It’s time to get out of Midgar. If you’re a fan of the original Final Fantasy 7, you know that game finally opens up in second half of the first disc, with Cloud and the gang setting off into the wider world of Gaia in pursuit of Sephiroth. As such, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a tougher game to make as it comes with a lot of expectations, more content to recreate, and a lot of build-up from the ending of FF7 Remake. Square Enix has reinterpreted and refreshed all of the enemies, environments, and plot points while adding new, modern elements that still treat the original game with respect. The amount of work that has gone into FF7 Rebirth is truly staggering, and though several parts of the game feel stretched out and encumbered, it follows through on its potential.

The next world

This review will be purposefully vague on the storyline of FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth to keep spoilers to a minimum, though anyone who has played through the original game will more or less know what happens. FF7 Rebirth, as a direct sequel to FF7 Remake, comes with several lingering plot threads that are addressed throughout the story. A recap video of the events in the first game is available in the main menu in case you need a refresher.

New cutscenes, conversations, and side quests alter the original plotline enough that it still feels like a fresh take, while the general framework has mostly been kept intact. Revisiting all of the familiar story beats, while listening to modern orchestrations of familiar tunes, is delightfully nostalgic. The party worries about Cloud’s memory, Barret and Tifa want to take down Shinra, Red XIII wishes to return home, and Aerith hopes to learn more about her past. Short scenes involving another character are mainly spliced between chapters, lending an air of mystery on the overarching timeline. It’s not until the latter half of the game that events more significantly deviate from the source material, introducing various elements to the lore that weren’t there before.

The majority of the side quests and protorelic missions spread throughout each region of the world provide opportunities for the party to interact with new characters as well as NPCs from FF7 Remake. Completing these tasks, along with choosing specific dialogue options, also adds relationships points between Cloud and one of the party members. This impacts and provides more options for a particular cutscene later in the game — a mechanic which FF7 fans will recognize. The game doesn’t shy away from adding tongue-in-cheek humor either, especially when it comes to Red XIII riding chocobos and getting mad when humans treat him like a pet.

However, FF7 Rebirth has some trouble sticking the landing, particularly in the last third of the story. How some characters are integrated into the party feels like a missed opportunity and it’s done in an awkwardly deliberate way. Also, the ending reveals a lot of information, but it’s told in a tangled, murky, erratic sequence of events. While it tries to be intriguing by raising as many questions as it answers, it sacrifices clarity for the sake of complex plot structure.

Reforged in battle

Much of the real-time combat system from FF7 Remake has been carried over with a few additional mechanics like synergy skills and abilities. Hitting enemies with basic attacks builds the ATB meter and segments of this gauge can be used to cast spells, use items, and perform character abilities. Enemies also have a stun meter that builds quickly if you’re able to pressure them, typically done by exploiting their elemental weakness or evading their strikes with proper timing. Once it’s full, they become staggered for a long time during which any damage dealt is multiplied.

Each party member has different strengths, so changing which character you control during battle can be strategically useful. In fact, the story has numerous sections that force your group to split up, so you will want to be well-versed with how each character works anyway. Out of the starting party, Cloud and Tifa are strong at dealing single-target damage, Barret and Aerith have long-range attacks, and Red XIII has a multi-hit spinning attack that builds stagger and ATB quickly. 

In addition, each party member has access to limit breaks as well as a synergy meter that increases every time ATB is used. This fuels powerful synergy abilities that can give two members temporarily larger ATB meters, access to higher limit break levels, or unlimited MP for a short time. Meanwhile, synergy skills can be used freely and which ones you can use depends on your current party makeup.

FF7 Rebirth provides many opportunities for character progression beyond basic leveling. Obtaining a wide variety of materia and giving them AP from battles is vital, making materia slots on weapons and armor crucial for keeping pace with enemies and bosses in the long run. Every new weapon you find allows a character to learn an ability from it permanently, and various accessories you can purchase or craft from materials can increase base stats and grant immunities to status effects. Also tracked is Party XP earned by defeating story bosses and completing minor world intel objectives on the map. As this increases in level, your party will unlock new options on their skill trees that can be learned by spending skill points. 

