Anno 117: Pax Romana review (PS5)

From the moment one assumes the mantle of governor in Anno 117: Pax Romana, the game casts a deliberate balance between grand ambition and measured calm. Set in the Roman era, the title invites the player to shape provinces, build cities, and carve out influence – whether through culture, commerce or the sword. Although the series’ familiar city-builder roots are discernible, the shift to ancient Rome carries a sense of fresh identity and context that the development team at Ubisoft Mainz have clearly embraced. Continue reading “Anno 117: Pax Romana review (PS5)”

Laser Dance review (PS5)

From the moment the headset’s passthrough activates and transforms your living room into a laser-filled gauntlet, it’s clear that Laser Dance (developed by Thomas Van Bouwel and published by Vanbo) is carving out its place on Meta Quest 3/3 S as a standout mixed-reality experience. The objective is deceptively simple: place two buttons on opposite ends of your room, then dodge, duck and weave through laser patterns to hit the target on the far wall. What elevates the game is how the room itself becomes the arena. It’s a premise that works instantly – no long setup, no complex mechanics to learn, although having ample room to play certainly helps. Continue reading “Laser Dance review (PS5)”

Port roundup: Strike Force Heroes, Instruments of Destruction & Beaked Buccaneer

Over the past few weeks, several smaller titles have found new life on PlayStation 5, each offering a distinct spin on familiar genres. Strike Force Heroes channels old-school shooter energy with a modern co-op edge, Instruments of Destruction turns creative chaos into its own kind of spectacle, and Beaked Buccaneer delivers a cheerful throwback to side-scrolling adventures. They may not all be household names, but together they highlight how indie and mid-scale projects continue to find new homes. Continue reading “Port roundup: Strike Force Heroes, Instruments of Destruction & Beaked Buccaneer”

Sacred 2 Remaster review (PS5)

Ancaria returns once again in Sacred 2 Remaster, a revival developed by SparklingBit, Funatics and Nukklear and published by THQ Nordic. The re-release rebuilds 2008’s Sacred 2: Fallen Angel for modern hardware, combining its sprawling open world with quality-of-life adjustments and full controller support. Set in a land divided by the unstable power of T-Energy, it invites players to pick from seven heroes and forge their own path through a continent teetering between light and shadow. Continue reading “Sacred 2 Remaster review (PS5)”

Dark Quest 4 review (PS5)

Dark Quest 4 opens with a tidy, old-school fantasy premise: Gulak, the sorcerer’s puppet, has stitched together an army of monsters and left villages emptied of their people. The narrative presents that setup like pages from a storybook, using framed text and tableau scenes to move the party from dungeon to dungeon; it never aims to be a twisting epic, instead giving each mission a clear, focused purpose that keeps the tone consistent and the stakes easy to follow. The simplicity of the tale becomes a strength rather than a failing, because it keeps attention on the small, tense dramas that play out on the board-style maps and lets the mechanical systems carry most of the emotional weight. Continue reading “Dark Quest 4 review (PS5)”