THREE TO PLAY
PSN games you might have missed
The horror! Whether it’s the undead coming back with a chain-smoking habit, a MediEvil clone out of time, or just the thought I may miss out on games sneaking onto the store, terrors come in all shapes. This month, even though it’s not Halloween, PSN has some shockers.
When is a remaster not a remaster? When it’s Stubbs The Zombie In Rebel Without A Pulse. That’s not a joke. This former Xbox exclusive from 2005 is finally on PlayStation and publisher Aspyr is so pleased not a jot of effort has gone into delivering the kind of bells and whistles expected of a modern remaster. This is the game as it appeared 15 years ago, albeit in a higher resolution. The goal of creating and leading a zombie army by chewing on the denizens of Punchbowl is unique, and Stubbs has a darkly comical humour that will raise a smile. Combat includes farting green gas at enemies and weaponising Stubbs’ noggin to take down the teens of this ’50s-inspired town. Is it essential? Nope, but Stubbs’ blend of humour and nostalgia is oddly comforting.
In a similar vein is Pumpkin Jack, a Halloween adventure that shamelessly lifts its cartoon style, throwback 3D platforming, and wry sense of humour from MediEvil. That’s no bad thing. We love MediEvil. As Jack, the mythical Pumpkin Lord, you’re on a quest to spread evil. Drawing inspiration from PS2’s heyday and adding very modern physics-based puzzling, companion AI creatures, and fast responsive gunplay and melee combat, it’s easy to get lost in Jack’s ’toon world. The sense of déjà vu is unavoidable given a game that wears its influences with pride on its hemp shirt, yet if you want to enjoy the spirit of Halloween in March, look no further than this adventure.
Taking a more nuanced approach to horror is co-op adventure trilogy We Were Here. New to PlayStation, the first game in the series was released for free on PS4 in February (for a limited time). The trilogy is now out, and it’s a neat take on two-upping together. In the Antarctic two lost explorers stumble across a mysterious medieval castle – Castle Rock – and venture inside, where they’re separated and must work together to escape. Uniquely only playable with a friend, there’s a degree of real tension at play as you spy your pal from afar, but… can’t… quite… get there. In the final game, We Were Here Together, we get to explore beyond Castle Rock.