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Astro Bot (PS5) Review

Francis Parco 2 Comments

Just when it seems like companies outside of Nintendo (and maybe Sega as an extension) are too knee-deep in making the usual AAA story-driven games, one new-ish IP shows that the industry still has room for Nintendo-esc first party platformers. While I still enjoy the usual AAA story-driven games like Uncharted and Spider-Man, modern gaming should welcome more variety in the industry, and Team Asobi’s newest title helps in providing just that.

Astro Bot follows the modern revival era of platformers from the likes of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and obscure platformers like Kao The Kangaroo. Even Yooka-Laylee is also part of this era for platformers in bringing interest to the style of gaming based more on fun as opposed to just cinematic stories and multiplayer live services.

As this review gets underway, I’d like to point out that this is my first official game review, and with a relatively packed platformer like Astro Bot, there’s been a whole lot to think about as I played the entire game through (besides trophies). I’ll still be covering this game to the best of my abilities.

The Astro crew about to encounter trouble

Introducing An Intergalactic Collectathon

While I did order (but not pre-order) Astro Bot on Friday, September 6 release, I only waited until the following Monday to finally get my physical copy. Oh boy was I greatly delighted to discover Team Asobi packed physical copies of Astro Bot with a foldable comic book doubling as an entire poster on the opposite side! To my knowledge, gamers hardly ever see this nowadays outside of Special/Limited and Collectors Edition copies.

As already mentioned, Astro Bot is a new-ish IP released nearly four years after the PS5 and pre-installed tech demo game Astro’s Playroom and about 11 years after The Playroom for PS4. As far as the story goes, it’s a rather simple one. The titular bot and his expansive crew are cruising through space onboard their PS5 mothership (yes, the PS5 itself is an entire spaceship) when they are suddenly attacked by an alien bully named Nebulax. The alien abducts the “CPU kid” from inside the PS5, causing Astro, his crew, and the ship’s parts to scatter across the galaxy. After crashing on a mysterious desert planet, it’s up to Astro to journey across the universe, rescue his crew, and recover the parts of the PS5 ship, including the CPU kid.

Just as predecessor Astro’s Playroom involved a lot of collecting, Astro Bot does the same, sans the relics based on Sony’s consoles/accessories. Aside from retrieving puzzle pieces, you’ll be rescuing 304 bots and the PS5 ship’s parts scattered across six galaxies that includes a hidden lost galaxy. More of these areas open up as more bots and collectibles are recovered, which will additionally help with retrieving more collectibles and unlocking extra facilities on the desert planet crash site.

Ain’t this chassis a chassis worth saving

A Universe Of Powerups And VIP Bot Nostalgia

Astro Bot carries over the collectathon gameplay from it’s predecessor and expands on it by introducing various new powerups ranging from size shrinking, time manipulation, and speed boosting, to name a few. Despite some powerups being repeated more than others, they’re all welcomed game mechanics that help provide more gameplay variety absent from Astro’s Playroom.

At times, specific powerups are needed in order to get past tricky obstacles and rescue/unlock the lost bots and puzzle pieces. With or without the powerups, a crucial tip to share is to take extra time looking around each area for collectibles (especially for getting all collectibles/bots in one go). Miss some collectibles and need to replay any levels, you’ll still have the chance to spend 200 coins to unlock a radar bird to help locate the missing items/bots. Speaking of said bots, some look regular while others are Special/VIP bots resembling various video game characters.

Now these VIP bots are an exciting and defining feature of the game. As planet after planet are cleared, each galaxy has one level dedicated to a boss returning from earlier games in the franchise. Defeat each and you’ll rescue a VIP bot from a specific era of PlayStation history and transition to a themed level dedicated to that VIP Bot’s game. Two of my favorites recreated Uncharted and God of War 2018/Ragnarok, and the experience Astro handed their weapons and dawn their outfits is a wave of nostalgic joy.

Each VIP bot level mimics a world and overall gameplay of each PlayStation IP, as demonstrated by shooting enemy bots through the jungles of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and freezing enemies with Kratos’s Leviathan Axe in a recreation level featuring GOW’s dead frost giant Thamur. Growing up with some of these PS games recreated in Astro Bot contributed to the nostalgia wave and is so satisfying to spot certain gameplay mechanics from these titles. Naturally, there are regular bots and VIP bots of characters from these franchises, but hearing how composer Kenneth C M Young (or Kenny Young) remixed these game themes just tops the nostalgia factor (more on music later).

