Three decades on from its original release, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition arrives as both celebration and concession: a tribute that lovingly preserves the roots of Ubisoft’s limbless hero, yet feels curiously content to stay rooted almost entirely in the past. Rather than celebrating Rayman from a wider perspective, Digital Eclipse’s package places the very first entry at the forefront. Available here in five different incarnations, Rayman comes with both modern conveniences and archival flourishes. It’s a pleasure to witness this cornerstone of platforming history made playable on current hardware again, but it’s equally a shame that the anniversary hinges so much on a single title, with precious little extension beyond it. Continue reading “Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition review”
Under The Island review (PS5)
Under The Island positions itself as a loving tribute to old-school top-down adventure games, and on the new PlayStation 5 port that nostalgic impulse is immediately evident from the moment you step ashore on Seashell Island. The premise – that protagonist Nia has uprooted her life only to discover her new home is fated to sink unless its secrets are unraveled – sets a brisk pace for exploration, but the game’s narrative delivery keeps things light and breezy rather than deeply emotional. Relationships with quirky locals, including Nia’s fast friendship with Avocado, are more about character flavor than dramatic tension; this can make for a pleasant, chatty world, but rarely yields memorable story arcs. That balance between whimsy and substance is emblematic of what Under The Island ultimately achieves: a charming, character-filled setting that avoids heavy storytelling in favor of playful engagement. Continue reading “Under The Island review (PS5)”
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 review (Switch 2)
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 as a third chapter in Nacon’s long-running racing franchise, taking its cue from past outings with a renewed focus on building a legacy in the competitive world of car culture. The headline addition – a campaign that shuttles players from the sun-soaked coastlines of France to the tight mountain passes of Japan – gives the series its most scenic backdrops yet, and there’s genuine charm in the concept of expanding your club’s influence across continents. At times this narrative backdrop feels thin – characters and story beats never quite transcend formulaic racing tropes – but it does inject purpose into the succession of events, especially when your success literally reshapes your garage and headquarters. Continue reading “Gear.Club Unlimited 3 review (Switch 2)”
Aphelion preview (Xbox)
With its blend of intimate character drama and high-concept science fiction, Aphelion positions itself as a cinematic survival adventure that leans as heavily on emotional tension as it does on environmental peril. Published by DON’T NOD and previewed here on Xbox, the game strands two astronauts on the edge of the solar system and asks whether fractured relationships can endure where humanity itself nearly could not. Continue reading “Aphelion preview (Xbox)”
Port roundup: Death Howl, Vampire Therapist, Baladins & No Sleep For Kaname Date
Our latest batch of ports landing on PlayStation 5 ranges from the grief-soaked tactical deckbuilding of Death Howl to the gothic, therapy-infused visual novel stylings of Vampire Therapist, from the tabletop-inspired communal adventuring of Baladins to the absurdist sci-fi escapades of No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files. Each arrives with its own tonal ambitions and mechanical priorities intact. What unites them is not genre or scale, but the question every port must answer: how well does this experience translate – not just technically, but contextually – when given new life on Sony’s current-gen hardware? Continue reading “Port roundup: Death Howl, Vampire Therapist, Baladins & No Sleep For Kaname Date”
Press Play Media 