Tag: Retro - Page 12
Review Shadows Of The Damned (PlayStation 3)
The initial announcement of Shadows Of The Damned left us disappointed
When we originally heard that some of Japan's most revered names — No More Heroes' Suda51, Resident Evil's Shinji Mikami, and Silent Hill's Akira Yamaoka — were collaborating on a brand new horror IP, our mind started to get ahead of itself with all the psychological horror...
Review White Knight Chronicles: Origins (PlayStation Portable)
White Knight Chronicles: Origins eschews the complexities of the RPG genre, crafting a straight-forward co-operative experience that's well suited to the pick-up-and-play nature of Sony's portable platform
Despite taking a critical beating worldwide, White Knight Chronicles has been a successful endeavour for Sony in Japan. With two iterations...
Review Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (PlayStation 3)
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is a surprisingly solid movie tie-in
The gameplay is knowingly straight-forward, but an abundance of decent set-piece encounters and a robust online multiplayer component make this spin-off an enjoyable, if entirely mindless affair. High Moon was onto something when it released War For Cybertron on PlayStation 3. The...
Review Ape Escape (PlayStation 3)
Gorilla warfare
Sony's Ape Escape series has been a PlayStation staple since 1999, when it wowed the world with its dual-analogue control scheme. Now over a decade later it's trying another control scheme in Ape Escape, (known as PlayStation Move Ape Escape in North America) but is it an evolutionary step or a knuckle-dragging disaster? The original...
Review Learning with the PooYoos: Episode I (PlayStation 3)
Who said gaming was just for big kids?
Children’s games and PlayStation 3 is a coupling that hasn’t really been explored. Well, that was the case until Lexis Numérique released Learning With the PooYoos: Episode 1 on PSN service. Designed for children between the ages of 3-6, this game sets out to captivate the minds of the youngest gamers, but...
Review Alice: Madness Returns (PlayStation 3)
The spiritual successor to American McGee's 2000 PC blockbuster, Alice, Madness Returns picks up shortly after the original game, with the protagonist installed in the orphanage of Doctor Angus Bumby
Alice is traumatised by memories of her parent's death, an act which she believes herself responsible for. As Alice battles with her memories, she's...
Review Greg Hastings Paintball 2 (PlayStation 3)
Wanna be a baller, shot-caller?
Paintball takes the online multiplayer fun found in videogames and brings it to a painful reality. Sadly, the sport has seen a rapid decline in recent years due to its high cost to play, expensive insurance cost and field/arena maintenance expenses. Fret not though fellow paintballers (i.e. ballers), because for less...
Review Ninjamurai (PlayStation Minis)
A brutal but trance-inducing platformer, Ninjamurai's breakneck sense of speed and macabre visual-style translate into an ambitious and occasionally frustrating PlayStation Mini with digestible level-design that's well suited to the platform
Open Emotion Studios make some of the most ambitious games on Sony's PlayStation Minis service. The ambition...
Review Duke Nukem Forever (PlayStation 3)
Duke Nukem Forever is a relic
The game feels caught between two opposing design sensibilities, never fully encompassing a throw-back feel because of its modern concessions. There's the glint of a good idea in some of Forever's periphery activities, and the whole campaign is punctuated by some pretty impressive set-pieces — but Duke Nukem Forever...
Review SEGA Rally Online Arcade (PlayStation 3)
Because we can't all afford a Subaru WRX Sti
Remember seeing those giant car-like arcade machines lined up at your local arcade? If so, you've likely already played or witnessed this game in action. Taken from the extremely popular SEGA Rally series of arcade machines, SEGA Rally Online Arcade brings the thrill and action of arcade style racing to...
Review Under Siege (PlayStation 3)
Much harder than Steven Seagal
During a generation in which First-Person Shooter (FPS) titles dominate the market, a genre like the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game can become lost on PS3 amongst a barrage of FPS frags, melees and rat-a-tat-tat firefights. Despite this the system has received some standout RTS games: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3...
Review Armageddon Riders (PlayStation 3)
Armageddon Riders is a couple of features away from "absolutely essential" status
Targem's supremely polished post-apocalyptic racer mixes goofy humour with solid handling mechanics, wrapping the whole affair in a stunning Burnout Paradise-esque open-world environment. The package could have been elevated with an online multiplayer mode, but there's...
