Sony Interactive Entertainment Game Reviews
Review Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (PS4)
Rapturous
There are still bed sheets hanging on the clotheslines in the deserted streets of Shropshire. They sway lightly in the wind; the ethereal vestiges of a place that once was. In many ways, they're the perfect analogy for Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, an experience which is astoundingly gorgeous in a subtle, unassuming, and overwhelmingly...
Pilgrim's progress
Journey is as magical today as it was when it first released on the PlayStation 3 back in 2012. thatgamecompany's masterpiece is a thought provoking, emotional experience that everyone should try at least once, and now that it's on the PlayStation 4, complete with cross-buy support and enhanced visuals, there's never been a better...
Review Ultra Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 4)
No contest
While the eyes of truly dedicated Street Fighter fans will undoubtedly be fixed on the forthcoming fifth main iteration in the popular series – exclusive to the PlayStation 4, no less – Capcom has seen fit to do a bit of preliminary groundwork by bringing the previous entry to Sony's new-gen system. Ultra Street Fighter IV on PS4...
Review MLB 15 The Show (PlayStation 4)
Infield home run
It's hard to believe that MLB The Show is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Despite dominating every other baseball title for the majority of these years, Sony's series has never shown complacency. Instead, it's aged like a fine wine, and gotten better with each new release. When booting up MLB 15 The Show, there's nothing here...
Review Run Sackboy! Run! (PlayStation Vita)
Sack race
Ah, the endless runner: a sub-genre almost as ubiquitous in the promotional game space as the everyday Puzzle & Dragons knock-off. Unfortunately for developer Firesprite – a UK studio made up of ex-WipEout veterans – the awkwardly punctuated Run Sackboy! Run! doesn't possess quite the same originality as the parent property that...
Review Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (PlayStation Vita)
Boned by blood
Imagine being born as an adult, and then only having around two years to live; that's the terrible fate that awaits your cursed clan in Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines. But this depressing destiny doesn't just act as a backdrop for the story – it also forms the basis of gameplay and progression, as you work your way through generation...
Review Helldivers (PlayStation 4)
Lead farming
Super Earth is expanding, and it's your job to do the dirty work. The Helldivers are called in to slaughter alien life forms so that mankind can extend its reach across the galaxy, and that means you're going to need a lot of big guns, air support, and explosives. A co-op shooter for up to four players, both locally and online,...
Review Resogun: Defenders (PlayStation 4)
Offence is the best form of defence
Goodbye doesn't always have to be the saddest word – it can be explosive, too. Resogun: Defenders marks the last of the post-launch expansions for Housemarque's critically acclaimed PlayStation 4 shoot-'em-up, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's something of a humdinger. Packing two brand new modes – Protector...
Review Hustle Kings (PlayStation 4)
Worth a shot
There were no shortage of pub games on the PlayStation 3 by the end of its tenure as Sony's flagship format, and the PlayStation 4 is picking off right where its predecessor left off. Following the release of VooFoo Studios' pretty Pure Pool last year, the Japanese giant has decided to port Hustle Kings – ironically, also originally...
Review The Order: 1886 (PlayStation 4)
Out of order
The Order: 1886 dares to tread where so many others have fallen, by attempting to fuse interactivity with cinematic qualities. And in some ways, it succeeds: developer Ready at Dawn has clearly sipped from the Holy Grail of the graphics gods, as this is arguably the most technologically accomplished title ever released. However, in its...
Review Super Stardust Ultra (PlayStation 4)
Rock 'n' roll
Super Stardust HD drew the dual joystick short straw last generation. Released at a time when the PlayStation 3 was really unpopular, Geometry Wars and its Xbox Live Arcade successor tended to lap up all of the downloadable shoot-'em-up plaudits – despite it never, in this author's opinion, hitting the same highs as Housemarque's...
Review Fat Princess: Piece of Cake (PlayStation Vita)
Royal fumble
You can't have your cake and eat it with free-to-play. The model's non-existent entry fee tends to pave the way for intrusive money making schemes, and in Fat Princess: Piece of Cake, it actually spoils what could be a mighty fine slice of iced sponge. Similar in concept to GungHo's uber-popular Puzzle & Dragons, this regal spin-off...
Review Resogun (PlayStation Vita)
Pocket rocket
Housemarque’s cylindrical shooter Resogun is still one of the major highlights in the PlayStation 4’s library. Its simplistic mechanics epitomise the very idea of pick-up-and-play, while its flashy visuals and smooth performance make it something of a showcase for Sony’s next-gen hardware. The title’s oft-requested PlayStation...
Dan, Dan, you’re decomposing, man
Republished on Thursday, 4th December 2014: We're bringing this review back from the archives to celebrate the PSone's big 20th Anniversary this week. The original text follows. Originally published on Saturday, 19th October 2013: It can be a tough life being a PSone retro game. After all, you were fresh and...
The pig-eating caveboy gets a second chance
Republished on Wednesday, 3rd December 2014: We're bringing this review back from the archives to celebrate the PSone's big 20th Anniversary this week. The original text follows. Originally published on Monday, 12th November 2012: While many retro enthusiasts will grumble endlessly about how digital...
