Tag: Mini Reviews
Mini Review Patapon 1+2 Replay (PS5) - The Best Versions of Two PSP Classics in One Package
Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon
The PS4 remasters of Patapon and Patapon 2 did a sufficient job of reintroducing people to the quirky PSP rhythm titles where you direct tribes of warriors to the beat, but they definitely had their share of problems. Input lag and muddy textures put a dampener on the initial attempt. Bandai Namco has taken a mulligan here,...
Ghost in the machine
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is Nightdive Studio's tribute to the hugely influential 1994 original. Offering a much-needed technical upgrade, along with a bevvy of extras, System Shock 2 is still an impressive game, even if some of its forward-thinking mechanics feel quite quaint three decades later. Originally...
Mini Review Missile Command Delta (PS5) - A Radically Different But Successful Series Reboot
Top bunker
Missile Command Delta is a big departure from the original game that Atari fans are familiar with, and while we're sure purists won't enjoy the drastic changes, this modern spin brings the concept forward in a refreshing and imaginative way. A group of adventurous teenagers plans to spend the night in a creepy, disused bunker, only to...
Mini Review Anger Foot (PS5) - Chaotic Kick-'Em-Up Satisfies from Head to Toe
Foot you
You may have seen Anger Foot described as a first-person Hotline Miami — and that's probably a good comparison to, er, kick things off. Playing as the titular Anger Foot himself, you'll kick and shoot your way through the superbly named Shit City in search of your beloved sneakers. It's an unapologetically punk setting where just about...
Mini Review Into the Restless Ruins (PS5) - An Inventive Spin on Roguelike Dungeon Crawling
Deck of halls
Roguelike dungeon crawlers and deck builders are prolific these days, but many of them manage to stand out in one way or another despite sharing some similar elements. Into the Restless Ruins does just that by splicing the worlds of dungeon-delving and card-collecting together, the result being a unique, clever game where you literally...
Mini Review Ruffy and the Riverside (PS5) - A Cute Platformer with Missed Potential
Roughy
Ruffy and the Riverside has always looked rather striking with its 2D characters in a colourful 3D world, and while its aesthetic is a strength, the game itself doesn't really match it. This is an open-ended 3D platformer with a unique swap mechanic, which lets you copy certain textures and apply them to other objects — turning water into...
Mini Review Rematch (PS5) - Fun, Fresh Football Game Holds Huge Potential
All hail FIFU
Rematch is very close to being a real blinder. An online multiplayer football game in which every player controls an individual person on the pitch, it's a totally fresh take on the sport that takes more than a little inspiration from Rocket League, and the result is fantastic. Playable in 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 matches, Rematch plonks you...
Mini Review Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest (PS5) - Scottish Horror Loses the Magic
It dinny be the same
Still Wakes the Deep was one of our favourite releases of 2024, so the news of a slice of DLC dropping in the form of Siren’s Rest was music to our ears. This paid expansion, which picks up a decade after the events of the main game, sees diver Mhairi swim to the depths of the ocean to uncover the truth of the Beira D oil...
Mini Review TRON: Catalyst (PS5) - A Deftly Delivered Return to the Grid
How many cycles has it been?
Bithell Games returns to the world of TRON with TRON: Catalyst. Following in the footsteps of visual novel TRON: Identity, Catalyst is something of a different beast. Much more ambitious in scope across the board, this is an action-adventure brawler that incorporates light RPG elements. You play as Exo, a courier who...
Mini Review Date Everything (PS5) - Delightfully Silly Visual Novel Has a Lot of Heart
Including the kitchen sink
After finally gaining a degree in Customer Service, you begin your exciting new career as a customer service rep! Unfortunately, it only takes a single day before you find out that your job is being outsourced to AI. It’s not all doom and gloom though, as a mysterious hacker sends you some new technology – a pair of...
Mini Review The Alters (PS5) - Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Caper Is 11 Bit Studios' Best Game Yet
Hope you're good company
The Alters plays like a mix of XCOM 2's base building, The Sims' personal needs management, and a third-person survival adventure. This sci-fi game begins with a ship crashlanding on a distant planet, leaving one survivor: Jan Dolski. During the day, you explore and gather resources outside the base to improve it. At night,...
Mini Review Star Trucker (PS5) - A Tough But Fun Spacebound Haulage Sim
Star truckin' across the universe
Turns out driving a huge truck through zero-gravity space is pretty hard. Taking the popular haulage sim to its final frontier, Star Trucker tasks you with flying across the galaxy, delivering freight and maintaining your vehicle in challenging conditions. Much of our time with the game has been spent on the...
