REVIEW: Top Shot Pool (2025 Video Game) on PS5

Review by Jon Donnis

Top Shot Pool arrives on the PlayStation 5 with a confident stride, promising a slick blend of realism and old school arcade charm. At first glance it feels as though it might just pull it off. The presentation is tidy, the room around the table has a warm buzz to it, and there is something oddly relaxing about those small touches in the background, like people sat chatting while you line up a tricky shot. The table itself looks sharp, the balls carry a nice shine, and the physics behave well enough to give you that faint snap of satisfaction when a clean pot rolls exactly as expected.

There is a sense that the game wants to be both a faithful recreation of 8 ball and an accessible pick up and play time sink. For a moment it manages that. Shots come off the cue smoothly, and the feel of a controlled clearance is genuinely pleasant. The adaptive AI can offer a surprising bit of tension too. One frame it plays with a steady hand, the next it suddenly transforms into a national champion, before drifting back into baffling mistakes that leave you scratching your head. It keeps matches unpredictable, although not always for the right reasons.

The longer you spend with it, the more the cracks show. The absence of a top down view is a real problem. Pool games live or die on clarity and angle reading, so the lack of such a basic option makes certain shots far more irritating than they should be. Shift the camera manually and you may even find scenery or overhead lights blocking your entire view. It feels like a fundamental oversight, especially when it happens mid frame and forces you to jostle the camera until the game lets you see what you are actually doing.

The controls never quite settle either. Instead of fading into the background, they keep reminding you that they are there, which is the opposite of what you want when trying to sink a precise long pot. It adds a faint sense of clumsiness to everything. Then there is the awkward truth that even at £5.49 it still feels a touch poor value. There are free pool games out there that look better, feel cleaner, and offer more refined handling.

Top Shot Pool has a decent atmosphere and the physics provide occasional flashes of quality, yet it stops short of bringing anything fresh or memorable to the table. Once the initial shine wears off, you are left with a serviceable but forgettable experience.

I score Top Shot Pool a disappointing 4 out of 10.

Out Now

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP6197-PPSA34294_00-0827241841181397

REVIEW: Syberia - Remastered (2025 Video Game) - on Playstation 5

Review by Jon Donnis

Syberia Remastered arrives with a clear intention. It wants to let players experience Benoît Sokal's world with a modern polish while keeping the bones of the 2002 classic untouched. The result is a curious mix. It looks far better, it moves a little more smoothly, yet it still carries the quirks and charm of the original adventure. That will delight long time fans, although newcomers might find themselves wondering why some parts feel locked in a different era.

The visual overhaul is the star of the show. The updated graphics give the clockpunk world a crisp, almost storybook quality, and the reworked cutscenes sit nicely on a widescreen setup. The new camera movement adds a touch of fluidity that the original simply could not offer. There is something oddly comforting about stepping back into this world, meeting its eccentric cast, and settling into the slow burn of Kate Walker's journey from a New York lawyer on a routine job to a traveller chasing the dream of Hans Voralberg. Oscar shines again as a loyal companion, and the addition of a few fresh puzzles helps give returning players something extra to chew on.

The trouble begins once the game asks you to move around for any length of time. In 2002 this slower pace felt acceptable. In 2025 it borders on irritating. A run button would have softened things, especially when backtracking becomes part of the rhythm. The gameplay itself shows its age. It is functional and still has charm, but it sits at odds with the modern sheen of the visuals. The music is another weak point, sitting in the background without ever adding much atmosphere.

Syberia Remastered is a tricky one to judge. The essence of the original remains intact and the visual upgrade is impressive, yet the lack of deeper changes holds it back. It feels like a thoughtful preservation project rather than a bold reimagining. Fans of the first release will feel right at home. New players may wonder why the experience has not been rebuilt for today's expectations.

A classic returns with a cleaner face, though not quite a new soul. A generous 7 out of 10.

Out Now - https://amzn.to/4al6mVn

REVIEW: Static Dread: The Lighthouse (2025 Video Game) - on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Solarsuit Games has put together a curious mix of tension and sorrow with Static Dread: The Lighthouse. It is a psychological horror adventure wrapped inside a resource management loop, and at its best it feels like a slow descent into a brine soaked nightmare. You play the lone keeper of a forgotten lighthouse on a broken coastline, armed with little more than a temperamental radio and a beacon that seems to fight the darkness as much as illuminate it. Each night you wait for transmissions from ships in trouble, and every reply feels like it could drag you closer to the truth or tip you over the edge.

The atmosphere is the first thing that lands. The visual style is wonderfully unsettling. It gives the island and its waters a sense of rot and despair that never quite lets you breathe. The world feels steeped in folklore and unspoken rituals. You piece it together through static drenched calls, strange logs, and small glimpses of villagers who seem too calm about the things that move beneath the waves. The game takes cues from the clipped tension of Papers, Please and the creeping cosmic dread of old Lovecraft tales, yet it still manages to hold its own identity.

There is real strength in the branching story. Your decisions shape who survives the nights and what truths rise to the surface. Some of the endings veer wildly away from one another, which makes each run feel like a distinct journey. The writing leans heavily on dread rather than shock. It is slow, claustrophobic, and often quietly emotional, especially when reminders of the protagonist's family cut through the storm sounds and scratched out radio signals. It is a clever touch that gives weight to even the smallest choices.

