PlayStation LifeStyle
HomepagePlayStation LifeStyle's Reviews
I was happy to find that Rabi-Ribi was, on the whole, a totally unexpected and delightful discovery for me on PS4. While I wasn't enthused by what I initially saw in trailers and such, I found myself happily proven wrong by the actual content.
Over 20 years since it initially released,Windjammers is finally getting its chance to shine as a competitive game. It's got the accessibility and depth to deliver memorable play sessions, and while the online play can sometimes be disappointing, I'm largely left impressed. Few multiplayer games have made me scream (and make some strange primal noises during the heat of the action) like Windjammers, and it's simply a blast when played with friends.
With a low barrier to entry and a high skill ceiling, charming design, and reasons to play for a long time, Everybody's Golf really is golf for everybody. What? You were expecting a hole-in-one pun?
Unlocking the various story branches to trigger the different endings provides a sense of puzzling to proceedings that adds some welcome depth but while the trimmings have been given a new feel and the varied cast of characters provides some new attraction, Warriors All-Stars is unlikely to draw many new players in. That won't matter to those with any interest in the game though, as this is exactly what they will have been hoping for since the game was first announced. In short – and I'm sorry to use this, but it fits the bill – fans of the series will absolutely love it.
Pillars of Eternity was certainly crafted with PC in mind, but it's no less an enjoyable experience on console.
My hang-ups with the aiming aside, the PlayStation 4 version of Resident Evil Revelations is the best version of the survival horror outing. The problem is that it's 2017. It's been over five years since Revelations (or I guess it was technically "Revelaitons" then) released on Nintendo 3DS, and what was once a technical marvel is an outdated-looking title on current consoles. Capcom has done a nice job cleaning it up, but it's still ultimately a handheld title that was designed to be viewed on a 240p screen. That won't matter to the die hard Resident Evil fans who plan on picking up the same game for the third time, but it's becoming harder to recommend to newcomers as time passes.
Nearly two years have passed since Undertale originally released, and it still manages to be an incredibly fresh experience. Every battle is a unique puzzle that the player has to solve, and it's impossible to count how many times I laughed at the bad jokes of Sans. I'll never see all that the game has to offer, but that's okay. I'd rather make friends than destroy them.
While not the most novice-friendly racing game, those who put the hours into Codemasters' latest F1 title will find it a worthwhile endeavor. The on-track action is great, and the level of customization is rarely seen even in other simulations. Unfortunately, a lot of the finer racing concepts aren't introduced well and the gigantic R&D tree can be overwhelming when first seen during the career mode. If players can get past that, they'll have a blast.
Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy has been circumventing my expectations ever since the crew killed Thanos in the very first episode, and that trend continued here. I really have no clue where the series will go next, and that leaves me excited. I'm more than happy to be along for the ride with Star Lord and his ragtag crew.
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder is smart, funny, and quirky in all the best ways. It was a big surprise to get a sequel to the 2011 PSN game, but I'm happy it did. Although I wish more effort would have been put into making the boss battles feel climactic and challenging, rather than tacked-on additions, the meat of the experience is an exciting and stylish tower defense game with a unique premise. I can't name another game that lets you squish the likes of Van Gogh , Henry VIII, and Medusa with a boulder that's rolled through numerous famous works of art. Allowing for four people to get in on the Monty Python-styled action both locally and online is just the feather in the cap of Atlas' adventure as he flees from God.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then ChromaGun is one of the most lovingly crafted manifestos I've ever seen. It effortlessly parallels the world of Portal, while injecting more than enough originality to be able to stand on its own. It may not quite meet the gold standard that was established by Valve's masterpiece, but I can't help but wonder how much more impressive it might have felt, if ChromaGun had actually pre-dated Portal. While certainly not reinventing the wheel, this is an experience that will surely satiate any puzzle fiend, searching for a more colorful way to embrace their inner tester.
My comparison to Scary Movie may have been a wrong one. There's more sophistication here than that. Instead, I'll say that Thimbleweed Park is the Cabin in the Woods of point-and-click graphic adventure games. Its self-referential awareness of its own existence belies a level of thought and planning that simple parodies do not. It leans into the sins of the past, and comes out all the better for it. This isn't a modern day triple-A title, but if you want a taste of why the Ron Gilbert classics are so beloved by many longtime gamers, Thimbleweed Park is a window into the past that shouldn't be missed.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is worth checking out if you're into horror games. While the main story is a bit simplistic, and it is far too easy to overlook a key item resulting in unnecessary time spent back-tracking, White Day has a perfectly terrifying ambiance. A campaign length of 8-12 hours is also justified by its $29.99 USD asking price. Sure, some of White Day‘s mechanics may be stuck in the past, but there's a certain charm in being limited in the number of saves you can have, and experiencing new and exclusive horrors at higher difficulty levels.
As a remake, Kiwami is a triumphant success. Not only is it leaps and bounds more playable than the PS2 original, the additional scenes help flesh out character motivations. This all makes the story of Kiryu's rise feel more special, and it's a perfect continuation for those who recently played Yakuza 0. There are some disappointments, though, as just roaming around Kamurocho feels like a step backwards from previous games that featured multiple cities to explore, but that's just an unfortunate side-effect of being a remake of a much-less ambitious title. The new bells and whistles make Yakuza Kiwami a worthwhile time no matter if you've played the original or not.
Observer is brilliant in dozens of ways, yet deeply flawed in just as many. The quality of its story ranges from a confusing mess to some of the best written characters of this generation. The game's biggest issue is its inconsistency on when and where to deliver its moments of horror. There was little to keep me going besides the next opportunity to speak to a troubled citizen of futuristic Krakow's most interesting building block.
This closing chapter isn't perfect, and some low-quality textures can be distracting on PlayStation 4, but it does manage to put a bow on one of gaming's greatest stories.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a fun addition to the consistently solid Uncharted franchise. While this entry may be quite a bit shorter than the main numbered games, that doesn't mean the key components that constitute an Uncharted game aren't just as present. Indeed, you'll rarely see a game with this high of production values for only $39.99. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a tight, action-packed adventure in India, and a trip well worth taking.
Madden NFL 18 is an impressive leap forward for the series. Not only is Longshot an ambitious and fantastically told story, it's one that isn't limited to pre-existing football fans. There's also more ways to enjoy the game than ever before, as there are several play styles that will mold the game into either a more realistic or arcade-like experience depending on what the user desires. EA Tiburon has set a new high bar for the series, that they'll have to work towards reaching every year going forward. For now, though, NFL fans can enjoy one of the best sports games that Electronic Arts has ever put out.
As someone who played way too much of the original, Nidhogg 2 is a let-down. Like the original, it's still a lot of fun to play locally, but it fails to really excel in the areas where Nidhogg faltered before. The online play currently ranges from bad to broken, and that's a huge hit for a game that's built around playing with friends. The single-player arcade mode isn't enjoyable to play, and feels thrown in order to fulfill a checklist. It's simply lacking in areas that'd make it a more appealing party game than the original. There are still flashes of brilliance that remind me why I loved Nidhogg, but the sequel never clicked for me in the same way. Hopefully some patches will add this into my online rotation, but right now I'm left underwhelmed.
In the end, whether you prefer to whittle your hours away building the city of your dreams with unlimited resources, or chase down trophies as you build your way toward things more deliberately, I don't think you'll find a superior sim anywhere on PS4.