The main weakness of the combat system is that it’s finicky on occasion. Evading homing attacks, particularly the swallow ability from land worms, is more difficult than it should be. Figuring out limit levels is tricky too since you have to learn the appropriate skill synergies on the skill tree and then track limit level increases on your own in battle. Since using items takes one ATB charge, using them in battle is a rough call when abilities and spells tend to be better options. It’s not until you earn the Item Economizer materia or have Mist potions on hand that using one is worth the action economy.

Overlapping audio is an occasional problem as well. As you explore a town, you’ll sometimes walk around a crowd of NPCs and all of them begin talking at the same time to the point that you can barely make out what they’re saying. In fiend battles on the map, a new AI character named MAI will interrupt the fight by spewing out facts about the enemy. It’s supposed to be helpful, but alongside the intense music and special effects, her dialogue is a distraction that you can’t turn off. 

Gold Saucer-eyed

One of the best parts of FF7 Rebirth is seeing every environment expanded to an incredible degree. The first town of Kalm has beautifully detailed streets and shops, while the opening Grasslands region has green rolling hills, watermills, and trickling streams. Those are merely starters compared to several cities later on, like Cosmo Canyon, Costa Del Sol, and the Gold Saucer, that are even more impressive. The level of detail just in the number of objects that fill each area is incredible. This remains consistent as you progress from one chapter to the next, even as regions become more complex to navigate.

Fortunately, dealing with the rougher terrain is by and large resolved by riding a chocobo. Not only are chocobos faster than walking on foot, but they also make grabbing resources easy and can sniff out hidden treasures on the map. Much of these are materials that can be sold for gil or transmuted into items and equipment. Specific regional versions allow you to reach restricted areas as well, like mountain chocobos being able to climb the side of cliffs. You can locate chocobo stops too that give you a chance to rest and provide another point for fast travel.

On the downside, around half of all the activities on the map amount to busywork. Similar to viewpoints in Assassin’s Creed, activating remnawave towers will reveal locations of nearby points of interest. But finding every tower, life spring, summon sanctuary, fiend battle, moghouse, cache, excavation site, and more is exhausting. The chocobo stealth activity and the Moogle Mischief mini-games are especially burdensome (and the Moogles look more like koala bears for some reason). Even if you aren’t a completionist (like I am), you are encouraged to finish as much as you can to earn Party XP, purchase powerful materia from Chadley, and unlock combat simulator battles.

Otherwise, most of the mini-games are enjoyable side diversions that add a lot of flavor. Queen’s Blood, a three-lane card game that’s similar to Triple Triad from FF8, requires a lot of strategy in placing cards on the field, and there are players in every town that you can challenge. Out of all the activities at the Gold Saucer, chocobo racing is the main attraction and plays very close to Mario Kart. In addition to Chadley’s combat simulations, there are a few other arenas for more intense fights. The piano performance mini-game from the demo appears throughout the journey too. Other mini-games from the original game have been recreated here, including the Shinra Junon parade and Fort Condor. Doing well at all these games awards strong materia, weapons, and accessories, so while many of them are optional, completing them is time well spent.

Completing the main campaign and every world intel mission takes around 100 hours, more so if you decide to tackle optional content that unlocks after you finish the story. Some chapters feel stretched out more than they should be, with some levels that go on for too long and activities that repeat themselves across every region. Tying the more mundane tasks to one of the party members, similar to how side quests are done, would have helped alleviate the tedium.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Final Verdict

Through its expanded story, fantastic graphics, and abundance of side activities, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth vigorously continues the momentum from FF7 Remake. While some parts of the game are too slow or padded for the sake of content, the majority of the experience is a pleasant ride through nostalgia. It will be curious to see how progress, if any, is carried over to the next game, given all the exploration and items that you can obtain here. At any rate, FF7 Rebirth lives up to its promise as a love letter to the original game and solidly sets up the third and final title in the trilogy.

Disclosure: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PS5 code provided by publisher.

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For fans of Capcom’s long-running Ace Attorney series, the last few years have been rather hit or miss. On the one hand, a collection of the first three games in the series was finally ported to modern platforms (freeing them from the shackles of mobile and handheld devices), and the two Great Ace Attorney games (which were previously Japan-exclusive) were localized and released for western audiences. On the other hand, it’s been close to a decade since we’ve seen a brand-new release in the mainline series, with Capcom going radio silent about the possibility of a seventh game.

In what we can only hope is a peace offering to tide us over, the fourth, fifth, and sixth entries have been given a fresh coat of paint and bundled together in the oddly-named Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (more on the weird choice of name in a minute). For anyone who played the first Ace Attorney Trilogy, you’ll more or less know what to expect here: higher-res graphics, modernized UI, and a slew of quality-of-life features.

