Latest Reviews
Review MultiVersus (PS5) - A Worthy Super Smash Bros Rival with Much More to Come
That's not all, folks
There have been many pretenders to Super Smash Bros’ crown, but very few have stuck the landing. MultiVersus, a live service-style interpretation of Nintendo’s flagship fighting mash up, is the latest adaptation, featuring characters from Warner Bros brands like DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, and many more. It borders...
Mini Review Seduction: A Monk's Fate (PS5) – A Bite-Sized Curio
Taking a vow of brevity
Not every game has to have a AAA budget or photorealistic graphics to offer something intriguing. A good example? Seduction: A Monk’s Fate, a side-scrolling puzzler by KOEX Studio, a single dev out of Singapore. In this title, you assume the role of a Buddhist monk attempting to cleanse your monastery from the temptations...
Review Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium (PS4) - Coin-Op Compilation Is Filled with Classics
Capgod
The bottom line is that if you’re a retro video game enthusiast you’re going to want Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. That doesn’t make the timing of this retro compilation’s release any less curious, however – or without caveats. Indeed, launching less than a month after the Capcom Fighting Collection but sharing several titles from its...
Review Stray (PS5) - Atmospheric Adventure Is the Cat's Pyjamas
Feline good
Domestic cats are very funny. While they appear to be proud, graceful, independent creatures, they often destroy that image with erratic behaviour, clumsy movements, and affectionate headbutts. The poor things try so hard to maintain an air of superiority, but they're much more loveable and goofy than they want you to think. Stray, a...
Review Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5) - A Beautifully Brief Adventure
Foxy
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. It’s been a year since Spirit of the North first took us on an adventure on PlayStation 4, but with the PlayStation 5’s recent launch, Infuse Studio has...
Review Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (PS4) - More Silly Sandbox Action
Damned if you do
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell isn't actually a PlayStation 4 game. Right from the word go, the now-zany...
Review Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PS4) - Ridiculous Open World Is Dumb Fun
You got the power
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Saints Row IV is the definitive sandbox game for anyone who's a bit tired of the more serious attempts like Watch Dogs,
Party animals
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. ReadySet Heroes, the dungeon crawling party game from Robot Entertainment, arrived two weeks ago, but doesn't seem to be as prepared as its title...
Review Marvel's Avengers (PS4) - Crystal Dynamics' Heroic Risk Is a Game of Two Halves
Guardians of the GaaS
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. If anything, Marvel's Avengers has become the victim of its own marketing cycle. Pitched under the Games as a Service banner, loot to grind...
Mini Review Marvel's Avengers (PS5) - Heroic Makeover Still Needed
Thor-t it would be better
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Marvel’s Avengers’ biggest mistake is that it wants to be a game you can play forever, without offering the variety to sustain such...
Remake 1.5 Remix
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the PlayStation 5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, boasting enhanced graphics and better technical...
Review Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) - A Successful Reimagining with Stellar Gameplay
Make or limit break
Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Well, here we are. The time has finally come for us to review Final Fantasy VII Remake, and it's surreal. We vividly remember the official...
Review Assassin's Creed Unity (PS4) - Buggy French Open World Is Disappointing
Heads will roll
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. French publisher Ubisoft is on its home turf with Assassin's Creed Unity. With a sprawling recreation of 18th Century Paris to explore, the game...
Review Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection (PS4) - Return to Italy in Compelling Compilation
Three is a magic number
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. It's become somewhat of a regular occurrence for older games that had any degree of success to suffer some kind of re-release treatment,...
Review Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4) - Sailing Spin-Off Brings More Stealth
Shiver me timbers
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. In retrospect, 2014 has to be considered as one of the most important years for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. As Assassin’s Creed Unity...
Review Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4) - Ship-Shape Open World Pirate Escapade
Livin' the sweet trade
Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Ubisoft has outdone itself with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, as there’s more to see and do than ever in this exciting world of...
Review Syphon Filter (PS1) - Espionage and Intrigue Abounds in This Scruffy Cinematic Shooter
Gabe over
Game developers were still figuring out 3D controls when Syphon Filter released in 1999. Bend Studio, then known as Eidetic, were bruised by the critical reception to 1996’s PS1 platformer Bubsy 3D – and wanted to create something truly groundbreaking. Ultimately, both Metal Gear Solid and GoldenEye 007 deployed during the super-spy...
Review Ape Escape (PS1) - Monkeying Around in 3D Platforming Pioneer Is Still a Blast
You're good
Video games went through a super exciting period in the late 90s. The introduction of a third dimension, championed by the PS1, presented a broad new challenge for designers. How can you comfortably control a character in 3D? It's widely recognised that Super Mario 64 pretty much nailed it first try, but there are other games from that...