Astro at a space casino

Environmental Variety And Haptic Immersion

Considering that there are 80 levels spread across six galaxies, you bet that the environments are diverse and further complimented by the game’s crisp, sharp graphics. Players are treated to lush jungles and beaches, seemingly vast deserts, volcanoes, and seasonal settings for holidays like Halloween. Specific levels known as the Retro Rampage stages may remind players of 3D games like Minecraft due to their blocky voxel graphics.

Not only can you see so far way into the background in many of these locations (with little to no details lost) but also that Team Asobi adds detail in the ways Astro reacts to these environments. He cowers in spooky surroundings, fans himself from the heat, and so on. On a related topic, there have been players that reported mostly minor bugs in terms of game performance, including game crashes often resulting in deleted saves. Luckily, I’ve personally encountered little to none of these small imperfections. In my personal gaming sessions, the game’s framerate stays at a smooth 60 FPS even in areas with hundreds of shattered glass and other objects that may normally cause the framerate to drop.

The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller haptics are constantly in use, not just limited to the controller’s vibrations and adaptive triggers for hovering and flying across the maps. As you rescue more bots and save your progress to load up in each session, the start menu randomly loads a few rescued bots to fly on the DualSense controller speeder with Astro, which can be manipulated on screen via motion controls. Rescuing bots to store in the speeder gives players a bonus fun time to zoom in on the bots and toss them in the air.

There are occasions where Astro will use the DualSense motion controls in cases such as shooting water and other projectiles to reach more areas and find collectibles. In fact, when it comes to the ultimate fight against the alien bully Nebulax after all PS5 parts are restored, moving the controller while flying through space and blasting the enemies made me imagine how this could be easily translated to an arcade game machine. Imagine “Astro Bot: The Arcade Game” where you point your controller blaster at the screen while shooting Nebulax and other enemies in your way. In other words, something like arcade Time Crisis but with Astro Bot.

Another moment for the music to bring goosebumps

Soundtrack Goes Above and Beyond

Easily one of my personal favorite aspects of playing Astro Bot is enjoying the accompanying music. Indeed, there are a number of returning tracks from previous Astro games, but there are also many remixes of these existing songs as well as plenty of newcomers. A couple standout examples include the song “Astro”, with a bit of a jazzy vibe that’s perfect to invoke the feeling of welcoming back a character not seen in nearly four years. And while fan-favorite “I’m Your GPU” is absent, “Papa Tree” may be this game’s equivalent, considering the funky tone (fitting for a level called Trunk of Funk) and unexpectedly amusing vocals describing the level’s goals as you progress. And how about the Western vibe of the Crash Site music?

Composer Kenny Young manages to not make major boss themes repetitive and stale despite being variations of the CRT-Rex theme from Astro’s Playroom. Each respective boss theme take on different instrumentals, such as Lady Venomara’s theme featuring string instruments. Compare this to the boss theme of Mecha Leon that features faster-paced rock instrumentals that shreds even harder than the aforementioned CRT-Rex theme. In a game featuring an adorable tiny robot and a robo chameleon, this boss track has no right to sound as intense as it does.

There’s too many standout tracks in the game to highlight… but the cherry-on-top in my opinion is the music of the VIP bot levels. Like I mentioned, the way that Kenny Young remixes each VIP bot’s game theme is nostalgia-driven perfection. The level “Bot of War” recreating the GOW theme not only makes playing the level more fun, but went above and beyond by incorporating the popular “BOY” meme from GOW 2018 right before the base drop. Talk about fan service that’s more than satisfying… and that’s not all!

For years I’ve considered Uncharted as my favorite game series of all time. Just like Bot of War, hearing the Uncharted main melody remixed as Nate is rescued and Astro goes for the assist brought frequent chills and goosebumps. No joke! It reminded me how much I miss the Dude Raider and wished Naughty Dog continued the franchise after The Lost Legacy. At least we have Team Asobi’s take on the thief’s Indiana Jones-esc adventures.

The Great Master Challenge – the most difficult level of all

Not Too Difficult, But Not Completely Easy

Overall, Astro Bot isn’t a particularly difficult game. As far as fighting regular enemy bots and bosses are concerned, it’s fairly quick to learn how to fight them and spot their patterns. However, after the first galaxy the difficulty level does gradually increase as more enemies/obstacles are introduced.

Among the more challenging and frustrating levels are hidden lost voids based on each shape of the PlayStation controller buttons (Square, Circle, Cross, and Triangle). For challenge levels like these, precise timing is extremely important, as one early/late jump will return you to the very start of the level. The Great Master Challenge in particular is the most difficult level in the entire game, taking me dozens upon dozens of attempts to finally clear the stage and discover a secret surprise. The lost shapes void levels felt like playing a completely different game, making it easy to forget how relatively easy most of Astro Bot really is… and not to forget mentioning, a truly heart-pounding experience.

