Push Square
HomepagePush Square's Reviews
Rebellion and Just Add Water's made a fine effort at bringing Sniper Elite to PSVR. By offering a full-sized original campaign, more authentic weapon handling, and ample replayability, it's a strong debut for this established series into first-person territory. Though motion controls feel fiddly at times and the PS Move controllers do the experience a disservice, it's a great adaptation worth looking into.
Gameplay is unchanged, retaining the linear nature that guides you through a crafted campaign full of surprises and standout sequences. The English army of 1348 and rodent infantry burrowing underground create environmental puzzles with inventive solutions while combat is almost always a life or death situation. Miss your shot and doom is likely right around the corner. But so too is one of the most underrated experiences of the past few years. A Plague Tale: Innocence has always been a great game. PS5 makes it that little bit better.
Simply put, The Procession to Calvary is a great little game.
You'll have to get used to the combat system as well, which does feel very dated. It's not bad, but it's incredibly basic and, by today's standards, clunky. It boils down to running away from enemy attacks, and then running back into the fray to unleash simple combos. Special moves are available once your super meter is full, but actually landing them can be frustrating, since enemies can waddle out of the way while the animation plays. Again, it's clunky, but there are a range of weapon types to play around with, and companion characters (who can be controlled by the AI or a second player) add spice with their own abilities.
Doki Doki Literature Club is still a fantastic visual novel, but the Plus version on PS5 struggles to find a purpose besides being a new way to play the original. Existing fans will appreciate some of the new content, such as the side stories and concept art, but locking the content behind multiple playthroughs of a game that loses its appeal after the first time around is a tough pill to swallow. On the other hand, newcomers have no reason to play this version instead of the freeware PC release, since some core PC features were compromised for this port. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is still a great experience that should be played by anyone remotely interested, but this specific version struggles to be a worthwhile purchase for any fan, new or old.
Dark Alliance is a game that seems destined to be forgotten, which is a shame because there's a lot of old-school PS2-style fun to be had. Once split screen is patched in we can see ourselves going back to it regularly in order to relive those couch co-op days of yore, though the game is enjoyable solo as well if you choose your difficulty setting wisely. It's nothing to set the world on fire but it's a perfectly enjoyable throwback to dungeon crawling hack-and-slash classics that'll work for you all the more if you've got a group of friends who yearn to go back in time to a simpler experience. Future content updates will only improve Dark Alliance and we'd urge you to give it a try for yourself.
Scarlet Nexus is an enjoyable, polished action RPG, but despite its interesting concepts and setting, it all feels a bit stunted. An intriguing plot is hampered by sloppy storytelling, and the combat system is good fun, but it loses its edge long before the credits roll. If you can play past the game's flaws, there's a lot to like about the brain punk world of Scarlet Nexus - just don't expect it to rewire your own grey matter.
The end result is a vastly improved version of what is by far the best title set in Dmitry Glukhovsky’s apocalyptic Russia – even if the voice work, in English at least, is uneven to put it kindly.
In an era where arcade titles are few and far between, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game serves as a reminder that SEGA is still the champion of effervescent sports games. A varied selection of events, each with their own addictive gameplay mechanics, makes for an entertaining package with plenty to see and do. Pair this with a vibrant artstyle and some decent online options, and you've got the gold standard in athletics right here.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a great looking remake of a terrible game. Level design is dated, bosses are completely luck based and all the hitboxes just feel off. There is a reason that Sonic took over as SEGA’s mascot because no remake can change the fact that Alex Kidd’s first adventure is incredibly frustrating and poorly designed.
Guilty Gear Strive is a different kind of Guilty Gear. Veteran players may not appreciate some of the changes, but there's no denying that this is still an exceptional fighting game. On a mechanical level, Strive is immensely satisfying and hugely rewarding. On a visual level, it's quite simply unmatched in its genre, and the same can be said of its outstanding online netcode. Where it matters, Strive is a borderline masterpiece.
Still, the overall effect is pretty strong. The lovely presentation pairs nicely with the melancholic story, and you're left with a short but atmospheric and intriguing adventure.
An indie adventure with the confidence of heavy hitters like Undertale, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is one hell of a pleasant surprise that excels on every level it is possible to do so. Would it be too hackneyed to say it belongs in an art gallery?
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the best way to experience the return of Cloud and company. Remake remains a game of ups and downs in terms of quality, but by the time the credits roll, its most memorable moments shine through - of which there are many. Meanwhile, Episode INTERmission won't blow anyone's mind, but it's an enjoyable adventure that slots neatly into the existing story, and fans won't want to miss it.
Our only criticism is that the gameplay hasn’t quite made the transition to pancake play perfectly; looking at objects made sense on PSVR, but is odd in a more traditional medium. You get used to it quickly, though, and from there the rewarding loop hooks you in.
Perhaps if you wished that Double Dragon IV followed in the first two arcade games' presentation style, then Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl's 8-bit throwback approach is not for you. Regardless, for those of us who crave more in the same vein of Technōs NES bickety bam beat-'em-ups, then playing Mall Brawl may just be your retro Wolvie berserk style. What else are we gonna do? Snootchie Bootchies!
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection brings a trio of Ryu Hayabusa's adventures to modern systems, and that in itself is worth celebrating. The quality of the individual games does vary a fair bit, though, with Sigma 2 the best of the bunch. However, bringing them together is highly skill-based combat that rewards real mastery, and it remains pretty unique among modern action titles. While not without their flaws, there's still plenty to love about these PS3-era slash-'em-ups
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the best game in the series since Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, which franchise fans will recognise as high praise. The familiar combat is elevated by outstanding DualSense implementation, while Insomniac Games' imaginative gameplay design keeps each planet interesting and engaging. It's not a particularly challenging platformer, nor is it necessarily all that original – but it doesn't need to be. This is one of those games that's just really, really good.
This is a surprisingly tactical title overall, though, and it does bring something different to the genre. If you’re looking for a different kind of sports game, this could be worth shaving your legs for.
It packs quite a lot in to its short runtime, with plenty of variety making for a unique set of levels. The game does struggle with frame rate here and there, especially playing as the agent, but it generally looks and sounds good, and the Hint system is a nice touch if you need a pointer or two. Despite some small setbacks, Operation: Tango is well worth a try if you're after a co-op kick.