Aside from being able to jump into any game, episode, or chapter (intended play order be damned), players who only want to experience the story can turn on Story Mode, which lets you take it easy while the game plays itself for you by solving puzzles, interrogating witnesses, and collecting evidence. For those who don’t have a penchant for jamming on the X button for hours on end, you can also choose to have the game advance the dialogue for you, with a conversation log available should you want to re-read lines that you glossed over initially. Granted, these inclusions are far from revolutionary, but they are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of what was available on the original DS and 3DS versions.

While Apollo Justice appears front and center on this trilogy’s box art and name, only one of the three included titles features him as the main protagonist. Having originally released back in 2008 for the Nintendo DS, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has more in common with the original trilogy compared to the two games that came after it. Granted, every mainline entry is split up between investigative phases and court trials, but Apollo Justice’s debut was, and still is, a 2D affair, save for a few sections where you examine evidence in 3D.

As you’d expect, the original artwork and sprites have been remastered for high-definition displays, and while I’ll always miss the pixelated look of the original, it’s hard to deny how slick this one looks when blown up on a big screen with proper support for 16:9 aspect ratios. It goes without saying; even fifteen years after its original debut, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney still impresses. Unlike its predecessors, this one throws you right into the deep end with its tutorial case, weaving together several unanswered questions that are slowly unraveled throughout the subsequent three episodes. Apollo’s ability to “perceive” when witnesses are lying makes for interesting moments, with a suspect’s nervous twitch or tick often tying directly into their testimony. And of course, this game introduced us to the iconic Papa Phoenix. What’s not to love?

The other two games in this trilogy — Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice — bring about some of the biggest changes the series has seen. For starters, the pair are the first games to feature fully-rendered 3D environments and characters, eschewing the tried-and-true sprites and fixed camera angles for a more dynamic, modern look. Having originally launched on the 3DS, this shift in visual style was met with mixed reception. The most diehard purists will likely not be swayed by these remasters, but the move to more powerful hardware lets Capcom’s artwork and animations truly shine. If you were ever put off by Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice’s low-res presentation on the 3DS, the Apollo Justice trilogy might just sway your opinion with the bump in resolution.

Speaking of Apollo Justice, while he certainly plays a key role across all three of these games, he takes a bit more of a backseat in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. Not only does Phoenix Wright return as a playable character, but newcomer Athena Cykes has joined the legal team. Where Phoenix and Apollo used their mystical magatama and bracelet to deduce when someone is being less than truthful, Athena makes use of an AI companion and a program dubbed the “Mood Matrix,” letting her pick up on subtle emotional cues and finding discrepancies between what a witness’ testimony and their emotional state. It’s a welcome addition (and thankfully, one that isn’t overused) that adds a new layer to the franchise’s tried-and-true trial and interrogation mechanics.

Spirit of Justice also makes use of each of the protagonist’s special abilities, while also throwing another wrinkle into the mix — Divination Séances. The original trio of Ace Attorney games had several plotlines centered around spirit mediums and communicating with the dead, but Spirit of Justice fully embraces this idea with Divination Séances, which lets you see the final moments through the eyes of the murder victim. If all of this sounds a bit off the wall, that’s because it is, though the devs do try to make it all sound plausible. While previous games in the franchise featured an interesting hodgepodge of Japanese culture thrown into an American setting, Spirit of Justice takes place abroad in the Kingdom of Khura’in, which itself is heavily inspired by the Eastern Himalayas. It took well over a decade, but Spirit of Justice does go out of its way to at least justify the series’ (sometimes) bizarre mix of criminal justice and spirit channeling.

Even though I’ve played every game in the Ace Attorney series (many of them more than once), it’s hard not to be enamored with what the Apollo Justice trilogy offers. Being able to relive the trials and tribulations (pun intended)of Phoenix and company without the friction of having to dig out aging handheld systems or emulate on PC is a godsend, and the numerous quality-of-life additions and bonus pack-ins are icing on top of the cake — along with a bevy of art assets and soundtracks to look over and listen too, all of the DLC costumes and episodes from the 3DS games are included, alongside an animation studio where you can throw together your own vignettes using character models, animations, in-game music, and voice lines.

