April 2024

PLAY

The ultimate guide to PlayStation gaming, offering complete coverage of PS4, PS3 and PS Vita

PLAY3 min read
Welcome
Final Fantasy and PlayStation go hand in hand like little else third-party. For many, the defining memories of both PS1 and the RPG series are of being blown away by the seventh entry, but it’s a series that has grown and flourished, taking many dire
PLAY4 min read
Kojima Doubles Down On PS5
We’d assumed Hideo Kojima was all-in on Xbox after he spent five hours of his allotted stage time at last year’s Game Awards talking up the game he was making for that console. But then he appeared in Sony’s first State Of Play stream for 2024, and i
PLAY3 min read
No Exit
Silent Hill is a series about being trapped by the past. In both the 2001 PS2 original and Bloober Team’s upcoming remake, James Sunderland travels to the town of Silent Hill in search of a time in his life he knows on at least some level is impossib
PLAY1 min read
Mind The Mutants
When there’s nowhere left to run, sometimes all you can do is go back to the beginning. Metro Awakening presents a prequel to the subterranean scares of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky’s post-apocalyptic novel series – with a gripping twist. Like in
PLAY3 min read
A Grand Prix Star Is Rising
Our team can all fit round a table. There’s only ten of us,” says New Star Games’ community manager Mark Baldwin. “We’ve never done anything like this before, it’s completely out of our comfort zone.” Well, if that’s the case, how come the studio’s G
PLAY2 min read
Tasting Tartarus
What are you to do after a long Dark Hour slaying shadows? Slurp some ramen with a Social Link bestie, that’s what, whether in a game or in real life. Noodle restaurant chain Yokocho is celebrating the release of Persona 3 Reload (read our review on
PLAY1 min read
All hail Shadow
When’s a remaster not a remaster? When it’s ajar just enough for something new to slip in. Sonic X Shadow Generations isn’t merely a prettied-up version of the excellent 2011 PS3 game, it features a whole new campaign centring Shadow. First introduce
PLAY3 min read
Campfires
This has to be one of the most iconic fireside chats in all of gaming history: seeing your comrades gather around to reunite with their friend Robo, who has been working for 400 years while the others were only gone for a minute. Never mind Robo-expl
PLAY2 min read
Are Exclusives Still Worthwhile Nowadays?
OPERATIONS EDITOR Having been making games magazines for more years than I’ll stick a number on, other-console and multi-platform as well as PlayStation, I’m tired of console wars, which bring out the worst in players. The only good reason for a game
PLAY2 min read
“Hello Again, Prince Of Persia… Let’s See Other Past Heroes Reinvented.”
Everything in entertainment comes full circle eventually. Motown songs get sampled in contemporary hip-hop, Hollywood studios remake celluloid favourites from the 1980s and 1990s, and games are following suit, most recently with Prince Of Persia enjo
PLAY2 min read
“If Sony Wants To Go Big On Triple-a, Roguelike Updates Are The Answer.”
Nowadays videogame budgets regularly stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Development schedules can leave a studio’s fans waiting half a decade or more for a new game. And if Sony wants to continue to invest in its massive, headline-grab
PLAY4 min read
Harold Halibut
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2024 / PUB SLOW BROS DEV SLOW BROS / PLAYERS 1 The science fiction genre always feels rather serious, which is why Harold Halibut is a breath of fresh air. Not that the residents of the space shuttle Fedora would know what that
PLAY3 min read
Rise Of The Ronin
FORMAT PS5 / ETA 22 MAR / PUB SONY / DEV TEAM NINJA, XDEV / PLAYERS 1 Past and future, brother and sister, East and West – how each of these pairs picks a path forward, between ‘unity’ and ‘conflict,’ weaves through the heart of Team Ninja’s most amb
PLAY2 min read
Until Dawn
FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2024 / PUB SONY DEV BALLISTIC MOON / PLAYERS 1 Not ten years since its original launch, Supermassive Games’ first teen slasher romp is being remastered. In it, a year after a mean-spirited prank went horrifically wrong, a group of ch
