Beneath the promising concept, Home Sweet Home is as generic and bare bones as it gets for horror titles on PlayStation 4. Playing it with PSVR might be a game-changer, but without it, expect a mediocre and pedestrian first-person adventure. With only a few cheap jump-scares and some clever space twisting, this is only for people who are desperate for some scares.
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.
Damascus Gear Operation Tokyo might be the most boring mech game of all time. It is definitely the dullest action RPG on Switch... if it can be called that. It is one of those kinds of titles that fade from memory because it has nothing really going for it. The visuals are understandably low-fi since it was originally designed for mobile devices like the PS Vita and phones, but that is no excuse for the gameplay to be soul-crushingly monotonous. There are more enjoyable mech games made on much older hardware that still hold up, like Gun Hazard or Metal Warriors, which were made with Super Nintendo specs. It does not take much to realise an enjoyable mecha game, just some imagination. Damascus Gear Operation Tokyo, sadly, copies the most trite aspects of Diablo without understanding what the appeal was.
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.
Kamiko costs about $4.99 and can be beaten in under an hour. Visually, it is nothing impressive or interesting... There are far better looking pixel art games out there on the Switch, such as Blaster Master Zero. The core mechanics aren't broken or anything, it is completely serviceable, but it just lacks anything of interest to make Kamiko worth any time at all.
A wasted opportunity. Some decent graphics and a couple of engaging puzzles aren't enough to save Dying: Reborn. The overreliance on safes, keypads and combinations highlight the developer's lack of imagination. This feels like a step backwards from the older low-fi titles from Konami and Capcom, who figured out how to make interesting and fun puzzles in horror games. While this version of Dying: Reborn is a better buy than the PSVR edition, it is not better by much.
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a noble effort by Double Fine to give Psychonauts fans something to whet their appetite until the actual sequel comes out. Their attempt was misguided. Most of the game is hopping from host to host with a little puzzle here or there, of which none are ever challenging. With PSVR having a small install base and the steep pricing model for the game, it's not likely anyone will be getting sucked into Rhombus of Ruin. Just wait for the sequel.
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.
Sports Bar VR is probably going to be remembered as VR shovelware in the future, but despite that, it seems like there was some effort to make it fun by allowing emergent mischief. When alcoholics die, Sports Bar VR is their purgatory: a bar with empty bottles and cans that can't ever be opened, a bunch of games that nobody will play seriously, and creepy stock automatons that never leave. The mini-games just needed to be more fleshed out and polished, and the core package needs a much lower price.
The cuteness and novelties of Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity wear off quickly after about 30 minutes, and the shallow, mind-numbing gameplay takes hold. The playability and controls just were not well thought out for a game like this, but anyone who is willing to slog through may still manage to experience an interesting, yet ultimately failed experiment. As far as Touhou games go, Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity is a fair looker, but limited animation accentuates the low budget. Hopefully Touhou projects will continue to get westward localization, and just maybe someone will attempt another project like Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity but will learn from its mistakes.
At the current price, Dishonored: Definitive Edition is a complete rip-off and Bethesda callously thinks they can dupe their customers into buying such a lazy port of a fine game.
Only the diehard survival horror fans who missed this on Wii U would find enjoyment out of Zombi, and most other people will probably be appalled by the lackluster and shoddy conversion that Ubisoft dumped on digital marketplaces.
Poncho needs work before anybody should consider purchasing it. There is a strong attempt with this title, since the designers do not arbitrarily drag the user by the nose and let them freely explore the world. The whole game is just completely undermined by the bugs, which can be fixed. Gamers who are curious about Poncho should approach with caution and be ready to restart their sessions frequently. When it works, it's a solid game; it is just a question of if it will work or not.
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is a very lacking port of an otherwise milquetoast game. It has a bunch of graphical glitches, runs at an erratic frame rate, and has a lot of missing sound effects or sound that is out of sync. Sometimes it looks impressive and other times it looks laughable.
Resident Evil 0 was already widely considered one of the weakest traditional entries in the series, due to its meaningless story and tedious game design. There were so many possibilities that could have worked out so much better if some of its design got tweaked, and if Rebecca was a new and totally different character so the story wouldn't clash with the established canon. While it is an exceptional looking title, the ridiculously longer load times is a good way to ruin the mood to keep playing on top of the gameplay being inferior to older entries.
Final Fantasy XV is the result of the designers being out of touch and being unable to make any sort of connection with the players. It has a really rough start and is a game with high highs and extremely low lows. It is both a technical achievement and a game design disaster. It is capable of really clever storytelling and character development, while also failing at the basics of telling a simple story. Final Fantasy XV offers a huge amount of land to explore that feels ultimately small due to how few points of interest it actually has. More often than not, this hardly feels like an RPG at times, and yet because of how strange this game is, it might be worth a look. In the end, maybe Final Fantasy XV needed another 10 years of development considering how unfinished it feels.
The best aspect is that it does not hold the player's hand, and does grant a reasonable amount of agency the way a good adventure game does. Night Light had their heart in the right place, even if their intention exceeded their means.
In a game where the action mechanics are roughly 65% of the game's core gameplay, it is important to get these basic parts right and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt tragically fumbles. Good controls are the foundation of a quality game and anyone expecting good action here would be best to just put this white wolf out of his misery and bury him.
Too many technical anomalies and unintentional randomised factors can make some attempts unplayable. However, it is legitimately satisfying when able to complete a procedure or accomplish a manoeuvre, thanks, of course, to the gratitude felt when the game does not throw-up all over itself.
Anyone who is a fan of fumblecore style games will possibly get a kick out of Starwhal, but for those who care about tight controls or a single-player mode with some substance may want to steer clear from this stinky fish.