Review Hunted: The Demon's Forge (PlayStation 3)
Protagonists E'lara and Caddoc are a metaphor for Hunted: The Demon's Forge
The duo are brash, goofy and amusing, personifying the theme of the game they are featured in. Hunted: The Demon's Forge is not a well devised title — the combat is scrappy, the visuals are hokey, and the voice acting is utterly reprehensible — but for all its faults...
Review No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise (PlayStation 3)
We could be heroes
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise isn’t about saving the world. It follows Travis Touchdown, an over-sexed Otaku obsessed with violence, wrestling, anime and games (he has a Mega Drive/Mega CD/32X combo in his room). Travis gets drunk in a bar and meets the head of the United Assassins Association, Sylvia Christel. She offers him...
DiRT2 was one of our favourite PS3 games of 2009
We spent numerous hours with Codemasters' rally sequel, eventually earning the game's illusive Platinum trophy and still secretly longing for more. Codemasters' mix of arcade accessibility and simulation physics created a racing experience that not only felt unique, but also approachable without...
Take no notice of Brink's storyline
We didn't. As much as we adore the game's quirky art-direction, the plot is utter nonsense. You're situated on a water-based city known as the Ark, but there's chaos aboard the warring location as its inhabitants are divided by two factions: the Security and the Resistance. Cut-scenes try to tie the narrative...
Review We Dare (PlayStation 3)
We feel dirty now
We Dare raised more than just eyebrows with its original trailer: the thought of young gamers getting into an array of saucy situations was too much for some, who seized upon the game's PEGI 12+ rating to call it immoral, insulting and downright offensive. Well, they got two right. We Dare's whole reputation as a bawdy party game...
Review LEGO: Pirates Of The Caribbean (PlayStation 3)
It only takes one look at Captain Jack Sparrow sauntering into view to melt your heart
Traveller's Tales appears to have mastered the art of transforming popular properties into thoroughly enjoyable co-operative affairs, and the developer's whimsical take on Disney's somewhat convoluted Pirates Of The Caribbean tetralogy is no different. Set across...
Review SOCOM: Special Forces (PlayStation 3)
Tactics on the Move
SOCOM 2 wasn’t only just one of the best shooters for the PlayStation 2, but many would likely even call it the best on the system. These are big boots for SOCOM: Special Forces (aka SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs in North America) to fill, and now that the online war is back in action from the PlayStation Network outage, we’ve...
Review Sniper: Ghost Warrior (PlayStation 3)
Remember that sniper mission from Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare? Everybody loved it: no game had ever pulled off the satisfying tension of creeping through a woodland in a ghillie suit, carefully and dramatically picking off targets with your hardened commander
Essentially, Sniper: Ghost Warrior is that mission extrapolated across a full campaign...
Review Virtua Tennis 4 (PlayStation 3)
Come out swinging
The PlayStation Move tennis grand slam final between 2K Sports' Top Spin 4 and SEGA's Virtua Tennis 4 is a match-up between two totally different play styles: whereas 2K offered a simulation fully playable with Move, SEGA has stayed true to its series' arcade roots by limiting the motion control to exhibition matches and minigames...
Review WSC Real 11 (PlayStation 3)
Cue de grâce?
PlayStation Move and cue sports go together like balls and baize: PlayStation Network release Hustle Kings has already shown how well the motion controller can work with the sport, and now Dark Energy Digital has responded to VooFoo Studios' break with WSC Real 11. The most obvious enhancement WSC brings to the table is the World...
Review Mortal Kombat (PlayStation 3)
Mortal Kombat is the most comprehensive fighting game we've ever played
It puts its immediate contemporaries to shame with a pool of modes, features and unlockables that have been on the wishlist of fighting fans for some time. What's more, the content is built upon an accessible and satisfying fighting system that's deep enough to hold your...
Review Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes HD (PlayStation 3)
Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes is a real pleasant surprise
The game's clever blend of puzzle and RPG action makes for a refreshing downloadable package that's wrapped up in a gloriously vivid visual style. Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes is the video game equivalent of a warm day in England: you don't anticipate it, but when it comes it's...
