The difficulty with Farming Simulator is there’s a lot about it that is so wide of the mark it’s easy to dismiss it. Even the subject matter alone will make many people assume it’s a joke, and see above for the many faults with it. But once you get used to all of that, it’s fine. It’s not Civilization or Theme Hospital, but I certainly found myself wanting to return to it, and still do now.
All in all, WWE 2K17 is a wrestling game for wrestling people. If you know your suplexes from your DDTs this is pretty much the only game to sate that need for you, but it’s also thankfully a decent one. If you’re just looking for a new brawler for a short blast but you think the idea of men in pants pretending to hurt each other is silly (because it really is), then you’ll probably find this too slow and detailed to do much for you. As I’m in the former camp, I found a huge amount to enjoy and interest me within WWE 2K17. Not quite a Stunner, but definitely getting there.
Mantis Burn Racing’s presentation of itself is slightly wrong, and it feels like a game in disguise. Regardless of this, it plays very well despite being fairly devoid of much in the way of character. A cheerful diversion rather than something to really sink your teeth into, Mantis Burn Racing is a jovial experience that could have been much more with a little more creativity behind it.
I’m not the sort of person to throw cold drinks at small children, and I don’t imagine you are either. I would never see how many parts of someone’s car I could remove before sending them on their way or photocopy my bum in the real world, but here you have it; a game that finally gives you the chance to do all this and more without serious repercussions. Aside from all the silliness there is indeed a great game here too; I’d wager if you had an attention span better than most of the NGB writers you could spend hours doing the tasks as they were meant to be performed and enjoy it enormously. But VR is about offering new ways to play, and new opportunities and possibilities to the player. And Job Simulator is a bright, cheerful and great way to remind us all of that.
Battlezone is basically what you dreamed an arcade game would be ten years ago, finally realised and in your living room. A dumb, no-frills tank blaster that is instantly playable and understandable by anyone, this is the sort of thing that will win over a lot of people who wouldn’t consider themselves interested in VR as a concept. Unlikely to be a defining title of the platform, but a strong start regardless.
That said, I didn’t dislike Virginia. I was disappointed at the lack of definitiveness and resolution to the matters presented, but the atmosphere and style of the game, as well as it’s brief meditations on society in 1992, stayed with me for some time after I finished playing, and provided a lot to think about. This is far from everyone’s tastes, and I would recommend doing some investigation before parting with any money to consider whether this is going to hold your attention or repel it, but if sedate thrillers that offer more questions than answers are your thing then you’ll find a short but sweet package on offer from 505 Games here.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is clocking in at about £10 on the PSN store, which makes sense. It has the feel of a highly polished game that can kill 30 minutes or so at a time rather than instigate hours of play. If that’s what you’re looking for then you’re in luck, friend; here be a game that is both simple and immersive for short periods of time, to divert your brain away from real issues and solely into ‘where the fuck is the fruit oh no there’s a ghost train EAT IT YES HA!’. If you’re after a happy dose of nostalgia and an engaging half hour then this is the power pill for you.