Mini Review Hypercharge: Unboxed (PS5) - Aesthetically Pleasing, Disappointingly Thin
I love the smell of polyurethane in the morning
Hypercharge: Unboxed, the toy-soldier shooter, has finally made its way to PS5 after releasing on PC back in 2020 and Xbox last year. Now, though, we have the full package with Hypercharge: Unboxed, an aesthetically pleasing shooter that does very little to keep you interested. Hypercharge puts you in...
Mini Review to a T (PS5) - The Most Joyful Game in the World
You're the perfect shape
It is borderline impossible to play to a T without a beaming smile plastered across your face the entire time. This is one of the most joyous, feel-good games on PS5, and all it takes is a teenager stuck in a permanent T-pose. From the Katamari creator Keita Takahashi and his team at Uvula, the quirky adventure is a bit...
Mini Review Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (PS4) - Basic Remaster Keeps That PS2 Charm
Oni kiss is all it takes
As Capcom readies Way of the Sword for next year, there's never been a better time to get into Onimusha. To make that transition from newcomer to fanatic as easy as possible, the Japanese publisher has brought back what many consider to be the franchise's current peak: Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. Just as it did six years...
Mini Review Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition (PS5) - A Classic Conquers Sony's Console
All hail the King
When you think of the real-time strategy genre, Age of Empires 2 is probably the first game which springs to mind. Originally released way back in 1999, the legendary Ensemble outing served as a gateway into the world of strategy for many gamers. After a brief dalliance with the PS2, courtesy of unexpected publisher Konami, Age of...
Mini Review Little Kitty, Big City (PS5) - Forgettable Feline Sim Offers Short-Lived Fun
Console catnip
Little Kitty, Big City is the latest in an expanding litter of animal-themed sandbox games. Much like Goat Simulator 3 or Untitled Goose Game, this is a cosy game with vague objectives and no real consequences if you make a mistake. As the name implies, you assume the role of a feisty feline, who’s fallen from his/her high-rise...
Mini Review Captain Blood (PS5) - PS2-Era Hack and Slasher Is a Total Shipwreck
Bloody hell
Originally meant to be a PS2-era action game that was swept up in development woes and legal issues, Captain Blood finally gets an official release over 20 years since its inception. Unfortunately, the wait has not been worth it. Not even close. Especially by today's standards, Captain Blood is a tragically messy hack-and-slasher,...
Mini Review Despelote (PS5) - Lots of Meaning, Not So Much Game
The beautiful game
For so many supporters around the world, football is more than just a sport about kicking a ball into the back of the net. A cultural touchstone, a way to bond and form friendships, a reason to travel — it’s a way of life. Despelote looks to capture that healthy obsession through the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying stages that...
Mini Review Lushfoil Photography Sim (PS5) - Deeply Relaxing Exploration Game Is a Sight to Behold
Oh snap
Sporting a fantastic sense of space and a clear appreciation for all things photographical, Lushfoil Photography Sim is a gorgeous indie escapade that's well worth checking out if you're looking to sit back and relax. The game's split up into a number of explorable locations based on real places of the world. There's no definitive...
Mini Review Rusty Rabbit (PS5) - Predictable But Fun Metroidvania Starring Scavenging Rabbits
Scwap hunting wabbits
Rusty Rabbit opens with the brooding, atmospheric tone of a noir detective mystery. World-weary narration introduces us to Stamp — a grizzled, down-on-his-luck salvager with a dark past. Stamp is a talking rabbit. The game is set in a post-human world, inhabited by the kind of rounded, fluffy rabbits you might see in a...
Mini Review Blue Prince (PS5) - A Deceptively Deep Puzzler That Delights and Confounds
The house that Simon built
Blue Prince is one of those puzzle games best played with little knowledge going in, as much of its joy is in uncovering its surprisingly deep depths. At surface level, this is a sort-of roguelike adventure in which you map out the layout of a mysterious mansion across a 45-square grid, with your ultimate goal being to...
Mini Review Age of Mythology: Retold (PS5) - Series' Best Stands the Test of Time
Real-time strategy finds a home on console
Age of Mythology: Retold is a remastered version of Ensemble Studio’s hugely influential 2002 original. With a fresh coat of HD paint, a visual overhaul for every game unit, and brand new animations, Retold is a nostalgic jaunt for seasoned veterans and an excellent jumping-on point for interested...
Mini Review Dungeons of Hinterberg (PS5) - Chill Fights and Vibes in Virtual Vacation
Hit the slopes
If going on holiday is meant to be a time for relaxing and disconnecting from daily life, why can it feel so stressful in the moment? Dungeons of Hinterberg reckons with those mixed emotions as protagonist Luisa takes a break from being a lawyer to try and chill in the Austrian Alps... while putting her life on the line in puzzle and...
