Has-Been Heroes delivers an excellent challenge for the player and provides the perfect blend of tension and enjoyment. The combat mechanic definitely manages to be both welcoming for newer players, while still providing scope for tactical and strategic decisions through the use of spells, combined with good lane placement. There is not a lot of focus given to creating an epic memorable quest, and sometimes luck plays too big a part in victory - but this is a minor quibble when the main entertainment comes from the gameplay, which is challenging, but rewarding, both in personal rewards and tangible unlockable rewards. For a fairly modest price there is an abundance of content on offer, and with the potential for portable play it is unsurprising a Nintendo Switch port was developed alongside the Steam release.
Virtual Rides 3 doesn't do anything majorly wrong, and it strikes the right tone in creating a realistic portrayal of a theme park or fairground. The issue is that sometimes a mere tone isn't enough and there has to be another few layers on top. The VR experience is on point generally, but the optimisation could use work, and there are a good few rough edges visually that could do with extra care. Additionally, there is not a great deal of content, with only the barebones existing; admittedly, though, genre enthusiasts possibly are not too concerned and appreciate the detail in ride operation. Ultimately, this is a perfectly reasonable budget title at a modest price, but doesn't reach beyond that.
The real trick of making a game work in this style is to ground it in some sense of normality. Where the Musou series excels, and indeed how it has survived for such a long time, is that for all the Japanese humour and charm, the core story is a simple one of warring kingdoms fighting battles. It is awesome when a story doesn't hold back on its vision and complexity and does not abandon its world. However, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star gets lost in this vision at the expense of its Western audience. With that said, where it does succeed is in making a fun, if forgettable, action title that has plenty of content to work through, even if it does tend to get a little predictable and stale after the first few hours. There is definitely something to work on here for future titles, though, and it is great to see the Warriors style reimagined by another developer.
Superhot on its own was already a rich, memorable title that presented something different to the genre. This VR expansion takes that up a notch or ten. It really is like stepping inside an action movie. The level of immersion is second to none, but more important is the level of fun, which throws as many dangerous scenarios and enemies as it can and asks, "How will you stop us?" It is hard not to rise to the challenge—and don't be surprised if a lot of the office furniture is crashing down as those bullets are dodged and intercepted. This is a virtual power fantasy in all the best ways.
Maize is an example of the age-old debate in gaming around gameplay versus story. In this case, it is so hard to discount the gameplay aspect. The great implementation of the plot and the unique story, on top of the brilliant portrayal of the cast and the general charming vibe, is sure to please young and old. What lets it down is that all this is balanced against a rather high cost considering the very modest length of the adventure, which doesn't offer any real replayability. Additionally, the lack of challenge means things feel extremely linear and the length is even further eroded. Maize is a definite pick up… when it is on sale, that is.
Some may be put off by the lack of any single player content, and exclusively co-op multiplayer experiences do have their detractors. However, Killing Floor 2 does what it does so well, that it is hard not to recommend it, especially as it is not the most expensive title on the market. It looks and sounds great, and it has a raft of community enhancements and developer updates/content. There are a few little niggleshere and there, but for shooter and zombie fans, it is surely one to pick up.
Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 is a pleasing improvement over the original. There are some welcome character additions, such as Turles and Zarbon, which flesh out some previously missing content, but it is a story, despite being set two years after the first game, that remains largely the same. However, the additions of some alternative battle conditions, such as having to search and protect the Dragon Balls, prevents every fight devolving into the same pattern. The PC version alleviates some issues with regards to the loading times, but then introduces others in the form of the sparse online community. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 is a good fighter, but could do with some further training to become the elite warrior it should be.
XCOM 2 delivers an excellent port to the PS4. It has been cleverly designed to take advantage of a gamepad and this alleviates many potential concerns. Below this lays an experience that is unrivalled when it comes to strategy titles, particularly on console. The constant feeling of 'backs against the wall,' with scant resources and war decisions to be made, conveys a constant feeling of tension, which only serves to enhance the story of guerrilla resistance. Of course, with the permanent death mechanic, the tales of battle with much loved soldiers are rich for sharing between friends as a badge of honour and craft a memorable experience, living long after the game is finished—which, of course, is not a short one, by any means, providing the substantial difficulty is not a turn-off.
