retro aesthetic

Crystal Dynamics have been restarting the heart of the Legacy of Kain series with some stellar remasters. It led to speculation of a new game and that has, unfortunately, arrived. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a petite slice of 2D platforming and combat that, rather than wet the appetite for […]

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance – PS5 Review

April 11, 2026 in PS5 / Reviews tagged 2D Platformer / ariel / bit bot media / crystal dynamics / elalith / kain / legacy of kain ascendance / raziel / retro aesthetic / the dead shall rise by Mike

I don’t think I’ll be good enough to truly smash my way through a tricky 2D platformer. I always give them a shot but I just don’t have the dexterity or patience to get over the line. Lovish arrives from LABS Works with plenty of bitesize levels and responsive controls. […]

Lovish – PS5 Review

February 16, 2026 in PS5 / Reviews tagged 2d retro platformer / bosses / devil lord / gaslighting / hypnosis / LABS Works / lovish / precision / retro aesthetic / save the princess by Mike

I can be in the mood for a 2D platformer. Shadow of the Orient is Spacelab Games is a small Canadian developer and this is their first release. It’s been out on mobile platforms for a few years but now a console port has brought to the Playstation 5. The […]

Shadow of the Orient – PS5 Review

April 11, 2025 in PS5 / Reviews tagged 2d platforming / China / collecting / gems / Pixel art / retro aesthetic / shadow of the orient / spacelab games / speedrun by Mike

Thunder Kid II: Null Mission came out on PC a couple of years ago and now lands on PS4 and PS5 courtesy of eastasiasoft. Grizz reviewed the first game here not too long ago and this seems to very much follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. You play as […]

Thunder Kid II: Null Mission – PS4/PS5 Review

June 17, 2022 in PS4 / PS5 / Reviews tagged eastasiasoft / easy platinum / null mission / retro aesthetic / short / thunder kid by Gareth

Music Racer Ultimate is a rehash of a prior 2020 PS4 release by Abstract Art, that port being down to publisher Sometimes You and Light Road Games. The idea is that you can play using your own music to generate your own unique levels. At least that’s the idea. Sorta […]

Music Racer Ultimate – PS5 Review

March 20, 2022 in PS4 / PS5 / Reviews tagged cy young / dave stieb / music racer ultimate / retro aesthetic / synthwave by Ian

Alwa’s Legacy comes from Elden Pixels after a successful kickstarter and a 2020 PC release. It was well received for its focus on exploration and interesting tweaks on player traversal. Metroidvania’s might be commonplace on game stores but it’s been a while since one strayed across my path. Thankfully, this […]

Alwa’s Legacy – PS4 Review

December 25, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged 2D Platformer / adventure / alwa's legacy / amnesia / catacombs / elden pixels / exploration / magic / metroidvania / retro aesthetic by Mike

Sometimes I’m in the mood for some bite-sized and simple. More Dark by HugePixel fits that bill. With dozens of relatively quick puzzles, this teaser looks to put players’ problem solving to the test. With a couple of tricks up its sleeve, this cheap platformer is enjoyable to play through […]

More Dark – PS4 Review

December 1, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged hugepixel / more dark / platformer / puzzle / ratalaika / retro aesthetic by Mike

Another week, another Ratalaika release. For the most part, Neon Junctions by developer Nine Tentacles is a great experience. Embracing the synthwave retro aesthetic so beloved of Far Cry: Blood Dragon et al, Neon Junctions is a great puzzle game with a simple concept well executed. My father-in-law nailed it […]

Neon Junctions – PS4 Review

June 11, 2019 in PS4 / Reviews / Vita tagged ratalaika / retro aesthetic / synthwave by Ian

Real time strategy games on console don’t tend to come around too often and, when they do, they have to battle against a control scheme so different to a mouse and keyboard. Petroglyth Games are the latest to try and bring a PC title across to the big black boxes […]

8-Bit Armies – PS4 Review

October 7, 2018 in PS4 / Reviews tagged 8-Bit armies / isometric viewpoint / petroglyth games / real time strategy / retro aesthetic by Mike