PS5 Reviews

The Mass Effect series is one of my favorites in gaming of any era, based almost solely on 2 and 3. I generally consider Mass Effect 2 to be my favorite game ever; I love the characters, the combat, the setting, and the story.   My history with the first game is a little bit more hit-and-miss: I bought a 360 so I could play Mass Effect. But the infuriating Mako sections, long load times, and uneven combat slowed my…

You’ve seen the werewolves. You’ve seen the ridiculously sexed-up memes about giant vampire ladies. Other than giving the internet a new fetish, Resident Evil Village is a worthy new entry in the long-running series – and a great indicator of just what these new consoles are capable of. The latest Resident Evil seems to have been more meme than game for most of its known existence. Don’t let that put you off. For all the cookyness we already know and…

Having played video games for well over 30 years, some experiences stick in mind more than others. Some you can play through and put down and move on to the next thing. Some games become habit-forming and become part of a routine like Fortnite or Warzone. And then there is Returnal a game that has stuck with me so much that I literally had nightmares about it last night after playing. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Returnal is…

Destruction AllStars was going to be a full-priced PS5 launch title. Thank God they changed their mind. That’s not to say that it’s a bad game, because it’s not. But in the world of Rocket League, Overwatch, Apex and Call of Duty, this is at every disadvantage. Showcased alongside the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, slapping that “ONLY ON PLAYSTATION” sticker on it meant expectations were sky-high and, without being effectively free, it would have died on arrival. But, thankfully,…

Hitman 3 gives back what you put into it, and man is it nice to play a game like that again. You can put zero effort into it, taking the path of least resistance and treating it like the action game it clearly isn’t. You’ll ‘finish’ it in about three hours, huff a bit and then move onto something that holds your hand a little more. Or you can see it for what it is: an assassination sandbox filled with…

Summer in Mara is a single-player summer adventure. Take care of your own island, farming the land, and crafting new tools to survive. You can also sail away with your boat to new islands, meet unique characters and find hidden treasures. But the ocean wants you to fulfill your destiny and when it calls you, you’ll have to answer. Summer in Mara is a game about small details that will surprise you every time. Summer in Mara is an adventure…

Ah yes, Worms. That beloved tactical franchise from the early-to-mid 90s. You remember – with the sheep and the “Oh dear”. Know what it needs? To become an ACTION-PACKED BATTLE ROYALE, BABY. I don’t know if that conversation ever took place, but whatever the thought process, meet Worms Rumble. It’s a multiplayer-only 2D-shooter, taking some of the more familiar elements of Worms and repackaging them for the new generation of gaming. It’s the biggest change in tone since 2003’s Worms…

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 – a game title that deserves a Kingdom Hearts style “2.5D Ultima Super Dream Final Edition” if I’ve ever heard one. People know what Tetris is, and a good chunk of those will know what Puyo Puyo is if you explain it in Mean Bean Machine terms. It says what it is, for better or for worse. But hidden behind that slightly mystifying name is a potent mix of puzzling fun that never gets old –…

Breath of the Wild meets Assassin’s Creed – it’s a recipe that amazingly we haven’t had until exactly this moment. But boy, does Immortals Fenyx Rising taste good. Mixing in a bit of fourth-wall breaking Borderlands humour and plenty of mythology, this is a game that wears its influences on its sleeves. You enter every “shrine” knowing full well that you’re venturing into a Zelda-like environment, and that’s just fine. It’s prettier than Breath of the Wild and, arguably, offers…

You may have heard that Demon’s Souls is pretty tough. That’s not entirely accurate. The truth is that Demon’s Souls is very, very simple. Everything about it is signposted. It wants you to exploit every inch of it. Enemies show what they’re doing from a million miles away. There’s always somewhere to hide, or to run to. And now, with the arrival of the remake on PS5, you have over a decade of encylopedia-like knowledge from hundreds of fellow players…