Category: Games

After experimenting with the narrative-heavy format of Hitchhiker, German developer Mad About Pandas takes a more gameplay-focused approach with Yerba Buena, though storytelling still remains central to the experience. Set in a stylized version of 1970s San Francisco, the game follows Barb, a young woman trying to find her place in the city after recently arriving there. Her ordinary life is quickly disrupted when her friend Russell is abducted by a biker named Bear, who accidentally drops a strange device called the Oscillator during the chase. From there, Yerba Buena spirals into increasingly surreal territory, gradually revealing that Barb is merely an NPC inside a deteriorating videogame world plagued by glitches, corrupted systems and conflicting layers of reality. It’s an unusual setup that embraces its own absurdity, but the way the mystery steadily unfolds keeps the story engaging throughout its ten-hour runtime. Continue reading “Yerba Buena review (PS5)”

Necrophosis: Full Consciousness arrives on PlayStation 5 as a bundled edition of Dragonis Ares and Adonis Brosteanu’s surreal horror adventure alongside its additional Subconsciousness chapter, and it immediately establishes itself as one of the more visually distinctive releases in the genre. Set in a decaying universe where flesh, bone and cosmic ruin have become inseparable, the game leans heavily into Lovecraft-inspired imagery and oppressive atmosphere. Rather than delivering traditional horror through combat or jump scares, it opts for a slower and more contemplative descent into existential dread, using grotesque environmental storytelling and poetic narration to create a world that feels equal parts unsettling and fascinating. While that approach won’t satisfy players looking for a more conventionally frightening experience, it does help Necrophosis carve out a unique identity. Continue reading “Necrophosis: Full Consciousness review (PS5)”

More than twenty years after Psyvariar 2, it’s genuinely surprising to see the series return with a proper new entry rather than another remaster compilation. Even more surprising is just how confident Psyvariar 3 feels from the moment it starts throwing bullets across the screen. Developed by Banana Bytes in collaboration with Red Art Studios, this long-dormant vertical shooter doesn’t try to reinvent the series so much as modernise its core identity, leaning heavily into the same high-risk philosophy that made the originals stand out among the crowded arcade shooter landscape of the early 2000s. The narrative backdrop involving GUIS, Gluon particles and another looming threat to Earth is present largely as framing rather than meaningful storytelling, but that’s perfectly in line with the genre’s priorities. Psyvariar 3 understands that its real appeal lies in tension, reflexes and the constant temptation to flirt with danger. Continue reading “Psyvariar 3 review”

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen, the second Bluey game, immediately feels like a much more confident attempt at adapting the enormously popular animated series into video game form. Developed by Halfbrick Studios and written around an original story from Bluey creator Joe Brumm, the game smartly leans into the imagination-fuelled storytelling that defines the show instead of simply recreating familiar episodes. The setup sees Bluey and Bingo turning an argument over a missing gold pen into a fantasy adventure where Bandit becomes a mischievous villain and entire worlds are shaped by the sisters’ drawings and make-believe games. It’s a premise that gives the developers plenty of freedom to experiment visually while still preserving the warmth and playful family dynamic fans expect from Bluey. Continue reading “Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen review (PS5)”