Push Square
HomepagePush Square's Reviews
The overall experience at the centre of all Skylanders: Imaginators' toys and loot chests is so charming and feature-rich that kids will enjoy it and adults won't begrudge playing it alongside them. If you don't mind the potentially large financial undertaking that a Skylanders game represents, then this is perfect for younger players. The return of Crash is also good value; it's simply heartening to see that the 90s mascot feels at home in a modern platformer.
Harmonix Music VR somewhat justifies its existence. Having a drawing app available for PlayStation VR out of the gate is nice, but everything beyond that is kind of pointless. 'The Trip's' kaleidoscope visuals are great for a couple of songs, and it's a wonderful starting point for VR beginners, but the remaining two experiences are redundant and unappealing. This is something that will be nice to have at launch for a few people, and for anyone that wants a drawing app now, but a year or two – maybe even sooner – from now, this will be a long forgotten relic of the peripheral's launch.
EVE: Valkyrie is one of the better PlayStation VR experiences out there at the moment – a true Top Gun. Packing slick design and stunning visuals, as well as thrilling gameplay. For fans of multiplayer space dogfighting, this is the (un)real deal. Virtual hats off to CCP on creating a fantastic space combat experience.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes utilises the PlayStation VR headset superbly to create an excellently immersive, couch co-op experience, with tight controls that make it easily accessible for new players. The gameplay is enjoyable, and there is plenty on offer in terms of replayability to keep you coming back for more.
If you're a die-hard Duke devotee, then World Tour is probably your holy grail, bringing the original onto new hardware with some gimmicky yet functional additions, delivering the most definitive Nukem romp yet. For the Duke Nukem virgins among you, though, it's probably best putting this back on the shelf to wait for a drastic price drop. Although it's nowhere near the mess that Duke Nukem Forever was, this massive heap of fan service will fail to resonate with those unaccustomed to the breed of shooter found back in the 90s.
We know it sounds like we're being down on Mantis Burn Racing, but it should be made clear that the fundamentals here are spot on. The racing itself is fun and fast-paced, and the upgrading system works well to keep you coming back for a good few hours. It's just unfortunate that pretty much everything else doesn't quite measure up. The music, the environments, and the presentation all fall behind, which is a shame, as VooFoo Studios has the foundations of a strong top-down racer. With updates, the game could blossom into something more interesting, but as of right now, its decent gameplay just about overtakes its shortcomings.
100ft Robot Golf delivers a winning combination of sci-fi anime and nicely playable golf. It won't win any awards for production values, but it's such a fun solo experience and manic laugh in multiplayer that you'll be happy to look past that. Importantly for PlayStation VR owners, piloting a 100ft Robot is a joy in virtual reality mode – but the core gameplay works fine in the standard not-as-cool regular mode.
Here They Lie is not a perfect horror game – but it's tense and well worth experiencing if you're looking for some frights for your new PlayStation VR headset. The narrative could have been stronger, and the way it displays textures is odd, but the cavernous environments and clever control scheme make this a ride worth taking.
The Assembly isn't bad, but it's not good either. It's a puzzle game without enough puzzles, and a pretty forgettable plot. A massive downgrade from the PC version of the title, the visuals can induce headaches or nausea if played for too long, and this is made even worse by the fact that the game doesn't need to be in virtual reality to begin with. It's a title that's cynically riding on the coattails of VR novelty, and while that may make for smart business, it doesn't create a great experience.
Thumper makes an incredible case for the future of virtual reality. With an incredible level of quality paired with a reasonable price of admission, this should absolutely be one of the first titles that anyone interested in making the most out of their new PlayStation VR headset buys. With blistering speed and intensity to go along some easy to learn, difficult to master gameplay mechanics, the future of rhythm games – and, by extension, virtual reality – is bright.
Headmaster scores a hat-trick with its sense of humour, quirky concept, and well-executed gameplay. It's one of those games that you really want to get into, diving around your living room as you try to score the perfect goal. It's a shame, then, that the realities of actually wearing the PlayStation VR headset mean that you can't actually ever unleash your inner-Alan Shearer – but we'd be being pretty harsh if we gave it a red card for something that's out of the developer's control.
Super Stardust will always be an outstanding arcade game, but this particular version is a tired attempt at repurposing an ageing experience for yet another PlayStation platform. The classic gameplay options function fine in virtual reality but offer nothing new, while the added PlayStation VR-exclusive Invasion Mode fails to grasp what's great about the original experience. It's one of those launch games that's just kinda… there.
NOW That's What I Call Sing 2 isn't anything special, but it's a decent karaoke game that you'll have fun playing with friends. The tracklist may only appeal to a certain audience, but singing along to cheesy pop songs is part of the fun, and the variety of modes does just enough to prevent it from getting boring.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is the complete package for both newcomers and series veterans. Barring some wonky gunplay, the base game is superb, with its sublime exploratory mechanics, wonderful semi-open world hubs that deliver tons of side content, and sensational graphics. Lara's Nightmare does feel like a bit of a throwaway, but Blood Ties and the Baba Yaga DLC are more than worth your time if you want to stray away from the main adventure. Lara Croft is back where she belongs, and you owe it to yourself to join the 20 year celebration and get back to some tomb raiding.
Magnificent many years after its original release, Rez Infinite finally feels at home on PlayStation VR – and virtual reality has got its first killer app. A sensational sensory overload, this sublime shooter may be short-lived, but you'll be hard pushed to find an experience more deserving of your attention this year.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is the complete package for both newcomers and series veterans. Barring some wonky gunplay, the base game is superb, with its sublime exploratory mechanics, wonderful semi-open world hubs that deliver tons of side content, and sensational graphics. Lara's Nightmare does feel like a bit of a throwaway, but Blood Ties and the Baba Yaga DLC are more than worth your time if you want to stray away from the main adventure. Lara Croft is back where she belongs, and you owe it to yourself to join the 20 year celebration and get back to some tomb raiding.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League may be the posterchild for PlayStation VR, but it's not the headset's MVP. While this future sports sim has a strong art style and some interesting ideas, it struggles to get the business done where it matters – on the pitch. Nauseating action and mushy combat really cause this contender to drop points.
DriveClub VR has all of the features and functionality of its PS4 forebear, so you're guaranteed quality handling and plenty of content here. But the compromises made to get the virtual reality working strip the racer of its visual prowess, and its poor image quality can make it hard to see. There's no shortage of effort been invested here, but we can't help but wonder whether the rewards were worth all of the evident exertion.
Manual Samuel is a short but interesting title, however its gameplay gets very repetitive and infuriating quickly with the constant blinking and breathing. The game's controversial approach to humour also dampens the experience and makes it difficult to enjoy the best bits without feeling guilty for laughing at something you feel like you really shouldn't.
Shu is a decent 2D platformer that puts gameplay first, and in stripping away needless distractions provides a refreshing and pleasant few hours of fun. The art style and soundtrack are pretty good, giving way to some lovely sights and sounds on your journey, while the ever-changing set of abilities ensures the game is able to provide new challenges throughout. There are numerous collectibles and other goals to encourage players to stick around, although it all feels somewhat inconsequential. Overall, Shu is a fun distraction that goes to show games don't have to be complex in order to entertain.