Tag: PS4

Streets of Rage 4 review

Published on by Chris Scullion4 Comments

This review is available in both written and video format. Both versions have the same ‘script’, so if you’re able to watch the video I’d recommend doing that, since you can see the game in action without worrying about missing anything I’ve written. Here’s the video:

Dotemu / Lizardcube
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC (PS4 version reviewed)

Streets of Rage 2 is one of my top 5 favourite games of all time. To my mind, it’s a virtually flawless game: one that would feel just as immensely satisfying during my thousandth playthrough as it did during the first.

Because of this, you’d think I would have been thrilled when it was announced that Streets of Rage 4 was finally on the way. On the contrary: having watched some of the trailers, I was worried that this may not be the Streets of Rage I knew and loved, and that in the 26(!) years that have passed since the last game, it looked like something special may have been lost.

When I was offered review code for the game a fortnight ago I reluctantly accepted, ready to have my heart broken. Instead, for the past two weeks my heart has been singing from the rooftops. Although it’ll never replace my true love, there’s no denying that Streets of Rage 4 is glorious. Continue reading “Streets of Rage 4 review” →

Kartography #5 – Team Sonic Racing

Published on by Chris Scullion4 Comments

Kartography is my regular series in which I look at licensed kart racers throughout gaming history, and figure out where they fit on my all-time karting game leaderboard.

For more information on my scoring policy for Kartography, check out this introductory article.

Sega / Sumo Digital
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC (PS4 version reviewed)

My last Kartography article looked at Sonic R, Sonic’s debut home console racing experience.

Given that today marks the launch of the latest one – Team Sonic Racing – it only makes sense that a Kartography double-bill is in order.

Thanks to Sega, yer man Scullion has been playing the PS4 Pro version of the game for the past week and a half, which is just enough time to deconstruct the entire thing in trademark Kartography style.

In case you aren’t aware, Team Sonic Racing’s main gimmick is team races, where you’re grouped together with two other partners and your Grand Prix points are all added up for a total score.

Where will this new twist place it on my Kartography leaderboard though? Let’s find out. Continue reading “Kartography #5 – Team Sonic Racing” →

Resident Evil 2 remake (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments

This review is available in both written and video format. The video shows the game in action while I read the review as a voiceover, so if you watch the video you don’t need to read the written review that follows since it’s the same ‘script’.

Capcom
Xbox One, PS4, Steam (Xbox One version reviewed)

While I’m obviously a massive fan of gaming, I’ve also got a real love for horror movies, especially those from the ‘70s and ‘80s.

The Resident Evil series, then, has always been a big favourite of mine. It’s quite fitting, too, that I can draw parallels between it and one of my favourite movie franchises, George A Romero’s ‘Dead’ series.

The obvious connection is zombies: that sort of goes without saying. But both also essentially kicked off an entire genre – zombie movies and survival horror – and both went through a bit of a rough patch during their fifth and sixth instalments (Resi 5 & 6, and Diary & Survival Of The Dead).

As well as this, on a personal level my favourite entry in each series was the second: both Resident Evil 2 and Dawn Of The Dead built on what made their predecessors so effective, by moving their settings from a house in the middle of the countryside to a more urban location.

George Romero even directed some Japanese TV commercials to promote Resident Evil 2, just in case the connection wasn’t solid enough.

Over the past week I’ve decided I can now add another example to this comparison: not only are Resi 2 and Dawn Of The Dead my favourites in each series, I’m a big fan of both their remakes too. Continue reading “Resident Evil 2 remake (Xbox One) review” →

Red Dead Redemption II (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments

To avoid spoiling anything major in Red Dead Redemption II, this review deliberately avoids revealing any plot details beyond what’s already been shown in official trailers. It also doesn’t describe any mission details beyond what you’ll discover in the first five or so hours of the game.

As ever, this review is available in both written and video format. The video shows the game in action while I read the review as a voiceover, so if you watch the video you don’t need to read the written review that follows since it’s the same ‘script’.

Rockstar Games / Rockstar Studios
Xbox One, PS4 (Xbox One version reviewed)

Look, I’ll save you the time. This one’s special.

In an ideal world, that would be all I’d need to tell you, so I could get back to playing Red Dead Redemption 2 instead of having to force myself away from it to write this review. But you’re here for yer man Scullion’s take, so I duly oblige.

It’s been eight years since the last Red Dead Redemption, a game that blew everyone away by taking Rockstar’s impressive RAGE engine – designed for GTA IV – and placing it in a wild west setting.

