Atomfall delivers a refreshingly unique post-apocalyptic experience set in the eerie yet charming British countryside. With rich level design, engaging exploration, and an innovative heart-rate-based stamina system, it stands out from its genre peers. While the game falters slightly with clunky menus, odd facial animations, and some questionable design choices around skills and fast travel, its charm and depth make it a must-play for Fallout fans. It's a bold and atmospheric survival-action game that punches well above its weight.
Astro Bot on PS5 is a delightful expansion of everything fans loved about Astro's Playroom, offering more levels, power-ups, and impressive DualSense features. The game showcases stunning visuals that fully utilize the PS5's hardware, making each level a visual spectacle. With sharp controls and creative level designs, Astro Bot provides a fun, polished platforming experience that’s both accessible and engaging for players of all ages. If you enjoyed the original, this game is a must-play.
Rise of the Ronin presents a deep and complex combat system set against the backdrop of Japan's Bakumatsu period, offering a unique blend of historical immersion and challenging gameplay. However, its ambitious mechanics are somewhat overshadowed by an overwhelming tutorial system, lifeless urban environments, and inconsistent voice acting. Despite these drawbacks, the game rewards players who persevere with a richly rewarding combat experience, especially through its intricate parry system.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PS5 refreshes the acclaimed title with enhanced visuals and intriguing new content, including previously unreleased levels and the "No Return" roguelike mode. While the visual upgrades are polished, they fall short of fully utilizing PS5's capabilities, especially when compared to other titles. This remaster, primarily appealing to new players or franchise fans, serves more as a bridge to Naughty Dog's future endeavors rather than a standalone landmark.
Assassin's Creed Mirage takes a step back to focus on the franchise's stealth roots, and it does offer an enjoyable experience despite its hiccups. While the stealth gameplay could use some refinement and the graphical fidelity falls short of expectations, the pared-down character management and emphasis on strategy add a layer of depth often missing from bigger, broader RPGs. It's clear that Mirage could have benefited from a bit more polish and attention to detail. If you're a fan of the series or enjoy stealth-focused games, Assassin's Creed Mirage might be worth your while, but go in knowing it's not flawless.
Spiderman 2 for the PlayStation 5 emerges as a spectacular leap in the superhero gaming genre, intertwining the fates of Miles Morales and Peter Parker in a narratively rich and visually stunning rendition of New York City. While it majestically flaunts the capabilities of next-gen gaming with its seamless, detailed, and immersive environment, it slightly entangles itself in a web of excessive player guidance, notably in puzzle-solving and navigation, somewhat stifling the satisfaction derived from natural discovery and challenge. Despite this, with its robust storyline, impeccable world-building, and tactically diverse combat system, Spiderman 2 gracefully swings into the gaming spotlight, providing an engrossing and largely triumphant experience for ardent fans and casual gamers alike.
Atlas Fallen is a mixed bag. It has classic elements that resonate with fans of open world RPGs, clever combat mechanics, and some unique exploration elements. BUT, the repetitive, hopeless world, lacklustre narrative, and often frustrating UX pitfalls temper this potential. Atlas Fallen feels more like a well-made mod than it does a standalone release.
Hogwarts Legacy gives us the best wizarding world experience we have ever had in a video game. You get to have the full Hogwarts student experience with free roam of the castle and grounds. There are so many fun side quests and activities to enjoy while also hunting for secrets and mysteries in the environment. The story is a little dull and some enemies can be bullet sponges but it does not spoil the fantastically magical adventure that this game offers.
Atomic Heart has delivered a world overflowing with creativity and artistic flair that is rivalled by the likes of Bioshock. The highly political story may not appeal to everyone but it is an incredibly interesting take on an alternative history that quickly absorbs you into the madness. The game falls short when it comes to the overall progression. The tacked-on open-world elements deliver more frustration than anything with infinitely respawning bots and very little of interest to see. Atomic Heart has the potential to be something incredible but is held back by a few, often frustrating gameplay elements.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet has delivered the large open-world Pokemon experience we have always wanted but not at the quality level we would expect from a Pokemon game or Nintendo in general. Sloppy textures, countless bugs and a frame rate that rarely runs above the 20s show how rushed and unfinished this game is. The franchise has a ways to go before it catches up with modern gaming standards. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet may have been the best-selling Pokemon game of all time but this is in no way a suggestion that it is the best quality.
