Ken Barnes
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Playstation Lifestyle Latest Reviews
Check our AO International Tennis review to see if Big Ant's simulation wins a grand slam on PS4 or whether it should be relegated to the amateur tour.
With NHL 17 being the second version of EA's hockey sim to be released since the shameful PlayStation 4 debut that was NHL 15, fans of puck-based sports were rightfully expecting the good work done in last year's edition to carry on through and be improved upon even further to really bring the franchise into the current generation. There were warning signs suggesting that wouldn't be the case, but though the changes listed in the various pre-launch press releases all sound like standard EA Sports annual update fare, those fans will find that they've been rewarded for their patience.
There are many words that could be used to describe SUPERHOT. Cool, addictive, stylish, fun, enjoyable…take your pick. What the development team have done is take a game mechanic that sounds like an excellent idea on paper and turned it into something special by fleshing out a game around it that does it justice and then layering on different ways of playing in the post-game. It flat out tells you to say this but we'd be saying it anyway: SUPERHOT is one of the most innovative shooters that we've played in years. Absolutely essential.
With DiRT Rally, Codemasters have thrown the conventional way of looking at the sport of rallying in videogames out of the window and done it with such aplomb that the end product is all but irresistible. It could be said that the learning curve could do with being flattened just a little. We say that the harder the climb is, the greater the feeling of success is when you finally put in that perfect run, but it's understandable that not all players will feel that way in an age where going into a menu is considered to be achievement-worthy. For our money, this is easily the best rally game ever released. Not only that, it's transcended the scope of that admittedly small genre and is surprisingly close to the top of the general racing game category, too.
Action Henk is enjoyable and challenging, of that there is no doubt. It isn't going to win any awards for visuals – despite looking good enough to get the job done – and we'd like to have seen the comedy brand placement from the initial playroom area be used more in the levels themselves. With that said, neither of these things is going to interrupt your entertainment and the enjoyment and exquisite frustration that the game provides is more than enough for it to get our recommendation. Good stuff.
Relatively very minor gripes aside, Rocket League is a genuinely new type of game that provides addictive, enjoyable, skill-based fun that doesn't prevent new players from joining the fray and which never threatens to become dull. Even folks who aren't necessarily excited by football, sports in general, or cars will find something to love here and for many, it'll become their new favourite pastime. This is absolutely superb and will keep you entertained for many, many hours.