Latest Reviews
Mini Review Inscryption (PS5) - The Most Unique Game You Will Play All Year
Heart of the cards
Inscryption is one of those games where the less you know the better. A card battling roguelike on first impression, it's what happens outside those duels where the true magic lies. Daniel Mullins has crafted a deceiving title full of layers and surprises; pulling them back and learning how they tick is what makes Inscryption...
Review The Last of Us: Part I (PS5) - A Better, More Beautiful Remake of a Modern Classic
It wasn't for nothing
The Last of Us: Part I feels like how you remember Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed 2013 survival horror, which is both a blessing and a bit of a curse. In many ways, this PS5 re-release blurs the lines between remake and remaster, overhauling the original in almost all areas, without tinkering with what made it so great...
Review Granblue Fantasy Versus - Superbly Crafted Fighter Is a Joy to Play and Behold
Sky's the limit
Republished on Wednesday 31st August 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. A fighting game adaptation of the immensely popular mobile title, Granblue Fantasy Versus stands as yet another shining example of developer Arc...
Mini Review Toem (PS5) - Photography Puzzler Is a Picture Perfect Adventure
Say "cheese"
Republished on Wednesday 31st August 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Toem is an extremely refreshing experience. The scope of the game is rather small, but that's allowed developer Something We Made to double down on...
Review Need for Speed Heat - The Best NFS for Years, But That's Not Saying Much
Paradise lost
Republished on Wednesday 31st August 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Need for Speed Heat brings the franchise back from the brink of disaster, but it's only brought it back to being good again. The series has been on...
Shell of a good time
Following the fantastic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge released this past June, Digital Eclipse — developer of compilations like Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection — has teamed up with Konami to re-release its TMNT games based on the 1987 series. Cowabunga Collection collates 13 titles from the NES,...
Review Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed (PS5) - We're Just Remaking Anything Now
Close Encounters of the Turd Kind
At some point during the billion hour long campaign for Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed — a remake of 2006's Destroy All Humans! 2 for PS2 — we began to wonder where it had all gone wrong. There we were, running around as a little alien shooting innocent passers-by with a gun that reduces them to skeletons and...
Mini Review I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (PS5) - Choose Your Own Adolescence
Teenage kicks
Your teenage years are undoubtedly some of the hardest years of your life. Raging hormones, school, navigating romance for the first time, aliens threatening to destroy your home and family… Now, imagine all of that in a timeloop that you're destined to repeat over and over, and you have I Was A Teenage Exocolonist. Growing up on...
Review SD Gundam Battle Alliance (PS5) - Addictive Action RPG Is an Absolute Treat for Fans
Breakout hit
Every now and then, a licensed anime title comes along that goes above and beyond your expectations. Not just an ode to the source material, but a finely crafted video game as well. That's SD Gundam Battle Alliance in a nutshell — an almost dangerously addictive action RPG that franchise fans will likely adore. Despite its cutesy,...
Review Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5) - Solid Update On a PS1 Platforming Classic
Aw shoot, here comes Pac-Man
Following on from last month's release of Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series, Bandai Namco has come back with an update of another one of its PS1 classics: 1999’s Pac-Man World. Sadly, unlike Klonoa, this is a remake of just the first game, rather than a remastered collection including the two PS2 sequels. Thankfully,...
Mini Review Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (PS5) - An Outdated Family Trivia Game
Back to school
Based on the long-running game show, HandyGames' adaptation of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? will have you or your friends wondering if you should have paid more attention in elementary school. Offering two modes — Exam mode and Study mode — the game is definitely more suited to local multiplayer. You can easily finish a...
Mini Review South of the Circle (PS5) - Antarctic Disaster Meets Cold War
Not every cloud
South of the Circle is the story of Peter, a scientist at the University of Cambridge. Set in the early 1960s, the game heavily references the social and cultural movements of the time. There is a deep-rooted fear of Russian spies and multiple references to the Cold War, and also an underlying gender equality focus to the story...
Review Dusk Diver 2 (PS5) - Fast-Paced Combat Almost Makes Up for Lacklustre Story
Time to dive back in
It’s been a long time since this particular reviewer was a student, but if memory serves it can definitely be a bit of a stressful time. Keeping up to date with your studies, holding down a part-time job, whilst also hanging out with friends can be surprisingly tricky. Now just imagine how much more difficult it must be if you...
Review Saints Row (PS5) - Seriously Dumb Fun Outweighs Dated Open World
The old dusty trail
Believe it or not, it's been nine whole years since Saints Row IV, and to be honest, not much has changed (minus the superpowers and alien invaders, obviously). The simply titled Saints Row is a reboot of the series, sporting an entirely new setting, new characters, and a fresh story — but the gameplay structure that the...
Mini Review Tinykin (PS5) - A Cute Adventure Bubbling with Charm
You'll float too
If you've an itch to play some Pikmin without borrowing your buddy’s Nintendo Switch, Tinykin is more than the right remedy to scratch it. Developer Splashteam combines eye-catching 2D art in a 3D environment, delivering a captivating fusion of Paper Mario and the aforementioned strategy series. Despite the game’s tiny nature,...
