Oneechanbara Origin rights a lot of wrongs found in the early entries, yet it still feels oddly antiquated. The combat is riotous and entertaining, but the overall experience becomes monotonous after a few hours of play. Plus, it's barebones. With only a campaign and an endless wave survival mode, the game is slim on content, unusual since previous entries offered a lot of bang for their buck. It has a B-movie charm that's hard to resist, but other titles of similar fare have shown its possible to mix titillation with action to make a great time.
Iron Rain re-modifies the series formula, but doesn't abandon the no-nonsense approach of the other games.
Earth Defense Force 5 is a blast through and through. Blowing away insects and spaceships with a shotgun or energy blaster never gets old, and the various classes are diverse and worth trying out to see which one best fits your play style. Admittedly, 110 missions of non-stop shooting does get a bit tiresome, but just when you think you've seen it all, the game introduces a new enemy type or throws in a big set-piece level to shake things up. Even with the added improvements and changes, though, this is still a typical Earth Defense Force. Besides, who needs plot when you have giant mechs fighting giant monsters?
Xenon Valkyrie+ is by no means a bad game, just one that needed a little bit more time in development to better polish the gameplay.
Caveman Warriors is a fun, if straightforward, beat 'em up. The game's aesthetics and design pay homage to titles of old, and although it has a cartoonish exterior, underneath it is a challenging yet enjoyable brawler.
There's a lot to like about Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward. Both games offer well-done plots with unique characters, and the escape room based gameplay is both difficult and enjoyable. At times, the pacing does drag out certain moments a bit too long, leading to lots of furious tapping of the X button to speed up dialogue as quick as possible, yet it's hard to want to skim over anything since crucial information might be missed. Still, this compilation is a great way for folks to catch up on what is arguably one of handheld's hidden gems.
Time Recoil's time travel gimmick is handled with much effort, as it is creative and does a lot to keep the action exciting and hectic, which is further enhanced by the catchy 80s-inspired music. Though the story is basic and the game isn't terribly long, clocking in at around three to four hours, its unique gameplay does a lot to carry it, and new ideas are introduced that help keep things fresh.
This Is the Police should be applauded for taking a concept such as police work and making it into a unique, yet somewhat flawed experience. The tale of Jack Boyd and his struggles to escape the trappings of his troublesome life make for an interesting story, but like his state of mind, the constant back-and-forth between work and contending with ambiguous morality choices through each passing day makes it seem like a never-ending cycle of success and failure.
Even six years after its original release, Bulletstorm is still a wickedly fun shooter whose greatest strength is its skillshot system. With it, the combat becomes not just fun, but also quite creative, since it rewards players who think outside the box in regards to killing enemies. Fortunately, the story, minus its cliff-hanger ending, is surprisingly good, considering it could have been only a paper-thin plot for which to hang the gameplay on. Although the title does lack replay value and the extra modes won't hold one's interest for long, the core meat of the game is its biggest, and greatest, strength.
Aqua Moto Racing Utopia is an uninspired experience, and everything the game offers has been done better in plenty of other titles. It is playable and can offer some thrills every once in a while, but the tedious nature of events can put a snag on whatever fun one might be having. Lacking in excitement and depth, this is one island getaway not worth travelling to.
Though at times frustrating and stressful, Life Goes On: Done to Death is an equally rewarding experience. The cutesy art style and humorous deaths mislead those who choose to play the game, but at the same time, it also entices them into playing through and figuring out what clicks about it. The deaths may be numerous and quite brutal, yet a strong sense of accomplishment fills the players with joy and relief, once a tricky section has been beaten.
In spite of having a quirky premise, Coffin Dodgers doesn't have much else to offer. The racing and vehicular combat work, but the overall product lacks refinement and polish. With unbalanced upgrades, a small selection of modes, with the open world option being a disposable choice, and graphics that are more in lieu with a mobile phone game than a PS4 title, this is a game that had strong potential to be good, but the end result, however, is a game riding with flat tyres and a jittery engine.
Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is a competent, but fun, fighting game. The biggest strengths this title has are found in the varied selection of fighters and secondary characters to choose from, plus the polished fighting mechanics ensure that both casual and hardcore players can have a fun experience. Overlook the fairly cutesy and somewhat suggestive nature of the game and there is a good title that is worth a look.
Assault Android Cactus does what it sets out to do, which is provide a fun and frantic experience made enjoyable by the different playable characters and polished gameplay. Another benefit to the game is the sense of variation offered by the selectable androids' personalities and cartoonish art style; though the action may be familiar and, at times, repetitive, this is still a fun game.
Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae had the potential to be a solid hack and slash title, but such potential has been squandered. What sours this game is that outside of combat, everything else, from the repetitive mission structure to the average visuals, feels lazy. If more time and effort had been put in, this could have been good but, instead, the experience completely falls down.
Klaus is a game that is simplistic and straightforward in its design and overall complexity, but that does not stop it from being a competent and well-made puzzle-platformer. The biggest strength of this title would have to be its sense of style offered by the writing for Klaus and K1, as well as the great, hand drawn visuals that creatively use mixtures of light, colours, and shadow in each level; combine that with the solid platforming and Klaus is certainly a title worth giving shot.