If there’s one criticism I think will be levied against this new collection of games, it’s that, at the end of the day, it’s simply more of the same. Series diehards and more casual fans will undoubtedly find a lot to like here, and I certainly hope it’s a sign that we’ll be seeing much more of the Ace Attorney franchise in the coming years. For those who weren’t sold on the original trio of Phoenix Wright games, this second collection won’t do much to sway your opinion.

Disclosure: Review copy was provided by Capcom.

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NASCAR games are sometimes dismissed by those who don’t play them for being games comprised of mostly left turns. While that’s correct, there’s a lot of depth to simulation stock car racing to explore, and lengthy races allow strategies to be implemented. NASCAR Arcade Rush is a far different spin, as it’s an arcade-style game that features plenty of right turns and doesn’t resemble the actual sport at all.

The coolest part of Arcade Rush is that the stages are reimagined versions of 12 actual race tracks, such as Daytona and Michigan International Speedway. These tracks often take inspiration from the cities they’re based on and aren’t afraid of getting ridiculous, like Homestead-Miami Speedway featuring a giant ring of fire you jump through. The tracks are the one element that really elevates what is otherwise a solid, yet largely unspectacular, racing game.

The problem with the actual racing is that there just isn’t much to it. Sure, you have a turbo meter that you can use to gain speed, and there are boost strips on the track that’ll reward you for driving on them. However, there’s no drifting or another gameplay system on offer that would’ve given the game the extra layer of depth it could’ve used. For a game that wants to be an over-the-top version of NASCAR, it could’ve dreamed a bit bigger with the actual gameplay.

The only unique gameplay system on display, and one I really like since it takes inspiration from actual stock car racing, is that it incorporates pitting. Since races are only three or four laps long, it is purely optional to pit, and it’s not to gas up your vehicle or address damage. Instead, slowing down temporarily through the pit lane will see your nitro gauge completely refilled. It’s a gamble — as you can also find boost strips that give you a tiny bit of nitro — but one that adds some additional strategy that the game definitely needed.

Ultimately, with only 12 tracks, the game doesn’t have a ton of staying power. You do level up and unlock a bunch of customization options (you can get a Tron-style vehicle, which is cool), but there aren’t compelling reasons to keep coming back. Unlocking real-life NASCAR legends as racers or throwback vehicles could’ve been a good incentive, but instead, there are only generic drivers to go up against. Time trials and online play, in addition to the main tournaments, add some replayability but aren’t overly compelling.

NASCAR Arcade Rush Review: Final Verdict

NASCAR Arcade Rush lives up to its name and delivers a fun, non-simulation racing game that features reimaginings of some of the most iconic racing tracks in the USA. However, it isn’t outlandish and exciting enough to completely win over an average arcade racing game fan, nor is it a love letter enough to NASCAR to make it a must-own game for stock car racing enthusiasts. Instead, it’s in the middle ground, where if you dig both, then you’ll have a good time, but you’ll still find yourself moving on to other games sooner rather than later.

Disclaimer: This NASCAR Arcade Rush review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.001.000.

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PlayStation players have been treated to a surprise cooperative release in the form of We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip. A two-hour, bite-sized iteration in the series, it gives players a taste of the series’ inventive co-op gameplay that can be seen more in-depth in past titles like We Were Here Together and 2022’s We Were Here Forever.

Just like Forever, cross-play is available, and you can team up together via in-game IDs. The process is pretty painless, although it adds a step when you just want to play with someone on the same console. After a quick tutorial sequence that introduces you to your in-game walkie-talkies and the basic controls, you’re left to work together with a partner to solve puzzles and take a trip from the cutely named boat that the game’s title references — the FriendShip.

There’s not much of a story here, but there are three trials for players to take on. The first one is pretty simple and similar to what other asymmetric co-op games have done in the space, like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, by having one player describe what symbols they can see while the other player looks for matching ones. To make things a bit more challenging, these wind up being timed, and performance is broken into graded tickets you can get of bronze, silver, and gold variety. It’s a fun time, although the differences in some of the symbols are too small, and it’s too easy to fail in what seems like a cheap manner as a result.

The second trial is the only real puzzle, as it has players moving colored pedestals and floor pieces. It’s quite convoluted and way too difficult to describe via text, but basically, you have to think a step ahead as the other player’s choices impact what the other can do their next turn and vice versa. If both players don’t have patience and the willingness to engage with the puzzles, this can become quite frustrating and a negative experience. And even if you both grasp the puzzle, it’s not a particularly fun one as it is quite time-consuming as you try to get a high score over 10 turns.

