Sea of Stars (Review)

Developer: Sabotage Studio
Publisher: Sabotage Studio
Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
Reviewed on Xbox Series S

While there has been no shortage of retro-inspired video games over the last console generation or two, none have captured my imagination and won me over as immediately as Sea of Stars. Ever since its debut in the E3/Summer Game Fest/Nintendo Direct cycle of the previous few years, it’s been impossible to deny just how perfect this game looks. With its gorgeous visual style inspired by the 16-bit RPGs of the ’90s, a timing-based combat system that draws from the likes of Super Mario RPG, and the promise of a grand story à la Final Fantasy, everything about this game looked like it was firing on all cylinders and made the leadup to its launch equal parts exciting and excruciating. Now that it’s been released and I’ve spent the past few weeks working my way through it, two things are clear. Sea of Stars was well worth the wait and its developer, Sabotage Studio, deserves to be a household name.

PlayStation Plus Lineup for July 2023

I’m sorry for missing the post for June’s PlayStation Plus lineup (I was busy prepping for and then covering Summer Game Fest) but I’m back with a look at what July has to offer and it feels like one of the strongest months in recent memory. Below you’ll find descriptions of the three games coming to the Essential tier, with another post coming later when the lineup for the Extra/Premium tiers is announced.
The following games will be available from July 4 – July 31, although as long as you add them to your library during this window you’ll be able to keep them for as long as your subscription is active.

PlayStation Plus Essential Lineup – May 2023 (Overview)

I know, I’m a week late to this write-up, but the lineup for the PlayStation Plus “Essential” tier for the month of May 2023 is live and causing a heated debate in the PlayStation community. With the new “Extra” and “Premium” tiers added last year, Sony has been trying to get PlayStation owners to upgrade their subscriptions to the more expensive options, using a massive library of modern and classic games as an incentive. While Extra and Premium do include a lot of great games that have convinced a sizable portion of players to move to a higher tier, a ton of people (myself included) have decided to remain at the Essential tier. Although there have been some solid picks for Essential subscribers in recent months, most feel that this tier is slowing down with less popular/demanded games, with this month being considered one of the lightest in recent memory. That being said, let’s take a look at what’s being offered for the Essential tier this month.

PlayStation Plus April 2023 Lineup

I know it’s hard to believe anything you see on the internet on April Fools’ Day, but I promise you that today we’re just going to go over the lineup for PlayStation Plus this month without any tricks or goofing around. The lineup for April 2023 will be available from Tuesday, April 4 to Monday, May 1, so make sure you claim anything you’re interested in during this timeframe. Without further ado, let’s go over the lineup for April!

Contrast (Review)

Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Available On: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
Xbox One version reviewed on Xbox Series S

To say I’ve had a long and complicated history with Contrast is a bit of an understatement. It was an early PlayStation Plus offering during the launch of the PlayStation 4 in 2013, but since I wasn’t able to secure that shiny new next-gen hardware when it first came out, I ended up not being able to claim the game. It wasn’t until a month or so later that I found out I could have just gone on the PlayStation website and claimed it that way, which left me feeling annoyed with myself. While I could have bought it at any point thereafter (it ended up on sale frequently) it slowly became this weird mythical game for me. This was “the game that got away” and for some reason I let it keep that status instead of just dropping the $10-15 for it. Now, a decade later, I noticed it was on Xbox Game Pass and decided to finally sit down and put this self-imposed legend to the test.

PlayStation Plus March 2023 Overview

With yesterday being the first Tuesday of the month, a new selection of games has been made available as part of the PlayStation Plus subscription. Today, we’re going to focus on the more popular Essential tier, but we’ll also take a look at what’s coming to the Extra and Premium tiers, as well as what’s leaving the service this month. So settle in, grab a co-op buddy, and prepare to experience a slew of new titles.