In both easier and harder levels, pay attention to the type of platforms you run and jump to. They could be made of glass or ice that will only give a quick moment to jump off from. Such destructible platforms are heavily featured in but not limited to, levels like The Great Master Challenge. You’re forced to think on your toes, lest you fall through at the last moment and have to restart at the last checkpoint. Although, a possible saving grace over this obstacle is if you try to tiptoe across the glass/ice surfaces… but if you’re like me, you may encounter the tremendous need to keep moving and not be able to take a breather.

Astro in the Crash Site desert

Minor Drawbacks and Comparisons to Mario

Beyond heart-pumping levels like The Great Master Challenge, some minor imperfections still show up that Team Asobi could improve upon for future installments. As overwhelming as it may be on the surface to have nearly 100 levels, Astro Bot is still a relatively short game that may take anywhere from 10 to 20+hours to complete. It depends on if you’re a completionist or not. Some gamers may argue that the relatively short length may not be worth spending $60. If you’re on this boat, maybe the game’s upcoming content update for speedrunning levels and 10 more bots to rescue will add more justification to the game’s asking price (oh, and the upcoming DLC is free by the way).

Even when trying to get all bots/collectibles per level in fewer attempts possible, still expect plenty of backtracking. It was a bit annoying to discover hidden portals unlocking levels in the Lost Galaxy won’t allow you to return to where you found these portals. It’s particularly annoying if this happens before uncovering other bots/puzzle pieces, and thus having to replay the level to recover the remaining collectibles. I’d like to see in future Astro titles that something like this give the option of returning back to that area where the portal was uncovered, but not having to restart that level.

The game since its launch a few weeks ago has drawn comparisons to more popular platformer games like Super Mario Galaxy. Just take to YouTube and social media for these discussions. I can’t personally make the comparison between Astro Bot and Super Mario Galaxy in particular since I don’t own any Nintendo consoles… but from what I’ve generally seen of SMG, I can see such comparisons. It is possible that Team Asobi took heavy inspiration from such popular platformers and combined them with what worked in past Astro games.

Gameplay and presentation may look very similar to what you’d find in a Nintendo game. But in my opinion, using PlayStation character cameos and the DualSense’s haptics is what keeps Astro from being a mere Mario clone or yet another Sony game like PS All-Stars failing to replicate Super Smash Bros’s gameplay and achieve equal or greater acclaim. Even if the VIP bots were entirely absent, Astro Bot still boasts engaging gameplay that if anything, is enhanced by the Sony nostalgia, not overly reliant on it.

Final Thoughts

All things considered, I’m proud to say that Astro Bot is a 3D platformer every gamer should play, not just for PlayStation fans. This lovable, adorable white and blue bot offers a mixture of fun and engaging platforming gameplay with the PS5 spin and PlayStation nostalgia to please both new and longtime fans in multiple ways. Astro Bot may not have the extensive history nor brand recognition comparable to platformers like Mario… yet. Make no mistake, Astro Bot is still no Super Smash Bros-type knockoff. Rather, Sony may finally have their own Mario-caliber mascot, and could perhaps be the spark for more variety in modern gaming outside of Nintendo.

Publisher:
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer:
Team Asobi
Genre:
Action Platformer
Release Date:
September 6, 2024
Final Rating:
9.0


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Aquarist (PS4) Review

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments

My guilty gaming pleasures tend to fall into three categories — cozy simulators that you can just turn your brain off and play, absurdly complex sims that test your will to live, and schlop thrown together to make a game that tricks people into thinking it’s a halfway decent game worth a couple bucks. To me, this is what the console version of Aquarist is. 

Aquarist, in its simplest form, is a simulator all about caring for sea creatures in an aquarium. You have to keep up with their hunger, the temperature of the container they’re in, the PH balance, etc. All the things that fish owners need to be aware of before going off to buy their first scaly friend. It’s a concept that I didn’t realize piqued my interest until this game popped up. 

The concept intrigued me and here I am reviewing the first game in a fair while for PSX Extreme. This game caught me off-guard, I knew the developer was known for — I’ll be polite — subpar games that seethe just shy of total asset flip cash-grabs. But, they wouldn’t send codes to an outlet with a game that is borderline unplayable, right? Surely not…

Of Course It’s Made In Unity

Texture-wise, nothing feels right, the character models look like beta builds and often clash with each other, the “child” character seen in the second level in the Campaign looks like a sized-down, poorly dressed “Hey there fellow kids” parent, and the overall layout of the game makes it hard to tell what you can and cannot step over.