God of War Ragnarock paints a more authentic vision of Norse mythology that really sets it apart from the more glamorous portrayals we are familiar with. The subtle ways Kratos tries to "be better" combine to form an enlightening evolution of a man that was once nothing more than an instrument of war. Unfortunately, the combat is not nearly as flawless as the story with aspects such as dodging and switching weapons lacking responsiveness. This is not the next-gen experience you might be waiting for but it doesn't stop it from being one of the most impressive games in the series and a satisfying conclusion to the Norse saga.
Last of Us Part 1 delivers visual quality that is beyond what you would expect from a remaster. The graphical detail surpasses that of the second game making it one of the best-looking games on PS5. Unfortunately, some of the more clunky mechanics for evading or choking out enemies remain that are a little frustrating. Overall, combat is intense and exciting with the same heart-punding interactions with clickers. For newcomers, this remaster is a real gem and a must-have. Unfortunately, outside of the graphical improvements, there is little else to justify the full price tag for those who have already played the previous remaster.
The Walking Zombie 2 almost comes close to being a really fun game. The biggest mistake was to taking itself too seriously. The game is unintentionally funny and often seems like it is a game for children. While there is still some fun to be had with this game, the absolutely horrendous UI design combined with all of the microtransactions make any interaction with the character menu a dreaded chore.
Postal: Brain Damaged provides plenty of laughs with the wild selection of weapons and your ability to urinate on anything at a moment's notice. Jokes aside, while the combat is fast-paced and fun, like many retro shooters, the levels just feel a bit dull. While the initial suburbs level gives you a feeling that this may be something a little different, it quickly jumps back to the generic sewers and grimy old buildings that we saw far too many 2000s-era shooters rely on. Combined with a constant lack of ammo, you never really get to do the kind of blasting you would like.
Soda Crisis has all the makings of an epic, modern tribute to some classic action side scrollers like Metal Slug. Instead of building a bigger, badder experience, you will get some slick controls and high octane combat smushed into tiny levels that never work together to build a larger picture. Soda crisis is just a series of mini levels, no better than the likes of Angry Birds but is presented with the guise of a fully fleshed-out action-adventure. Once you get stuck into the meat, you will find there is very little on offer here after the first 30 minutes.
Deadcraft is not a bad game but because it tries to do so much and does it all to a bare minimum, there is very little that is going to impress you. Everything just feels so basic and many mechanics feel like they are implemented just enough to tick a box but not enough to provide the player with anything new and exciting. At its core, Deadcraft is just a grind fest from start to finish with nothing noteworthy to entertain you along the way.
Horizon: Forbidden West delivers everything that made the first game unforgettable and then piles on so much more. Character realism and environmental detail have been turned all the way to eleven. Every single element of this game has been crafted by perfectionists. Fighting off hordes of high tech machines keeps your heart pumping and the hugely diverse spectrum of machines to take down make you put a lot of effort into fine-tuning your approach to combat. The narrative lays down a perfect sense of urgency that drives you through a 20+ hour campaign that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Horizon: Forbidden West has raised the bar for the PlayStation 5 and is an adventure you won't forget.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a massive step in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise which has started to feel a bit stale in recent years. An exciting new way to catch and battle Pokemon is a much welcome introduction and is a lot of fun. The open world experience of having wild Pokemon roaming free in the wild is what the franchise has been screaming out for and we finally got it. Despite getting the most important things right, the game falls a little short of the levels of quality you might expect from a Pokemon game. The visual quality is poor, the map feels like an AI could have designed it and the games menus for tracking progress and travelling are in need of a lot of quality of life improvements. Flaws and all, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a lot of fun and should be used as a stepping stone to help the Pokemon franchise evolve.
For an early access game, we cant expect The Anacrusis to be perfect. The Jetsons themed retro-futuristic setting is brimming with potential, none of which is used effectively. The bland characters fit right in with the bland soundtrack and story. It feels as though the strength came from the theme and when it came to designing the rest of the game, everyone ran out of ideas. It's a swing and a miss, quite a shame when the potential was there but could not be realised.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves combines Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy into a bundle that makes up the best example of stunning game visuals worthy of a blue ribbon. Everything that made Uncharted 4 perfect has remained unchanged, now with jaw-dropping visuals. It is unfortunate there were no expansions or additional content like we saw with Iki island for Ghost of Tsushima but this is still an incredibly good value for money purchase for owners of the game on PS4 that will keep you going until we see Naughty Dogs first official PS5 release.