Review Crash Bandicoot (PSone)
Marsupial madness
At one time, Crash Bandicoot was the face of the PlayStation brand, but through licensing headaches and the creation of other characters, the spunky star hasn’t quite gone on to fill the role of Nintendo’s Mario or Microsoft’s Master Chief. However, the hero’s titular game remains a signature PlayStation classic that served...
Review LittleBigPlanet 3 (PlayStation 4)
Dream weaver
Reviewing a LittleBigPlanet game at launch is a little like rating The Beatles’ entire catalogue based on everything up to Rubber Soul: the pieces are in place, but the real magic is yet to come. A community centric sequel such as this deserves time to properly mature, but expectations demand that we put pen to paper now. The question...
Review The Muppets Movie Adventures (PlayStation Vita)
Green around the gills
The Muppets has always been a franchise for families, so it’s not exactly surprising to see The Muppets Movie Adventures – a brand new PlayStation Vita exclusive – strive to occupy that exact same space. Sadly, in doing so, this comedic escapade ends up being a little simplistic for its own good – even if youngsters...
Review The Unfinished Swan (PlayStation 4)
Placeholder strapline
Back in 2012, when indie startup Giant Sparrow released The Unfinished Swan, we were bowled over by it, awarding it a rare 10/10 in our review. Understandably, we were subsequently ecstatic when Sony announced earlier in the year that it was bringing the curious campaign to the PlayStation 4 alongside fellow digital download...
Review Freedom Wars (PlayStation Vita)
Grind and punishment
Easily one of the PlayStation Vita's most anticipated titles, Freedom Wars plops you into a dystopian future that's full of typically stylish teens and giant mechanical beasts, and tasks you with whittling down a one million year sentence of service to your not-so-lovely community. For many owners of Sony's portable console, a...
Review DriveClub (PlayStation 4)
How fast do you wanna go?
It’s been a long wait leading to a bumpy road for racing fans, but DriveClub is finally here. A curious lack of pre-release code and online connection issues has forced us to hold back our thoughts on Evolution Studios' cursed exclusive for a couple of weeks longer than we expected, but having now had a chance to see...
Review Murasaki Baby (PlayStation Vita)
Balloon fright
Murasaki Baby made this typically composed critic want to toss his figurative toys out of the pram, and that’s never a good sign. Ovosonico’s long in production PlayStation Vita exclusive whisks you away from the hustle and bustle of the real world to a nightmarish fantasy land, where you must guide a wailing infant and her purple...
Review inFAMOUS: First Light (PlayStation 4)
Fetching
The problem with inFAMOUS: Second Son was that it ended too quickly: Sucker Punch’s supercharged pseudo sequel was over in a flash, leaving many of its fans wanting more. inFAMOUS: First Light attempts to solve that problem, recharging with a new playable character, storyline, and some fresh powers – but does it burn brightly, or...
Review CounterSpy (PlayStation 4)
From Russia with regret
CounterSpy is a strange beast. Developed by fledgling studio Dynamighty, it's an ambitious game that strives to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D stealth, while also attempting to juggle randomly generated levels. And while it plays host to some truly unique mechanics, and consistently brilliant presentation, it's...
Review Hohokum (PlayStation 4)
Tripping the light fantastic
Whenever we played British developer Honeyslug’s latest game Hohokum at conventions and the like, our biggest issue was quite simply explaining the experience to others. What exactly is the vibrant title starring a multicoloured worm all about? Is it art? How do you play it? Heck, what do you even do? Having spent...
Review The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy (PlayStation Vita)
Screw loose
If the well of original PlayStation Vita content is drying up, then its fountain of high-definition re-releases is overflowing. The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy is the latest in a long line of PlayStation 2 compilations to nonchalantly sidle onto Sony’s struggling handheld system, following closely in the slipstream of the God of War...
Review Killzone: Shadow Fall - Intercept (PlayStation 4)
In the zone
A dedicated co-op component has long been missing in action over the course of the Killzone series' multiple instalments. If you've ever wanted to blow up Helghast with a buddy outside of the franchise's sometimes disappointing campaigns, then you've always had little choice but to team up together for some competitive play – but now,...
Review Resogun: Heroes (PlayStation 4)
Holding out for a hero
It’s a statement that’s rapidly approaching cliché territory, but Housemarque’s cylindrical shooter Resogun is still the PlayStation 4’s best game. That’s not a slight against the software library that Sony’s next-gen system has amassed over the past six months or so – although we’re sure that many would like...
Review Entwined (PlayStation 4)
Always together, forever apart
Entwined is the first game from new studio Pixelopus, a brand new addition to Sony’s Worldwide Studios network. The title’s trailer premiered this week during PlayStation’s big E3 2014 press conference, and to the delight of many – this author very much included – it was announced that the game would be...
Review PlayStation Vita Pets (PlayStation Vita)
Watch dogs
Virtual pet games have got a bad name. We don’t mean the type of embarrassing monikers that you’re likely to overhear at a haughty dog breeder’s meeting, but more a downright abysmal track record when it comes to quality. Unsurprisingly, the House of Mario set the standard for portable animal interaction with Nintendogs on the...
