Sony Interactive Entertainment Game Reviews
Review Twisted Metal (PlayStation 3)
Carnival of carnage
Twisted Metal doesn’t care much for first impressions: the game’s overarching heavy metal motif is about as dislikeable as the psychotic characters at the centre of its gratuitous plotline. But to dismiss Eat Sleep Play’s car combat reboot on the basis of first appearances would be a grave error, because beyond the...
Review Super Stardust Delta (PlayStation Vita)
Shining star
Although the Stardust series began life as a simple Asteroids clone on the classic Amiga computers, it wasn't until the release of Super Stardust HD on PlayStation 3's download service that it began to garner worldwide recognition. Lauded for its intuitive play controls and vibrant visuals, the twin analogue stick shooter quickly became...
Review Jak & Daxter Collection (PlayStation 3)
Jak of all trades
PlayStation 2 proved a haven for fans of platformers: Sony published no fewer than three outstanding platforming trilogies in Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and Jak & Daxter. But while Insomniac’s already honoured Ratchet & Clank with a second PS3 trilogy of its own and Sly Cooper’s on the verge of a comeback courtesy...
Review Frobisher Says (PlayStation Vita)
If Monty Python did mini-games...
Although Nintendo’s WarioWare wasn’t the first game to compile quick-fire mini-games (it’s pre-dated by Sega’s Tanto-R and Konami’s Bishi Bashi), it remains the most famous example of the genre. While so many modern games try hard to immerse the player in engaging and time-consuming missions, WarioWare...
Review Hustle Kings (PlayStation Vita)
The royal touch
Following the success of Hustle Kings for PlayStation 3, VooFoo Studios' Hustle Kings on PS Vita has arrived. Whether you live in pool halls or just whisk through them once in a blue moon, Hustle Kings is enticing thanks to a variety of options that look out for everybody. The game's pockets are stuffed with enough content to make it...
Review Table Soccer (PlayStation Vita)
Hand ball
Long before FIFA, long before Sensible Soccer, the only way football enthusiasts could get their kicks without going outside was with Subbuteo, a table football game in which your flicking fingertips did all the talking and scoring. Staring the more complex emulations of football right in the goal mouth, Four Door Lemon has brought back...
Review Escape Plan (PlayStation Vita)
The Lil and Laarg Show
Lil and Laarg aren't the type of guys to make their prison beds and lie in them. Captured by the tyrannous Bakuki, the duo quickly embark on an escape mission through roughly 80 rooms of Escape Plan's labyrinthine prison. It's never as simple as jimmying open a well-placed window with a convenient crowbar, though – in fact,...
Review Top Darts (PlayStation Vita)
Double top?
Released in late 2010, Top Darts for PS3 was a detailed and addictive recreation of the sport with a distinct party emphasis. Now Top Darts on PS Vita is here and is arguably the most focused of the system's launch titles. Despite the very obvious temptation to toy with the shiny new inputs, developer Devil’s Details has limited itself...
Review Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PlayStation Vita)
Full Drake or half-baked?
As the first portable entry for the Uncharted series, Uncharted: Golden Abyss sets itself apart from its console counterparts in a variety of ways. Firstly, the game isn’t directed by franchise creators Naughty Dog, helmed instead by Bend Studio, the team that brought Resistance Retribution to the PSP. Secondly, the...
Review MotorStorm RC (PlayStation Vita)
Micro machines
Evolution Studios might not have intended to, but it’s inadvertently created the best game in the MotorStorm series. Pitched as a spin-off handled by a small team of elite employees, MotorStorm RC takes the franchise’s established off-road racing staples and shrinks them down to shoebox size. Despite concerns to the contrary,...
Review Fireworks (PlayStation Vita)
Bangers and flash
Fireworks and the great indoors don’t usually make for the most advisable of combinations, but the PlayStation Network holds the answer for those that really need a fix of sparkly light shows and expensive wastes of gunpowder. Better yet, you don’t even have to leave your armchair to play PS Vita’s Fireworks, a free download...
Review Reality Fighters (PlayStation Vita)
Reality pales
Novarama’s not new to the concept of augmented reality: the Spanish studio’s been layering polygonal worlds on top of our bed sheets for years now with the Invizimals series, but Reality Fighters is a change of direction for the studio. The developer’s kicked out the cute creatures and laborious combat from its Pokémon-inspired...
Review Daxter (PlayStation Portable)
Lots of ottsel fun
Developed by Naughty Dog – creators of the critically acclaimed Uncharted trilogy on PS3 – the Jak & Daxter series has enjoyed about as much success as a 3D platforming franchise is capable of achieving, short of donning blue dungarees, growing a moustache and taking lessons in Italian. True to form, the series' debut on...
Review Cliff Diving (PlayStation Vita)
Making a splash
With augmented reality being all the rage right now, it’s no surprise to see a camera-exploiting trio arrive on PS Vita at launch to further expand its Swiss army knife-rivalling feature set. In Cliff Diving, the alphabetical first of the three, you take control of Dave and help him become the greatest diver in the world through...
