Author: Emily Medlock

It is an old question that is often brought to mind by newcomers- can my PS4 play PS1, PS2 or PS3 games? Well, this guide on PS4 backwards compatibility will give you all of the necessary information to understand the ins and outs. Let’s begin. Of course, the question that gamers will forever ask about their favorite console: is the PS4 Backwards Compatible? We always want to play all of our games on one console. Our primary gaming tool, our newest addition to the family. So, just how do you utilize the feature available on your PS4? It is not…

Resident Evil is back, baby. Although it never really went away, of course, what with entries from the mainline series as well as various spin-offs like the Resident Evil: Revelations games and Umbrella Corps – not to mention other media such as the retina-searingly abysmal movie series – still appearing on a fairly regular basis over the years. But as someone who’s been a big fan of the series since buying the original Resident Evil alongside my PlayStation twenty years ago, it’s been disappointing to see it move further and further away from its survival horror roots and into increasingly…

Blame Bloodborne. Although I’ve been a keen reader all of my life, it was only after playing From Software’s incredible action-RPG that I actually read any of author H. P. Lovecraft’s work, the cosmic horror element of Bloodborne – an element brilliantly ommitted from any of the game’s pre-release promotional material – inspiring me to read the entirety of Lovecraft’s fiction writing in the space of a couple of months. Now a fully-fledged cosmic horror convert, I eagerly picked up Darkest Dungeon,   a game which wears its Lovecraft influence with pride, the developer and publisher, Red Hook Studios, even -…

If you are at a loss on how to use the PS4 remote and what it is, then you’ve come to the right place. Take a look at this guide that will help you to better understand the Official PS4 Media Remote that is officially licensed by Sony. Keep in mind that the two AAA batteries needed for this remote are not included with the purchase. Just what is it? The PS4 Media Remote is a universal remote control that allows the player to control all of their PS4 apps and even their Blu-Ray player. Just like any other universal…

The year of 2016 and every year prior has provided us with amazing games. This has us excited for what is to come in the next couple of years, particularly, those exclusive to PlayStation 4. With that said, let’s take a look at 30 exclusive upcoming titles that should capture your attention. Let’s begin.  Gravity Rush 2 Release Date: January 20, 2017 This game picks up where the last game left off. The characters from Gravity Rush will return and new characters will be added. Kat, along with her friends, continue to search for clues regarding her past. There are…

The year of 2016 had its highs and low. There was much to talk about with the greatest games of the century and the biggest disappointments. Here we discuss some of our least favorite releases for PS4 this year. Dino Dini’s Kick-Off Revival Sadly, this game is just sad. Starting with the graphics, Dino Dini’s Kick-Off Revival just doesn’t cut it. Sure, the concept is great as they try to “revive” the old games. They try to go retro and simple, with very limited settings and options. So, yes, the concept is good, but, the overall gameplay overcomes the idea…

The PS4 has seen many releases this year, some exclusive, some not. But, as expected from Sony, they didn’t leave us without a handful that we just can’t stop playing. These are exclusive only to PS4. Not Xbox One. Not PlayStation Vita. Not PC. No, these are exclusively on PS4 and PS4 alone. Now it is time to reflect on some of the better exclusive games from 2016. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is undeniably one of the best games of the year. The graphics and cinematics on this much-awaited follow-up has us in awe.…

Ah, Christmas. A time of joy, generosity, love, peace, consuming six times your own bodyweight in food and drink, Fairytale of New York, and of course, presents. And if you’re looking for PlayStation 4-related gifts for a friend or loved one – or yourself, if you’re an angry loner – then look no further, for I have a bulging sack of Christmas inspiration and am willing to share it with you lovely people. Christmas Hardware – PlayStation VR If you’ve been a fan of videogames for more than one console generation then you know the excitement that can come…

It seems that in recent years an increasing number of new videogames have been falling into one of two categories: high-profile, high-budget, “AAA” blockbusters; or smaller-scale, low-budget, “indie” titles. But what about the middle-ground? What about those games which don’t really belong in either category and instead fall somewhere in between? These “Stuck in the Middle with” features are dedicated to looking at some games which, whatever their final level of quality, could be described as mid-tier releases. Ah, the Nazi zombie. A poor choice of entertainer for your child’s bar mitzvah, but a great choice of videogame antagonist. And…

It seems that in recent years an increasing number of new videogames have been falling into one of two categories: high-profile, high-budget, “AAA” blockbusters; or smaller-scale, low-budget, “indie” titles. But what about the middle-ground? What about those games which don’t really belong in either category and instead fall somewhere in between? These “Stuck In The Middle With” features are dedicated to looking at some games which, whatever their final level of quality, could be described as mid-tier releases. From Software’s Souls videogames have had an undeniable impact upon the medium since the release of Demon’s Souls in 2009, and this…

