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There is something slightly intimidating about the idea of taking four Marvel characters into a fighting game and expecting the whole thing not to descend into complete chaos. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls does indeed throw plenty of heroes and villains onto the screen, but Arc System Works has found a surprisingly elegant way of making its 4v4 formula work. Rather than simply revisiting the old Marvel vs. Capcom formula with a fresh coat of paint, Tōkon gives its tag-team battles their own rhythm, with a shared health bar and team members gradually becoming available as the fight progresses. That makes it possible to concentrate on a single favorite character if you want to keep things simple, while also providing plenty of incentive to learn how the other members of your team can complement one another. It takes a little while before all of this clicks, but once it does, the result is an unusually energetic fighting game that feels distinctly like its own thing. Continue reading “MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls review (PS5)”

At first glance, Kusan: City of Wolves looks like it wants to be the next Hotline Miami. The top-down perspective, instant deaths, blood-soaked rooms and relentless pace make that comparison almost impossible to avoid, but thankfully CIRCLEfromDOT has done enough with the formula to give its game a personality of its own. Set in a grim cyberpunk metropolis where corruption, criminal organisations and technological augmentation have become part of everyday life, the game puts us in control of Jin, a former soldier turned mercenary whose latest assignment quickly develops into something much more personal. What initially appears to be a straightforward rescue mission involving a mysterious girl called Haru gradually grows into a conspiracy involving Jin’s past, betrayal and the balance of power within Kusan. The story isn’t going to redefine videogame storytelling, and some of its twists are telegraphed well in advance, but it is considerably more interesting than we might expect from a game so heavily focused on killing everything in sight. The comic-book presentation between missions also works particularly well, giving the narrative a distinctive visual identity while keeping the momentum moving. Continue reading “Kusan: City of Wolves review (PS5)”

PAW Patrol: Dino World takes the familiar formula of the long-running children’s franchise and gives it a prehistoric makeover, sending Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma to Dino Island to deal with yet another Mayor Humdinger-induced crisis. This time, the trouble involves frightened dinosaurs, separated families and a volcano that threatens to make matters considerably worse. It is not exactly a story that will keep older players on the edge of their seats, but that is hardly the point. The narrative is straightforward enough for younger players to follow without assistance, while the colorful cast and gentle presentation make it feel like a playable episode of the television series. The lack of much narrative depth can be noticeable, though, especially when the game starts without much setup and largely relies on the familiar PAW Patrol formula to carry things forward. Continue reading “PAW Patrol: Dino World review (PS5)”

The King is Watching takes a wonderfully absurd premise and turns it into the foundation for a surprisingly demanding strategy game. As the ruler of a kingdom where absolutely nobody seems interested in working unless the king is looking directly at them, we are given a very particular form of royal responsibility: deciding what deserves our attention at any given moment. Farms stop producing when they fall outside our gaze, barracks stop training troops, and resource buildings become little more than expensive decorations when we look elsewhere. It is a simple idea, but one that immediately gives the game its own identity. Narratively, there is little beyond the setup, and anyone hoping for elaborate world-building, memorable characters or a substantial campaign story will find very little here. Instead, the humor and personality come from the premise itself and from the increasingly ridiculous situations our short-sighted monarchy creates. Continue reading “The King is Watching review (PS5)”

There is something immediately familiar about Duskfade, and that is both its greatest strength and its biggest hurdle. Weird Beluga clearly grew up with the same 3D platformers that shaped an entire generation, and its adventure wears those influences proudly, from the colorful worlds and cheeky companion to the combination of platforming, exploration and combat. Anyone with fond memories of Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank or Kingdom Hearts will probably feel at home within minutes. The problem is that familiarity can occasionally become predictability, particularly during the opening half of the adventure, when Duskfade sometimes feels more like an exceptionally polished tribute than a game determined to establish its own identity. Fortunately, there is considerably more substance here than simple nostalgia, and the further we progress, the more convincing that distinction becomes. Continue reading “Duskfade review (PS5)”