PlayStation Universe
HomepagePlayStation Universe's Reviews
Rollerdrome is an incredible arcade shooter that combines fluid movement with addicting mechanical loops which encourage you to pull off visually appealing stunts with ease. Though your mileage may vary be you a high-score chaser or not, it never fails to be fun, and Rollerdrome is more than worth a look for any arcade shooter lover.
In the end, though Turrican Anthology Vol. 2 doesn't feel quite as essential as its predecessor, the inclusion of both Turrican 3 and Mega Turrican, not to mention Super Turrican 2, still makes this ensemble of side-scrolling, platforming shooter retro goodness a worthwhile venture for fans of the genre.
Technical issues and an overbearingly bland story sour Way of the Hunter's finer points. Its maps are filled with enchanting scenery, and pumped full of serene atmosphere. The hunting options are surprisingly flexible for newcomers and pros alike. Overall, it's a decent hunting sim if you can push past its messy start.
The fact remains however that Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is easily one of the best superhero games on PC, at least until Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales rocks up very shortly anyhow, and fans of drop-dead gorgeous open world action adventures that do tremendous justice to the original source material will find very much to love here. Quite simply, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered turbocharges the superhero genre on PC and it has been a long time coming.
All in all, Turrican Anthology Vol. 1 does a commendable enough job of packing together a handful of retro shooters from yesteryear that are still a lot of fun to play and boast refreshingly non-linear level design for the most part. Throw in a smattering of visual tweaks and a superb map system and it soon becomes apparent that Turrican Anthology Vol. 1 is a no-brainer purchase for anyone who has even a passing fondness for side-scrolling platforming shooters.
GigaBash is not be a spectacular brawler, it still does a fantastic job of capturing the feel of a bygone era of monster movie whilst also playing out as a fun multiplayer title. It faces a tough battle in an oversaturated modern market where online is concerned, but as a local multiplayer title, it could easily maintain a healthy shelf life.
Voyage marks a mostly successful debut for Venturous Games. A lack of variety in puzzles is only briefly felt, thanks to concise runtime. The sluggish movement may look better than it feels, but a strikingly beautiful and vibrant world makes Voyage worth experiencing.
Despite its potential, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever gets bogged down by a slow start, odd writing, repetitious fetch quests, and unpolished boss mechanics. Occasional variety in gameplay and well put together segments can carry the day for some, but too many lulls and too much tedium get in the way of what could have been a solid experience.
Digimon Survive is an emotional, gripping, action-filled adventure that kept me invested from the moment I entered the Digital World. While the gameplay isn't vast, the combat is deep, and both compliment the Visual Novel style of the game. Digimon Survive may not be for everyone looking for a more direct influence on the story outside of dialogue options, but it delivers on what it promised. An amazing Digimon adventure for a whole new generation.
Frogun is a fun, nostalgia-filled trip through 90s platforming with some interesting twists to keep things fresh. There's a couple of niggles along the way, but overall, if you're into classic 90s gaming, make sure you give this a shot.
A beautifully paced and emotive narrative adventure with some standout vocal performances, what South of the Circle lacks in terms of substantive gaming meat it more than makes up with an intelligently curated, heart-tugging tale that remains long in the memory after you've put the controller down. Holding up a mirror to our own era of social, political and economic turmoil, South of the Circle provides the sort of expertly crafted and keenly felt warm emotional storytelling that we could all perhaps do with right now.
Quite simply Severed Steel is one of the most downright entertaining shooters to come out this year. Sure it doesn't boast the most comprehensive offering from a content perspective and genre fiends looking for a token narrative to go with their serving of face-gunning may well be disappointed, but Severed Steel bends and in some cases breaks the traditionally rigid rules of the FPS genre to often giddy effect. The end result is the sort of gloriously freewheeling, acrobatic first-person shooting extravaganza which aims to demonstrate that innovation in the genre doesn't have to just begin and end at the the gun clasped tightly in your hands.
In the end, Bright Memory: Infinite feels like an advert for a much larger, much more ambitious game and the price tag (around $15 or so), reflects that. Bright Memory: Infinite both absolutely looks and plays the part of a furiously assured shooter with resoundingly empowering combat, it's just a shame that the relatively emaciated amount of content that surrounds its otherwise excellent core makes Bright Memory: Infinite feel much more like a taster for something more ambitious to come rather than anything else.
Herobeat Studios set out to create a game that raises environmental awareness, and in doing so they have created a heartfelt message in the form of a very charming video game. Endling: Extinction is Forever lacks some variety, but tugs on the heartstrings, with an emotional story and genuinely asks the player to reflect on current environmental issues.
A straightforward recreation of 1980s computer adventure games through the lens of pulp fiction. Mothmen 1966 is a brief, but enchanting, paranormal experience that has real love for all aspects of its fusion.
With more time in development and tweaks here and there to its overall design, Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue DX could really have been something. As things currently stand however, the superb premise, gorgeous visuals and compelling platforming roguelike gameplay all feel stifled under the weight of some really nasty game breaking bugs that make the game almost impossible to play for any decent period of time. A real shame.
Stray has managed to meet the lofty expectations put upon it once it became known that you would take control of a lone cat within a dystopia punctuated by scores of neon lighting. While some may say that it's hard to miss with a setup like that, what developer BlueTwelve Studio has managed to fashion from the composite parts is something truly special and has us yearning for more.
Though structurally identical to the previous Capcom Arcade Stadium collection of retro goodies, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium nonetheless remains an easy recommendation thanks to its assemblage of still enjoyable and well emulated classics that are given the sort of love and sheen that each has long deserved.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a faithful and entertaining remaster of two classic PlayStation platformers. Bandai Namco did an excellent job keeping the franchise's identity alive and preserving the faithful combat and platforming. Though it may feel dated by today's standards, those who remember the Klonoa series will love these remasters, and those jumping in for the first time will experience simple platformers from a simpler time in game design.
Madison does so much well that it makes genre tropes succeed. From atmosphere to execution, this short horror romp takes you and doesn't let go. It's not without issues, with one progression point halfway through the game lacking the kind of intention and care that the rest of the game receives. Then there's the save corrupting error. However, once that error gets patched out, Madison will have the complete package worthy of anyone up for a good scare.