PLAY2 min read
Dave The Diver
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA APRIL / PUB MINTROCKET / DEV MINTROCKET / PLAYERS 1 There’s one thing you need to know about Dave: he loves to dive. He’s also friendly and warm to a fault, making him oblivious to the possible villainy of some of his friends, a
PLAY2 min read
Stilt
FORMAT PSVR2 / ETA 2024 / PUB VRKIWI / DEV REKT GAMES / PLAYERS 1 Here’s hoping you don’t suffer from motion sickness for this one. This VR platformer takes place entirely within a first-person view, and the game has you hurling yourself from ledge t
PLAY2 min read
Naiad
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA TBC PUB HIWARP / DEV HIWARP / PLAYERS 1 An adventure that’s well on its way to becoming this year’s most relaxing indie, Naiad plays like a dream. Twinkling melodies and warm ambient synths guide you through this serene adventur
PLAY3 min read
Freedom Planet 2
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 4 APR / PUB MARVELOUS EUROPE / DEV GALAXYTRAIL / PLAYERS 1 There aren’t many modern games that copy Sonic The Hedgehog’s 2D platforming template, which is odd considering how popular those games remain. That’s especially true on
PLAY4 min read
Dragon’s Dogma 2
FORMAT PS5 / ETA 22 MAR / PUB CAPCOM / DEV CAPCOM / PLAYERS 1 We only review finished games, so in Viewpoint we go hands-on with near-final code of a game that just missed our review deadline. Oscar Taylor-Kent is living his best life, teaching a tro
PLAY10 min read
Sunrise On A New Adventure
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA SUMMER 2024 / PUB SQUARE ENIXDEV SQUARE ENIX CREATIVE BUSINESS UNIT III / PLAYERS MULTI The last ten years of FFXIV have taken the Warriors Of Light on a truly epic journey; players have fought gods, stopped the tide of imperial
PLAY6 min read
Lucky Number Seven
FORMAT PS5 / ETA 29 FEB / PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV SQUARE ENIX CREATIVE BUSINESS UNIT I / PLAYERS 1 With everything that’s just happened (see ‘Remake recap’, opposite), gun-arm-slinging environmental activist Barret asks an obvious question: what’s the st
PLAY11 min read
Spin City
Square Enix’s premier RPG series is known for its rich worlds, so it’s no surprise that during its 35-year history the devs have often expanded on them beyond the main numbered titles. Whether that’s via remakes with a twist like FFVII Rebirth (p54),
PLAY4 min read
Ultros
So you didn’t have ‘pruning the wayward garden of an alien tomb on the edge of black hole, while a sleeping universe-eating god may or may not wake up’ on your bucket list? Well, you’re doing it anyway. The first time you run through The Sarcophagus’
PLAY9 min read
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Harley Quinn, clowned queen of crime, might want to bonk us on the head with her epic-tier mallet for making comparisons to the Arkham series. But like Batman on the case, it’s impossible not to see the connections. We’re sure the great detective wou
PLAY5 min read
Persona 3 Reload
What’s the purpose of a remake? That’s a question with a hundred answers. But with Persona 3 Reload, a full overhaul of the PS2 RPG, Atlus’ intention seems clear: to make it appear as close to Persona 5 as possible, ensuring that the fifth game’s meg
PLAY4 min read
Touhou Luna Nights
As metroidvania games become more intricate, there’s something refreshing about going back to basics. And Touhou Luna Nights – a spinoff from long-running cult series Touhou Project – certainly strips the genre down to its fundamentals. Compact and b
PLAY5 min read
Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden
Not often do you hear someone say they should’ve stayed in England, but when Red mac Raith and Antea Duarte set foot in what is to become the United States in 1695 it’s hardly a welcoming place owing to evil spirits roaming the land. That’s nothing t
PLAY4 min read
Pacific Drive
This is like Control, only the weirdness is out in the world instead of inside the FBC. Also, instead of a gun and supernatural powers you have a vehicle that needs constant attention. Okay, it’s not that much like Control, apart from the atmosphere.
