PlayStation Universe
HomepagePlayStation Universe's Reviews
Crash Bandicoot 4 is a masterpiece in almost every aspect of the experience it offers. The excellent N.Verted mode, tough Flashback levels, extra characters, objectives to hunt down, collectibles to collect, and engaging campaign and bosses come together to provide one of the best platforming games on PS4 and an experience that rivals Nintendo's best 3D platformers. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is nothing short of an essential experience for everyone.
Only being lacking in some technical adjustment and editing stops this title from being truly great. Nevertheless, Projection: First Light immerses you in a forgotten culture for a visual and narrative treat that will no doubt prove to be a memorable experience.
Fast, fluid and fun. Until You Fall came out of nowhere and blew me away. The combat system is so moreish and addictive, rewarding and well designed you will not want it to stop. While the story is lacking and the enemies can get repetative, everything else more than makes up for it. Great VR implementation, amazing music and super-fast load times create a really enjoyable VR experience and one of my favourites this year.
A proper iterative effort that builds upon Coteries of New York in unexpectedly compelling ways, Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York is an often opulent and brilliantly written visual novel that both veterans and newcomers alike can sink their fangs into.
Tamarin has a quirky and fun concept (a monkey with a gun), but its poor 3D platforming, inability to inform the player properly about objectives and where to go, and dated look with bugs make it a title that few people have any good reason to play, especially when there are much better games of the genre out there right now on PS4.
With a well-written story, fantastic world building, and great, bloody combat, The Walking Dead Onslaught is a fantastic companion piece to the beloved AMC show and a great VR game in its own right. Supply runs provide a perfect mix of speedy action and tense combat, while the narrative portions feel carefully and artfully constructed. While the VR-level budget peaks through on occasion, this is an amazingly well-made and entertaining game.
Going Under is not a bad game, its story is fun, sometimes witty, and at times, a tad meme-like. If you play a lot of roguelikes you may find it a bit thin on the ground. However, if you are new to the genre, want something a bit lighter, or just want to try something a bit different Going Under may be for you. It has a depth in its difficulty options, it looks very nice, and plays well. I think it just depends on what you are looking to get out of the game. There is stuff here to like, it is just not for everyone.
Crysis Remastered is still the same game you remember, but for the most part, this remaster doesn't sufficiently improve the game's visuals enough. The lighting can look good, but dated textures and gameplay, poor AI, and a number of bugs and glitches hold this remaster back. Crysis Remastered is only worth checking out if you haven't experienced the game yet.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the best Mafia to date. With an amazing story and gorgeous visuals, Hanger 13 have done a great job at remaking a cult classic. Though it still suffers from sub-par shooting mechanics the overall package is more than worth the asking price.
Whilst the environments of Reisum and the bosses in the Subject 2923 DLC are some of the best in the game, the opening of the DLC and the overall package doesn't feel like a satisfying end to Remannt's story, making it a fine add-on for hardcore players, but not offering much reason for lapsed players to come back.
A highly unsatisfying and directionless tennis game, with an abysmal character creator and career mode. Steer well clear and buy AO Tennis 2, bizarrely made by the exact same team responsible for this monstrosity.
Within Doraemon Story of Seasons beats the heart of what makes the farm sim genre engaging. Unfortunately, the controls don't offer many favors, progression takes a great deal of time, and the early game demands far too much organization to feel productive. Doraemon is not for the farming sim feign of heart, which contradicts its family-themed aesthetic and narrative. Consider Doraemon Story of Seasons a recommendation only for fans who love both franchises.
A dry, unchallenging game that needed a proper remake far more than an underwhelming remaster. While it is refreshing to have a game like Praetorians on PS4, it'd be a bit more refreshing if it was a good one.
Far less stuffy than the mainline WWE 2K series and designed for quick bursts of entertaining casual play with friends, WWE 2K Battlegrounds lack of depth and technical issues sadly undercut its energetic audiovisual presentation. Hardly the sequel to WWE All-Stars that so many wanted, WWE 2K Battlegrounds could simply be so much more - but it just... isn't.
A poor console port, a massively underwhelming remaster of a classic RTS game, and a game that really shows its age. Commandos 2 is a disappointment on multiple levels. What could have been a great opportunity to introduce modern audiences to a classic instead desecrates the memory of it.
The Suicide of Rachel Foster offers up some wonderful environmental storytelling, creating palpable tension. Once everything starts to come together however, the game itself starts to fall apart. What could have been good ideas fall into thoughtless choices, and the strengths of the game as a whole are wasted on the finale. Outside of the gimmicky triggering ending, this game had the potential for something interesting.
An accomplished mixture of sophisticated story sci-fi story beats, off the wall absurdity and satisfying tactical battles, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a rare sort of genre crossover that ends up being far more than the sum of its parts. Vanillaware's latest is simply unmissable.
OkunoKA Madness is a great platformer that is easy to recommend for those looking for a good challenge. It only loses points for some minor annoyances like cluttered levels, occasional difficulty spikes, and disappointing boss fights.
A thunderous sequel that surpasses its already incredible predecessor in every way that counts, Spelunky 2 is the ultimate roguelike and ruthlessly inventive platformer that never stops surprising and delighting those who pick up the controller. There are perhaps far fewer better ways to close out a console generation than this.
It is wonderful to revisit the setting and characters of The Outer Worlds. But due to the way the expansion is nestled within the greater story, the admittedly entertaining and well-written adventure ultimately feels a bit hollow. Fans will enjoy hanging out with Parvati for a few hours – and some narrative twists keep things lively – but some changes or expansions to the gameplay would have been very welcome.