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Deliver Us Mars has an entrancing sci-fi story that will keep you thinking long after the credits roll. There are a few little issues, such as a boring climbing mechanic and frame rate drops on Earth, but with some fantastic voice acting it's easy to get really invested in the characters and the fate of humanity. The simple puzzles do a good job at giving your brain a little workout while never being so taxing that they slow down the pace of the action. Overall, this is a great follow-up that delivers a compelling sci-fi narrative.
Fashion Police Squad is by no means perfect, but thanks to its strong personality and great ideas, it's worth a blast for any fan of the retro FPS genre. We're very excited to see what this team makes next.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an earnest effort to produce another great game for the character, but it hasn't completely worked. The premise is good, the level design is imaginative, and there's a clear love for the IP with its countless references and costumes. However, some of the gameplay feels very dated, while a number of presentational shortcomings and a laundry list of bugs hold it back. If you're a big SpongeBob fan, there's absolutely a good time to be had here, but a general lack of polish and some played-out design mean it's not quite the sweet victory we were hoping for.
Forspoken should and could have been a better game than it actually is. Its strengths lie in its core gameplay, which is fast, fluid, and great fun at its best. However, unnecessary open world clutter hampers exploration, and the combat system only begins to hit its stride hours into the adventure. If you can push through a poorly paced story, packed with desperately dull characters, then you might find enjoyment in Frey's fantastical abilities, which undoubtedly steal the show both in and out of battle. It's not quite the disaster that the memes would have you believe, but it's certainly not the PS5 showpiece that was once promised, either.
Dead Space has been brought back in the most faithful manner possible.
While the voice acting is a little below par, the writing is superb, crafting meaningful, emotional moments seemingly at will, while walking a delicate tonal line between sadness and catharsis. What you're left with is a fascinating, emotionally powerful experience not soon to leave you.
The deep, meaningful narrative, partnered with the lovely pixel art and outstanding music composed by Masdito Bachtiar, create a mysterious title that we couldn't put down until we had seen it through to its satisfying conclusion. We would highly recommend A Space for the Unbound for anyone who loves a good story-driven adventure game — just expect to be run through the wringer in this powerfully emotional tale.
Monster Hunter Rise is the new standard for the series, and it's a delight to finally have it on PlayStation, thanks to the improved frame rate and visual fidelity over the original release. There's so much to it that there are still many things we haven't mentioned, like the new monster riding, sped-up collecting and mining, or the hunting helpers. It's a game this reviewer put over 100 hours in on the Switch, and we could be looking at 100 more on PS5. Monster Hunter's eternally satisfying gameplay loop is met with now-essential quality of life and traversal improvements.
An immaculate RPG packed with great characters and built on a near flawless gameplay loop, it's still hard to top Persona 4 Golden. Without a doubt, there are a lot of things that Persona 5 does better, but with its bright colours, uplifting soundtrack, and superb setting, there's a unique charm to Persona 4 that sets it apart from its peers. An absolute gem of a game.
With its watered down presentation, Persona 3 Portable almost feels like an abridged version of the PS2 classic, but it's still well worth playing. A foreboding, ominous atmosphere sells the experience, while the gameplay loop remains as addictive as ever. If you're fairly new to Persona, or perhaps you started with Persona 5, you'll have to persist through some slightly dated design, but don't let that put you off. Persona 3 still stands as a brilliantly broody JRPG.
Sadly, any multiplayer options have been stripped away, and so have the prizes for completing each World Tour, which rewarded you with things like opening movies for old Ridge Racer games. The only other frustration comes from AI drivers, who can be tricky to overtake. All in all, though, this is easily among the best classic games on PS Plus Premium. This is a timely reminder that, at their peak, arcade racers can easily rank among the most enjoyable video games you can play.
Having only a handful of enjoyable minigames means players will end up playing the ones they dislike more, and the horribly paced board game component makes the journey getting to those minigames feel like a slog and then to not have GARFIELD VOICED IS JUS- let me calm down. Even at the ‘value’ price of $39.99 this feels overpriced, if you are a huge Garfield fan wait for a deep sale before picking this one up.
No matter whether you're a hardcore One Piece fan or a complete newcomer, One Piece Odyssey is an utter joy of a JRPG. Its combat system remains incredibly enjoyable throughout, and new mechanics provide depth and strategy in droves. Most certainly the highlight of the experience, but with fun exploration to boot, you're always assured of a good time. One Piece Odyssey plays a lot like Dragon Quest XI, and it's not that far off being just as good as it.
Each level feels unique, and goes through phases that ensure the gameplay remains interesting and engaging. And it’s all complemented by a jaw-dropping art style, which can feel a little grungy on occasion, but has some true standout set-piece moments – like the boss enemies that fill the entire screen. A CRT toggle is available for true retro enthusiasts, but we preferred to play with unfiltered, razor-sharp 4K pixels. And we loved every minute.
Nevertheless, we like this little collection. As a game, Breakers and its refreshed Breakers Revenge re-release does little to set itself apart from its peers of the era, but its simplistic gameplay and vibrant aesthetic still manages to ensure it’s an entertaining time.
Firefighting Simulator: The Squad takes an underrepresented concept and delivers a rousing co-op experience. Despite its name, the game doesn't get too bogged down in details, making for an entertaining gameplay loop that's oddly relaxing – despite the intense scenarios on display. Some shoddy AI and repetition mean we wouldn't recommend it solo, but there's undeniable fun to be had with friends.
On PS4, the release took the approach of being good at a great deal of things and spectacular at none, and this remains true. Each positive is balanced out by a negative. The primary antagonist is phenomenal, but she is underutilised. The game is stunning to behold, but frame hitches are common – especially on the 4K option. The combat is exhilarating, but the jumping and sliding puzzles leave a lot to be desired. The end result is an experience that is decent at just about everything, and easy to recommend. But as good as Fallen Order may be, if you look backwards in time, it’s not difficult to find superior Star Wars experiences.
The levels are creative, at least, with unique environments to explore like a medieval castle on a crescent moon, or a sprawling town atop a carrot cake. There are also more linear stages to find, and smaller islands you can fly off to, Super Mario Galaxy-style. While it makes some odd choices in its design, Togges just about wins us over with its experimental spin on platforming and no small amount of whimsical charm.
Not all of the mechanics work: we like scoring strikes in High Velocity Bowling, but MotorStorm’s route selection rails are a bit of head-scratcher. But there’s a thoughtfulness to all of the tables that’s easy to appreciate – especially if you’re fond of this very specific era of PlayStation’s first-party games.
Over seven years after its original release, The Witcher 3 is still a masterpiece. In its character writing and dialogue, it's yet to be surpassed, while its knack for telling so many engrossing stories is still seriously impressive. Although aspects of its gameplay haven't aged quite so well, there's no doubt that Complete Edition is the best version of a truly outstanding open world adventure.