Tag: Hands On - Page 6
Hands On Ace Combat 7's Unknown Skies Are Reassuringly Familiar
Triggered
You can always rely on Ace Combat to bring a dose of melodrama to the war-torn skies of fictional states. Except it’s been four long years since the last instalment in the series – and even that was a shoddy free-to-play version for the PlayStation 3. No, you have to go back as far as 2011 for the last Ace Combat proper: the divisive...
Hands On Team Sonic Racing Takes a Tailspin on PS4
Not-so super, Sonic
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is, for our money, one of the few kart racers that deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as Nintendo’s all-conquering Mario Kart series. The celebration of SEGA’s illustrious legacy not only revelled in ridiculous fan service (Burning Rangers, anyone?) but it also had a sharp...
Hands On Starlink: Battle for Atlas Shows Promise That Could Prove Costly
Toys to life
As a concept, it feels like Starlink: Battle for Atlas is three years late to the party. The toys to life fad died out a long time ago, and so to see a title basing itself around the act of collecting weapons and ships out in the real world in the year 2018 almost seems like a foolish business decision to us. We got a chance to sample...
Hands On Arca's Path Brings Marble Madness to PSVR
Super monkey ball
Virtual reality allows us to interact with video games in ways that simply wouldn't be possible with a controller, and Arca's Path, from British developer Dream Reality Interactive, is about to introduce yet another take on control and movement within the PlayStation VR space. Without any sort of DualShock 4 or PlayStation Move...
Hands On Man of Medan Is a Return to Form for Until Dawn Dev
Ghost ship
Developer Supermassive Games has been treading water for far too long now. After its 2015 title Until Dawn became a bit of a cult hit that deserved a lot more love, it overloaded itself with PlayStation VR projects, most of which missed the mark by a big margin. The likes of Bravo Team and The Inpatient seem to be behind the studio now,...
Hands On In Hitman 2, You Can Finally Claim Fatalities as a Flamingo
An assassin's need
There’s surely a formula to the very best Hitman levels, and the good news is that Hitman 2’s new Miami stage follows it to a tee. While you get the feeling this vibrant environment could have been added as an episode to the first season, developer IO Interactive would no doubt argue that a lot has changed under the hood. From...
Hands On Dreams Is Going to Be a Game of the Year Candidate
If it ever comes out
Media Molecule’s showing a compilation of mini-games that it’s made in Dreams here at EGX 2018, and the highest compliment we can pay them is that many of them would comfortably hang in the indie stand. We don’t even need to get hands on time with the package’s impressive and comprehensive creation suite to realise that...
Hands On Metro Exodus Pledges a Petrifying Apocalyptic Playground to PS4
From Russia with blood
For a franchise named after Russia’s subway system, Metro Exodus certainly seems big. The sequel to the PlayStation 3’s Metro: Last Light hints at its scale as we pull up its in-game map; we’re located in the bottom-left of the survival sandbox, but there’s clearly miles of apocalyptic landscape to explore here. It’s...
Hands On FIFA 19 Demo - Five Things We Learned
Pep talk
The FIFA 19 demo has been out since last week to give fans of the FIFA franchise a chance to have a feel of the game before its 29th September release date. It’s worth noting that the demo is an old build and the full version of FIFA 19 will feel more fluid according to the EA Game Changers who were present at the game’s final capture...
Hands On Mega Man 11 Brings the Blue Bomber Bang Up to Date on PS4
You rock, man
Capcom should probably send a thank you letter to Keiji Inafune before the year’s out. While it could be argued that the Japanese publisher has been laying the foundations for a new Mega Man with various re-releases and compilation packs, it doesn’t take a cynic to suggest that Mighty No. 9’s enormous Kickstarter success may have...
Hands On Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout Gives Fortnite Stiff Competition
Nuketown funk
Another Battle Royale mode. As if the constant presence of Fortnite over our everyday lives wasn’t enough, we now have to deal with the increasing number of clones releasing. Grand Theft Auto V did it, Battlefield V’s doing it, and, of course, so is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Those exhausted by the proliferation of the genre might...
Hands On Destiny 2: Forsaken Is Feeling More and More like a Taken King Turning Point
The Forsaken King?
The original Destiny was in a rough state before The Taken King swooped in and sorted out so many of its problems. The big expansion was the definition of a turning point for Bungie's shooter -- it laid the foundations for a much more enticing experience, and expanded upon the stuff that the game actually got right...
Hands On Dragon Quest XI Is a Really Refreshing Return to Japanese RPG Greatness
Quest for the best
We were ten hours into Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age when we realised something: it's been way too long since we played a proper, old school Japanese role-playing game -- especially on PlayStation 4. Despite being over 30 years old, the Dragon Quest series hasn't changed much at all on a fundamental...