Review Soul Hackers 2 (PS5) - SMT on a Budget
Ringo star
Soul Hackers 2 is a lot like Shin Megami Tensei and its increasingly popular spin-off series Persona. It has the enjoyable turn-based combat, demons we've all come to know and love, and vast dungeons to explore. It also tells a fairly entertaining story complete with a spin on social links, character interactions, and hangout spots. The...
Mini Review Cursed to Golf (PS5) - A Fun, Hilarious Spin on the Roguelike
It’s all in the hips
In Cursed to Golf, you are a champion golfer mortally struck by lightning who tries to golf their way out of hell. It’s a great spin on the roguelike, as you have to clear 18 holes on a demonic series of courses or be doomed to a Sisyphean nightmare of putting greens. The game is laid out like a side-scrolling roguelike,...
Review We Are OFK (PS5) - An Interactive Story with Plenty of Peaks and Valleys
Sex, boba, rock and roll
Video games are a malleable medium. Some games are about conquering a challenge, full of inputs and interactivity, with a near limitless number of approaches for how to complete a challenge. Others still strip interactivity back to such a degree that they’re merely paying lip-service to the idea of being a video game,...
Review Rollerdrome (PS5) - Just As Good As Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Keep on rollin'
There's a moment in all 11 of Rollerdrome's levels where everything just clicks. Runs rewarding grades unfit for college graduation are the norm in the latest game from OlliOlli World developer Roll7, but practise makes perfect, and this futuristic Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game knows how to make top marks feel good. The Birdman makes...
Mini Review Thymesia (PS5) – A Poor Take on the Souls-Like Formula
Are you ready to recall?
Thymesia is a Souls-like that sees you play as Corvus, a reincarnated warrior with amnesia. Though unsure of your standing in the world, you are guided by a spectral visage that tasks you with uncovering the secrets of "Vile Blood" and "Pure Blood". Trappings of Souls titles are aplenty, with things like lanterns serving as...
Mini Review Voyage (PS5) - A Nice Palate Cleanser
Sweet starter
Considering the number of big games that release one after another nowadays — particularly during the holiday season — palette cleansers have become almost essential in order to keep things fresh. Voyage, a beautiful 2D title about the journey rather than demanding gameplay mechanics, plays that role perfectly. In a two-hour quest...
Review Cult of the Lamb (PS5) - Deliciously Evil, Giddily Gruesome, and Bloody Brilliant
Breaking Baa-d
Few games make as strong a first impression as Cult of the Lamb. It had us in its thrall within a minute, and we remained enraptured for most of our 20 or so hours with the game. It’s a title that frequently delights, with an arresting tone, gruesome gameplay, and a cavalier approach to taste and decency. Only a handful of minor...
Review Arcade Paradise (PS5) - High Scores for This Genre Blending 90s Nostalgia Fest
It'll all come out in the wash
Newcastle-based developer Nosebleed Interactive has been on our radar ever since it released The Hungry Horde for PS Vita, a scrappy action strategy title with a zombie-themed collectible card game built into it. The studio, with its penchant for minigames and genre blending, followed it up with the excellent Vostok...
Review Sword and Fairy: Together Forever (PS5) - Elegant, Charming Action RPG Has Obvious Flaws
Spirited in ways
Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is a straightforward action RPG based on Chinese mythology. It's the latest instalment in Taiwan-based developer Softstar's long running Sword and Fairy series, and in terms of presentation and overall tone, there's a lot to like about the game. But when it comes to actually playing through this...
Review Yakuza: Kiwami 2 (PS4) - One of the Best Games in SEGA's Series
Goda tier
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Yakuza: Kiwami 2 is a full remake of Yakuza 2, which launched all the way back in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and much like last year's Yakuza:...
Review Yakuza: Kiwami - The Successor to a Much Stronger Game
Not so extreme
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Coming off the back of the fantastic Yakuza 0 – which launched earlier in the year – Yakuza: Kiwami feels too much like a quick and dirty...
Review Yakuza 0 (PS4) - Hysterical Side Quests Complement a Gripping Story
Eurobeatdown
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. The Yakuza series is one of PlayStation's most overlooked gems, especially here in the West. Unashamedly Japanese in its tone, humour, and...
Mini Review Metro Exodus (PS5) – A Greatly Improved Version of a Pretty Awesome Game
Time to leave the metro
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. 4A Games is one of the most talented teams in the industry, but the PS4 version of Metro: Exodus – as noted in our original review...
Review Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4) - Open World Shooter Lacks a Little Identity
Ghost of its former self
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Ubisoft's open world games are pretty much all cut from the same cloth, with each implementing some common systems and design...
Review Bugsnax (PS5) - Appetising Adventure Is Even More Delicious on PS5
Talkin 'bout Bugsnax again
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. As we've already established in our PlayStation 4 review of Bugsnax, this game is delightfully different. A semi-open world...