Glub Glub

The gameplay combines the royalty feel cozy game soundtrack and feeling alongside the more hardcore simulator complexity, but it’s packaged so poorly that I couldn’t really catch myself sitting back and enjoying the sight of the fish swimming about the fish tank. The monotony, which I sometimes enjoy in these games, failed because of bad controller layout and sensitive default controls. 

Even when I changed things up, it still felt way too sensitive. It doesn’t help that it’s clear the developer didn’t take any time to modify the game to be more console friendly — you purchase stuff with a sluggish cursor that takes forever to move around as it has no snap to buttons, has to be very precise, and just brushing the touchpad throws the cursor to the corner of the screen, forcing you to move the cursor all over again. It also just stays on-screen sometimes even when you’re not on a buying menu. It’s weird.

It pains me to know this game is as subpar as it is because it has the ideas of a great game — it’s simple and it can be endless.

This Game Is About Fish Not Bugs

Bugs were all over my playthrough of what I could take of this game, these glitches ranged from small graphical imperfections to stuff that actually stopped from completing the game. 

Chief among the bugs was one that flat-out halted me from progressing at the start of the fourth level in the campaign. I picked a required item and it just disappeared. I went to where I had to thinking it was still in my inventory, but the required prompt just didn’t appear. I tried reloading the game at least five times and even tried a new playthrough, but nothing worked. 

The real moment I realized just how bad this game actually is on consoles was as early as level one. When cleaning your father’s fish tank, it gives a ton of tasks to complete, with some of them overlapping the menus to turn on the thermometer, filters, and all that. I had to basically complete tasks like dropping the fish in before even turning on the thermometer because the task menu overlapped that much.. I’m sure it’s better on PC in the most general sense, at least on that platform, its cursor might feel more at home. On PlayStation, though, it just doesn’t.

To top that off, in its second mode — Designer — the Main Menu button just flat out did not work nine times out of 10 This is the first game I’ve played that forced me to go onto the PlayStation dashboard and manually close the game. This isn’t a matter of a small issue, this was something that felt like they just didn’t test the game whatsoever.

Additionally, when I tried to turn on the filter in the tank, as I was trying to start things off with happy little fishes, Decoration mode just wouldn’t let that happen, no matter how hard I pressed the right button, it just kept doing nothing.

Bad Fish, Good Fish

The true beacon of hope for this game is Decoration mode, while it’s just as janky as the Campaign, it’s at least off-set by the “do this, do that” monotony of the story. I did have some fun designing the fish tank (especially after turning off the “Realistic” option). I went with a saltwater-based tank with an octopus, some jellyfish, and random fish that I thought looked cool.

It was nice to just sit back and drop some seaweed onto the bottom of the tank, resize rocks, and look over the roster of oceanic creatures at my disposal to drop in a fish tank to watch for my amusement.

Fishy Conclusion

If this were an early access game, I’d probably give it some leeway, but Aquarist isn’t in early access — it’s a full release on PlayStation that overcharges for the buggy mess that it is. It has the potential of being a fun guilty pleasure game, but it’s bogged down by the crazy bad bugs and game halting glitches. Even if it manages to fix the big stuff, it still leaves the unoptimized control scheme, sluggish cursor, and clashing graphics. This is the definition of sleeping with the fishes, something no one wants to do.

Publisher:
Ultimate Games
Developer:
FreeMind Games
Genre:
Simulator
Release Date:
April 25, 2024
Final Rating:
2.8


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Astral Ascent (PS5) Review

Matt Hill 0 Comments

Everyone has that one roguelite. The one game that got you to sit up and take notice of the genre. For some, that may be the classic The Binding of Isaac, or perhaps, like me it was one of the more recent hits like Dead Cells or Hades that converted you. With a genre littered with so many great games, does Astral Ascent do enough to be considered in the top-level pantheon of genre greats, or is it one of the titles that struggle to make its mark in a genre known for so many masterpieces?

Let Me Fight Your Horoscope

The basic premise of Astral Ascent is that you’re trapped in a naturalistic prison and have to defeat the 12 Zodiacs to escape. Somehow I think this is actually the first game to use the zodiac signs as bosses, which seems like an obvious choice typing it now, but Astral Ascent puts them front and center and makes them not only a formidable force but also uniquely their own.

Like many roguelites, you’ll find yourself in the HUB world before starting each run that will be inhabited by new and evolving characters that develop as you progress run by run, and interacting with each of them as one of the four playable characters will give you more lore and help unravel the world around you.

It’s Got Style… AND Substance

As you’ve probably picked up from the screenshots, Astral Ascent has a truly gorgeous pixelized anime art style that makes every environment and character pop. Each of the four realms you’ll explore over your many, many runs feel distinct from one another, making tackling runs a joy as no realm feels underwhelming when compared to the rest.

