Latest Reviews
Review Generation Zero - A Woeful Open World Ordeal Stuck in the Past
Last gen design
Despite flying under most people’s radars, Generation Zero is actually a fairly major fall from grace. From developer Avalanche Studios, its latest open world foray is in stark contrast to the explosive, experimental, and action-packed nature of Just Cause 4's Solís. Instead, the studio’s take on a 1980s Sweden ravaged by an...
Review Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - From Software Doesn't Sacrifice Difficulty for Accessibility
If at first you don't succeed, die and die again
It's a bit of a tired point at this stage, but it's definitely true -- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a far cry from Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and anyone who ignores this will be summarily slashed to pieces. From Software's latest shares some similarities with its predecessors, but with combat,...
Review The Surge - Dark Souls with No Soul
Bloodbored
Republished on Wednesday 27th March 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of April's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. The Surge makes a great first impression. Its opening hour introduces you to a combat system that takes clear inspiration from the likes of Dark Souls and...
Review Conan Exiles - A Barbaric But Addictive Survival Experience
Grindr
Republished on Wednesday 27th March 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of April's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Conan Exiles is surprisingly good. When we first learned about an open world survival game themed on the Conan universe, we were tempted to write it off as a...
A class of its own
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, or just Trails of Cold Steel as it's more often referred to, is a turn based, character-driven role-playing title from Japanese developer Nihon Falcom. It's a story of friendship and war, all told from the perspective of Rean Schwarzer, a newly enrolled student at the prestigious Thors...
Review Skyworld - Baffling Design Choices Overshadow Political Charm
Reach for the stars
It’s an all too familiar story when it comes to VR. An interesting concept on paper fails to translate into an enjoyable experience within the virtual playing space, and that’s the exact issue at the heart of Vertigo Games’ Skyworld. The studio’s latest PlayStation VR title may be slightly more original than its previous...
Review SNK 40th Anniversary Collection - Four Decades Young
A delicious selection box of ancient gems and curios
Have you ever played a game from your youth, ready to relive those glory days with rose-tinted glasses firmly in place? Ever rip those rosy specs off and throw them against the wall in a fit of rage shortly after? Some retro "classics" just don’t stand the test of time and others are designed...
Review The Division 2 - With a Few Tweaks, This Could Be Something Special
Land of the free hit
The Division 2 is a good, solid looter shooter. At points, it's a fantastic looter shooter, but at the time of writing, it has just a handful of notable issues holding it back. Ideally, a game releases with no problems whatsoever, but in this age of live services, regular content updates, and feedback-based patches, expectations...
Review Fate/Extella Link - Weary Warriors Fans, Don't Sleep on This Refined Anime Action
Tempting fate
Although it wasn't perfect, we've always been quick to express our fondness for Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star. The 2017 release was a fine hack and slasher, complete with a fleshed out story and a whole roster of interesting characters. It was a rock solid game, and its sequel, Fate/Extella Link, is pretty much the follow-up that we...
Review The Messenger - Pixel Perfect Platforming Action
Ninja star
Say what you want about the ubiquity of pixel art, side-scrolling indie games, but the truth is that when done well, they're brilliant. There are a handful of good examples, like Shovel Knight, Celeste, and Freedom Planet, but The Messenger might be the easiest to recommend. This Ninja Gaiden inspired action platformer is the full package...
Get in the sea
What the heck happened to One Piece: World Seeker? Was the developer short on time? Short on budget? Or was it just an awful idea to make an open world setting your one and only gimmick in 2019? We would genuinely love to know, because the game feels completely unfinished in almost every possible way. Even for the relatively low...
Review Beat Cop - An 80s Police Adventure That Gets Away with Murder
Brooklyn rage
The best thing about Papers, Please is the way in which its work-like gameplay combines with narrative elements to create a stressful, oppressive atmosphere. You're checking documents for discrepancies against the clock, while travellers plead and bargain with you to let them pass, putting your job on the line when your family is...
Review Move or Die - Quick Fire Multiplayer Madness
Frenemies
As with many successful indie titles that come to PlayStation 4, Move or Die started life as a popular PC game when it launched a few years back. It's very much in the same wheelhouse as other chaotic multiplayer titles like Speedrunners, Gang Beasts, and Nidhogg, though it manages to set itself apart with an interesting spin on 2D...
Blood on the sand
The third and final instalment in Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Legacy of the First Blade series, Episode 3: Bloodline ties everything together quite well. After Episode 2: Shadow Heritage ended with your hero controversially starting a family, this next chapter opens on a sweet note as your character attempts to live out a quieter...
Review Left Alive - An Embarrassing Imitation of Bygone Classics
Barely breathing
If it’s not immediately obvious, Left Alive is trying its absolute best to be the next Metal Gear Solid. Set in the mech-based universe of Front Mission, Square Enix’s latest experiment attempts to mash together a whole host of buzzwords into one cohesive experience that places the emphasis on stealth, but it fails on every...
Review Devil May Cry 5 - Devil May Cry Back to Its Absolute Best
Underworld shattering
Devil May Cry 5 is like a swift kick up the arse. Over the last few weeks, games like Far Cry: New Dawn and ANTHEM have left us numb. Somewhat enjoyable, but ultimately, totally disposable experiences. Devil May Cry 5 is an intense reminder of what games can achieve when they have crystal clear focus. It's a linear, highly...
