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Last reviewed: Mina the Hollower · 6 days ago
Luna Abyss is a AA shooter that holds its own against some of the elite of the genre. Its enticing and ominous sci-fi world is a delight to look at artistically, even if its muddy graphics let it down on closer inspection. Its story is fine, but a slick sense of progression keeps its action and platforming interesting from start to finish.
Planet Zoo is, ironically, a relatively toothless park building game. It doesn't have the delicious chaos of the Jurassic World Evolution games or the thrills of building your own rollercoaster and then hoping it'll stay on the tracks in Planet Coaster. But it's a pleasant and charming game. There's an airy joy in creating a peaceful home for animals to live in, and the earnest conservationist slant of Planet Zoo is hard to fault.
Valkyria Revolution is like a bizarre, alternate reality version of Valkyria Chronicles in which everything that the original got right has somehow been twisted into something awful. The devolution of interesting and quasi-relatable characters into eye-roll inducing stereotypes is upsetting, and the technical shortcomings of the game are disappointing. But it's the combat of Revolution that suffers most in comparison to Chronicles, and indeed, in comparison to practically anything else in the genre. Where Valkyria Chronicles was a constantly rewarding strategy game, Revolution is an action RPG so utterly devoid of any potential to challenge or delight that the only strategy you'll require is working out the quickest bus route back to the shop to get your refund.
Although Ancient Amuletor has all the core mechanics and functionality of an excellent PlayStation VR title, the pure lack of content will leave you yearning for all of the extras that are currently locked out. Factor in the barren online multiplayer community, and this title really squanders its very real potential.
It's not hard to see why Arizona Sunshine comes so highly acclaimed: its undead slaughtering story mode is undoubtedly dated, but the novelty of virtual reality keeps it alive. Unfortunately, this PlayStation VR version toys with Sony's full roster of input options, and never really settles upon one that feels right. It's a shame because there is a lot to like here, from the vibrant visuals to the generous helping of solo and multiplayer content – but without a comfortable means of controlling any of it, your enthusiasm will very quickly cool.
While lacking the portable aspects of the original, the ability to plug in some expensive headphones or utilise a home theater system is a mandatory experience if you've only played the Vita version, as the astonishingly high quality of the music and visuals deserve to be played in the biggest way possible.
It's unfunny, it's fiddly, it's aggravating, and most of all it's an assault on your senses – if there's anything that I Want to Be Human is rebelling against, it's your health. While developer Sinclair Strange has tried to carve out its own artistic style, it doesn't work at all, and the menial, tedious gameplay doesn't help either. This game may want to be human, but it sure isn't fit to be.
A decent sequel that improves upon its predecessor in virtually every department, The Golf Club 2 strikes a good drive. But while the improvements to the simulation and course editor are appreciated, there's still work that needs to be done to the unifying Societies system, which represents a clever idea that's far too convoluted for its own good right now. A third stroke should see this series realise its very real potential – but in fairness, this entry is in regulation and well worth buying if you're a fan of the sport.
Get Even had a good base of neat ideas, but the execution of the overall product is so poor that many areas feel unfinished. Combat is quite simply a disaster, the graphics look like they've been taken from a 2008 PS3 game, and the soundtrack crushes your enjoyment far too often. The plot may well grab your attention, but the act of actually playing Get Even is nothing but a chore.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is a very enjoyable expansion to an already rock solid role-playing experience. Featuring some fantastic questlines, this is a welcome return to the island of Vvardenfell - a wonderful location which has been lovingly recreated.
MXGP 3, made in 2017, is almost imperceptibly different from the first entry in the series, released in 2014. Sure there a few differences, but at its deepest, this is a game that has a truckload of issues when it comes to the actual feeling of riding a dirt bike. Add to that a feature list that is seemingly identical to MXGP 2, now with very poorly implemented dynamic weather, and you get very little bang for your buck. Milestone needs to take a step back and reassess where this series is going, because right now the only place it's going is backwards.
Nex Machina is everything that an arcade game should be: addictive and accessible yet bursting with hidden depth. Housemarque continues to be the master of the dual-joystick shooter with a sublime effort that harks back to the coin-op glory days of yesteryear. This is a near-perfect complement to the ridiculously good Resogun, and deserves to find a place among your PS4's hard drive space.
Dark Rose Valkyrie offers opportunity for excitement, but ultimately fails to deliver. Weak concepts and a suite of poorly crafted gameplay systems sink an otherwise semi-interesting premise. This is a frustrating and slow slog all the way to the end.
DiRT 4 is an impressive package that takes the strong foundation of DiRT Rally and sprinkles on a few friendly updates, such as DiRT Academy and the return of Landrush. The handling, whichever way you lean, is robust and extremely gratifying with cars that are a lot of fun to drive. The career mode gives you plenty to do, and Your Stage means you'll never be short of new rally challenges to take on. Some very slight graphical gripes aside, this is another success story for a developer that seems to be firing on all cylinders.
The Town of Light is a powerful experience that highlights a fascinating, if chilling, chapter in human history. The heavy atmosphere is achieved through the very real setting of Volterra, and Renée's unfortunate tale of life inside its walls that represents the woes of many real people. The story meanders a little too far into obscurity and can become confusing, and some long load times scupper things further. While you won't necessarily have fun in the traditional sense, it's worth playing if you're at all interested, as it contains some striking sequences that will stay with you long after you finish.
WipEout Omega Collection is an impressive remaster that shines at high speeds, though elements of this compilation are starting to show their age. Despite being boosted all the way up to 4K on the PS4 Pro, some of the tracks are returning for the fourth time, and while WipEout 2048's contemporary layouts look luxurious on the big screen, it can be hard to shake the feeling of familiarity on occasion. That said, if anti-grav is your bag, then there's nothing quite like the original – even with the number of inferior pretenders on the racing scene these days.
Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku!'s bite-sized stages are best suited to quick stints of dungeon delving. Stay much longer, and you might stumble across the frustrations that lie in its depths. Bouts of trial and error gameplay drag down an otherwise addictive release, and convoluted upgrade systems keep you from getting straight into the action. Still, the process of powering up your pixelated protagonist is a rewarding one once you find your groove.