Latest Reviews
Mini Review AWAY: The Survival Series (PS5) - Life Finds a Way, Far Away
Sweet and sour
On paper, AWAY: The Survival Series sounds like a really interesting experience. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has died out and only pockets of life remain. You get to play as an adorable young sugar glider who is trying to survive in a dangerous and hostile environment with his family. It all sounds like...
Review Diablo 2: Resurrected (PS5) - This 21-Year Belated Console Debut Still Impresses
From Hell with love
The loot game effect is a creeping obsession with which we all must contend once in a while. Click. Click. Click. Just a few more enemies. Click. Click. Click. Maybe one more dungeon. Click. Click. Click. Might as well run through the entire game again just once more. Click. You get it. You've played games like this, possibly...
Review Jett: The Far Shore (PS5) - Atmospheric Sci-Fi Adventure Ultimately Falls Flat
Nasty weather we're having
Jett: The Far Shore sets a dramatic and grandiose stage. You play as Mei, one among a team that aims to preserve humanity by following the call of the mysterious "hymnwave" to a new world. The game's first moments set an emotional and epic tone as you and your group say goodbye to loved ones, climb aboard a ship, and fall...
Review Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) - Compelling Thriller Derailed by Tedious, Repetitive Combat
Alan Wake-me-up-when-it-gets-to-the-good-bit
Over a decade after the original release, former Xbox exclusive psychological thriller Alan Wake is finally making its way to PlayStation consoles as Alan Wake Remastered. For existing fans, this is an opportunity to soak in the nostalgia and revisit a beloved title from yesteryear, now looking better...
Mini Review A Juggler's Tale (PS5) - Unravel Meets Limbo in Pleasant Platformer
No time to Playdead
The PlayStation Store could be considered overflowing with 2D puzzle platformers at this stage in its lifespan, and yet A Juggler's Tale from developer Kaleidoscube has still managed to find a teeny tiny feature to call its own. It's Punch and Judy come to life, with strings that both save protagonist Abby's life and get in the...
Review PGA Tour 2K21 (PS4) - Sim Will Suit Golf Fans to a Tee
Green screen
Republished on Wednesday 29th September 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of October's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. If you’re the type of person who prefers their country parks to have 18 holes, then you’ll no doubt be familiar with The Golf Club series...
Review Mortal Kombat X (PS4) - Get Over Here and Play This Skull-Cracking Fighter
Blood is thicker than water
Republished on Wednesday 29th September 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of October's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Mortal Kombat X knows what it takes to keep you engaged. Cast your mind back to the early 90s, and series creator Ed Boon's garish...
Review Astria Ascending (PS5) - Beautiful 2D RPG Falls Flat
Descending into mediocrity
Astria Ascending is a beautiful hand-drawn RPG set in a vibrant world and has a twisting narrative filled with plenty of sacrifice and betrayal. It’s definitely been influenced by classic Japanese RPGs, which is not a surprise when you consider that some of its development team have previously worked on the Final...
Mini Review Aragami 2 (PS5) - Nin-Jolly Good Stealth Action
What we do in the shadows
It may seem obvious, but stealth games tend to live or die on their clarity. Not just that of your protagonist as they sink their blade into an enemy’s jugular, but of their systems, the rules that govern the whole experience. There’s nothing less enjoyable in a sneak-‘em-up than getting caught without knowing why, so...
Mini Review Nexomon (PS5) - A Cheap and Mostly Cheerful Pokémon Clone
Pocketed monsters
The original Nexomon has arrived on PlayStation consoles, and right off the bat, we can tell you that it's a better monster catching RPG than its strangely structured sequel, Nexomon: Extinction. The original Nexomon has you follow a linear path through its world — much like you would in a traditional Pokémon game — catching...
Review Lost Judgment (PS5) - Immense Side Content Makes Up for Sequel's Surprisingly Sloppy Story
Too cool for school
We absolutely love Judgment — especially on PlayStation 5. Despite being the starting point of a spinoff franchise, we'd go as far to say that it's hands down one of the best Yakuza games — and so its sequel, Lost Judgment, comes saddled with high expectations. There's no doubt that this is a bigger, and arguably more...
Review Death Stranding Director's Cut (PS5) - Kojima's Walking Simulator Is Best on PS5
A long hike
This is a game that needs very little introduction. In 2019, Hideo Kojima returned with Death Stranding on PlayStation 4, and that name alone made the game an important one. As it so happened, the game was unlike anything else released at the time, mostly eschewing violent conflict in favour of a quest to bring people together. While we...
Review Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) - A Gorgeous Adventure with an Old-School Approach
Hot to Rot
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was positioned by Sony as a key game coming to PlayStation 5. While it's great that the company puts some indie titles on the same level as triple-A experiences, it can sometimes lead to inflated expectations. Developer Ember Lab's debut game has always looked fantastic in the lead up to launch, but does its...
Review NBA 2K22 (PS5) - Basketball Sim Is At Its Best on the Court
That's a rap
For as much as fans complain about annual sports games playing the same, NBA 2K22 genuinely does feel dramatically different. A complete rewrite to the defensive gameplay means no longer can you ghost past 7-foot interior beasts like they’re made of paper, as you’ll have to actually work to engineer open looks and lanes to the...
