While getting started can be a chore due to the poor tutorial implementation, clearing that barrier reveals a fun and interesting casual strategy title. Playing as a band of unapologetic vampires is a hoot, and taking over large swaths of land is entertaining. Mixing a wide variety of features from across the strategy genre, Immortal Wars somehow makes it all work together. An interesting diversion for strategy fans.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time goes far beyond expectations with the number of characters, modes, and levels that it includes. Series newcomers are likely to be rudely smacked upside the head by the blistering difficulty, but longtime fans will delight in the incredible ways this title iterates upon its storied past. Highly recommended.
Cake Bash is an extremely polished four-player collection of minigames and competitions that is perfect for families as well as more experience players. This is the sort of game that is meticulously designed so that anyone can pick up a controller and enjoy it. Though the amount of content in the game feels light, the amount of entertainment to be gained from this package far outweighs the asking price.
Torchlight 3 offers a solid foundation of ARPG goodness, but the balance of loot drops and progression feel off to the point where long sections of the game feel interminable. When everything is clicking, players can destroy waves of bad guys with the best of them – but expect an ebb and flow to the good times.
With some unexpectedly complex and challenging controls, Star Wars: Squadrons is not the sort of game that you jump into and play casually. Squadrons is a surprisingly deep flight sim-style space battler that benefits from all of the sights and sounds of the Star Wars universe. While fun played on TVs, Squadrons really comes to life in VR, despite some resolution issues. This is simply the best Star Wars space battle game ever produced, and is a dream come true for fans.
Do you think you know all the words to Killer Queen? You probably do not, and Freddie Mercury almost assuredly sings it better. That doesn't mean that it isn't fun to try. Let's Sing Queen has a great, deep track list and offers some simple fun. If you enjoy hyper difficult karaoke, you'll get a kick out of this title. Warning: "Under Pressure" is much more difficult than you think it is.
Good game design is good game design, regardless of age or platform. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 takes the levels from the amazing original PS1 titles, and blows out the scope in every direction. Adding a ton of modernizing touches without ever losing sight of what makes these games great, THPS 1+2 is a riotous success. Lock in for some extended play sessions, and get your blister band-aids ready because this game is additive beyond belief.
With a well-written story, fantastic world building, and great, bloody combat, The Walking Dead Onslaught is a fantastic companion piece to the beloved AMC show and a great VR game in its own right. Supply runs provide a perfect mix of speedy action and tense combat, while the narrative portions feel carefully and artfully constructed. While the VR-level budget peaks through on occasion, this is an amazingly well-made and entertaining game.
It is wonderful to revisit the setting and characters of The Outer Worlds. But due to the way the expansion is nestled within the greater story, the admittedly entertaining and well-written adventure ultimately feels a bit hollow. Fans will enjoy hanging out with Parvati for a few hours – and some narrative twists keep things lively – but some changes or expansions to the gameplay would have been very welcome.
With a stellar campaign and set pieces that rival anything in the MCU, Marvel's Avengers already delivers a ton of value. But add on the endless multiplayer and future characters, and this game is poised to be a classic. Some early bugs distract from the fun, but the bones of the game are solid. Marvel's Avengers is an amazing achievement.
Inmost delivers a variety of gameplay styles, delivering three thoughtfully discordant narratives that tie together with a gut punch at the end. Beautifully constructed pixel-art graphics set a surprisingly somber tone, and the music is top notch at setting the horrific yet contemplative mood. Recommended.
Control AWE does a great job of bringing the events of Alan Wake into a shared universe, without ever breaking its own identity or gameplay conventions. Almost all of Control's technical issues are gone, leaving behind a great nugget of gameplay that pushes the universe forward into interesting new placed. Highly recommended for fans of either franchise.
Without much reward for playing single player-and an obtuse and difficult to navigate multiplayer system-Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition simply creates too many barriers to entry for the player to overcome. While the simple gameplay could be fun with an easier interface, the complicated multiplayer will likely only be enjoyed by the most hardcore of fans. Not an outright bad game, but certainly a difficult game to play.
Windbound is a delight. With a few UX issues and a bit of repetition holding it back from all-time-great status, this game is still a wonder to explore and discover. The sailing is fantastic, the island exploration is intriguing, and the sting of dying isn't so bad that it should scare away roguelike-haters. The world of Windbound is so well made that you may want to dip into it just to hang out for a while. Fun, exciting, and rewarding.
Wasteland 3 is a stunner of a game. All the strategic combat and twisted story choices the series is known for are present here -and done better than they ever have been before. Some technical issues hold the game back, but with time to patch things up, Wasteland 3 will be a stone cold classic.
Despite a few rare difficult moments with finicky controls and timed puzzles, Helheim Hassle is well worth a look. The humor is lively, surprising, and wickedly funny, while never feeling mean. The majority of the puzzles are engaging and fun. Helheim Hassle is a good-natured good time.
Metamorphosis is a solidly made puzzle-platformer with a few adventure mechanics on the side for good measure. Taking a literary classic that some consider to be interminable and creating a lively and amusing game world from it, the devs at Ovid Works have create a deeply creative work that delivers a satisfyingly original experience.
Banner of the Maid is a genre-defying tactical RPG that challenges players to discover the one way the game will allow them to win battles - and bitterly punishes those that attempt other strategies. With a strong focus on visual novel-style storytelling, the game creates a unique alternate universe version of the French Revolution as a setting for a detailed story with rich characters. Not entirely welcoming for newcomers, Banner of the Maid is an interesting alternative for genre fans.
Don't be fooled by the nice-looking world, fun characters, or interesting story. Skully is a clever game with fun puzzles, and some of the most blisteringly difficult 3D platforming I've encountered in years. Be ready to challenge yourself as difficulty spikes put you in a blender and spit you back out. Skully is fun, satisfying and well-made, but not for the faint of heart.
Pistol Whip is a triumph of game design. Rather than trying to wedge a bunch of mechanics onto a platform that doesn't welcome them, Pistol Whip instead focuses on what makes VR fun – color, sound, and motion. This is a game that connects players with the developers' intentions through its simple interface, leaving the player sweaty, inspired, and triumphant. Masterpieces come in all forms – and Pistol Whip qualifies.