Docked sees Saber Interactive stepping into the niche world of industrial simulation, swapping muddy trails and wilderness logistics for the bustling machinery and tight logistics of a working port. Set in the recovering harbor of Port Wake after a devastating hurricane, the game frames its operations around rebuilding a family-run dockyard while restoring supply chains and infrastructure. While the premise provides just enough narrative motivation to contextualize the work ahead, Docked ultimately leans far more on its simulation mechanics than on storytelling, using the rebuilding effort mainly as a framework for a steady stream of contracts and operational challenges. Continue reading “Docked review (PS5)”
Category: New
Poker Night at the Inventory review (PS5)
Originally released in 2010 as a quirky side project from Telltale Games, Poker Night at the Inventory was always something of an oddity – a crossover comedy where characters from different corners of gaming culture gathered around a poker table for an evening of banter and bluffing. Now remastered by Skunkape Games, a studio formed by former Telltale developers, the game returns with a fresh coat of paint and a new console audience. The premise remains as delightfully simple as ever: you sit down in a mysterious underground club to play Texas Hold’em against a strange mix of personalities – Max from Sam & Max, Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, Tycho from Penny Arcade, and the Heavy from Team Fortress 2. What follows isn’t a story-driven adventure but a conversational card game where the true entertainment comes from the personalities around the table rather than the stakes in the pot. Continue reading “Poker Night at the Inventory review (PS5)”
Manairons review (PS5)
Developed by 3Cat and published by Jandusoft, Manairons is a 3D action-platformer rooted in Catalan folklore. Set in the Pyrenees, the game draws inspiration from regional myths about mischievous magical creatures known as manairons. Players take control of Nai, a recently awakened member of this species who emerges from a magical container known as the “canut” after centuries of confinement. With a local village falling under the control of an industrial-minded landowner named Llorenç, Nai’s quest becomes one of restoring balance by freeing fellow manairons and dismantling the machinery-driven chaos that has overtaken the once-peaceful settlement of Vilamont. The premise mixes humor, folklore, and environmental themes, giving the adventure a distinctive identity, even if the story itself remains fairly lightweight and largely serves as a framework for the platforming challenges ahead. Continue reading “Manairons review (PS5)”
Port roundup: Hunt the Night, Cryptical Path & Soulshard
With the steady flow of indie titles making their way to new platforms, the PlayStation 5 continues to receive a diverse mix of smaller-scale projects that might have flown under the radar during their original releases. This roundup takes a look at three such games – Hunt the Night, Cryptical Path, and Soulshard – each bringing a very different flavor of gameplay to Sony’s console. From gothic action-RPG combat to experimental roguelite design and minimalist precision platforming, these ports highlight both the creativity and the occasional rough edges that often come with ambitious indie efforts. While none of them aim for blockbuster scale, each offers its own distinct ideas and atmosphere, making them interesting additions to the PS5’s growing indie library. Continue reading “Port roundup: Hunt the Night, Cryptical Path & Soulshard”
Planet of Lana II review (PS5)
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a rare sequel that doesn’t merely re-run the script of its predecessor, but refines it with purpose and heart. Picking up after the events of the first game, Lana and her four-legged companion Mui are propelled from a world just barely at peace into one shaped by deeper ecological imbalance and emergent existential threats. Whereas the original’s threat was distant and inscrutable, here it is personal: the sister-figure at the center of Lana’s life is stricken with a mysterious sickness and the cure lies scattered across varied territories, drawing the pair into landscapes both sublime and unforgiving. This narrative premise is elegantly woven without spoken dialogue, relying on body language and an invented tongue that invites active interpretation rather than spoon-feeding exposition. That choice reinforces a theme of subjective storytelling, though it can at times leave players craving a clearer emotional anchor. Continue reading “Planet of Lana II review (PS5)”
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