It seems that in recent years an increasing number of new videogames have been falling into one of two categories: high-profile, high-budget, “AAA” blockbusters; or smaller-scale, low-budget, “indie” titles. But what about the middle-ground? What about those games which don’t necessarily belong in either category and instead fall somewhere in between? These “Stuck In The Middle With” features are dedicated to looking at some games which, whatever their final level of quality, could be described as mid-tier releases. How many wang puns can be crammed into one videogame? Well, with 2013’s Shadow Warrior, developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Devolver…

Videogame adaptations of franchises from other mediums are often rushed, cheaply-developed cash-ins meant for nothing more than milking some extra money from a licence, but thankfully this isn’t always the case. I really enjoyed my time with Alien: Isolation, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s one of the greatest videogames I’ve ever played, it is easily one of the most faithful, respectful and generally high-quality videogame adaptations of an existing franchise that I’ve experienced. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, Alien: Isolation was released for the PC, PlayStation 4 and several other consoles…

It seems that in recent years an increasing number of new videogames have been falling into one of two categories: high-profile, high-budget, “AAA” blockbusters; or smaller-scale, low-budget, “indie” titles. But what about the middle-ground? What about those games which don’t really belong in either category and instead fall somewhere in between? These “Stuck In The Middle With” features are dedicated to looking at some games which, whatever their final level of quality, could be described as mid-tier releases. Detective Ronan O’Connor may look like a prize twat, what with his fedora, numerous “tough guy” tattoos and generally forced visual design,…

In this Digressions In Digital feature I’ll be discussing 2012’s Hotline Miami and its 2015 sequel Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. The original title was developed by Dennaton Games, whereas the sequel was developed by Dennaton Games and Abstraction Games. Both were published by Devolver Digital. Hotline Miami A 2D action game played from a top-down perspective, Hotline Miami casts the player as an unnamed, silent protagonist – one later nicknamed “Jacket” by the fan community – who begins receiving anonymous phone calls threatening him into carrying out killing sprees against the local Russian Mafia. Cue numerous levels of “a…

I’m excited about Resident Evil. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that. And that’s a damn shame, because even when taking into account its numerous missteps over the years, I’ve always had a certain fondness for the series, partly because the original Resident Evil was one of the two games I purchased alongside my first PlayStation back in 1996. (Tomb Raider being the other one. Two great choices there). I loved Resident Evil, and as the years passed I continued to enjoy the series – the numbered sequels and Code: Veronica, anyway, not so much…

A PlayStation 4 exclusive released in March 2015, Bloodborne was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by FromSoftware, with Hidetaka Miyazaki at the helm as director. Although it didn’t have Souls in the title, Bloodborne was more or less the latest entry in FromSoftware’s Souls series, having been preceded by Demon’s Souls and the first two Dark Souls games, as Bloodborne is also a third-person action-RPG, and one with a large number of similar – and sometimes identical – gameplay mechanics and features. Bloodborne moves away from the medieval fantasy aesthetic of the Souls games, its world instead being…

For this Digressions In Digital feature, I decided to take a look at two colourful and charming RPGs currently available on PSN: Supergiant Games’ Bastion (2011) and Ubisoft’s Child of Light (2014). Bastion A 2D game implementing an isometric camera, Bastion is set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, one which was almost wiped out by the catastrophe known as the Calamity. The player takes on the role of “the Kid,” a silent, tough-as-nails youngster on a quest to restore the Bastion, a place of power and a source of hope in a devastated world. The Kid is guided in his…

This article takes a look over a selection of PS3 titles which deserve a return on the PS4. Let’s begin. Dead Space Developed by Visceral Games, 2008’s Dead Space is an excellent survival horror title boasting a grimy, industrial and dark science-fiction visual style reminiscent of the classic movie Alien. Set in the 26th century, it stars Isaac Clarke, a man who has to deal with an infestation of “necromorphs” – monstrous creatures composed of reanimated dead tissue – on board the spaceship USG Ishimura. The game features numerous great touches in its third-person combat, such as how enemies are…

After a lengthy build-up, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the latest title in Konami’s long-running stealth-action saga, was finally released in September 2015. And while the vast majority of critics had high praise for the game, reception among players has been far more divisive, with perhaps the most common complaints revolving around its narrative and characters. As someone who has been playing the series since 1998’s Metal Gear Solid, in my opinion series mastermind Hideo Kojima has always been a better game designer than writer anyway, and here we have the perfect example of this, as even though…

Years ago, you couldn’t move without tripping over a videogame in which Nazis were the antagonists: series such as Medal of Honor, Brothers In Arms, Call of Duty and more saw you mowing down hordes of them. But times and trends change, and although videogame Nazis have had it comparatively easy for a while, U.S. special forces operative William “B.J.” Blazkowicz – star of every game in the Wolfenstein series since 1992’s Wolfenstein 3D – makes a triumphant return in Wolfenstein: The New Order to give them hell once more. This time there’s a twist, however, as although the opening…