The third and final challenge is the high note for the game, as it measures trust by having the two players work together to get through an obstacle course. After one of the characters is gassed, they can’t trust their vision and must be guided through a series of obstacles and invisible walkways. This is easily the most fun as it is enjoyable even when you come up short and really takes advantage of the unique cooperative gameplay. There is some added difficulty for the more advanced maneuvers, though, as the sometimes imprecise controls and delay between the players could cause some failures, but this was one we were able to complete fully after giving it enough attempts.

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip Review: Final Verdict

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip is a fun diversion for up to two hours, but there really isn’t enough meat here for it to be more than that. More of a relationship test than a full-fledged game, its third trial is absolutely the highlight of the experience. While it’s worth going through once, don’t expect it to reach the highs of the previous entries or offer too much new to the winning formula.

Disclaimer: This We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.001.000.

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Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and yearly Madden games. Madden NFL 24 doesn’t feature as drastic an overhaul of last year’s installment, but uses it as a base to meaningfully add depth to its core modes and add some overall polish. This works in its favor, as the on the field gameplay looks and feels great and allows the team at EA Tiburon to add some awesome new additions like the superstar showdown mode.

The biggest additions come in the franchise and superstar modes, which have been revamped in a number of ways. For example, training camps are back and the game includes over 20 minigames that allow for a fun way to improve your team before the season starts. Additionally, a number of smaller tweaks have been added like unique draft generators and a suite of new commissioner settings like trade difficulty and the ability to set home field advantage. The former ensures that yearly drafts don’t get dull and the latter adds even more customizability.

Superstar mode has also been refreshed and is more fun than before. It starts off on the right foot with the player getting to partake in a number of interactive minigames that can boost your draft stock. The path to becoming a superstar continues in the NFL is more varied than ever thanks to the aforementioned minigames and plenty of objectives to complete — giving you a reason to always be invested even when your team is struggling.

However, the best addition is the superstar showdown mode, which is sort of similar to Threes in EA’s NHL games and serves as an extension of The Yard mode from previous years. This arena football mode features three-on-three and six-on-six matches on a smaller and colorful 50-yard field. Scoring is fast with fewer defenders on field, making it a nice reminder of NFL Street. Hopefully, it will continue to get fleshed out in subsequent entries like Three, as it is a blast either solo or with friends.

A lot of the other changes this year are under the hood and aren’t immediately noticeable until you’ve played a few games. This includes a new performance skeleton system called Sapien, which further improves thousands of existing in-game animations and overhauls the different body types of players. When combined with FieldSense, which has seen plenty of new tackle animations and even some jump and dive passes for star players, this winds up being the most realistic looking football game yet.

It is worth noting that I had a few online issues during the game’s first weekend, although it got better over time. For example, I was tossed out of my online connected franchise mode several times due to the game losing connection. There are offline franchise options, so it’s an avoidable issue, but it’s always a bummer when outside issues impact a game mode that doesn’t really need to be always online like a franchise mode.

Madden NFL 24 Review: The final verdict

You can’t go wrong with Madden NFL 24 as the new superstar showdown mode is a compelling selling point for fans pining for arcade gameplay. Plus, the franchise and superstar modes have been improved in a significant way, and it has more long-term staying power as a result. With the core gameplay as solid as ever, EA’s latest football game is a triumphant offering that is more than a roster update.

Disclaimer: Madden NFL 24 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.

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Milestone S.r.l. is one of gaming’s most consistent developers, delivering multiple worthwhile racing games each year. Its latest offering is Ride 5, which serves as a sizable, current-gen revamp and overall upgrade for the series. No longer held back by a foundation that was created in 2015, Ride 5 delivers one of the best motorcycle racing games yet.

The biggest improvement and selling point of Ride 5 is how beginner friendly it is. Some of the past Ride games were difficult to get into at first due to poorly implemented racing aids. However, Milestone has properly balanced both the aids and the career mode, allowing players to immediately be competitive in races from the very start. Turning assists off and moving to higher difficulty levels over time leads to a more even and rewarding difficulty curve that’s far more encouraging than constantly crashing and burning.