The same detail is provided to each of the HUB characters you’ll be interacting with between runs, whether that’s the excited gardener Zim-Zim, who you’ll be constantly visiting to upgrade your characters, or dozy Papa Yalee, who dispenses wisdom you’ll uncover about characters and the world you find yourself in. Each character has their own personality, and the art style captures it beautifully.

They’ve Gone Rogue

As good as the game is to look at, you’ll be coming back to this side-scrolling roguelite for its addictively simple and frantic combat. The aim of the game is to move and move fast while dealing as much damage to enemies as you can. Most damage is dealt by pressing the square button to deal you’re default attack and standard combo, which you’ll use to earn Mana and cast one of your four collected spells on enemies. You’ll begin with four copies of your character’s default spell, but after that, you’ll collect new spells on your adventure that can also be buffed up with pickups that can add even more damage, such as granting two missiles on cast or a change to electrocute. With the amount of spells on offer, and the options to buff each of them differently each run, helps keep each fight fresh and different from the last.

On top of that, each of the four characters has their unique signature spell that’ll see you either parry and damage with the likes of Kira, or summon a drone to aid in battle with Octave, amongst others. Each character does have enough to justify switching rather than a simple reskin of the same combat. I leaned more towards Kira and their parry fight style over the beginning character Ayla and her teleport backstab signature. That may not be the case for you, but that’s what makes the game great, granting you diversity in your combat approach and options when deciding how to tackle your next run.

Tuned In

The audio is an area where Astral Ascent truly shines. When I booted the game up, I wasn’t sure what sort of adventure I was in for, but I was pleasantly surprised. Each character isn’t the standard 2D text, but they’re given voices and are impeccably voice-acted giving a real sense of personality and individuality to each character. Coupled with the stylish design, I felt like I was just as excited to hear the characters converse in a boss battle as I was to fight them, as I wasn’t sure what sort of interaction I’d be in for.

The same can be said about Astral Ascent’s music, which mixes both a calming retro-inspired score to your journey as you meander across the HUB world and take in each new thing everyone has to offer before you’re pumped up by the score along your journeys through each run. It’s a score I could happily listen to outside of the game.

One More Try

Despite the near-home run Astral Ascent is, I feel like the lack of standard combos does weaken its gameplay as some gamers may want more options outside of the spell variety to mix up the combos. That being said, I thought I’d be one of them, but with how fast each battle is moving and how quick you have to be to maneuver, I barely had a chance to think about how integrating combos would fit into the playstyle.

Astral Ascent

“A Damn Fine Example Of Roguelites At Their Near Best”

Overall, Astral Ascent is a damn fine example of roguelites at their near best. It’s an unfolding mystery set in a beautiful world, and the addictive gameplay loop just keeps you coming back for more. The amount of times I was ready to head to bed before hearing my mind calling for “just one more” happened times than I’d care to admit. It may not topple the giants, but it certainly gives enough to stand amongst them.

Publisher:
Hibernian Workshop
Developer:
Hibernian Workshop
Genre:
Roguelite
Release Date:
November 14, 2023
Final Rating:
9.0


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Disney Speedstorm (PS5) Review

Matt Hill 0 Comments

It’s been just under six months since Disney Speedstorm released in early access which could be accessed by buying one of a few founders packs, however, that access period is over, as September 28 marked the full release of the game and it’s now free-to-play for all.

Kart racing games are usually a difficult beast to tame, outside of Mario Kart and the Crash Team Racing remaster, hardly any other entry in this genre breaks it into being a mainstay or enough of a detraction to pull you away from the cream of the crop. Enter Gameloft and Disney hoping that their vast array of beloved characters and experience on the Asphalt series can break onto the track and push for the kart racing podium.

On The Right Track

Kart racing has been a surprisingly packed genre, with a whole host of different franchises and well-known characters taking their own stab at it, whether that be Formula 1 drivers, Hello Kitty, Mario, or even PlayStation’s very own Modnation Racers.

So it seems odd that it’s taken so long for Disney to unleash their backlog of beloved characters onto the race track. As of writing, the game has 37 playable drivers from 10 different franchises with more to be released each new Season. There are the beloved favorites like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, to classic princesses like Belle and Jasmine, as well as some more off-kilter choices like Figment, the mascot of the Imagination! pavilion at Epcot theme park. The game features 12 tracks with several alternate courses that all feel diverse and unique from each other thanks to Disney’s colorful worlds.

Whilst the Disney franchise is the bait to draw you in, it’s the on-track racing where thankfully the game truly shines. Speedstorm is more than just a competent racer on the track, Gameloft has applied their expert arcade racing know-how from the Asphalt series, resulting in an enjoyable arcade racer on the track. All of the karts handle well, and the feeling of zipping around corners is delightful. It feels accessible to pick up, and there’s just enough depth to get good at mastering race classes and tracks to grow.

