PlayStation Universe
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As improbable as it sounds, Thimbleweed Park has brought the Lucasarts adventuring heyday kicking and screaming like a three-headed monkey into 2017 with the sort of verve few would have expected. Thimbleweed Park is utterly essential for point and click adventurers everywhere.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a shocking surprise that has come out of nowhere. The suspense, encounters, and puzzles make for an unforgettable experience deserving of the horror moniker.
Simultaneously a great introduction to the Yakuza series and one of its better entries, Yakuza Kiwami is precisely how you remake a classic.
Housemarque's understanding of arcade shooting mechanics is, as ever, strong with Matterfall, but it lacks the flair and bombast of the more thoroughbred members of its family. The core concepts carried over from Housemarque's previous efforts may be signature moves now, but they are starting to grow a little tired, more so when the game they feature in isn't among the best the developer has put out.
A decent if distinctly workmanlike RTS, Sudden Strike 4 should certainly appeal to tactical newbies but is too limited to appeal to really anybody else looking for a sophisticated, strategic challenge.
Taking the better aspects of classic and modern Uncharted, The Lost Legacy is a short, explosive chunk of adventure. Chloe and Nadine are elevated far beyond the supporting roles they once played, and both end up as interesting, formidable, and highly likeable characters, among the best in the series in fact. There's a greatest hits feel to some of the set piece moments, and the story takes a little time to get going, but this manages to be both a fresh direction for the franchise, and a warmly familiar experience.
Essentially an update of its predecessor with a new art style and some carefully considered additional nuances, Nidhogg 2 nonetheless remains an obvious choice for friendship-destroying, local competitive party play on PS4.
A real labour of love, Masquerada is a highly enjoyable RPG effort that is absolutely drowning in audiovisual style and spectacle, even if the overly linear structure and sometimes convoluted world building detracts from the final result.
The team behind Saints Row showcase their balls of steel by taking the plunge into the deep end and taking you along for the rough and ready ride that is Agents of Mayhem.
To have Cities: Skylines on PS4 is wholly welcome. It may suffer slightly for the transition, but what makes it a wonderfully accessible and engrossing city builder is still there. It may be a touch simple for the sim enthusiast, but it has the ability to draw a wider audience into the genre, and that's something to be happy about.
Lawbreakers has a decent foundation with high-action gameplay, but many fundamental things go amiss, and many decisions sacrifice its universality.
Sonic Mania successfully takes Sonic back to the formula that saw him become a big deal to begin with. That means it does bring along the flaws in that design as well, but there's no denying this is as good as the Blue Blur has been for a long time.
The first episode of Batman: The Enemy Within marks a strong start for the second season of Telltale's DC-centric series.
Hellblade is one of my favorite titles this year. Its incredible use of sound and visual manipulation to completely immerse you in its experience is a credit to Ninja Theory. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a prime example that you don't need a massive budget to create something extraordinary.
The second Mega Man collection is a touch light on content, and by this point the formula has grown tired. That doesn't mean there isn't joy to be had though, as what is on offer remains as solid, colorful, and stimulating as ever.
Patapon Remastered most certainly looks and plays the part, shining beautifully on the PS4 with zero hiccups in gameplay during my experience. Due to the repetitive grindy nature, however, it is best left bookending longer play sessions of other games, and is ill-suited to a home console, unless you could take it on the go as well, as with the Switch.
A great new use of the PSVR. The Monkey King is a great example of taking advantage of PlayStation VR to do something other than play games. Digital Domains first incursion could use some improvements but it's a great first attempt.
The Long Dark is a shot in the arm for the survival game. The story mode is a decent addition, adding some mystique to the cold wilds, yet it currently doesn't trump the personal stories you create outside of it in survival mode, where joy, hope, dread, terror, and despair come in unpredictable waves. The game's harsh, grounded style will divide opinion, but it truly feels like a fresh perspective that incorporates the risks and rewards of survival and exploration.
If you've got the patience and understand that Euro Fishing: Urban Edition is a challenging true simulation of the popular sport, then there's no doubt that you'll get a kick out of catching fish in its beautiful waters. Personally, we found it a bit boring.
Smashbox Arena is a fun PSVR title that has some great gameplay but can be short-lived.