Mini Review Wanderstop (PS5) - A Meditative Musing on Mental Health
Turning over a loose leaf
On first appearance, Wanderstop looks like your average wholesome, low-stakes indie game with easy-going objectives and enjoyable, soothing tasks to perform. While the game is exactly that, it layers on top a story that hones in on the central character's mental state, and it's an effective combination. Alta is a fighter...
Mini Review Warriors: Abyss (PS5) - A Decent Descent into Hell for Roguelike and Warriors Fans
The Enemy of my Enma
Truthfully, Warriors: Abyss feels like Koei Tecmo tried to cook up its own budget Hades from the leftovers of last night's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. That's not to say it fails to sate the appetite, though. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, Abyss is a solid and successfully addictive foray into the...
Mini Review Afterlove EP - Musical Odyssey Emerging from Development Tragedy Is Worth the Trip
All you need is love
Considering the real-life tragedy surrounding the development of Afterlove EP, it would have been easy to forgive developer Pikselnesia for not moving forward with work on the title. To its credit, it's powered forward and delivered a poignant, prescient experience worth your time. You play Rama, a musician who returns to his...
Mini Review Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip (PS5) - A Simple, Delightfully Silly Sandbox
Joyride
Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip is a short but sweet open world adventure about one kid's ambition to drive into space. After acquiring a car to call his own, Terry's main objective is to make it go so fast it can escape his planet's gravity, and to do that, he'll have to explore every inch of his hometown and help out the locals. It's refreshingly...
Mini Review Luck Be a Landlord (PS4) - Simple Roguelike Is a Bit of a Gamble
The art of spin
Luck Be a Landlord lets you fight the evils of rental accommodation by using a customisable slot machine to generate cash. It's a daft premise, but sets up a simple game that's all about finding synergies to maximise your score. Each time you spin, the symbols on your slot machine randomise and reward you with coins, depending on...
Mini Review Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PS5) - Fun Slasher Shows Its Age
All slice, no dice
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is like a time machine back to the halcyon days of PS3, featuring over-the-top violence, ridiculous action, and a globe-trotting campaign. Black sparkles up those graphics for PS5, and while fun, it isn’t quite enough to counter how much this hack-and-slash experience has aged. With the threat of demonic...
Mini Review Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (PS5) - Peak Metroidvania Action
Bloomin' brilliant
There must be something in the water during January, for after Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown got the Metroidvania genre off to a flyer in 2024, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is doing the same 12 months on. The follow-up to Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights refines what co-developers Adglobe and Live Wire achieved four...
Mini Review Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (PS5) - Don't Sleep on This Deeper RPG Sequel
More space
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector successfully builds on what was achieved in the original to deliver a compelling and challenging sci-fi RPG. It's a tricky game to discuss without spoiling things, but it's safe to say if you liked the first, you'll want to check out the sequel. Playing as a sleeper, an android with an emulated human...
Mini Review Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter (PS5) - A Simple Tail of Bigger and Better
Doesn't rat-tle the cage
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is your classic sequel — a bigger, better game than the inaugural animal action RPG. Playing as a new character in a different part of the world, this follow-up builds on the groundwork laid by the original game, with bigger scope and deeper systems as you hunt down the bats that...
Mini Review Tales of Graces f Remastered (PS5) - Classic Tales Game Is Better Than Ever
Aging gracefully
In this modern era of games getting rereleased, it’s crazy to think it’s been over 12 years since Tales of Graces f was released on western shores. Thankfully you no longer need to dust off your ancient PS3 to play, as Bandai Namco has spruced up this classic RPG for modern consoles with Tales of Graces f Remastered. As you’d...
Mini Review The Thing Remastered (PS5) - A Polished Up Horror Gem with Some Rough Edges
I’ll show you what I already know
One of the earliest articles this author ever wrote for Push Square was about Computer Artworks’ terrifying 2002 horror shooter, The Thing. A decade later, Nightdive Studios has worked its magic on a remaster, breathing new life into this rough-around-the-edges gem. Being a direct continuation of the greatest...
Mini Review Naiad (PS5) - A Cosy, Stunningly Beautiful Experience
Koyaanisqatsi
Naiad is a beautiful puzzler made by a solo developer under the name HiWarp. In it, you play as Naiad, a river spirit tasked with helping animals as you navigate your way through a series of interconnected rivers on your quest to reach the ocean. This visually stunning game is spread out over 16 episodes, each in its own biome. For...
Mini Review Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (PS5) - A Short But Sweet Nostalgia Trip
That witch came from the moon
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is almost exactly what you want it to be. An arcadey beat-'em-up that brings back memories of the show, this has one or two rough edges but ultimately delivers a potent dose of fun. Playing as any of the original Rangers (plus the Green Ranger after completing the story...