Hands On Bending Reality with the Case of Ted Walter in Transference
Unexplained wonder
If you were hoping to get some clarification on what Transference, the upcoming game from the Elijah Wood-fronted studio SpectreVision, is exactly, then this pre-release demo probably won't satisfy your needs. What we have here is a 15 minute teaser that dives into a weird and wondrous world to set up the events of the main game...
Hands On Is Shenmue I & II a Knock Out on PS4?
The day the snow turned to rain
Even in 2018, there’s something unusual about Shenmue. While most games strive to create lush, idyllic fantasy worlds, mid-80s Yokosuka is a claustrophobic dive, inhabited by everyday people living uninspiring lives. It’s this slice of life format that’s made the series a mainstay in gaming culture for almost...
Hands On What Kind of Side-Content Is in Marvel's Spider-Man?
Extra activities
Marvel’s Spider-Man will see the eponymous superhero battling the Sinister Six over the course of the campaign, with hundreds of henchman recruited to get in the web-slinger’s way. You can expect a dense storyline in Insomniac Games’ latest, exploring Peter Parker’s life as a scientist, as well as his relationships with...
Hands On Yakuza: Kiwami 2 Could Be One of the Best Yakuza Games Yet
An extreme remake
Before Yakuza was niche on the PlayStation 3, it was even more niche on the PlayStation 2. The original Yakuza was undeniably rough around the edges and its somewhat shaky remake, Yakuza: Kiwami, reflected that. But with Yakuza 2, the series found a real foothold. Improved gameplay and a more complex, intriguing narrative pushed...
Hands On How Good Is Spider-Man PS4's Swinging Gameplay?
Swing time
Following a recent Marvel’s Spider-Man hands on, we’ve talked about a lot of the anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive’s features, including its combat, first
Hands On PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer Stands Firm(ino)
On Klopp of the world
The PES 2019 demo is finally here, and encouragingly it actually has a player wearing the correct shirt on the cover; Konami must have learned its lesson after last year’s Neymar debacle. Still, seeing as Liverpool are an official partner of the game and all, it would be nice to see Andy Robertson’s lovely mug adorning the...
Hands On How Similar Is Marvel's Spider-Man's Combat to Batman: Arkham?
How Insomniac's system compares
Batman: Arkham Asylum was such a gigantic success that many a famous franchise has copied its combat mechanics, from Assassin’s Creed to Sleeping Dogs. The PlayStation 4’s previous web-slinging outing The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also borrowed liberally from Rocksteady’s releases, so how does Marvel’s Spider-Man...
Hands On Electronauts Turns You into a Cosmic Composer with PSVR
Put a donk on it
God bless PlayStation VR. There’s always going to be scepticism regarding the viability of virtual reality as the medium remains in its infancy, but we never fail to be impressed each and every time we put Sony’s glowing headset on. In fact, looking like you’re a member of Daft Punk is part of the appeal with Electronauts, a...
Hands On Marvel's Spider-Man's First Boss Fight Begins Things with a Bang
Iron Fisk
Marvel’s Spider-Man puts a strong foot forward during its opening mission, as Insomniac Games lays out all of the controls and puts you in pursuit of the Kingpin within minutes. It’s no secret that the web-slinger brings down Wilson Fisk at the very beginning of the game, but this kickstarts a chain of events that will eventually see...
Hands On Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Multiplayer Changes 4 the Better
Get those boots on the ground
The first weekend of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 private beta is over and it’s been a surprisingly entertaining ride. The series’ multiplayer mode has always been very popular, but the last two instalments seemed a little too comfortable, despite their setting of the far future and World War II being very...
Hands On Peter Parker's Gameplay Is a Massive Departure in Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4
Science fiction
Marvel’s Spider-Man is just as much about Peter Parker as it is about the eponymous web-slinger. During our two hour hands on session with the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, we got our very first glimpse at the 23-year-old graduate’s own gameplay sections, which primarily appear to take place in a
Hands On Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4 Is Shaping Up to Be the Best Spider-Man Game Ever
We've played the first two hours of Insomniac's superhero romp
Spider-Man PS4 – or Marvel’s Spider-Man to give it its official title – is exactly what you’re expecting it to be. Insomniac Games is not trying to reinvent the open world wheel with this hotly anticipated PlayStation 4 affair – rather it’s merely set out to refine it with...
Hands On The Crew 2 PS4 Beta Is Big, Barren, and Boring
Sail away
After spending several hours behind the wheel of The Crew 2's open beta, one warning light kept flashing up on the dashboard: it's too big. The map, a truncated version of the entire United States, is enormous - impressively so - but it's dull as dishwater. One of the major changes to this sequel is the addition of planes and boats, and...
