There is a major feature that is tragically both the main selling point and is nigh inoperable due to a lack of interest. The only indication to gauge what the multiplayer might be like is the tutorial and the challenge modes. Had there been anyone else to play Sparc with, it would have been something akin to tennis or racketball with shields. A plain idea, sure, but one that might have worked if the conditions were right.
MidBoss got the bare essentials down for 2064: Read Only Memories. The gameplay is functional and solid, even for an indie adventure game. However, it takes quite a bit of skill to write a scenario that can highly irritate with such extremely holier than thou attitudes. This is a game that has the remarkable ability to push people away with just how self-righteous it can be, but for people who can soldier through that, they might find some affection for this game. 2064: Read Only Memories claims to be cyberpunk, but, really, there is nothing punk about being moralistic.
Rabi-Ribi is a pretty epic Metroidvania... Much more expansive and challenging than its cutesy veneer would lead itself on to be. Some people may get put off by some of the insane action that comes with the many boss fights, but those who persevere will find this to be a profoundly rewarding experience. Even if the story is overly longwinded, the action holds the fun up on its own. This is an action game that comes highly recommended and proves that a game can't always be judged by its cover.
Not only is Phantom Trigger agonising to play, but it is also really mind-numbingly boring. The game's cycle is just going through linear areas, being forced to fight, and then having to do a 'Simon Says' style memory game. There are some unremarkable boss battles, with no fun factor at all, all following a very similar formula. At about five hours, this kind of game doesn't seem long, but five hours for Phantom Trigger feels like real hard work. The only saving graces are some attempt at having some visual style and some interesting looking designs.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a concept that has a breadth of brilliance to it that it just cannot reach due to budgetary limitations. It looks like a game from the early 2000s that was thrown in an HD up-rezzing machine, and plays like one, too - for better and for worse. The fact that this was actually a remake of a game from that period probably explains why it feels this way. The thing is, Resident Evil HD Remaster was also a port of a remake from the same era, and while it is understandable that they may not have had the budget that Capcom had to expand on this old game, that ultimately is not the case for Frictional Games' Amnesia. Maybe White Day's concept is just too ambitious for the team to fully really realise, and the best that anyone can tell them is a hearty "better luck next time." This K-horror game is only recommended to the most hardcore horror enthusiasts who might be curious to see another culture's take on the genre.
Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth chapters one through seven prove to be a high quality point-and-click drama that is steeped greatly in historical accuracy. This is a very classy kind of game, with mature themes that treats the audience like an adult, and is probably going to be worth it for anyone who is a fan of the original novels or interested in medieval England. It must be reiterated that this is a very gritty and grounded story that never enters the realm of fantasy the way Game of Thrones does. There isn't even really any on-screen action or violence; much of the drama comes from the characters and the choices the user must make, and the subsequent consequences they entail. Hopefully, Daedalic Entertainment will keep the thrills coming with the follow-up chapters, and maybe the load times and slowdown will be addressed by then, as well.
Archangel a pretty straightforward rail shooting experience that has put a strong effort in presenting its narrative and characters, even if it does come at the cost of replay value. The inability to skip cutscenes really hurt this one. The story itself lays out everything in a fairly predictable fashion and really only serves as the excuse to get inside of a mech and blow up ships. It does not reach the absurd heights as seen in Armored Core games, so it isn't exactly a story worth experiencing more than once. The physical act of playing Archangel is its strength, since it feels like how operating a turret from inside a large machine would probably feel like.
As far as shoot 'em up bullet hell games go, Sine Mora EX is a pretty strong entry. The audio is lacking, but the video really does make up for it thanks to impeccable designs and art direction. This is a pretty hard game, but it is also a short one. However, the various modes and challenges even out the experience to keep the adrenaline junkies coming back for more. Just don't bother trying to get invested in the story; come for the pulse-pounding scrolling action.
Smashbox Arena might be amusing for some multiplayer shenanigans, but it is very rare to find anyone online to play with given the niche base of VR (with PS Move sticks, no less). The story mode is very deceptive and is really just the multiplayer stages with AI enemies and partners, with no story at all. Even the announcer for the matches sounds like he is extremely bored and is about to yawn. There is a complete lack of appeal and energy, and the overall presentation just feels like it was made by an amateur programmer and not a designer at all. The lack of controller options really hurt this - not that they would make Smashbox Arena much better, since it is nigh empty of content.
Infinite Minigolf is a very simple, pick-and-play, casual minigolf experience. It will be interesting to see what kind of continued support Zen Studios implements into it in the coming months, and the core game does have enough unlockables to work towards to keep some kind of goal for long term users. Thankfully, this is a very polished title that makes, and thus a worthy recommendation for audiences who are into this kind of games.
