which has kept retro gamers coming back since Contra in 1987. Developed by JoyMasher and released in July 2019, Blazing Chrome's success comes from taking inspiration from the best 16-bit run-and-gun games -- with...
Review Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection - An Essential Compilation of Adventure Classics
Sic Parvis Magnificent
Republished on Wednesday 1st January, 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of January 2020's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves changed everything. The critically acclaimed adventure not only went on to win copious awards following its...
Review Goat Simulator - Not Baaad But Not the GOAT Either
For goat's sake
Republished on Wednesday 1st January, 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of January 2020's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Let's not be sheepish: Goat Simulator has been designed to attract obnoxious YouTube neckbeards like a farmyard does flies. Stop for a second...
Review Borderlands 3: Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot - Gearbox's Solid DLC Streak Continues
This is Vegas
Despite splitting opinion wherever it goes, there is one thing you cannot deny about Borderlands 3. Developer Gearbox Software consistently goes above and beyond when it comes to post-launch support and its latest looter shooter is no different. Two in-game events have already come and gone since the game's September 2019 release, but...
Mini Review Kine - This Clever PS4 Puzzle Game Has Got Some Moves
You like jazz?
Kine presents itself as a quirky, light-hearted puzzle game, and it is one, but it's also way harder than it looks. You must guide three different characters through simple stages to reach the exit -- it's a pretty straightforward setup. However, each of the sentient contraptions -- all aspiring musicians, of course -- are unusually...