Since then, thanks to Rockstar’s famously lengthy development cycles, only two more games have used RAGE: Max Payne 3 and Grand Theft Auto V, both initially released on last-gen systems. Red Dead Redemption 2, then, marks the first RAGE game created specifically for the Xbox One and PS4, and it shows.

This is obviously most notable when it comes to how the game looks. Put simply, Red Dead 2 is one of the most beautiful games ever made. Continue reading “Red Dead Redemption II (Xbox One) review” →

Starlink: Battle For Atlas (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments
Ubisoft / Ubisoft Toronto
Switch, Xbox One, PS4 (Switch version reviewed)

This review is available in both written and video format. Naturally, the video shows the game in action while I read the review as a voiceover. If you watch the video, then, you don’t need to read the written review that follows since it’s the same ‘script’.

It’s fair to say the toys-to-life genre is on its arse.

What began as a craze when Skylanders appeared seven years ago has burned out: plastic figures now replace plastic guitars in this generation’s second-hand game shops.

Skylanders may not officially be dead but considering Activision hasn’t released one of its annual games since 2016, it’s safe to say it’s been benched indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the death of Disney Infinity and Lego Dimensions – two games much better than Skylanders – showed that not even two of the world’s strongest child-friendly IP could stop the toys-to-life boat sinking.

The only thing still hanging in there are amiibo, but that’s because they’re video game themed – not Disney, Lego or original creations – and many gamers (like myself) collect them for display purposes.

It’s a little odd, then, that as toys-to-life finds itself lying in a coma, Ubisoft’s turned up at the hospital with a crate of beer looking for a party.

Continuing the plastic guitar analogy, Starlink is the DJ Hero of toys-to-life, turning up late in the genre’s life and offering one more inventive way to breathe new life into it.

I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it too. But before you roll your eyes and say “too little, too late”, do consider that Ubisoft has made a very clever decision that could make all the difference to you:

You don’t need the toys. In fact, the game is much better without them. Continue reading “Starlink: Battle For Atlas (Switch) review” →

NBA 2K19 (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris ScullionLeave a comment
2K Sports / Visual Concepts
Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC (Xbox One version reviewed)

This review is available in both written and video format. Naturally, the video shows the game in action while I read the review as a voiceover. If you watch the video, then, you don’t need to read the written review that follows since it’s the same ‘script’.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the NBA 2K series, which started in 1999 with the fittingly named NBA 2K on the Dreamcast.

For two decades now developer Visual Concepts has been tweaking and improving its take on America’s third-favourite sport, and by this point it’s got everything down to a fine art: on the court, at least.

At this stage NBA 2K is as close to a perfect representation of basketball as you can get, so it’s probably unsurprising that things don’t feel massively different this year compared to 2K18. Continue reading “NBA 2K19 (Xbox One) review” →

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments
Capcom
Xbox One, Switch, PS4, Steam (Xbox One version reviewed)

This review is available in both written and video format. Naturally, the video shows the game in action while I read the review as a voiceover. If you watch the video, then, you don’t need to read the written review that follows since it’s the same ‘script’.

I’ve been an enormous fan of the beat ’em up genre for decades now, though it’s not as prolific as it was back in the days of ’90s arcade gaming.

Capcom was arguably the company most responsible for the growth of the beat ’em up in those days, with 1989’s groundbreaking Final Fight the main driving force.

It was such an important and much-loved game that if you owned an arcade and you didn’t have Final Fight, you didn’t really own an arcade at all: you just had a bunch of shiny light-up boxes in a big room.

Naturally, Final Fight is very much present and accounted for in this fantastic compilation of seven Capcom beat ’em ups spanning from 1989-1997. Continue reading “Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (Xbox One) review” →

Forma.8 (PS4) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments
MixedBag Games
PS4 / Xbox One / Wii U / Vita / Steam (PS4 version reviewED)

Metroidvania games are ten a penny these days, so it’d take something special to catch the attention of this grizzled veteran with boyish charm and a tough exterior but gentle heart.

Um… what I’m trying to say is Forma.8 is bloody good. Continue reading “Forma.8 (PS4) review” →

Drive!Drive!Drive! (PS4) review

Published on by Chris Scullion1 Comment
Choice Provisions / Different Cloth
PS4 / STEAM (PS4 version reviewed)

Creating a game with a unique gimmick can be a dangerous thing to do.

If it works well the result is a truly original game that not only brings something different to the table but could potentially inspire others to follow suit and build on it.

On the other hand, if a game’s built around a new gimmick and it falls on its arse, you’re left with a disaster and the realisation that maybe there’s a reason nobody else had tried it before.

Drive!Drive!Drive! is very much a game with a gimmick, and thankfully it’s one that works for the most part. Continue reading “Drive!Drive!Drive! (PS4) review” →