Kaboomania is the kind of game that immediately knows which audience it is trying to reach. Developed for the Amiga but making its way to modern platforms as well, Fancy Factory’s maze bomber is proudly built around old-school design principles, colorful pixel art and the simple but enduring appeal of placing explosives in carefully chosen locations. On PlayStation 5, it doesn’t attempt to disguise those roots with unnecessary modern systems or a more elaborate narrative. Instead, players take control of Scott Whiskers, who finds himself trapped inside the game and needs to blast his way through its enormous collection of stages. It is a deliberately lightweight premise, but one that fits the arcade-like structure well and gets out of the way quickly. Continue reading “Kaboomania review (PS5)”
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy review (4K)
Lee Cronin made a strong impression on the horror genre with Evil Dead Rise, and Lee Cronin’s The Mummy immediately signals that this is not intended to be another traditional take on the famous wrapped monster. Instead, this Warner Bros. production turns its premise into a dark supernatural possession story, following journalist Charlie Cannon, his wife Larissa and their family after their daughter Katie disappears in Egypt. Eight years later, Katie is found alive inside an ancient sarcophagus, wrapped in deteriorating burial cloths and carrying far more than the trauma of her disappearance back into the family home. It is an intriguing setup, and the Egyptian mythology, ancient languages and mystery surrounding Katie’s return provide the film with some genuinely interesting ideas to explore. Continue reading “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy review (4K)”
No More Room in Hell 2 review (PS5)
No More Room in Hell 2 arrives on PlayStation 5 with a much harsher interpretation of cooperative zombie survival than the genre’s more action-oriented heavyweights. Published and developed by Torn Banner Studios, the sequel puts players in the shoes of Responders trying to survive missions across a zombie-ravaged United States, but the premise is less concerned with telling an elaborate scripted story than creating individual tales of survival. Missions become stories in themselves as players scavenge for equipment, search for other survivors, complete objectives and desperately attempt to reach extraction. The fact that Responders can be permanently lost gives these otherwise familiar zombie-apocalypse scenarios considerably more weight, especially when a character has survived enough missions to build up valuable perks and equipment. Continue reading “No More Room in Hell 2 review (PS5)”
Port roundup: Everspace 2, Wobbly Life & Super Woden: Rally Edge
With new hardware comes another chance to revisit games that may have already found an audience elsewhere, and this latest batch of ports shows just how different that experience can be depending on the game and platform. From the expansive space RPG of EVERSPACE 2: Galactic Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, to the chaotic sandbox antics of Wobbly Life and the retro rally action of Super Woden: Rally Edge on PS5, these releases all bring familiar formulas to new audiences while making their own compromises along the way. Some benefit considerably from the strengths of their new hardware, while others reveal the limitations that come with squeezing ambitious experiences onto different platforms. In this roundup, we take a look at how these recently ported games hold up in their new homes and whether they are worth playing all over again. Continue reading “Port roundup: Everspace 2, Wobbly Life & Super Woden: Rally Edge”
Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia review
Microids and Ocellus Studio return to Palombia with Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia, a sequel that doesn’t radically rethink the colorful 2D platforming formula established by Hoobadventure, but does make some welcome changes where they matter most. The story itself is little more than an excuse to get the three Marsupilamis moving again, as a mysterious musical curse sends Palombia’s animals into a chaotic dance and puts the Mummy Queen and her minions at the centre of the trouble. There isn’t much narrative development beyond that initial setup, and anyone hoping for a deeper adventure built around the characters will probably find it disappointingly thin. Fortunately, this is very much a game where the platforming is expected to do the heavy lifting, and for the most part it succeeds. Continue reading “Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia review”