Review WipEout 2048 (PlayStation Vita)
Adrenaline on the go
WipEout has been the staple for futuristic racing titles since 1995 when SCE Studio Liverpool — then Psygnosis — launched its début title on the original PlayStation; ever since, there's been a steady stream of games released across the PlayStation family. The newest addition to the series speeds its way onto PlayStation...
Review ModNation Racers: Road Trip (PlayStation Vita)
Go-kartin' with a creative touch
“Let’s go on a road trip!” The thoughts of the adventures just waiting to be explored sends you rapidly packing and out onto the open roads. But once the adventure starts you soon realise that even though you're having fun, in the rush you’ve left home a bit under-packed and you'd have enjoyed the trip far...
Review Little Deviants (PlayStation Vita)
Control freak
Whenever a new game system is released, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a game built exclusively to show off the various capabilities of said system. In the case of PlayStation Vita, that title would be Little Deviants. Taking a collection of minigames and building them around the unique control interfaces of Vita,...
Review Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PlayStation 3)
And one 4 all
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One does a great job of transforming Insomniac's slapstick shooter series into an enjoyable co-operative ride. Stunning presentation and accessible multiplayer implementation provide the game with an engaging campaign, though it is somewhat let down by disappointing combat and an uninspired final-third. As...
Review Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (PlayStation 3)
Tick tock
The conclusion of the Ratchet & Clank Future arc, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time focuses on Ratchet's continuing rescue mission of Clank and the dastardly deeds of antagonist Dr Nefarious. Building upon much familiarity from previous Ratchet & Clank games, A Crack In Time introduces numerous new mechanics including Clank's...
Review Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (PlayStation Vita)
Nice shot!
It's hard to believe that Hot Shots Golf has been around for almost 15 years, and given how much of a staple the series has been on Sony systems in that time, it's no wonder the games have become so well-loved by PlayStation fans. While the series has evolved at a fairly consistent rate alongside the growing technology, nothing quite...
Review God of War Collection (PlayStation 3)
God of before
Love him or hate him, Kratos is an important part of the PlayStation brand. The vengeful antihero has starred in some of the platform’s very best titles, and the God of War Collection brings those classics back to life with startling clarity. Remastering PS2 favourites God of War and God of War II in beautiful high definition, the...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation Portable)
On-the-go karts
ModNation Racers PSP comes so close to its PlayStation 3 counterpart that it's impossible not to compare the two titles. Sadly, that's detrimental to ModNation Racers PSP because, for everything the game gets right, the drifting component feels 'off'. However, if you're able to overcome the issue you'll find a super deep kart-racer...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation 3)
Drive, create, share
ModNation Racers takes everything that is good about Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise and rids itself of the bad. It then put the remains into a bowl and mixes in one-third LittleBigPlanet and two-thirds fun. This is a kart racer done the Play, Create, Share way, a genre Sony's single-handedly brought to the forefront of the...
Review God of War Collection: Volume II (PlayStation 3)
Fit for a god
Existing fans will lap up the technical proficiency of God of War Collection: Volume II, but those new to Ready At Dawn's work will also find a thoughtful empathy towards the franchise's anti-hero, Kratos, contextualising some of the aggression found later in the series. For our money, Ghost of Sparta is the best game in the series...
Review God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PlayStation Portable)
Mini massacre
While we're huge fans of Kratos here in the Push Square office, not every PlayStation fan shares our affection. The spartan warrior's constant anger grates with many followers, so much so that they are unable to look past the character in order to enjoy the game. Despite slotting awkwardly between the first and second God of War...
Review Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PlayStation 3)
Drake's delightful
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception realises what we dreamed video games would one day become. "All men dream: but not equally." Nathan Drake utters T.E. Lawrence's poignant phrase as the curtain raises on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Like others, we dared to dream. For 20 years we longed for a cinematic interactive...
Review God of War III (PlayStation 3)
God of awe
It’s no surprise that God of War III should end up representing PlayStation at its very finest. The previous entries in the mythological series achieved things seemingly impossible on the PlayStation 2, and God of War III extends on that prowess. From the rip-roaring spectacle of the opening 60 minutes right through to the ultra-stylish...
Review Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)
King of thieves
The follow-up to Naughty Dog's often overlooked cinematic gem Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves plots the path of Nathan Drake once again as he follows the trail of Marco Polo and a legendary gem known as the Cintamani stone. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees some growth to the game's cast, with both Elena and...
Review ICO & Shadow Of The Colossus Collection (PlayStation 3)
ICOnic
An impeccable, provocative and emotional affair, ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection makes a strong argument in favour of interactive art, and does so with such a matter of fact, effortless mentality that it's impossible not to fall in love with the experience. Despite being heralded as two of the finest games ever created, there's an...
Review Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (PlayStation 3)
Oddly compelling
Developer Just Add Water's done an outstanding job of making the XBOX original look and feel relevant on PlayStation 3, allowing the game's bizarre mix of stealth and shooting to stand up on its own. Some irritating voice acting and offensive difficulty spikes harm the game's appeal, but Stranger's Wrath HD is still a curiously...