Charge Up And Let Loose

Aiming to add their flair to the traditional kart racing formula, Speedstorm has implemented a charge mechanic to their skills — Weapon pickups — opening up more combat options on the track. The way it works is each skill will have a traditional use, or they can be charged to unleash a different attack. For example, if you have picked up a shield, you can simply activate it to grant a protective ring around yourself, alternatively, you can charge the skill to surround yourself in a charged red ring that will stun any opponent you bump into, turning a traditional defense skill into an offensive option. It’s a system that works well and opens up plenty of on-the-fly thinking, deciding how you want to implement your skills to get yourself ahead.

On top of the charged skill system, each racer will have a unique skill that unlocks once they are Rank 2, this is a skill that’s exclusive to them and can be extremely useful when used correctly. The best example is Hercules’ Meg whose skill on traditional use grants a boost bar and is extended for every racer she passes in that time frame, whereas she can charge it and leave a trail of purple behind her that will grant her a speed boost for any racer behind her crossing it. It’s a powerful skill that can be discharged in a variety of situations to catch up to the pack or keep yourself ahead.

Aside from the skill mechanics, Speedstorm also divides its drivers into one of four categories — Speedster, Trickster, Brawler, and Defender. Each character has a particular stat boosted, such as Speedsters have bonus speed stat, whereas Defenders have increased combat and acceleration stats. On top of their stats, they also have a unique class skill that is assigned to them, helping them make the most of their specialized area. The game itself doesn’t explain the differences very much at all, but you’ll likely be testing each character out yourself to see what style works best for you.

Convoluted Currency

As you may expect, much like any free-to-play game content is limited and there are purchasable items, loot boxes and Season Passes to explore. Characters and bonuses can be unlocked through gameplay, but they won’t be the fastest method. It’s by no means a super grindy affair, thankfully. The biggest problem Speedstorm has is just how convoluted their in-game economy is.

  • Tokens – The default currency for unlocking items, booster packs and boxes.
  • Multiplayers coins – used to unlock multiplayer content loot boxes, shop items.
  • Box Credits – Used to unlock loot boxes instantly.
  • Season Coins – Used to unlock seasonal loot boxes, items in the store

There really is no need for it to be such a muddle of currencies, and the store’s layout can also feel overwhelming, making it feel more like a bombardment of items and options rather than a streamlined storefront to interact with — it’s all just a confusing mess.

On top of the currency, there’s character specific items you need to unlock. Earlier, I mentioned that you need to be Rank 2 to have access to your driver’s unique skill… well each racer can be ranked up by collecting character shards. From Level 1 all the way to Level 5, each level increases some stats and slots available for crew members (a token of a character that boosts stats). On top of that, you can level up your character outside of Ranks which will permanently improve the driver’s stats. I can say it’s rewarding to level up your favorite character, but the levelling is really how the difficulty is decided as there’s no difficulty setting — you have a recommended Rank for races and that’s it to gauge how hard this upcoming race will be.

Multiplayer Mayhem

Multiplayer is split into three core modes, with your offline multiplayer which can be played couch co-op on PlayStation 5 with up to four racers sharing the screen. Ranked multiplayer sees you use your own drivers and their current level and crew member boosts against other racers out there. Finally, there is Regulated multiplayer, which sets everyone to an even Level 30 without crew members for the most even racing experience. I’ve played a fair few races online, and despite most races running smoothly, there have been occasions where races started for some and not others or sometimes I would cross the line first, but the podium would say otherwise. It has been fairly quick to get in games, and I’ve never waited longer than 50 seconds to find a race, which is good, but online racing is certainly the best way to experience the best of Speedstorm’s frantic action, even if it can be temperamental.

Overall, Disney Speedstorm is a good kart racer. The overly complex in-game economy and lack of Grand Prix or other modes outside of single races may push some gamers away, and I wouldn’t blame them. At its core, this solid kart racer does just enough to make it worth checking out, but it won’t be challenging the title of Mario or Crash any time soon.

You can download Disney Speedstorm on PSN here.

Publisher:
Gameloft
Developer:
Gameloft Barcelona
Genre:
Racing
Release Date:
September, 28, 2023
Final Rating:
7.0


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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5) Review

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments

In September 2021, Insomniac Games announced something big — Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the follow-up to its fiercely loved Marvel’s Spider-Man and its subsequent DLC, Miles Morales. If you’re a PlayStation gamer, you’ve no doubt seen footage of the game at this point, and while I’ve kept my eyes on the title, I’ve kept my nose away from its story.

