At a glance, Ruffy and the Riverside may look like another lighthearted 3D platformer in the mold of classic mascot adventures with a striking visual style, but it only takes a few minutes with its reality-bending SWAP mechanic to realize that Zockrates Laboratories has come up with something far more inventive. Built around the idea that you can literally copy and paste textures from one object to another – turning lava into ice or waterfalls into climbable vines – the game doesn’t just invite creativity, it demands it. Played on a PlayStation 5, the experience is very imaginative, and fun despite a few rough edges. Continue reading “Ruffy and the Riverside review (PS5)”
Author: Press Play Media
Front Mission 3: Remake review (Switch)
Forever Entertainment’s remake of Front Mission 3 arrives at a time when tactical RPGs are seeing a welcome resurgence, but it also carries the weight of expectations from fans who remember the original as one of the genre’s cornerstones. With the original’s complex storyline, layered mech customization, and branching campaign paths, this was always going to be one of the trickier titles in the Front Mission series to modernize. The Nintendo Switch version does a respectable job bringing the game into the current generation, and should be a welcome title for those who enjoyed the previous remakes. Continue reading “Front Mission 3: Remake review (Switch)”
Still Wakes the Deep – Siren’s Rest review (PS5)
Still Wakes the Deep made waves earlier this year with its intensely atmospheric blend of narrative horror and environmental storytelling. With Siren’s Rest, The Chinese Room returns to the haunted wreck of the Beira D — only this time, players experience its horrors from a new perspective: that of Mhairi, a diver sent into the ocean’s abyss to uncover the truth behind the rig’s mysterious fate. It’s a DLC that doesn’t reinvent the core gameplay loop but expands the game’s setting and emotional resonance in clever and deeply unsettling ways, but it’s also very much on the short side. Continue reading “Still Wakes the Deep – Siren’s Rest review (PS5)”
Soulstone Survivors review (PS5)
There’s a particular thrill in watching dozens or even hundreds of enemies evaporate in a wave of particle effects, and Soulstone Survivors, developed and published by Game Smithing Limited, taps into that exact fantasy. It joins the rapidly expanding “survivor-like” subgenre of action roguelites (that is still heavily inspired by Vampire Survivors) but adds a high-gloss, full-3D coat of paint and deeper build customization to set itself apart. On PlayStation 5, the game’s horde-clearing spectacle feels smooth and endlessly addictive, even if its presentation and long-term progression can struggle to keep up with its action-packed ambitions. Continue reading “Soulstone Survivors review (PS5)”
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition review (Xbox)
It’s been over a decade since Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine first threw players into the battle-scarred boots of Captain Titus, but with the Master Crafted Edition, the brutal action classic returns with a new coat of paint, a trove of DLC, and a promise to deliver its signature blend of guns, chainswords, and grimdark spectacle to modern consoles. Released on Xbox with enhancements courtesy of SneakyBox and published once again by SEGA, this refreshed version offers a welcome opportunity to revisit one of the most memorable third-person shooters of its generation – even if it can’t fully hide the age of its foundations and has been overshadowed by the excellent sequel. Continue reading “Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition review (Xbox)”
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