Rebecca Smith
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Playstation Lifestyle Latest Reviews
Atomic Heart is advertised as developer Mundfish’s first game, but that isn’t quite true. The studio’s first venture into gaming, Soviet Lunapark VR, didn’t go too well; the Early Access game was removed from sale abruptly and support was discontinued mere months after its release. This new action RPG infused with a hefty dose of first-person shooter takes the remnants of Soviet Lunapark and expands the world, throws in a new story, and brings it to PS5 consoles for a second attempt at success. The problem is that it doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Karl Fairburne and his sniper rifle are synonymous with World War II and the battle against the Nazis. Players must be wondering what Rebellion could bring to the era now that we’ve reached the franchise’s fifth installment. Our Sniper Elite 5 review finds a game that has larger levels that are still packed with optional objectives and collectibles, some of which are new. There is also extensive weapon customization and an improved skill tree. However, the biggest innovation is the Infiltration mode that pits players against each other amidst the chaos of the campaign, and this is where the game really shines.
Chernobylite is a difficult game to pigeonhole. Developer The Farm 51 has called it a survival horror RPG, but after spending 30 hours with the game, I wouldn’t say that’s terribly accurate because there’s also quite a strong focus on strategy. I guess a ‘science-fiction survival game with a twist of strategy, horror, and roleplaying’ is probably too long to use as a genre though.
When the name Charles Cecil is mentioned, adventure games like the Broken Sword franchise are what would normally come to mind. Another of Cecil’s successful adventure games was Beneath a Steel Sky, a gritty tale of oppression and fascism created with Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons. A whole 26 years later, the duo teamed up to release a sequel, Beyond a Steel Sky, on Apple Arcade and PC. A year later, Beyond a Steel Sky heads to PlayStation 4 and our review finds it was certainly worth the wait.
Many Left 4 Dead fans have been clamoring for a sequel over the 12 years since Left 4 Dead 2 was released—not to mention PlayStation players, who were left out. While a sequel was reportedly in development, it was ultimately cancelled. The problem is Turtle Rock Studios became an independent company back in 2011, while the L4D IP stayed with Valve. Other games have attempted to fill the gap, but now Turtle Rock Studios itself is back with its own attempt. It isn’t called Left 4 Dead 3, but it’s the closest we’re going to get because our Back 4 Blood review finds a spiritual successor with a twist.
Five years have passed since console players got to enjoy a game based on the exploits of Agatha Christie‘s famous Belgian detective. Blazing Griffin’s Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases breaks that deadlock with a new adventure game that follows just a few weeks after their console debut title. This game takes a slightly different direction to Murder Mystery Machine and feels like a far more natural setting for Poirot to inhabit.
The Aragami franchise began with the game of the same name that was released in 2016. Five years later, Aragami 2 aims to expand on the supernatural stealth ninja formula introduced by the first game. The standalone game requires no knowledge of its predecessor to enjoy, which is really a good thing bearing in mind it is almost a completely different experience. Unfortunately a lack of challenge, a few bugs, and repetitive missions stop it from being a great thing.
After 16 years of waiting, Psychonauts 2 more than makes up for lost time. It's a glorious return for the franchise, one that should keep existing fans happy while being perfectly welcoming for new players.
I Am Dead is a hidden object game where players can get as much or as little out of it as they wish. It's a short but simple game, perhaps too simple for some.
OMNO is a passion project for developer Jonas Manke. He single-handedly created his Journey-inspired puzzle platformer over the course of five years. While he previously has game experience animating characters for State of Decay 2, his first title has headed in a completely different direction as players set off on a gentle journey of discovery rather than a harrowing journey of survival.