Yearly Archives: 2020

In this job you see games of all sizes and origins. As well as the big hitters, you get smaller efforts that have sometimes seen a prior Steam or mobile release. Some even find their way on to web browsers before an eventual console release. Random Heroes: Gold Edition is […]

Random Heroes: Gold Edition – PS4 Review

April 9, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged 2d platforming / random heroes gold edition / ratalaika / shooter / somepx / weapons / woblyware / zombies by Mike

Not many indie games would open with a five minute cutscene. But then, not all indie games are from the fantastic Capy Games. Six years in the making, Below was a timed exclusive on Eggsbox and Win 10. It was with more than a little surprise that we noticed Below […]

Below – PS4 Review

April 8, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged below / capy / klaus von below / labyrinth / you remind me of the babe by Ian

It wasn’t too long ago that we were discussing Yoku’s Island Express, a charming amalgamation born out of the union between platformer and pinball action. While every indie gaming developer seemed dead set on following the retro/ roguelike trend, Yoku’s Island Express stood as an outlier, utterly unique in approach […]

Creature In The Well – PS4 Review

April 7, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged Creature in the well / pinball with pipes / ps4 / review by Grizz

HyperParasite is a roguelike twin-stick shooter/brawler from Spanish dev crew Troglobyte Games and while it is the latest of a long line of twin-stick shooters to hit PSN after a debut on PC, this one is a little different to the rest. You see, HyperParasite combines an interesting gameplay mechanic with a […]

HyperParasite – PS4 Review

April 7, 2020 in PS4 tagged 80's / hyperparasite / Pixel art / retro / roguelike / twin-stick shooter by Richie

Nearly five years ago Convoy was released on PC, a Kickstarted project that sold itself as a mix of roguelike classic FTL and Mad Max. Now Convoy has done something FTL has yet to achieve, it’s arrived on consoles in the form of Convoy: A Tactical Roguelike. Is it one […]

Convoy: A Tactical Roguelike – PS4 Review

April 6, 2020 in PS4 tagged bolts / convoy: a tactical roguelike / ftl / fuel / mad max / pause / road warrior / roguelike / topography by Gareth

Other than being a gag on From Software’s masochist-em-up series, Duck Souls+ is yet another Rata release. This time developed by Green Dinosaur Games AKA Brazilian chap Mateus Sales. As is by now typical you can go with the Ratalaika checklist: PS4/Vita crossbuy, lo-fi platformer, trophies thrown at you like […]

Duck Souls+ – PS4 Review

April 3, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews / Vita tagged frustration gauntlet / green dinosaur / ratalaika by Ian

From Finnish developer Snowhound via publisher 1C Entertainment we have Deep Sky Derelicts: Definitive Edition. Originally released on PC in September 2018, DSD has made the leap to current gen consoles with this Definitive Edition. This comprises the original game along with both sets of DLC in its entirety. What […]

Deep Sky Derelicts: Definitive Edition – PS4 Review

April 3, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged card battler / comic book / dsd / rng by Ian

From Rainy Frog aka Martin Magni, comes Mekorama released by Ratalaika. Subsequently you get PS4 and Vita ports into the bargain. If we were in the business of elevator pitches, we’d go with a small but perfectly formed puzzle platformer. Mekorama is very relaxing and would be the perfect game […]

Mekorama – PS4 Review

April 2, 2020 in PS4 tagged mekorama / rainy frog / ratalaika by Ian

Jedi Academy is a straight forward port of the 2003 sequel to Jedi Outcast. We reviewed that game’s port last year and gave it a respectable 7 out of 10 but were always bigger fans of Jedi Academy and so we were looking forward to this release, even if the almost twenty year […]

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy – PS4 Review

April 1, 2020 in PS4 tagged hack and slash / jedi academy / port / rerelease / space / star wars by Richie

Interactive movies are such a tricky genre to review. On the one hand, you’re trying to judge it as interactive media and, on the other, you’re trying to judge it as a film. Often they feel like clumsy compromises where the acting and story don’t hold much weight whilst the […]

The Complex – PS4 Review

March 31, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged bad science / big pharma / branching narrative / choose your own adventure / good gate media / interactive movie / little jade productions / the complex / wales interactive by Mike

This is not the review I was expecting to write when I saw the cover art for Freedom Finger, a side-scrolling shoot ’em up from Wide Right Interactive, and specifically the mind of Jim Dirschberger. The cover art at first glance was pretty simplistic, something we’re used to seeing from indie […]

Freedom Finger – PS4 Review

March 27, 2020 in PS4 tagged awesome / cartoon / freedom finger / shoot em up / swearing by Richie

Zen Studios, probably most famous for their pinball games, have moved out of their comfort zone with Operencia: The Stolen Sun. It was released on Epic Games Store and Xbox One last year but has now made it to PS4. They’ve dabbled in other genres in the past but how […]

Operencia: The Stolen Sun – PS4 Review

March 27, 2020 in PS4 tagged dungeon crawler / first person / operencia: the stolen sun / puzzle / rpg / turn-based / zen by Gareth