Review Matchpoint: Tennis Championships (PS5) - Unforced Errors Spoil Solid Gameplay
We don't love it
Tennis is one of the most popular sports on the planet, but publishers are having a nightmare capitalising on its potential. French outfit Nacon has already had a couple of attempts with the two Tennis World Tour titles – and the two Australian Open endorsed entries, AO Tennis – but now it’s the turn of Kalypso Media to serve...
Review Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (PS5) - No-Frills Remasters of Old School Platformers
It's-a me, Klonoa
Back in the late '90s, the platforming genre was going through a bit of an identity crisis. The technological heft of consoles like the original PlayStation meant that, for pretty much the first time, our gaming worlds could be expanded into true three-dimensional spaces. However, this meant there was a whole new dimension of...
Mini Review MADiSON (PS5) - Just Another PS4 Era Horror Game
Camera tricks
Outlast. Layers of Fear. Visage. Maid of Sker. Amnesia. PT. If you've played any one of these games, you've essentially already experienced MADiSON. Replicating the familiar mould of indie horror games released throughout the PS4 generation, very little sets the B
Review Hot Shots Tennis (PS2) - Bare Bones and Bettered By Its PSP Successor
You cannot be serious
Having taken control of the Hot Shot Golf franchise from Camelot in 1999, developer Clap Hanz proceeded to create five different instalments in the series – six, in fact, if you include the Japan exclusive Hot Shots Golf Online, which was used as a means to help flog the PS2’s Network Adapter domestically. Thus, in 2006,...
Review DNF Duel (PS5) - Explosive Fighter Is Impressively Easy to Pick Up and Play
It's time to DNF Duel
Taking popular free-to-play titles and transforming them into fighting games is becoming a bit of a trend, isn't it? Following in the footsteps of Granblue Fantasy Versus, DNF Duel is based on South Korean action RPG Dungeon Fighter Online. Its character roster is made up of playable classes from the source material —...
Review Arcadegeddon (PS5) - Rogue-Lite Multiplayer Shooter Offers Up Flashy Fun
You should be 'geddon onboard
Developer Illfonic has been gradually making a name for itself with licensed multiplayer games, like Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds. However, the studio has yet to make something truly standout. Arcadegeddon is its latest effort, and while it lacks the appeal of a recognisable movie franchise,...
Review Hot Shots Golf (PS1) - Utterly Iconic Arcade Golf
Our cup of tee
Japanese studio Clap Hanz may be the developer best associated with the Hot Shots Golf series, which is also known as Everybody’s Golf in Europe. However, it was Camelot Software Planning that teed off the original entry on PS1 back in 1997. That team – having helmed the Shining Force series for SEGA throughout early 90s under the...
Review Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (PS4) - Another Delicious Serving of Hard-As-Nails Action
A great slam and then some
It’s been almost five whole years since Cuphead finally burst onto the scene after years of development hell and delays. Cuphead took the gaming world by storm, followed by waves of merchandise, cameos in games like Super Smash Bros, a Netflix series, and even a kids meal at Arby’s. Now here we are at the launch of its...
Mini Review Tour de France 2022 (PS5) - Tactical Sports Sim Is Overly Familiar
It's two tired
While you may expect a title based on the historic three week, 3,000km Tour de France cycling tournament to be a little like a racing game, this adaptation is actually much more of a strategy experience. Those already familiar with Nacon and Cyanide’s biking excursions will know that, of course, as Tour de France 2022 is largely...
Mini Review Yurukill: The Calumniation Games (PS5) - Zero Escape Meets Bullet Hell Mystery Madness
Virtue's Blast Reward
Oh no. You've been convicted of murdering 21 people and sentenced to 999 years in prison. Now you've been kidnapped by a super-rich megacorporation so you can take part in a series of games against other teams and the ultimate prize will be your freedom. You're fitted with a collar that can inject you with lethal poison at the...
Review The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS4) - An Unexplosive Opening
Until yawn
Republished on Wednesday 29th June 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Maybe it's just because our Dad let us watch Jaws when we were six, but we've always been skeptical of the sea. It's wet, and there's weird things in there...
Review Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4) - Madcap Marsupial's Return Is N. Sanely Good
Positive spin
Republished on Wednesday 29th June 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. After Naughty Dog parted ways with Crash Bandicoot, it's fair to say the quality of subsequent games has been inconsistent. However, Activision finally did...