For those that clamour for the modern world of over-the-shoulder shooting and action horror, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a hard sell. Your character moves at a glacial pace and the small bursts of action are broken up by a lot of backtracking, puzzles and hunting for shiny objects in dark rooms. Ghost fights can also become an exercise in tedium, especially on higher-difficulty settings.
Lunark is a carefully crafted flashback to the narrative platformers of the early-90s. With beautiful rotoscoped animation and a plot straight out of a Philip K Dick novel, it's one trip to another world well worth taking.
Resident Evil Village VR is a must-have title for anyone taking the plunge on PSVR2. It's still the same RE8 we know, and love but with the tension turned up to 11. In short, it's the best way to play one of 2021's best games.
Kaiju Wars is a slick satirical strategy game that fans of a good monster movie marathon are bound to enjoy
Short, simple, and rough around the edges, Last Days of Lazarus is redeemed by a strange and surprisingly engaging narrative.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is what you would imagine a warm Krabby Patty to be like – delicious comfort food that never fails to satisfy.
The creepiest hand of cards you'll ever play, and one of the best pieces of interactive fiction I've seen in years.
Solid platforming and brilliant boss encounters more than make up for this Metroidvania's minor irritations.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a great adaptation, bringing the twisted humor and fantastical world of Rick and Morty to life in a unique way that only VR is capable of. It’s short enough that you can get through it in a single sitting. However, other than a few surprises for hardcore fans, and puzzle enthusiasts, there’s little reason to come back to C 147 after the credits roll. (It’s gone to hell since the Cronenburgs took over anyway)
Blasters of the Universe is frantic, funny and a fabulous workout. From the stylised neon landscapes, daft script and varied enemy design, to the absorbing customization system and engaging combat - Blasters of the Universe is easily one of the best VR shooters I have played and one that every PSVR owner should certainly consider adding to their collection.
A sweeping and poignant epic, Ni no Kuni II is the kind of game that will steal weeks of your life – the main campaign takes at least 40 hours, and then there’s a wealth of side quests and other asides that add even more value to the package. In short, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a masterpiece that JRPG fans will not want to miss.
It’s a new era for Yakuza, both in game and out. Yakuza 6; The Song of Life may not be the grandiose send-off that some fans may have wanted, but it’s a fitting conclusion to Kiryu’s story and thanks to the new engine one that not only makes old favourites feel new again but make me look forward to the future.
As for the extras, players are most likely to run through ‘Blood Ties’ only once or twice, (depending on whether you have a shiny new PSVR), while ‘Lara’s Nightmare’ has limited appeal, and co-op Endurance mode, while great, may force you reconsider some long-standing friendships if you play it for too long. However, this all just icing…Wait, no, the DLC is the icing. This 20 Year Celebration is the cherry on an already delicious birthday cake for one of gaming’s most iconic, enduring, and beloved series. Happy Birthday, Lara! Here’s hoping you don’t have to reinvent yourself again for your 30th anniversary!
Despite its somewhat abrupt ending and sodding micro transactions, Mankind Divided is still a marvelous addition to the series with a well written narrative, tons of gameplay options, and hours of fantastic optional content. Though not quite the revolution that its predecessor was, the fact remains that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of the few rare cases where basically being more of the same is the highest praise I could give a game.