Brett Claxton's Reviews
You’ll have a lot of fun with Overcooked as long as you have people to play it with. As a single player experience it’s lacking, but then it was never intended to be a single player game.
The benchmark for VR games shouldn’t be “it would be a great game outside of VR” but RIGS Mechanized Combat League is a great example of one that would be. It’s also a great example of the level of immersion VR can provide this kind of experience and is a delight to play.
Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is a pleasure to play on console. Hopefully it maintains its community to make sure it stays that way.
Prison Architect: Console Edition hits a lot of the right spots to appeal to fans of strategy and construction games. The fact that it lets you play the game with an emphasis on one or the other if you want, means that it'll appeal to a wider audience.
The Magic Circle: Gold Edition does a great job in helping you realise what it’s like to develop video games without ever really feeling preachy. Although its story is what keeps you wanting to progress to the end, the gameplay does enough to make it an enjoyable experience.
My main experience with the game came from co-op and it is definitely the better way to play the game, which ties in nicely to the overall theme. Due to the puzzles not being too difficult it is the perfect game to play with anyone, as long as they have a basic grasp of gaming, plus they can jump into the game with the touch of a button.
Hatoful Boyfriend is light hearted and definitely something designed to make you smile. It's not going to set the world on fire but it can be picked up for a small amount of money and is something that anyone can play due to its simplistic controls. Its style of humour may not be for everyone, but for those that do find the absurd hilarious it is definitely worth considering picking it up.
Pang Adventures is a fun game that stays true to the original whilst adding enough new elements to make the experience feel fresh. The graphical style is cute and the gameplay is addictive enough to keep you coming back for more, especially if you’re a fan of old school games. Some gamers may be put off by the limited controls, but for those that are willing to get invested in the way it plays, you’ll be in for a treat that will provide you with several hours of fun.
If you have a PC and still play the first game then Killing Floor 2 will probably be right up your street, BUT may not have enough to it to make you stop playing the original just yet. On PlayStation 4 it's a great alternative to the usual first person shooter games. The community is made up of people that understand what the objective is and they do it well. It's not without its flaws and there's a few odd glitches that'll hopefully be patched out, but it's a brutal online game that will leave you wanting to play just one more round again and again.
Considering Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is around the £15 mark, there is a great level of polish to it. If you are a fan of the original Psychonauts and just want to see some of the characters again and what they look like in virtual reality, then it’s definitely worth checking out. If you’re new to the series then don’t worry, there’s still a lot of fun to be had. It sets up the upcoming sequel well for both the newcomers and the series veterans, whilst also setting the standard it will need to hit fairly high.
If you’re after a racer to play on the Nintendo Switch that won’t break the bank, that feels a bit different, then give Fast RMX a shot. It’s a lot of fun and has a lovely style, which is matched by its gameplay.
If you're a fan of puzzle games, then Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is definitely something to consider if you haven't played the mobile version. If, however, you've had your fill of the mobile version it might be best to give it a miss. There's not really anything new to experience apart from some shinier graphics. The challenges on each board help add to the longevity of the game, but overall Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is a game best enjoyed in short bursts.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a nice enough package. Other developers might’ve settled for just releasing Dream Drop Distance by itself but Square Enix decided to add that little bit more. It’s also a package that is very hard to recommend to people that aren’t already fans of the series. There’s interesting bits of story told in each section of the package but, for the most part, they require you to hold the knowledge of the other games in the franchise. If you’re a fan that never got a chance to play Dream Drop Distance then the package is definitely worth considering. If you’re only picking it up for Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage you’ll have some fun, but it’s worth keeping in mind that these experiences aren’t very long.
If you’re after a virtual reality experience that is a bit different and won’t take ages to complete then Superhot VR is definitely that.
Some battles may not be as enjoyable as others but there’s so much fun to be had in most of them that it doesn’t matter. The story is interestingly bizarre, the characters are larger than life and the combat is a delight. Arguably the most important thing though is that it’s a worthy entry in the franchise that will no doubt be another cult classic in the world of gaming.
Even with its issues, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a delight to play. It fills you with nostalgia whilst also showing the strengths of the series. It will be interesting to see where the franchise goes next.
For those that like the supernatural and action-adventure games you’ll have a great time with Ghostwire Tokyo. If you’re coming into the game expecting a terrifying horror experience you’ll be disappointed. There are still moments there though that will get under your skin. Bethesda’s PlayStation swan song might not hit all the right notes but it still delivers a melody that’ll be stuck in your head for a while.
Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed on PlayStation 4 is a far better game than it probably has a right to be. With a unique combat system that works well and a story that has some genuinely laugh out loud moments, it is an enjoyable ride whilst it lasts. It is a more enjoyable experience if you take your time with it and explore some of the side-missions and the Toybox mode where everything is unlocked from the start is great fun.
Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders is a solid start to what will hopefully be a new franchise. It reminds me quite a bit of Frogwares Sherlock Holmes series, which took a few games to find its stride. The games focus on building up the character of Poirot and focusing on telling the story from his perspective pays off, in part due to Poirot being the most interesting character in the game.
Some may be put off by the fact that PlayStation VR Worlds is a collection of experiences rather than one focused game but they really shouldn’t be. Out of the five experiences on offer four of them are great to play and all of them work as a showpiece to show off to others. Whether you find yourself going back to the game will depend on how much things click with you but there is replay value there. Overall PlayStation VR Worlds is a fun game, as well as being a really solid launch title for the PlayStation VR headset that’s worth the price of admission.