The fact that there are a number of quirks still to work out with this kind of title is not really a surprise. This is a new medium; the early adopters are jumping on a virtual reality journey that will take many years to realise its full potential. That said, developers have a responsibility to do everything they can to make the experience as smooth and rewarding as possible. Alice VR fails to do this, with a movement setup that does nothing to persuade the player to endure the discomfort. For the price, if being judged as a non-VR title, the content and quality is extremely lacking. It is only the natural immersion that VR brings that elevates the experience. There is a very pleasant looking world here, and the outside sections are the best bits, but that alone isn't enough - gameplay is still paramount.
The thing about Civilization VI is that there is so much content, that a traditional review struggles to do it justice. The number of units on show, the diversity in buildings, the research tree, the choice over governmental direction and the bonus this gives; it is honestly a title that is best experienced first hand and delved into in the deepest possible way. It is definitely the most fulfilling and enjoyable Civilization to date, and with Firaxis tendency to add expansions and updates to their products, it can only get better from this point onward. Some irritating issues do exist, such as religion and some slight AI deficiencies, but these are minor complaints in a title that is so easy to get addicted to that it is scary. The strategy crown remains with Sid Meier, and it is hard to see any challengers conquering his empire in the near future.
The Final Station is a short and ultimately unsatisfying, uncreative journey. It is a short trip, sitting at around four hours to completion, with no incentive for additional exploration or replays. It is priced a reasonably modest rate, to reflect this playtime and that is possibly what turns what may have been a sour experience into a forgettable one. The gunplay on show is fairly entertaining and the game looks interesting enough, but each of the stations do not present enough challenge or lore to make them rewarding or memorable.
There is no doubt that at its best Battleborn is a very fun game. It is a colourful delight and the visuals really pop amongst the chaos of flashing lights, explosions, and movement. The characters are all quite memorable and well designed, with humorous charismatic touches to their personalities. Not to mention it is a fine shooter in its own right. The disappointment is that a lot of the experience lacks a certain polish that would have really taken it to the next level.
Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is an enhanced version of what was already a monumental RPG. With this release on home consoles, everybody now has the chance to enjoy what is one of the generation's best games. It does so many things that other RPGs do not, allowing more freedom to explore, fight, and build a character on the player's terms. The story here is neither revolutionary nor the best one seen in this genre. However, it is what is around the story that makes it such a compelling experience. An incredibly interesting battle system, great dialogue and general narrative development launch the title into the top tier. The fully voiced characters are the cherry on the cake. This is a AAA-level experience with a 60 hour adventure created using indie money, and that is one of the biggest compliments you can give to a developer and a game.
VR needs something that can be enjoyed timelessly, something that can be picked up and played for 30 minutes or an hour each day and provides some kind of unique fun each time. VR Invaders succeeds at this, with gameplay that is timeless, going back to the fundamental roots of the medium, but unfortunately with the same flaws, too.
Is Just Dance 2016 going to win any awards? Maybe not. However, like many of its best tracks, sometimes people just want to kick back and have a little fun. There is a lot of fun to be had here in a very polished formula and with very inventive music videos. There is a greater expanded online and social presence in 2016's version, with the new Showtime video recording mode, as well as sending other players challenges. However when the experience comes alive and starts to get in the groove is with other people in real life. It is a throwback and shows that gamers have not forgotten how fun it is to play games in the same room as others.
As questionable as some of the outside marketing practises are, Disney Infinity 3.0 stands above all its competitors in the toy-gaming genre. What cannot be questioned is that Disney has control over some of the most loved and sought after licenses. The Star Wars campaigns that are just some of the available are very well developed and - most importantly - fun.
Ultimately Way of the Samurai 4 is a hard sell to anyone who is not already a fan of the series, and indeed even some fans may be put off by the radical shift in tone and humour.
Ultimately, anyone looking for a great RTS should look no further than this.
Colonial Conquest is a fair attempt at making an approachable strategy game. It does tend to play mostly like a game of fast paced Risk, which, for certain types of people, will be a very fun experience indeed. What cannot be disputed is that it is possible to play very quick rounds, and this makes it an ideal title for when friends get round and are looking for some strategy action that does not require a dedication of many hours from some other titles. With that kind of mind-set, and especially the very reasonable price, it ticks all the boxes. However, the overriding impression is just one of too much simplicity, from diplomacy to the battle system, as well as the economy. It is no surprise a portable tablet version of the title is being considered, as it feels like a natural fit for those platforms, especially with the neat and tidy user interface. On PC, though, it lacks a compelling reason to keep playing beyond a few hours, especially as a single-player experience.
This is definitely a series that has more mileage in it, for sure, and it is hopeful that Rocksteady decides that they do indeed have something to add in the future, for it would be a shame if this was the end of what has been a great ride.