Category: Reviews

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)”