PLAY5 min read
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
The world on the verge of destruction? A magical damsel in distress? A sword as tall and wide as a fridge-freezer? Must be an RPG! Although this series is now ten years old, it’s thus far failed to make much of an impact in most English-speaking coun
PLAY4 min read
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
Back in 1996, Tomb Raider was revolutionary. It’s hard to imagine a time before 3D adventure games, but this was the first one. Defining an entire genre on the first attempt, original developer Core Design made a game for the ages. The trouble is, it
PLAY2 min read
Lil’ Guardsman
Forced to cover her dad’s shift working as a guard at the castle gate, 12-year-old Lil has had a big responsibility thrust on her. It’s her task to size up the fantasy folk who are seeking entry to the kingdom of the Sprawl and either admit them or b
PLAY3 min read
Akka Arrh
You’d be forgiven for not knowing what is happening the first time you play this. The original Atari game was, after all, a prototype that was never officially released as it was deemed too difficult by testers. To an extent the psychedelic visuals o
PLAY2 min read
Foamstars
There’s no getting around this being a loving homage to/shameless ripoff of Nintendo’s colourful inkslinging shooter Splatoon, albeit here your task is to spray gaudy foam to win. Initially you’re trying to foam up as much territory as possible to ma
PLAY4 min read
PS5 Hall Of Fame
Based on fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, developer Larian has apparently bottled the essence of only our most electric tabletop sessions to serve up an incredible RPG return. Offering a wealth of options for crafting your own adventurer – and ‘yes,
PLAY2 min read
Play On
Final Fantasy XVI delivered an eikonic smackdown that still reverberates throughout our hall of fame. High fantasy stakes plus a combat system with a light character action flavour is a winning formula. If you’re hungry for more, take a look at these
PLAY4 min read
PS4 Hall Of Fame
You won’t find another open world quite like this, the streets of Los Santos paling in comparison to this gorgeous, realistic western sprawl. Arthur Morgan’s wild west adventure is epic, emotional, and has enough teasing mysteries on every horizon fo
PLAY2 min read
Taylor Made Deals
£15.95 approx (PS5, thegamecollection.net) Super price for a heroic game Drink at the bar with Wolverine, whack enemies into the waiting arms of Spider-Man, and help your good pal Blade navigate romance. You can do it all if you play your cards right
PLAY2 min read
What’s New Plus-sy Cat?
PS Plus brought more than just warm fuzzies this February. First up in the selection of free games was Steelrising. Only on PS5, this soulslike reimagines the French Revolution if it were chock-full of robots. Then on PS5 and PS4 was the day-one rele
PLAY4 min read
PSVR2 Hall Of Fame
Telekinesis and guns make a wonderful combo in VR. With one mapped to your left hand and the other to your right, you feel like a conductor of chaos as you blast your way through a rogue colonel’s mind to uncover secrets. Eye-tracking is wonderfully
PLAY2 min read
Dark Souls II
Before becoming the critical and commercial darling that made Elden Ring, FromSoftware released one of the most divisive sequels ever: Dark Souls II. Lacking both the intricate world design of the original and its visionary director (who was making B
PLAY2 min read
Ribbie
No wrestling game has ever been so thoroughly despised and mocked with internet memes quite like WWE 2K20. It felt unfinished upon release, following the decision to let long-time developer Yuke’s go halfway through development. Indeed, 2K20 was so a
PLAY3 min read
Hyper Light Drifter
Pixel art is often deployed to give games a retro feel but when used well it can do so much more. For its first game, Hyper Light Drifter, indie studio Heart Machine wielded the power of the pixel to give its 2D action adventure a darker edge. Someho
PLAY2 min read
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
The answer to your first question is yes, this slightly creaky interactive interpretation is still superior to the film that inflicted the idea of midichlorians onto the world. However, the game has issues of its own today, beginning with the way it
PLAY1 min read
A BRIEF HISTORY OF Kart racers
The first Crash Team Racing game was released in 2001, with sequels following. Yes, Smurfs Kart for PS4 and PS5 really happened in 2023. 2006’s Mortal Kombat: Armageddon had a truly awful Motor Kombat minigame. Although rarely talked about today, Mod
PLAY2 min read
Believe The Hype
FORMAT PS3 / PUB SONY / DEV NINJA THEORY / RELEASED 2007 The PS3 trailers of E3 2005 were a lot to live up to. But while Heavenly Sword didn’t quite justify the phenomenal hype when it dropped in 2007, it managed to live up to one promise; PS3 had be
PLAY1 min read
Play
Editor Oscar Taylor-Kent @MrOscarTK [email protected] – 01225 442244 Managing Art Editor Milford Coppock Operations Editor Miriam McDonald Games Editor Jessica Kinghorn @KoeniginKatze Editorial Director, Games Tony Mott Group Art Direct

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