Category: Classic

Kingdom Hearts has always been an unusual yet charming combination of ideas, bringing together Disney characters, elements of Final Fantasy and an increasingly elaborate mythology about hearts, memories and the battle between light and darkness. What began with Sora leaving his island home in search of his friends has grown into a sprawling saga spanning multiple games, protagonists and timelines. Kingdom Hearts Collection [I ~ III], published by Square Enix, brings most of this journey together in one package on PlayStation 5, making it considerably easier for newcomers to catch up before the next numbered instalment. However, while the collection offers an enormous amount of content, its value depends heavily on whether players are discovering the series for the first time or returning to adventures they may already own. Continue reading “KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I～III] review (PS5)”

Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 was released in 2010, but its video game adaptation managed to stand out in a genre that was often associated with rushed, uninspired tie-ins. Developed by Avalanche Software, the original game offered more than a straightforward recreation of the animated film, combining a story-driven platform adventure with a surprisingly substantial sandbox mode. Now, Atari and Digital Eclipse are bringing that experience back with Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3 Complete Edition, an updated release that improves the presentation and gathers previously exclusive content into one package. While this return to Andy’s toy box demonstrates that the original game still has plenty of charm, it also makes clear that a better-looking version of an older game is not necessarily a fully modernised one. Continue reading “Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3 Complete Edition review”

The era of movie tie-in games produced plenty of forgettable releases, but it also gave players some surprisingly creative adaptations that deserve more than a passing mention in gaming history. Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup!, published by Atari and curated by Digital Eclipse, revisits this period by bringing together eleven versions of games released between 1995 and 2001. Alongside Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s early digital adventures, the collection includes A Bug’s Life, offering a glimpse into how developers approached the same animated properties across different generations of consoles and handhelds. Rather than rebuilding these games for a modern audience, the collection largely preserves their original forms, complete with the quirks and limitations that came with them. This approach makes the package particularly interesting as a historical archive, although it also means that nostalgia cannot always compensate for outdated design. Continue reading “Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup! review”

DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered brings one of the most influential entries in Koei Tecmo’s long-running action franchise back to life, combining the original PlayStation 2 game with its Xtreme Legends expansion. Rather than attempting to reinvent a formula that has since become familiar to millions of players, this remastered edition aims to preserve the foundations of the musou genre while making the experience more comfortable for modern hardware. The results are impressive in several respects, particularly where the visual overhaul and additional combat options are concerned, but some of the limitations that come with revisiting a game from 2001 remain firmly in place. For returning fans, that familiarity is part of the appeal; for newcomers accustomed to the faster pace of more recent entries, it can be a mixed blessing. Continue reading “DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered review (PS5)”

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War are an interesting pair to revisit in 2026. Both games were ambitious open-world action adventures in their respective eras, but their biggest contribution to the genre was arguably the Nemesis System, which gave Orc enemies memories, rivalries and personalities and turned encounters into stories of their own. The Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle brings the Game of the Year Edition of the first game and the Definitive Edition of its sequel to Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time, offering a substantial amount of content in one package. The games themselves remain remarkably compelling, although the conversion to Nintendo’s newer hardware feels more functional than transformative. Continue reading “Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle review (Switch 2)”