Despite the fact I don’t consider myself a superhero fan nor an open world fan, hero games can pique my interest really easily due to the the expansive lore that a video game can cover as opposed to something like a 2-hour movie or 40-page comic book. Gotham Knights, is a prime example of a middling game that I expected so little from that what I got did impress me. But Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is what Gotham Knights wishes it could’ve been.

While roaming the streets of New York, you jump between playing as OG webslinger Peter Parker and his protege Miles Morales. Taking place nine months after the events of the original 2018 game, it gives some time for the two to settle into their symbiotic relationship as the protectors of the Big Apple before being thrust into another instance of unraveling the big mystery and defeating the big bads. 

Spider-Man looking at his phone

Does Whatever A Spider Can

The story is about as you’d expect — retelling storied pieces of Spider-Man history like Venom’s origin and introducing people to Kraven, a notable yet niche villain regulated largely away from major media like theatrical Spidey films or most well-known tie-ins. As it goes, Kraven is looking for his equal and believes he’ll find that very person somewhere in New York. Meanwhile, Parker is struggling to find a balance between his duties as a superhero, his career, and social life. And Morales struggles to figure out what to write for his college entry essay.

The story is well-executed and offers plenty to keep you engaged and coming back for “one more mission.” Whether that’s seeing how a cliffhanger ties up or finishing side quests that you feel are more important than the main story.

Spider-Man standing by webbed opponent, chill citizen sits on bench

Is He Strong? Listen Bud!

Combat-wise, it’s fluid while unfortunately having that stale button-mash issue that most any superhero game has. It lacks an engaging combat system that gives you variety when spotted. Of course, you can make your own variety by using the powers each Spider-Man has, respectively. Morales, for example, has electricity-based powers that can be useful at incapacitating multiple enemies at once. Meanwhile, Parker has a more traditional setup with a mechanical spider-like special that knocks an enemy in the sky for an extended smackdown. 

Some of the bosses were a bit… much… but with a bit of persistence and the use of my powers, I vanquished all foes with true Spider-Man-level grace. Opponents like Scream and the onslaught of Symbiote citizens were a real challenge regardless of your skill level, you have to manage to watch every enemy around, and I definitely went down more times than I’d like to admit in one specific late-game Symbiote beatdown section.

Stealth-wise, you have some cool spaces here and there, with the web line being a useful tool in making a sort of pathway to an opponent that might’ve been out of reach of a wall takedown. Personally, Spider-Man 2 was probably the most fun I’ve had playing stealth — most of the time, I try and just get impatient and charge through, but with Morales’ cloaking device, it was a fun experience figuring out how I can off each opponent without anyone catching on.

Finally, there were some instances of cleansing my palette with times playing as Mary Jane with her own means of defense against the looming threats. It’s clear that while Insomniac wanted players to know this was a single-player Spidey game, it also wanted some people to have a short breather from the nonstop drama and action that playing as the Spider duo can come with.

Spider-Man getting back crushed

He Arrives Just In Time

So much happens in this game outside of its main story — from criminal activity like arson, speeding vehicles, and assaults to busy work like collecting Marko’s Memories, debugging Mysteriums, finding Prowler technology, and crates of tech stashed by the criminal underworld, there’s a lot to it. But… it’s all so repetitive. There’s hardly any variations to any of it outside perhaps difficulty. Prowler’s tech heists, for example, will be hidden, and you search for where it’s located, you’ll do a minigame involving one of DualSense’s key features (Adaptive Triggers, in particular), and you’ll possibly fight some enemies in the end.

Speaking of DualSense’s key features, they play a significant role in this game, which is a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of games released on PS5 lately. While some sprinkle in one or two instances of using the Adaptive Triggers or tilt controls, Spider-Man 2 goes the extra mile with minigames dedicated to them both on the side and tied into the main story. On top of that, while hanging out with Harry and MJ, you roam the park as Peter and can go on tons of minigames that utilize the motion controls of the controller, something that I haven’t personally seen front and center since Astro’s Playroom.

Basically, the open-worldness of Spider-Man 2 has some cool things, like how you can arrive at the scene of a crime, and the other webslinger will already be giving the baddies a good ol’ wallop. That said, it’s weighed down by repetition, and seeing your fellow webslinger seems to happen a lot more than I was expecting. I was assuming the heroes would occasionally show up, but it happened like 45% of the time. Of course, this kind of repetitive stuff appeals to some, those who like to grind, but for me, it’s not an ideal thing, especially with how high-profile and hyped-up Spider-Man 2’s release was.

Venom screaming

Can He Swing From A Thread?