Mini Review Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PS5) - Grim Horde Shooter Is Frantic Fun
Rough around the edges, but one hell of a ride
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is developer Fatshark's take on Games Workshop's grimdark universe and a refinement of the combat and gameplay of its earlier Vermintide titles. A first-person multiplayer cooperative game, each Darktide mission will see squads of four players (or, in their absence, AI bots)...
Mini Review Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (PS5) - Bring a Notebook for This Dense, Compelling Puzzler
Eye caramba
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of those games you shouldn't read too much about before playing it. By design, it's packed to the rafters with layers upon layers of puzzles, and discussing this web of head-scratchers — or even its story — would be to undo a little bit of its magic. Initially, all you know is that you've arrived by...
Mini Review Nine Sols (PS5) - The Best Metroidvania on the Market
Nine Sols/10
Rather than waiting impatiently for Hollow Knight: Silksong, you should play Nine Sols, a Taiwanese Metroidvania that just got ported over to PS5. It beautifully blends the philosophy of Taosim and the styles of East Asia with a sci-fi flair to deliver a thoughtful story told in a vibrant and deadly world. The plot follows Yi, a cyborg...
Mini Review Trombone Champ: Unflattened (PSVR2) - Ridiculous Rhythm Game Is Top Brass Nonsense
Let it slide
Following Trombone Champ's viral success on flat screens last year, it's now come for the virtual reality crown too, and if anything, the format elevates the silliness even more. Trombone Champ: Unflattened successfully brings this ludicrous rhythm game to PSVR2, building on the unwieldy hilarity already present by having you mime the...
Block party
Tetris was and is a global phenomenon that remains pick-up-and-play perfection to this day, and its history is lovingly chronicled in Digital Eclipse's latest: Tetris Forever. It charts the franchise's entire history, from the brainchild of Alexey Pajitnov to its popularity explosion as a Game Boy pack-in and beyond. A far cry from the...
Mini Review Metal Slug Tactics (PS5) – Some of the Best Tactics Since Into the Breach
Hooked on a Fio
From the moment it was announced Metal Slug Tactics was a winner in our eyes. Marrying the SNK classic with the turn-based tactics genre is a golden idea on paper. Hearing it’s a roguelike in the vein of Into the Breach was the coup de grâce for this game being anything but a banger. And we’re happy to say it lives up to those...
More death loops than Deathloop
Nobody expected a spinoff to 2022’s The Callisto Protocol and so Redacted — a fast-paced, twin-stick shooter roguelike — comes as a pleasant surprise. Set in CP’s Black Iron prison on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, you take on the role of a prison guard who is not only in a race to reach the last remaining escape...
Mini Review Empire of the Ants (PS5) - A Confused RTS That Shines in Its Multiplayer
Jack of all trades, master of none
Empire of the Ants is a victim of its own ambition. It burrows into the undergrowth offering a fresh perspective on the lives of critters dwelling on our forest floor and raises some interesting environmental questions during its campaign, but spreads itself too thin trying to be both an RTS and a platformer...
Mini Review Planet Coaster 2 (PS5) - Improved Sequel Offers a Ride Well Worth Taking
Splashtastic
Much like its predecessor, Planet Coaster 2 is a theme park creative management game which lets you design and run your own amusement park and offers new features compared to its predecessor. The biggest and most obvious change to the sequel is the addition of water parks. You can now add swimming pools, lazy rivers, and a variety of...
The sins of our fathers
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a remake of the influential, Japan-only, 1993 original JRPG of the same name. Square Enix has modernised the experience, which holds its own even in a year which has proven extremely strong for the genre. With a classic design, exciting twists on well-worn systems, deep combat, and...
Mini Review Starship Troopers: Extermination (PS5) - Not Just a Helldivers Clone
Thrilling, retro bug killing
You might think you're familiar with Starship Troopers: Extermination because you've played Helldivers 2. They're both satirical games where you take up arms as an indoctrinated foot soldier in a fascistic army and fight endless hordes of terrifying bugs, but Extermination has a well-implemented base-building twist and...
Mini Review MechWarrior 5: Clans (PS5) - An Obsolete Model
Grinding gears
If you're a fan of mech games, there are different subgenres to choose from. There's the difficult twitch combat of Armored Core and the beat-'em-up brawls of Gundam Breaker. MechWarrior 5: Clans doesn’t fit into either of those categories. You pilot slow, lumbering machines, and it's more like a mecha XCOM than anything else. While...
Mini Review Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered (PS5) - A Hella Good Update
A dish best served hella remastered
It’s been a long time since Shadows of the Damned dropped — 13 years, in fact. The game industry has changed substantially in that time, but a good game is still a good game. And that’s what we’re lucky enough to encounter here with Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered. Narratively, this gonzo world...
