Sammy Barker's Reviews
PGA Tour 2K21 is the best simulation golf game on the PS4, and it represents a real evolution for The Golf Club franchise as a whole. While it retains many of the features from previous instalments, it's much better presented than ever before, and it finally includes a career mode that's worth your time and attention. There are still improvements to be made here – the licensed courses lack character and the visuals are static – but if this were a long par five tee shot it'd comfortably find the fairway.
EA Sports UFC 4 is not a massive departure from its predecessor, but it's a significantly better game. EA Vancouver has successfully recognised the way fans want to play, and with its array of arcade-inspired options and emphasis on Career mode, it will appeal to casual fans of the sport as well as MMA obsessives alike. While the ground game still needs work, it's much more approachable now, and we really like the fast-paced Blitz Battles as an accompaniment to the more traditional online ranked matches. The presentation has stagnated somewhat, but combat still feels appropriately crunchy, and with rotating challenges to hold your attention, we can see ourselves sticking with this brawler for some time.
Once you overcome Skater XL's learning curve there's some fun board-based entertainment to be had here. But this is a lightweight package with subpar presentation, and unless you're so deep into skater culture that you absolutely need a simulation for your PS4, we'd recommend either waiting for this to be updated – or pre-ordering Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 instead.
NBA 2K20’s absurd production values put it alongside MLB The Show 19 as the most convincing sports game on the market, and its under-the-hood gameplay improvements mean it’s the best-playing basketball simulation ever made.
The Last of Us: Part II adds a couple more inches to the already outrageously high bar that Naughty Dog has set for itself. This is the developer's crowning achievement to date, expanding and improving upon the concepts that it's been iterating on for over a decade now. Unparalleled presentation combines with an engaging gameplay loop that puts you in the shoes of its characters – and forces you to feel all of the tension and misgivings of its cast. It's uncomfortable and not everyone will necessarily enjoy its direction, but that's ultimately what makes it so essential.
You may be tired of open world collectathons, but Maneater bites back with more than enough novelty to make the format feel as fresh as Port Clovis' well-populated oceans. A moreish gameplay loop with a well-designed sandbox mean there's some-fin special here, and while it makome as a surprise, not even control and performance issues will deter you from flashing your teeth.
But this is a novelty at best, and once you’ve squashed a few cardboard cars, you won’t be coming back.
While there are undoubtedly higher-profile roguelikes on the platforms, this is still a fun one.
While the title does streamline some tasks, its controls are still counter-intuitive on the DualShock 4, adopting a rub-your-head-pat-your-belly approach that’s almost impossible to adapt to.
Gun Crazy has modest ambitions, meaning you should calibrate your expectations appropriately before giving it a spin.
Local co-op doesn’t really ease the repetition, although your pals will certainly appreciate the pop culture references.
SnowRunner's glacial pace won't appeal to everyone, but this unique haulage simulation manages to transform everyday terrain into an enemy you need to tame. This is a game that's less about the destination and all about the journey you take; in that sense it's unmatched, and wildly rewarding in a way that few other open worlders are.
A shallow, shallow experience overall that will only hold your attention for an hour or two at most.
It’s all largely competent, but its main concept could have been taken much further.
There’s nothing here that will keep you occupied for long, but it’s a fun distraction.
It’s a lot of fun to play, though – and should prove a treat for fans who’ve been following Moriarty since the days of Shatter on the PlayStation 3.
Fun, alternative take on football
. Minor collision detection niggles aside, this is a well-executed adventure, it’s just not especially interesting from the outset. Some may find a few hours of fleeting entertainment here, but it’s not going to live long in the memory once you eventually close the application down.
Unless you’re already deeply engrossed in supercross as a sport, there’s very little here that’s going to give you the aftereffects of a Monster Energy-induced high.
The title does a good job of simulating the territorial battles that occur in real-world rugby matches, but it’s generally clumsy and there’s no real consistency to the way players move.