Hands On 10 of Our Favourite Games from EGX Rezzed 2018
Indie highlights from this year's show
EGX Rezzed is the little brother of the UK's biggest games exhibition, and it's a great venue for smaller games to spend some time in the spotlight. Indeed, we usually discover a number of titles we'd never heard of before. We attended the event across all three days, playing as much as we could to find out...
Hands On Strange Brigade Is a Punchy, Pulpy 1930s Shooter
Just the ticket
One of the higher profile games at EGX Rezzed 2018 was Rebellion's thirties-tinged third person shooter, Strange Brigade. Oddly enough, the demo we played was single player, despite the main focus of the game being its four-player co-op. Still, what we played of this B-movie inspired action game proved it has some fun ideas that...
Hands On Windlands 2 Adds Co-Op, Weapons to Virtual Reality Platformer
Second wind
We rather liked the original Windlands on PlayStation VR. The satisfying movement and exhilarating sense of speed and altitude made for one of virtual reality's early successes -- at least, if you had the stomach for it. This holds true for Windlands 2, but the sequel isn't just reuniting you with a pair of grappling hooks and calling it...
Hands On Guacamelee! 2 Brings Mexican Madness Back to PS4
Holy guacamole
Juan's first Metroidvania adventure, Guacamelee!, remains one of our favourite modern examples of the genre, mixing addictive exploration, challenging platforming, satisfying combat, and a whacky sense of humour to great effect. Guacamelee! 2 is set to continue this trend. It recaptures the first game's compelling gameplay and...
Hands On Roguelike Adventuring in The Swords of Ditto on PS4
Adventure time
The Swords of Ditto is out very soon indeed, but we couldn't resist giving it a quick test run at EGX Rezzed 2018 ahead of its release later this month. For those not in the know, this is a roguelike, 2D adventure game in which generations of heroes take on the evil witch Mormo in order to lift her curse over the land. Randomly...
Hands On Onrush is an Action Packed, Addictive Arcade Racer
Rushing around
Onrush is a bit of an oddball. An arcade racer with no traditional races, the focus is squarely on contributing towards team-based objectives. There are no laps or checkered flags; this game is gunning for something a little different. By combining the high-speed, high-risk thrills of games like Burnout, Motorstorm, and SSX with...
Hands On Ni no Kuni II Is a Pure Joy to Play on PS4
Our thoughts after 15 hours
There's really no other way to put it: Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a delight. Level-5's latest role-playing game is as charming as it is colourful, and after around 15 hours of play, we simply can't wait to continue our adventure. So far, it really has been worth the wait. As its title suggests, Ni no Kuni II is a...
Hands On Tera Seems Like a Solid Free-to-Play MMORPG on PS4
Our impressions from the open beta
Over the weekend, we got stuck into the open beta for Tera, an upcoming action MMO role-playing game from Bluehole. Although our experience was on and off due to the stress test nature of the beta, we did manage to get a decent feel for the title. Long story short, we think it's shaping up quite well on...
Hands On Yakuza 6 PS4 Demo Promises Big Changes for Kiryu's Final Adventure
It's Kamurocho, but not as we know it
We're all big fans of the Yakuza series here at Push Square Towers, so when SEGA (rather messily) released a demo of Yakuza 6 last week, we began swinging bicycles at each other in delight. Last year's Yakuza 0 was fantastic, telling a compelling origin story for main man Kiryu and series mainstay Majima, a
Hands On PSVR Platformer Moss Impresses in Opening 30 Minutes
Happiness in a headset
Moss is delightful. Frankly we could leave our hands on impressions there, because those three little words sum up our sentiments so far. Polyarc’s hotly anticipated PlayStation VR platformer has impressed us every time we’ve tried it prior to release, and now with just days to go until the title drops onto the PlayStation...
Hands On Metal Gear Survive Ditches the Series' Roots, But That May Not Be So Bad
Our impressions a few hours in
Controversy has never been far behind Metal Gear Survive ever since it was announced at Gamescom 2016. As the first entry in the franchise to be developed after the departure of Hideo Kojima, the name carries a certain weight that this instalment is unlikely to ever live up to. However, after working our way through...
Hands On Apex Construct Is a Beautiful But Irritating PSVR Adventure
Crap controls are a mood killer
The name Apex Construct reveals quite a lot about Fast Travel Games’ debut project. Created by ex-DICE employees specifically for PlayStation VR, it’s a narrative-based first-person shooter in which you’re armed with a bow-and-arrow in a distorted dystopian Earth. Despite the striking visual identity, though, it...
