SEGA Game Reviews
Raidou or die
Given its vast PS2-era catalogue, Atlus' decision to revive Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army is a bit of a strange one. Something of an experimental foray into the realm of action RPGs, it's not necessarily a game that springs to mind when looking back on the developer's most prolific console generation. But maybe...
Review Two Point Museum (PS5) - Laugh Out Loud Tycoon Title Is Well Worth the Entry Fee
Curated chaos
The true brilliance of tycoon titles like Two Point Museum is their ability to keep you occupied. In this sequel to Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus, there’s always something to do: a new interactive exhibit you need to research, a staff member you want to educate, or an expedition you have to send your experts on. If...
Review Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PS5) - Madcap Majima Does the Job
Noah's arc
RGG Studio hasn’t been entirely upfront about Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. More of a side game in a vein similar to 2023’s The Man Who Erased His Name, the developer has suggested in the lead-up to launch it’s quite a bit bigger than Kazuma Kiryu’s tear-jerking interlude. Every bit of that is indeed true, but it still...
Review Sonic X Shadow Generations (PS5) - Shadow the Star of This Splendid Platforming Package
Prickly business
Back in 2011, Sonic Generations was heralded as a return to form for SEGA's spiky mascot. After a spate of poorly-received games, Sonic Team finally brought the hedgehog back with this simple and reflective title, celebrating the character's 20th anniversary. 13 years later, this fan favourite has returned with a remaster on modern...
Shonen Jump to a blue square
Given its overwhelming popularity, it’s a surprise there aren’t more alternatives to Mario Party – especially on platforms Nintendo doesn’t support. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board! may initially seem like a strange proposition, then, but it fills a niche on the PS5 that no one else has...
Review Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS5) - The Best Yakuza Game Ever Made
Finish the fight
If Yakuza: Like a Dragon was SEGA setting up a baton toss so legendary protagonist Kazuma Kiryu could finally retire after eight games' worth of story, then receiver Ichiban Kasuga needs to work on his handling technique. The new kid on the block doesn't just require the Dragon of Dojima to handle a few side stories as his hair...
Review Football Manager 2024 Console (PS5) - Lacking Console Edition Is on a Losing Streak
Sacked in the morning
Football Manager is, and always has been, the ultimate virtual footballing experience. It leans into the simulation genre much more than the other top games on the market, such as EA FC or eFootball, as it allows you to control almost every aspect of the club, aside from the players themselves. It is so effective at judging...
You know my name
Taking place before, during, and just after the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the intriguingly titled Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name tells us all about what Kazuma Kiryu was up to in that time — and it's fair to say he was busy. But before we dig into the details, it's important to note that in its latter...
Review Sonic Superstars (PS5) - A Solid 2D Sonic Game, If You Play It Solo
Sonic Superstar
Sonic Superstars arrives as the iconic SEGA mascot is on an upswing. This brand new side-scrolling platformer follows Sonic Mania, a great throwback adventure that mixes old and new, and Sonic Frontiers, the best 3D entry in the series in a long time. The less said about Sonic Forces, the better. The point is, the character has had a...
Mini Review Sonic Origins Plus (PS5) - The Wrong Library of Games to Bring Back
The Game Gear should be remembered, not celebrated
As much as it's good to have access to older games on current platforms, the new content that Sonic Origins Plus brings only reminds us how poor quality the SEGA handheld library was compared to its home console offerings. The original Sonic the Hedgehog games are great, and Sonic Origins is worth...
Review Company of Heroes 3 (PS5) - Veteran RTS Series Enjoys Pyrrhic Victory on PS5
Fire in the hole
After almost two decades of setting the standard for WWII real-time strategy on PC, Relic Entertainment's venerable series reaches PS5 with Company of Heroes 3. Burdened by a hefty legacy, it's another valiant attempt at streamlining the genre's interface for controllers. It succeeds in part, but the masterful combat is at odds with...
Review Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5) - One of the Most Intense and Intricate Yakuza Games Yet
Blast from the past
It's finally here! It's been almost a decade since Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! released exclusively in Japan on PS3 and PS4, with Western fans begging for a localisation effort all the while. But back then, the Yak--, er, Like a Dragon series was nowhere near as popular as it is now, and so here we are with SEGA greenlighting a...
Review Sonic Frontiers (PS5) - Bold New Gamble for the Series Pays Off
I must proceed at a high velocity
After 23 years of 3D Sonic adventures, we all know how we feel about them; some love them, some demand they be launched into the sun. Regardless of your opinion on the 3D games, it was clear that, after the disaster that was Sonic Forces — a game many consider one of his worst ever — something drastic had to...
Review Yakuza: Kiwami 2 (PS4) - One of the Best Games in SEGA's Series
Goda tier
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Yakuza: Kiwami 2 is a full remake of Yakuza 2, which launched all the way back in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and much like last year's Yakuza:...
Review Yakuza: Kiwami - The Successor to a Much Stronger Game
Not so extreme
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Coming off the back of the fantastic Yakuza 0 – which launched earlier in the year – Yakuza: Kiwami feels too much like a quick and dirty...
