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Close to two decades later, Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a reminder of how neatly crafted the original GameCube and PS2 title was. Barring a few rough edges, this is still a great action RPG, full of charm and character. The only real downside is that the remaster itself leaves a lot to be desired.
Where we fall slightly out of love is with the fiddly controls. It packs a lot of useful functions onto the controller but it took us a while to figure it all out, and the tutorials are so minimal that some features barely register. It's also a shame the DualSense's capabilities are wholly ignored; this seems a perfect game for all its tricks. Even with any small reservations, though, we can't deny the game is just as engaging, relaxing, and enjoyable as everyone says.
Wanted: Dead is, at its worst, a frustratingly bad action game, but in its inexplicable presentation, nonsensical storytelling, and baffling character dialogue, it's difficult to completely dismiss. There's undeniable fun to be had here in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way, and that might even be enough for the game to secure cult status somewhere down the line. But for now, you'll need to slog through some of the most jank combat in full-price gaming to squeeze enjoyment out of the experience. Wanted: Dead is a truly fascinating mess.
We upset the cliché goth girl who is like, really into horoscopes and stuff. We upset the ow'right guv'nor lad's lad who looked like he was AI generated using only the phrase "probably watches Love Island". We upset the dork student who actually got her book out and started reading it mid-date rather than talk to us. We upset everyone. Speed dating? Spite dating. That's the future.
Hogwarts Legacy has turned the hopes and dreams of Harry Potter fans into reality. Finally there is a proper simulator of the school of witchcraft and wizardry, allowing you to create your own student, attend classes, and explore the vast landscape outside.
The absurdity of World War Z's Horde Mode XL is certainly worth checking out, and for newcomers it has a fun campaign to shoot your way through, too. As a PS5 upgrade, it's supremely disappointing to experience worse performance than what came before, but it isn't quite enough to spoil the fun we had spraying bullets into piles of zombies.
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.