The four-part career mode is the bulkiest part of the game where racers can test their skills. There are over 200 events to partake in, ranging from time attack races to more traditional competitions. Over time, players will go up against 10 main rivals, which acts as a good indicator of how far you’ve come in the career leaderboard that spans over 150 riders. While the presentation isn’t always impressive and lacks an identity, this is a solid career offering that invested players will be able to put dozens of hours into.

With over 30 real and fictional tracks that span the globe and hundreds of real motorcycles to choose from, there’s a great variety on display. Iconic tracks like Daytona International Speedway and the Nürburgring are faithfully recreated. Milestone also gets to flex its muscle with some original offerings, like its Kanto course that has players riding the Japanese countryside past temples. All of these tracks show how it is a truly beautiful game that takes advantage of its current-gen-only status by having stunning visuals and dynamic weather effects.

Sports titles, however, sometimes can lack features when they go through a revamp. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here. The creation suite is impressive, allowing players to make everything from liveries to championships. Local split-screen multiplayer even returns — a first in the series since Ride 2. It’s evident that this wasn’t rushed, and Milestone took its time in actually iterating upon what fans have come to expect from the series.

Other small tweaks have made the overall experience much more compelling, as well. For example, online play now supports cross-platform play, which is always a great addition for more niche online titles and ensures that there’s always a match join. Endurance mode can also be played online, allowing masochists to do massive races that take multiple hours. Additional features are on the way, too, as the Race Director feature, which will allow players to alter the starting grid, set rules, and assign penalties to online races, is coming in a future patch.

Ride 5 Review: The final verdict

Ride 5 is yet another impressive offering from Milestone. By focusing on the current generation of hardware, the motorcycle racer isn’t held back and is able to live to its full potential. It all results in a great-looking experience that is easier to get into than ever before and is just as fulfilling to master.

Disclaimer: Our Ride 5 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.004.000.

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Summerfall Studios’ Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is one of the most unique games of the year. Creating a musical is already a colossal undertaking. But turning one into interactive art altered by player choice? Even more daunting. While it doesn’t come together as smoothly as one may hope, there’s enough promise and payoff to make this a successful experiment.

However, Stray Gods doesn’t make a particularly strong first impression. Despite some great character design and art, the lack of actual animation makes exchanges awkward as characters just jump from expression to expression. It’s stuck in an uncomfortable place, where there are a lot more transitions than a standard visual novel, but it never looks actually fluid. Lack of traditional animation isn’t always a bad thing — The Way of the Househusband used a ton of style to turn its limited animation into a strength rather than a weakness — but this becomes an annoyance you get used to rather than a charming quirk.

Things get better once the story kicks into high gear. The story mixes Greek gods with a modern setting — akin to Fables/The Wolf of Among Us — and has a compelling murder mystery at its heart. On top of that, there are a wide array of musical numbers and a cast that features some of the best voice actors around. There’s genuinely a lot to like here once you make it past the offputting lack of animation.

The idea of an interactive musical is quite ambitious and is worth celebrating, even if it doesn’t all totally work as well as you hoped. The music is composed by Austin Wintory of Journey fame (the PS3 game, not the “Don’t Stop Believing” band) and lives up to his high standard. The vocal performances also impress, with Laura Bailey showing that she has a phenomenal singing voice. All the other talent can carry a tune as well — Khary Payton’s Pan and Troy Baker’s Apollo are two particular highlights.

However, the songs don’t fully come together. The lyrics are fine and get the character’s emotions and points across, but they’re not all that catchy or poignant. The world and what characters have to say in Stray Gods’ normal conversations are far more interesting than what is sung. It also doesn’t help that the songs can feel quite disjointed musically due to the interactive element. Players can choose the tone for different sections of a song, which doesn’t always gel.

When not singing, the game is a pretty basic visual novel with some light adventure game elements. You’ll pick locations to go to as you investigate a murder, choose elements to inspect, and who to talk to. The world-building is probably the strongest aspect of the game itself, with the history between characters feeling quite fleshed out. It’s also just fun to see these larger-than-life mythological figures in modern-day settings.