Review Michael Jackson: The Experience (PlayStation 3)
Bad, and not in a good way!
Last year saw Ubisoft release Michael Jackson: The Experience on Wii, the first video game to feature the King of Pop since Sega's Space Channel 5: Part 2. Essentially a Jacko reskin of runaway chart-topper Just Dance 2, the game shifted 2 million copies and has now landed on PlayStation 3, but has Ubisoft harnessed...
Review Mad Blocker Alpha (PlayStation Minis)
Mad Blocker Alpha mixes traditional puzzle gameplay with an outrageous visual style and haunting soundtrack
The game's bizarre presentation is destined to split opinion, but it also gives the game personality beyond its simplistic mechanics. We hope we're not the only ones that found SEGA's gem-matching puzzle title, Columns, a little bit...
Review Patapon 3 (PlayStation Portable)
Patapon 3's blend of rhythm action and RPG is as potent as ever
Despite being fundamentally familiar, the addition of online multiplayer modes extend the game's re-playability, while bringing fresh ideas to the series. The game can be far too complicating for its own good at times, but a stellar soundtrack and vivid art-style make up for the title's...
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 Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (PlayStation 3)
Welcome to Gothicus
Beaten, battered and placed away in a dark corner of the cellar, our armour has been sat collecting dust, patiently awaiting a new adventure. Years have passed since the dank smell of dungeon corridors filled our noses, and the blood dripped from the tip of our swords from the slain monsters that lie upon our feet, but that is...
Review Duael Invaders (PlayStation Minis)
Duael Invaders adopts an unusual mechanic that's difficult to master but extremely rewarding
Duael Invaders is a little bit like the video game equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach. It takes an immense amount of concentration to master, but when everything clicks, it makes you feel like the greatest human being alive. If you...
Review MiniSquadron (PlayStation Minis)
MiniSquadron is an enjoyable dog-fighter with a moreish unlock system that's marred by one of the worst soundtracks we've ever encountered in a Mini
What's becoming increasingly evident is how much PlayStation Minis developers are in need of a good composer. Doodle Pool's music was bad, but at least it was original and catchy. MiniSquadron takes...
Review Red Faction: Battlegrounds (PlayStation 3)
Red Faction: Battlegrounds is enjoyable in bursts, but a lack of structure both online and off can make the game's breed of vehicular combat a little too chaotic for its own good
As is becoming customary for all big franchise releases, Red Faction: Battlegrounds is a downloadable taster designed to get us excited for the upcoming retail release of...
Review Chime Super Deluxe (PlayStation 3)
Chime Super Deluxe may just be the best new puzzle game since Lumines
It looks beautiful, it sounds even better, and it's as addictive as Cadbury's buttons mixed with cheese and onion crisps. It doesn't take many minutes to fall in love with Zoe Mode's super-stylish audio puzzler, Chime Super Deluxe. An updated version of last year's XBOX Live...
Review My Fitness Coach Club (PlayStation 3)
Sweaty beauty
While PlayStation Move's motion-controlled rivals are swimming in fitness games, this is only the second such title to reach Sony's black beauty after Get Fit with Mel B. Ubisoft's effort My Fitness Coach Club (known as Fit In Six in North America) comes from a reasonably successful line of fitness titles on Wii, and now with the added...
Review Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters (PlayStation 3)
The second cut is the deepest
Last year's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 saw Move support patched into the game post-release, and although the core game was solid, the Move controls were a letdown. Six months later, EA has brought the Tiger back out of the cage for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, but can it make up for last year's errors? Well, yes...
Swarm is a surprisingly sporadic puzzle-platformer that's let down by some frustrating progression requirements and unresponsive controls
The reality of Swarm is not what we expected. Basing our judgement on screenshots and artwork, we dived in expecting a slow-paced, Pikmin-esque strategy game. We were wrong, but not necessarily in a bad way. The...
Review Dance on Broadway (PlayStation 3)
Mamma mia
Dance on Broadway turned out to be quite a hit for Ubisoft when released on Wii a few years back: riding off the success of its insanely popular Just Dance series, the all-musical soundtrack had a niche all to itself that resulted in big sales for Ubisoft. Now the Move edition has entered stage left, but it barely passes the audition. The...
