Holding out for a hero. Every time you boot up Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, you're met with a dedication that reads: "With our appreciation to all JRPG fans", which we take as a declaration of intent. Hundred Heroes is a triumphant return to the golden age of esoteric PS1 JRPGs; equipped with a few modern conveniences but designed for an old-school mindset. Visually stunning, with an incredibly vast cast of voiced characters to collect, the game nails the tension of a political thriller and epic of war, but the pace of play, and — at times — lack of direction, can sometimes grate. From t ..read more

Gonna need a bigger boat. The Rising Tide is the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, adding another worthwhile chapter to the tale of Clive Rosfield. Only accessible near the very end of the base game, this DLC is designed to be something of a sendoff for the action RPG, providing a new storyline that brings additional weight to the title's world building, while also giving players an opportunity to dive yet deeper into 16's slick combat system. Clive and his cohorts find themselves travelling to a northern region known as Mysidia, where the mysterious Leviathan — the final, previ ..read more

Lana-ly planet. If you're looking for a quick and gorgeous game, one you can polish off in a couple of relaxed afternoons, Planet of Lana fits the bill. Previously an Xbox console exclusive, it's come to PlayStation now, and will speak to anyone who enjoyed the likes of Limbo or Inside. It's in the same vein, with a small and powerless protagonist whom you must guide through a robot invasion of her serene home world. Teaming up with a cute local critter, you'll sneak past robots and other nasties in the hopes of saving your friends and family. Read the full article on pushsquare.com ..read more

Not always better down where it's wetter. Harold Halibut is a bit like visiting an aquarium for the umpteenth time — yes, it's visually interesting, offering a glimpse into a submerged alien world, but once the initial intrigue is gone, you're essentially on a long, and quite dull, walk. This narrative-focused sci-fi adventure starts off with a promising premise and enchanting art style, but it doesn't take long before the facade falls to reveal what is ultimately a protracted and shallow game. It probably doesn't help that the titular character seems fed up from the off. Having spent his whol ..read more

Driving range. Hugecalf Studios' golfing/racing hybrid title, Turbo Golf Racing, is a fun time. It's a wacky arcade game that sees you using cars to launch oversized golf balls through maze-like environments, taking many cues from Rocket League. Mechanically, Turbo Golf Racing is comfortable doing its own thing, with the golfing angle pairing wonderfully with the smooth controls. You'll be using turbo, power-ups, and the like across the game's two primary modes. The first mode — and the lesser of the two — is Race, which gives you unlimited hits on your ball as you try and get it into the hole ..read more

Hook, line, and stinker. Previously released on Steam and now ported to consoles, Moonglow Bay is a slice-of-life fishing game set in 1980s Canada. After a devastating loss, the protagonist must move on with their life and help revive the town they live in: a struggling fishing port. Obviously, as a fishing-based game, there's a large amount of fishing to be done in Moonglow Bay. Fishing mechanics are simple to follow and come in a variety of different actions. You can use the standard rod, line, and bait, with customisation options for each leading to many combinations to try. There’s also ic ..read more

Move aside, Sonic, again. Sonic's influence on the gaming world has been well documented over the years, resulting in many attempts to recreate the 1991 classic's momentum-focused gameplay. In 2014, developer GalaxyTrail released Freedom Planet, an excellent 2D platformer that managed to invoke a similar exhilarating feeling with its emphasis on speedy platforming challenges. With its sequel, Freedom Planet 2, the team has pulled it off yet again, this time with additional gameplay tweaks. The game is set in Avalice, a continent split up into multiple kingdoms, such as Shang Tu, which is one o ..read more

There is no Dana, only Zoo. Planet Zoo is at its best when things are going well. Some park building games thrive when they turn into disaster management sims and you're forced to frantically resolve crises before the whole thing comes crashing down like a house of cards. Planet Zoo ain't that. Sure, things can and will go wrong in the zoo you've built. Animals might escape. A generator might break down. But this is a pleasant game at its core, and one that is most enjoyable when you've got your feet up with a nice cup of coffee next to you, making sure that your cute wittle lion cubs have got ..read more

Driving down memory lane. Things haven't been easy for Fullbright, the company that most famously produced Gone Home back in 2013, a slice of indie narrative heaven that won plaudits. After the excellent (but less virally successful) Tacoma in 2017, it's now back with another long-awaited game, Open Roads — except, in fact, the name Fullbright has been scrubbed from the final product after allegations of a toxic workplace culture sprung up a few years ago. Delays and slow progress have seen it slip years from its original release window, but the game is here at last: a short and sweet story-dr ..read more

Tough sell. Grandia HD Collection bundles together two classic JRPG adventures from the tail-end of the genre's golden age, a series that has long since fallen by the wayside. Grandia, initially released on the SEGA Saturn, would make its way to PS1 in 1999, and its narratively unconnected but mechanically superior sequel, Grandia II, first came to Dreamcast before arriving on PS2 in 2002. Both games remain constrained by the limitations of decades-old design philosophy and can sometimes be maddeningly obtuse. Functionally, the Grandia HD Collection is the same release that came to Nintendo Sw ..read more