The vibes are right, the story is good, the graphic are fun, the sound effects are amazing, and the Xenomorphs are legit frightening. But all of that is almost undone by an antiquated save system, which combines with bugs to strand the player in frustrating gameplay loops. As a franchise fan, I would still play this game. But Xenomorphs aren't the only bugs you're going to be fighting.
MachineGames has fully captured the essence of what makes the original Indiana Jones trilogy great, delivering a fantastic experience full of stunning detail that feels like you are living through one of those 80s Indy adventures. With great characters, amazing graphics, and a stellar story, this game sets a new bar for how to adapt a franchise and give fans a new experience that would otherwise be impossible. A few minor bugs here and there, but otherwise a stellar achievement. Keep 'em coming.
Void Crew is a game that thrives on chaos and camaraderie, delivering an intense co-op experience that rewards communication, quick thinking, and teamwork. When played with a full, committed crew, it's one of the most thrilling multiplayer games I've played. But for those who lack a dedicated team-or the patience to wrangle strangers in online lobbies-the game's steep difficulty may prove more frustrating than fun.
Wall Town Wonders is a visual delight, an charming burst of creativity that will awaken the inner child in any player. But the amazing experience of having a community of tiny humans taking up residence in the walls of your home is marred by the fact that interacting with the titular town can be a struggle. Technical issues mute the magic somewhat, but cannot stifle the fact that this game is indeed a wonder.
Making my VR wishes come true, Square Enix has delivered a stellar port of Triangle Strategy to Meta Quest. With the interface fully reimagined to take advantage of VR's 3D capabilities, the battle sequences play out like a gorgeous living board game. Yes, there is a lot of story here, but it is rich and engaging, and the 3D mixed reality implementation soars. I would encourage every VR fan to support this game, as I will not be satisfied until we have many more like it.
As warm, deep, and emotionally engaging as it ever was, Life is Strange: Double Exposure delivers another great adventure for beloved hero Max Caulfield. With a great new cast of interesting characters, a banger of a mystery, and enough ethical dilemmas to fry your brain, Double Exposure continues putting players through the wringer in the best possible way. A few minor technical issues cannot distract from the great story and beautiful visuals.
At times, Arkham Shadow is the coolest VR game ever made. But a bevy of game-stopping bugs and some of the sharpest difficulty spikes I've ever encountered keep this bat from immediately soaring. An incredible - and incredibly gorgeous - VR translation of core Arkham mechanics, but still too rough around the edges for such a prestige franchise. Give it a couple of weeks and it will be a nigh-perfect experience, but it's a shame it's releasing in this condition.
Not a remake, not an action RPG, but definitely a very refined MMO experienced tailored to be inclusive to solo and console players, New World has received a major shot of accessibility with the release of Aeternum. With a welcoming community, a refined story, and some very fun crafting mechanics, there is a lot of material here to dig into and enjoy. If you are looking for a new title to sink 1000 hours into, you could do far worse than this one.
The team behind Exploding Kittens VR has certainly built a fun and unique way to experience the popular card game. It is an absolute blast in multiplayer with friends. But in the end, your enjoyment of this application will entirely depend on your enjoyment of the game it is based on. There are a few bells and whistles - and the bot-based practice mode is a nice way to learn the game - but unless you are actively playing with humans, you are going to run out of steam pretty quickly.
While it is almost miraculous that many of the properties in this game are represented in video game form, Funko Fusion is missing a sense of fun or satisfaction. With very little explanation of the game's mechanics, the player is left to wander from world to world, shooting endless waves of enemies, fiddling around with obtuse puzzles, pondering the universe and the point of it all.
Team ASOBI came out swinging for the fences, expanding on the existing games in the series in every direction. Astro Bot is a delight in every sense of the word. A magnificent tour through Sony PlayStation's history, the franchise – and the Astro Bot character – has enough charm and chops to now launch forward as PlayStation's premier mascot-driven series. Stellar platforming, a mountain of secrets, and a never-ending sense of discovery and adventure, Astro Bot is a new classic. So. Much. Fun.
Star Wars Outlaws is a good time, once you come to terms with it's stealth gameplay. While the visuals feel rough around the edges, the story and writing are fun and the gameplay can be surprisingly engaging. Things do wear thin after doing the same stealth missions over and over again, but this is still a trip to the outer rim well worth taking.
Cat Quest III serves as a fantastic introduction to this charming franchise. With surprisingly deep combat, intriguing exploration, and wild story turns, the game kept me up far later than I intended for several nights in a row. Appropriate for the kids, but good enough that Dad soon booted the kids off the controller and took over. If you can stand the endless puns, this is a great, breezy action RPG that will entertain the entire family for hours.
Thrasher is something entirely new, both in video games and in the VR space. Not for the faint of heart, and you are going to have to practice. You don't just want to play Thrasher, you want to play Thrasher well. And Thrasher wants to pound on your eardrums and heart while you try. A digital geometric nightmare-scape, that is also one hell of a good arcade game. Video games don't get much more creative than this one.
There is nothing revolutionary in Max Mustard, but that doesn't mean that this game isn't very well made, and very entertaining. The story is cheerfully bewildering, but the game is so familiar and comfortable, you aren't likely to care. With solid platforming mechanics, Max seems to borrow a bit of this and bit of that from other VR platformers in order to deliver a very polished experience. In a genre that is woefully underserved, Max Mustard is a breezy breath of fresh air.
I would love to say that I loved South Park: Snow Day. But the shallow combat, light story, and general lack of depth made me feel like this game was just scraping the surface of what it could have been. Grab it on sale to play with buddies, but beyond that, stick with the classics.
Engrossing and enjoyable for its brief run time, Open Roads tells a quiet, witty story of discovery that spans three generations of women. Though it never veers into melodrama, I found the narrative to be engaging and intriguing. Great performances lend a realism to the well-written characters. If you think Open Roads seems like something you might enjoy, you are likely right.
While this modern take on the beloved classic is certainly beautiful to look at in places, it stumbles a bit with ill-advised combat and an uneven presentation. Still, the lore drops are incredible, the performances solid, and the Lovecraftian storyline is intriguing - and when it goes hard at the end, it is a sight to behold. Survival horror fans won't find huge scares here, but there is a fun feeling of creeping dread and anticipation that moves things along.
Swarm 2 improves almost everything from the stellar first entry, while adding a roguelike structure that makes the game that much more addictive. At this point, if you haven’t played a Swarm game, you are failing at VR. There just aren't that many games that can grant this freedom of motion without a side helping of nausea. You owe it to yourself to experience the pure joy of movement that Swarm 2 offers.
With the core team assembled, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth feels like embarking on a fantastic adventure with a gang of your best friends. More open, action-packed, and surprisingly funny, Rebirth gives players days of content and the freedom to pursue it, while still telling a wonderful and cohesive story. Every aspect of Remake has been examined, refined, and improved. This is the franchise's Empire Strikes Back, in all the best ways.