Square Enix Game Reviews
Review Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis (PlayStation 4)
Go f*** yourselfie
Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis marks the latest release from French developer DONTNOD, the studio behind Remember Me. Being an episodic game, it marks a change of pace for the firm, and allows it to join the ranks of Telltale Games, who has essentially defined the model in its current guise. Series like this are extremely...
Review Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PlayStation 4)
Familiar faces, too many balls
Lara Croft is back, kicking butt across an isometric playground filled with demons and darkness, just like in The Guardian of Light. Fans of the original spin-off title will feel instantly at home exploring The Temple of Osiris, fighting off alligators in terrible wigs and solving “puzzles” that tend to involve...
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX (PlayStation 3)
Sora sensational
Square Enix may not know how to do release dates, press conferences, or reasonable haircuts, but it's an expert at HD Collections. The firm's Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was at least half a masterpiece, and the original Kingdom Hearts collection has become the only proper way to start the franchise. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX...
Review Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
Dim same
In a gaming sphere that currently adores sandbox and open world games, too few gamers would recognise the name Wei Shen. Sleeping Dogs' lead is a troubled character who makes the likes of Aiden Pearce seem annoyingly lacking in the personality department, and the aforementioned title that our chaotic cop comes from is often similarly...
Review Murdered: Soul Suspect (PlayStation 4)
Dead to rights
Not many games actively attempt to avoid putting you in danger, but Murdered: Soul Suspect on the PlayStation 4 attempts to walk this less travelled road by having very little combat and putting you in the shoes of a ghost. This unique perspective means that you have limited influence on the physical world around you, making you feel...
Review Drakengard 3 (PlayStation 3)
The number games
There’s one in every family, isn’t there? One person who has to spoil every gathering, causing drama on social media, and jumping out, murdering people all of the time. No? In Drakengard 3, that’s exactly what happens. As moody anti-heroine Zero, you’ll need to trek across mountains or through lush green forests on a quest...
Review Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn (PlayStation 4)
A realm revitalised
When it comes to Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn, improvement has been pivotal ever since its initial release way back in 2010. Due to a poor fan response, Square Enix decided to recruit Naoki Yoshida into the director’s role in a last ditch attempt to salvage the game, but rather than issue a series of patches and...
Review Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster (PlayStation Vita)
Love is eternal
After playing Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster, it's hard to believe that both games are now over ten years old. Back on the PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy X was something of a revolution not just for Square Enix's popular series, but for Japanese RPGs in general. It was filled with voice acting, paved a route for more linear gameplay...
Tea leaf
Sneaking onto the PlayStation 4, developer Eidos Montreal’s reboot of Thief aims to put anti-hero Garrett back on the throne as the king of the stealth genre. It’s been ten years since the last game in the series, and in that time, undercover titles have undergone a few changes. Gone are the days of instant failures, as the gameplay...
Review Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)
Three's a charm
Taking place 500 years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the latest instalment in Square Enix’s mega franchise begins with pink-haired protagonist Lightning being shaken from her crystal slumber by God Bhunivelze. The heroine’s task? To save humanity from an imbalance between life and chaos which has prevented people from...
Review Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
Polished treasure
Rather than force you to sit through a string of paragraphs longer than the average historical textbook, we’ll get straight to the point: Lara Croft’s next generation debut looks the part on the PlayStation 4. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition may be little more than a cleaned up retread of last year’s dirty day-trip to...
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (PlayStation 3)
Total eclipse of the heart
When Square and Disney's unlikely collaboration first graced our screens back in 2002, Kingdom Hearts was commended for its fantastic visuals, jaw-dropping cut-scenes, and wonderful animations – all of which still hold up relatively well on the PlayStation 2 today. It must be said, then, that giving the first Kingdom...
Review Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn (PlayStation 3)
Reborn to try
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a remake of the failed PC release of the same name, only this time, Square Enix has ported the title to the PlayStation 3. It’s a completely cross-platform game, where PC and PS3 players all reside on the same servers with the exact same content. Purchasing the game includes a 30 day subscription,...
Review Tomb Raider (PlayStation 3)
Uncharted territory
Lara Croft, one of the most iconic protagonists in gaming, has finally returned with a contemporary tale designed to reboot the Tomb Raider series. And it's a magnificent comeback. Crystal Dynamics' new take on the heroine mixes combat and exploration in a compelling fashion, resulting in one of the best action adventure titles...
Review Hitman: Absolution (PlayStation 3)
Murder most joyous
With a six year absence since Agent 47's last outing, it's not surprising to see that everybody's favourite murderer has gone through a few changes. And while series purists may lament the days of yore, Hitman: Absolution still steals the show with its unique stealth elements, freedom, and deadly satisfaction. Indeed, Hitman:...
Review Sleeping Dogs (PlayStation 3)
Triad and tested
For a product dubbed Sleeping Dogs, United Front Games’ debut open world adventure is decidedly grisly. The former True Crime follow-up – unceremoniously whacked by publisher Activision in 2011 – was resurrected by Square Enix earlier this year, promising much needed sustenance ahead of Grand Theft Auto’s as-of-yet undated...
Review Army Corps of Hell (PlayStation Vita)
Test your metal
When the gates of the netherworld open and the King of Hell comes for our souls, his evil army of minions will rain death on all mankind with might, magic and so, so much metal. At least, that’s what the prophecies laid forth in Square Enix’s Army Corps of Hell would lead us to believe. When a game is labelled as being...
Review Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PlayStation 3)
Lightning strikes twice
We all know that the hugely popular Final Fantasy RPG series has had more than its fair share of games, but rarely do we witness direct sequels. As one of those rare games, Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place directly after the events of Final Fantasy XIII; Lightning vanishes without a trace and only Serah can remember seeing...
Review Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)
Lightning strike
Final Fantasy XIII is unmistakably a Final Fantasy game. It's set in a rich universe, with a cast of clashing personalities who ultimately unite to save the world. Nothing new there. Set in the outlandish futuristic universe of Cocoon, a host of gadding personalities are sewn together through crossing fates — they are branded the...
Review The 3rd Birthday (PlayStation Portable)
The 3rd Birthday is not a Parasite Eve sequel
Sure, series protagonist Aya Brea is present in all her impossibly pretty glory, but this is still not a Parasite Eve game. Those expecting a long anticipated return to the survival horror origins of the cult Japanese series will be disappointed — The 3rd Birthday is a third-person shooter that bares...
Review Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PlayStation Portable)
In a less than compelling plot that will no doubt delight Final Fantasy aficionados and baffle the rest of us, the God of discord, Chaos, and the God of Harmony, Cosmos, have engaged in an eternal long tussle within the Final Fantasy universe
The outset is Chaos importing a dream team of Final Fantasy antagonists to put the cap in Cosmos' reign...
