Heave Ho is an insane party game that ramps up the craziness to the maximum.
Mechstermination Force is a terrific boss-rush adventure that grants a few hours of undisputed, frenetic, and fast-paced gunplay against gargantuan robotic titans.
WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship does a fantastic job of filling the rally-racing void, despite the fact that it doesn't appear to have made many leaps forward from last year's title - but sometimes, making minimal changes is still better than making wrong calls. The Career mode is as fun and immersive as expected, and that's where the bulk of the offline hours will be lost. The updated visuals and extra attention to detail makes the races feel more alive, and the heart-stopping moments of avoiding a disaster on the track are as real as ever in here. Rally fans will enjoy Kylotonn's latest offering, while newcomers can jump in with an easy-to-learn control scheme. Whether offline or online, WRC 9 packs a punch with its many hours of content that will hopefully carry through to next year's title.
Children of Morta is a wonderful rogue-like ARPG, with a lot of deep layers in terms of gameplay mechanics, that does a terrific job of acting as an underlay to the simple, but dark, atmospheric story. Everything intertwines together splendidly, and seeing how each character can help to buff up their family members via their shared abilities, both in each characters unique skill trees, or the household's base stat upgrades, there are plenty of moving pieces here that all contribute towards the family's mission to end the Corruption. No run is ever wasted, with each failed attempt still rewarding the family with some positive enhancements for the next run, until that eventual stage boss is defeated. For those who are looking for a new rogue-like to jump into, this should definitely not be missed.
Despite the visual breaks and screen tears that seem to happen oftentimes, WRC 10 is the ultimate rally game on PS5. At this point, there is no better alternative if the objective is getting the wheels dirty on the gravel roads. WRC 10 makes great use of the haptic feedback, bringing the vibrations to a new level of immersion while the triggers help add a new layer also. Career Mode is still unchanged from previous years, though the Season Mode is also still an option for those who don't wish to partake in the managerial aspects of the team management options. Otherwise, for those looking for the ultimate challenge beyond the AI opponents, the Online mode is still a bustling wonderland of challenges for all diehard competitors. Of course, this package wouldn't be complete without dipping into the historical races over the last 50 years of WRC, allowing for drivers to explore the older cars while also learning about their historical significance to the sport.
Even though there's a steep learning curve that may turn many people off from venturing further into the world of Primal Carnage: Extinction, it is definitely worth breaking through that grind, because underneath is a great game with solid environments, and a fun gaming experience. Trekking through the jungles as a commando hunting large dinosaurs is a lot of fun, while hunting for prey from the skies above as a Pterodactyl is even more fun. While finding some matches may be annoying, once the online community grows even larger, this would be one franchise that won't go extinct.
Mordheim: City of the Damned is a tough game to get into at first. It is a daunting experience from the moment the game is turned on and the tutorials are attempted, but the mechanics are better off learned during the heat of battle. Trial and error will eventually get the ball rolling in terms of finally being able to win missions, but it does take a lot of losing early on to finally get into the swing of things. With not much of a story to keep newcomers interested, and its poorly laid out user interface, it is the rinse and repeat process of building a team of fighters and levelling them up across campaigns that is the real selling point. This is not a pick-up-and-play title, and it requires many hours of dedication before it starts to become a fun experience. Again, though, persistence is the key to cracking this beast of a game, and though it does deliver on its sense of accomplishment, it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there.
The Balls of Glory pinball pack brings to life four of the top animated sitcoms, and they each contain a variety of unique mini-games that fans of the shows will enjoy. For pinball fans, these stages bring the right amount of challenge to the game, although, at times, it may feel unfair when a ball enters the outlane. Zen Studios has done an amazing job in bringing the TV shows to life in this bundle, but for maximum enjoyment, it does require knowledge of the shows that the tables are based on. While the layout isn't quite up to par with some of the other tables that Zen Pinball 2 has to offer, the Balls of Glory pack provides plenty more hours of enjoyment.
Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is a nice little detour away from the open-world stealth-based contract killings that the main games in the franchise have been known for. Instead, playing as a miniature Agent 47 on a chessboard-like setting in a turn-based game is an addicting process, where many hours can easily be lost trying to figure out the walking patterns of the Agent's next target. Its simple gameplay makes it easy for newcomers to jump in and play. With seven campaigns consisting of roughly 15 levels each, there is a lot of fun to be had in this minor deviation from the Hitman franchise - hopefully one that will be revisited in the future.
Yesterday Origins is a fantastic point-and-click adventure that features comic-styled panels to showcase the story of John trying to find a cure for his memory loss.
10 Second Ninja X is a short platformer that is fast paced from the moment it begins, and it never really stops. With the interesting game mechanic of clearing a stage in ten seconds, the difficulty is increased by achieving the required stars to open up more stages. While it is a clean platformer in terms of fine-tuning the mechanics, it is a frustrating one that seeks to appeal to the platforming purists hungry for a hardcore time sink. The hours will fly by as the ninja dashes across countless stages; however, because of the difficulty, it's a tough sell for casual gamers or those not well versed with chaotic platformers.
