While interesting and certainly unique, Ritual: Crown of Thorns wears down the player with relentlessly punishing difficulty. While the concept and story are a hoot, in the end the gameplay can't sustain interest. Instead of feeling rewarded by advancing to new levels, players must often backtrack and play previous difficulty levels repeatedly. Frankly, there are just too many other ways that I would rather be spending my time.
Several weeks after release (and several patches deep) Espire 1: VR Operative is ultimately an unfinished game. I have no problem with Early Access titles on PC, but by the time a game hits the PlayStation Store, my expectations are that it is in a playable state. After two patches, Espire 1: VR Operative still feels largely unpolished (and at times, actively broken). Proceed with caution.
Simulacra is surprisingly engaging for a game that takes place completely on the screen of a found smart phone. With well-drawn characters, a gripping story, and one foot planted firmly in the real world, the suspense of Simulacra entertains quite well. Never truly chilling, Simulacra is nonetheless a unique suspense mystery that is well worth a look.
Golem is a video game redemption story – saved from the brink by a patch that cleared up many of the game's release problems. What is left is a fascinating game of exploration, punctuated by hardcore, visceral combat. With atmosphere to spare, Golem delivers a unique experience unlike any other on PSVR. Recommended for patient, thoughtful players that enjoy a challenge (and don't mind a lot of repetition).
With a strong focus on storytelling, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game is a PVE collectable card game that will challenge – and sometimes infuriate – card game and strategy fans. While the "always online" demands and the original storyline are bewildering, the gameplay itself is deep and entertaining. Just be ready to shake your head when Sauron whoops up on you at the last minute. Stupid Sauron.
Though it stumbles some with undeveloped multiplayer and arcade modes, the single player of VR Ping Pong Pro is enjoyable - even to a table tennis neophyte. With rock-solid controller tracking and a variety of fun and unique environments to play in, VR Ping Pong Pro is better in a lot of areas than it needs to be.
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is so packed with charm that one might underestimate some of the sharply clever puzzles involved. Though it you will probably only play it once, that's no reason to skip on a game of this quality. A complete delight that could only exist in VR, Stolen Pets bursts with nostalgia and fun.
Woven is so sweet that it is begging to be loved, but in the end it is simply too clunky to be endured.
Zen has faithfully recreated two classic pinball tables based on Universal Monsters – complete with their spooky real-world difficulty. While fans of the original tables will be rightfully satisfied, Zen fans will have to adjust their play styles to compensate for the realistic physics. Regardless, this pack represents another solid entry in the Zen library. Did anyone expect otherwise?
Let's Sing Country provides a way to sing modern radio country songs (and a couple of classics) with friends. If that sounds fun to you, then you will likely enjoy this game. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
With a startlingly original new world to play in – combined with a warm feeling of familiarity – Obsidian has managed to deliver the one of the best first-person RPG's. This is the game that fans of this genre have been craving, and it is a pure joy to watch Obsidian plop the role-playing crown back squarely down on its head.
Pig Eat Ball is a unique proposition in modern gaming – a classic-feeling arcade game with a completely original mechanic at its core. The puzzles, characters and world built around this mechanic are delightful, despite giving a first impression of being a little gross. Arcade and puzzle fans will find a lot to love here. Pig Eat Ball is utterly unique.
Everything in Indivisible – from the colorful visuals to the "Oooom" noise when you save your game – is calculated to delight. Despite some uneven difficulty, both the platforming and battle systems entertain. But it's the character design and voice work that is really the star of the show here, making Indivisible a strong contender whether you are a genre fan or not.
Concrete Genie is one of the best games of this generation—an experience that expands the parameters of what video games can be. By embracing values like artistry, empathy, and beauty, this is a title that will appeal to gamers that might be feeling a bit world-weary, bringing color to a world that has been feeling a bit gray lately. If you have ever wondered why video games have to be so violent and dehumanizing, then do the industry a favor and support this game. And lest I forget to mention: Concrete Genie is a lot of fun to play.
WRC 8 is surprisingly accessible to rally newcomers, but after explaining how everything works, the game delights in throwing buckets of cold water in the player's face. This is a tough game, but a fair one, and fans of rally racers and other "difficult" genres will likely equally enjoy skidding through WRC 8's wicked twists and turns. A variety of modes flesh the experience out, but prepare to feast on the Career Mode, which is comprehensive and comprehendible. Recommended.
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is primarily a superb adventure game occasionally stymied by overly finicky – and at times outright broken – minigames. At most times a stellar lighthearted VR romp with some grand heartfelt moments, Groundhog Day's charm subsides at times as players are forced to do minigames over and over to succeed. The superior writing and structure shine through, but expect some moments of frustration.
A technical achievement to be sure, Battlewake succeeds in delivering accessible arcade-style naval battles. But underwhelming depth in the campaign, combined with broken matchmaking and a lack of cross-play with PC VR systems leaves the long-term prospects for Battlewake looking pretty grim.
Engaging, surprising, and hella fun, Zen Studios’ Star Wars Pinball is a must for pinball fans, Star Wars fans, and fans of videogames in general. With tons of features, modes, and options, this is the definitive Zen Star Wars collection. There is something here for everyone, and as a budget title, Star Wars pinball provides amazing bang for your buck. Simply put – this is a must have for Switch owners.
Erica tells a boilerplate story—but tells it very well. With a fresh, intuitive interface and some of the best production values and acting ever seen in a video game, Erica feels very much like what it aspires to be—an interactive film. Erica is perhaps an odd experiment, but one well worth experiencing for gamers that enjoy trips off the beaten path.
Remedy's Control might eventually be one of the coolest games on the market, but upon release framerate, balance, and popup issues are so rampant that players are forced to change their style of play to work around the bugs. While Control's world-building, performances, and writing are all superb, the difficulties in actually playing through the game to see all that cool stuff leads to a deep sense of frustration.