Review Deathloop (PS5) - Arkane Does It Again in Confident Shooter
Loop Hero
For as much as Deathloop presents itself as a complex game, asking you to work out how to break a time loop upon the island of Blackreef, it's actually a somewhat simple one. Arkane Studios has designed the opening hours of the game it made after Dishonored and PREY to be overwhelming, introducing mechanic after mechanic and sprinting...
Review Lost in Random (PS5) - Quirky Card-Based Adventure Set in a Dark and Gothic World
Time to Even the Odds
The purpose of the EA Originals publishing label is to bring forth unique and memorable experiences from independent studios. Swedish developer Zoink Games has definitely fulfilled the brief with Lost in Random: a card-battling adventure game that feels like it’s stepped straight out of a Tim Burton claymation movie. In the...
Review Life Is Strange: True Colors (PS5) - Lame Story Saved by Great Characters
Chently please
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm has always felt like a well-kept secret; forever playing second fiddle to the two mainline entries that released either side of it, but quietly better than them both. We have Deck Nine Games to thank for that, which now finds itself at the helm of the franchise's next big game as original creator...
Review Tales of Arise (PS5) - A Fantastic JRPG, and the Strongest Tales Game in a Long Time
Blazing a Tale
Big budget, Japanese role-playing games are a rarity these days. Outside of obvious mainstays like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, it's a genre that often has to make do with more cost-efficient production. You either get your breakout hit — like Atlus did with Persona 5 — or you go underappreciated for what feels like an...
Mini Review Bus Simulator 21 (PS4) - Zen Sim Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously
MAN, I feel like a bus driver
Bus Simulator 21, like its PlayStation 4 predecessor, straddles the line between authentic public transport management and tongue-in-cheek entertainment. While this vehicular sim set across two maps – the all-new American-inspired Angel Shores and an updated version of European backdrop Seaside Valley – demands you...
It's a livin'
Fans may rightly rue the lack of arcade sports games on the market right now, but imagine being into boxing: even EA Sports’ uber-popular Fight Night franchise has been put on hold while it flirts with the more commercially viable UFC. Survios’ movie tie-in Creed: Rise to Glory was a rare stand-and-bang outing on PS4, but its...
Mini Review F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (PS5) - Awesome Metroidvania Punches Above Its Weight
Show me the bunny
The absurdly titled F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch begins in Torch City; a dirty, dieselpunk dystopia, inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, and a few years prior to the beginning of the game invaded by the robotic Legion and their 'Iron Dog' army. Our hero is a gruff rabbit named Rayton - a former ace pilot in a slump,...
Mini Review Kitaria Fables (PS5) - Charming Animal Adventure Combines Action with Crafting
The cat that crafted the cream
Kitaria Fables is a charming action RPG with an emphasis on crafting of all kinds. It takes place in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic characters, and the whole thing would be incredibly cosy if it wasn't for the fact that monsters roam the countryside. There is a story here — one that involves an empire, the...
Review WRC 10 (PS5) - Rough-Edged But Robust Rally Racing
Don't cut
Developer KT Racing has found its footing with the WRC series. After last year's WRC 9 made significant improvements to the officially licensed rally racer, WRC 10 iterates on the winning formula, presenting another fantastic experience — even if it is a little rough around the edges. The driving itself is of course the most important...
Mini Review Golf Club Wasteland (PS4) - Post-Apocalyptic 2D Golf Game Is Well Above Par
I'll have a tee please, Bob
It's the future, and all is not well in Golf Club Wasteland. In a totally unexpected turn of events, the Earth has been rendered inhospitable by an ecological disaster that nobody saw coming. How were we supposed to know that using liquefied dinosaur bones to power our cars was bad? If those egghead scientists had told us...
Mini Review The Medium (PS5) - One of the Best Horror Experiences on PS5
Anything but medium
With all the rumours about Bloober Team potentially working on a new Silent Hill game, it's easy to forget why the team rose to fame in the first place. Its most recent project, The Medium, has finally made the jump to the PS5 and it could very well be the best psychological horror experience on the console. The story follows...
The rainbow blur
After a string of poorly received entries, SEGA's mascot was in a bad spot back in 2010. However, the Wii-exclusive Sonic Colors was something of a reset for the franchise, cutting out most of the nonsense and presenting itself as a more straightforward action platformer. It remains one of the more favourably received games in the...
Review Hitman 2 (PS4) - More Darkly Amusing Murder
Hit me baby one more time
Republished on Wednesday 1st September 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Poor Sierra Knox. She lived her life as a successful racing car driver, and along with her father was a powerful figure within...
Review Predator: Hunting Grounds (PS4) - Multiplayer Experiment Falls Wildly Short
Time to bleed
Republished on Wednesday 1st September 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Predator: Hunting Grounds is the first major multiplayer-only video game Sony has published since MAG on PlayStation 3. And while Friday t
Mini Review Overcooked: All You Can Eat - Remastered Culinary Co-Op Is Still a Tasty Treat
Fill your plates
Republished on Wednesday 1st September 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Overcooked: All You Can Eat is like enjoying your favourite meal while wearing newly prescribed glasses. Sure, you've had this plenty of times...
Review Psychonauts 2 (PS4) - A Brain-Bogglingly Good Return to Tim Schafer's Mindful (Grey) Matters
You were always on my mind
You'd be forgiven for thinking it was a fool's errand to follow up a game as widely acclaimed as the original Psychonauts. The odds were stacked against it: Psychonauts is a cult hit through and through and essentially the opposite of the kind of game that's most likely to get made these days. Yes, it sold close to two...
