Chris Harding's Reviews
I'm giving this one a 'Not Bad'. It's not a terribly bad game and there were some flashes of brilliance, but unfortunatley it's just not quite there. At least not yet. Perhaps a sequel could right the wrongs and get this racer back on track.
Clive 'N' Wrench might take inspiration from classic 3D platformers, but it doesn't take the best practices, resulting in a dated and at times frustrating gameplay experience.
LASTFIGHT isn't going to be taking the place of any other mainstream fighters on the market today, but it's a nice little deviation from the beaten path. Due to the game's repetitiveness, perhaps this one is best played in small doses, or even better, with a few mates and some beers.
Time Machine VR sounds like a great idea on paper but its execution is somewhat off. It's neat to be able to mooch around and explore while dinosaurs wander around you, but the thrills only last so long. A short running time and a high price-point make this journey through a time an "are we there yet?" slog.
SpongeBob SquarePants nails the feeling of the source material and it does a great job of replicating the free and fancy fun of those old-school platformers. That being said, it's not a great game, at least if you're over the age of 12. It's lacking in challenge, it's rather short, and there's very little replay value. For the younger players who haven't been jaded by this wonderful and wicked industry, it's a serviceable platformer with authentic voice acting that gives players a chance to be part of their favorite show. For everybody else, it's a short distraction that had the potential to be so much more.
Done the right way, this episodic approach to a VR game/app (I'm calling it a game) could work really well. That being said, it's very, very short. You'll be able to blast through this short tale in just a matter of minutes. Monkeying around the Firehouse HQ doesn't take too long either.
Smash Hit Plunder has a great concept but it doesn’t do a whole lot with it. Smashing things is always fun and it’s even better with friends. Get this one for the multiplayer.
Hardware: Rivals isn't the best game in the world, but it's certainly not terrible. There's a good selection of maps to play on, as well as some classic game modes that make up the bulk of multiplayer games. The combat is sketchy at times, but with a bit of practice (and a lot of patience) you'll find yourself racking up the points.
I’m conflicted when it comes to PowerWash Simulator. On one hand, it’s an absolute bore and a chore with one-dimensional gameplay – can I even call it gameplay? – but on the other, it’s still strangely fun and moreish, and seeing the grime trickle away and the percentage done counter ticking slowly upwards was enough to keep me wasting water for hours on end. It’s an oddity, for sure, but one that I can’t seem to peel myself away from, and the more I play it, the more I wonder if the world wouldn’t be a cleaner place if we could all get the job done with a gamepad.
While the length may be an issue, there is a flip side to it. Just as I was starting to tire of the guns and sword combo fest, it was over. It wasn’t long enough for me to get tired of its main selling points: the top-tier graphics and the chaotic combat. The visuals are stunning, granted, but the game takes place more or less across very similar environments, except for the gunfight on the wing of an airplane hurtling toward a black hole – Neil DeGrasse Tyson would pull that scene apart in a second. If the game ran for a further six hours but locked in with the linear locations I’d tire of it before the end. The combat, while being fun and encouraging experimentation, doesn’t have the depth to carry the game for much longer – I’m sure that by hour four I’d completely drop the melee side and just stick to running and gunning, and then it’s no different to most other shooters out there.
Redout: Lightspeed Edition attempts to fill the void that the big guns aren't willing to. For the most part it does a great job: massive speed, funky anti-gravity racing ships, mind-bending tracks - even some electro music for those who're fans of it. That being said, it's let down by its poor technical performance. Apparently it runs fine on the PS4 Pro, but if you're rocking an OG or Slim PS4, you're gonna have to live with dodgy frame-rates until an update is released.
Pixel Gear is cheap and cheerful fun that won't break your digital wallet. The controls work well and the gameplay is top-notch, if only for the relatively short running time. A bit more content and a little more variety would have pushed this one to greater heights, but as it stands it's still a decent game.
Aven Colony bravely attempts to bring a PC-style sim to consoles and, for the most part, it succeeds. Controls and user-interface can make or break such a game, but while the controls are on-point, the performance isn't. The campaign isn't all that interesting from a story stand-point, and you'll need to up the difficulty to get a challenge out of it, but if you're a fan of city building sims then you'll find something to enjoy here.
Grow Up retains the charm and whimsy of the first game without being a simple re-tread. There's a bigger world to explore and you'll be reaching for the stars in no time. Just be sure to hit those checkpoints on the way up, lest you fall down and curse your luck... It's a cheap and cheerful game that I recommend, especially if you found yourself laughing at B.U.D's gammy legs in the original.
Super Dungeon Bros is a simple yet brutal game. If you tackle this beast head-on without a friend of two, you're probably going to get a wee bit annoyed. However, a few mates really does help pull the fun from within the depths of Super Dungeon Bros and it's really the only way worth playing.
The Last of Us 2 takes a massive misstep with its story, but it’s saved from failure by its brilliant gameplay. It’s slow and shallow far too often, but when the gameplay is allowed to take centre stage, there’s something special to be had. It’s a thriller and a bore, and while I enjoyed the gameplay, I don’t think I’d be able to endure it again for the New Game+ mode.
If you're a veteran airship racer then you'll have no qualms with this collection. It's decently priced, it looks bloody amazing, and it plays like a dream. If you're a newbie coming in fresh as a daisy, take the time to learn WipEout's intricacies and style before you resign it to the bin. What you're getting is effectively three great games at one great price. They're a little old, and at times their clunky, but it's a decent release no less.
Toby: The Secret Mine may look like another famous platformer, but it deserves to be recognised by its own merits. There's plenty of brain teasing going on as well as some tight platforming to keep you pushing towards the end. Don't bother getting invested in the non-verbal narrative, just enjoy the journey.
It's a fun visit to go back to Harry's magical world with the LEGO Harry Potter Collection, it's just a shame that more wasn't done to warrant the relatively high price.
Organic Panic is a genuinely impressive little game that'll have you smiling and screaming in equal amounts. Intricately designed levels and top-notch physic-based gameplay go hand-in-hand to deliver a rare gaming experience: proper fun that makes you think. It's colourful, it's bright, it's got some wicked sounds behind it, this one isn't a 'must buy' but it's certainly a 'should try'.