Review Ghostbusters: Sanctum Of Slime (PlayStation 3)
Ghostbusters: Sanctum Of Slime achieves exactly what it sets out to do, but the game is almost cynically unambitious
There's some fun to be had in multiplayer, but the game's biting repetition is evident online or off. "Great. The cemetery again?" points out our perceptive unnamed Ghostbuster. The statement's intended to draw comic relief...
Review Moon Diver (PlayStation 3)
Moon Diver is a surprisingly moreish button-bashing treat
Alone it lacks purpose, but hook up with three friends and the game starts to make sense. It's headache inducing, but a lot of fun. "Strider. It's like Strider!" our excited co-op partner decided to scream with joy down his Bluetooth headset. His enthusiasm is uplifting. We're...
Review Yakuza 4 (PlayStation 3)
In the five years since the original Yakuza launched on PlayStation 2 the series has changed very little
Released just a year after the wonderful Yakuza 3, the only curve-ball Yakuza 4 throws is not running with Kazuma Kiryu as the game's primary protagonist, instead introducing three new playable characters. Yakuza 4 might be a structurally...
Review WWE All Stars (PlayStation 3)
WWE All Stars gets a bit too technical for its own good, but the game's attractive art-style and over-the-top presentation still make for an appealing multiplayer grappling title
It's just a shame that some irritating technical issues get in the way of the fun. Playing through WWE All Stars taught us an interesting lesson about wresting: the...
Review Yoostar 2 (PlayStation 3)
An offer you can refuse
Acting and singing have a lot in common: plenty of people believe they do them brilliantly, and the speed with which celebrities flit between both disciplines would have you believe they’re easy. As anyone who’s listened to a loved one murder a beloved song at karaoke will tell you, singing is best left to the...
Review PlayStation Move Heroes (PlayStation 3)
Six PlayStation icons Move in together
For the first time in PlayStation's 15 year history, six of its most loved characters have come together to compete in intergalactic games. Featuring the witty wombat Ratchet and his trusty robot friend Clank, sneaky raccoon Sly and tech savvy Bentley, and finally the dark eco-powered Jak and his energy-packed...
Review MotorStorm Apocalypse (PlayStation 3)
Remember the first time you played Ridge Racer on the original PlayStation?
Your family and friends gathered around the television in anticipation of the content about to be streamed from the flashy grey box positioned prematurely on a make-shift table in front of the television. As the polygonal graphics popped onto the screen, the room was filled...
Review Crysis 2 (PlayStation 3)
We hated our first couple of hours with Crysis 2
Initially, the game assumes far too much from the player. It presents you with a catalogue of mechanics but never gives you a detailed explanation on how to use them. It also throws you in at the deep end from a narrative perspective, filling the screen with black-outs, explosions and plot-twists that...
Review Top Spin 4 (PlayStation 3)
Balls in your court
Motion controllers and tennis games have seemed the perfect match ever since Wii Sports put a plastic Remote in your hand and told you to be Roger Federer. Regrettably, since then, few titles — if any — have come close to matching Nintendo's pack-in when it comes to intuitive controls and the all-important fun factor: EA's...
Review Homefront (PlayStation 3)
As the first-person shooter genre shows no sign of dipping in popularity, THQ's Homefront promised more of the same with a new approach
Developed by Kaos Studios, Homefront's emotive story-telling and uncomfortable imagery give the title enough personality to separate it from its nearest peers, even if the game's core mechanics stay true to the...
Review MLB 11 The Show (PlayStation 3)
A home run
Truly, there are only two seasons: winter and baseball. Luckily, MLB 11 The Show's season is year-round. Widely regarded as one of the best sports series this gen, largely in part to San Diego Studios' ability to continuously improve each iteration by leaps and bounds – rather than simply providing an annual roster update – this...
Review The Undergarden (PlayStation 3)
The Undergarden tries hard to jump aboard the zen-gaming hype train, but ultimately settles for the soulless bandwagon
Imagine if PixelJunk Eden got steamy with thatgamecompany's flow and somehow managed to produce a throng of sprogs. One child would be good at sports, the other drawing. The third child would be the super-intelligent one, knowing...
