Tricky Towers is a party game first and foremost, best played with friends. Grab some extra controllers and have hours of fun trying to knock the bricks out of your mates. The ease in which your friends will be able to grasp the mechanics is Tricky Tower's greatest asset, and it is worth the asking price alone.
I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed my time with Doom VFR. Skyrim VR had soured me a little and I wasn't really looking forward to playing. But this shows that rethinking how a game will work in VR, instead of just shoehorning a game into VR wholesale, can make the world of difference. It also helps that the game has a price tag to match.
With Dark Souls Remastered you should know exactly what you are getting; a full fat port of a revered and classic game with all of the extra bells and whistles the little console can afford.
Oninaki is my favorite Tokyo RPG Factory game to date, with its gorgeous art style and melodic music and its more appealing storyline. It may be far from perfect, but it is certainly worth a look if you fancy a slightly different take on a well-established genre.
All in all, Beach Buggy Racing 2 is a fab entry in the kart racing genre; keeping things familiar enough but adding plenty of unique power-ups to stand out. It certainly is punching above its weight (and price). But I really think that the game is doing a disservice by not having an online multiplayer mode.
If there is one thing I could say about Sparks of Hope, it is that is more of the same, andthat isn’t a bad thing, far from it. But along with the improvements to gameplay, there are also some odd additions to be found, such as the Rabbids now spouting dialogue. Overall the package is a generous one, with plenty of content to enjoy and challenges to overcome. But it is hard to ignore the fact that Maio seems like a secondary character in his own game, as do all of the Mushroom Kingdom’s cast. Does the inclusion of Mario make Sparks of Hope a more appealing package, yes absolutely, but it stops at making it a better game. But it is hard to deny the appeal that the first game had and Sparks of Hope certainly makes good on the promises of the original. A game that places fun at its forefront.
I don't think this game is for those new to the genre, but if you're a fan of rogue-likes and crave something super challenging, then you may just want to take a swipe at The Swindle.
Not knowing what to expect with Filthy Lucre and also having some trouble with the game in the first hour caused me to write this game off when I first fired it up. However, after a little play time it turns out that this game isn’t so filthy at all. Filled with cockney rhyming slang and cheeky chappies, Filthy Lucre could be a nice little distraction from all of these big triple-A games that are currently banging on our doors. However, I still don’t know what a Filthy Lucre is!
Blaster Master Zero is just one more feather in the Switch's cap and one that sits nicely on the eShop at a very welcoming price point.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a pure dose of fan service to Marvel enthusiasts, with its long list of characters, recognizable locations and its nods to storylines and in-jokes, but I feel that these games have lost their way over time. It isn't to say that I didn't enjoy my time with it, but I certainly won't be going back to it time and again, trying to achieve that 100% completion stat.
Yes, it looks a little shiner and it is of course the first time the two games have been available as a collection on a console that isn't the Dreamcast (Shenmue II was ported to the original Xbox) but if you have never played these games before, expect a little resistance. It may also be worth holding on a little while and picking it up in an inevitable future sale. Alternatively, if these do not sound like your cup of tea it may be worth taking a look at the Yakuza 0/Kiwami games as these seem to be the natural advancement of Shenmue, with many considering them to be representative of what would have been if Shenmue had been able to continue as a franchise.
Creature in the Well is a unique game the likes of which I have never experienced before. Sure, it steals ideas from here and there, but glues them together in a new way. And while the game is fun for a while and has an interesting world, it cannot escape its repetitive nature and its decision to make every death a chore to walk back from.
There is a lot to like about Doreamon: Story of Seasons; the characters and the world they live in are well defined and a joy to experience. However, the game doesn’t push the genre forward in any way, and even takes the odd step back. But fans of the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons franchise will definitely have a great time, as will fans of the anime.
Overall, the X-COM 2 Collection offers a great deal of content for a small price. But unless you don’t have any other means of playing it; or if you absolutely must play in on the go, then you and your wallet would probably be better served buying it on a different platform.
FIFA 16 has a few nice additions, but failure to fix some of the franchise's ongoing problems, along with a massive focus on FUT leaves it feeling stale; especially seeing as PES seems to be scoring highly in reviews.
Nova-111 is a nice departure from the usual sci-fi side scrolling games that we are used to. By making it a turn based puzzle game, Funktronic Labs have made something that stands out a little. With its simple design and helpful tutorials, Nova-111 is easy to get in to, but don't be too surprised if the game doesn't hold your attention for too long.
Mothergunship is for those who don't mind punishing themselves and who like to break through walls to make progress. Challenging and with a unique gun crafting mechanic, the game manages to break the mold slightly. But with some performance issues and the uninspired settings I feel that the game may be better served with a price drop.
The Vasara Collection is an unusual choice for a modern game port.
Whilst Bladed Fury was a joy to look at, I feel it was let down slightly where it counts. This isn’t to say it is a bad game, or even an incompetent one. It just felt like a lot of games that came before. It is certainly worth checking out for the gorgeous visuals and atmosphere, and the story is pretty decent as well. Just don’t expect anything too fancy or groundbreaking in the combat.