Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV has a few technical flaws, but at its core it is a very fun and lengthy fishing RPG. This VR game comes highly recommended to even those who did not like the original Final Fantasy XV thanks to its ease of play and in-depth character customization. Fans of the original titles will find much to appreciate here, like the frequent cameos of the cast and the ridiculous unlockable outfits. This is one for the few PSVR games that feels like a full game and not a tech demo with dumbed down gameplay. Even if this was not a VR game, on its own merits there is nothing like Monster of the Deep thanks to its delightfully weird hodgepodge of game ideas. This was a game nobody expected to be good, yet in spite of the odds, Square Enix really did deliver one of the more enjoyable VR games on the market.
The timeless style of the visuals and jazzy music gives this a charm that is rarely achieved. Hopefully, this will pave the way for the superior de Blob 2's PS4 conversion.
Anyone who enjoyed League of War: Mercenaries will likely appreciate League of War: VR Arena since they have the same DNA. The audience that enjoys the kind of VR experience that involves mostly sitting back and watching things happen will probably want this. Fans of the RTS genre won't find much to enjoy here, which is a shame because the idea of a deep VR strategy game with an overhead view is a fertile concept that is worth exploring. With so little involvement for the strategy and the chaotic nature of the wars, this is a very hard title to recommend. Like head-cheese, League of War: VR Arena is definitely an acquired taste.
Ittle Dew 2+ is more than the sum of its parts.
Creeping Terror's best quality is by far its impeccable production quality and graphics. Generic and uninteresting stalkers aside, the art direction and overall look of the game are incredible for a downloadable 3DS release. The very 'by the numbers' adventure gameplay is serviceable, and really the main event should have been the stalkers, but they are completely undermined by a lack of challenge and pushover difficulty. It is regretful because Creeping Terror could have been the definitive horror 3DS game since all the working pieces are present but are, ultimately, horribly implemented.
Tiny Barbarian DX is an extremely enjoyable action-platformer that has lasting challenge to it. The refined mechanics and the way the story unfolds is most of why this is so much fun to play. It may not win any beauty contests and the lasting appeal comes up a bit... short because of lacking incentives. Thankfully, the local two-player co-op rounds out the value making this a pretty fun game at parties. Tiny Barbarian DX may not be as memorable or as appealing as the likes of Shovel Knight or Hyper Light Drifter, but it is every bit as good and is clearly a product of a lot of passion put into it. The barbarian-fantasy sub-genre just does not click with people like it did once upon a time in the 1980s and it seems most gamers refuse to play a 2D action title that is not a Metroidvania derivative. Tiny Barbarian DX will most certainly satisfy anyone looking for a thrilling and focused 2D sword'em up.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows manages to be pretty scary and goes to show how restraint can be effective in crafting horror. It is too bad that the formula from the first game is so strictly adhered to and really does feel like more of the same. "If it isn't broke, why fix it?" is a very understandable philosophy but when working with such a simplistic formula like Yomawari, one can't help but wonder the potential that lies in what is essentially a horror scenario of being a night watchman. A more detailed story and much bigger world to explore is what to expect from Midnight Shadows. The first Yomawari on PlayStation Vita was released bundled with a second game when it came out, probably because of its simplistic nature. Midnight Shadows still is a simple title that relies on its scary art, but does not come with a second game and has to stand completely on its own. Thankfully, this does an amazing job of being a satisfying and fulfilling horror experience. Bring a change of trousers.
The Count Lucanor is as average as it gets.
Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack contains the high points of Inti Creates' oeuvre. The sequel included is easily the headliner of the two, bursting with content and generally being the much better designed title. The action is really addictive with playability being very tight and responsive. It's hard to let go of the game because it feels so good to play it. To find any big flaws in these would entail mostly petty nitpicks as they stand to be exemplary entries in the run and gun genre. Them being on Nintendo Switch only means that the action does not have to stay at home.
Danger Zone is a deeply shallow game that feels cheaply made. It doesn't even run smoothly, which is really unfortunate since the visuals look very simplistic and stock and shouldn't tax the Xbox One at all. Load times that last as long as a play cycle, and the sensory deprivation from the complete lack of music, give the impression that this is a work-in-progress - a very poor presentation for a very poor game.
