Rebecca Smith's Reviews
Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala is the final episode of a proper trilogy with a continuing storyline, although it might not have been the best episode of the three.
Grim Legends 3: The Dark City is a concluding episode of a trilogy that really bears little resemblance between the three episodes, although the darker story found in this episode is perhaps the most befitting of the trilogy's moniker.
If you love puzzles, you should definitely give this title a spin.
For fans of Prey, the idea of a roguelite DLC might have filled them with trepidation, but "Mooncrash" is an experience that shouldn't be missed.
Eventide 3: Legacy of Legends provides a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, but while it has its own tale to tell, it borrows mechanics from other entries in the publisher's catalogue.
Candle: The Power of the Flame took a while to come to consoles but it was definitely worth the wait.
It's a world to which you want to return, but it's also a world that throws up a new problem with every visit. With several patches, this game could be a fun experience, but right now it can often be an exercise in frustration.
Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders may well tell a storyline independent of the publisher's other titles, but the game mechanics will be more than familiar to those keeping up with them.
Unfortunately the episode is let down by the less than subtle way it deals with delicate subjects like racism, as well as gameplay that means this episode feels like quite a slow start to the story. There are several hints throughout the episode to suggest the gameplay may be spiced up in the future, and it may need it if players are going to make it through to the end of the story.
Noir Chronicles: City of Crime returns to Artifex Mundi's usual formula of casual hidden object scenes and puzzle solving with an independent story looking to stand on its own feet.
Aside from the pacing, the episode is let down by a variety of technical issues which add a layer of frustration and detract from the experience. Fortunately we can see that the pace of Episode 3 is likely to pick up, and hopefully that finally reaches the potential this story is promising.
The timing of the release of The Complex is questionable considering the pandemic that's currently sweeping the globe. Once you get over the similarities between reality and video game, the plot is a great if brief distraction for a lazy afternoon. It's another smooth blend of movie and video game, even if there is more movie footage than gameplay, but this formula seems to be working well for Wales Interactive.
Eric Chahi's latest creation is a worthwhile PlayStation VR experience, especially if you like your worlds to be mysterious and interesting to explore. The game never holds your hand, instead leaving it up to you to discover its secrets. The puzzles can feel confusing at first until you get used to the game's unexplained mechanics, although the simple controls help things along. Even though the story is short, the sandbox mode will keep players coming back to this unique environment until your imagination runs out.
All of these problems turn the game from something promising into a mediocre experience that's less psychological horror than it is torture. There are better horror experiences out there.
The good news is that most players will find something to enjoy in Desperados III. Mimimi Productions has learned from the few mistakes they made with Shadow Tactics to make a real time tactical strategy/stealth blend that works incredibly well on console. There are enough choices and replayability to suit both newcomers and veterans to the genres. The game is a worthwhile addition to your collection.
Beyond Blue excels at being a relaxing experience set in a beautiful ocean. The waters teem with wildlife and its environments are diverse enough to tempt multiple visits. The result is a great educational tool to teach people of all ages about its wildlife. Unlike its partners, it misses its chance to drive home the importance of conservation, though. With more time devoted to the important issues it raises, it could have taught us so much more.
Hotel Sker may have seen better days, but it's well worth a visit for fans of the horror genre. The hotel is interesting to explore and rewards players who take the time to unravel its secrets. You feel constantly in danger not knowing where the next threat is going to be but knowing you can't defend yourself. No, there's nothing really new here, but that doesn't matter if you just want to sneak around a Victorian hotel where the welcome is less than inviting.
Altogether, Pistol Whip is likely to be the PlayStation VR game of the year. It's simple concept works incredibly well and has few faults. If you've ever wanted to be John Wick, or any other badass gun-wielding gangster for that matter, this is the game for you. Modifiers and multiple difficulties extend the life of the game even further, although this may not be enough for some. Once free content updates and extra DLC tracks arrive, though, there'll be plenty of content to enjoy.
Skully has other issues too. A strange bug meant that I twice lost control of the golems, watching helplessly as they plunged into the nearest hazard. Sometimes when climbing vines, Skully would fall off for no reason. There were invisible walls, times when Skully deflected off platforms at an unnatural angle, and times when the lava would just disappear. A lot of players will likely give up before they reach the end of the game. It's a shame but completely understandable when the game has a heart that's let down by myriad problems.
The overall result is a game that doesn't quite achieve what it wants to be. The story isn't given as much airtime as it needs. Exploration is thwarted by the survival elements, and although the latter are the most satisfying of them all, clunky combat, the driving need to find food, and constant resource management means that there are better and more balanced survival titles out there.