Review Yakuza 0 (PS4) - Hysterical Side Quests Complement a Gripping Story
Eurobeatdown
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. The Yakuza series is one of PlayStation's most overlooked gems, especially here in the West. Unashamedly Japanese in its tone, humour, and...
Review Two Point Campus (PS5) - Stress-Free University Builder Is a Lazy Good Time
School's out
Uh oh. Your mum told you that you either had to go to university or you had to get a job so you begrudgingly signed up to a Media Studies course and dossed about for three years smoking doobies and watching Countdown. Now you've got a useless degree, a lingering reputation as the family pothead, and a mountain of debt from tuition fees...
Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4) - A Downright Crazy But Captivating Take on a Beloved Franchise
Job's a good'un
Republished on Wednesday 27th July 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Where do we even start with Yakuza: Like a Dragon? SEGA's series has always been eccentric, but this latest instalment takes things to a whole new...
Review Sonic Origins (PS5) - The Genesis of SEGA's Mascot Revisited with Style
Past, way cool
Sonic the Hedgehog is like a 16-bit Skyrim: SEGA has re-released the Mega Drive classics on just about every platform you can think of, and it shows no sign of stopping. The latest effort is Sonic Origins, a collection that brings Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD to modern consoles under one banner. Even if we've...
Rumble in the urban jungle
Look, we like Judgment protagonist Takayuki Yagami — even though he was a bit of a wet blanket in Lost Judgment — but he's been completely outdone by Masaharu Kaito, the man who usually plays second fiddle as Tak's roughhousing sidekick. The ex-yakuza is the star of the show in his very own expansion — appropriately...
Review Team Sonic Racing (PS4) - It's Not Mario Kart, But It's Good Enough
There's no AiAi in Team
Republished on Wednesday, 23rd January, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of March 2022's PS Plus lineup. The original text follows. Here's the thing: PlayStation 4 does not have many examples of good arcade racing games, let alone kart racers. The few exceptions are trying...
All aboard the Mugen Train
Given the immense popularity of Demon Slayer, particularly in Japan, it was only a matter of time until it got a video game adaptation. And who better to head the project than CyberConnect2, the talented Japanese studio that crafted the largely fantastic Naruto Ninja Storm series? The studio's flair for adapting anime is...
Mini Review Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (PS5) - Sony Potassium 5
Ooh, chimpanzee that, Monkey Reviews
These monkeys have a problem. Well, a succession of problems, really, but the main one is that they've been trapped inside giant spheres for no reason. And they're beloved, these monkeys: since the GameCube days, Super Monkey Ball has been (perhaps bafflingly) popular, with increasingly diminishing returns across...
Review Lost Judgment (PS5) - Immense Side Content Makes Up for Sequel's Surprisingly Sloppy Story
Too cool for school
We absolutely love Judgment — especially on PlayStation 5. Despite being the starting point of a spinoff franchise, we'd go as far to say that it's hands down one of the best Yakuza games — and so its sequel, Lost Judgment, comes saddled with high expectations. There's no doubt that this is a bigger, and arguably more...
The rainbow blur
After a string of poorly received entries, SEGA's mascot was in a bad spot back in 2010. However, the Wii-exclusive Sonic Colors was something of a reset for the franchise, cutting out most of the nonsense and presenting itself as a more straightforward action platformer. It remains one of the more favourably received games in the...
Bolt from the blue
Republished on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021: It’s been nearly two years since we first reviewed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game, and a lot has happened since then. SEGA’s decision to release this tie-in title several months prior to the intended start of the event in host nation Japan always struck us as strange,...
Hell is whenever
18 years removed from its original release on PlayStation 2, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne still has a lot to offer hardcore RPG fans. In fact, its heavy focus on dungeon crawling and monster management is perhaps even more unique today than it was almost two decades ago, especially when it's placed side-by-side with modern Atlus...
Review Judgment (PS5) - A Truly Gripping Detective Thriller, and One of the Best Yakuza Games
Another day in Kamurocho
We loved Judgment on PlayStation 4, but over time, our appreciation of this Yakuza spinoff has only grown. Upon reflection, we actually think that our Judgment PS4 review was a bit off the mark, and having now played the game's remaster on PS5, we're fully convinced that this is, hands down, one of the best Yakuza-style...
Mini Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5) - Not a Huge Upgrade, But Still a Brilliant RPG
A hero's work is never done
The tale of incredibly endearing protagonist Ichiban Kasuga shines brighter than ever on PlayStation 5, where Yakuza: Like a Dragon offers enhanced visuals. This next-gen upgrade lets you choose between 60 frames-per-second at a slightly higher resolution, or 30 frames-per-second with 4K support. And, well... That's about...
Review Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (PS5) - Everything's Falling into Place
One line at a time
Puyo Puyo Tetris was a revelation when it first launched. Giving us an unprecedented bridge between these puzzle franchises, Sonic Team created one of the smoothest gameplay crossovers we’ve witnessed in recent years. Originally released in 2014, it never received a western localisation until a few years later for PlayStation 4...