That said, the game does stumble. The moment to moment play can drag. Once you settle into the rhythm of tuning frequencies and responding to distress calls, the repetition becomes obvious. It never quite pushes you hard enough. The danger feels more suggested than experienced, and players who prefer sharp jumps and sudden frights might be left wanting. The tension rises, but it rarely breaks in a way that truly shocks. As a result the nights start to blend together, and the challenge never reaches the heights the atmosphere promises.

It is a shame, because when the game hits its stride it is genuinely compelling. The unsettling art direction, the layered worldbuilding, and the moral grey areas all point toward something special. There is a good story here. The choices you make can twist it in surprising ways. You can feel the pressure building as one odd transmission follows another, and there are moments when the island feels alive with things you are not meant to understand. It just lacks that final spark to lift it from good to unforgettable.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse remains an intriguing attempt that offers tension, style, and a memorable premise, even if it sometimes circles the same waters for a little too long. It delivers an interesting experience with bright flashes of brilliance. It simply feels like it is missing a final layer of bite. For me it lands at a generous 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Xbox

https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/static-dread-the-lighthouse/9NFNS6H0BN4H

REVIEW: VORON: Raven’s Story (2025 Video Game) By Merk Games on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

VORON: Raven's Story arrives on Steam with a clear sense of purpose. It wants you to feel what it is to be a raven in a world shaped by Norse myth, drifting through forests and ruins while tending to lost souls. Even before you reach the meat of the story, the premise gives the game a soft charm. You follow this young raven from his first clumsy flaps right through to the end of his life, and the journey comes with a steady mix of wonder and melancholy. It is all the more impressive once you remember that the entire thing is the work of a solo developer.

There is a warmth to the storytelling that carries the experience. Each soul you guide has a small tale to uncover, and these moments help the short runtime feel meaningful rather than rushed. The simple art style fits neatly with that tone. It never tries to dazzle, yet it has a quiet confidence and gives you enough beauty to enjoy as you skim above the landscape in search of secrets. There are small challenges and collectable bits tucked around the world too, just enough to keep you moving with purpose.

That said, the game stumbles in places that matter. My very first playthrough had me waddling about on the ground, confused and slightly irritated, because I had missed one brief chat with the parent bird. Without that moment the game never unlocked the ability to fly, and nothing explained what I had done wrong. It was an odd start that could easily put players off. Even when things were working as intended, the controls were never as smooth as you might expect. Flight should be the high point. Instead it often feels awkward, a little unpredictable, and occasionally more trouble than it is worth.

Moments like these make the game feel unfinished. The foundation is strong, the atmosphere is lovely, and the core idea is clever, yet the whole thing needs a bit more polish. You can see the ambition, though. You can feel the care behind it. For a short adventure built by one developer, it still delivers a couple of hours of pleasant escapism, carried by a thoughtful concept and a genuine attempt to do something different.

VORON: Raven's Story is a good effort that simply stops short of greatness. If the creator keeps going, each new project might grow a little sharper, a little bolder. For now, this is a small but likeable flight through myth and memory. I would call it a solid 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2245180/VORON_Ravens_Story/

REVIEW: Anima Gate of Memories I & II Remaster (2025 Video Game) - On Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Stepping into Anima Gate of Memories I and II Remaster feels a bit like opening an old storybook that has been given fresh ink and sharper illustrations. Everything is familiar to long time fans, yet polished enough for newcomers to feel right at home. The collection brings both Anima Gate of Memories and The Nameless Chronicles together in one place, now brushed up with cleaner textures, clearer menus, and tutorials that flow far better than before. It is a noticeable lift that smooths out the early learning curve and makes the whole experience easier to settle into.

The heart of the game sits firmly in its world of Gaia, which is drawn from the Spanish tabletop RPG Anima Beyond Fantasy. The remaster does a good job of capturing the tone of that universe, where ancient monsters, cursed souls and uncertain destinies collide. You follow the Bearer and Ergo Mundus in the first story, then move into the path of an immortal wanderer in the second. Both narratives twist around secrets hidden inside the Tower of Arcane, and you can feel the weight of that place in the way every room, corridor and memory shaped landscape is presented. There is a distinct atmosphere here. It has that dark fantasy edge with touches of an anime inspired mood, which gives the whole thing a dramatic, dreamlike quality.

Combat remains the strongest part of the experience. It is fast and fluid with a nice sense of rhythm once you settle into switching between the Bearer and Ergo. You can flick between them with a single button, and it never loses its thrill when a smooth combo comes together. Each character has their own set of skills, and shaping them to your liking gives the game a proper RPG feel. Exploring the interconnected locations inside the tower adds to that sense of discovery. Every area feels like it has been crafted with intention. The music reinforces that feeling with a haunting tone that settles into your head as you move from one fight to another.

The remaster's visual upgrades make a real difference. Textures are cleaner, animation transitions feel more natural, and the UI refresh helps navigation enormously. It gives the whole package a sense of confidence, almost as if the game finally looks the way it always wanted to. As a result, the pacing feels smoother and you are far less likely to become tangled in menus.

Not everything lands perfectly. Some of the voice acting leans into a slightly uneven performance and a few lines of dialogue can feel a bit too cheesy for their own good. These moments are never enough to break the experience, though they do stand out against the stronger storytelling beats.

Coming into this remaster, it surprised me how easy it was to get pulled into its mix of sharp combat, rich lore and striking style. It feels bold, sometimes strange, but always driven by a clear creative identity. Whether you are returning to rediscover the saga or stepping into Gaia for the first time, this collection feels like the right way to do it.

For me, Anima Gate of Memories I and II Remaster earns a confident 8.5 out of 10.

Out Now

https://amzn.to/4oJhTSM