Let Them Come is an amusing distraction that is not terribly deep or even all that interesting; at best it is inoffensive. What saves this for complete disaster is the very meticulous sprite art, design, and the overall aesthetics. A very special mention must be given to the music, which is an unbelievably tense and brooding synth score that really puts the user in the deranged mind set of the blood lusting soldier. The gameplay is that of a shallow mobile affair, complete with a long list of upgrades and supplies that are balanced to encourage the grind. This sort of title is great for on-the-go casual play, but on the big screen it's just not going to hold interest for long.
The Wii version of Rogue Trooper had much better controls, the graphics fit the animations and is still the best way to play out the Quartz Zone Massacre. Rogue Trooper Redux on Switch is an unpolished mess with technical issues and looks horrible docked and in portable mode. The new model's rigs cause extensive clipping and makes character anatomy do all sorts bizarre contortions and twists that are just painful to look at. The limits of old hardware made the developers be creative with their modelling and consider more carefully how they would be rigged. All of that is thrown out the window in favour of technical advancements... not artistic advancements. While it is playable, expect a very sloppy version of what was already a run of the mill third-person shooter.
There is not a lot that can be said about N++. It has no actual story and has Spartan inoffensive vector graphics by design. All there is to do is to get as much gold as possible and beat the stage. It is great fun in short bursts, but after a hundred or two, it gets pretty old. The original freeware game is still widely available for those who are curious to get a taste of what to expect, which has all of its stages included in N++.
Aesthetics aside, there really aren't any games like Cuphead being made anymore. This kind of running and shooting platforming action game has nigh vanished from the gaming landscape. The closest modern example that casual observers may be aware of is maybe Metal Slug or the Mega Man games, because nobody has seen Contra since 2007. This used to be a popular genre, with such amazing titles as Turrican, Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, which used to tap into a very primal part of our brain that is addicted to adrenaline. Thankfully, Cuphead is not style over substance. Controls are tight and responsive, and retries load up nice and fast, so time is never wasted. This is every great boss battle gaming has seen before and more, thanks to Studio MDHR's dazzling creativity and focus on creating a palpable sensation of accomplishment. There may not be many console exclusives on Xbox One these days, but Cuphead is a real standout, and is a must-own for everyone who loves fast action and crushing challenge. Come for the cool art and animation, but stay for the gameplay.
There is a lot that goes wrong with Tokyo 42. This was a concept that had so much promise but is held back by terrible design choices and technical issues.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is very much like the PlayStation JRPGs that it is influenced by. There are elements from Final Fantasy, Suikoden, and even some Diablo. It is a shining example of why people love turn-based RPGs, thanks to the emphasis on character building, management and strategy. The presentation ties everything together with a strong sense of adventure and atmosphere without any hint of cynicism or pretension. This is a game that keeps on giving due to a slew of content that invites people to keep on playing way past the 40-hour mark, and because of the carefully constructed and balanced battle system, it is always exciting to travel this long and tense road. It may have a few rough and inconsistent spots here and there, yet Nightwar remains amazing in spite of its flaws and comes highly recommended to any fan of RPGs.
Janky, ugly and unpolished is the best way to describe The Solus Project. It had a noble idea of combining the walking sim narrative game with survival simulation stats, and on paper this is a concept that definitely has appeal. It is too bad that this was executed so badly, and it can all be attributed to failing to get the fundamentals of control and playability just right. The simple act of moving in standard mode is an agonizing slog, and god help the poor soul who tries to contend with incomprehensible VR controls. This is great for anyone who loves to torture themselves.
Maize is a pretty rare kind of game. It is very unlikely it will reach cult status the way Deadly Premonition has, but this really is every bit as good and original.
As far as Gone Home style first-person narrative-driven games go, Don't Knock Twice is decent. It has two endings, which is welcomed, and a couple of interesting puzzles to mix things up a bit, even if the solution is way too obviously spelled out. The story is told in a hazy way to keep a semblance of mystery about it, and the restraint with how the Baba Yaga is depicted keeps her scary. What is not scary is how the Baba Yaga is never a threat, and if it weren't for a few jump scares, she may as well not have existed at all. The deterioration of the house as it descends into a semi-nightmarish version of itself is quite effective, and the brevity of the overall experience (about two to three hours) ensures that Don't Knock Twice does not overstay its welcome.
The Lost Bear is a middling narrative platformer that can be too vague to really appreciate, and the really awkward motion controls do not do it any favours. If there was a standard, non-VR mode, then maybe this one might have been more tolerable. As is, this adventure fails to engage, and relies too much on its unconventional art style to give the appearance of personality, when really it's a dull Limbo imitator. Odd Bug Studio wasted the PSVR on this, and their insistence on relying on it held it back from being enjoyable.