The swinging. Oh God, the swinging. I can’t tell you how much I love zipping past building after building, swinging up high to get a good view of the city, quick recovering to launch off a building after a small screw up, gliding above the skyscrapers, and zipping to my destination in a matter of minutes. 

The webslinging is probably one of my favorite parts of Spider-Man 2, it makes you feel like you are Spider-Man and while it takes some time to get the hang of it, you’ll soon feel like a pro when swinging from Queens to Times Square in no time.

It’s fast, it’s responsive, and it’s engaging, especially when you combine it with the wingsuit to get the best air you can. Throughout New York, you can find these pockets of wind that you can use to traverse with the help of your wingsuit. It’s a fun little detail that could’ve been niche, but Insomniac wanted it to feel not just helpful but also making the “fly through hoops” thing feel fresh.

Kraven, MJ, and a Hunter

Like A Streak Of Light

So many little things make this a great experience, you can modify the challenge to your liking, changing your health, enemy health, healing, and how hard opponents hit individually regardless of your set difficulty. This can make the game more difficult without feeling overwhelming like its busy work.

Spider-Man 2 runs great, and with the exception of the occasional crash, I didn’t have many issues. The graphics sometimes loaded weird, but were fixed in a matter of seconds. I spent the majority of my time playing the “pretty” mode, complete with Ray-Tracing and all that jazz, so I expected some sort of texture pop-in, so it didn’t bother me at all.

Spider-Man discovers a hidden Hunter hideout

To Him Life Is A Great Big Bang Up

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a great sequel, combining the old and new with a fresh story, iconic characters, and instances of taking a side step and playing as MJ. It might feel repetitive after a while and a bit on the short side. But, it’s a quality webslinging experience that everyone should have, whether you’re a superhero fanatic or just a PlayStation gamer looking your next first-party fix.

While it isn’t the best game on the market, it’s a stellar continuation to what will no doubt be a trilogy of webswinging action.

You can buy Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PSN here.

Developer:
Insomniac Games
Publisher:
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre:
Action-Adventure
Release Date:
October 20, 2023
Final Rating:
9.5


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Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged Review

Aidan W 0 Comments

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged sees the franchise roar back into view with a satisfying entry that should delight fans, and provide a safe pair of hands for anyone looking for an excuse for some light-hearted racing.

Function over style is definitely the name of the game here and players will be rewarded with racing that is satisfyingly easy to learn and a fun challenge to master. The races are rammed with action and have a difficulty that will not leave you bored but neither will it ever be a real roadblock to progression throughout the campaign mode.

There is a good variety on offer, from typical races to it being changed up with the vehicle in last place periodically being eliminated to slaloms that feel like you’re working out a puzzle. Sure, before long you’ll be very familiar with each style but it does do just enough to change it up between races.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
Not exactly Game Of Thrones, but it does the job

Frantic Fun

The story here is aimed at a younger market, so if you are looking for a groundbreaking Game Of Thrones-esque tale, then look elsewhere. Then again, who seriously goes into a racing game looking for that much violence and hatred? Oh right, of course, fans of Mario Kart. It has enough cutscenes and light-hearted characters that provide you with the excuse to go and do a variety of contests. Nothing more, nothing less but it does this with aplomb, and you’ll be too satisfied with the racing to care.

Five different types of vehicles encourage you to experiment with the way you approach races, and with 157 cars on offer is nothing to sniff at. There is a lot of content here. You can further unlock backgrounds and different tags and cards. Factor in DLC that has already arrived, and there is a lot to be found here.

In terms of how the game is structured, variety and progression are the keywords. It does not hold back from consistently providing you with experience, upgrades, or money in a financial ecosystem, which means you are never far off affording something new. The shop can be a bit limited, and you can pay money to refresh the items on offer, a feature which, if the currency wasn’t so readily available, would have become annoying.

Graphically there was no issue with this title, it looks good without being spectacular, but it really suits its own context well. Graphics are not an issue here.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Tankocharged. If this reviewer is offered a tank, then he’ll drive a tank.

Superb Effort

There is an admirable amount of customization that really cannot be understated. It has a superb track builder as well as a mindboggling amount of ways to customize your car, it is seriously impressive. These features are very much optional, leaving it to be something that you can pick up if you ever need a break from the racing.

This is a really solid title that should be looked at by anyone who needs to scratch their racing game itch or anyone who is just a massive fan of the Hot Wheels franchise. There is an awful lot to do here, so those who commit to the game will be here a long time. This is a really solid game and worth checking out.

You can buy Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged on PSN here.

Developer:
Milestone
Publisher:
Milestone
Genre:
Racing
Release Date:
October 19, 2023
Final Rating:
8.0


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