Tiny Trax set its goal fairly low and achieved it. It has very shallow and simple gameplay that is dressed up by stunning visuals and polished presentation. Soundwise, the experience is forgettable and leaves no impression whatsoever. After the initial wow factor of the VR implementation wears off, there really isn't much to this game, and, really, it could have been playable without it at all. The multi-player modes may not have strength to support it, either, given the core user base for PSVR headsets is really niche, making this a very hard recommendation. It is as exciting as actual slot car racing.
Theseus is a mixed bag. On one hand it takes a bold step in using a completely counterintuitive POV for virtual reality and makes it work, while on the other hand the game itself is extremely half-baked due to an unimaginative take on the scenario. It manages some stunning visuals and pushes some very strong animations for PSVR, yet there is barely any variety in every aspect of the game from enemies, environment or gameplay. When this game hits its ending, it is sudden and unexpected with very little fanfare. However, with all these flaws, Theseus is pretty compelling and even worth a try because of how enigmatic it is. It has a really creepy atmosphere and is just incredible to look at. There is some potential here, and maybe if the developers had more time to iron out the many kinks and add some basic features, then this would be more than a weird unfinished curiosity.
The brilliant moments are just not frequent enough to overlook the avalanche of issues that overwhelm the entire experience.
The idea of implementing roguelike elements and endless game design in old-school survival horror has potential, but Vaccine fails to capitalise on it. Aspects where the developers could have improved on were perks that could allow a 180-degree turn, a map system, or even a combo system where it can be possible to earn back extra time like Resident Evil's The Mercenaries mode. With much more variety in level design and more enemies, Vaccine could have been an interesting guilty pleasure. In its current state, this seems more like pre-alpha build with many of the features not yet implemented.
If it wasn't for its faithful retro presentation and soundtrack, Mighty Gunvolt Burst would be a pretty forgettable and by the numbers Mega Man clone. This is fine for children who are just getting into 2D run-and-gun action since, at the time of this review, there is no Virtual Console on the Nintendo Switch. The best part of playing Inti Creates' latest release is just experimenting with the possible combinations to make all kinds of wonderful weapons of death.
Perception has very little going for it. It is well acted and has about three voice actors who do triple or even quadruple duty in some cases, and they all sound very believable. The sound design is strong and is the creepiest part of the entire game. There are many plot points that are hard to follow, since so much of the plot has to be found from notes picked up, or audio diaries. One plot point that is not made clear is that the story implies that Cassie might be psychic, but there really is not enough information to corroborate this completely, which is pretty much how every piece of story feels like. Every step of the way it just feels like there is something missing. Perception is a noble effort in its concept, but in practice this is one people should just close their eyes at.
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is not much of an RPG. It is much closer to being a loud arcade action game that is best played with buddies online. As a successor to Diablo, it doesn't really work, but it is more than worthy to succeed Gauntlet Legends. The story in the core game is really inconsequential and generally cheaply presented, with heavily filtered stills, which is disappointing since the in-game character models look good enough. The action gets tedious after a while, and Victor will spend a lot of the game retracing his steps looking for missed loot or items. Victor Vran is only enjoyable in short bursts, and excessive play time will lead to zombification or slumber.
If it weren't for some technical inconsistencies, such as the frame rate and the overly braindead platforming, Rime could be a perfect adventure game. There is so much love and care poured into it that can be seen and heard just by playing it, which makes it an extremely cathartic experience. It is not often that there is a video game that can result in such a positive emotional response and succeed as a legitimate fun video game, and for that, Tequila Works must be commended. Rime is every bit as good as the games that it was inspired by, and in some cases, it supersedes them.
The only thing that makes Summer Lesson worthwhile is that first-time playthrough. The gorgeous setting and the fact that Hikari herself is just so cute and likeable is what holds this illusion together - definitely not the gameplay… if it can even be called that. This a game that is not recommended for importing, even despite the fact all menus are in English and all dialogue is subtitled, unless there is an interest in VR experiences, not games or life-sims. As a VR experience, it is okay; it does a fine job of creating the illusion of playing a life-sim, even if that illusion only lasts for an hour.
Unlike Deck13's predecessor, The Surge has personality of its own and introduces lots of new tricks, even if a couple of them are pointless. At its worst, the environments are samey, and the lack of variety of enemies are real noticeable flaws in what could have been a cult classic. The shockingly few boss fights are also a disappointment; since robots and cyborgs are so limitless in possibility for design, it is almost heart-breaking that The Surge is so restrained with what it does have. In spite of its shortcomings, this does come recommended from a user who has been intimate with these kinds of games since Demon's Souls. It gets a lot of things right, and does stand out, thanks to its atmosphere, lack of hand holding and, of course, the brutal action.