There’s also a lot of replay value here, as the player’s choices impact both the story and the songs. Certain dialogue options are locked behind whatever trait you choose early on. There are romance options to explore, and the character dynamics at play are genuinely interesting. With so much that can change in a run, I want to see how differently the mystery can play out. Stray Gods is definitely a game I’ll wind up giving another playthrough or two as a result.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical Review: The final verdict

Humble Games’ latest offering is a really interesting artistic experiment. While it didn’t leave me thinking that roleplaying musicals will be the wave of the future, I’m glad Summerfall Studios went for such a wild idea. The end result is uneven yet still quite enjoyable. A compelling mystery is bolstered thanks to some great music and strong performances by its cast. It’s a shame that the animation and songwriting can’t match the quality of the other elements, but Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is still well worth checking out.

Disclaimer: Our Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.

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The latest game to carry on the surprisingly long lineage of marble-based platformers is Marble It Up! Ultra.

More in the vein of Marble Blast than Mark Cerny‘s Marble Madness, it revolves around the player taking on wild, Super Monkey Ball-style levels filled with challenging platforms to maneuver under a time limit. A superior version of the 2018 original, Ultra is a polished platformer that’s fun whether you’re ready to speedrun or just want clear each level.

Ultra features over 100 levels in total, which is a mix of remastered levels from the original game and entirely new ones. Over 60 are in the core campaign, which is a great amount as the game is able to introduce layers to its otherwise simple gameplay. This gives the player enough time to master the minutia. This delivers a satisfying difficulty curve throughout. By the end, you’re fully prepared for the wild levels and all the different power-ups that you need to use to complete them.

The power-ups vary from higher jumps to speed bursts, and add a whole different layer to the gameplay. It’s particularly fun coming up with strategies to better your time, as there are plenty of shortcuts and higher-level strategies to cut through the default route. Some levels, however, circumvent this by forcing the player to gather gems before they can finish. That means you can’t destroy them all in a few seconds like top-tier Super Monkey Ball players.

Beyond the allure of the leaderboard, there’s plenty of incentive to better your time in stages. Challenging bonus levels unlock based on how many levels you’ve achieved a gold rank on. You’ll unlock a ton of different costumes, effects, and accessories for your marble that range from wacky (like a marble that plays a game of Simon) to some really visually pleasing designs. You also unlock currency while you play, which can be used in the store as well. There’s always a good reason to keep playing.

While the lengthy single-player experience will likely take up the bulk of your time, Ultra also includes several online features that add to its overall appeal. Weekly challenges will appeal to more advanced players as they offer a set of levels and unique modifiers that keeps it feeling fresh. You can even view replays of high scores to learn new strategies.

There are also four online multiplayer modes included. These are admittedly a mixed bag, and it’s hard to see this becoming a part of anyone’s long-term rotation. Some are overly simple, such as collecting gems in the aptly named Gem Hunt, but I found the Soccer mode to be a fun diversion. Practically a budget Rocket League with seven different stages, you use your marble and power-ups to try to score goals against the opposing team. It mostly made me just want to reinstall Rocket League, but it was nonetheless still a fun time for the few matches I played.

Marble It Up! Ultra Review: The final verdict

You can tell that Marble It Up! Ultra had a great foundation to build upon, as it is as polished as the marbles you roll around inside the game. The difficulty curve is satisfying, and it’s genuinely fun to improve and start lowering your times in search of unlocking more bonus levels. While it’ll appeal to players that love time trials and a challenge first and foremost, there’s a lot of charm and fun to be had for any fan of platformers.

Disclaimer: Our Marble It Up! Ultra review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.000.011.

The post Marble It Up! Ultra Review: Keep Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’ appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

It’s difficult to stand out in the top-down shooter space, which has seen a boom in popularity since the advent of digital games. In such a crowded genre, it makes it all the more important to have a wholly original and unique hook to draw players to it. Sadly — despite being competently made — Zombie Soup features little compelling enough to choose it over a long list of contemporaries.

It certainly doesn’t help that mowing down hordes of zombies isn’t a particularly intriguing premise in 2023. The game’s dated and generic art style also works against it, as the main character model looks like a rejected Jimmy Neutron background character with guns. The only potentially interesting aspect of this twin-stick shooter is that the main character is also strapped with a melee weapon. However, this only really comes into play when battling characters that can’t be hit by bullets. There are no real combos or depth to it, which makes melee fall flat.

Levels are pretty lengthy, as the player clears out multiple rooms filled with zombies and moves from floor to floor. This core gameplay is completely fine — the combat feels tight enough and enemies offer a bit of a challenge — but its tedious repetition smothers any attempt to be much more than just fine. The constant need to backtrack further adds to its laborious nature, which isn’t alleviated much by the refrigerators that let players fast travel around (don’t question it).