Review The Occupation - A Bold Political Thriller That's Strong But Not Always Stable
Fake news
You’ve got to give British developer White Paper Games credit. The studio made its debut with Ether One, a first-person puzzler depicting the difficult subject of dementia, but now it’s back with a 1980s-themed political thriller examining the thorny subject of immigration. Releasing against a modern day backdrop of Brexit, it’s the...
Review The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - A Factory Built Sequel That Plays It Safe
Everything is alright
As with the film, you're likely to go into The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame knowing almost exactly what to expect. Ironically enough, LEGO games rarely build on each other, and while this game borrows elements from other Traveler's Tales adventures, the result is simply another brick-based action platformer that does nothing to...
Review Dead or Alive 6 - A Soft Sequel That Somehow Feels Rushed
In limbo
Dead or Alive 6 isn't the full-blown sequel to Dead or Alive 5 that we were hoping for. It's been over six whole years since the previous game first launched back on the PS3, and three years since the enhanced remaster, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, hit PS4. Given the wait, we expected a lot more from this sixth main instalment, even if it...
Review ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove - Funky Roguelike Revival Is the Same Old Song and Dance
An oldie but goodie
ToeJam & Earl fans will often argue about which of the first two games is better. The first is an isometric roguelike in which you guide the funk loving aliens through randomly generated levels looking for pieces of their crashed ship, using presents to temporarily imbue them with power-ups. The second sees the double act...
Review The Witness - Jonathan Blow's Latest Is an Essential PS4 Puzzler
Myst the embargo
Republished on Wednesday 27th February 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of March's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Jonathan Blow has, with help from his colleagues at Thekla Inc, finally released his follow-up to Braid, after spending the better half of a decade...
Review Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered - An Explosive Remake of a Modern Classic
Slick as Soap
Republished on Wednesday 27th February 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of March's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. When you boot up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered's multiplayer, it greets you with a message welcoming you back to the "seminal" first-person...
Review ANTHEM - Fun Combat Can't Save This Unfinished, Terribly Structured Looter Shooter
Bungle in the jungle
ANTHEM feels like a beta. Despite featuring a full story campaign, the game as a whole feels stunted and unfinished. It feels tired, incohesive, and troubled. We can only assume that something went horribly wrong during its development, because it has all the hallmarks of a project that was gutted before being reworked and badly...
Review Trials Rising - Addictive Vehicular Platforming with Some Issues
The rise and fall
What do you do when you practically perfect a franchise on your first attempt? That’s the dilemma that Helsinki-based developer RedLynx has faced for some time now, with Trials HD taking the world by storm on Xbox 360. Ten years later, the Finnish firm is still making egregiously addictive vehicular platformers – but how does...
Review Steins;Gate Elite - The Greatest Visual Novel Just Got Even Better
El Psy Kongroo
What would you do if you had the ability to send text messages back in time? Maybe you’d send yourself the answers to a test at school, or maybe even the winning lottery numbers. If you knew what the future held then there are loads of little things you could do to improve your life. It all seems fairly harmless as well, right? But...
Review Far Cry: New Dawn - Yeah, It's Okay
Jesus take the wheel
It's a cliche, but Far Cry: New Dawn is the video game equivalent of popcorn. Bits of it taste great, but most of it is just there to be consumed, free of expectation. You shovel it into your mouth and admittedly it can be difficult to stop until the bag is empty, but you'll barely remember eating it once you've sat down and had...
Review Jump Force - What the Hell Did They Do to Goku?
Go ahead and jump
We've played some ugly anime games in our time, but there's a special place in art style hell for Jump Force. What should be a grand celebration of all things Jump, this crossover fighter is loathsome in its portrayal of the awesome manga and anime heroes that make up its character roster. Jump Force opts for a "realistic" visual...
Review Eden-Tomorrow - Lousy Gameplay Drags Down a Noteworthy Narrative
Just thinkin' about tomorrow
If it’s not an online focused multiplayer title, chances are the next PlayStation VR game you play is one that promises mystery, suspense, and intrigue as you explore a hostile alien world. They seem to be all the rage nowadays despite their questionable quality, and Eden-Tomorrow is no different. From developer Soul...
Review Metro: Exodus - Technical Limitations Subdue an Otherwise Solid Shooter
Rusty Russia
Metro: Exodus feels like it should be the series’ coming-out party. After two fairly niche releases on the previous generation of consoles, the third instalment is quite clearly positioning itself as the best post-apocalyptic experience from developer 4A Games yet. It’s a grand promise, but the finished product doesn’t manage to...
Review Conarium - An Atmospheric Lovecraftian Adventure
Spectacles, tentacles, wallet, and watch
Thrusting us tentacle first into the weird and wonderful world of H.P Lovecraft, Zoetrope Interactive has ported its Steam release, Conarium, to PlayStation 4. What might seem at first glance to be a first-person horror game filled with jump scares and hideously graphic gore, a la Outlast, is in fact a more...