Jak and Daxter Developed by Naughty Dog, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a colourful 3D action-platformer set in a large, vibrant world, and a game which simply oozes charm. The core gameplay – platforming, defeating enemies, hunting down collectibles – is familiar but fun, and the game as a whole is an incredibly polished technical achievement. You play as silent protagonist Jak, who alongside his recently mutated friend Daxter, must find a cure for the latter’s condition while halting the nefarious plans of a pair of antagonists and uncovering the mystery of the ancient civilisation known as the…

While playing Fallout 4, one will come across plenty of enemies, starting from little and annoying bloat flies spitting their junk at us, to huge behemoths throwing boulders in our direction in an attempt of crushing our lives (and dreams) to pieces and so the travelling through the wasteland can at times appear like a bleak endeavour too scary to face on your own. The thing is, in Fallout 4 you don’t have to do it all by yourself and most importantly you can have some fun and gain some rare and useful perks for your character. There is 13…

Bushido Blade A fighting game that really stood out upon its release in 1997, Bushido Blade was developed by Light Weight and published by Square, its weapons-based combat being especially interesting due to the game’s lack of health bars, meaning that just one hit can potentially kill your opponent. Also, non-lethal blows can cripple an opponent’s arm or leg, making it more difficult for them to fight back or move around. These punishing mechanics naturally give the combat a real feeling of tension. Bushido Blade features an array of bladed weapons – as well as a sledgehammer – to choose…

While the roguelike genre possesses a history going back several decades, recent years have certainly seen a surge of interest in the genre. While this has largely been in the form of digital releases on PC, a number of the more popular PC roguelikes have later been ported to consoles, and in this feature I’m going to look at three such titles released on PlayStation 4: Spelunky, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and Rogue Legacy. Spelunky With its original release on PC by developer Derek Yu dating back to 2008, Spelunky is a platformer which has been around for a…

With the release of yet another installment of the Call of Duty series on the near (November 26, 2015) horizon, one can’t help but wonder, when will it be over?  Will they just keep releasing these things until the end of days?  Will people finally just stop buying them, forcing the franchise into the history books?  Maybe the infrastructure will fall and no one will be playing video games anyway because, well, no electricity, and so it won’t really matter anymore. Well, all those possible scenarios aside, let’s get down to the facts.  The game is in beta now, and…

I’m not a big fan of competitive online shooters, and even less so of the free-to-play business model – largely due to the ways in which this model is so frequently and grotesquely abused by greedy companies looking to fleece players – so the free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (take a breath) PlanetSide 2 was far from a natural choice for me. However, intrigued by the prospect of participating in large-scale battles across a vast alien world, I decided to give it a shot, and I’m glad I did because it’s an enjoyable title that impresses on a number…

Originally released on PC in early 2014, developer White Paper Games’ first-person exploration / puzzle game Ether One was recently ported to the PlayStation 4. Not only that but Ether One launched as an Instant Game Collection title, making it easily available to a number of players who might have otherwise passed it by. After playing the game, however, I can’t strongly recommend it as one worth spending time or money on. Ether One is set in a world in which telepathy and telekinesis exist, with the player taking on the role of a “restorer”, someone who possesses the natural…

Over the years, I’ve played and really enjoyed the majority of games in the Grand Theft Auto series, but even so, with the release of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, I had no intention of picking up the latest title on day-one, partly due to an existing backlog of games and partly due to the fact that I very rarely buy a game on its day of release. And as time passed, it seemed like I’d made the right decision as my view of the game became increasingly negative: the online mode was littered with technical problems early in its…

Anticipation is the name of the game when it comes to new releases for the PS4; gamers have already been treated to a number of top class releases in 2014 and early 15. Keeping tabs on upcoming releases can be enough to put anyone in a spin, so today we take a look at 10 of the most anticipated upcoming releases for the PS4. There are some remasters, expansion packs and Shadow of Mordor GOTY Edition set to release, which I’ve intentionally left off this list, as while worthy we already know about those titles and what their game play…

Carrying the unnecessary – and not particularly accurate – subtitle of “A unique horror adventure”, Home is a 2D side-scrolling game developed primarily by Benjamin Rivers (although as the game’s credits state, several other people also contributed to the creation of the game). Having previously been released on PC, iOS and PlayStation Vita, not to mention PlayStation 4 in North America, Home has recently arrived on PS4 in Europe. Home is a pixel-art murder-mystery which casts you as a protagonist who wakes up in a stranger’s house with a limp, a sore head and no memory of how he came…

In recent years, digitally released videogames have grown to become an increasingly large and important part of the gaming landscape, and while this has certainly opened the floodgates and unleashed a sea of low-quality, lowest-common-denominator garbage and grotesque displays of greed, obviously this isn’t always the case – there have been countless excellent digital games released, and this certainly seems set to continue for the foreseeable future. This feature is the first in an ongoing series I’ll be calling “Digressions In Digital”, with each feature under this banner focusing on a particular digitally released videogame which I find interesting. These…