Hands On Knockout League Is Pitch Perfect Punch-Out!! for PSVR
Little Mac and cheese
Punch-Out!! is such a great game that it’s a surprise the formula doesn’t get “borrowed” more often. Knockout League does nothing to hide its Glass Joe shaped inspirations, delivering a PlayStation VR experience that owes its entire existence to Nintendo’s legendary boxing series. But while it is shameless to an...
Hands On Kingdom Come: Deliverance Marries the Open World of Skyrim With... The Sims?
Say goodbye to your social life
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is the latest invader to land on our shores, readying its blade to take Skyrim's crown. Much like The Elder Scrolls before it, this is a first person RPG of epic proportions, with a massive game world to explore, side quests aplenty, and as many systems as you have hair follicles on your...
Hands On Sky on iOS Sees Journey's Multiplayer Spread Its Wings
Cloudy with a chance of friendship
Yes, you're right: Sky is a timed exclusive to iOS, so what on Earth is a preview of thatgamecompany's Journey follow-up doing on Push Square? Well, the developer has a close association with PlayStation, having crafted three excellent exclusive titles over the course of about six years. When we received an...
Hands On Shadow of the Colossus PS4 Looks Outrageous on PS4 Pro
On par with PS4's best
That Shadow of the Colossus, a game that originally released in 2005, can be mistaken for a current-gen game is testament to the outstanding work that Bluepoint’s done on this PlayStation 4 remake. This is a complete rebuild of Fumito Ueda’s seminal boss rush release, and while it maintains the ethereal feel of the...
Hands On Suplexing Sinister Spirits in Guacamelee! 2
Winner winner, chicken dinner
One of the standout indie releases of 2013 was that of Guacamelee!, a Mexican-themed Metroidvania with plenty of beat-‘em-up luchador action. It was a wildly creative and fun release that shook up the genre in some notable ways, and stood as the defining game from the team at Drinkbox Studios. Now that some time has...
Hands On Monster Hunter: World Is Shaping Up to Be Something Very, Very Special on PS4
We spent the whole weekend with the beta
Monster Hunter has built up a loving, hardcore fanbase on Nintendo platforms over the years, but we believe now more than ever that its return to home consoles is what will propel the series to a whole new level -- and the amount of interest and hype surrounding the game's PlayStation 4 beta is an indication...
Hands On Jak X Helps Plug a Hole in PS4's Library
Has it really come to this?
Jak X: Combat Racing has released on the PlayStation 4 as a PS2 Classic and it’s made us realise just how rubbish Sony’s new-gen console is for good ol’ arcade racers. They exist, of course: Trackmania Turbo’s fine; DriveClub’s decent (although it’s more simcade than, say, SEGA Rally). But where are the...
Hands On Justice League VR Is One of the Worst PSVR Experiences So Far
Flash in the pan
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 41 per cent, Justice League has divided opinion. But the Zack Snyder superhero flick looks like an Oscar winner in comparison to the abysmal PlayStation VR experience that Warner Bros has squeezed onto the PlayStation Store today. Essentially a minigame compilation a tier below the kind of shovelware...
Hands On DOOM VFR Supports Three PSVR Controllers, But None Feel Quite Right
Hell in your hands
DOOM VFR is a very handsome game with PlayStation VR, a statement we’re noticing ourselves make more often as virtual reality titles mature. Bethesda’s also gone out of its way to support all three of Sony’s PSVR controllers: the DualShock 4, the PlayStation Move, and the (underused but outstanding) PlayStation VR Aim...
Hands On Will Monster of the Deep's Final Fantasy Fishing Reel You In?
Hook, line, and stinker?
For a game that’s always looked like a bit of a gag, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is surprisingly fleshed out. Packing a story mode, alongside multiple FFXV-esque hunts, there’s a lot to do in this PlayStation VR powered angling adventure. And while the quality is admittedly a bit inconsistent, you may find that...
Hands On Skyrim VR Looks and Plays Great with PlayStation VR
Is The Elder Scrolls any good in virtual reality?
We’re some four hours into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR and we’ve already got a quest list longer than our armspan, but we can say definitively that this is a great version of the game. Adapted for PlayStation VR, Bethesda’s behemoth open world looks exactly like you remember it – but also...
Hands On Skyrim VR Has Improved a Helluva Lot with PlayStation VR
The Elder Scrolls V's final build fares much better in virtual reality
Our early The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR impressions weren’t exactly enthusiastic. We tested the game in sub-optimal convention conditions with hellish teleportation enabled, and walked away from our demo like we’d just spent an afternoon in The Bannered Mare. The opportunity...