Boss fights are Zombie Soups only real saving grace. Even if you’ve used in-game currency to level up your character’s stats or unlock alternate weapons, these climactic fights can be quite difficult. It’s fulfilling to learn the boss’ attack patterns, then pull off that one perfect run. It’s the one area where the game’s basic approach shines, as you have less strategy to employ and can focus purely on execution.

There is some replayability here, even though it’s hard to want to play even more of such a repetitive game. Multiple weapon-based classes can be unlocked, such as using a shotgun or SMG over the default set of pistols, and these all feel distinct enough from one another. There are also optional challenges to take on, which sometimes will restrict certain mechanics — like disabling grenades — and dole out weapon upgrades as rewards. Much like the rest of the game, the feature list is adequate but not exactly inspiring.

Zombie Soup Review: The final verdict

Being adequate defines Zombie Soup. It’s a serviceable top-down twin-stick shooter that has players downing thousands of zombies much like many of its genre peers. However, just being solid isn’t that attractive anymore — especially in such a cramped genre. Without a defined selling point, a dozen or so engaging boss fights don’t propel Zombie Soup much past the hoards of twin-stick shooters that continue to shamble onto every digital storefront at a steady pace.

Disclaimer: Our Zombie Soup review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.000.008.

The post Zombie Soup Review: Fun Boss Fights Save Top-Down Shooter appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Rotoscoping has impressed viewers since Max Fleischer pioneered in 1915. It’s been used to amazing effect in some games, like the excellent Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and the original Prince of Persia, but it remains quite rare. The latest game to use rotoscope animation is a point-and-click adventure called Frank and Drake. While the animation and art are gorgeous, the story it tells isn’t as captivating as the on-screen spectacle.

As far as adventure games go, Frank and Drake is on the limited, more cinematic side. This isn’t like the classic LucasArts games where you can freely explore. Instead, the supernatural locale of Oriole City is shown in a specific order. You’re often only able to look at certain objects in a room rather, than explore every nook and cranny that catches your interest. The story branches via choices you make each day, which at least makes multiple playthroughs simple as it’s easy to avoid seeing the same paths.

While the exploration is underwhelming, there is at least a unique story structure in place. The two titular playable characters live together, yet never directly see each other for most of the game since their schedules differ. Instead, you develop a relationship between the two via sticky notes left on a fridge. It’s an interesting way to have them converse and learn information from each other as they both try to unravel their own mysteries.

Unfortunately, the mysteries at play wind up being the game’s biggest disappointment. A lot of the twists and turns are obvious early on, but go unaddressed until later in the game. While a single playthrough only reveals some of what Oriole City has to offer, the characters aren’t interesting or likable enough to actually want to learn more of their backstory. It also makes it so that a single playthrough isn’t very satisfying. Frank and Drake tries to thread the needle of leaving the player wanting more, but it’s not compelling enough to achieve that.

The quality of in-game puzzles also hampers the experience. One particularly annoying example is when a gate is locked. Drake says he could simply jump over it, but the player still has to travel through an annoying maze and figure it out instead. A lot of the puzzles feel arbitrary — as if the developer felt they had to put some sort of gameplay in the experience to justify it as a video game, rather than feeling like an actual part of Oriole City.

While much of the experience is underwhelming, it’s not a bad game. The art design is on point, and the rotoscoped animation is quite impressive. Oriole City itself is the real highlight. The stranger elements, like graffiti that subtly moves and watches the player walk past, are a particular highlight. Moments like this make you question if the characters are losing their mind — or if there’s really something otherworldly going on.

There’s another issue that holds this console port back, though. The in-game text, particularly the handwritten notes, was clearly designed to be read on a monitor over a television screen. The text is way too small as a result, and unreadable if you’re not sitting close to the television. Some objects will allow you to hit an info box for a typed-out, more legible version of the text. However, that feature isn’t available for the in-game diaries the playable characters keep.

Frank and Drake Review: The final verdict

Frank and Drake has a few interesting story beats, but they never culminate in a truly compelling mystery. It doesn’t help that the puzzles often feel out of place rather than part of the world. Despite the gorgeous art, it just doesn’t fully come together as a complete experience. Hopefully, the development team will be able to deliver on its promise in another game in the future.

Disclaimer: Our Frank and Drake review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 2.001.000.

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