The main gripe with The Bunker is the limitations with the gameplay. There are no puzzles to be solved, and it is a linear experience where the interaction stems from opening the doors and picking up the key items in order to progress the movie. However, beyond that is a wonderful acting performance by Adam Brown, Sarah Greene, Grahame Fox and the rest of the cast that inhabit the world below in the dark and quiet bunker. Full of mystery and intrigue, this is a remarkable effort at an interactive movie, which works well enough for another attempt at creating a live action video game. This is a gripping movie, and although short, fans of the horror genre looking for something different need to check this out and experience the unforgettable tale of John in The Bunker.
Type:Rider is an enjoyable 2D experience through the history and advent of typography. By combining the haunting and dreary visuals with captivating and clever stage designs, this is a game worth checking out. While not a long game, it can be quickly completed while still providing quite a challenge in terms of puzzle solving. If learning about typography doesn't sound immediately interesting, Type:Rider has surely made it an amusing way to learn and there are some memorable stages that make replaying it for the time trials fun.
The haunting music serves as a grimy backdrop to what is otherwise a very beautiful-looking game. Each stage is a perfect illustration on the sources they are based on in Norse mythology, with splendid vistas that are equally as impressive. While the gameplay and stages can be slow going at times, or downright frustrating due to constant backtracking in order to discover all the secrets in every stage, the fights against the five Jotuns are the true meat of this game. Jotun: Valhalla Edition contains a Boss Rush mode at the completion of the adventure, which allows for a greater challenge at defeating these bosses, while Thora's journey to reach Valhalla is a satisfying one thanks to a strong acting performance given by Viking warrior.
RIVE is a fantastic shoot 'em up game that will push the limits of patience and fortitude. Roughshot, the main character who traverses the stages in a spider tank, dies a lot. Because of this, certain battles may take up to or over thirty minutes of constant dying and trying again before the moment of victory comes. It is extremely satisfying when these moments occur, but it can be hard to be persistent when the game can feel like it is unfair at times.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is an addictive throwback to the original classic; however, there is a lot of new game mechanics that work well to modernise the formula, without taking away any of the nostalgia. Those looking for a new Pac-Man game will find plenty to love here, including the pellet eating and the ghost trains, combined with the fruits meter, the bomb jump, the jump pads and the ability to bump into the ghosts. Each stage features a sequence of mazes in Adventure mode, while Score Attack tests even the toughest of Pac-Man players who are looking at posting up some high scores. This is a fun adventure that can be enjoyed by fans of the old, as well as younger fans being introduced to the franchise for the first time.
Seasons After Fall is a beautifully crafted adventure title that changes the gameplay mechanics of a traditional platformer with the use of the four seasons. The story is simple, although the ambiguity of it all works in its favour, as the mysteries slowly come to light. While a few flaws creep into the latter part of the adventure, and there is some repetitive exploration, this is a great title for fans of the puzzle-platforming genre looking for another way to pass a few hours.
Aragami is a fantastic display of being a ninja, with throwbacks to the gameplay mechanics of the Tenchu series. Incorporating the Shadow abilities that enable Aragami to teleport to a shadow, while also having the power to create his own shadows, makes this a fresh experience in the arts of stealth-combat. With thirteen open-world stages to traverse, this game is a time-sink in terms of longevity, with hidden scrolls that open up new pathways to advanced abilities. With an interesting art style that contrasts the ninja with everyone else, this is a story of two opposing sides of “Dark vs Light,” with the dark taking centre stage in terms of gameplay. Though it is light in the combat side of things, those looking for a pure stealth-based ninja game will find plenty here to enjoy and salivate over.
Toy Odyssey: The Lost and Found is a special type of game that has a really wonderful and childlike atmosphere, with an overlying grim darkness that engulfs the house, and poor Felix's nightmares. Brand is a likeable toy who just seeks to rid his owner of his nightmares, and try to banish the darkness from the house. Memoirs and diary entries from the various family members further pry open the dark mysteries of the situation. While counterbalancing the base defence element of the game, it can become annoying due to the high cost of the defences, and considering that many runs don't produce a lot of cogs until later in the game when Brand is highly powered, it can be a frustrating beginning. Once the early stages have been passed, though, and Brand has started levelling up and completing quests, an amazing experience opens up in what is one of the better action-platformers available on the PS4 in recent times.
Mantis Burn Racing is a fun racing game that throws out the simulation of modern driving titles, instead opting for the high speed, sand-kicking arcade racer. With nine cars ranging from light, medium, and heavy cars to choose from, players can compete against the AI or online to prove who is king of the racetrack. With a few different events to select from that vary in difficulty, and a host of tracks to race in, this is definitely one of the more enjoyable racers on PlayStation 4. While riddled with glitches and bugs, none is truly game breaking, and can be tolerated by those who are patient, although it is annoying having to constantly restart the game due to freezes and the like.